Would you do it again...?

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Rocky Road

Rocky Road

Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2015
Posts
8
After a year and a half of research, board perusal, pestering sales people on the RV lots and looking at god knows how may floor plans, my wife and I (recently retired) are about ready to go find a (gently) used Class A DP, 38-42', probably Tiffin or Entegra.  Our plan is to travel the summer months, making this our home, and store it in the winter with occasional use.

The one reservation (well, one of the one's...) I have is this - I am not mechanically inclined nor particularly handy around the house.  My question is, knowing what y'all know, if you had my lack of skills, would you still buy an RV?

Thanks for your advice.
 
Yes, "but",  as always there is always one, DON"T let the dealer talk you into buying an Extended Warranty/Service contract from them.  If you need the peace of mind of having an extended warranty then get one yourself from outside the dealers network from say Wholesale Warranties i.e. The other alternative is what a number of RV's do is self insure themselves for any mechanical issues bu setting aside sufficient funds to defer any maintenance issue that might arise.
    On the whole though if you encounter minor issues, etc. there's usually several knowledgeable campers around or on the internet that can help you or at least point you in the right direction.  You can also call a number of the makers of items in the RV directly and they will troubleshoot/help you on the phone to solve issues you might have.
 
You drive a car, I assume.  Yes,you can own an rv without mechanical skills!

You might want to look for roadside assistance plans.  Might ease your mind a bit.

I am lucky enough to have a mechanically minded husband!
 
I am an older woman who is hardly mechanically inclined, so I choose to pay for most things that need to be done.  However, there are a lot of You-Tube videos out there for a lot of typical tasks you have to do in an RV.  For example, I found one of how to replace the rubber ring on my toilet.  It took most of an afternoon, but I learned how and did it successfully.  Well, actually I made two trips to the hardware because I had almost no tools with me and set the toilet in place at least twice. (The biggest problem was a stripped screw that held the pedal cover on.  Had to cut it off and order a new one.)  The good news is that I could do it in an hour if I had to do it again. 

Much easier was the video on how to drain and flush my hot water tank. 

Also, I have CoachNet, and they will give you some technical advice over the phone when something is not working.
 
Judy you should be proud of yourself. Only two trips to the hardware store. It is a well known fact that any DIY project will require at least three trips to Home Depot. ;D
 
We would do it again in a New York minute!  Neither of us is mechanically inclined although Tom was able to make minor repairs and keep the outside shiny.  I'm a klutz when it comes to things like that. 

Just put a few bucks aside for repairs, enroll in Coach Net for roadside service and advice and enjoy.  We've always either tented or pulled a small TT.  We bought the 36' MH in 1996. We were full time from 1997 to 2007.  Now we live in an Escapees Park (Timber Valley) with other kindred souls.  Some like us, have hung up their keys, but many are still traveling -- especially in the winter.  We all share irreplaceable memories.
 
AND - best of all - we've made wonderful friends right here on the RV Forum.  That makes it priceless!

ArdraF
 
I think the internal desire to pursue the RV'ing lifestyle (or any other) will override any lacking DYI skills.

Corky
 
SeilerBird said:
Judy you should be proud of yourself. Only two trips to the hardware store. It is a well known fact that any DIY project will require at least three trips to Home Depot. ;D
Click to expand...

Curious -- I've done a lot of them never going to HD -- Lowe's is closer and more to my liking...  ::) :eek: ;D
 
SeilerBird said:
I would not worry. At least half the people here do not do their own work. Most of us are too old and fat. :eek:
Click to expand...

Hey! I resemble that remark!

I do lots of the work myself, but if it's in a tight space I'll hire a guy.
Hard to believe that in Jr. High School you could count my ribs. And my knees are shot from dumping my motorcycle too many times.
 
No, I would not !
Unless I was rich enough to pay for every little thing that went wrong.
Then I would in a heart beat !

Jack L
 
Cant Wait said:
Yes, "but",  as always there is always one, DON"T let the dealer talk you into buying an Extended Warranty/Service contract from them.  If you need the peace of mind of having an extended warranty then get one yourself from outside the dealers network from say Wholesale Warranties i.e. The other alternative is what a number of RV's do is self insure themselves for any mechanical issues bu setting aside sufficient funds to defer any maintenance issue that might arise.
 
Click to expand...

Thanks - good advice.  We'd considered the self-insured route but it's such a moving target, I'm not sure how much we'd need...lots of variables!
 
Tom and Margi said:
Just put a few bucks aside for repairs, enroll in Coach Net for roadside service and advice and enjoy. 
Click to expand...

Thanks for the Coach Net tip - hadn't heard of them!  Putting "a few bucks aside" is a great idea - what do you consider "a few bucks"? ???
 
Wholesale warranties was near the same price for less cover than the dealer one, so went with the dealer one.
 
A huge majority of the stuff I have encountered was really just basic stuff that I imagine any home handyman could tackle....little caulk jobs, loose trim, wonky drawer slides, etc....
for the more RV unique things there are always mobile RV guys you could call....but honestly those things have been a minority for me....
 
Rocky Road said:
Thanks for the Coach Net tip - hadn't heard of them!  Putting "a few bucks aside" is a great idea - what do you consider "a few bucks"? ???
Click to expand...

Too big a variable to suggest.  At least enough to cover repair of water heater, air conditioning unit, heater, refrigerator, perhaps new belts.  Hopefully they won't all break down at the same time.  Depends a lot on the age of the rig you buy and how upscale (or not) it is.  The moderately upscale sometimes have the same appliances as lower priced models.
 
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