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~1 year from retirement

dadwolf2
Explorer
Explorer
Getting close to retirement and trying to decide what our next RV might be. We love our truck camper but wish we had a comfortable place to relax. The dining room booth just doesn't cut it for us on long trips. We aren't planning on full timing but we've found that our TC is best for the shorter trips, not the 1-3 months we think we'll be traveling after retirement.

So our dilemma: We love the TC maneuverability. We love the ability to get into any sites that are available. We just want a more comfortable place to relax. Do we have to go to a 30ft trailer or large motorhome to achieve this? We looked at the motorhome option and the model we both liked was 1/4 million (cough, cough)!! We then looked at a 30ft Arctic Fox travel trailer. Pretty nice but will we go crazy with the loss of maneuverability compared to our TC? Do you have any thoughts/suggestions?
2005 Dodge Ram 2500 CTD,4X4,NV5600
2014 Adventurer 86FB
46 REPLIES 46

Kayteg1
Explorer II
Explorer II
Tom/Barb wrote:
After just completing a trip to the east coast for a month, I can not imagine doing that in a TC, Yes Back when We were 30-40 we did it with 2 kids, But not any more.

We left Butte Mt at 0600 this morning, arrived Oak Harbor Wa. 18:00 tonight. Our Coach ran 70 all day.
Can imagine doing that in a truck camper, 150 gallons of fuel does have its advantages, as does being able to have lunch on the run.
Long milage days come much easier in a Class A DP

Don't know how do you drive the camper, but my new truck is way more comfortable than any diesel pusher I have seen.
You don't hear the engine, most of the time you don't hear wind noise, usually the only thing that disturbs listening to Opera music is tire noise, but with Michelins it is not bad neither.
The 320 miles range on tank ain't bad neither. Even I did drove 700 miles daily in motorhomes years ago, the 300 seems to be good day on my retirement.
Than I can fill up my truck in less than 10 minutes. Try that with DP.
Not even saying that with TC I do zigzag in rolling traffic, when with DP you are stuck on slow lane.

vjstangelo
Explorer
Explorer
We have a 32ft Class A, and it is just the right size. It is a gas V10, plenty of power, and tows our CRV fine. I would make sure that if you go 32' or more, make sure to get a 50A unit with 2 A.C.'s.

FWIW, we pulled out the uncomfortable sofa and replaced it with 2 comfy recliners. The best mod we ever made. Love reclining back in those chairs.
2012 Winnebago Vista 32K
2011 Honda CRV Toad

Tom_Barb
Explorer
Explorer
After just completing a trip to the east coast for a month, I can not imagine doing that in a TC, Yes Back when We were 30-40 we did it with 2 kids, But not any more.

We left Butte Mt at 0600 this morning, arrived Oak Harbor Wa. 18:00 tonight. Our Coach ran 70 all day.
Can imagine doing that in a truck camper, 150 gallons of fuel does have its advantages, as does being able to have lunch on the run.
Long milage days come much easier in a Class A DP
2000 Newmar mountain aire 4081 DP, ISC/350 Allison 6 speed, Wrangler JL toad.

Travels_with_Yo
Explorer
Explorer
My biggest pet peeve with all RVs (including truck campers) has always been the vertical 90 degree dinette seating found standard in 99% of everything built since the 1960s. Why the industry hasn't figured this out by now is beyond me. Most of these also have very low back support that offers no upper back support at all. Of the 8 campers that we've owned (4 pull behind, 4 TC) I've found that the best way to get comfortable seating for extended periods of time is simply to build your own. There are many options for tri-fold mattresses that have 3 or 4 inch thick sections and can be folded nicely into a couch. Build a simple base, wider than stock and a reclining backrest and you can have a very comfortable couch. Here are a couple examples that I've built for about $125.

Truck Camper couch with coffee table .....


Truck Camper couch with removable sliding dinette table ....


The above tri-fold mattress has 4 inch thick sections so the seat is 8 inches thick and the backrest is 4 inches thick and extends upward to 24 inches.

This is a couch I built for a small 6x8 foot camp trailer. Three inch thick sections (6 inch seat with 3 inch thick backrest) but also super comfortable ...



Grit_dog
Navigator
Navigator
You're not full timing, you already have a bomber tow rig and a TC which you presumably like.
Keep the TC for the short trips.
TTs are dime a dozen, cheap and plentiful comparably speaking. Sounds like you're not looking for huge, just comfortable. Find a nice TT, most space for the buck.
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

billtex
Explorer II
Explorer II
Congrats on approaching retirement.

Adventurer and Eagle Cap have TC models with recliners. Pretty sure this will be our next TC...
We have a 25’ Airstream and the TC. We would much rather travel with the TC.

Good luck, Bill
2020 F350 CC LB
Eagle Cap 850
25'Airstream Excella
"Good People Drink Good Beer"-Hunter S Thompson

bka0721
Explorer II
Explorer II
Howdy Mike! Nice to see you here and commenting.

Congrats on the upcoming retirement. Boy, retiring, selling your home and everything and heading out to Full Time in a RV/Camper is a really big step. I wish you all the best. Like you are doing, research as much as you can before you make that step and drive out of your drive way for the last time.

As you already know I have been full timing exclusively in a Truck Camper for more than 10 years now and certainly have made lots of mistakes and have learned a lot, thus the reason I now instruct at RV Shows during the winter months. One of my topic presentations is how to get started in an RV and Full Timing.

One of the first points of discussion, in my presentations, is selecting the best RV for you to Full Time in. You are getting a lot of great advice here, but will it ultimately answer your question. What I challenge my audience is; "What are your plans during your full timing? What are you going to do and where do you want to go?" None of which you have shared or others here, yet.

As an example if you plan on avoiding campgrounds and populated areas, like I do, and travel the back roads and boondock then a smaller more maneuverable vehicle, with a better height clearance is a priority. (I often include this example for those that visit families and frequently park in friends/family driveways.)

If you are looking at visiting state and national parks, then a shorter vehicle is a must as many of the campgrounds were designed and built in the 1940s to the 1960s. Thus lacking drive through, narrow & short sites with minimal to no hookups. So my recommendation is to look towards shorter (31 ft or less) Class C, Motor homes and 5wheels. As you know I have a bit of National Park experience on this topic too and talk to many that try to make larger RVs work, unsuccessfully.

Larger Motor homes and other RVs often need more room to maneuver as well as dedicated Elec/Sewer/Water hookups and are then relegated to RV Parks. There is a group that wants and desire the largest and ones with the most slides RV. If that is what your priority is, by all means get what you want and desire.

While this is very simplified explanation, deciding on what your use is beyond a serviceable kitchen may be necessary.

Do stay in touch with me and hopefully our paths will cross in the coming months and years. As well as stop in at the NPS location I find myself in each year.

All the best, Mike!

b
08 F550-4X4-CC-6.4L Dsl-206"WB GVWR17,950#
09 Lance 1191
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16 BMW R1200GSW Adventure
16 KTM 500 EXC
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09 Haulmark Trlr

GpnAZ
Explorer
Explorer
Hi Mike, good to see your post, haven't seen you for awhile, I'm retiring at the end of 2018 myself and we decided we needed something a little more comfortable to lounge in and also keep our maneuvability, we decided on the Host Mammoth also. We were influenced by some of the members of this forum and after looking at different styles of RV's and I have owned 3 Class A's, we thought the TC still suited us the best. It's still pretty new to us though we are living in it full time until our new home is finished built, just haven't traveled much in it. We will flat tow our Jeep when we go certain places but otherwise just the TC suits us fine. We spent 3 months in Alaska last year in our last camper and didn't have any space issues. Good luck in your decision, you can't go wrong whatever RV you do choose, they all have their pros and cons. Hope to see you on the road sometime! I also picked up a little class B I use for some of my short and spontaneous trips around the SW.
2018' RAM 3500 Laramie CC, DRW, 4X4, Cummins w/ Aisin transmission
2019' Host Mammoth, 480 watts of solar
2017' Jeep JKU Rubicon
2011' Airstream Avenue
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gpnusa
www.flickr.com/photos/gpnaz
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moebedick
Explorer
Explorer
Tow the Jeep behind the TC. Buy the best,most comfortable lawn furniture manufactured. Put it in the back of the Jeep. When you stop,in nice weather, take out your luxurious lawn furniture and bask on it. It is ridiculous to go in hock for a comfortable chair that you would use for a couple of hours a day. Add a collapsible screen room and you have bug free sprawl room.
Feel free to send all the money that I just saved you to your favorite charity.

Optimistic_Para
Explorer
Explorer
dadwolf2 wrote:

So our dilemma: We love the TC maneuverability. We love the ability to get into any sites that are available. We just want a more comfortable place to relax.

Do you have any thoughts/suggestions?


Does it have to be either/or?

I remember seeing a blog post by a guy who converted a cargo trailer to be a really nice man-cave to pull behind his rig. He had an A/C on the roof, a large screen TV mounted on one wall, and a super comfortable recliner to relax in. Think he also had a small fridge and a microwave in there.

Could you pull something like that with your current truck camper? Set it up as a base camp and use the truck camper to mount exploration trips around the area?

The Teardrops and Tiny Travel Trailers forum has a sub-forum devoted to those cargo trailer conversions. You'd be surprised at how nice some of those conversions could be.

Teardrops and Tiny Travel Trailers/Cargo Trailers

Kayteg1
Explorer II
Explorer II
Bus conversion might be the only ClasA who has roll-over rating, meaning it will not bring fatalities with even smaller accident.
I moved to TC from vintage Prevost who we used when boys were still at home.
The 12' TC with single slide has all the space we need.
We lived in one for few months after house sale and then we spend 9 weeks in another with side entrance- cutting across the country.
When big motorhome with toad gives you luxury, the TC gives you unbeatable mobility for very little money.
Going across the country, we would have problem with long RV in about 80% of places we stayed.

profdant139
Explorer II
Explorer II
We've really enjoyed our small trailer, even for long trips. (It's really small -- 12 feet! -- but an 18 footer would be more comfortable.) It is almost as maneuverable as a TC. And we use it as a base camp, using the tow vehicle for different adventures each day.
2012 Fun Finder X-139 "Boondock Style" (axle-flipped and extra insulation)
2013 Toyota Tacoma Off-Road (semi-beefy tires and components)
Our trips -- pix and text
About our trailer
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single list."

Optimistic_Para
Explorer
Explorer
Have you considered a bus conversion? Yes, they can be stupidly expensive, but you can also find some nice, older ones for under $100k.
Buses were built better, I think. I believe they had to meet more stringent safety and even quality standards.

I like the fact that, as someone once said, "If a bus gets into an accident, it looks like a bus got into an accident. If an RV gets into an accident, it looks like a tornado hit a trailer park."

Do a search on 'Bus Conversions' on RV Trader and see what comes up.

sbryan
Explorer II
Explorer II
What everyone else has said. You will never equal the maneuverability of the truck camper so resign yourself to that and then buy a used something that tics as many of your boxes and enjoy it. Campers are rapidly depreciating assets so save yourself that hit and buy a used unit in whatever configuration suits you and get on the road. Every choice has pros and cons as has been pointed out by others here so I won't presume to tell you what works for you.
Shawn
2013 Ford F350 6.7 CCLB Ruby Red SRW, sway bar, Bilsteins, etc
2007 Cyclone toyhauler, 18,000 GVWR
Northstar Igloo 9.5
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US Army retired

donn0128
Explorer II
Explorer II
dadwolf2 wrote:
donn0128 wrote:
You dont need to spend 250K in a depreciating asset. Look at something like a Monaco so similar around 2005 vintage. For around 50K that ahould get you a really nice older MH. Keep the camper for the times you want a weekend in the deep woods.


I agree that a 2005-2006 pre-DEF motorhome could be a great option. Thoughts that keep me up at night with this idea: will a 14 year old motorhome become a maintenance nightmare and a slow and steady financial drain with repairs? I'm fairly handy but diesel, electric and hydraulic repairs often need more advanced mechanics than what I can provide on these Class A's. But I've never owned a Class A so I really don't know.


Possibly, but 5 thousand would be more than enough to repair or replace almost everything inside. Outside, tires would be your biggest expense.