Is that guy already living on your property?
What do you have?
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
He lives close by
Isaac-1
Well-known member
Let me answer in multiple parts, first off that class C you linked to may be a great find in the current market, being stored indoors is a BIG plus as many (most) RV's die from rot caused by water penetration around the roof and windows. That only leaves mechanical neglect items like dry rotted rubber components, and other maintenance items. It also leaves the big question of is it the right RV for you and what you plan to do.
I personally don't think there is any wrong class of RV's, it all depends on where, how and in what level of luxury you want to travel, at this point it becomes a question of frame of reference and your preferences. Are you comparing an RV to a tent, a motel room, or a house each frame of reference can be valid, and all RV's will be more comfortable than any tent, and less comfortable than nearly any house. Like many here I started out tent camping, then moved up through a series of a couple of camper vans, spent a few years without any type of RV, seriously considered buying a smaller travel trailer when my daily driver was a pickup truck, then eventually bought our current 28 ft class A coach about 5 years ago, when it was 14 years old.
This coach works great for our type of travel, which is up to about a month at a time on the road, though I am not sure I would enjoy full timing in it. You ask what fills up cargo space, the answer is everything, tools, clothes, food, camping gear, etc. My 28 ft class A has somewhat limited cargo compartment space, I will quickly give an overview of what is in each compartment which vary in size, from a roughly 6 ft long double compartment down to ones with only 12-18 inches of usable space due to water tanks.
Compartment 1 about 28 inches wide: Folding camping table (24x48 unfolded size), small propane BBQ grill, small propane firepit (Camco Little Red Campfire), 3 folding camping chairs, a 7x7 roll up camping rug tucked across in the tiny pass through space, propane extension hoses, and a folding step stool. All of this has to be arranged in a certain way to get the door to close.
Compartment 2, smaller, on most space is taken up by a fresh water tank, leaving just enough room for a 28 inch Dewalt rolling tool box like DEWALT Tool Box On Wheels, 28-Inch (DWST28100): Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific with just enough space left over for a few wood planks to go under the leveling jacks and folding roadside emergency triangles and collapsing orange cones.
Compartment 3, slightly larger than #2, milk crate full of engine fluids (oil, antifreeze, transmission fluid, etc.) a pair of 6 ton jack stands another bag style camping chair, electric impact wrench, sanicon tank buddy (macerator dumping pump for dumping tanks into a sewer clean out or similar), spare water hose and a few odds and ends.
Compartment 4, rear trunk area, this is mostly an access hatch but has a 5+ ft long by about 8 inch wide and 12+ inch tall storage shelf. This hold a mix of longer items, and small stuff. Telescoping squeegee pole, water flow through brush, emergency wheel chocks, spare safety cables for towed car, LED work light, spare sewer hose.
Compartment 5 and 6, these are mostly taken up by the black tank and another fresh water tank, plumbing manifold, etc. Though there is a little room in here for sewer hose, and fittings in one and fresh water hoses in the other.
Compartment 7/8 double wide compartment which is also the electrical bay containing the converter, surge guard, inverter and hard wired power cord. Contents of course include extension cords, power adapters, as well as a telescoping ladder, genturi ( smoke stack for generator often required at RV rallies, etc.) and a pop up CLAM Quickest canopy (largest single item we carry, just barely fits)
That is it for the storage compartment, and yes I may have left a few items out, like the mosquito candle in compartment 1, or the tire covers that came with the coach tucked into the back of compartment 3. Indoor storage is similar for example there is an ottoman storage box behind the front passenger seat (which swivels) that my wife props her feet on when she sits there in the evening. Inside it is a mix of stuff including a spare fresh water pump, a pair of binoculars, spare power adapter for the notebook computer, a small emergency tire inflator compressor, etc.
p.s. here are a couple of photos of our coach, at under 30 ft it allows us to travel many places without pulling a car around, over 20,000 miles in the last 5 years averaging over 7,000 per year until covid hit, with only about 1,000 towing a car around.
I personally don't think there is any wrong class of RV's, it all depends on where, how and in what level of luxury you want to travel, at this point it becomes a question of frame of reference and your preferences. Are you comparing an RV to a tent, a motel room, or a house each frame of reference can be valid, and all RV's will be more comfortable than any tent, and less comfortable than nearly any house. Like many here I started out tent camping, then moved up through a series of a couple of camper vans, spent a few years without any type of RV, seriously considered buying a smaller travel trailer when my daily driver was a pickup truck, then eventually bought our current 28 ft class A coach about 5 years ago, when it was 14 years old.
This coach works great for our type of travel, which is up to about a month at a time on the road, though I am not sure I would enjoy full timing in it. You ask what fills up cargo space, the answer is everything, tools, clothes, food, camping gear, etc. My 28 ft class A has somewhat limited cargo compartment space, I will quickly give an overview of what is in each compartment which vary in size, from a roughly 6 ft long double compartment down to ones with only 12-18 inches of usable space due to water tanks.
Compartment 1 about 28 inches wide: Folding camping table (24x48 unfolded size), small propane BBQ grill, small propane firepit (Camco Little Red Campfire), 3 folding camping chairs, a 7x7 roll up camping rug tucked across in the tiny pass through space, propane extension hoses, and a folding step stool. All of this has to be arranged in a certain way to get the door to close.
Compartment 2, smaller, on most space is taken up by a fresh water tank, leaving just enough room for a 28 inch Dewalt rolling tool box like DEWALT Tool Box On Wheels, 28-Inch (DWST28100): Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific with just enough space left over for a few wood planks to go under the leveling jacks and folding roadside emergency triangles and collapsing orange cones.
Compartment 3, slightly larger than #2, milk crate full of engine fluids (oil, antifreeze, transmission fluid, etc.) a pair of 6 ton jack stands another bag style camping chair, electric impact wrench, sanicon tank buddy (macerator dumping pump for dumping tanks into a sewer clean out or similar), spare water hose and a few odds and ends.
Compartment 4, rear trunk area, this is mostly an access hatch but has a 5+ ft long by about 8 inch wide and 12+ inch tall storage shelf. This hold a mix of longer items, and small stuff. Telescoping squeegee pole, water flow through brush, emergency wheel chocks, spare safety cables for towed car, LED work light, spare sewer hose.
Compartment 5 and 6, these are mostly taken up by the black tank and another fresh water tank, plumbing manifold, etc. Though there is a little room in here for sewer hose, and fittings in one and fresh water hoses in the other.
Compartment 7/8 double wide compartment which is also the electrical bay containing the converter, surge guard, inverter and hard wired power cord. Contents of course include extension cords, power adapters, as well as a telescoping ladder, genturi ( smoke stack for generator often required at RV rallies, etc.) and a pop up CLAM Quickest canopy (largest single item we carry, just barely fits)
That is it for the storage compartment, and yes I may have left a few items out, like the mosquito candle in compartment 1, or the tire covers that came with the coach tucked into the back of compartment 3. Indoor storage is similar for example there is an ottoman storage box behind the front passenger seat (which swivels) that my wife props her feet on when she sits there in the evening. Inside it is a mix of stuff including a spare fresh water pump, a pair of binoculars, spare power adapter for the notebook computer, a small emergency tire inflator compressor, etc.
p.s. here are a couple of photos of our coach, at under 30 ft it allows us to travel many places without pulling a car around, over 20,000 miles in the last 5 years averaging over 7,000 per year until covid hit, with only about 1,000 towing a car around.
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Skookum
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 19, 2018
- Posts
- 3,627
We went with a Super-C, an '06 Jayco Seneca 34SS. We are taller people. And we sometimes tow heavy. I really enjoy the chassis - it drives like a truck, not a living room, great driver/passenger access via the cab doors. The thing is huge. It's easy to work on, and the Duramax/Allison combination is legendary. The 34SS floorplan effectively accommodates 2 adults. It has a master bedroom and a bathroom that can be cordoned off from either the living space or bedroom, and the toilet is in its own quarters. No dinette, no bunks, just table and chairs. Queen Bed - we'd prefer a King, but that was one compromise we made going with this setup. No residential fridge, we don't need that kind of fridge space, and ours can run on propane. It has an 80 gallon diesel tank, diesel generator. 65 gallons fresh capacity, 41 Gray, 51 black. The capacities feel right-sized for our needs, although the gray is a tad on the small side.
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1dino17
Member
Yes 7370 different mirrors mine are up I love it!
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Larry N.
Well-known member
And THAT can only be decided by you and your wife, of course.
As Gary says, not "wrong," but to me it seems a bit short-sighted. In eleven years of owning rigs with slides I've had two problems. One was a broken shear pin, easily replaced. The other was strictly my fault: in trying to open the slide (at home), I didn't get sufficient ice off of the topper, which stuck when the slide was part way out and did it so unevenly such that it threw off the synchronization between the front and rear motors on the full wall slide (I could still retract it and extend it, but the front stuck out part of an inch). The dealer sync'ed it for me.
In the rest of that eleven years I have thoroughly enjoyed the extra space, comfort and convenience afforded by the slides, making our stays MUCH more comfortable than they otherwise would have been.
Go to a dealer (better yet, several dealers) and/or RV shows and wander through the various rigs, both trailer and motorhome, and sit and relax (without a salesman, if possible) and figure how you'd live in that rig, both on sunny, warm days and on hot humid days and on cold, rainy days, checking out how easy it is to see the TV, how easy the kitchen is to work, cook and clean up, how the shower fits both of you, and the same for toilet and dinette or dining table. Does the bed fit? Would it be easy to make the bed, or would you be scrambling in tight spots, perhaps making and unmaking a bed daily for the kids?
Consider such things carefully because something you can "put up with" for a weekend becomes a major irritant over longer trips. Rent a motorhome (or maybe trailer) for a few days -- you'll learn a LOT!
Isaac-1
Well-known member
On the topic of slides, my coach does not have them and I see them as one more thing to fail, they also only buy you floor space, often at the expense of cabinet space, or ability to fully utilize the coach with the slide in.
My things against slides are: Something else to maintain, source of potential leaks, and I have seen multiple ones get stuck and strand people as they are trying to leave campgrounds.
My things against slides are: Something else to maintain, source of potential leaks, and I have seen multiple ones get stuck and strand people as they are trying to leave campgrounds.
Well, we have 3 slides. In the 9 years I've owned our coach we've had 1 problem. An interlock switch broke and was easily bypassed. My slides are Power Gear rack and pinion and there is zero maintenance called for. We love the space provided by the front opposing slides.
Isaac-1
Well-known member
Maybe it is just me, or maybe slide problems are much more visible when slides get stuck half way in compared to other problems in campgrounds, but I know of at least 3 occasions where neighbors in campgrounds have not been able to get their slide in when it was time to leave over the last 5 years. Once this was due to gusting wind causing the slide topper to get caught in the slide while they were retracting it. I am not sure about the other 2. These were all short term campgrounds, RV rallies, etc. not places where people had been staying for months.
steveblonde
Well-known member
1dino17
Member
I had a 40ft with no slides was nice but traded for a 37ft with one slide to get my room back and wow! I love it make sure your level when retracting out and in, watch the weight limit on the slide side you will be ok!
NY_Dutch
Well-known member
Our 2001 34' Class A has a single "super slide" that has had just one repair since it was new. A few years ago I replaced the slide rocker switch that was getting hard to press. Total cost $12...
This isn't something you can learn from someone else. Some people camp on weekends, some sell their house and go full time. All but the most adventurous start out small and cheap then get larger and more expensive until they reach the point where they are most comfortable. That is why one person says buy a small trailer and someone else says a 40' diesel pusher. One person may love a floorplan, the next person hates it. Think of a Chevy vs Ford discussion.
Since you have a farm then you know how to back a trailer and already have a pickup truck (doesn't every farm have a pickup?) Start out first with a good used small trailer like 19' and see if the camping lifestyle agrees with you. If not you haven't lost too much money. If you love it then you will discover what is most important to you and yours. I say that because my ideal RV is a Class C 24' or less but my wife isn't happy with anything less than 30'. So of course we have a 30'
Since you have a farm then you know how to back a trailer and already have a pickup truck (doesn't every farm have a pickup?) Start out first with a good used small trailer like 19' and see if the camping lifestyle agrees with you. If not you haven't lost too much money. If you love it then you will discover what is most important to you and yours. I say that because my ideal RV is a Class C 24' or less but my wife isn't happy with anything less than 30'. So of course we have a 30'
The add is missing now. Did you buy it?
1dino17
Member
I bought a 20 years old diesel 8.2 GM Overland man, what a machine I only did a little work on the generator but everything was OK, it was owned by one person and he took care I got it for $10,000 and sold it for $10,000 after 3 years of usages! I just got really lucky
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No, not me
