Dreaming and considering

[BirdbyBird]

My statement has always been that most of us can make room for what is most important to us.

[slam308]

Hello Ladies,
I'm no longer dreaming and considering but have moved on to waiting and finalizing. I figured rather than start a new post, I'd resurrect this old one.
I can't believe it's been a year and a half... I've been to half a dozen RV shows since I last posted, researched a ton more, visited numerous dealers, climbed a thousand entry steps and have finally, FINALLY, found The Perfect RV. I think... 99.9% sure...
Class A, Winnebago Vista LX (or just plain Vista in years past) model 30T.

A true queen bed for when the hubby comes along. A permanent bed that I don't have to make up each night or one that folds in half when the slides are in. (I can deal with not being able to walk around during travelling stops.) A bath that's spacious, with a (separate) shower that's big enough to get the job done, even though it might be a touch cramped.
A kitchen that's big enough, with at least a bit of counter space. A fridge that's gas/electric for when I don't have hookups (most of the time) so I don't have to worry about conserving or recharging batteries. (The residential fridge scares me.) Storage space is more than adequate since I've been doing a week or more in a hotel with only one suitcase and the gear I can carry in my minivan. As far as meals, I'm a cheap date and fine with a big bucket of tuna-mac or some frozen dinners.

In the "living room" area, there's plenty of room for my dogs to move around when the slides are in and a ton of room when the slides are out.
My husband loves the drop down TV that's right across from the couch. He also loves the dual recliners I've seen on some older models, but I figure we can do an aftermarket upgrade if he really gets whiny. Since it'll just be me most of the time, and just the two of us the rest of the time, I can shorten the pull out tabletop, keep the regular chairs at home, and then used the two fold up chairs that store under the bed if we want to sit at the table to eat. The rest of the time I'll have even more open floor space for the dogs.

I've talked to friends with RV's about how much tank capacity and LP is adequate as I had no idea how much I'd really need, or how long those things last.

I did check out the Class C toyhaulers, but none offer a permanent bed, which is one of my must-haves, both for me and a place for the dogs to hang while I'm driving. Also, we have a pretty steep driveway and none of the normal Class C's that had what I was looking for would make it up the drive.

I finally set my sights on the Winnebago 30T and found a used one about 20 minutes from us. We went and looked at it and totally fell in love with the floor plan and space it offers. But, the private seller is asking WAY too much an it's older than I'm comfortable with.

We're waiting for a couple things to fall in line and then we'll be ready to purchase. We're looking at May/June at the earliest, or September at the latest.

This whole thing started off as a way for me to go to dog shows, but now I can really see us taking off for a long weekend, or even more, and enjoying spending time together and seeing the country. Just today at work I saw something about the "best rated" aquarium in the US (or something like that) in Springfield, MO. Now it's on my list! (I LOVE aquariums! Even better that it's next to a Bass Pro Shops which I heard you can overnight at for free.)

Okay, at this point I feel like I'm rambling... I'm just so excited to finally know what I want. Any advice, ideas or things I ought to consider is appreciated.

I feel like I've read and re-read this post a dozen times before posting and that my mind is starting to blur... I don't think I mentioned that we're defintely looking for a used coach...

[MandysMom]

You are shopping the same size I'm considering, though my dream is a 2014 Tiffin Allegro 31sa. I'm curious what about a residential fridge scares you? Frankly propane fridges scare me after the many fires through the years, but I have a 3 way in my van and its been ok. I plan to do ample solar so I can have a residential fridge, which are pretty efficient from what I read written by those who have one in RV.
Shopping and dreaming is fun for sure.
Velda

[JudyJB]

Glad you made it back on! I like the freedom of a gas/electric refrigerator because it switches back and forth without your having to remember it or worry about getting back somewhere before everything melts. It is also handy for those times when the power goes out, like it did for me earlier this week. And I have several times left my rig and stuff in the refrigerator in an airport for as much as 6-7 days. WHen I got back, batteries were still charged and everything was cold or frozen.

One thing I did not pay enough attention to when I bought is cargo carrying capacity. That is the weight of you and your husband, your belongings, food, water in your fresh water tank, sewage, bikes, clothing, --it adds up fast. I have a lot more storage space than I have available weight, unfortunately. If you overload your rig, you can have tire blowouts.

[snowball]

sounds like you have found what you want... good for you... it took my husband and I years to achieve that... but even now and I have lived in my home (a 36 ft 5th wheel) 24 7 for 12 years. no desire to even look at anything else it has what I need or want although it needs some up keep but that happens
best of luck in all you do
sheila

[Bethers]

I, also, wouldn't consider a residential fridge for my uses. Sounds like you've done a lot of thinking and have gotten close to finding what will, hopefully, be the perfect for you rv.

Glad to see you back and hope more frequently now!

[BirdbyBird]

Thanks for coming back to let us know about all the hard brain work and foot work you have been putting in getting ready for this coming adventure. Good hunting! All this is part of the initial adventure. Looking forward to seeing you down the road at a get together or a dog show!

Tina

[slam308]

Thanks everyone. I had a heck of a time getting back on (Thanks Judy and Beth!) but I made it.
There's a tiny bit that's anxious as I've had a couple times already where I thought, "This is it, this is the one!" but then I went on to find something better. But, I never felt quite like this. Those other times, although I thought I was in love, I still had a part that was wondering if buying an RV was even the right thing. I'd even told my husband Chris, "If you handed me a blank check and said it had to be spent on an RV, I still don't know that I'd get one yet." I think half of the fun was researching, looking, going to the shows, etc.

But, now that the reality is right around the corner, and now that I've found this coach in particular, I'm all in. And, happily, even Chris is getting excited about it. He'd always thought of it as just for me, but I've been talking about us doing some weekend trips just for the fun of it, and he's starting to get on board.
Funny, I never had a bucket list before, but now I'm forming one. I want to see as many aquariums as I can. Oh, and I also want to see a rocket launch!!

So, on another note, the residential fridge... Judy described my concerns perfectly. Most of the time I won't have hookups so I like the option of running it off LP and not having to worry about draining the batteries or charging them every day. Also, I just don't need that much fridge space so it seems like an added waste.

I looked all over today (at work ) and couldn't find a cargo capacity for the unit I'm looking at. I'll have to get more info from Winnebago. I'm pretty sure that your water tank weight has to be included in that cargo capacity, but how about the gas tank weight? I'm guessing that's lumped into the pre-cargo weight since you can't run a vehicle without fuel.
(Hmm, note to self, how much does a week's worth of poop weigh??? )

Another thing I found, since the head of the bed is on the slide out portion, some used models have a big window behind the headboard and some have two small windows, one on each side. Any opinions on which is better for cross-breeze or some other concern I may not know of? There is a window across from the foot of the bed on all of them. Also, some have a window on the back wall, if that makes a difference.

Next question, exterior paint. I believe the roof is always white, even with a full body black paint job, but how much does that dark color effect the interior temperature? Does an All Weather package help a bit with things getting too hot in the summertime, or is it mostly geared towards keeping things warm in the winter? My big hairy beasts would much rather be cold than hot, so I'm not so worried about keeping things warm, but they don't do well in really hot weather. I'm guessing I'd be better suited with a tan or silver rig. (It seems like black, tan or silver, of combinations of those colors, are the options I see most.)

And, I think, one last question. Has anyone ever drilled into the side of their motorhome to attach something? I have portable metal ex-pens, like a foldable fence, that I set up for my dogs. I'm wondering if I can screw in an couple eye bolts to clip the ends of the pen to to hold it. I'm thinking I can clip the top of the pen in and then run a bungee around the spokes of the wheels on the bottom. Tina, have you ever seen a set-up like that? Any suggestions?

Shari

[BarbaraRose]

I would think that any hole you put in it is a potential leak. You would have to seal around the hook very well. I haven't dealt with that so maybe others can give better advice. I am sure it has been done successfully tho.

Hope it all works out great for you!

[JudyJB]

The walls of motorhomes are pretty flimsy. They are mostly two thin pieces of fiberglass or plastic with foam in the middle. The floor at least has some plywood on it. Can you screw some eye-bolts onto the floor?

I have a bad back and most RV dinettes and sofas are not very comfortable, so I chose one that had a dinette with nothing or almost nothing under it. I had the dealer remove the dinette before I took delivery so I could put my Laz-y-boy recliner in that spot.

Anyway, when they made my motorhome, they put a thin aluminum sheet in the area where the seats and the table top were attached to the sidewalls. There also were four metal bolts attached to the floor where the bottoms of the seats were attached. I made sure the dealer left them when he removed the dinette.so I could attach something there if i ever needed to. And actually, I put down a think spongy rubber pad and a piece of plush carpeting underneath my chair and it does not move. I also put a sort of skinny bookcase on one wall using the holes where the old bolts were located.

[MandysMom]

As to cross ventilation over bed. I've heard complaints when window is over head of bed because people don't like to lean on glass if sitting up in bed. A few years back I was visiting in a RV with windows on sides of head of bed, and they had used a small square 12 v computer type fan and put in one window so it could easily be taken down and stored when not needed but attached to a 12 v (cig type outlet like you plug chargers into in car) and that small fan pulled an amazing amount of air in and blew across bed. I think I'd choose windows on both sides of head of bed, if given choice.
Velda

[BirdbyBird]

In the past I have only utilized the contacts that had been left behind after removing a dinette. I do know that those handlers have crates fastened in securely. I have currently travel with wire crate on a twin bed that sits across from my twin bed. I have a 400 crate and either a 300 or a 200 crate depending upon who is traveling with me. Camping or Dog Show. Like Judy I have them all siting on the rubber matting. I always hope that it absorbs some of the road vibrations but it also keeps them from moving around.

For friends that use crates in vans, they either have so many crates that there is no place for anything to move and/or they have bungees around everything.

Sorry, I am not much help.

Tina

[Cudedog]

And, I think, one last question. Has anyone ever drilled into the side of their motorhome to attach something? I have portable metal ex-pens, like a foldable fence, that I set up for my dogs. I'm wondering if I can screw in an couple eye bolts to clip the ends of the pen to to hold it. I'm thinking I can clip the top of the pen in and then run a bungee around the spokes of the wheels on the bottom. Tina, have you ever seen a set-up like that? Any suggestions?

Shari

I have a van I use to pull my TT. I travel with my dog (Big Joe) and he is always crated. My van was a DIY job, so when I was putting it together, I built a kind of "platform" for my dog crates, drilled into the van's metal "ribs" to secure them to the van's walls, before covering the walls with paneling.

I then secured my dog crates to this "platform". The crates are solid, and don't move around, at all.

Photos (scroll down, photos near the bottom of the page): http://heartdogs.net/wordpress/?page_id=389

I doubt that this will be an option for you - although a MH must have some kind of ribs in there somewhere to stabilize the vehicle, and to stop it from folding up like a taco. The trick would be to find them without making a major mess

LOL. Blah blah blah. Probably won't work for you, but there you go.

Anne

[JudyJB]

My motorhome is actually a bunkhouse, but the bunk beds fold up and down to create a small dinette. That meant I had a large front dinette and a small back dinette. I really travel alone and almost never sit at a dinette to eat anyway, so I shopped for a rig with a front dinette I could remove to put my recliner in. It had to have flooring underneath it but not a lot of things like water tanks, etc.

One consideration is to find a bunkhouse and remove the bottom bunks. Some people will buy a bunkhouse and then turn the bunk area into a closet for storage! You could use the top bunk to store dog stuff and the space underneath to fasten your dog crates down. That way, the crates would not be in aisles or in the way of anything as you traveled.

Just a consideration!! Actually, I would also recommend that you specialize in really small dogs or cats! Your dog looks adorable but it is HUGE!!

[slam308]

Actually, I would also recommend that you specialize in really small dogs or cats! Your dog looks adorable but it is HUGE!!

Lol, my breeder and I have discussed switching to canaries...SO much easier! And I'm sure we'd save thousands just on food alone.

So I obviously did a really bad job at describing what I wanted to do. The whole ex-pen setup is meant for outside to give them some room to spread out and relax while we're at a show. Picture a fence bungeed to the front wheel, out a couple feet, and then bungeed again to the back wheel, like a little fenced yard. I'd just need anchor points above the wheels to tie in the top of the fence. I've seen people do the same thing to their minivan so they could leave the sliding door open and the dogs could jump in and out. They usually cut down a pool noodle to wrap around the edge of the pen/fence so it doesn't scratch the paint.
My husband works with metal, so he could make a thin plate to go behind the eye bolt so it spreads the load out. There actually wouldn't be much stress on the bolt as all my guys are raised in ex-pens (easier than crates with such big dogs) and they won't challenge the pen. I'd definitely seal the hole either way.

Thanks Velda, I never would have thought of that! I do love to read in bed. I think the two smaller windows would also give a better option for airflow. I might just want a breeze in the room, but not actually have the breeze hitting me. I could open just the one window on the opposite side of the bed.