TIA to all you seasoned RVers for their patience with newbies.I am strongly considering becoming a full time RVer, and have a few questions.I will be able to purchase my RV outright, but beyond that will be living on a tight budget.In general my plans are to migrate. Staying at various places in the north of the US in the summer, then migrating south to Arizona, Texas, or Florida (somewhere warm) in the winter. I don't mind moving around a bit in either of these places, 2 weeks here - 2 weeks there. But I'd like to stay in places that don't cost too much, such as national parks and camp grounds out in the boondocks. How much can I can I expect to pay? I'm wanting to get a handle on what my budget will look like.I'm considering a class A or C toy hauler - or a class A or C with a motorcycle lift in the back (the bike will be my entertainment and local transportation). I'll be alone so I don't need tons of space so I'm thinking something in the 30 ft range.Gas or Diesel? Gas is cheaper, but is there any advantage to running a Diesel RV? Also, what should I expect to pay for vehicle insurance? and should I consider getting a plan for road side assistance?I'll probably make Texas my state of residence for tax reasons. I'll get my mail there and have it forwarded to me.Does anyone have any tips or things to consider regarding becoming a full time RVer?TIA

to me diesel offers two things power and mileage. the cons are cost of the diesel to purchase, cost of the fuel to feed it, and if you have a mechanical problem it really cost you then. say a starter goes out, you may have to pay 500 or 600 or more for the starter, as gasser stater will be just over 100 dollars

My personal suggestion is to get a rig with a full-time bedroom. Having to take the dinette apart so you can build a bed to sleep on and then doing the reverse after you wake up can get to be a royal PITA on a full-time basis.We have a Georgetown 32' which has a separate bedroom in the rear with a small slide out which makes the Q-S bed a walk-round when deployed. If you're solo, putting a single bed in such a room would make sense. In our rig, the bed-head is against the street sidewall.We're exclusively west-coast campers and not full-timers, so we're familiar with WA and OR, but not much else. There are lots of good state parks in both states, particularly in Oregon. Daily fees were in the $25 - $30 range last year. The big unknown for us at present is the risk that WA will increase its gas tax by 11-cents soon. That will put it close to $4/gal, and will discourage RVing.

Thanks for the replies Frand & Old Guy.A non-toy hauler with just the lift in back for my motorcycle would give me more room for that separate bedroom - good point about that Frank.Is the mpg enough better with a diesel to make it more economical?

Hi,No, not unless you are driving 100,000 miles per year--and I doubt it even then. For example, an oil change on my class C v-10 is about $40. On a diesel it will be at least double if not triple the cost.I'd keep under 30 feet if you can.Get a good solar system so you can boondock. Get a good inverter so you don't have to listen to a generator "hammering away" for hours at a time. Beef up the battery bank as much as possible. Switch to led lighting. Use Mellincom (verizon flavor) for wobbly wide web access.Buy a unit that is no more than five years old. Do not buy new.highwaymenace wrote:Is the mpg enough better with a diesel to make it more economical?

Piano - Thank you. Great advice!

newbie questions | Good Sam Community

18 Replies

lewisedge
Explorer
Feb 02, 2014
harley-dave wrote:
highwaymenace wrote:
"Another question:
How does the television work? Do you usually have a satellite dish?
What about internet connections? What do you do about that?"

Regarding your question about TV, I have a Winegard RT8000T RoadTrip MiniMax White 15" In-Motion Satellite TV Antenna on the roof of my coach, but it won't receive a signal when we're parked in the shade. If you prefer shade when you park your RV a portable antenna that you can position out from under trees would be a better choice. It costs less but takes longer to set up. We also have an amplified crank-up digital TV antenna that works well for local stations when they're available. DISH-TV allows you to subscribe only when you need the service and suspend it when you don't.

For our Internet access, my wife and I both use Verizon Android smartphones, which are equipped with an app called Easytether (available from Amazon). We can use our monthly data allowance on our phones by tethering our phones to the USB port on our laptop computers, rather than having to set up another account at extra cost to use our phones as Wi-Fi hotspots. If we're staying at a campground with decent Wi-Fi included in our nightly rate, we'll use that.
highwaymenace
Explorer
Jan 27, 2014
Thanks for all the responses. I'm busy doing more research now. I'll probably show back up here in awhile with more questions.
Thanks again!
JiminDenver
Explorer II
Jan 25, 2014
Since you are considering boondocking, I'll add that the size of the fresh water and waste tanks should be a consideration as well as room for a larger battery bank.
harley-dave
Explorer
Jan 24, 2014
highwaymenace wrote:
Another question:
How does the television work? Do you usually have a satellite dish?
What about internet connections? What do you do about that?

Great answers and suggestions so far! I'm learning a lot from you guys.

We have a 31' class c and it has both a roof mount Sat dish (Winegard Traveler) and an antenna for local TV. We use both most of the time. The Sat won't give local stations without calling the sat company (Dish in our case) and updating your location so we just poke up the over-the-air (ota) antenna for locals. We also use our smart phone hotspot for WIFI. Millenicom is also a good choice if all you need is WIFI.
We also tow our Harley's on a trailer (our only transportation) because the weight of the lift was beyond the rv frames ratings. Plus the weight of the Harleys was too much.

Dave
highwaymenace
Explorer
Jan 24, 2014
Another question:
How does the television work? Do you usually have a satellite dish?
What about internet connections? What do you do about that?

Great answers and suggestions so far! I'm learning a lot from you guys.
pianotuna
Nomad III
Jan 24, 2014
Hi highwayman,

Free and Low Cost Campsites

Bob's Cheap or Free Campsites

not necessarily boondocking

highwaymenace wrote:
Piano -
Thank you. Great advice!
twins89
Explorer
Jan 24, 2014
My advice
Stay about 32'
Buy the nicest gas one you can afford - used but nice
Invest in solar to recharge
LED lights
Get a good list of boondocking or free campsites
Look into work kamping or camp hosting, as stated
Check out county and town parks- sometimes only 10-20 bucks a night
Walmart once in a while for a night here and there
Cook easy, simple meals - double what you need and freezer remaining
Take advantage of the free days at the museums and local talent for entertainment
Stay away from the casinos
Keep a journal of your fun - or not-so-fun things that happen
Breathe and enjoy
sdianel_-acct_c
Explorer
Jan 24, 2014
One thing to consider is how heavy is your bike and what type of lift you will need and will the RV support that. The lifts can be very expensive. You might consider a trailer to haul the bike.
you can see prices of some campgrounds on www.recreation.gov Depending on your age, you might be able to get the America the Beautiful aka "old geezers" pass and save half price. State park prices have increased in some states and if they have hookups are running $25-$35 per night. You can also find weekly and monthly rates that are affordable in non touristy areas. We average $30 per night for camping but we like full hookups. If you can do without hookups and boondock you will save money. Insurance and fuel will be the other 2 most expensive items. Save fuel by not moving around as much. Maybe monthly rather than every 2 weeks. Use the bike for sightseeing in a radius. You can save money on food and entertainment when you full time RV. We chose diesel because the engines tend to last longer although they are a bit more costly to maintain. A walk around queen bed will be worth it if you can find it. There are also some Trek RV's that have drop down beds in the living area that work for one person. Keep us posted!
donn0128
Explorer II
Jan 24, 2014
To help the budget, consider camp hosting. Most state, county and local parks use volunteer hosts, where as private and NF parks use a lot of paid hosts. There is a difference. As volunteers we are only obligated for one month at a time. Most of the paid positions require you to sit for the season, no matter how bad the park might be. In addition the paid positions usually pay only 30 hours a week, even if you work more hours. Volunteers are asked for 30 hours as a single and 20 hours each as a couple per week. While some weeks we may do way more than that, it is not mandatory. And there are some weeks we do far less than that. As a volunteer your duties depend on what you want to do go a great extent. Most of the rangers understand we are there to help them maintain the park, not be their slaves. If you are comfortable pruning trees, then you might be asked if you could. If you cannot for any reason all you have to do is say that you don't feel comfortable. No big deal. We have met couples that have been doing it for a year or more at a time. Moving from park to park staying for free with full hookups. That way your only costs are propane and food.
highwaymenace
Explorer
Jan 24, 2014
Wow - you guys are great. I've got some reading to do!!
Thanks again.

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