How do we know what options are important in a class a.

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Welcome to the Forum!

Buying new and being new is going to be a big hill to climb. I hope you will take advantage of some of the library and search functions available here and arm yourself with  the proper information. It will make your decision much more informed and possibly keep you from making some expensive mistakes.

Do your homework and ask questions - there's a wealth of experience here to draw on.

Enjoy your retirement and this journey!
 
The best way to find out which options you want is to buy an inexpensive RV (around $20k) first before plunking down a lot of hard cash for a new RV. Use the inexpensive one for a year or so and then you will have much better idea of what you want in an RV. Then you can trade up without losing a lot of money. RVs depreciate like a rock, so if you buy a new one first and then go to trade it in a year later you will loose a ton of money.

Everyone here will have their own opinions of "can't live without" options. Their opinion is basically worthless. You need to find out for yourself exactly what options you wish. For example when I shop for an RV I want it to have as few options as possible. I don't like options, they cost too much money, add to the complexity of the vehicle, they need to be serviced and repaired. In my opinion the more options you have the more money an RV costs you and the cost goes up exponentially. My current class A does not have slides, jacks, a satellite dish, built in vacuum cleaner, electric steps, back up cameras and electric mirrors. Those are all nice options and many RVers would never live without them. However for me I enjoy not having all those extras. They are not necessary.
 
I agree with Seilerbird - get some experience as inexpensively as is practical and then decide what is right for YOU. You can then upgrade without much financial loss.

The other way to go about it is to start at the top, i.e. buy a mid-upper end model that has the most wanted features as standard equipment. Again, I would recommend buying used rather than new.

Buying an RV is more like buying a house than a vehicle. Age is less important than condition, and floor plan (space, accessibility, storage, bathrooms, etc) is more important than most mechanical things.
 
We rented before buying a used RV, and learned a lot, but not really enough, in a one-week rental. If you can rent several times, that might be more help. Or, buy the older RV as suggested above and dive in!

Would those be Shetland Sheepdogs?
 
The kind of rv you buy, and the options/amenities you want or need depends, IMO, on what you intend to do with it. Our motorhome is our home for 6 months or so per year. As such, I want the same amenities in it that I want in the winter stick and brick. Things like satellite tv, a large bed, full size shower, decent kitchen, workspace for DW, and room enough for us and the dog are important. If you are a weekender who plans to spend most of your time in "wilderness", things like a full bathroom, HD tv, and sound systems  may not be as important. While I would not rush into any purchase, I would hesitate to buy too cheap the first time. An older, worn out rv may require so many repairs that you will become discouraged with the hobby/lifestyle. Good luck with your new adventure.
 
No, we have 2 old English sheepdogs - don't know how they will like this new lifestyle of rv'Ing.
 
Sheepdogs said:
No, we have 2 old English sheepdogs - don't know how they will like this new lifestyle of rv'Ing.
I lived in a 26 foot class C for a year with an Old English Sheepdog. It was a bit small but he was a great alarm system. His registered name was Teiler Seiler. The original SeilerDog.
 
First, welcome to the RV Forum and the RVing lifestyle.  You're in for quite an adventure than can be addictive.

How do we know what options are important in a class a

The short answer is - you don't know until you've been in one for a while.  As the others have said, it's just like a house and there are some you like and some you don't like.  It's a very personal decision.  When we're in the motorhome for several months we want our comfortable bed, big shower, big waste tanks, satellite TV, laptops, propane oven, big refrigerator, and slideouts.  It's just like buying a vacation home, only this one is on wheels.  If you like to golf, for example, you'll want big enough basement storage for golf clubs.  If you have hobbies that you'll want to do even when traveling then you'll need room to accommodate that "stuff" for that hobby.  If someone loves to cook then you need an adequate galley with enough room for both food and utensils.  Think about what you and anyone traveling with you likes to do and you'll start to get some ideas of what options you need.

In any case, you need to take you time, visit RV shows, and learn as much as you can about RVs BEFORE purchasing one.  Now is the time to ask your questions, not after buying.

ArdraF
 
Hello Sheepdogs...  :)

I am 58 y.o. and 1st time RV'er having just purchased a 2012 Winnebago 'Vista' 27 footer.  We hit the road and all I can call it is, "luxury camping."

What helped my wife & I was while we were waiting for the financing to get approved I took ALL the owners manuals home with me and became familiar with the basic operation of the m/h... the 30 amp electrical hookup, water fills, slideouts, leveling jacks etc...  That helped us out a great deal so when I had a question in reference to an issue after I pulled into our RV site I knew exactly where to look in the manuals for the answer/solution.

... and let me tell you, with all the manuals that Winnebago provides, I thought I was studying for the Nevada Bar Exam...

Another 'Huge' help to us was going to YouTube and search [for example] RV black/grey water dumping.  After seeing a few videos there was nothing to it...  Many other RV subjects on YouTube are available.  An awesome source of information.

I hope this was helpful, Sheepdogs.  Our 'Navigator' on the road is a Westie named, 'Fergus.'

'Baghdad Bill'   
 
We would have to get down to individual cases to give any substantive advice. Most new motorhomes come pretty well equipped.

On lower priced models, the "standard" equipment is often 30A shore power and a 6 gallon water heater. I would heartily recommend 50A shore power if available, and a 10 gallon water heater too. Lack of adequate power and hot water are probably two of the most common complaints we hear.  If you will camp without shore power very often, larger or extra batteries is another good feature, but that's not important if you will mostly use campsites with electric.

A fiberglass or TPO roof is less trouble than EPDM rubber. You probably won't have a choice of roof material on a given model, but you might want to select a brand/model that has one of those two types of roof.
 

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