Everyone has an opinion. What's yours?

[cureousity]

We're a newly retired couple thinking about purchasing our first rv and wondering what to get. We don't want to start out with the gigantic brand new model, but are looking at something gently used and reasonably priced. We plan to travel a lot and stay in it for up to several weeks at a time so will need something roomy enough for us and our pets. We're soliciting educated opinions, what's yours?

[JimK-NY]

No one can pick out an RV that would be suitable for others. I do think I can offer some ideas for consideration.

First you need to consider your pets. They are likely to greatly limit your choices. For example, a couple of big dogs are going to mean you need to upsize your RV choices. They will also help define your travels. You can forget about visiting National Parks. Except for historical parks, dogs are not allowed on the trails or outside of basically paved areas and campgrounds. You will not be allowed to leave them behind in the campground while you go exploring and hiking.

Regardless of the pet situation, it seems easy to look at larger and larger RVs and then buy something huge. A good salesperson can help with this approach. Of course, we typically buy on time so that also makes it easy to up the payment a bit and buy big. The size of RV you buy will define your lifestyle choices. A big unit pretty much means having hookups most of the time. That means bigger campgrounds or RV parks. You also need to consider definite travel plans and reservations. Fees will vary greatly but plan on an average of at least $30/night.

There is a small minority of us who believe that going small makes sense. My wife and I fulltimed for 2 years (with cats) in a truck camper. We had plenty of room and conveniences but no space for dogs, no big overstuffed recliners, no bathtub, no laundry. We had solar panels and a generator for the rare times we needed A/C or the microwave. We could travel easily and stay about anywhere. As a result we averaged $7/night for camping. We traveled tens of thousands of miles and rarely spent more than a few days in one place.

You need to think about your RV plans. Do you want to travel and explore the country or sit somewhere for days, weeks or months at a time enjoying most of the comforts of a home?

[Searching_Ut]

I've had 2 Tent campers, 4 TT's, a class A, and a fifth wheel. Personally in most ways I preferred my old backpacking gear, the wife however won't do tents, and doesn't like small RV's, so for us a larger 5er or class A is what we need.

For setup time, ease of tear down and parking, we found both comparable, primarily because we need a Toad with a class A. Autolevel on the 5ers and good hitch mean you can back in, level, have slides and awning out, inverter and water pump switched on, beer in hand while sitting in recliner in less than 15 minutes. Class A about the same, but don't necessarily need to disconnect Toad if parked in a pull though. We much prefer the layouts and room available in 5ers for living than what we found in class A's. With 5er your run around vehicle is a large truck. More options Toad wise when using a Class A.

As the real determining factor, get the one the wife likes best so she'll want to hit the road and life will be good.

[ppine]

There is no perfect RV. Buy used and assume you will change your mind. I agree that going to RV shows is helpful.

How do you plan to use it? Hauling in the mountains or flats? Old Forest Service campgrounds, NPS, or RV parks? Do you need hook ups?


For people that live in flat country and go to RV parks, I can see the big units like Class A or 5er. We travel in the mountains and back roads and do not like big rigs. Anything bigger than about 22 feet is hard to get into many older USFS campgrounds.

[rollingslow]

Common sense is very uncommon. But that's just my opinion

[dcmac214]

gbopp wrote:
My choice is a Class A or Class C.
Start going to RV shows and dealers, look at everything. All RV's have pros and cons.

^^This!^^
If you're going to travel-travel, some kind of motorhome.

If you're going to travel & stay a while, get a trailer (what we do). It's a real pain if you're staying someplace to have to drive your house wherever you want to go, museum/restaurant/whatever. Or tow a 2d vehicle and leave your house in the campground.

LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP! We looked hard for 3 years before settling (pun intended) on a 5er. Visited every dealer and RV "show" within +200 miles.

Object lesson to be learned: Told DW if she bought the TV I'd buy her the 5er of her choice. Coworkers accuse me of hauling a wheeled TajMahal... I don't care, she's happy.

[paddykernahan]

Decided that smaller was better.
Easy to drive.
Easy to park.
Easy to store.
Easy on fuel.
Small enough that a toad is not needed.
Smaller space and very little storage but very doable.
Camped for 30+ years in a pop-up and every year brought less and less stuff.

So last year we decided on a Pleasure-Way Plateau XL.
22 foot long Class C (B+).
Has a huge bathroom and shower.
Great couch and very comfy Murphy bed.
Everything self contained on a Sprinter chassis.
Drove to Oregon/Washington from Michigan for a month.

Couldn't be happier.

If you haven't had an RV before, rent the type you think you like first.
Heard of some that buy, use one year, sell because they hate it.

Good luck.

[ncrowley]

If you are going to travel for weeks at a time, I would look at a class A. You will need to look at floor plans and costs to determine what works for you. Make sure it has the ability to pull your car and make sure your car can be flat towed. If it cannot be flat towed, you are looking at a dolly or a trailer. Go to lots of RV dealers and look at a lot of RVs. Go with quality even if you have to go back in years. If you buy used, get complete maintenance records and make sure it have been well loved.

[frankdamp]

We started out with an older (1988), 26' Class C. It was an odd layout, but we weren't clued in to how awkward it would be. It had a Ford 460 engine with a 2-barrel carb and enough smog gear to keep the USS Enterprise clean! Six mpg at sea-level dropped to 4.3 or so at altitude. Everywhere we went involved altitude. After half a season, we dumped it.

We moved up a couple of years later (early 2010) to a 2002 Georgetown 32' Class A with living room and bedroom slides. We bought it from the original owners who had put 12,000 miles on it in 8 years. It needed new tires - they were the OEM set and were 9 years old, based on the chassis build date. It was a pretty good rig - the only other gotcha was the fridge, which died the day before we were leaving on a 3-week trip. $1700 to replace it and 3 weeks buying ice every day! We must have been to every Fred Meyer store between Astoria and Brookings, buying ice!

It was a good size for just DW and I and two Labradors and we enjoyed using it regularly, since we were already retired.

Gas started out at around $2.00 when we first got the rig, so 8 mpg was manageable. Four years later it was $4.50 in the small towns we frequented on the WA and OR coast. Reluctantly, we sold it at a substantial loss from our initial purchase price and retired from the hobby.

[chasu]

I'm 51 years old and just bought my first travel trailer two weeks ago. 2004 Colorado 26FB. Excellent RV/TT for the money and I was fortunate to get one from someone that used it often and maintained it properly. 6200.00 purchase price and has a new laminate floor. My limited advice would be to try and find one that has been stored properly and under a cover/RV Carport. I've enjoyed fixing the few things that I've done to mine. Replacing baggage door catches, removing rust and painting bumpers, replacing bulbs with LEDs, lubricating scissor lift and stabilizers. Fun things that I haven't done since learning how to change the oil in my truck with my dad when I was a teenager.

[free_radical]

cureousity wrote:
We're a newly retired couple thinking about purchasing our first rv and wondering what to get. We don't want to start out with the gigantic brand new model, but are looking at something gently used and reasonably priced. We plan to travel a lot and stay in it for up to several weeks at a time so will need something roomy enough for us and our pets. We're soliciting educated opinions, what's yours?

I only live once and wont take the money with me so only buy new from now on to spare myself headaches and fixing things...

Well,you asked!?:)

[NCWriter]

Floridastorm wrote:
For just two senior citizens with a small dog or two I would suggest a small Class A. My wife and I had a 24 foot Class A Sprinter on a Dodge chassis. No dogs but had my young son with us. Was easy to drive and park. But, had plenty of usable space and all facilities. A 24 foot Class C would not have anywhere near the same space as the driving compartment takes up some of the space and is on another level from the main floor.

Might depend on the chassis type. The Navion/View Sprinter C driving compartment's seats easily swivel around and lock in place to face the "living room." So the driving compartment becomes part of the living room when you park for a few days or just for the night. Very comfortable for TV watching, since the TV pulls away from the wall as desired at an angle visible to whoever sits there while also visible from the sofa. There's no night curtain (as with some Cs) cutting off that driving compartment area - the privacy shades are flat against the windows.

[cureousity]

Wow! Thanks for all the great feedback. We've a lot to think about now!

[Grit_dog]

That said, I plan on doing all the hiking, fishing, hunting, 4 wheelin, dirt biking, and snomobiling that I currently only get to do occasionally.

If less active and more prone to sitting around the campsite and doing some commercial touristy stuff is the extent of the adventures, then an A or C with a toad would be my choice.

[Grit_dog]

I don't think I could narrow down my plan(if we were retired and could travel a lot) to parking the RV for periods of time or being in a different location nightly or every few days. I would have to assume that we would be doing both.
I would also assume that even when parked somewhere for weeks at a time, most days would entail something that took us away from the campsite.

With those stipulations, I'd want something that I didn't have to break camp everytime to go somewhere locally AND something comfortable for longer stays.

If we got a Moho, would have to have a toad. Otherwise it would be a big pickup and a TT/5ver toyhauler. BUT, love the convienence of the TC we have and that would have its place for some long trips.
Bottom line, there is no "perfect" RV for all situations and preferences.

Maybe the closest for me would be a diesel super C with a short garage/toyhauler bay and a toad.