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!

[WA7NDD]

Opnspaces kind of put a downer on RV's ownership.

If you can afford it, get it. Enjoy your family, the rest will work out.
What "opnspaces" did not say, is: A time comes when dealing with a TT becomes a pain. AT 70, I don't want to deal with backing up, hooking up, and loading up - I just want to turn the key and go. I've had 5 TT and 2 MH. At the present, I have one of each, I use the MH.

Our first TT was a teardrop and a Chevy 1964 Suburban called a Carryall back then. I put a rebuilt motor in it, painted in John Deere green, the only paint I could afford, and put four kid and my wife in a 10' X 6' teardrop TT, that the Chevy six could barely pull up a hill. It gave us tons of good memories.
Enjoy you family, they grow up too fast.
Jim

[opnspaces]

I and many of us have had to go through the same decision making process as you. My decision was to buy a Suburban (I have a family of 6) and a travel trailer. My reasoning was I didn't want another engine and transmission that just sat around getting old unless I was going camping. With the Suburban I have a second vehicle to drive around as needed. I also considered that if the Suburban broke on vacation I could have it towed to almost any shop for repairs. If the motorhome broke I'd have to find a Motorhome shop and or possibly pay more for the same repairs.

But motorhomes have many positives as well. One of the biggest I see is you can just get in, turn the key, and go. This could also come into play if you want to stop at a highway rest area at night. If you decide something is wrong and you want to get out in a hurry you turn the key and go. If I decide I need to get out in a hurry I need to get out of the trailer and walk up to the Suburban to go. But in reality I think this is more of a fear mongering thought as I don't stop at rest areas at night. And when I have stopped in my car I've never felt like I had to get out in a hurry.

You could also possibly look into an older popup as it just doesn't rain much in So Cal. My popup weighs 900 lbs empty so your pilot could tow it. But it's really just a tent on wheels. It has no heater and it has no toilet. It has a dinette, a two burner stove and a small hand pumped sink and two full size beds. The positive is that you should be able to find one for less than $2,500. I only paid $650 for mine and it works just fine.

Have you considered where you're going to store this RV? That alone might help you make a decision as to if you want a second truck and trailer or a motorhome.

[WA7NDD]

Went through a few tents, then several TT, a class c, another TT, and now another class c and the TT. Did it all with 5 kids. In 1971 we took our first baby camping in a tent in Yellowstone. She got colic in middle of the night, other campers stated yelling "Shut that kid up." We packed up and left. All the kids now own tents and RV's. We live in an area of Idaho where camping, RV's, and pickup trucks are the norm.

[toedtoes]

vincentru wrote:
But some older class c is 3k-5k,it is very attractive, I do more homework can make sure to get a good condition one?

From what I've seen with the older American Clipper (1973-1980) Class C's, if they're asking less than $5000 for it, you WILL be spending up to another $5000 to get in fully functional - that's either engine repair, house repair, or both. If you don't want to put out the money in repairs right off the bat, then you're looking at spending $5000 - $8000 for the sale price.

I suspect that other older motorhomes will have that line between "drive it home and enjoy" and "drive it home and work on it" - what the cost amount of that line is will vary depending on the build.

[westend]

vincentru wrote:
for a old class c,the important thins is a strong running fuel-injected engine and an overdrive transmission? how to comfirm it when I go to see?

Do you know enough about engines and transmissions to pull the dipsticks and let them tell the tale? You may want to bring a knowledgeable friend along on a test drive.
Mileage and general appearance are both good indicators of over-all condition, too.

[vincentru]

for a old class c,the important thins is a strong running fuel-injected engine and an overdrive transmission? how to comfirm it when I go to see?

[vincentru]

thanks for all above good reply.

I also consider another plan:a 2000s F150 V8,and 1990s Travel trailer,about cost 10K-12K?compare with a older Class C,which plan will be easy to do maintenance,lower replace cost,lower insurance? If choose the F150 plan,I can have more car to use usually.

But some older class c is 3k-5k,it is very attractive, I do more homework can make sure to get a good condition one?

If I buy a wrong old class c ,maybe I need to lost 1K-2K to sell it?

tent and popup is good job too,but I really like a mini home?not need pack much things when I go or stop:)

[nightshift]

naturist wrote:
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.

X2

Rent first. I agree with others too. A popup might be better for a couple of years until you make a final RV decision. Who knows, you might sell the Pilot and buy crew cab truck and fiver in 3 years. Take it slowly.

[toedtoes]

I would also slow down and look at renting or tent camping first. An older class C is likely to require not just regular maintenance, but a certain amount of "catching up" on the maintenance (many people stop doing a lot of maintenance once they start thinking about selling, etc.). If you don't do all that catching up on things that have been skipped/overlooked before you start enjoying the RV, you will likely have things go wrong during a trip. With 2 adults, those issues probably won't be a big deal. But with a baby and a 3 year old, it could really make for a difficult time.

If you do go with a class C, consider buying in the early fall. That will allow you to play catch up on the maintenance over the fall and winter. With a smaller class C, you can do weekend practice runs in your driveway over the course of the winter. That will allow you to give everything a good test run without having to suffer the consequences, figure out where and how to pack the RV, get the kids used to sleeping in it, and determine what things you need and what you won't use.

Use this summer to just get the hang of camping in general.

[tessa25]

I would have said start with a popup, but they are over your 2000lb limit. So a class C would work. Check out the RV Sales link at the top of this page for an idea of prices.

[rfryer]

Your family is fine for camping. My concern would be your 10k budget and your Pilot. MH’s tend to be money pits; you could spend $2000 just replacing tires. And you’re probably going to throw a LOT of money at an old one. Plus your Pilot doesn’t have the capacity to pull much of anything.

The DW has been promoting a Class B for traveling and I went into sticker shock when I saw what they cost. A C is cheaper, but they’re not cheap, either. There might be some really small, light units, like teardrops, out there that you could pull. But with no experience with them I don’t know how they’d be for 2 adults and 2 kids. Coleman used to make lightweight, all metal PU’s that might work, but they’re gone. The newer ones I’ve seen outfitted with showers weigh more than my 16’ TT.
The advice to take your time and rent is good. There are all types of RV’s and each have their pros and cons and you need to educate yourself well before you jump into anything. There are a lot of posts on the forum about what sort of RV to select and you can do a search and get a quick feel for what appeals to you. Good luck.

[vincentru]

thx,
yes,I just want:
1.baby feel comfortable when we are moving to the destination
2.don't want to do the depth exploration about ourdoor at first,just bring my little kids to look around,easy hiking,take photo ets..
3.sleep comfortably and cook easy even if is raining
4.want to spend less money total

so how too choose the RV? I think class C is good?just don't comfirm that is the old class C safy when we run in the road?

If a class C have rebuilt,under 100K miles,new tire,will be safe?

or I add my badget to under 20K to make sure the condition good?

10K badget,spend more time to search?can find a good condition class C?

Thanks!

2gypsies wrote:
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.

[vincentru]

thanks.why some compgound don't allow RVs older than 10 years?
I choose class B or C,because I think it is easy to encomp,not need to tidy up so much thing when we arrive or leave.
Vincent

mgirardo wrote:
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

[vincentru]

thanks for your good suggest.Yes,I need do more work to know and rent a RV to try first.

naturist wrote:
(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.

[PRodacy]

Like many others, I'd suggest starting out slowly. A tent is certainly the cheapest way to go, but is totally different than an RV. We started tent camping with our daughter when she was about a year old. We then switched to a truck camper, which was way more comfortable. We then moved to a travel trailer, but it was too big to get to the more remote area we enjoy. We now went back to a truck camper, which is perfect for getting into more remote areas and towing boats or other toys. When we take the camper off the truck (seats 5), we also have a vehicle that can be used around town or as a daily driver. To us, this is a big benefit compared to having a dedicated Class B or C that can only be used for RVing.
With your Honda, I'd recommend staying with a tent, or rent a couple of different RVs until you're sure everyone enjoys actually camping and not just the idea of camping. If you can only afford one vehicle (trade off your Honda?), you may want to consider a truck that can be used for a truck camper (lots of info on www.truckcampermagazine.com/)or for pulling a trailer.

Have a great time!