What differences between your first and second full timing rigs?

I talked to a couple in a campground that had a nice 33' DP.  They said this was their second full timing rig (actually, to be fair, they were more snow birding than full timing).  The reason for the rig change was that their first one, a 40 footer was bigger than they needed.  They had unused storage and decided finding a place to land the big rig and buying fuel for it wasn't a good setup for them, so they traded down 7 feet in length and were now "happy campers."

In another thread, someone said something to the effect that its hard to get it right the first time and even if a person is mostly satisfied with their full time rig that they are more informed shoppers the second time around. 

I know that some folks shop till they find the perfect rig and never look back (so this question isn't really for you, although you are certainly welcome to respond) - and that others are broader in their view of "good enough" and simply adjust to what they have.  Still, my guess is that after living in a rig for a few years, most people have some specific things in mind when they replace it.

Also, before someone else says it, I'll say it first: It's an individual thing. 

Still...a question for people who:
[list type=decimal]
[*]Are full timers
[*]Have had more than one rig for full timing
[*]Looked for some specific differences when they got their second (third, fourth) rig
[/list]

What were the differences and why?

Thanks in advance for any helpful replies.

My parents started out full-timing in a 25-foot travel trailer. After a year, they started looking at 5th wheels and ended up trading for a 35-foot Royals 5er. They liked the extra interior room without a change in overall length (truck plus tow) and found the 5er easier to tow and park. Dad hated to give up the truck bed and camper shell where he kept all his "tools" but they did find that they liked the 5er better overall. Their next 5er was smaller when they had bought a lot in Oregon with a garage and had a place to store their extra "stuff".

We full-timed in a 35' Fifth Wheel back in the 80s. When Mike took a full-time job with the Park Service and we were no longer living in the 5er, we traded it in for a 24' Class C that we could use easier. So I guess that doesn't count as a switch in coach while full-timing

Wendy

Back when we were rearing our children in the sticks and bricks our camper (RV) was a class A gasser, for 10 years we took our vacations somewhere in that coach. When we decided to sell everything and go "full timing" we settled after extensive research on a 5th wheel trailer.

After 4.5 years in that trailer we came to the decision that a Motor Coach was better for us, so that's what we have now.

Pro's for us were the fact that it is just more convenient for us to just travel in a motor coach. Also we think we have more living room in the bus than we did in the 5'ver.

Just going down the road looking out that massive front windshield at the scenery is more aw-inspiring than the view from a truck and the ride is alot smoother in the bus.

As we spent more and more time in the RV, we zeroed in on what was important to us.  Also, I think our wants and needs may have changed a bit over time as well.

Basically we decided that  bathroom and shower space was more important than we first imagined, we wanted a washer dryer once we had enough space in the rig for our other needs (we had that at the 40 ft level),  and we wanted two slides in the lounge area for a more open feeling, i.e. didn't want to trip over each other's feet anymore.  I think that covers the major differences in our shopping list as we progressed through 5 different rigs (2 trailers, 3 MH).  The change from 5W to motorhome was perhaps a change in our style or maybe just wanting more convenience as we grew older.

We still aren't fulltime - just "long time"

The single biggest thing that I traded up motor homes for was the addition of a full wall slide. When full timing there are days when the weather turns bad and you may be stuck in the rig for a few days at a time. During those times having a little extra elbow room is priceless. 

Along with the full wall slide we got a floor plan with the TV directly across from the sitting area (using it right now). It is way more comfortable not to have to sit with your neck craned sideways watching the TV for an extended period of time.  And the extra 3' of coach allowed me to install a small work desk for my computer. A big plus (using it right now.) 

Another really big one that we didn't realize up front was the addition of a washer/dryer combo (using it right now).  The DW LOVES not having to carry the laundry around the campground, or go looking for a laundry somewhere in some remote town.

A nice extra was also the exterior entertainment center. It allows us to lounge outside longer in nice weather, and the DW likes to do aerobic DVD's outside in the mornings (used it 15 minutes ago). 

The new rig also has a motorized front MCD shade system that makes privacy a lot easier to close up at night (use it every night). 

And the king bed is comfy too.

Wow, there is more things about the new rig than the one we started with than I had realized.  They all make the full timer experience better for us. 

If we were to go full-timing vs our current 75% timing I would want more inside storage, a bedroom slide, and a bigger refrigerator. A bigger shower would be nice, too, but isn't as high on the list as the bigger frig. And I would still want a motorhome.

Wendy

We are most of the timer's rather than full time (~11mos/yr.). That said, our first MH was:

22' Flair Class A Gas No Slides
"bed in the corner/crawl over", nice shower, real oven, older (1996)
This was a test unit. It was throwaway priced and still in excellent condition. We owned it for about a year and used it heavily. Having satisfied ourselves that we would actually use a MH, we traded for our second MH:

32' Georgie Boy Pursuit. Class A Gas Two Slides
King size bed, large shower, 10 years newer, and in excellent condition
This is essentially a larger version of the Flair with a more comfortable walk around bed and a similar large shower. It also has more storage and, initially, low mileage. We've put over 35,000 miles on it in the past 2-1/2 years and have had almost no problems. We have upgraded it to better suit us (Satellite, HD, modify booth to office/booth configuration, LED lights throughout, etc.) We still like it. We've looked at trading for a third MH:

~36' Diesel or Gas Larger Closet More Counter Space and All of the Above
No Joy! When MH's get longer, they add a couch (we've added two Captains Chars set up to recline & rock) and then a love seat. Most have smaller (fancier??) showers, Queen Beds, no oven, and similar closets to what we already have. Solution "Keep what we got until it wears out completely"

Ernie

Note: We pay cash and could certainly afford any reasonable upgrade.

Thanks everyone for the interesting replies!  We've had several different camping setups through the years, but I appreciate the point of view of those who are in their rigs full time.

These are my favorite posts.... lurking and learning.  5yrs from now is the plan, sell down to a much smaller 'home base',  spend majority time in the RV, see some of this beautiful country of ours, visit old friends and move when we wish to next adventure.  Thanks for the experienced perspectives, love hearing them all.

My current rig I made sure I had the following

Electric awning
Lots of slides and flat floor design
King bed
Washer dryer
Artic package and enclosed underbelly
Lots of storage
Separate living room
Residential furniture
Dual pane windows
Tinted windows and lots of them
High ceilings with fans
In floor heating
Ducted air


Things I changed to my rig for better full time living

All the carpet out of kitchen
Fireplace out
Replaced sofa two chairs with a nice leather reclining sofa love seat
Diesel fired heater
Coffee table
Two ikea kitchen islands that roll around
Beer fridge
Jack digital tv antenna
New sound system