Newbies... large(r) family... canadian...and not alot of $$..fulltiming...?

Hello everyone. Just joined the forum hoping for some help.  We are a young Christian family of 6 (with possibly more on the way), we are heading to southern Texas for 9 months-ish, and then possibly back here... where its freezing. I know some of you that are used to really warm weather all the time are thinking we may be nuts, but I know people do it.

I posted the ad below, but does anyone know better what it is I should be looking for? How do you decide between a higher end unit... and the massive debt that goes with it, and an older-you can pay off in a couple months or so-?

p.s.  We hate debt... but dont want a lemon.

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Hi all!  We are having a terrible time finding a fitting motorhome- do you have one for sale?

-$10000-40000 (Willing to buy an older one if it's mechanically trustworthy)

-lower than 70,000 km (will consider up to 90,000 though)

-class c preferred or something with bunks (We want fixed extra bed(s) that can be decorated for our older two children... thus our thoughts on the class c over-cab bed)

-Queen bed in rear (Would settle for a double if all else is found)

- seat belts for 8 (we are a growing family of 6...and I may be expecting again)

-winter package (Traveling south for a while but may need something that can handle a Canadian winter!) things like plumbing under foot and not in walls, specially insulated floor/roof/ walls. Double pane windows an asset.

- Washroom with enough space to squeeze two (Should a child need my assistance)

-Tub (preferred) or a shower with a deep enough "lip" around bottom to bathe a toddler in. (though I can buy some kind of basin if you have a unit that has everything else)

- thru/ basement storage

- the less (prefer no) carpet the better"

Maybe just to clarify, freezing cold here is more like - 40 celcius.

I see all sorts of complications but I would look for an older diesel pusher and expect to pay about $25,000-$30,000.  Might be 15 years old but have plenty of life left in that engine which is the most expensive part to repair.  Those engines can run 500,000 miles or more and might have less than 100,000 on them.  I think there is more value left in a 15 year old diesel pusher than anything else in your price range.  The "C" you are mentioning will be too small for the 6 or 8 of you for that long, I think.

Apart from the research for a suitable vehicle, you should double check with the US Immigration folks regarding the length of stay you will be permitted. Being Canadians and assuming you don't have  a work visa (green card) arrangement, your proposed stay may be limited to a much shorter period. Most visits for Canadians are limited to a total of 180 days (6 months) in any given year.

Be sure you have sufficient medical insurance too, your Canadian medicare coverage does not work south of the border.

yasha.violet said:

-class c preferred or something with bunks (We want fixed extra bed(s) that can be decorated for our older two children... thus our thoughts on the class c over-cab bed)

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There is simply no way a family of 6 could live in a class C. There simply isn't enough room, even in the largest class Cs on the market. I suggest you rent a class C for a weekend and you will see what I am talking about. Class Cs have very little storage space and very small holding tanks.

- seat belts for 8 (we are a growing family of 6...and I may be expecting again)

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That is not going to happen. Seat belts for 4 would be fairly rare in a class C.

-winter package (Traveling south for a while but may need something that can handle a Canadian winter!) things like plumbing under foot and not in walls, specially insulated floor/roof/ walls. Double pane windows an asset.

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Winter packages do not exist in class Cs. They fare very poorly in winter since most of their plumbing is exposed to the elements due to the lack of a basement.

- Washroom with enough space to squeeze two (Should a child need my assistance)

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Good luck with this one.

-Tub (preferred) or a shower with a deep enough "lip" around bottom to bathe a toddler in.

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I have never seen a tub in a class C.

- thru/ basement storage

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Class Cs generally have no basement. A few small storage bays at the most.

You really need to look for a class A at least 38 feet. Any thing smaller will just be way too small for a group that large.

Dear Yasha.violet:

>>Maybe just to clarify, freezing cold here is more like - 40 celcius.<<

Just where in Canada do you live?  Freezing cold in Canada is 0 degrees Celcius, not -40 as you say.  I realize you are " guilding the lily" a little bit (actually a 'lot a' bit').  I've lived in Canada all my life and I know from personal experience and just common knowledge most Canadians abide with, that there are very few places in Canada that ever reach -40 deg. C. in winter and for those that do, it would not be for more that a couple of days a year. 
That aside, what you looking for and trying to achieve is not likely attainable.

I any case, good luck. Sorry for the negative view, but it would be better to be realistic in making your plans. 
Gord

Um, well it is nice to "meet" you all.  Thank you for responding... and with such blunt honesty. 

We are in Edmonton area... very cold is normal, and we have a 7 month old and 2 year old. 

We are very 'earthy' and minimalist.

We are coming there for 6 months, in hopes of an extension due to 'religious work', or God giving my Husband a job there.  We may head back north, or further south- we know God will make things a little clearer in time.

We are still sorting the medical out- my Husband is in law enforcement and is taking parental leave... what do you Canadians do for coverage?

looking into diesels too now...

we are planning to go see this:http://www.westernrvcountry.com/inventory/272002/Used-1999--Bounder-36-S.aspx

has 9 seat belts, winter package/double pane windows... your thoughts?

yasha.violet said:

http://www.westernrvcountry.com/inventory/272002/Used-1999--Bounder-36-S.aspx

has 9 seat belts, winter package/double pane windows... your thoughts?

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That is a much better rig than any class C you could find. It does have a washer/dryer so I should warn you not to get too excited about the w/d. An RV w/d is a pretty wimpy item. It doesn't wash a lot at one time and takes a long time to do a load. Odds are you would have to run the w/d 24/7 to keep up with 6 people. Other than that it is a great looking rig. I should also mention I am a single guy living with three cats in a 32 footer and it is small for me. I would really like to have a 35 footer.

Much better choice but buying from a dealer may not be your best bet.  They are asking $32,900 and the NADA low book is $21,000.  You would get a price nearer that on Craig's List if you did enough shopping.  Either way, it would be a good idea to have it checked over to see what you are getting. 

We are still sorting the medical out- my Husband is in law enforcement and is taking parental leave... what do you Canadians do for coverage?

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We buy travel insurance!!! The company I deal with is Medipac and they can be found here on line:

https://www.medipac.com/medipac-travel-insurance/brochure/insurance.

It is NOT cheap for the period of time you are planning on but... You can get a quick quote on line to give you an idea. There are many companies out there selling  insurance, but remember the type of insurance you get through your credit card likely won't cut it. They all work in conjunction with your Medicare (Alberta) coverage, one other reason you cannot go for longer periods.  Your Medicare coverage will be cut off if away more than 6 months, but some provinces may have different rules for the length of time permitted in that regard.

Hi there, is there a Canadian version of NADA for rvs?  It  asks me for my zip code.... I wonder what 21000 equates to in Canadian terms, RVs appear to be cheaper there. The dealership has it on 'sale' for 29500  (or something very close to that).  My Husband and I were considering asking for well insulated skirting and seeing if we could get it for 27000,'on the road' (no fees/taxes)... maybe we should offer less?  I hate dealerships, and this one has a few bad reviews online that make us weary.

WHY is travel insurance so expensive!  ah!

Dealership's expect to make a lot of money when they sell and need to cover loads of expenses that private sellers do not have.  That's part of why a CL sale can save money.  Plus, dealerships NEVER get in trouble with a unit and have to take less than it's worth to get rid of it.  Private sellers often do.  Like the owner dies and widow has to move on and quit making payments or get it out of expensive storage. 

There may be a Canadian counterpart of CL you could find or just use it as a reference.  I have found that prices vary quite a bit in the US with CL offers. 

$21,000 'in Canadian Terms' (we call them dollars) is oh, about, $21,000 dollars!  A couple of months ago, it would have equated to about $21,100 dollars, since the Canadian dollar was higher at that time.  Right now the normal fluctuation in the value of US and Cdn dollar is only a cent or two.
Sorry, but I'm sure you will find that Motohomes are not cheaper in Canada than in the US.  Most things are more expensive here and the cost-of-living is higher generally.  Taxes are higher on property, but then wages are also higher on average.
Edmonton eh!  Well, good luck on finding a Motorhome that won't freeze up in the winter...heated basement or not.  You would have to skirt it with plenty of insulation and also use supplementary heating under the coach to make it liveable. 
If your husband is going to be looking for employment in law enforcement, you will have to become Canadian citizens(if you are not already) as no police force I know of will hire him if he is not. 
By the way, you appear to have access to a computer.  Why not do some research on the Edmonton area.  I think you will find that the mean temperature between November and March in somewhere in the region of 5 and -5 deg. C.  Yes, it gets to -15 deg. C quite often, but it also sits at 3 to 5 deg. C a lot of that time.

I have never been asked for a zip code on NADA but... YMMV.  Here is the page that is being referred to (if I did not screw up my selections!!):

http://www.nadaguides.com/RVs/1999/Bounder/M-36S-FORD/3003278/Values

There is no NADA page or site for Canada that I am aware of  but to find the equivalent in Canadian dollars, the dollar conversion is about 1.03 today. Canadian dealer prices are bound to be higher  as are most prices when compared to USA. One does NOT add any options in looking up used listings on NADA (except for mileage on gas powered models). I am not sure I would add all the additional value for mileage as they do on a vehicle that old. But that's just me!!

Craig's List exists everywhere even for Edmonton, but be aware you may have to expand your search quite a bit to find what you are looking for. I suspect that Edmonton may not be a very large market place for RV's. Take nothing at face value and be prepared pay and  have anything you do find checked out by an inspector of YOUR choosing if you don't feel competent to do it yourself.

You can also check out PPL in Texas where they have lists of prices for recently sold RV's just to get into the ballpark on current US pricing:

http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/sold/class-a-motor-homes.htm

WHY is travel insurance so expensive!  ah!

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Have you never seen the prices for medical care in the USA where "socialized medicine" does not exist??? We are spoiled rotten here even though we complain about wait times etc. My insurance company was billed 21000$ for a 5 hour emergency room visit several years ago. Don't know what they actually paid out of pocket though!!!

Thanks for the advice. 

The exchange rate is pretty much the same but the cost of things is different. From what we have seen, quite significant. ei.  what you pay $3 for costs us $4.50  I am anticipating paying more here for a motor home that what it would cost there.

The weather DOES get extremely cold here, averages are fine but, a week of crazy cold weather is what we want to prepare for.  We are looking back at purchasing a triple e, and older higher end diesels.  Your right, a good winter package and alot of extra insulation are not only costly but rare... and finding one that is designed to seat a large family is even trickier.

My Husband IS in Law Enforcement (though with these strikes that could be a very temporal statement), and is ex-Military.

Your right.  I have seen someone with a US medical bill of $300,000 for something that is commonly free here.  Medipac wanted $500 per person.  Alberta blue cross will cover our whole family for $778 for the same amount of time.

We looked at the fleetwood... what a waste of time. ew. and what liars. We saw another unit from a broker, same thing, except he had the audacity to start swearing at my husband for being 'too picky' (um, your vehicle is rotting and falling apart...).  BUT we had a nice trip and came across a couple of reputable dealerships.

What is a CL sale? craigslist?  We thought that kijiji would be the best place to shop for that reason too, but like the accountability programs/laws dealerships have to sell you a working unit (is that a Canadian thing or are we just naive?).

I have heard that about RV washer/dryers But I think maybe in this case something may be better than nothing.  I think we will end up stopping to do the bulk of our laundry but, when your toddler pees the bed or you just need something in a pinch, or that is just all that is available (dry camping/boondocking), it may be worth having anyway.

Alberta blue cross will cover our whole family for $778 for the same amount of time.

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Good Price but... Be very sure you are comparing apples with apples here. I had to get Blue Cross coverage while working in USA but in order to get the best rates, I was required to return to Canada for at least one day a month (which I did anyway due to the nature of my job). Otherwise it was very expensive and at that time I did not know of the Medipac plan which covers much longer periods of absence without the necessity of returning periodically. There are other plans/companies as well but many are based on absences of less than 30 days or the plan is 30 days to which you have to add 'extensions'. Your husbands employee benefits may be able to kick in too .

I realize that Medipac is not cheap, it costs me about 800$ for 145 days each year, including any number of 25 day trips, the higher cost is partly because of "age differences". My retiree benefits do not help at all as I  have a lifetime maximum which would be eaten up completely with one short hospital stay south of the border.

Yes CL = Craigs List, Kijiji is also popular but, depending what is used around where you wish to shop.... Either might work well for you. But...watch out for scams that appear regularly on both of those lists.

You are right about paying considerably higher prices here. You might consider purchasing your RV south of the border when you go and then bringing it back (importing it) on your return. From many reports it is not difficult to do, bearing in mind that any vehicle will require a Federal inspection, be charged GST  and then a Provincial one when you register it and pay your provinces PST. This method can have its own drawbacks though.  If you choose to try this, make sure any vehicle you select can meet Canadian standards beforehand, for example: has Daytime Running Lights or can be cheaply retrofitted, no outstanding recalls... etc. Triple E RV's were built outside of Winnipeg, and to Canadian standards thus would be a good choice.  This web site has lots of info on that subject. (Just an FYI)  http://www.riv.ca/importingavehicle.aspx

Decisions, decisions.....  

Your experience with a dishonest dealer is not rare.  But the problem was with the salesman, not Fleetwood.  Don't give up on them because one of their dealers is a liar.  They do make some good stuff, for the money.

In the US, the best price on medical care is if you can join an organizations (like a trade organization) and then get group insurance.  That is MUCH cheaper.  There might be a law enforcement group that you could join.  There is a lot of cheap coverage here but it is usually for very minimal coverage or with very high deductibles. Be aware.  One of the best here is United that works with AARP.  Not cheap but very good and very compete coverage.  I don't know if they would take you but you could see what they say about Canadians.  They might even have a counterpart in your country.