I want to learn the ropes.

[gw]

Hello To All:
I am 52 years old and my wife is 50.  I am a teacher and love to travel.  My wife and I have done quite a bit of wilderness canoeing with tent camping often going out for 2 to 3 weeks at a time.  I currently ride a bicycle to maintain fitness while my wife walks.  We have an 8 year old son going into the 3rd grade.  My wife and I are contemplating the purchase of something that will allow us to travel across the country and see the sights in a little bit more comfort than sleeping in a tent, even with a therm-a-rest.  I am open to all ideas and would like to hear as many pros and cons of all the options out there.  If this introduction is too short and you need more information, let me know.  But, please be warned ? I ask lots of questions.

gw

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Welcome aboard, gw. Feel free to ask all sorts of questions - this is a VERY friendly group and there is a wealth of RVing experience here.

May I suggest that you start by thinking about your wants and needs and making a check list for yourselves to evaluate types and brands of RVs.  For example, you mentioned biking, so the means to carry your bicyle(s) is probably an important "need".    There are a zillion such things and it is difficult to remember them all when you see a rig that puts that "RV lust" in your eye, so a list helps.

Then there are the lifestyle questions: Will you be spending a lot of time in this RV?  Months rather than weeks? Maybe even full time living?  Do you have any objections to "riding in a truck"?  How will you travel around once you reach a destination?  How long do you typically stay in one place?  Do you like to travel to wilderness areas or is "all the comforts of home" more your style? 

And finally, the Budget!

 

[gw]

Thanks for your early reply, RV Roamer.  Your questions are excellent! And your idea of the list is great.  The plan, at this time, is to travel around the country for months at a time to begin, then when I retire in 8 to 12 years, even more traveling.  In terms of staying in one place, I picture my wife and I going to a place, like Mammoth Caves in Kentucky, staying there for 4 or 5 days and moving on to another destination, like the Smoky Mountains, and staying there for a few days, and moving on.  Our intention is to use the RV for sleeping COMFORTABLY on a good mattress! and cooking many meals.  Also, it will be used as a sort of base camp to do smaller excursions from.  To answer your question regarding comfort level, my wife and I have both noticed that we are really beginning to appreciate small comforts, i.e. good mattress, but other things like nice chairs instead of camping stools, refrigerators instead of coolers, and 3 burner stoves instead of a wisper-lite back packing stove.  Also, I have no problem with driving a pick-up truck.

gw

 

[Steve CDN]

Welcome, GW..glad you've joined the RV Forum!    One thing about maturing in age, is that we tend to appreciate more comforts than we did when we first began tent camping!  {smile}

Your plan to research the type of equipment for your lifestyle is sensible, because the more information you gather now when you're not under pressure, the better equpped you will be whne the time comes for a buying decision.

Ask away...questions are our thing!!

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

With relatively short stays like you plan, I would recommend a motorhome versus a trailer. A motorhome is a bit simpler to park and set-up or take down and thus are a bit handier for frequent moves.  That means you will want to tow a car, though.  But I do not want to make you think that parking a setting up a trailer is difficult either. We have owned both types of Rvs and have been happy with both. As an initial guess, I would think a small Class A would be a good starting point. Something in the 28-32 foot range.

You should probably be thinking of buying a used rig and then replacing it later as you better understand your wants and needs.  Your recreational lifestyle is going to undergo a major change and you probably won't anticipate your desires right the first time. There are many fine used rigs available and buying used avoids the very large first year depreciation on an RV.

Since you mentioned sleep comfort, I should advise you that Rv mattresses are typically not the best and you may want to anticipate replacing whatever mattress comes with the unit.  That means a standard mattress size will be a plus (versus the custom sizes found in many rigs).  However, many people find they can fix up the standard mattress by adding a good, high density foam overlay.