New to fulltiming, need recommendations :)

Hey all. Sincerest apologies if you've seen this before; I've been posting on the RV forums that I've been reading for months.
I've been lurking on RV forums in the community for a few months now, and finally I'm all finished with the stick-and-brick and ready to go. I have the cash, but not the vessel just yet.

I'm about to start touring again (full time) in an RV with my traveling art gallery. It'll include me, a 48lb American Staffordshire Terrier, and my small bike. The art gallery is self-contained with free-standing walls that are about 3' wide and 6' tall, stack-able and flat. The materials within the art gallery are primarily stack-able. The budget I'd like to stick around is about $16k for either an MH, or a 5er with truck. I'll be staying warm (I wasn't build for cold), and traveling slowly based on what shows I book. The goal is to NOT spend thousands in gas getting from one show to the next, as in doing shows to make my path across the country. Maybe town to town on a daily basis. So I'll be traveling more than the average fulltimer, but in small spurts. So in everyone's different opinions, what are some things I should look for? Which rigs fit my lifestyle? I'm a single female that isn't mechanically inclined, but being young I don't need the height of luxury (not retiring just yet!). Also, the interior isn't really an issue as I plan to change it anyway. I'm more concerned with my appliances working.

ANY help would be extremely appreciated. Hopefully you guys can help me get my start out here.

B

Sorry to tell you, but your budget is just a bit short for anything but really old stuff.
Heck, you wont even be able to get a decent truck for that price.  If you want decent then start thinking in the range of 50K for something you could live in full time comfortably and still have room for your your art stuff.

If you can come up about $10,000 more, you would see many 15 year old diesel pushers.  A diesel engine made to run in a truck for 500,000 miles, and used about 75,000 in a motor home, would have plenty of life left.  More than you would ever use it.  You probably cannot wear out a diesel engine if it is maintained properly.  That would buy you a 35' to 40' high class unit with no slides.  Plenty of room for what you need and make sure that at least one of the storage bins is 3' wide.

That's the only way I can think that you could come close with your budget.  And you would need to have the prospective rig checked out by a mechanic to make sure it is what you think it is.  Figure $200 to $400 for that.