Help Newbies Choose a rig????

[Redwahine]

I love reading your posts and following your blogs.

[avalen]

I have a fifthwheel, I bought it because it was a deal to me from a friend and all things worked
out right at that time. I needed a place to live and it all fit my budget. However, I don't have
a truck to pull it so I didn't go anywhere. Lived in it for 4 years and I loved it. Then the budget
took a dump with the economy and I put it in storage and moved in with son. Been with son
for a year now and as soon as the car is paid off (Oct) I'll start checking around for a park to
place it. Now the question arises...get a truck or not. I've opted to get myself a class C just
because I don't want the hassle of hooking up all the time. I want to be able to jump in and
go somewhere on the spur of the moment. When I was married and had a cabin, the cabin
was outfitted so that all we had to do was grab groceries and go. I will do the same with
my class C. I don't plan on getting a toad but that could change 5 or 10 years down the road.
I've done tons of research and looking at floorplans I know what I want when the time
comes. Bed in back, preferably bunks, and bed up top over the cab. One slide, just cause
once you've had a slide anything less seems too small. For my purposes, 23 to 25 ft, don't
want to get too big so as not to fit in those ideal spots. Once I'm retired, I want everything
to be EASY. No hassel and no stress. Everyone will have their own reasons for what they
have and it might not be whats right for you. Its all an individual thing.
One thing I have learned with the fifthwheel, when it comes to looking at the floorplans
with the slide, the slide must not block the microwave or tv when its pulled in. So make
a note to see what you DON'T have access to when the slide is in.
Table w/chairs vs. booth dinette, actually I prefer the table/chairs because they can be
moved a little if need be and the only reasoning I see for those booth dinettes is the
the fact that they make into a bed. Don't want too many beds, that would mean too
many guests. My idea of "getting away" is not taking it with you
Thats all I can think of off hand, but I'm sure I'll think of more later.

[Pooker]

Hello, Red -

This is a tall order! If you browse around in previous posts and comments you will find this has been done quite a few times. There are as many opinions as their are gals on this forum! My advice is always to get what YOU want and need because our needs are all different. Some of us drag everything but the kitchen sink, and, actually we drag that, too! Others manage very nicely in a small Class B with little or no storage. Some of us are on the road a lot. Others only the occasional 2 or 3 days. Well, you get the point.

Most everyone here knows my story and I won't bore everyone again. However, I've camped, RV'd, traveled in just about everything from a tent with 3 young kids to a large Class A with 3 slides and no kids. They each had their own unique pluses and minuses. There is no such thing as a perfect rig. You do the research, you shop around, and you choose what works for you - for your situation - for your needs - for your pocketbook. And you face the reality of tires that go flat, vents that leak, day after day of rain or 100 degree days without A/C. Then you look at the majestic mountains, the awesome waterfall, the nice camper who comes over to help roll your awning up in the 40 mph wind, and you decide for yourself if it's all worth it.

We can't help you choose a rig. We can only explain why we chose what we did for US.

Happy hunting.

Pooker

[Sandersmr]

Mine was almost a spur of the moment decision. I saw a small trailer for sale at a consignment lot - decided it wasn't quite what I wanted as it had a wet bath. But it got me looking in the area. There is a KZ dealer on my side of town that had several Sportsmen Classics on sale but the sister store had the one we ended up getting for the same price as a smaller one. We drove to the other side of town and decided we liked it and so I got it.

I had the pickup truck already - it's my daily driver. The trailer is a tight fit when DBF, the dogs and I all go. But we live mostly outside. Since I work, it's mostly weekend camping trips to get away and a few longer trips. I've done several week long trips, including 2 to GA. My niece has decided she likes my style of camping and would like for me to bring it to GA even more often.

I'm pretty sure that I will upgrade to something 23-25 feet but because I like to drive trucks, I will probably stick with towables in the foreseeable future. Sometimes I think that I would like something that I didn't have to hook up - but then once I get somewhere, I like the freedom of unhooking and then being able to sightsee. As long as I'm working where I am, I'm not getting a small car - so a toad is out for the near term. And the hooking the trailer is not that bad although my hitch gets a little balky. And all the utilities get hooked up no matter what, as well as dropping stabilizers, etc. And from what I understand, you can't back up with most toads so you have to drop the toad before you can back into a site.

There are pluses and minuses no matter which way you go. For me - something in the 23-25' TT range, probably without a slide - yep I'm a rebel that way.

[JudyJB]

I bought a 31 foot new Class C a couple of months ago and have only used it twice. I started out looking at smaller Class Cs and even some Class As, but here is why I got what I got:

1) I wanted to full-time and wanted extra space and a real bedroom with a bed that was easy to get into and out of.
2) I chose a class C because of the overcab bed because I wanted the sleeping capacity for my children and grandchildren to come with me on trips. Mine also has two bunks that convert into a dinette, which was nice because of the sleeping room and also because I wanted to remove the large dinette in the front and replace it with my recliner.
3) I wanted a motorhome because I did not own a pickup and I like the security of being self-contained. In a pouring rain, I will be immediately at home with or without hooking up.
4) I plan to travel, staying only 3-10 days in any one spot, so decided not to have the hassle of a toad. It only takes 5-10 minutes to unhook anyway if I need to go somewhere.
5) A big unit like mine WILL make it harder to park and go someplaces, but I decided I would manage and comfort would be more important even if it meant limitations in other ways.

Everything depends of the lifestyle you plan to have. Mine included traveling alone and occasionally with my family, keeping on the move, wanting to be self-contained, and comfort.

[Irmi]

Our rig and situation is very much like Judy's. We also have a 31 foot class C motorhome and ours has 2 slides, but we have the entertainment system over the cab. We don't have children, no one travels with us, so we don't need the extra bed. As of yet, we also don't have a toad. It's possible to get our unit into most shopping centers and on the road, it's just a large van. We have had a TT, but hubby chooses not to get on the ground to level up, take the hitch off and on the truck, etc. This is easier and it works for us.

[WickedLady]

I got my little tt because that was all I could afford and will eventually upgrade to about a 19 footer if I can find one with the features of my 16 which I like a lot. And I would not want a slide as that is just something else to be maintained.
I also like having the van to camp in if the tt is out of commission for some reason.
I would go to a B if I had the $$$ to buy one tho.

[Bethers]

As Pooker has said, most of this is posted in many previous posts - but I'll comment about a couple things you asked here.

Why a C for me? I want self-contained. I don't want to leave my vehicle to go get in my tt or 5th wheel to go potty or lay down a bit, or fix lunch. Others don't mind that at all. For 5+ years I traveled happily without a toad. Because of all the workamping I do, I finally decided on one. It was a tough decision and the reasons for and against for me, even now, are about even. The expense is way more with - just in buying, prepping, and then maintaining two units - even it there wasn't two engines involved. I know I need new tires on the car now - am hoping they can wait till I'm back in the lower 48. Traveling, I was fine without the car - and there are times it's in my way. (I liked before the toad that if I ever felt uncomfortable, I could just jump in the driver's seat and drive away. With the toad, you have to go make sure it's in towing mode). Sitting still, yes, it's nice to have one - but I like to walk and so try to not use the car unless I NEED to. So far in my time in Valdez, the car has gone out on two trips - one per week. I do intend to take it to get to a few of the hiking trails that are further away. But again, if I wasn't here to work, would have just used my rig.

I have a small rig because I like to be able to go places that bigger rigs can't go. That said, I sometimes can't now either because of the toad.

All of this said, again like others have said - you'll have your own reasons for why you like/dislike different things. If I wasn't fulltime, I'd probably go with even smaller - like a B - IF the cost of them wasn't, for whatever reason, usually more than a C. Fulltime, even though I want small (mine is only 22", but with a slide) I want the extra space a C has.

Oh, and there have been many posts regarding the cabover area - whether people prefer the entertainment center or overcab bed. While mine was only once for a few days used as a bed, and I thought I would prefer the entertainment area - if I have a choice in my next rig (buying used, I have must haves, and preferred choices, etc) I'll take the cabover bed in a heartbeat - if only for the storage space.

[JudyJB]

Also, I bought new because I didn't want to worry about maintenance and breakdowns. I also have allergies to animals and smoke, so a new unit would be less of a problem. I also worked two jobs for the past 22 years and will continue to work one part-time job teaching online. I know I may take a hit on depreciation with a new unit, but it was worth it to me.

So far, I have driven about 500 miles and have not wiped out any mailboxes and hit one curb only once, so it has not been too bad to drive. Being short has been a bit of a problem, but I have a seat cushion and am going to contact Ford Mobility tomorrow to see about some pedal adaptations, but can manage with it as it is, if I have to.

It took me over a year to make my decision about what I wanted, and this group was very helpful.

[Redwahine]

Thank you for all your great responses.

[Sandersmr]

If you are going to spend long times in WA - or even long times in TX summers, you may want to explore a 4 season trailer/rig. They will have a little more insulation and for temps below freezing, insulated tanks.

[Redwahine]

How do I know if it 4 seasons?

[Travelinana]

I'm chiming in a little late. I am trying to make this decision too. I would also consider a 5'er if it weren't for not having a generator. I don't really want to use a stand alone one. Another thought is in my sightseeing driving a truck with big engine will be a gas guzzler too. I agree that the thought of maintaining two engines is a big consideration. I won't be on the road all the time and a 5th wheel will be most suitable when homebased which for me will be at my son's house about 500' from my house.
I have decided to clean my house and put away all clutter, even clean the garages and go ahead and put the house up for sale. I have a man coming to replace some shingles. My house is affordable to a young family, tho some features will attract an older couple. It is built on one side of an acre leaving the other for landscaping or garden. I have a John Deere tractor and I will throw it in the deal if I get what I want for it. We'll see how this works.
I'm a little disappointed this morning. The guy who wanted my mh also wanted to steal it. I lowered the price 2000 dollars which was already much lower than they are listed on RV Trader. I kept my cool with him as I know this is business but there was a tone in his voice that rubbed me the wrong way..like 'Oh, you're a woman, I can get this for a song'. Not!!
Back to RV's...I can't get away from Class A's. I will be living in this and like the front seats turning around for company. Oh, what to do??

[Redwahine]

I hear and feel your angst Travelinana.

[Dawn309]

I, too, have been trying to figure out what type of rig I want when I start full-timing. I started out thinking a travel trailer was what I needed because of the 'bang for the buck', then I started thinking I needed to just stick with a 5th wheel because that was what Chuck and I have. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I would be more comfortable driving the rig and pulling Mom's Kia as a toad. Chuck liked this idea better too. Her car is set up with the lift for her mobility chair. Once that decision was made, I started looking at floor plans in Diesel and Gas Class A's. Mom said to pick a floor plan I would like also if she was not with me. I did not think bunk bed options gave her enough room. I finally found a floor plan I really liked. It is in a Gasser, not a Diesel Pusher, but I can live with that to get the floor plan. This floor plan has doors that can be closed between the livingroom and kitchen area to make a separate bedroom. This makes for a much bigger area for Mom to call her own when sleeping and gives her more storage options. We have gone and looked at the rig. We both really liked it when we walked through the unit. Now just have to get over the jitters I have about driving that big a rig. It's always scary when you haven't done something yet. I like the storage areas this unit has too.