Getting cold feet

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DigitalVI

Member
Joined
May 26, 2017
Posts
13
Location
North of Dallas
So after a couple months looking at TT's I am getting cold feet.  The cost of new vs Hotel/ Motel staying is the issue. Why not always have water, electric, shower, WiFi, Air conditioning. Queen bed?  Less fuel expense , not having to set up, tear down, empty tanks, find a storage place, maintenance issues and break downs.

With my current TV we are looking at 4200-4400 gross.  Nice TT's are in the 25,000 range. That could go a long way in travel expenses.  Already in my late 60's so how much longer will I feel like pulling a trailer, hard to say.

Don't suggest used as new is already a crap shoot for getting one without many issues, and most anything will have some issues.  Just looking for ways to justify a purchase for the wife and I.  We are both retired, the money is not the issue, we have never been campers. 

How did you know this was right for you? Your thoughts and advice would be appreciated.

Dan
 
For us we sort of eased into it with a popup camper when the kids were small.  We outgrew it and bought a 24' travel trailer and outgrew that.  By the time my daughters were in high school we had lots of sporting events to go to and traded up to a used 31' Class C.  When I retired last year I already knew the ups and downs of RV'ing and didn't have the fear factor of a first time buy so our 37' Class made sense.  I know that my wife cannot get around like she used to, and neither can I, so it is far easier for her to be in the RV, but it is on me to get set up and to do most of the driving.

If it were my first RV at my age (and yours) I would go rent one first and see if I liked it.  Having had an opportunity to chat with a guy in an RV from New Zealand I was impressed at how well that RV rental company had equipped their Class C RV and how they insured its reliability. If you think you have interest give it a go and see what you think.  Keep in mind the first time you may have white knuckles until you get comfortable with road position and how it handles.  If you hate it then you have your answer without having made the investment.  If you love it, then you can move on to deciding what about an RV is important to you and you can begin your search.

Good luck,

Joel
 
Ditto on what JoelP said.

To the OP, Dan,  If you are happy with motels/hotels and eating all your meals in restaurants there is no reason to go the RV route.  Especially if your travels are just for a week or two or three at a time.

Advantages for an RV:
--  Sleep in your own bed every night.  Also your own bathroom.
--  Cook your own meals or go out to eat.  Always your choice.
--  Your clothes and toiletries are right at hand.  No packing/unpacking.  No forgetting something once you are on the road
--  If you are retired and enjoy traveling for 4-5 weeks several times a year, or traveling for 4-8 months of the year, the RV is way less expensive over multiple years of usage.

We spend 5-10 months a year in our RV and love it.  We have learn how to research places to stay which are out of the way.  National Parks, National Forests, state parks, and the list goes on.  We very seldom stay in actual RV Parks where all you see is the RV out your windows. 

Many times an RV'er has parked their RV in a friend's or relative's driveway and then the host suggests the RV'er stays inside the house.  The RV'er typically declines, saying something like "Thank you very much for your offer.  However when we are traveling, this RV is our home.  Our Bed, our Bath, all our stuff is right where we know to find it.  Really this is our home while we are on the road."

RV'ing is not for everyone.  It is a much different experience than staying in motels/hotels.  Yes there are hassles, setup take down of the RV.  Driving and parking the thing.  It is another house so there are things which break and will need to be fixed.

As stated by JoelP, rent some RV's and see what you think before you spend lots of money on the RV. 
 
If you are not full time the cost don't work out at all. Its probably cheaper for the people to get on a plane, fly someplace, stay a few days and fly home. We are not full time and it cost a lot on fuel, maintenance, just stuff.  ;D

For us it is the in between. We see every mile of the trip, we see the scenery in between so there really is no destination until we round the next curve. Every mile is a destination, every town is the vacation stop if even for an ice cream and a quick break in the day. I remember heading down toward Cottonwood from Sedona and the sun was just right. It took my breath away. The mountains seemed to paint a new picture at every turn just for us.

We sleep in our own bed, we don't pack out to a place then pack into a motel then pack out in the morning. We travel with our little dogs. We go home when we want and don't care about flight times. Well, anyway, you are right, it cost more for the in between and driving forward into that next mile aka. adventure. To me, when I am on the road with my wife in all that in between, its like traveling first class and we are the only ones seated there.

I don't think you should buy a new one, they drop like a rock. If you are unsure buy a good used one and see if its for you.

RV/Motorhome ownership doesn't fit for everybody. That is not a good or bad thing, its just a thing, a preference.
 
For what it's worth, most of us love our RVs because we don't have to haul our luggage in/out of motels.  We no longer have to pack and unpack said luggage every time we change locations.  We no longer have to sleep on a lumpy mattress or a too-small-bed because that's all that was available..  We no longer have to find a (maybe less than satisfactory) restaurant in which to eat.  We no longer have to depend on flying and maybe missing connections to where we want to go if it's 1,000+ miles away from home.  (Our last flight four-hour trip took 36 hours and we slept on the floor of the Atlanta airport and ate yucky food there.)  We no longer have to rent a (maybe uncomfortable) car when we fly somewhere.

What our RV provides is our own bed, our own food, our own bathroom, as many clothes as we want to carry, the ability to spread out when we're traveling, etc.  Yes, the tradeoffs are maintenance, storage, and the like but we've made the decision that the pluses outweigh the minuses.  Only you can make that decision!

ArdraF
 
RVing isn't for everyone - it can be anything from a hobby, to a way of life - it all depends on what you want out of it - and it's not necessarily any cheaper than hotel living either. I do a lot of traveling for work (airlines) and, unfortunately, I accumulate a lot more hotel-nights each year than RV-nights. I despise hotel living - for more than just the reasons mentioned above, but if I were staying in hotels for vacations, maybe I'd feel differently (I doubt it though.) Dealing with the all too common headaches of airline travel is no fun either.

I also like having an RV in case we have to evacuate for some reason, which has happened to us more than once. We live in wildfire and earthquake country, and when it's time to go, there's no time to make hotel reservations. It's nice knowing that we've got a great place to stay, with everything we're going to need. Personally, I think you're a glutton for punishment for wanting to buy a new RV, but I won't try to convince you otherwise. Travel trailers aren't necessarily very complex RVs, so maybe you'll get lucky and get one with few problems. One thing that can make RV ownership a lot easier, whether you buy new or used, is if you have some good DIY skills. It's not a requirement, but it will save you some money over time.

Kev
 
The cost of new vs Hotel/ Motel staying is the issue.

As others have said above, RVing might not be for you. For limited uses the motel route is cheaper. And it's not just purchase cost -- there's also maintenance (even a TT needs occasional maintenance), though trailers are generally less expensive in both purchase and in maintenance than motorhomes (if you disregard the vehicle to tow it).

If cost is your main concern, then do the motel bit, assuming that you're not going to be on the road for several months out of the year. As you've noted from other posts above, cost is low on the totem pole for most RVers -- other concerns take precedence.
 
As usual, Ardra has concisely articulated just what I was thinking.  Also, Keven Means has described what we have actually been through.  In our case, the evacuation was to escape a rapidly burning forest fire targeting our home in Northern California.  (The house did not burn.  We spent the night at a designated spot in our motorhome, and felt so fortunate to be "home" in our motorhome not knowing if we still had the "other" home or not.) 

If you're not in an area which might require immediate evacuation or you do not expect to use the RV for an extensive, long lasting trip, then maybe motels would work better for you.  Our first two long car trips after Tom's retirement convinced us that our own bathroom, our own bed, our own books, our own food, etc. were worth the investment in the motorhome.
 
DigitalVI said:
So after a couple months looking at TT's I am getting cold feet.  The cost of new vs Hotel/ Motel staying is the issue. Why not always have water, electric, shower, WiFi, Air conditioning. Queen bed?  Less fuel expense , not having to set up, tear down, empty tanks, find a storage place, maintenance issues and break downs.

With my current TV we are looking at 4200-4400 gross.  Nice TT's are in the 25,000 range. That could go a long way in travel expenses.  Already in my late 60's so how much longer will I feel like pulling a trailer, hard to say.

Don't suggest used as new is already a crap shoot for getting one without many issues, and most anything will have some issues.  Just looking for ways to justify a purchase for the wife and I.  We are both retired, the money is not the issue, we have never been campers. 

How did you know this was right for you? Your thoughts and advice would be appreciated.

Dan

Camping may not be for you. Notice I said camping. In my mind RV'ing is using your rig many months out of the year. Sometimes these folks cover thousands of miles and and a trip may take several months. If this is the type of traveling you are contemplating then an "RV" might not be for you. We are destination "campers". We go to a State or National park for a weekend or 3-4 days in the middle of a week. Often no more than 2-4 hours from home. Just for the pleasure of being out in nature. I have a kayak and the grandkids like to swim and just run around and explore. You don't have to spend a butt load of money to do what we do. Withnsome research you can probably get by with spending $20k, maybe less. Don't get me wrong. I like a nice hotel too. But I don't like lugging my stuff in for a night or two.we stayed at a Drury Inn in a suite for two months. It was great. Cost my employer "US Government" $10,000.  If you think set up, tear down, emptying sewer, etc is going to be a pita "pain in the ass" then none of this is for you.
 
DigitalVI said:
So after a couple months looking at TT's I am getting cold feet.  The cost of new vs Hotel/ Motel staying is the issue. Why not always have water, electric, shower, WiFi, Air conditioning. Queen bed?  Less fuel expense , not having to set up, tear down, empty tanks, find a storage place, maintenance issues and break downs.

With my current TV we are looking at 4200-4400 gross.  Nice TT's are in the 25,000 range. That could go a long way in travel expenses.  Already in my late 60's so how much longer will I feel like pulling a trailer, hard to say.

Don't suggest used as new is already a crap shoot for getting one without many issues, and most anything will have some issues.  Just looking for ways to justify a purchase for the wife and I.  We are both retired, the money is not the issue, we have never been campers. 

How did you know this was right for you? Your thoughts and advice would be appreciated.

Dan


if you have never been campers I guess you have no idea what you are missing.  I bought a used Class C last year and we had a great Arizona trip this spring and saw many things we never saw before.  Sleeping in our bed at night and traveling with our 2 cats made it feel we were home, even though we were 1600 miles away.  The 10 week trip including all food, entertainment and spring ball games, car rental (I don't tow a car yet) and one month house rental in Lake Havasu City was well under $100/day...something you can't do if you stay in hotels, hell you be hard press to keep food/eating out cost to $100/day.  Discounting buying used is a mistake.
 
Another thing to consider; you said used was not going to be considered but you also say you don't know if the RV lifestyle is for you and your wife. You are the type of consumer savvy RV purchasers are looking for. You buy new and six months to year later find that you don't like the lifestyle. You end up selling your RV to one of these savy, seasoned buyers for thousands maybe even tens of thousands of dollars less than what you bought it for. Rent an RV and take it out for a couple of weeks. If you don't like it you really haven't lost anything. We knew we liked to camp long before we bought our first RV. As a kid I used to camp with my Dad and brother when we went hunting. After I got married we camped in a tent all over the US and Japan. We camped with my inlaws who had a pop up. At 66 I still enjoy camping (but not in a tent-bones are too old to sleep on the ground or on a cot).
It's a huge investment and it seems you are starting with a not so enthusiastic mindset. Take into consideration all the opinions of the folks on this thread. They have many hundreds of years of experience (and that's just two of them). They know what they are talking about.
 
x2 what they all said - for me though i am in hotels alot for business and i like having my own stuff my bed my room and my fridge when i wake up in the middle of the night and want a glass of milk or a cookie. Besides i can set up and tear down in under 30 mins if i need to. All great points though.
 
steveblonde said:
x2 what they all said - for me though i am in hotels alot for business and i like having my own stuff my bed my room and my fridge when i wake up in the middle of the night and want a glass of milk or a cookie. Besides i can set up and tear down in under 30 mins if i need to. All great points though.

You just gave me new idea. I'm putting cookies on our "to take" list. Thanks!
 
Thank all of you for the replies so far.  When we first considered a TT the idea was we have a lot of time on our hands, being retired, so why not get a TT and spend some time away from home. It is 100 degrees today and a nice cool lake in the mountains sounds very good now.  We do not fly, hate it, we drive and have driven to the places we want to see or visit.  The idea of having your own bed and bathroom are very appealing to us.  Another plus is not having to schlep bags and luggage. There a lot of places we would like to see in the future.

We plan to continue our search for a TT.  So many options, slide or no slide, 3 way fridge or two way, roof air or wall air, and a lot more to consider.  So far the ones we are drawn to have murphy beds, the concern is will an upgraded mattress still fit in one.  We like the idea of not having to climb over one another in the middle of the night.

Appreciate everyone taking time to answer our questions.

Dan

The search continues.

PS: Shopping for TT in Texas heat is no fun at all!
 
From a purely financial standpoint, RVs make no sense at all. Unlike a regular home, they constantly decrease in value. They're expensive to operate, can be expensive to maintain, and you have to find a place to keep it when not in use.

It would be cheaper for us to fly anywhere in the country and stay in luxury hotels for vacations, when compared to the cost of owning a motorhome. But that's measured in dollars and cents. The experiences we've had and the people we've met along the way: priceless.
 
HappyWanderer said:
From a purely financial standpoint, RVs make no sense at all. Unlike a regular home, they constantly decrease in value. They're expensive to operate, can be expensive to maintain, and you have to find a place to keep it when not in use.

It would be cheaper for us to fly anywhere in the country and stay in luxury hotels for vacations, when compared to the cost of owning a motorhome. But that's measured in dollars and cents. The experiences we've had and the people we've met along the way: priceless.

:)) :)) :))
 
This:

DigitalVI said:
We are both retired, the money is not the issue, we have never been campers. 

Plus this:

DigitalVI said:
We do not fly, hate it, we drive and have driven to the places we want to see or visit.  The idea of having your own bed and bathroom are very appealing to us.  Another plus is not having to schlep bags and luggage. There a lot of places we would like to see in the future.

Tells me you are the perfect candidates for an RV. Using a TT or MH, I don't consider "camping."
That said, I agree with the others that a rental may be a good idea before you take the plunge.

I just returned from a business trip. Flight out was overbooked. Connecting flight delayed. They changed gates at the last minute. I could go on, but you and I are on the same page re flying.
 
DigitalVI said:
....We plan to continue our search for a TT.  So many options, slide or no slide, ....

PS: Shopping for TT in Texas heat is no fun at all!

For years I resisted a slideout.  My concern was that it added weight and was potentially unreliable and difficult to maintain.  Now that I have an RV with 3 slideouts I cannot imagine having anything without slideouts.  Yes, I have had issues, mostly due to my own doing, but now that I have made it a practice to not try to move them out without either shore power or generator running, I have had minimal issues.  It is, however, one more thing to maintain.  The feeling of space is so nice that it makes any difficulty worthwhile.  Just keep in mind that if you chose a smaller RV with one bathroom in the back and it has a slideout you might have to crawl over a bed to use the bathroom enroute. Larger MHs have an extra half bath.  I am not sure what this does in a 5th Wheel or trailer where you would still have to get out the truck to use your bathroom.
 
Our last three motorhomes have had the (one-and-only) bathroom in the center of the motorhome so access was always available even with slideouts retracted.  I've never understood why manufacturers design RVs with slideouts blocking such important features as a bathroom.

ArdraF
 
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