Unique situation -- not sure what to get

[Nlmiller1975]

We are a military family. The active duty member is heading overseas for a year-long remote assignment, so we are contemplating putting our things in storage and moving into a motor home during the assignment. However, my son is young and only takes baths. I am looking for a motor home with a bathtub, and I really don't want to have to outfit or overhaul something. Do they -- they being whoever -- make motor homes with bathtubs? If so, what key things would I be looking for? A certain type or class? TIA!

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

I'd recommend buying something that will do a good job for your adventures, and use a plastic tote for a tub? I think small tubs were more common in older Class Cs, but an older RV might not be as reliable as you'd like.

Have fun, and thank you for sharing your husband for our country!

[K3WE]

Nlmiller1975 wrote:
I'm not planning on staying in one spot for the whole year. That's why I was thinking I wanted to go with a motor home -- the idea of mobility seems appealing for the year my husband is gone. Thank you for the concerned comment, though!

So, do you have any suggestions concerning the original topic?

...I'm not sure anyone said this- it can be about the same to much more expensive than renting an apartment...

...no, not nearly as mobile, but you might want to run the numbers.

...and don't forget that the apartment requires no expensive gas-using tow vehicle, sales tax, property tax, depreciation and WILL have the much-discussed bathtub.

I lived in our camper for 6 weeks during a job change...It was great and exactly what I needed...and based simply on the campground fee, was a bit more than an apartment...but (repeating) it was only 6 weeks.

You have a great idea, just wanted to be sure you knew it might cost a bit.

[ncrowley]

You can take a plastic tub and put it into the shower stall for your son, if you want to go with a class A. With your budget, however, a trailer would probably be a better choice.

[Roy_Lynne]

What a cool idea, wish I had thought about it while hubby was active. Can I come?

[pira114]

First and foremost, thank you and your whole family for their service and sacrifice. As a Marine, I know darn well that my service was harder on my wife than me. Semper Fi!

Second, I'm glad you're considering a TT instead. It's probably a better fit. $40K might not be a lot if you're looking to buy a new TT and a tow vehicle. I'd consider a lightly used 3/4 ton 4 door pick up and lightly used trailer. With that many people, you'll be hauling a lot of weight. So pay attention to the weight limits.

As for the tub, I just visited an RV lot where many of the trailers had the tub/shower combo. You shouldn't have much problem with that. Choosing a trailer instead may have opened up your options for that.

Good luck with whatever you choose. There are so many options available to you that I can't begin to recommend one. Except to say that I'm partial to the Jayco bunkhouses. Especially if I had that many people along.

[catkins]

I wish you good luck. Sounds like a great adventure.

If heading to the Arizona SW, it will not be hot in the winter but will get very hot in southern AZ in the spring/summer. Winter temps can approach and dip below freezing at night in January. RVs and trailers are not generally well insulated and AC units generally cannot keep the interiors at 75 degrees if it is very hot. Rule of thumb is the ACs cool down max 15 degrees below outside temp.

I urge you to look carefully at the temps you will face as you move as a part of the BIG picture.

[Nlmiller1975]

After having read all of the comments here and looking at several, we are now open to trailers in addition to motor homes. It looks like there is going to be a total of three, possibly four humans now (one, maybe two teen-age girls, five-year-old boy and myself), our Malamute dog and an old cat. We have a budget of about $40k.

Thank you again for your comments and support.

[J-mans_Dad]

Nancy,

Might give a lookover this site Crowded Camper
She's a military mom of two and documents their travel through various assignment locations.

She might even be able to give you some insight to camper living on base.

good luck

[frankdamp]

I suspect that tubs went out of favor around 1990. Our first rig, a 26' 1985, Class C had a combination tub/shower. The tub was only about 5' long. Our '02 Class A was shower only.

[bout2buy]

We used a large Rubbermaid tote when our son was small. Not sure how well a larger 5 year old might fit, and it would need to fit in the footprint of the shower. I have seen inflatable tubs, but I think they're meant for infants. We dumped the bathwater in the toilet usually to save space in gray tank, but only used it when we had full hook ups available. As others said, it will fill your tank fast. Also, most RVs have a 6, maybe 10 gallon hot water tank, so you might not be able to fill a big tub anyway. At least not without boiling water.

[wbwood]

Another thing....new or used?

[jplante4]

Here's ours

[Bumpyroad]

I would guess that if one used one of those shower heads that are about a foot across that the pressure would certainly be tolerable. No more impact than water coming out of a garden hose, with no nozzle.
bumpy

[wbwood]

There are probably some motorhomes out there that have a tub. Although the only type of tubs I personally have seen are rather shallow. As someone mentioned, most RV showers do not put out a lot of pressure. Too bad you can not have your son test out an RV shower before hand. The tub thing will definitely limit your search. Also, if you plan on doing any camping without sewer hookups, filling up a tub will fill up your gray tank fast.

Are there any other kids in the family? Will it just be you and your 5 yr old? As far as type goes, that will have to be up to you. You will need to figure out what you want in one, the size, budget and etc. A Class C typically will cost you less than a Class A. Both have their advantages and disadvantages....More of what you are looking for as I mentioned would help.

But being that we have a Class C right now, I would say they are normally best for a family and/or getting outdoors more. Think of them as more utilitarian than Class A's. Not always, but for the most part. Class C's sit lower to the ground, so less steps to climb. Driving one is more like driving a van and little less intimidating.

Please tell us more of what you want or what your expectations are. Also, wht kind of car will you be towing and how? Tow dolly or 4 wheels down. You will need to consider how your car can be towed, the restrictions on it and the cost.