new driver,4person family,help to choose RV,thx

[vincentru]

happy to find here.
I am live in fontana ca,4 person family,me,my wife and 3years old daughter and a 3 month old son.
I am a new driver,and baby is so little,just have a car of Honda Pilot 2013 2WD(can tow 2k lbs).
please help me:
is my family suitable for comping?I just go to nearby compgounds at first,such as arrowhead or big bear lake,or riverside ca.
I have no pickup now,so I choose Class B or C better?
and I am a new one about RV,my budget is under 10K,so the RV will be old ,such as 1970s,80s or 90s,so old RV,is it safe for a new one?
cosider to tow my honda or a boat in the furture,and the fuel economy, how to choose the RV?

Thanks so much!

[2gypsies1]

I totally vote for a Class C rather than B. You'll have a lot more room, more storage and better sleeping arrangements for the 2 children.

Starting out in a tent is fine but it's completely different than an RV and might just turn you off completely. It's a lot more work and less comfortable, especially if it rains.

We did start off in tents 50 years ago and went to a pop-up (which might also be good for you to start), a couple small travel trailers, a 5th wheel for full-timing for 8 years, and the last 10 years full-timing in a Class A. Can you tell we thoroughly enjoy the outdoors?

Best of luck to you and don't be hesitant. It's a learning curve and anyone in campgrounds will be glad to help if you have problems.

[Chock_Full_o__N]

Effy wrote:

HappyKayakers wrote:
Here's a secret. You don't need an RV to go camping. Most people, especially young families on limited budgets, start out tent camping. Your budget should be fine for a very good tent, air mattresses, sleeping bags, coolers, camp stove, etc. Your Honda Pilot should have plenty of room to store it all and maybe even tow a small boat.

x2 - before you go spending a ton of money on an RV you may find you don't like, get a tent. If you find that you don't like tent camping ( I don't any more), don't give up on camping. Rent an RV. Usually you'll find a small class C to get the feel for it. Go somewhere local in case you have issues and need to scramble home. Nothing like testing the waters before you buy. After that you will know a few things. One - if camping is for you and your family, 2 - you'll have a better idea of what your needs are in terms of an RV. THere are countless types and floorplans of RVs, from pop ups to TT, to class B, C, A and everywhere in between. Finding an RV is not the problem. The task is figuring out what you want, if you want it. Then shop.

Boy, I can't stress this enough. Slow down, take your time. A year is not too much time to make sure you want to sink your money into an RV. Any RV requires on-going maintenance, but especially an older one. You want to be sure you are either able enough to do your repairs or wealthy enough to pay others to do them.

We started our kids out "late" to camping--they were 3,5,& 11. We didn't have a baby, as such, but when we started my youngest was very developmentally delays, about the level of an 8 month old. So we had to tote his "baby" equipment. All we had was a tent, some sleeping bags, some kitchen supplies and a 2-burner hot plate. After a soggy weekend, we added to that list a very large tarpaulin and some heavy marine rope. We strung up a rope across the site, high in the trees. Threw the tarp over that, stretched it out like a giant circus tent and roped it to some other trees. After all that was finished we set up the tent and cooking area under the Big Top. We camped like that for many years.

I'm glad we took the time to learn to camp this way. My DH did not come from a camping family, nor did they even take vacations. I had to teach him everything and it was definitely a learning curve for him. He wasn't crazy about camping at first; in fact, he had a hard time allowing himself to even take time off work. But there was something so magical about being in the woods, hiking and playing games with the kids, and roasting weinies over a campfire that it drew him in and eventually he saw the light.

A few years later, we decided to buy a small pop-up that we could pull behind our minivan. It was basically beds and tent on wheels, nothing fancy. We still did all our cooking and living outdoors. Several years later we bought our first trailer (of 3) and larger tow vehicle.

We are in our late 50s now and the kids are grown up. DH is very ill and towing has turned into a huge chore. But now camping is in our blood, so we are COMPELLED to camp. :B We parked our little trailer at a campground permanently. I must tell you, this is the best of both worlds to us. We don't have the hassles of towing but we still get to enjoy being in the mountains, having a campfire, and roasting weinies. We bring plenty of books & puzzles, plus our TV/DVD player for those rainy nights.

OP, you and your wife will have to figure this out on your own. I would not recommend anyone jump right into buying a "home on wheels" without knowing if they were even going to like camping. Camping isn't for everyone and you don't want to make a several thousand dollar mistake like that.

[Tiger4x4RV]

One advantage, besides lower initial cost, to choosing a tent or small towable is that your children can be safely strapped into their usual car safety seats. Don't get a B or C or whatever if you cannot find safe seats in it for your children!

[mgirardo]

With your budget, it might be better to start small and then work your way up. We started out in a tent. I tent camped for years before my wife and I had kids. She tent camped with me once or twice.

We tent camped with our now 12 year old daughter twice before she was 1 and she loved it. When we were in the tent she loved to just run around the tent. After our son was born, we upgraded to a 12' box pop-up (21 foot open). It had a queen bed on one end and a king on the other. You should be able to tow most pop-ups with your Pilot. Ours without A/C was about 1600 lbs dry.

We bought our pop-up when it was 9 years old for $3600. It was in great shape. We used it for 1 year and decided to upgrade to a 3 bed Hybrid Travel Trailer. The same day we bought the hybrid, we privately sold the popup for $3200. We figured with 3 beds everyone would have their own bed once they were old enough to need their own bed. Four years later we upgraded to a Class C with bunks.

I think our progression from tent to Class C worked well for us. We had a year with the pop-up and used it a lot in the 1 year we owned it. The kids, 3 and 1, at the time really enjoyed camping so we knew going with the Travel Trailer would work out.

Also, if you are set on an older Class C, make sure you check with the campgrounds that you plan to use most if they'll allow older RVs. There are a good number of campgrounds that don't allow RVs older than 10 years.

-Michael

[Effy]

HappyKayakers wrote:
Here's a secret. You don't need an RV to go camping. Most people, especially young families on limited budgets, start out tent camping. Your budget should be fine for a very good tent, air mattresses, sleeping bags, coolers, camp stove, etc. Your Honda Pilot should have plenty of room to store it all and maybe even tow a small boat.

x2 - before you go spending a ton of money on an RV you may find you don't like, get a tent. If you find that you don't like tent camping ( I don't any more), don't give up on camping. Rent an RV. Usually you'll find a small class C to get the feel for it. Go somewhere local in case you have issues and need to scramble home. Nothing like testing the waters before you buy. After that you will know a few things. One - if camping is for you and your family, 2 - you'll have a better idea of what your needs are in terms of an RV. THere are countless types and floorplans of RVs, from pop ups to TT, to class B, C, A and everywhere in between. Finding an RV is not the problem. The task is figuring out what you want, if you want it. Then shop.

[HappyKayakers]

Here's a secret. You don't need an RV to go camping. Most people, especially young families on limited budgets, start out tent camping. Your budget should be fine for a very good tent, air mattresses, sleeping bags, coolers, camp stove, etc. Your Honda Pilot should have plenty of room to store it all and maybe even tow a small boat.

[naturist]

(1) your family is perfect for camping. Get 'em young, they'll be hooked forever. The one thing you do not mention is how much experience you and your wife have camping. With a toddler and an infant-in-arms, that will be important in how enjoyable the whole thing is. Two little ones like that can be challenging anytime/anywhere. Camping even more so for folks new to camping.

(2) You say you are a new driver. Do be aware that whether towing or driving Class B or C, the driving experience is more challenging than just driving a car. I'm just guessing, but a small C might suit you better, as it will be less of a challenge than a larger rig. Whatever you wind up with, may it bring you wonderful family adventures.

In any case, don't be in a rush to pick one. Do your homework, and spend the time it takes to track down a good one. And while you are at it, I think I'd rent an RV or three to get some experience before buying one. A couple rental units for weekend or weeklong trips will teach you a lot, way beyond what we could possibly tell you.