Information overload

[Wolfeman70]

Alright. I have information overload and I need help.

Background Information:
June of this year we (wife, daughter 11 years old and I) will be selling our house and traveling around the US for 1 or 2 years. We will then move to Europe. Most of the places we will be going to will be short stays, 1 to 7 days.

My desire:
I'd like to buy a smaller RV that would be easier to maneuver in parking lots residential neighborhoods (class B/C). We would be selling/giving away the RV at the end of the 1/2 year period so I'd like to buy used and keep my investment under $30k (proceeds from house sale).

So far:
Looking at buying a used rental from Cruise America or El Monte (probably El because of service records and a few bad CA posts here).

The problems:
1. I live near Memphis and the secondary RV market is very limited. Work and other requirements limit travel opportunities and time to go check out potentials. A trip to BUY would be possible but trips to just checking out RV's is going to be very difficult.
2. Storage space. We will be living out of the RV for 1 to 2 years. Obviously we won't have everything we own but how much space will we really have. Would a small trailer pulled behind be at all useful.
3. Trailering a car. I'm looking at a smaller RV so needing a car to get around won't be an issue and I might be able to expand my storage space with a small trailer but would trailering a car with us be at all advantageous?
4. I don't know what else.

This situation has come upons us rather quickly and living where we live makes things even more difficult. I know I should inspect the roof of any RV I'm going to buy but I've never even seen an RV roof much less inspected one. I'm sure there are a thousand other things i need to think about but I've spent 4 hours already looking thru these forums and I'm starting to get dizzy.

Any help or advice would greatly be appreciated. I'm sure everything I need to know is already covered somewhere in a faq or forum post but I'm overwhelmed right now.

[gotsmart]

To the OP:
Full Time RVing - even in an RV that is paid for - costs more than most folks think. Gas, tires, oil, RV insurance, medical, repairs, RV supplies (extra hoses, dogbones, water filters,...), grocery bill, yadda, yadda, yadda.

The generosity of others to cover your monthly expenses may be put to the test.

Discuss.

[pianotuna]

Hi Bobbo,

Surfing the net is one thing. Doing a detailed reply to an email or even posting to a thread such as this one is quite another.

The farther back I go in my rv the greater the roughness of the ride.

Bobbo wrote:
I don't think noise or vibrations will be that big a deal. DW sits at our dinette and surfs the internet while I am going down the expressway.

[Francesca_Knowl]

Wolfeman70 wrote:
I have a bit of money saved up but we will be depending on the generosity of the churches we visit for income.

I'm interested in how this works. Is it a sort of "workcamping" arrangement, and if so do you make prior arrangements with churches of your particular denomination?

[Fizz]

Never mind the mechanics of it all.
Think of your mental state.
Do you have any idea what is involved here.

Sell the house.
Quit the job.
Uproot the family.
Hit the road with no prior knowledge of RVs
Move to Europe.

Any single one of these events can be a major stress on anybody.

[PastorCharlie]

I understand that your plans are to spend 1-2 years traveling while raising support for your ministry which you are planning to begin in 2-3 years. Your commitment to the Christian ministry, if it is equally shared by your family, will mitigate for any inconveniences that you may experience. Lots of us have proceeded you in the work and many will follow.

A good RV chassis, tires, generator, battery bank, furnace, A/C, refrigerator, exhaust system, etc. would be needed in any unit you choose. You would want to make sure that they are ok.

Most RV are quiet enough, when traveling, to have a conversation needed for school instructions. I have never been in one that wasn't; Class C or Class A.

A Class A will allow the driver's cockpit to be more user friendly for living space. A 29-30' with 1-2 slides will give about 300 sq. feet of floor space and will be small enough to use for shopping etc.. The couch or dinette will provide extra beds. They will likely have larger tanks for fresh water and septic storage. This will be one of you most difficult problems. Most have more basement storage that Class C. They are capable of towing another vehicle or cargo trailer. Bikes would be handy for alternative local travel.

There are many Class A and Class C RV for sale within your budget. Click on RV SALES at the top of this page, also check PPL.com, or Google for 30' RVs.

It would be recommended to plan your travel to minimize stays in cold climates.

[CA_Traveler]

Warranties? What kind, type, what do they cover? The furnace quits in FL - do you have to return to where you bought it for repairs? Engine quits so you can't move - towing covered, etc.

Service contracts are possible but there are many posts on these boards about the limitations and exclusions.

You could wind up being responsible for repairs.

[Wolfeman70]

Yes and no AuntSmurf. I know I want a smaller vehicle because of maneuvering and parking issues. The rental units while rental do seem to get positive reviews from people with actual experience owning them. I do know there is no way I want something large like a class A. The size and expense I just can't deal with. I really want something I can drive around like a small shuttlebus or large van. We will be cramped but it's better to be cramped in our RV than cramped in some hotel room.

I am listening to a lot of the feedback and am getting some really good advice and things to think about. A small TT is an option if we end up in a van or truck but I go back to the maneuverability and parking issue. Noise and vibration issues as well as problems operating in winter temperatures seem to be crushing my current RV dreams. I really wanted to be driving while my daughter and wife school or play games and enjoy the trip thru the snow covered rolling hills of Kansas.

Maybe a van with a small TT for living in/extra storage....

[AuntSmurf]

Sounds like you actually have your mind made up. Get the biggest you can, reduce all of the "stuff" you can, then cut that amount in half. If you find out you need something on the road, dollar stores and thrift shops will be your best friend. Good Luck!

[Wolfeman70]

The class B was/is just a backup backup option. Finances are a large driver in this issue as well as other issues. As I said, I can get a well maintained 23 foot Class C from Cruise America for between $17k and $24k or a well maintained 24 or 26 footer from El Monte for around $25k.
Our other option is a large minivan and hotels which won't allow my wife to nest and will be just as small.

A larger RV would be really nice but it just doesn't work for our maneuvering/ parking profile needs. It also doesn't really fit our budget either. A Travel trailer removes all the benfits of being able to school while on the road and do other things while I drive.

I'm looking at renting a small one for a weekend trip and see how that goes.

It is nice that the used rental units have the space over the cab available as a sleeping area that I'd look at sectioning of in some way so I could send my daughter to her room. Just wish it was tall enough to sit up in.

[gotsmart]

Wolfeman70 wrote:

pianotuna wrote:
It may be almost impossible to use a computer sitting at a dinette while a class C RV is trundling down the road. It can be done sitting in the passenger's seat, but a good lap desk is going to be needed.

Noise levels are not low, so folks need to take frequent breaks from driving. I added air tabs to the rv and that helped a great deal with noise.

Didn't know that. I was assuming my daughter could sit at the dinette and do school work while traveling. The bathroom on board was also a great benefit when traveling with two women that loses a lot if we have to keep stopping to take breaks because of the noise.
....

There's a reason why the couch and dinette both have seat belts. In many states the highway patrol will look unkindly on seeing folks walking about in an RV. It's not a good idea. If you're going to do that then keep all of the curtains closed to prying eyes, while under way.

Living in an RV is very different than vacationing in an RV. When vacationing you can overlook the little things that may annoy you. When living in an RV you have to live with those issues, every day. I'll repeat what others have said. You need to walk through the units that you are considering to purchase. If buying a former rental you should consider renting for a weekend, either in the driveway or at the closest RV park to the rental center.

[bikendan]

you really need to take time out and look at various RV's.
and don't let rv salespeople make you feel like you need to leave.
just let them know you're in the market for a RV and are trying to decide which type.

i agree that a Class B would be way too small. even a Class C will get really tight, especially in bad weather.

[mustangglp]

Don't forget you will have dump the tanks every few days. The smaller the rig the smaller the tanks are.
Don't plan on parking on the street and sleeping most city's have ordnance's against it.

[Bobbo]

I don't think noise or vibrations will be that big a deal. DW sits at our dinette and surfs the internet while I am going down the expressway.

However, I don't think a Class C will be big enough for you. I KNOW a Class B won't be. We have a 32 foot Class C for just the two of us. We camp for 2 to 3 weeks at a time, and if the weather is bad forcing us inside, we get very crowded. I wouldn't dream of adding a teenage girl to that mix.

The suggestion of outlining 300 square feet in your home and living in it for a while is very good. However, remember that 300 square feet has to include both the bathroom and kitchen.

Seriously, take masking tape and tape off that size area. And 300 square feet is generous. My RV is closer to 240 square feet inside.

[ReadyToGo]

I am going at this from a different point of view. My reading of your posts tells me something like this.
You want to be on the road the day after your quit your job and sell your house. You for some reason do not have any time to look at RV's.
I suggest you do not plan your on the road trip until a month after you quit your job/sell your house. Budget a month in an apartment and/or put things into storage. This will get you plenty of time to look at RVs.
What are you going to do with all the things in your house? Most people try to sell them at garage sales or estate sales or give them away. How are you going to live while you do this? If you don't have time to look at RVs, when will you find time to do that?
New topic. Do you realize that sleeping in a bed while travel down the road is a big issue? No seat belts on beds.

[AuntSmurf]

I really think that a B/C is not going to satisfy your needs. You need something with more room. Check out the dealers but don't tell them that you are just in the "looking" phase. If they ask, just tell them "soon" and that how soon depends on the deal. Have you been to an RV Show? You can get a lot of information in an afternoon. Doing school work while heading down the road will be a problem. Plenty of distractions for an 11 yr old. In your case, I honestly think the way to go will be a used bunkhouse tt. That will give your daughter her own "space". A crew or club cab truck will give you sitting room for all of you. And by putting a topper on the truck you have storage. Think about this....your daughter is 11, hormones are about to kick in MAJOR TIME. Do you really want to spend the next two years with that and not be able to send her to her room? :B