Any Doper RV'ers? Newbie advice wanted

In My Humble Opinion
1

Me and my partner are looking to get an RV when we retire, about 15 years down the line. We’d like to bring friends, so we’re looking to find something that would sleep four.

In the meantime, we figure it would be a pretty good idea to do our homework, read a few books, subscribe to some magazines, rent a few vehicles to see how we like them, etc. etc. etc. So-- any reading recommendations?

Does anyone have any solid recommendations for the above? I figure we should learn more about engines (ie, diesel vs. gas), whether we should go with a 5th wheel or a motor home (we’re leaning toward the latter, specifically a smaller Class A or a Class C), and learn more about load weights, engine capacity, how hookups work, how to be a more “ecologically sound” RV’er and the like.

Any and all advice welcome.

2

My SO and I dream of the same thing upon retirement. Unfortunately for us retirement is a lot farther away than 15 years!

Anyway, he’s done quite a lot of surfing around, checking into the different types of trailers, etc. One site that he has sent me a link to is www.rv.net which has news, message boards and plenty of other good stuff. You may want to check it out to start your research.

3

If you are transporting other people, make sure you buy something that has seatbelts in the non-vehicle part of the rig. Class C RVs would tend to not give you as much interaction with passengers while driving, particularly with the smaller ones.

Many people think they need to have a generator on board, but it depends on what you are going to be doing and where you are going to be RV-ing. If you are only parking where there are full hookups, a generator is unnecessary and a maintenance item. If you are going to be camping and don’t want to run a TV or a microwave or toaster, a generator is useless. If you need to run an air conditioner in the coach, a generator is required (assuming you’re not in an RV park). I’ve used mine once.

Good water and holding tank capacities are a plus. The only drawback to my little rig is that the tanks are small, so I have to dump them every two days or less, depending on water usage. On the other hand, most of my trips are only weekenders. On the plus side, I get 14 mpg.

The other problem is material storage. Many RVs have a “cellar” for things like coolers, chairs, etc. This can be critical, particularly for long trips.

Don’t buy something huge that you don’t need. People generally use the RV a lot the first year or two and then usuage drops off dramatically. Then you have a $200,000 guilt trip sitting in your driveway, the resale value of which is not good.

I would recommend that you go ahead and rent several models to see what layout is best for you and which features you like most.

The advantage to a trailer or 5th wheel, of course, is that you can park it and then drive your vehicle around for tourist type activities and not have to tow a car behind your RV (it’s not the towing, it’s the backing up). The disadvantage is that you need to buy a truck that is big enough to pull it and has the right weight ratio, so you may not be saving a lot of money.

4

Dang, should have added that an RV is considered a second home for tax purposes.

5

Or, for some of us, Chefguy, it is our only home, but does not count for tax purposes (California anyway).

For 4 years I lived in a travel trailer on the Northern California coast running a camprground. We, therefore, had thousands of people coming through will all sorts of rigs.

My personal preference is a 5th wheel. Once you get to your location, unhook and you have a rig for sightseeing, shopping, and whathaveyou. No need to tow anything (unless you have a boat or summat like that), which makes it safer.

Motorhomes, on the other hand, offer the convenience of no hooking up/unhooking… just leveling out (as with all vehicles). If you are looking to take a couple friends with you, I would recommend no shorter than 28’. The convenience of not stepping on anyone elses toes will be a blessing.

Lay out of any rig has to suit you. There are front-side entry and rear-side entry. You can also get rigs that have entry points at both the front and rear. Bedrooms can be in the front or rear, as can the toilets. Each layout type allows for better access to various parts. Have a look at several models to see which you like best.

Be aware you cannot use normal toilet paper in your rig, and there are certain chemicals that should be used in conjunction to minimise odour and bacterial build-up. There are proper how-to’s when connecting to stations or campsites, which vary. It’s a good thing to ask. Some places have specific places to dump black water - human waste - and grey water - sink water.

Unfortunately there are quite a few things to learn when you become an RV’r it’s amazing.

If you have anything specific you’d like to know about, please fell free to ask - here or via email.

6

I also vote for 5th wheels. It is nice to be able to unhook and drive around. To pull one, you need a 3/4 or one ton truck with a turbo diesel.