Hello, world!

[cphollis]

Back when I was a newbie programmer, that was the first program you wrote.  Something that could make "hello, world!" appear on your screen.

Fast forward many decades.

My wife and I are about two years out from doing multiple RV trips.  We love having our houses, but we also feel the need to get on the road and explore this amazing country we all live in.  Our default plan going in is to spend 5-6 days camping, and then check into a nice hotel for a day or two.  Maybe 3-4 weeks at a time.

Right now, the debate is between some of the upscale B+ homes (Coach House comes to mind) and some of the smaller gas-powered A class homes.  We don't want a toad.  We want to be able to navigate wherever we need to go (including Starbucks drive-thrus) without drama.  Again, this is a needed distraction for us at present.  We both like the stationary lifestyle, but feel the need to go exploring.

I was totally in love with the new Airstream Atlas until I read a few real-world reviews.  My impression?  They have some work to do.  Quality and a hassle-free experience is what we both want.  We won't know what "enough" space might be until we start visiting dealers, etc.  That, and I'm a performing keyboard dude, so I have to figure out what sort of gear will fit into a smaller space.

Any suggestions for soon-to-be newbies?

BTW, these forums are *GREAT*

 

[Tom]

Welcome to The RV Forum. Sounds like you have some exciting times ahead.

I'm not sure I'd want to negotiate any kind of drive-through with either a B+ or a small Class A motorhome. But, I'm not the driver of our coach.

 

[jackiemac]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

You may find that once you have your motorhome you don't want to stay in a hotel.  We prefer being in our own space.  However, I guess if you get one smaller then I can see the appeal of a hotel.

Drive-thru's are all different, some you can drive a bus through and others are difficult to navigate in a car.  I suggest you just get the RV that suits you best for how you plan to live in it.  You can normally park close to a Starbucks with no hassle and just walk in and walk back to your rig.  That is what we do and don't have any issues.

You will figure it out I am sure.

Our Library and Resources sections in the links above have checklists for new and used rigs that will help ensure you don't get a damaged one.

Good luck!

 

[ArdraF]

Welcome to the RV Forum.  Thank you for explaining the origin of "Hello, world!"  One of my husband's fraternity brothers has always used that phrase and we've never known why.  Now we do!  He was an early programmer in Detroit at Chrysler's Arsenal Tank Plant.  That would be about six-plus decades ago.  My how time flies when you're having fun.

Now to your topic.  Like you, we prefer having a stick and brick home to which we return.  We travel for varying amounts of time, from a few weeks to a few months at a time.  One year we were gone about seven months split into two or three trips.  Jackie had it right.  Being able to drive through a Starbucks sounds good, but there are other things 'way more important and they relate to comfort and livability.

Over many years we've worked our way up through a C 18', C 22', C 30', A 34 DP' and our current A 40' DP.  We've been lucky to always be able to take large chunks of time to travel, for example we've circumnavigated the U.S. a couple of times, went from California to  Newfoundland twice, etc.  Notice that we've increased the size of our motorhome with each upgrade.  We've loved every one of them and put many thousands of miles on each one, but each new one has been a little more comfortable than the others.  Yes, we like to have our satellite TV, our computers, and enough clothes for changes of seasons.  Oh, yes, and we couldn't live without all those tools down in the basement compartment! :  When it's raining we have enough room to stay inside comfortably and the shower is large enough to hang wet clothes.  Pets also have needs and "stuff" to carry if you have them.  We always say, Floor plan, floor plan, floor plan.  The RV has to suit your living needs because you spend more time in it than driving it.

As to hotels.  Ugh!  Every time we travel without the motorhome we really dislike the packing/unpacking, sleeping in "other peoples'" beds, hunting for restaurants, no satellite TV with familiar channels, and all the other things it entails.  With the motorhome we have everything we need, so why would we want to cause ourselves all that extra hassle for something that seldom is as nice in meeting our needs?  Yes, we can stay at a very nice Sofitel and enjoy it, but it still isn't as convenient as the motorhome.  Even the driving isn't as convenient.  With a car you need to find a rest area or somewhere for pit stops.  We can stop anywhere the road is wide enough when necessary.  We have our own food so we don't need to look for restaurants that may or may not have lousy food.  Even when visiting family and friends we prefer the motorhome.  My mother always wanted us to stay in her apartment and we never had what we needed so made dozens of trips up and down to her fifth floor apartment.  Then we had to pack it all up to take it down when leaving.  Staying in the motorhome is almost always nicer than the alternative.  When you're out looking at RVs try to envision how you'll actually live in it in a realistic way.  Be sure to include the worst scenarios too, such as breaking down alongside a highway or having to "hole up" for several days because of bad weather.  That smaller agile Class B might not be so comfortable under such circumstances.

This has been lengthy but you need to take your time when shopping for RVs.  Make lists of "Must Have" items, would be "Nice to Have" items, really "Do Not Want" items, and everything else will be in the middle.  You may even decide that something you thought necessary really isn't so maybe it gets moved to another list.  Have fun planning!  And don't hesitate to ask questions when needed.

ArdraF

 

[UTTransplant]

Wave from another old time software person. I did mostly embedded software. Still remember the kick it was to display ?Hello world? on an oscilloscope using assembly language. I will also concur with others that you may decide to never voluntarily stay in a hotel again.

 

[Pugapooh]

Why stay in a hotel when one has an RV?  It has always puzzled me to see RVs in motel/hotel parking lots.  I suppose it can save some time with hook-ups and unhooking if you were running behind your scheduled stop for the night.

What will you spend most of your time actually doing?  Driving?  Sleeping?  Using the shower and toilet?  You want something that will be comfortable doing those things.  So don't underestimate how big of a bed you need.  Or toilet room.  Or shower.  And storage.  A certain amount is all ready spoken for,what with sewer equipment,fresh water hose,cable,leveler blocks.  Kitchen needs and food storage. 

My suggestion would be a gently used model so you can figure out what you really need without the huge outlay.