Newbie introduction (and some general questions)

[dbwiddis]

Hi, everyone! Long time lurker, first time poster, and soon to be first time RV owner.

Our family has been tossing the idea of RV ownership around for about 5 years, ever since we moved into a house with RV parking. (Gotta fill it with something, right?) Over the last year we've gotten serious about figuring out what we want to do and over the past week we're actually taking steps toward buying one. We shopped around a few places yesterday and plan to return to one on Saturday to close out a deal.

I'm posting my general outline of a plan here with an open invitation for you more experienced types (I've heard you're friendly, so don't disabuse me of that notion!) to offer comments, criticisms, opinions, and helpful suggestions.

About us:
- Family of 5, kids aged 6, 7, and 12.
- I telecommute and can work from anywhere with internet.
- Kids are home schooled so we have flexibility to take school anywhere in the country and actually learn about places by being there instead of reading about it in a book.
- We've done a few 1-2 week "road trips" in our minivan (with cargo carrier and cargo rack) but really tired of the cramped conditions, perpetual unpack/pack routine, and dining+hotel expense/variable quality.

The long term plan:
- We are probably eventually Class A types, but aren't quite sure what we would want/like yet and that's a significant expense to throw down until we learn more. We want to dip our toes into it with a Class C until we better learn our preferences.
- Comparing the costs of renting for our upcoming planned trips vs. buying a used vehicle, we're going the ex-Rental (El Monte) used route, looking mostly at 2006-2008 31-footers at this point. We plan to try to sell it again in 2-3 years when we "upgrade"... not much investment to lose even if we practically give it away. (And we have friends who would probably want it.)

Question 1: Is the above a reasonable expectation/pattern to follow?

The near term plan:
- We live in Las Vegas. We have family in Colorado we want to visit for Christmas, and a week at Disney World (Orlando) in January that we plan to drive to. The whole road trip will be about 4 weeks. In order for that to not be our first trip, we also planned an overnight about 2 hours away in early December.

Question 2: Is 4 hours of driving and one overnight at an RV campground a few weeks before "the big trip" enough of an introduction, or should we plan a longer trip?

Question 3: We have no set route or plan to get from Colorado to Florida, but plenty of time. Is it reasonable to make impromptu plans/same day reservations at campsites? We are looking into a KOA membership. Are there other similar types of memberships we can/should consider as alternatives? I am retired military, and understand that military bases also offer alternatives sometimes? (OK, multiple questions but on the same theme!)

Question 4: We don't plan on towing/bringing any other vehicle. We reason if we really need a smaller car anywhere we can't fit our RV we can try to rent one. Is this reasonable, or should we really look into towing options before this trip?

Question 5: We don't have any "gear" yet. I've read the FAQ (as much as I can comprehend) but am interested in a short list "must have" things for a newbie to buy just to survive... we'll get more as time goes on and we know what we need. Also, should we decide while we're on the road that we need something, where are the best places to buy RV parts? Do most big stores with automotive sections (e.g., Walmart, etc.) have things or should we seek out RV/camping stores?

Question 6: Purchase process questions. When you buy a new car you generally drive it off the lot the same day. I am assuming that this is not the case with an RV... you make the purchase, but you give them a few days to get everything ready for you? In that time you line up financing, insurance, road protection, etc.? Any other biggies I'm missing? I've seen the "Good Sam" stuff all over this forum and assume it's a good idea for some options, any other ideas for one-stop-shopping on things like roadside assistance, campgrounds, etc.?

Thanks in advance for any and all advice! Look forward to getting past the newbie stage and asking more complicated questions the next time! 🙂

[wbwood]

Dbwiddis, when you call them for insurance, they are going to automatically quote you through national general. Ask them to quote you through allied as well. Allied was half the price of national general. They also underwrite under other insurance companies, so you can have them get you multiple quotes.

[musicman54]

congrats and welcome to the wonderful world or rving i think all the answers you got were wonderful so enjoy your travels and your family the kids will learn so much from this happy trails

[MarkTwain]

I've got the financing lined up and a few insurance quotes. Probably going to just do the Good Sam insurance+membership+roadside assistance if I can get it all in a package deal. Anything else blatantly obvious that I'm forgetting?


Take a look at the "Good Sam TravelAssist" plan. If you feel that this plane might meet some of your needs in the future, call them to get specific info. For me- it is just some peace of mind as we all move further into the "Golden Years" and in addition, my DW dosen't have to worry about driving the 1 ton truck and 34' 5th. wheel back home if the need arises:):)

[dbwiddis]

Well, the deed is done!

Last Wednesday the whole family had settled on one particular vehicle, and we spent a few days researching a few comparative options. We had narrowed down our choices to 4, and looked at them all today, and settled on the same unit we originally wanted. We put down a deposit, and have financing approved and will be picking it up next Friday!

So we are soon to be the proud new owners of a 2006 Fleetwood Jamboree GT-31W.

The whole family is excited!

I've got the financing lined up and a few insurance quotes. Probably going to just do the Good Sam insurance+membership+roadside assistance if I can get it all in a package deal. Anything else blatantly obvious that I'm forgetting?

[Matt_Colie]

dbwiddis wrote:
Matt, thanks for the tips. I'm a bit lost on the Discovery Owners site -- do I have to own a particular brand to use that? Is that the same or different from Streets and Trips, Copilot and Street Atlas?

Frank, appreciate the caution on weight!

Frank,

The Discovery Owner's site only provides overlay data formatted for the all the different major navigators and as a *.csv that can (with some effort) be imported to just about anything. But, get to looking at them as these packages have the ability to reduce the stress of travel MONumentally.

The first time it marks you fuel stop in the middle of NoWhere and it posts your EOD 200 miles from what you thought you could do, believe the box. But remember, all these neat things are working with the data they have been fed, and that data is not always accurate.

Matt

[wbwood]

Question 1: I think going the Class C route is an excellent idea, especially if you are wanting to go the motorhome route. Class A's are generally more expensive and most (not all) are not suited for a family like a Class C is. Of course we are biased as we own ourselves (in our signature). We would of probably gone the Class A/Class B route, but we have a child ourselves. We did have a 31' bunkhouse travel trailer, but the bunkhouse was on overkill for us. Plus we had to have a 3/4 ton truck to pull it with.

But we love our Class C. It's much easier to drive and believe it or not, much easier for us to get ready to go. I can't explain why, as it shouldn't, but it does for some reason.


Question 2: I would attempt to get more time in before that long of a trip. You will want to make sure everything works in the motorhome and that you understand how to use it all. Your time frame of the 4 weeks should work. Some people will tell you they only drive a few hours a day. Many if not most, are retired and don't have anywhere to be. How far you drive is up to you. We both work and so vacation time is a timed event for us. We drove 11-12 hours in a day (with the truck and TT) to get to our destination. On the way home, we broke it up in two days. I didn't feel any more tired/less tired either way. You choose how far you want to drive and how far you are comfortable driving. Just be sure you are safe about it. That Class C has about a 55 gallon tank on it and you can probably safely guess an 8-9 mpg range. So you will not be driving more than 5-6 hours before you have to stop for gas anyway. From Vegas to Orlando is about 2300 miles. If you did only 400 miles a day, that's about 6 days to get out there. You might want to stop at specific places along the way for the kids to experience some things or maybe see some old military buddies. But if you was just doing a straight shot, then you should be able to make it in 3-4 days easily. At 4 days, that is about 550 miles of driving a day, or about 8 hours. Leave at 9am and pull in around 5-6pm each day. You can adjust either way.


Question 3:Making same day plans can work depending on where you are going. If it's a big tourist destination, for example the beach at summer time, then you will need to make reservations ahead. If you are talking about places along the highway, you will probably be able to find places.

With kids, KOA's are great. My daughter loves them and is one of her favorite places to stay. Not only because there are usually other kids there, but because of the fun stuff that goes on with the activities. She's a very social person...lol Yogi Bear/Jellystone has rewards membership thing. No cost to join it. Our daughter likes them as well. I'm former Air Force myself (4 years) and wish we could take advantage of the military parks.


Question 4:We don't tow a car right now either. Mainly due to the expense of getting a towing set up. If we go somewhere within a few hours and want a vehicle, my wife will just drive the one we have. If we plan on going on a long trip, then we will rent one when we get to our destination as needed. You have a good plan.


Question 5:Get a Good Sam Club membership and you will get the cheaper prices at Camping World. Camping Worlds are great as everything in them are for RV's. You can buy some things at Walmart, but your selection will be limited. Other RV dealerships that have stores is another option as well as online places. Just make sure you have a white water hose or two, sewer hose and connections and I recommend an extension cord for the RV (30amp).Other things to outfit the RV you can figure on your own. Just think about when you go to an RV park and hook up what you need. There will be a water connection, an electrical connection, and possibly a sewer connection. Get what's need to connect between those 3 points. Having an extension of each one of those areas is great because many parks are set up different. You may find that a 25' water hose is not enough and might need another one. At each one of those connections, there are additional things you can get that are highly suggested by many. Water regulator - some campsites have high water pressure that could cause damage. Some have lower water pressure and you won't want to use it. Water filter - you may want a water filter of some sort. Some put the larger whole house filters on their rigs. We just use the blue camco in line ones that you can buy at walmart. Surge protector - Goes in between your electrical cord and the pedestal. Does as you would thik and protects the RV from surges.


Question 6:You are correct in your thinking. They will get it prepared for you. They will assist with the other stuff. We are big proponents of going the Good Sam way. As you mentioned, it's one-stop-shopping. We don't have to remember who we have for each thing. The dealership will do a walkthrough with you on the unit (called a PDI). Be sure to take notes and ask lots of questions. If they don't go over something, ask them about it and have them show you how it works in person. That way you can verify it is working before you accept the rig.



Feel free to message me.

[westend]

I'd forgo the towing of another vehicle until you have some miles on the new rig. Even if the costs of car rental are not absorbed somewhat by the fuel differential, the price is going to be worth the lack of worry and hassle with a toad.
You may also have to think about what type of hitch and wiring are needed, the particular toad you are going to have (not all can be towed four wheels down), and you'll have some idea with experience how your driving is going to affected by adding another 20' and 4K lbs. into the length and weight.

The suggestion to have some type of electronics for navigation and programs for RV related excursions is a good one. Common sense will be your best tool and not all are comfortable with electronics (rely on maps) but having some information about what's ahead, instantly, can be a great comfort.

Never visited a military campground but have heard they are a great deal and, if on base, should be very secure. You can also have a "Plan B" that would involve parking at a Walmart, a rest stop, or a close spot that looks secure. I like to do a good bit of driving at night because I can cover a lot of miles without traffic, sleeping passengers don't complain, and arrive at destinations close to daytime, when they can be most enjoyed.

I'm a tool guy (contractor) so I bring plenty along. Most of it goes unused. You'll definitely want things to cover tire repair, propane supply lines, and electrical. You'll probably also want common hand tools to tighten the occasional loose fastener or for need of disassembly/replacement. Plumbing tools can be a godsend when you're many miles from nowhere and you have a leak or the faucet breaks. A hand held multimeter and the knowledge of how to use it should be mandatory. Duct tape (I also carry Eternabond tape), mechanics wire, bungees, a fire extinguisher, small gauge wire, and road hazard markers (triangle reflectors) are things that I always have when traveling.

AFAIK, a call to your insurance agent is all that is needed before you pull off the dealer's lot. Make sure you do a "walk through" prior to signatures, testing all of the mechanical systems, alarms, and various fixtures. Look very closely for anything that would indicate a water leak. Leaks can be very problematic. Inspect the running gear and tire quality/age.

Good luck for your travels with the family. It can be some of the fondest of lifetime memories.

[dbwiddis]

Matt, thanks for the tips. I'm a bit lost on the Discovery Owners site -- do I have to own a particular brand to use that? Is that the same or different from Streets and Trips, Copilot and Street Atlas?

Frank, appreciate the caution on weight!

[frankdamp]

My only caution would be to be very careful about weight distribution on a long Class C. Before we bought our Class A, we looked at a few 31' C's on the the E450 chassis. The amount of rear overhang on many of them scared me to death.

I dug deep into the books on one of them (a Forester 31) and was amazed to see the empty weight numbers. The holding tanks and fresh-water tank were all aft of the rear wheels, and even with them empty, the rear axle was within 200 pounds of its weight limit.

[Matt_Colie]

Good plan to ask before you start...

Question 1: You will have to try it to see what your family can tolerate as a daily road time. If you have good kids and two drivers, it may be much longer than you expect. That will allow a great deal more travel than you might anticipate.

Question 2:
No, you have done road trips, you do not need to repeat that.
I would suggest a very short travel (so you can go back into town and get things and several days in the coach (first night can be in the driveway). Before departure for you first excursion.

Question 3:
A very serious issue. I find campgrounds to be problematic in many locations much of the year. If it is the local travel season, they are often booked in advance, and if it isn't the local travel season (like October in the north), then many are not open at all.
For specifically this reason, you have to get and learn to use a navigator package with the overlay data from the Discovery Owner's site. You can then plan a route, locate EOD (End Of Day), fuel stops and campgrounds or other overnight stops. Streets and Trips, Copilot and Street Atlas will all do this. I have only used S&T and SA, I found I outgrew S&T some years ago, but borrow (if you can) and try them out. When you buy, get the GPS with the package.

Question 4:
We have towed, but now avoid it. We do carry bicycles for short runs and rent a car locally when we need. The fuel we didn't buy to tow pretty much always covers the rental cost, and we never have to un-hook to maneuver the rig.

Question 5:
You have a pretty good list in another post, but don't count on Walmart to have much of anything you need. Camping World is probably the bast nationwide supplier and - guess What? There is an overlay for their locations at the Discovery Owner's

Question 6:
I haven't ever bought such a thing from a broker or dealer that I was not disappointed. If you can, make an arrangement to have the vehicle inspected by a completely independent person or shop. If the seller balks at this, there may be a reason. If the seller does not like the person or shop you have chosen, then that is an indication of who you should go to....

Matt

[dbwiddis]

djgarcia, thanks for the welcome and the detailed answers, especially the short list of stuff to buy. Regarding your comment on California KOA. We are runners and expect a lot of our RVing (other than 1-2 long road trips a year) will be weekend trips to half marathons, etc. in California so we'll try to scout out some specific locations for price estimates to consider.

jimroach, thanks for the link to the homeschooling RVers, will definitely visit it. I don't think we'll ever go full time, but who knows what the future holds? Thanks for the USAA info, they are my primary insurance (and RV loan!) so as long as they make the product seamless I might go with them.

[Heavy_Metal_Doc]

RE Question#2 -- We had many years of tenting and some pop-up experience. When we took our new travel trailer out for the first quick weekend to get used to the differences of RV camping, we decided to stick very close to home. I believe it was 21 miles from the house. We did this specifically because we knew we would forget stuff or decide we really should have and item from home. We where glad we did it this way!

[HappyKayakers]

Please consider reposting as 6 separate questions. This one was so long my eyes glazed over. Any future responses will no doubt not read previous responses (due to length/time) and you'll get a lot of repeat info. When folks start going off on tangents (and they will), the thread will become totally unmanageable.

[jimroach]

WELCOME TO THE FORUMS:

About us:
- Family of 5, kids aged 6, 7, and 12. Good age range, think about 'space' and somewhere they can call their own.
- I telecommute and can work from anywhere with internet. THink about where you are going to work and where they are going to 'school'
- Kids are home schooled so we have flexibility to take school anywhere in the country and actually learn about places by being there instead of reading about it in a book. Homeschooling Family RVersLots of homeschooling RV families, good place to look and get some ideas.Full time Families
-

The long term plan:
- We are probably eventually Class A types, but aren't quite sure what we would want/like yet and that's a significant expense to throw down until we learn more. We want to dip our toes into it with a Class C until we better learn our preferences. Class C is a lot of expense for a test run, might want to rent one first. for a year, I don't think a C would be a good fit for 5 people, 3 homeschooling and 1 teleworking
-
The near term plan:
- We live in Las Vegas. We have family in Colorado we want to visit for Christmas, and a week at Disney World (Orlando) in January that we plan to drive to. The whole road trip will be about 4 weeks. In order for that to not be our first trip, we also planned an overnight about 2 hours away in early December.

Question 2: Is 4 hours of driving and one overnight at an RV campground a few weeks before "the big trip" enough of an introduction, or should we plan a longer trip? some will say no and some will say yes. It is viable. just remember, there are always stores nearby to buy what you forgot.

Question 3: We have no set route or plan to get from Colorado to Florida, but plenty of time. Is it reasonable to make impromptu plans/same day reservations at campsites? We are looking into a KOA membership. Are there other similar types of memberships we can/should consider as alternatives? I am retired military, and understand that military bases also offer alternatives sometimes? (OK, multiple questions but on the same theme!)KOA and Good Sam are good options, inexpensive but I think worth it. In the middle of winter, getting reservations same day should be easy with the exception of Disneyworld/Orlando area(lots of snowbirds)Military FamCamps are a good idea, however, can't guarantee you will not have to go out of your way to get to one

Question 4: We don't plan on towing/bringing any other vehicle. We reason if we really need a smaller car anywhere we can't fit our RV we can try to rent one. Is this reasonable, or should we really look into towing options before this trip?For your short trip, doable. You won't want to do this on your long trip. Stopping at state and National parks, museums, etc, the toad will come in handy, and save you a fortune in time and money.

Question 5: We don't have any "gear" yet. I've read the FAQ (as much as I can comprehend) but am interested in a short list "must have" things for a newbie to buy just to survive... we'll get more as time goes on and we know what we need. Also, should we decide while we're on the road that we need something, where are the best places to buy RV parts? Do most big stores with automotive sections (e.g., Walmart, etc.) have things or should we seek out RV/camping stores?Camping world, Walmart, Target, Truckstops, you have a lot of options.

Question 6: Purchase process questions. When you buy a new car you generally drive it off the lot the same day. I am assuming that this is not the case with an RV... you make the purchase, but you give them a few days to get everything ready for you? In that time you line up financing, insurance, road protection, etc.? Any other biggies I'm missing? I've seen the "Good Sam" stuff all over this forum and assume it's a good idea for some options, any other ideas for one-stop-shopping on things like roadside assistance, campgrounds, etc.? Road side assistance is a must. We have USAA insurance on the cars, but they don't do RV's, HOWEVER, they partner with Progressive, for RV insurance and you can tie in roadside assistance with your insurance, however you go. Peace of mind, but also, you will note that Class A's usually don't come with spare tires and Jacks!

Thanks in advance for any and all advice! Look forward to getting past the newbie stage and asking more complicated questions the next time! 🙂