Considering first MH purchase but very nervous!

[TarheelBornGal]

Okay, ladies, I need your help now. We finally did make it to Camping World yesterday (see my previous thread: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=10220&hilit=first+motorhome). They were really good about not pressuring us and unlocked a bunch of motorhomes for us to look at. First we went into a couple of Class C's in the 30' range. One without a slide that felt really, really tiny inside, and the quality of the finishes was NOT good. I was actually kind of appalled, never having been in a motorhome in my life. The second one with a slide was better and felt larger, but neither had much storage, and the kitchen areas were pretty tiny. So, we asked to see a few smaller Class As. These instantly felt more like a home. Some were new and out of our price range, but the last one we looked at really struck us. It was a really clean, lightly used 2011 Hurricane 30Q (though it's actually 31'11" in length, a bit longer than our target of 30'). DH likes that it doesn't have any slides (lower maintenance) but is still spacious. It has the "mega-storage" (huge) pass-thru garage in back we wanted for our bikes and kayak, lots of interior storage, decent kitchen, etc. Of course I hate all the brown inside, but that's a typical motorhome thing. It is affordable and right within our budget range.

We are interested, but since we never intended to buy anything before summer or fall, or even NEXT spring, we are a bit freaked out. I think we're both a bit intimidated about even driving it (we did not go out for a test drive). We have been doing a bunch of research online since we saw it, and as much as we think this floorplan and model fits us very well, we are just so unsure whether we're up for the challenge of RVing just yet -- there is SO much to learn as a newbie! We are in Jacksonville FL right now, temporarily, but will be traveling to NC, Ohio, and Kansas in that order over the next two months. We thought we'd be doing that in our Honda CR-V...now we're considering doing it in a MH with a toad. Just not sure we're ready for this many changes all at once. And the traffic here is intimidating too considering driving a MH in it vs. say, out west, if we were to buy one out there where the roads are less traveled. But since we do have a Florida domicile now, it would make registration easier to buy here. Pros and cons.

What say you, oh wise ones?! Did you go through the heebie-jeebies when even considering buying your first MH? Feel completely overwhelmed and somewhat inadquate? Are these feelings a sign that the time is not right and we should just wait?

Thank you in advance for any advice you can offer!

Emily

[Bethers]

If you are going to keep your FL address, I think in FL you have to purchase in state or return the vehicle to the state within a certain time frame. So check into that. Liz would probably be able to answer that!

If that mh feels like home, then go for it. If you aren't ready, then wait. Not one of us can tell you. BUT I can tell you that if you are going to do it, waiting won't make it easier. Eventually you have to jump in. I would prefer traveling in a mh to a car and hotels (hard to believe I was in motel management and even owned one, isn't it... haha) but that's just me. If you are comfortable without slides, that's fine, but the extra room they provide is wonderful. But the first thing I'd do is go for a test drive and actually drive it yourselves, also. I learned there are Class A's I cannot drive because of how the steering column is inserted into the floor. I'm short and with the seat all the way up (necessary) I would bang my knee (hard) going from accelerator to brake. That was important to know, as I was seriously considering the rig in question.

[TarheelBornGal]

If you are going to keep your FL address, I think in FL you have to purchase in state or return the vehicle to the state within a certain time frame. So check into that. Liz would probably be able to answer that!

If that mh feels like home, then go for it. If you aren't ready, then wait. Not one of us can tell you. BUT I can tell you that if you are going to do it, waiting won't make it easier. Eventually you have to jump in. I would prefer traveling in a mh to a car and hotels (hard to believe I was in motel management and even owned one, isn't it... haha) but that's just me. If you are comfortable without slides, that's fine, but the extra room they provide is wonderful. But the first thing I'd do is go for a test drive and actually drive it yourselves, also. I learned there are Class A's I cannot drive because of how the steering column is inserted into the floor. I'm short and with the seat all the way up (necessary) I would bang my knee (hard) going from accelerator to brake. That was important to know, as I was seriously considering the rig in question.

Thanks Beth! I had already researched the registration thing, and there are services that handle that for you if you purchase out of state, so you actually don't have to return to the state -- so that is not a big consideration. We do intend to keep our Florida address as we've had a mail forwarding service here (St. Brendan's Isle) for nearly two years now, and it's been working out fine before, during, and after our time in Belize. We now have our FL driver's license, our CR-V is registered here, and we filed "Intent to Domicile" papers. We did all this because we plan to be traveling nomads for awhile, whether in an RV or staying in VRBOs and pet-friendly hotels.

Your advice is well-taken, especially about the steering column thing -- never thought of that, but I am short too. As for a slide, we used to have a 30' sailboat with much less space than this MH, so I think it would be fine, really. We're used to small apartments and condos as well. I do know that resale value will be affected if we buy a slide-free MH.

We are going to sleep on it tonight and see how we're feeling tomorrow. If we're still intrigued enough to go try a test drive, then we will. I just wish the unit were located in a less-busy area.

[Bethers]

Research that for Florida. One of the reasons I chose SD for my residency is because I can use my mail service to register, license my vehicle, etc. I couldn't do that in the other states I looked at. And I believe when Liz purchased her last rig out of Florida she had to get it to Florida personally to license and register it.

[Olive600]

I'm no wise one, but I am a newbie motorhome owner, only a week removed from the heebiejeebies. Major heebiejeebies. Here's what I've learned in the last couple of weeks:

1. My fear was much worse than the reality.
2. I had two kinds of fear: practical fears that could be taken care of with knowledge and experience, and fears produced by an overactive imagination. Those are the ones that produce panic attacks in the middle of the night. It turns out that ALL of them were nonsense. I can do this as well as anyone, and I am completely in control of how. Can't say that about many things.
3. There's a learning curve. I don't need to know it all now.
4. It's true that RVers are a huge community, most of whom are happy to help.
5. Unless I'm driving to Mongolia, there's bound to be a Walmart or 7-11 or something nearby.
6. Can I say "hotel"?
7. I can't know it all now. Slide? No slide? Pros and cons to both. Make a list and go for it. Ain't never gonna be perfect.
8. Now that Betsy is in the driveway, I already feel freer than I've felt in years. Part of the adventure is learning to live different than I do. This RV is never gonna feel like a home until it is home. That takes a while no matter how big or small the rig.
9. This is something I've learned on other projects that involve large amounts of money: I live in the United States of Stuff. There will always be another "perfect" RV. Don't let "the deal" dictate your timing.

Just my two-cents worth.

Nikki

[Liz]

Research that for Florida. One of the reasons I chose SD for my residency is because I can use my mail service to register, license my vehicle, etc. I couldn't do that in the other states I looked at. And I believe when Liz purchased her last rig out of Florida she had to get it to Florida personally to license and register it.

That's right Beth. They have to see the MH and verify the VIN #. Sure messed up my travel plans last year.

Emily, if you don't think you are ready, your looking may have helped you figure out what type and layout RV you are looking for. Just know that there are plenty of them out there, new and used. Keep looking, getting more ideas, test drive some, and when the time is right, there will be the right one for you, whether in FL or somewhere else.

[TarheelBornGal]

Thanks for all the great advice. I didn't mean for this to turn into a Florida registration/titling issue, but here's what I found from my earlier research -- as long as you have the vehicle's VIN certified by a law enforcement officer from any state, you're good to go:

http://allfloridaautotagsandtitles.com/faqs.html (scroll down partway to the section on VIN)

At least a couple of folks have verified that they were able to do this without physically bringing the vehicle back into Florida. But this wouldn't be a dealbreaker for us; if we find the perfect RV outside of Florida and need to bring it back into the state, we'll just make a road trip of it. No problem.

As for everything else, we just need to figure out if the time is right and if we have the confidence to make this happen now. Money is not an issue, fortunately, and we really think this might be the model for us. From all the MHs I've been looking at online for months now, this model seems to be the one that solves all the "buts" that each of the other possibilities had. And there are very few newer ones available nationwide if I check rvtrader.com, Camping World, etc., so that makes this unit even more attractive.

We will see how we feel tomorrow. We always get kinda nauseous when we have to make big decisions. A test drive will probably help us decide, if we can get up our nerve to go take one!

I know I must sound crazy...

[TarheelBornGal]

1. My fear was much worse than the reality.
2. I had two kinds of fear: practical fears that could be taken care of with knowledge and experience, and fears produced by an overactive imagination. Those are the ones that produce panic attacks in the middle of the night. It turns out that ALL of them were nonsense. I can do this as well as anyone, and I am completely in control of how. Can't say that about many things.
3. There's a learning curve. I don't need to know it all now.

Thanks so much Nikki -- these particular points were the ones I most needed to read. I tend to catastrophize and fret a lot, and normally, my fears are a lot worse than the reality! I appreciate your input.

Emily

[JudyJB]

Not all Class As are the same, but there was one I really liked until I test drove it. I am 5'1" and would have had to have pedal extenders because in order to reach them, the steering wheel stuck into my chest and stomach. Also, I could not reach the visors from the driver's seat, even with the seat slid all the way forward.

So, my advice is to slow down and make sure you test drive whatever you plan to buy. There will be other ones available in the summer or fall.

Also, for me, even living alone, a slide makes a big difference in feeling like I have room to live. I am full-timing, however, so it may be different for you. I have two slides and very glad I have them.

As a fellow short person, my only other advice is to make sure you can reach everything like ceiling lights, especially in the bathroom. Nothing like having to hop up and down in the middle of the night to turn on a light! Ditto for vents and vent fans.

Good luck. It is a very exciting time, I am sure.

[AlmostThere]

It sounds as if the only drawbacks are purchase-timing and perhaps feeling comfortable driving it. Those two things are something only you and your husband can determine. Other than that, it sounds like you found "the one". Good luck with whatever decision you make. Let us know how the test drive goes.

[TarheelBornGal]

It sounds as if the only drawbacks are purchase-timing and perhaps feeling comfortable driving it. Those two things are something only you and your husband can determine. Other than that, it sounds like you found "the one". Good luck with whatever decision you make. Let us know how the test drive goes.

You hit the nail on the head, AlmostThere.

And Judy, thanks for those tips. Assuming we go back for a second look, I will check all those things re. my height, lightswitches, etc, and of course the driving part, if we get that far.

I'll definitely update this thread once we decide. I am really glad we are at least sleeping on this for a couple of days to make sure it feels right before we do anything else. But I don't want to end up kicking ourselves later due to our indecisiveness.

Thanks!
Emily

[JudyJB]

One thing I really liked in one RV I did NOT buy was actual wall switches for many lights.

My grandchildren cannot turn on any lights in my vehicle, except for the bathroom lights which are on a wall switch that is low enough for them to operate.

A while back, some wise person or two on this site suggested asking for a couple of hours at the dealer to spend in the vehicle. Then you are supposed to go through all of the things you would do if you really lived in it: taking your shoes off and getting into and out of the bed, pretend to be making the bed, reaching all the lights, pretending you are cooking a meal, acting out eating dinner at the dinette, sitting on the couch reading a book, opening and closing windows, getting into and out of the shower, and pretending to watch TV. Made a lot of sense to me.

I also learned about not being able to reach the light switches when I spent a week with my son and family in a rented motorhome. Had to carry a flashlight at night or pull out a stool to turn on lights--not a good thing to have to do in the middle of the night.

[TarheelBornGal]

Just a follow-up...

After discussion, research, and sleeping on it for a couple of nights, we decided not to move on this motorhome, even though we loved it. The timing is just not right, and the purpose of our looking visit to Camping World was achieved -- we saw what MHs were like inside, what different sizes felt like, and even found a model that wasn't even on our radar that we really liked and that might meet our needs. But we need to get the next couple of months of planned traveling to visit relatives and then out to our friends where we'll be house-sitting before we can think of taking on the responsibility of our very first motorhome. Our lives have been anything but stable lately, just moving back from a foreign country, and it would just be too many changes at once. We are still getting used to driving a car again!

We are disappointed, but I think we are both relieved as well. When the time is right, there will be another RV for us. Thanks again for all the good advice, and I am sure it will be helpful down the road!

Emily

[Bethers]

I totally understand. I turned down an rv this winter that I really, really loved. But it's not time for me to replace the one I have ... so when it is, I'll have to find the next "right" one. And they are out there. I still love the one I have and I'll probably drive it till it falls apart around me

[snowball]

I totally understand. I turned down an rv this winter that I really, really loved. But it's not time for me to replace the one I have ... so when it is, I'll have to find the next "right" one. And they are out there. I still love the one I have and I'll probably drive it till it falls apart around me

that brought a visual of Sparkles and her trailer
Sheila