Here's goes nothing - my first rv discussion...

[plasma800]

Hi Board,

This lurker just got serious, so here we go 😄

My wife and I own a business. We manufacture some specialty products for a special crowd, and it's been doing very well.

Two things (well three)

1.) We show at a lot of expo's. 7 to 10 per year. We fly (which sucks) and we also have to have a palette freighted out and back, plus hotel and food and cabs.

2.) Our business is to the point where great employees (*thanks god*) at home-base give us a lot more freedom than in the beginning.

My wife and I went strictly "roaming laptop / cell phone" a few months back to see if it would work out, and it does. Awesome, no more chains to a desk! Zero negative impact!

3.) I've always wanted to chill out in an RV... I've always wanted to visit and see parts of our great country, and I yearn badly for a little peaceful solitude from time to time.

So here's my angle... Every time we travel to a show, we spend what?? $400 to $800 on air fare.. maybe less, but generally I'm not the type who loves standby, split up seats, and be the last to board the plane right? This is why I work, so that I can enjoy some options. Hotel? Again, we usually go mostly nice.. so low end $90 with priceline luck? but a lot of cases, your hotel choice at site is limited, and we're doing the cab thing to get around, so sometimes it's $150 a night for 3 nights to not be miles away and crossing your fingers a cab shows up (occasionally we rent a car).
Freight on the palette? Easy $400+ each way, and has the added benefit of getting your stuff ruined. Food, yada yada. We reckon it's roughly $2000 to $2500 per show to get in and out comfortably (plus the cost of the booth).

So we are spending money anyways to get around and do our thing, 'the hectic way'.

So I figure, let's try this another way...

Let's get ourselves an RV, drive to each show, camp some on the way, and stop in towns where we can gather a crowd, and sell some too, we have customers all over, I'm sure we can make some dough along the way.

Step better?? Turn it into a very publicized tour, and actually 'work' at making money, customers, and friends along the way. Work on the road, and take some breaks along the route to chill out man.

I have a 'personality attachment' to the Class A Diesel. Not too big (34? 36? 32?) but i need room for my cpap by the bed haha.. I like the idea of the height, towing, and certainly the storage space, cause all show gear has to come along.

I also like the ... 'mystique?' I don't know.. like the impression it might make on customers when you roll up in something nice, not too nice, sort of humble, but nice, particularly if we could wrap that bad boy in some company graphics.

So I've been hunting. I have a 'full timer' friend who filled me on a lot of in's and outs, they travel to a lot of the same shows.

I also like to stay on the safe side. So I've been 'scouting' and it appears that a lot of great 'looking' diesel homes, 2008 and up, are in the sub 90k - 80k - 70k range, with some niiice 2010+'s in the 120k - 140k range.

Ok so here's where I am. Obviously, the 80k range is awesome, cause after a few dollars down, the payment is pretty low in the 650 per month range. (if we do 7 shows a year, at a conservative 2k per travel the old way, I'm spending 1116 per month when broken monthly, for comparison)

So I know we also need gas, water, LP, camp fees, mobile internet, insurance, routine maint. Add all that in, I figure we're close to break even. ( and hitting break even is not the point, I don't mind spending a little more if I have a better life 🙂 But still, one must be reasonable.. the world is a flaky place, and I prefer low pressure to high pressure these days.

What I don't like about the 80k range, is the age of the bus... I don't want to be plagued with repairs or stoppages that eat 20k quickly and I go :S.

What I don't like about the 140k range is the commitment to such a large payment... but I wonder if the loan terms sttttrrreeetch longer with a newer coach.... am I thinking unclear here?

We seem to really like the Tiffin Brand, the Thor Brand, The Fleetwood Brand, and the Forest River brand.. and of course newmar, monaco, winnebago on the radar, and even class c's hanging off the farrrrr edge of the radar screen (very far)...

We've never RV'd. We've never been gone from home for more than 2 weeks, normally just a few days, and so ya know how it is.. the heart wants what the heart thinks it wants.. until it gets it (sometimes)

I camped a LOT as a kid and teenager, my dad was an avid hunter, so we spent a lot of time out.

I'm 40 now, we don't have any kids yet, but want to in a few years, and I don't wanna just sit here any more.

we also have a 2006 range rover paid for, and I know for a fact our trade show stuff fits in it perfect (cause we use it for short trade show hauls) I would love to tow my 'paid for' vehicle, rather than buy something, but it's heeeavvvyy. But the book says it can be flat towed..

open internet browser, tell google RV, PLEASE and :h

advice? encouragement? pitch fork gathering?

[jobythebay]

2012Coleman wrote:

plasma800 wrote:
UPDATE:

First off, if you are a vet, the USAA WAS AWESOME TO ME, super nice folks.

Here's where we landed. We take delivery in about 3 weeks after some minor stuff is fixed and new tires all around.

http://www.bestpreownedrv.com/966.html

Nice going! If I were guessing, I'd never have thought it was a 2005 - looks much newer. Hope this works out well for your business needs as well as your camping pleasure!

good luck.. what an amazing unit. I'm thinking 3- yrs with this new one and let ssh get used to 34 feet. then I'd like to go bigger. meanwhile we haven't even used this one.

[2012Coleman]

plasma800 wrote:
UPDATE:

First off, if you are a vet, the USAA WAS AWESOME TO ME, super nice folks.

Here's where we landed. We take delivery in about 3 weeks after some minor stuff is fixed and new tires all around.

http://www.bestpreownedrv.com/966.html

Nice going! If I were guessing, I'd never have thought it was a 2005 - looks much newer. Hope this works out well for your business needs as well as your camping pleasure!

[plasma800]

UPDATE:

First off, if you are a vet, the USAA WAS AWESOME TO ME, super nice folks.

Here's where we landed. We take delivery in about 3 weeks after some minor stuff is fixed and new tires all around.

http://www.bestpreownedrv.com/966.html

[plasma800]

Not much of an update here... Finance has been a little hectic, but alas, the tour is not in our hands... but we are close to a breakthrough at least

[alliemac9]

Hope you got the Tour you wanted! We're about the same age as you and also no kids, two dogs and both own businesses. Unfortunately, our businesses are not at a point that can be left behind. Mine is theoretically mobile, but I find I rely on dedicated workspace and printer/copier enough that working on the road doesn't feel 100% sustainable. DH's requires more onsite babysitting, so it's hard to leave for chunks of time. I think your situation sounds like living the dream!

We've used the RV to travel to a trade show (or essentially worked a trade show into a stop on a vacation tour, however you want to look at it) and I think if your business is mobile and expo-based, your plan would work really well.

We have a Class C, and while that likely isn't the right fit for you, we are regularly thankful for the MH aspects of our RV. I'm sure a truck/trailer option is a great fit for many, but for traveling us and our dogs we really appreciate the MH (and DH appreciates access to kitchen and bathroom while I push on until the gas tank is empty). If I were you, I'd totally flat tow the Range Rover w/your wares in it in a good cooler (maybe good but cheap looking?). Or if the toad has one of those cargo area covers, get coolers that fit beneath the cover. No need to make it look like a prime theft target.

Especially given your background in camping, etc., I'm certain you're going to have a blast! You mentioned potential kids in a couple years - if I were you, I'd keep the Tour (or whatever your first purchase is) until you have the opportunity to reassess the situation post-kid(s). I think that changes so many aspects of the scenario, and it would be a bummer to upgrade and then realize your whole world had shifted in a different direction...

[wbwood]

spoon059 wrote:
As soon as I read your post, I thought Sprinter 1 ton diesel van (or similar style) pulling a nice travel trailer. One other poster mentioned it, but it got glossed over. I looked at Sprinter, even with dual wheels it only has a max 7500 lbs towing.

I did a quick search and found the Chevy Express 3500 van. MSRP of around $44K gives you a 2014 1 ton diesel powered extended wheelbase van with 4,000 lbs payload, 10,000 lbs tow rating and 9900 lbs GVWR. Plenty of interior room in the van for your merchandise (and kept cool enough in summer with van's AC), gear for the conventions, dog, etc. You can find a lot of nice bumper pull travel trailers under 10,000 lbs. Ford doesn't seem to offer a diesel in the van, but they have the V10. Ram only offers 5,500 lbs towing in their vans. Nissan has vans, but without the diesel yet and I don't know the tow ratings.

Figure you can drive out of the dealership with this new van for under $40K, buy a nice camper for $40K new and you are in this brand new rig for $80,000. This is substantially less expensive than the Class A or toyhauler route others have priced out. Your van is already loaded with your gear, so you won't have to constantly be unloading your toyhauler to get to shows, you won't have to run a generator and install an AC unit in your toad. I don't know rules of commercial rigs... but you could mark your van with your business logo and use it year round, not just when camping.

This sounds to me like the best of all your worlds. You have plenty of conditioned space to store your merchandise, can tow a nice size travel trailer, don't have to constantly redistribute your merchandise and convention setup gear, don't have to worry about parking a big rig at the convention center, don't have to worry about maintaining 2 engines (motorhome and toad), plenty of vehicle for your money (and substantially less money), potentially about to put advertising on your van and not be held to commercial tow standards. Lets not forget that most Class A's aren't available with additional beds...

Consider this option.
http://www.chevrolet.com/express-work-cargo-van.html

Yeah I mentioned it up above. I wouldn't even go $40k into a travel trailer. $20k - $30k will give a great option. I still think it's the best valued option and makes the most sense.

[OhhWell]

Good to hear that you found a nice MH. Hopefully the financing works out. I hate waiting for the final OK when you have become somewhat attached to the vehicle already.

Some coolers in your toad and you should be good to go. You can also put those silly rain guard things on all of the windows and have them open a crack while you are driving.

You had mentioned your wife would like to be working as you are driving. While you can certainly do that in a truck with a laptop stand, it doesn't come close to working on a proper table in a MH with room to move around and lay papers out. While there are some big advantages to a TH and Truck, I think you are going the right direction for overall comfort and convenience.

It will be nice to have a great RV to show from business travel as opposed to a bunch of old airplane tickets!

[mlts22]

One setup I've seen was a fairly beefy class "A" rig used as living space. It towed a fairly large trailer. In the trailer was a car for the missus, and a Harley trike for the DH. Once they got to a campsite (it was dry camping, so they had plenty of space), the cars came out, and the trailer was made into an office.

If I recall right, the trailer had a 25 gallon gasoline tank coupled with a fuel station and an Onan generator.

If the OP has stuff to sell, perhaps this might be the ticket? The main rig a MH, and towing an enclosed cargo trailer with a toad inside as well as their merchandise. The trailer would have a built in A/C coupled with a built in gasoline tank and genset, ensuring that the stuff inside stayed cool, no matter where they were. Then, when at a destination, out comes the toad and the trailer now becomes the shop and office.

[spoon059]

As soon as I read your post, I thought Sprinter 1 ton diesel van (or similar style) pulling a nice travel trailer. One other poster mentioned it, but it got glossed over. I looked at Sprinter, even with dual wheels it only has a max 7500 lbs towing.

I did a quick search and found the Chevy Express 3500 van. MSRP of around $44K gives you a 2014 1 ton diesel powered extended wheelbase van with 4,000 lbs payload, 10,000 lbs tow rating and 9900 lbs GVWR. Plenty of interior room in the van for your merchandise (and kept cool enough in summer with van's AC), gear for the conventions, dog, etc. You can find a lot of nice bumper pull travel trailers under 10,000 lbs. Ford doesn't seem to offer a diesel in the van, but they have the V10. Ram only offers 5,500 lbs towing in their vans. Nissan has vans, but without the diesel yet and I don't know the tow ratings.

Figure you can drive out of the dealership with this new van for under $40K, buy a nice camper for $40K new and you are in this brand new rig for $80,000. This is substantially less expensive than the Class A or toyhauler route others have priced out. Your van is already loaded with your gear, so you won't have to constantly be unloading your toyhauler to get to shows, you won't have to run a generator and install an AC unit in your toad. I don't know rules of commercial rigs... but you could mark your van with your business logo and use it year round, not just when camping.

This sounds to me like the best of all your worlds. You have plenty of conditioned space to store your merchandise, can tow a nice size travel trailer, don't have to constantly redistribute your merchandise and convention setup gear, don't have to worry about parking a big rig at the convention center, don't have to worry about maintaining 2 engines (motorhome and toad), plenty of vehicle for your money (and substantially less money), potentially about to put advertising on your van and not be held to commercial tow standards. Lets not forget that most Class A's aren't available with additional beds...

Consider this option.
http://www.chevrolet.com/express-work-cargo-van.html

[plasma800]

A quick update for ya, we ran across an amazingly clean, and gorgeous 2006 Winnebago Tour with low miles, and the price was very,very right for our introduction to rv'ing. We submitted for loan last night and are attempting to be patient today waiting for 'the phone call'. And trying to ward off the scary thoughts of anything that could go wrong. I poured through the unit top to bottom, every nook and cranny - a couple of spots need a little TLC but nothing we can't handle, all in all I would call it 96%, and the 4% is mostly aesthetic somewhere.. like one broken door latch, or one shelf that needs a little repair.

I read about everything that normally went wrong with the tours, and this rig doesn't have any of them... it drives nice, all cameras work, all lights, systems, genny is 100% smooth, awnings, storage doors, visors, detectors, drains, everything I could think to check over 4 hours of searching.

All the old tv's were replaced with nice brand new samsung HDTV's, and installed well at that, including sound bars.

the floor has been replaced with lay down hardwood laminate, and looks in good repair, the couches look nice, the mattress looks nice and even if it wasn't, they are cheap to replace. I couldn't find one deal killer on this one, and we worked on the price to something I felt was very reasonable. (and lower than any other tour's I've seen for sale on line of the same year and mileage.

All in all, this seems a great starter rig for us. This will get us on the road, save some more money and then consider if we want to trade up to new (which if i really enjoy it, there is no doubt that a nice new unit is in my future) ... like the Itasca Meridian we looked at too 🙂

I'll keep ya posted!

Next is to work out the toad. We have a little lexus that's worth about $7000 and paid for. I would like to find a way to move it along and get my hands on an older cherokee or patriot without going out of pocket a dime.

[DiskDoctr]

If you like driving and are comfortable adding a day or 3 to each show for travel, no problem.

Will you have help driving class A or truck/fw?

Are you satisfied with all those miles in a truck, if a f/w?

We've been thinking about something similar and figured instead of a toad, we could easily rent a car at a destination if needed.

There are A's that are better for constant travel and those that are ok for long term destinations but can nickel and dime you to death.

Those with class A's can shed more light on this.

[2012Coleman]

Your writing it off as business expense and your looking at used? :h

[wbwood]

plasma...several years ago when we were looking for our first rv, we started with looking at used. And as you found out, most every used unit had a god awful smell. Not sure if someone died in them or if it was what they cooked in them. We also came to the conclusion that a lot of people do not take care of their rv's. Then we started looking at all the fabrics/carpet in them and what they contained or could contain. We quickly moved to new. We knew that you will pay more for a new unit and will lose that depreciation. But it was worth it us to know that there was no smell, no heebie jeebies and no one had a chance to destroy it. Having a year warranty on it was great and we opted for the extended warranty for piece of mind. That was on a travel trailer back in 2010 and we traded it in on a brand new 2013 Class C earlier this year and did it the same way.

As far as loans go, it will depend on the price of the unit you are buying. With the TT ($26,000) we could go with a 10 or 12 yr loan. With the Class C ($70,000), we could go up to a 20 year. Not sure what the price point is to where you can move up the number of years. I imagine its probably in the $40,000-50,000.

[plasma800]

Spleenstomper wrote:
I lean toward buying new because you have to reseal stuff every 3-6 months and recaulk every 2 years. Water is the biggest enemy to the RV. People live in theirs, and I would want a very lightly used one at best. I just feel like I want to be the one who knows for sure what has been done. My BIL on the other hand will only buy used because of the depreciation issue.

I hear that! LIke you never all the hidden stuff the previous "handy man" owner did before you