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madisonandjaron

New member
Joined
Sep 24, 2021
Posts
1
Location
Raleigh, NC
Hello all! My name is Madison and my husband and I are planning a 6-month trip starting in March of next year. We are just now starting to look for a class C or B camper to live in. I would love any feedback about reliable/durable camper models/years/styles for this trip. Where are some good places to start looking and researching? We are looking at a few on RV trader and Facebook Marketplace as of now. Thanks everyone!
 
Hi and welcome to the forum. Good to have you join us.

Firstly check out what layout will suit you, to get an idea check out several at this website:


Secondly make sure you either hire an independent RV inspector or are up to speed with how to do an inspection, in particular to look for leaks and soft spots in the roof, floor and walls. There are several documents you can download in our Resources section.

Thirdly, be careful of how you pay for your RV and ensure you are not scammed.

Fourthly, there's no such thing as a stupid question, so please ask anything else you need to.

Happy shopping.
 
And also make sure everything works. For example, don't let someone convince you that the stove or hot water heater works but you can't test it because the propane tank is empty! Insist that they put propane in it so you can make sure everything that uses propane is actually working.

In other words, don't take anyone's word for anything.

Also, make you you and your husband try out everything. Lay down on the bed and see how much your feet hang over. (A lot of RV queen-sized beds are not really fully queen-sized. Also, can each of you sit on the toilet without your knees bumping into something? Will the door close? Is the shower big each for each of you or does your head hit the ceiling???

And plan out where everyone will be able to sit comfortably to read, watch TV, or whatever. Don't assume that tiny is fine because you will spend most of your time outdoors becuase sometimes, no matter where you are, it will rain for three days in a row!
 
First off make sure to buy something big enough that you can live in it without killing each other. We have a 28 ft class A, in fact we are a week into a 2 week vacation in the coach as I type this, and while this size coach works well for us, after 3 weeks or so I think we both start getting a bit of cabin fever, and I doubt we would make it living in this limited amount of space for 6 month.

My second bit of advice is to have started shopping 6 months ago, but since you don't have a time machine, if you are going to do this, plan on buying sooner rather than later, this will give you time to shake out the bugs, to provision it for the trip, and to take a few shake down trips.

RV's are not like cars, don't expect everything to work when you buy it, regardless if it is new or used. There will be issues that you need to sort out, some of these will be relatively minor if you buy well in advance of your trip, or a real headache if you wait until the last minute and try to get them fixed on the road.

I don't know what it will be with your coach, maybe the side view mirror mount is loose and it shakes so much you can't see approaching trucks, maybe the furnace blower motor will short cycle or cut out when it gets warm, maybe the headlights will be stuck on low beam, or the cruise control will not work. Any one of these things could turn a pleasant trip into an unpleasant experience, and any one of these may be a simple fix if you knew about it in advance of the trip.
 
Isaac makes a good point. I think of it as the wet dog test. How long can you comfortably live in your RV with two wet dogs if it rains for three days in a row? And how will you and your spouse get along with those three days of rain and the two wet dogs? You don't want to go too big, but you will really get tired of each other if you go too small.
 
We do 6 months in a 28ft trailer and yes there are a few days when you can getnon each other's nerves but mostly it is great.
 
Bs and Cs are very small but even worse than that they have very little cargo carrying capacity (CCC). This means you will be able to carry hardly anything. Most Cs are on the verge of being overweight when they leave the factory. You would be much better off with at least a 32 foot class A. Most every nooby that posts here is looking for a very small RV because they want one easy to drive, easy to park and better gas mileage. Wrong on all three accounts. Class Cs are basically weekend warriors, not full timers. Get the right tool for the job.
 
Hello all! My name is Madison and my husband and I are planning a 6-month trip starting in March of next year. We are just now starting to look for a class C or B camper to live in. I would love any feedback about reliable/durable camper models/years/styles for this trip. Where are some good places to start looking and researching? We are looking at a few on RV trader and Facebook Marketplace as of now. Thanks everyone!
Welcome aboard!

You might find here that everyone has a strong opinion about what the "right" type of RV is for everyone else. We don't know you or your partner so I don't think we can tell what type of RV might suit you best.

We could start with what led you to decide a class B or C is right for you guys. Or what type of trip you are planning. Or what type of camping experience you have. Another question might be your expected budget for an RV. Those questions would inform us as to what type of RV might suit a 6 month trip.

In terms of searching, marketplace will likely yield a small number of RVs in your area, most likely private sale. RV Trader is national and can give you an idea of what "full price" asking is for various RVs.

Dealers in your area can be another source to look at RVs. Another idea is to do Craigslist searches in your areas as well as areas where there is a large number of RVs - Like Orlando FL or Miami FL - It may be worth a road trip to buy the "right" RV.

If you haven't spent any time in an RV, it may be really useful to rent an RV for a 4-5 day trip and see for yourself what RV living is like. That could really inform you about what you may want/need in an RV.
 
Hi Madison. Welcome to the forum from a neighbor in Apex.
 
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