Newbie advise please.....some fears and questions for y'all

[bzerull]

If you have never had an RV before, i would rent one before I buy. If you are not handy at all with tools are fixing things, owning an RV can get very expensive, with quality repairs hard to find.
Winter or not, I would make sure EVERYTHING in your rv works. If the dealer or party you are buying from cannot show you that everything works, move on to a different unit.

 

[Onyrlef]

Regardless, she at this point knows 0 to nothing about RV's and relying on the seller to verify the unit is in order is an invitation to problems ( the fox guarding the henhouse). Especially in light of the fact that the seller is not close to where she resides and her first year of ownership would likely involve multiple service issues. An NRVIA inspection before transferring a dime to the dealer would be on the first order. There are even NRVIA training programs for first time novice owners, she might consider.
I've always been mechanically inclined, do my own electrical, plumbing, building, welding, wood flooring, tile, etc. and maintaining my MH has been a challenge.
Being in Podunk Acres RV Park 50 miles from nowhere, USA with a slide that won't come in, a furnace that won't stay lit, a steel valve extension with a hole rubbed in it from contact with the rim ( trust me on this one), and the myriad of push and pray devices waiting to fail in an RV are not situations for the faint of heart.

 

[Kirk]

There are many questions that apply here that have not been answered. Do you intend to buy new, or used? If used you should have the RV you select inspected by a certified pre-purchase RV inspector that has no connection to the dealership that you are buying from or you will risk getting a financial disaster. Based on what you have told us, any repairs as well as the regular maintenance that all RVs require will have to be done by an RV service tech. You can expect that service to cost anywhere from $100/hour on up to $250 or more. There are many single ladies on the road in RVs but most of them also learn how to do at least the rudimentary maintenance and repairs. Probably the most skilled driver of a truck and fifth wheel that I have ever known is a woman. I have also known some women RVers who were as skilled at maintenance and repairs as any male. Being male does not make one more skilled at such things and I have seen more than one male RVer who relied on RV techs for everything.

Based on what you have told us; I think that you would be wise to start learning more about RVs and their maintenance before you buy one. If you work remotely, then you probably will be dependent upon access to internet, which is more equipment to buy and operate. That isn't especially difficult, but you will need to know the basics to get started. Only you can decide if you will be able to do the things needed or have the funds to pay someone to do them. Safety is not usually a major issue for RV life but feeling secure and comfortable are things that we can not give to you but they come from knowing how to deal with a problem if it should arise. I would consider road service to be a minimum requirement and a nearly new RV for reliability. Financial security will mean having the funds to pay for the things which you can not do and for any emergency on the road. Have you considered health care coverage? Will you have it available everywhere you travel? Have you considered mail service? There is much to consider if you wish to live in an RV and travel fulltime but it can be the very best lifestyle in existence, in my opinion.

 

[Isaac-1]

A bit more about the DIY vs $150 per hour shop rate, you don't have to do it all yourself, but even if you can only do the little things like replacing light bulbs, and tightening loose screws, it will go a long way towards saving money. My motorhome is now 23 years old (it was 14 when I bought it), and over the years that I have owned it probably 25% of the things that have broken I would consider extremely simple repairs things like replacing burned out bulb, checking/refilling fluids, adding air to tires. Another 25% fall into the moderately easy camp, though these may require some skills to either preform or diagnose these may require the use of a tool more advanced than a screw driver, but are still rather straight forward, for me this most often means something electrical that requires testing with a multi meter, and may involve replacing electrical parts or splicing wires, real life examples include replacing the headlight switch, power seat control switch, water heater electric heating element and thermostat switch, these are all jobs that take well less than an hour, often only 10-15 minutes, but can save you tons of money by doing them as DIY projects. That leaves the other 50% of things which you may want to take to a shop to get done, things like replacing the starter or alternator on an engine, replacing brake pads or rotors, ... which is where having some lifetime background doing similar repairs that you build on can be a big help before you consider tackling such repairs. I personally draw the line at engine or transmission internals, those I will take to a shop and pay that $150+ hour labor rate.

 

[DutchmenSport]

I'll take a different path for the Melissarv (the original poster). If you are traveling alone, there is at least one all Women's RV group you might want to touch base with. This is really a dynamic RV club .... ONLY for women. Check it out, reach out to them, make contact, listen to what they have to say. Enjoy their web-site, surf around and absolutely enjoy looking at their RV's in their photos.

Sisters on the Fly

Here's another one. I'm not as familiar with this one as I am with "Sisters", but it look interesting:

RVing Women

Here's an article from one of the many, many RV-Life articles:

All Women RV Groups - A look inside.

The best advise I can offer you is, don't be afraid. You can do this and do it with confidence! Believe in yourself and believe in your own strength.

 

[jackiemac]

I think she said she wouldn't be able to camp at the dealer because of winter weather, so wouldn't be able to hang out to see what might go wrong. Probably no water at the dealer's RV campsite. Maybe not even snow-plowed for access. That's much different than "can't inspect".

You're absolutely right. I misread that.

I'd be reluctant to buy something if I couldn't check it or get a big discount.

 

[Rene T]

FHU to me includes sewage.

Yes I forgot that. Thanks

 

[Rene T]

I'll take a different path for the Melissarv (the original poster). If you are traveling alone, there is at least one all Women's RV group you might want to touch base with. This is really a dynamic RV club .... ONLY for women. Check it out, reach out to them, make contact, listen to what they have to say. Enjoy their web-site, surf around and absolutely enjoy looking at their RV's in their photos.

Sisters on the Fly

Here's another one. I'm not as familiar with this one as I am with "Sisters", but it look interesting:

RVing Women

Here's an article from one of the many, many RV-Life articles:

All Women RV Groups - A look inside.

The best advise I can offer you is, don't be afraid. You can do this and do it with confidence! Believe in yourself and believe in your own strength.

She said in her 1st post that she has a teenage daughter.

 

[SeilerBird]

Fly down to Florida and I would be glad to take you to see RVs. We have a very good supply of used RVs.

 

[Isaac-1]

I would second the bit about flying to a warmer climate to buy, Florida and Texas both have an ample supply of RV's many of which have never been operated in places where they salt the roads. Also consider using an LLC to make the purchase and possibly register it in a low tax state, this will save you on the Canadian import issues if it is going to spend much of its time in the US.

 

[Melissarv]

Thanks Judy!

The used one I'm looking at is in Alberta and the laws there are that independent inspections have to be supplied and they are willing the warranty it for 4 years!

I'm just so torn as my decision is a new 2023 (they need to get rid of old stock) fully loaded all bells and whistles including a second bathroom and V8 new technology . Winnebago adventurer
Or
A 6 year old Newmar that's more basic but mint but a province away from me not local.

First, I am an 81-year-old single grandmother, and I have been full-time traveling alone for over 12 years. I do not camp in the desert or forest alone, but rather I stay in national, state, and county campgrounds. In 12 years, no one has ever bothered me. I felt slightly unsafe once as some men down the campground road had been drinking all day, but I left the next morning. But that is all that has happened to me.

However, you do have to expect things like blown or flat tires, or things inside the RV that stop working--like maybe your refrigerator will need to be repaired, or you will need a new water pump. But you'd have that in a house also. And there are hundreds, if not thousands, of videos on the internet made by fellow campers on things like how to replace a toilet or get one unplugged.

Before you agree to buy anything, the MOST IMPORTANT THING is to get it inspected by an outside inspector! There are people called mobile RV repairmen who can come to a campground to fix things. Many of them have gone to training programs and been certified as technicians, so you should get one of these people to inspect your rig BEFORE you buy it.

Especially if you buy used, you can make some incredibly expensive mistakes if you try to save money by skipping an outside inspection. After several friends told her to get an inspection, one of my friends ignored the advice and bought a motorhome in Arizona. It broke down on the way back to California, and had to be towed. On the way, she found several things that the owner/dealer had lied to her about. The result? She sold it for a big loss through a consignment broker. The next rig she bought she did get inspected, and she is happy with it.

Also, you sound a bit younger, but there are a lot of us older women driving and traveling alone in motorhomes or other types of RVs. In fact, I believe the ratio is about three or four women to every older man traveling alone, so it has to be pretty safe.

 

[Melissarv]

What kind of rv are you buying and from who?

An A class gas
Newmar used or new but old 2023 Winnie adventurer , sitting on lot I driven for 2.5 years....
Deciding which
One is local to me, the winnie
One is far away in another province
Torn between them for resale value , mantainace etc.
Been in forums and learning for months but still can't decide and nervous about a mistake as both are equal but different.

 

[Melissarv]

I would second the bit about flying to a warmer climate to buy, Florida and Texas both have an ample supply of RV's many of which have never been operated in places where they salt the roads. Also consider using an LLC to make the purchase and possibly register it in a low tax state, this will save you on the Canadian import issues if it is going to spend much of its time in the US.

I am worried about importing and have no idea about registering it in a different state and worried that dealers will throw me to the wind after because I'm Canadian and dont live there( local dealers won't service if I didn't buy from them....so I'm scared to buy in the US for my first one

 

[Melissarv]

I think she said she wouldn't be able to camp at the dealer because of winter weather, so wouldn't be able to hang out to see what might go wrong. Probably no water at the dealer's RV campsite. Maybe not even snow-plowed for access. That's much different than "can't inspect".

Yes they will show me inside that all is working and get it running but I cannot camp out with plumbing on in winter here for sure!

 

[Melissarv]

RV'ing around the country isn't in the long run about saving money. Take your hundreds of thousands, buy a car or SUV and stay in hotels. You'll get to see the country and won't be getting hosed by some 1st cousin to a car dealer who claims they can't fully inspect an RV in winter.

Nobody said they can't inspect...they absolutely will ...I just cannot camp out for a few days....Alberta law states an independent inspection must be supplied so I have already done that...

 

[Melissarv]

Boondocking means camping in the wilderness with no water source and no electricity.
FHU stands for full hook up. Water, electricity, sometimes cable TV

I'll be moving around ...boondocking when needed on the road ...and yes full hook up and making sure everything works is absolute!

 

[Melissarv]

I am sitting back and hoping you will share a bit more information, but as to your questions I have met several women who travel solo in RV's of all sizes over the years. On the topic of not being handy there are extended service plans which can help the ones that cover everything can by pricey, but like most types of insurance you pay a premium to hedge against the unexpected expenses. I have known people that after years of payments they find that they would have been better off putting the money in a rainy day fund, and others who swear by such service plans saying they have been well worth it when things break down.

Yes this is the part that I'm trying to get a handle on. Many are saying that even with warranty getting service is hard , especially in peak season and while away from the dealer it was purchased from. Service centres don't like warranty work as it doesn't pay as well as exterior apparently....so do people just hope for the best and call mechanics wherever they are when there are issues? RVs don't generally break while at home near the dealer so I'm scared of the horror stories about other shops not wanting to service you for warranty work

 

[Oldgator73]

We transitioned from tent camping to a 37’ triple slide 5th wheel. I had some experience towing trailers in the military so that wasn’t a big deal. We fulltimed for 5 years after I retired from the Air Force. Had problems from the gitgo with the trailer; entire front cap had to be replaced, middle axle was bent and the wiring harness fried. Took it to the factory and of course they wanted to argue with me about what they would fix. I won the argument and they even paid for the hotel room while the work was being completed. Don’t let these people, the salespeople and the service folks push you around. Politely stand your ground.
As others have mentioned RVing is not cheap. Fuel, maintenance and paying for campgrounds is expensive. You also have to consider when your unit is in the shop you have pay for a hotel and eat your meals out.
It’s fun. And it’s a free spirited lifestyle and you will meet some really neat folks along the way. You will need to have at least six months income saved. You do not want to live off credit cards if something goes south and you need a pile of $$$ to fix it. Good luck!

 

[JudyJB]

The dealer and warranty issue is important. However, I had a really bad experience with the dealer I bought my new RV from. I took it out for a several day trip to check things out before I headed from Ohio to California on my first big excursion.

Found maybe 7-8 things that needed to be fixed. Dealer fixed some but claimed they would not fix about half of them because I had broken stuff. Like the piece of wood trim around my slide. And the hole in the oven cabinet caused when the drawer under my refrigerator came loose from the latch and slammed into the cabinet panel opposite it. This caused a big hole in the paneling on my brand new unit!! They said I had overloaded the drawer with too many groceries.

There were also two things that they tried to fix but came apart in the first week of my big trip--the plastic trim around my front sunroof kept falling on me as I drove, and the side door could be locked, but then opened if you pulled on it.

I called the factory in Indiana to ask what the load capacity was on all the drawers and cabinets, an they told me there was no such thing. They also tried to get a dealer to fix my side entrance door, but had no success. Then in Rocky Mountain National Park, I hit a bump, and the door flung open, hitting the side of my rig and enabling the steps to deploy. Since the park service had put logs along the roadway to keep people from parking there, my steps hit one of the logs and now the bottom step was 4" behind the top step and they would not go back into position for driving.

There is more to the story, like not finding any replacement steps in California. Factory people told me to bring my rig in and they would fix everything, which they did in a few months. AND they fixed stuff right so it did not fall apart again in a couple of days. Nor, did they blame me for breaking anything!!!!

I went back to my original dealer a few years later for an oil change. After their losing my appointment records, and telling me I would get better service had I bought it from them, I blew up!!! Because I HAD bought it from them. I very loudly started shouting in the service and dealer area because I wanted everyone to know what had happened. I told them to decide if they were changing the oil or not because otherwise I was heading down the road to their competition. They did change the oil, but I told them very loudly I was never coming back and planned on telling everyone about my experiences there.

It was General RV in Akron, OH, by the way.

After the factory people fixed everything and were so helpful, I still go back to them when something serious is wrong with my rig. And I have found a few service places i trust but it is a serious problem not to get cheated, especially when you are a woman. Sorry for the long post, but i do wish you well.

 

[Melissarv]

There are many questions that apply here that have not been answered. Do you intend to buy new, or used? If used you should have the RV you select inspected by a certified pre-purchase RV inspector that has no connection to the dealership that you are buying from or you will risk getting a financial disaster. Based on what you have told us, any repairs as well as the regular maintenance that all RVs require will have to be done by an RV service tech. You can expect that service to cost anywhere from $100/hour on up to $250 or more. There are many single ladies on the road in RVs but most of them also learn how to do at least the rudimentary maintenance and repairs. Probably the most skilled driver of a truck and fifth wheel that I have ever known is a woman. I have also known some women RVers who were as skilled at maintenance and repairs as any male. Being male does not make one more skilled at such things and I have seen more than one male RVer who relied on RV techs for everything.

Based on what you have told us; I think that you would be wise to start learning more about RVs and their maintenance before you buy one. If you work remotely, then you probably will be dependent upon access to internet, which is more equipment to buy and operate. That isn't especially difficult, but you will need to know the basics to get started. Only you can decide if you will be able to do the things needed or have the funds to pay someone to do them. Safety is not usually a major issue for RV life but feeling secure and comfortable are things that we can not give to you but they come from knowing how to deal with a problem if it should arise. I would consider road service to be a minimum requirement and a nearly new RV for reliability. Financial security will mean having the funds to pay for the things which you can not do and for any emergency on the road. Have you considered health care coverage? Will you have it available everywhere you travel? Have you considered mail service? There is much to consider if you wish to live in an RV and travel fulltime but it can be the very best lifestyle in existence, in my opinion.

Thanks for all this info!
I won't be living full time...I do work remotely though (have already made sure of the add ons needed for my work) ...I take care of my own home so I'm handy with simple stuff ...know how to use a drill...know how to fix floppy trim etc....eager to learn as I go but want to make the right choice for my first buy to mitigate hopefully some issues with manufacturing. Considering a 2018 Newmar , already inspected and it's mint vs new 2023 Winnie adventurer ( more bells and whistles and dealer is right down the street)
I'm torn between the two choices.