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wayzgoose

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Joined
Feb 24, 2013
Posts
35
Hi folks! I'm Wayzgoose, also known on some forums as aroslav. Ian (ilox) recommended that I join the forum since I'm just in the process of choosing my traveling vehicle(s) and mode and have tons of questions. Trying not to be snowed by sales people or resort managers, but not always knowing what's best for me.

I'm putting my house on the market in April and plan to be on the road by the end of August, exploring America off the Interstate. I expect to be on the road for two to five years, depending on how much I like it and how successful my project is. I'm a fiction author and publisher (work I can do from anywhere) and intend to go very slowly, crawling along the old U.S. Highways and talking to people who live away from the freeways. I'll be writing both a travel book and various fictionalized stories as I go. It's not about the destination (is there one?) but about the journey and the people I meet.

I'm trying to sort out whether I'm pulling a trailer or driving a small (B+ or C) motorhome. Going to RV shows and talking to people. Yesterday I was given a pitch (3 hours!) on buying a resort membership so I can have access to the Coast-to-Coast and RPI RV resort clubs. Sounded like a lot of money to invest in a location where I'll never go in order to get access to discounts in places I might go. Any input would be appreciated!

Happy touring!
Wayzgoose
 
Welcome! If you haven't RVed before, you might want to rent a couple of times to get a feel for what you want/need. Good luck!
 
Have you looked into our library yet? It is full of great articles that might be of interest to you. Here is a link to one called Full timing 101:

http://www.rvforum.net/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=435:fulltimeprep&catid=29:fulltiming&Itemid=45

IHMO anytime someone spends three hours putting a hard sell sales pitch on me then it is obviously not worth the money. Joinong Passport America and Good Sam Club is the way that works for me.
 
For your purposes, you do not want a campground membership.  It would severely restrict you in your travels.  Do get a Passport America membership as it's cheap and will often be usable in the out of the way campgrounds that you will be looking for.
 
I agree with Ned - a Coast-to Coast type membership would be a waste of money.

We travel exactly as you are planning - slow and on the back roads. A small RV, preferable one set up for off the grid living with large water and holding tanks, solar panels or a quiet generator and extra house batteries, will make traveling and setup easy. There are not always convenient campgrounds out in the countryside but there are usually places where you can pull over and stay for the night.

Sounds like a fun adventure! Let us know how your RV search goes.
 
Hi mate, glad to see you have signed up and as I said, you are sure to get great advice. This Framily is just the best but don't tell them I said that ;)

I do like the suggestion about renting. Taking a week in a vehicle that you think you might like is far cheaper than buying something only to find it brings you a lifetime of disappointment. If I ever get the chance of getting into the RV Lifestyle then I would have be doing test drives to see what my arms could tolerate.

There are many around here that are travelling as onesomes and a number who are where you want to be, a pro on the go, so jump in, join in the fun. You will be amongst friends and many of them have been where you are now so they do understand.

 
If you are going to live on the road full time, I would think you would not want to be in something too small. I am assuming you will swing to the south come winter time. I would think you would want an A class with a toad (most space and flexibility to see local areas), or 5th wheel with tow vehicle. Depending on your budget, these could range from cheap to very expensive. Next down would be a C class and maybe a small vehicle. A B class is very small and would not be able to pull a vehicle except maybe very small. If you plan to stay in any one location for any length of time, you will want a seperate vehicle as you dont want to have to break camp every time you want to see something or go shopping. The larger rvs have bigger holding tanks, so you can boondock longer than the smaller versions. A larger travel trailer would also do, but the larger ones require as big a tow vehicle as a fifth wheel, and most full timers seem to prefer the 5ers. One with slides adds a big difference to the livability of an rv. More spacious in the living area of the rv. I dont think the bedroom slides are as important, but that is a matter of opinion. Many tall people would insist on a slide in the bedroom as you can get a longer bed. Standard beds dont seem to be made for people near 6 ft or taller. (ask me how I know). All this of course can go out the window in a minute if a smokin deal shows up on any of the above options. Good luck on your plans. Sounds like most peoples dream job.
 
What ever you decide on, a trailer, 5th wheel, an A, B or C......keep in mind that you'll probably want one that's a true all seasons vehicle.

Thermal pane windows greatly minamize condensation in the winter months, keep it warmer in the winter, cooler in the summer, etc.  They'll also have the heated holding tanks, plumbing ran through heated space under the floor and enclosed bottom to minamize freezing of your plumbing, etc.

I spent most of my adult life riding motorcycles all over the North American continent and we always used freeways to get speed and distance to get "there".  About five years or so ago, we rode ocean to ocean trying to avoid freeways (even highways)....using two lane roads as much as our GPS would allow us to.  We saw more of America, met more people from all walks of life, one on one conversation with very friendly and even helpful people.....we saw more of America in that one trip than we did in probably the five previous trips.  Since then, we always rode two lane roads and small highways and avoided the interstate freeways.
 
Thank you all for the great responses to my intro. This is a big adventure and I'm determined to make it work. SeilerBird, I downloaded your files on full-timing immediately and am truly enjoying the reading. I'm gathering as much info as I can and good advice is coming from a variety of sources. (Like Ian's advice that I join here!)

I couldn't tell you yet which way I'll jump regarding what vehicle. Doubt it will be a Class A. Just too much for one guy to take care of. But Class C or a travel trailer are the most likely, depending on what I decide I can afford.

I'm going to put up a notice that I'll trade my timeshares for a good RV and see what happens. You never can tell what people want!

Thnx,
Wayzgoose
 

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