12 month road trip

As a complete newbie to rv'ing, I seek advice on the dream my wife and I have of a 12 month road trip around this great country. We would plan on renting out our home in AZ for a year, and ride off into the sunset. We do not yet own either an rv or a truck, just a Subaru Outback. The big question is what to buy. For 12 months full time, I am guessing size does matter. Living in a pop up camper probably won't cut it. It seems that it boils down to a used class A or a fifth wheel and a tow vehicle. The plan would be to sell both at the end of the 12 months. Any thoughts or advice would be most appreciated.

Welcome to the Forum!!

Thanks so much for coming here before your purchase!!!

First, this is YOUR decision, not ours.  We are simply advisors.

Second, the absolutely most important feature is FLOOR PLAN,  FLOOR PLAN,  FLOOR PLAN!!  If you do not both love the floor plan, you will never like the RV.

Third, unless you are independently wealthy, buy used.  There are many gently used MH and FW out there that will serve you well.  When you sell them a year from now, the "cost of ownership" will be much less, compared to new.  If you go for the FW, 1 ton diesel trucks depreciate very little in just one year.

There are several recent threads which should be of interest to you on this topic.

Thanks for the comments which are greatly appreciated. Fortunately, Tucson has an RV show this weekend, so that might be a good place to get a feel for floor plans.

RV shows are terrific places to start the search so that you can see all of the various types all in one place. A great piece of advice that Ardra wrote about was to sit in the ones you like the best and picture yourself using it. Also listen to what others walking through are commenting about. They may mention something that you didn't notice or even consider.

When we first started with the idea of buying an RV, but before we even looked at any, we were convinced we wanted a Class  C no more than 25'. As soon as we went to a show and actually walked through a couple, we knew they just wouldn't work for what we wanted to do. We immediately started looking at Class A's. Then we thought gas would be best, but again after determining how we want to use it, we  switched to diesel.  Once we had that decided then we concentrated on floor plans. We decided that we preferred the front entry versus the mid entry. This is just a personal decision much like booth or table for dining, dishwasher, stove or fireplace options. What we like isn't necessarily your choices. This is why you really need to take time, not rush, and see lots and lots of different styles. Once we found this model we were very positive we wanted it. But we wanted it on a good deal and price, so we waited and kept searching. Every coupke of months we would go to a show to see if there was something we liked better. But, no we never found anything better than our choice and we eventually were able to buy at a price and terms that we wanted.

Now that we own it, we couldn't be happier and we are still satisfied with our choices. But, I've got to admit that I do miss the searching. It was a lot of fun. So enjoy and happy hunting.

Thanks for your words. I sometimes also think that there is as much fun in planning a vacation as there is having the vacation. In our case, we will no doubt opt for something used since the plan, at least for now, is to sell after the 12 months. Se while we may drool at the show, the ideal one may not be easily found used. Will take our time, since this may not happen for a while.

You can find what you want - used - with patience and lots of internet time if you are willing to go a few hundred miles to get it.  Check out  RVTrader.com,    PPL.com,    E bay,      Craig's List,    Local  RV dealer web sites.........

Well the RV show was great. We got to check out all varieties of RV with no pesky salesperson tagging along. For what we want, which is to avoid towing anything, the Class A shorter lengths seems to be the best fit. A bigger class C might work too. At least we now know what we like in terms of layout, which is a step forward. Still can't see buying new though.

You may wish to rethink that towing decision. Towing is not difficult and full time in particular you really need a car/JEEP to handle every day chores and sightseeing. We tried it both way's and quickly figured out that even our 22 ft class A (first MH) was not sufficiently convenient when even going to the grocery store required disconnecting everything. And 4 down beats the alrernatives! ;D

Ernie

I agree with Ernie. I would reconsider the not towing. We have towed 4 down for 20 years and most of the time I am not aware that the car is behind the MH.

Frank

Our Subaru Outback 3.6R is not towable, so we would be faced with buying a cheap toad, or renting a car in situ as needs arise. For our 12 month and then resell plan, we wonder if renting would be a viable option from a cost perspective?
Another question if I may: We are trying to establish a reasonable budget for the MH purchase, again with reselling a year later. Would it be be reasonable to find a decent gas class A around 30ft for under $40k? One that is not going to fall apart over our 12 month travels?

I m new here but my 2 cents is worth about that. I have been searching for either a class A or fw for about a year and a half and for 40 k you can get the best of the best either way you go. Enjoy you will get something nice for that kind of money.

Thanks. That is encouraging. I am not the handiest guy in the world, so would not like to have to make ongoing running repairs. Any manufacturers  better or worse than others?

Agree with Styles comments.  I would go no lower in price for a MH!

Is the Subaru FWD?  If so it should be towable on a tow dolly.  Dollies are not as convenient as towing 4 down, but for a year...

As for brands, when buying used, it is all about condition.  A used Ford Falcon in perfect condition will be better than a 4 year old Mercedes which has been driven into the ground without any maintenance.  There are several items in the Library about buying used and Pre Delivery Inspection checklists.  ANY water damage is a deal killer.  Check maintenance records if possible.  Does it appear gently used and loved?

Thanks. The Subie is AWD and unfortunately they no longer make them with a stick. There is no way to tow my beloved wagon and I think flat bedding on a trailer would be a bit overkill for a year.

You mentioned renting out your home for a year.

Have you ever had rental properties and or talked to an accountant about the ramifications of rental property?

Indeed I have owned rental properties. Not a pleasant experience. I would prefer not to rent out my home while we scratch the RV itch. What we may net out of doing so may not be worth the hassle, so I am beginning to think we will not.

We budget, and we have an annual travel budget where we generally take a longish overseas trip. I think we can do the 12 months of RVing for about the same. Depreciation on the rig, gas, camp/rv parks will be the most of it, with a contingent sum for the unforeseen. No airfares, hotels, cruises and eating out.

kenlawdavis said:

Indeed I have owned rental properties. Not a pleasant experience. I would prefer not to rent out my home while we scratch the RV itch. What we may net out of doing so may not be worth the hassle, so I am beginning to think we will not.

We budget, and we have an annual travel budget where we generally take a longish overseas trip. I think we can do the 12 months of RVing for about the same. Depreciation on the rig, gas, camp/rv parks will be the most of it, with a contingent sum for the unforeseen. No airfares, hotels, cruises and eating out.

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We've had to cut short two trips and head home due to tenants moving out with no notice. Not to mention every thing in the rental breaks while we are gone. Now we hate to answer the phone while on a trip!!!

If you do NOT rent the house, you may consider making this a 2 year plan with several 3 - 4 month segments.  Who knows?  You may like it and keep the RV!

Ha, that thought has crossed my mind.