Savageman18
New member
I’m a few years away from retirement and my wife and I are hoping to start the RV life when that time comes. Looking forward to learning all I can.
Hello from Oklahoma!!
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Savageman18
New member
Long vacations. We love a good road trip and also camping locally at our area lakes. We are looking at relatively small bumper-pulls or even small motorhomes.
Like Amazon reviews, look for the bad ones and using walking around sense heed them. For example, the overwhelming consensus is avoid Camping World unless you’re buying toilet paper and otherwise be extremely cautious in choosing a dealer. There are exceptions but most have the scruples of a TV preacher. If buying used you’ll likely come out better in a private transaction than with a dealer and if you don’t know what to look for in as far of soundness hire a professional inspector who does and follow him around during the process.
Sounds great. Sounds like camping is not new for you. What type, tent camping or other? We have a small travel trailer, 21', for us, it would get too close indoors for extended trips. If we were to do as you, a small motorhome (class A) would be my thoughts for various reasons.
Have you checked out the lakes between Chickasha and Duncan? They are small but some are real jewels. I lived in OK many years and never knew about them. Lake Taylor at Rush Springs is spring fed so the water is cool and the fishing is excellent. Ozarka used to fill their water trucks from the spring in the Rush Springs city park but I think they've moved to Texas. I haven't been there in years but is on my list to get back to. The campgrounds were well maintained back then. I liked it so much I bought a 2 story lake cabin there but had to sell it when I moved to MS.
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Savageman18
New member
They sound amazing. I live in Broken Bow so I’ve mainly camped in SE OK or SW Arkansas.
Savageman18
New member
My in-laws have had fifth wheels and bumper pulls for forever. So I’m relatively comfortable with camping and all this it entails. I think I would like the flexibility and freedom of a small motorhome. Easy setup. Somewhere for passengers to sleep while driving. If we want to stay in a hotel one night, easy parking.
Adventurous Traveler
Well-known member
Welcome to the Forum.
IMHO, make a decision and purchase a unit before you retire so you can get some experience with it before you retire. This will allow you to get a handle on any repair or maintenance items that you may have to address before hitting the road.
Going from a bumper pull to a small class A leaves much room for interpretation of "what?" will suit your needs. Most pop-ups and smaller pull-behinds do not lend themselves to taking extended type trips in terms of weeks.
On the other hand, having a small class A without towing some kind of vehicle behind it can leave you stranded at the campground, with your only option to see the surrounding sights being Uber/Lyft, car rental, or unhooking your rig driving it around.
As was suggested, buying from a private seller should give you an RV with a more honest appraisal of its condition. This way you can judge by where it was parked, get an idea of the owner's care and upkeep, ask for maintenance and service records, and more. Dealers may BS you with all of that.
Do your research on price. Whether at a dealer or private, the price of a used RV will be highly inflated. Dealers are nuts with what they want for used rigs, and private owners tend to have an emotional attachment to their "baby" that they'll think adds thousands of $$$ to the price. You also want to be sure the title is clear, dealer or private, before signing on the dotted line.
Good luck with your search, this Forum is loaded with experts to help you on your journey.
IMHO, make a decision and purchase a unit before you retire so you can get some experience with it before you retire. This will allow you to get a handle on any repair or maintenance items that you may have to address before hitting the road.
Going from a bumper pull to a small class A leaves much room for interpretation of "what?" will suit your needs. Most pop-ups and smaller pull-behinds do not lend themselves to taking extended type trips in terms of weeks.
On the other hand, having a small class A without towing some kind of vehicle behind it can leave you stranded at the campground, with your only option to see the surrounding sights being Uber/Lyft, car rental, or unhooking your rig driving it around.
As was suggested, buying from a private seller should give you an RV with a more honest appraisal of its condition. This way you can judge by where it was parked, get an idea of the owner's care and upkeep, ask for maintenance and service records, and more. Dealers may BS you with all of that.
Do your research on price. Whether at a dealer or private, the price of a used RV will be highly inflated. Dealers are nuts with what they want for used rigs, and private owners tend to have an emotional attachment to their "baby" that they'll think adds thousands of $$$ to the price. You also want to be sure the title is clear, dealer or private, before signing on the dotted line.
Good luck with your search, this Forum is loaded with experts to help you on your journey.
Keep in mind a 24' Class C is the same width and length as a dually pickup, fits in the same parking spaces, and is just as maneuverable. Which eliminates having to tow a car behind you. And better gas mileage than a heavier RV. And cheaper tires and chassis parts. Plus any mechanic in any small town can work on one, with drivetrain parts available at any auto supply store if you choose a Chevy or Ford.
Adventurous Traveler
Well-known member
So true.
The only hassle would be hooking up and then un-hooking every time you would want to do some sightseeing. And, you would still be in tight quarters for extended trips.
