New Kid On The Block

[antediluviancaper]

Hello New Friends, 
I'm new to the forum and new to RVing as well.  I'm afraid I am not presently equipped to bring much to the conversation, having nothing but a lot of questions about practically everything.  But I read a lot - especially enjoy reading of member's travel experiences, and I'm about ready for a few adventures of my own.

We're thinking we like the diesel pushers, probably something around 36', though I've not yet seen an interior lay-out that appeals to both my wife and me (Yeh, I know - that can be a challenge at times).  We'd like a real comfortable master bedroom - full bath - and a working kitchen with roomy dinette that could convert to a guest bed.  We do not believe we want a couch on board, nor a recliner.  We do not expect to be doing a lot of 'hosting' while on the road, and prefer not to drag excess baggage expressly for that purpose.  Then, it seems kind of impractical to have anything but a diesel genset on a diesel pusher, and we have not even begun to look into dragging another set of wheels along with us (motorcycle or small car).  I'm starting to think our ideas are pretty strange, since we've not seen much that approaches our dream machine.

But here's the real challenge, and one I'm hoping will quickly prompt sympathetic comments - I'm doing a bit of pushing already, coming up fast on 80 . . . but I'm fit (today) and being on the road touring North America has a lot of appeal, so we're going to do it - probably in a year or so.

My questions center mostly on the physical stuff - what's best, tandem axles or duallys (for those rainy night tire changes)? Do these big mobiles come with a real working repair manual that might give a guy a clue why something is humming or smoking? - why that dumb slide-out won't slide out? - how come the gray water pump won't pump? . . .That kind of stuff.

Yep - Got lots of questions - but got lots of time, too.

We're going to do this - and we'll appreciate all input.

Thanks,

 

[99WinAdventurer37G]

With the tires on a unit that big, very few of us if any do any tire changes.  Most probably prefer CoachNet to Good Sam Club, some have both.  They are Road Service clubs tailored to RV'ers.  They will come out and change that 150 pound tire for you.

You do want to check the tire dates to make sure they are under 7 years old.  You don't want to drive on a tire older than that, as they have a tendency to blow apart causing thousands of dollars in damage.

Enjoy the shopping process.  You will find many different floor plans out there to suit your needs.  Remember "haste makes waste."  Be sure you get what you want.  Usually if you "settle," you will later regret it.

Check the library on here for the checklists on buying an RV.  There is so much experience on here, you should find an answer for all your questions, so ask away.

Good Luck!

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Layout: You may want to plan on remodeling the interior to get the galley & lounge you like, since all standard floor plans have at least one sofa. And you probably will need a 40 or 43 footer to get a large bedroom & bath. They just don't have enough room in 36 ft to get everything you are asking for.

By the way, where will you sit if no couch or recliner?  The front seats do (usually) swivel around, but that doesn't work for a tv mounted in the overhead (if you care about that).

Tandem or dual axles: Not sure what you mean here. All motorhomes, even smaller ones, will have duallys on the drive axle. Larger ones will add a second "tag" axle to help carry the load.  And you probably can't change the tires yourself anyway on a diesel pusher - those huge, 22.5" tires weight 150-200 lbs each and require around 400 lb-ft of torque to budge the lug nuts. Most DPs don't even have a spare tire.  You call a road service (we like Coach-Net) and they come out to change your tire, bringing a new one if that's what you need. Expensive to buy a tire that way, but it doesn't happen often enough to worry about if you maintain the tires.