Which RV for Full Timing

[lindy-FRF]

Kind of tossed-up as to which way to go full timing. Know whatever we pick will need to fit our needs, and have seen both Class A's, and 5th Wheels we could live in full time. Just curious as to what everyone else was using. Thanks

 

[Frizlefrak]

The floor plan that best fits your everyday lifestyle. 

 

[ironrat]

Floor plan for sure. But also are you going to travel alot? If so a class A would suit well. A class C if you need the extra sleeping space they have, but if just you two a class A is the way to go. The 5er would be good if your not going to travel much as you have a truck to drive around, but they are very cumbersome to travel all the time in. Of course you can always tow a small car behind a class C and A.

 

[Mopar1973Man]

I say travel trailer because now you don't a engine and transmission to fail from sitting long periods. Your tow vehicle would be your get around vehicle. So I could easily do full time in my 31' foot Jayco with a slide because the living area is plenty big. As for transportation my 02 Dodge Diesel get 22-23 MPG empty and not towing so I could move any where and live with my pickup and travel trailer and not mine one bit.

Now back in the day with my Dodge Jamboree Motorhome. You would have to go back over everything after sitting. Transmission, driveline, brakes, fresh batteries, etc. Just way to much mechanical expense to move your home to a new location. When I traded in my 1976 Dodge Jamboree it only had 63K on the clock and the engine (front and rear main seals) and transmission (input shaft seal, pan gasket, etc.)where leaking horribly.

 

[bucks2]

I guess I get a different impression when people say that they want to fulltime. I envision people touring the country moving every week, or month at the most. So Moparman's engine and trans failing from sitting long periods doesn't fit. If you are indeed looking for an RV to park and live in, that's a whole different can of worms.

What you're style of travel is will determine what type of RV is most suited to you. My wife likes to get up and use the bathroom whenever she wants. We like to have a sandwich or cold pop or whatever when we want without stopping. So a motorhome fits us best. We travel 7 months a year in ours and 30 days is the longest we've ever stayed in one spot during the winter travel season. During the summer when we are on the boat for 3 months, we drive the MH just before and then when we get back. We've had no problems with this schedule. We have a toad to go sightseeing and for shopping.

There are a lot of people who like to have just one drivetrain to look after. A big pickup pulling a big trailer or 5th wheel fits their lifestyle perfectly. My wife though, wouldn't take a big dually pickup to Safeway on her own. It's just too much vehicle to use everyday. Some people think nothing of it.

I'm a fan of doing a lot of thinking and planning and little buying and selling. Figure out what you'd really like to do and then find an RV that supports that.

Ken

 

[wigpro]

I have studied this very for the past few years and doing so again as I am going to upgrade. I keep coming back to a 5th wheel for a number of reasons.

[list type=decimal]
[*]One power / drive system to maintain.
[*]Tow vehicle acts as my "get around" vehicle so no need for anything additional.
[*]5th wheels tow easier than a bumper pull and once you get used to it, hook up and detach is pretty quick.
[*]Most of the 5ers with slides offer plenty of living room and there are a ton of various floor plans to choose from.
[/list]If I had an unlimited budget - I would have a large class A - diesel pusher with a nice little jeep wrangler as a toad!
But the floor plan and living space and storage space is of primary importance no matter which mode you choose - A, C or tow!


Have fun deciding...


Jim

 

[Mopar1973Man]

Well I might of goofed too in the idea of full timing. Here in Idaho the idea of fulltiming is the RV stays in a RV park and never moves. The people drive back and forth to work and such. I see so many motorhomes that been parked and never moved again.  : (Fulltime)

 

[Derby6]

I have studied this very for the past few years and doing so again as I am going to upgrade. I keep coming back to a 5th wheel for a number of reasons.

[list type=decimal]
[*]One power / drive system to maintain.
[*]Tow vehicle acts as my "get around" vehicle so no need for anything additional.
[*]5th wheels tow easier than a bumper pull and once you get used to it, hook up and detach is pretty quick.
[*]Most of the 5ers with slides offer plenty of living room and there are a ton of various floor plans to choose from.
[/list]If I had an unlimited budget - I would have a large class A - diesel pusher with a nice little jeep wrangler as a toad!
But the floor plan and living space and storage space is of primary importance no matter which mode you choose - A, C or tow!


Have fun deciding...


Jim

What he said-- ;D

 

[DearMissMermaid]

I've noticed everyone has a different idea of what fulltiming is!

By the way I vote Class C, that is what works for me, but I'm not saying it would work for you. It works for me because I didn't want to tow a car and all the hassles of having another vehicle to keep up with. So I chose a Class C as my home and transport. Thankfully I don't have to commute anywhere on a regular basis, my work travels with me. I enjoy NOT being on the road every day.  I like being a little "green" getting things mail-order and combining my errands and sightseeing.  I love staying in beautiful parks and not having to go out and deal with the traffic on a regular basis.

For me...
Fulltiming means I live in my RV year round without having a home anywhere else. I don't even have storage anywhere. So yes, I am fulltiming., living in my RV and traveling  too. I don't let mine sit for long periods but I do sometimes pickup workamping and end up staying in the same park awhile, but I take my RV out on little trips around the area when I am not workamping. It's fun to have my doggy and bathroom everywhere I go and my kitchen too.  No fast food crap for me, I can eat good stuff right out of my kitchen where ever I am.

The MAIN reason I am living in a motorhome is because it has wheels. I love the idea of "own the home" but borrow the land.

I like nice weather, so having my wheel estate means I can move around and more or less have nice weather year round.  It also enables me to soak up the sun and ocean at the beach or enjoy the stunning views of the mountains.

I've owned three homes that came with land, and I am done with that. It was fun at the time, loved my houses, but now I prefer a simpler easier lifestyle. 

 

[Seilerbird]

As I see it the advantages of full timing in a class A are:

1 - Much more storage space. Everything you own will be in your RV and there is more storage space in a Class A than any other type of RV.

2 - Larger holding tanks. Small holding tanks means dumping and refilling more often.

3 - Built in generator. Makes boondocking easy.

4 - Between two and six house batteries. Means you can go much longer than any other RV, since everything else typically only has one house battery.

5 - Built in propane tank. Usually a much larger capacity than any other type of RV.

6 -  Much less time to set up a class A than any trailer or 5er. The setup time on my class A is about two minutes. All I do is plug in power. No need to level anything. For the people who level their class A with automatic leveling jacks add another five minutes to the set up. And if you want to hook up water and sewer (which I never do) then add ten minutes more at the most. I have seen people spend an entire afternoon setting up a 5er.

7 - Class As are prettier than any other RV :

8 - When I stop at a rest area to use the bathroom I don't have to go outside to get into the trailer and then reverse it when I am done. A big advantage when it is raining.

9 - Pets travel better in a class A than in most trucks.

 

[Wendy]

We're 80% full-timers now and were 100% back in the 1980s.

Back in the old days, when working for the park service, we would spend 4-5 months in one spot then a month moving to the next park where we'd spend another 4-5 months. We had a 35' 5th wheel. Worked great for us, other than havi g to drive that big  old truck around (which really didn't bother us).

Now, we spend a week here, a month there, a day or two in another place. So the Class A we have works great for us as we tow a classic VW which requires a motorhome rather than a TT. Without the VW, we would be towing a 4WD so, again, the MH is our best option.

Isn't it nice to have options ?

Wendy

 

[Seilerbird]

Isn't it nice to have options ?

Absolutely correct Wendy. It would be boring if we all camped in the same thing. Even tent camping was a blast before I owned an RV.  I love walking around an RV park and looking at all the different rigs. It is amazing to see some of the things people dream up to camp in. The ones I like the best are the tear drops. They just look sooooo cool. Not the rig for me, but for a lot of people it is heaven on earth. I love to stop and chat with them. They are all so proud of their rigs and love to show them off.

 

[ArdraF]

The ones I like the best are the tear drops. They just look sooooo cool.

Apparently you're not alone in this feeling because Sunset magazine recently featured a tear drop on its cover.  It was a really cute vintage restoration.

ArdraF

 

[Wendy]

FWIW, storage is a big consideration for us and we've found that Class A's have a lot more outside storage than anything else.

Wendy

 

[Frizlefrak]

. The ones I like the best are the tear drops. They just look sooooo cool. Not the rig for me, but for a lot of people it is heaven on earth.

If I had a place to keep it, I'd love to have a teardrop as a 2nd RV.  Would be ideal for dragging up some of the logging roads in the Sacramento Mountains.  Lots of beautiful places to camp that I can't get that monster travel trailer I now own....A teardrop would be perfect for a weekend in solitude. 

 

[denmarc]

If I had a place to keep it, I'd love to have a teardrop as a 2nd RV.  Would be ideal for dragging up some of the logging roads in the Sacramento Mountains.  Lots of beautiful places to camp that I can't get that monster travel trailer I now own....A teardrop would be perfect for a weekend in solitude.

Sounds like you forgot how to get back to basics. 

I feel the same way you do.  But have no problem digging the tent out and a good ol sleeping bag and doing it the old fashion way for a night or two.

Done it many times.  Wouldn't hesitate to do it again.  Keeps one humble.  But most times you don't think about just how humble it was until on your way home.  Funny how that works.

 

[Frizlefrak]

Sounds like you forgot how to get back to basics. 

I feel the same way you do.  But have no problem digging the tent out and a good ol sleeping bag and doing it the old fashion way for a night or two.

Done it many times.  Wouldn't hesitate to do it again.  Keeps one humble.  But most times you don't think about just how humble it was until on your way home.  Funny how that works.

Yeah....gotten kinda spoiled.  I don't even own the tents, etc anymore.  Not a bad idea though.  Would be fun.....just like the old days. 

 

[JudyJB]

I think it depends on whether you are single or not.  I have more storage space than I need in my 32' Class C with two slides and have been full-timing for 10 months. I could probably add about 30% more stuff than I currently carry, especially in my basement area.  Now, if I were a couple, I would have to share some of that space and might need more.

I also have enough grey water storage that I only need to dump my tanks every 4 days, and sometimes longer.

I probably could use a few more tools than I have, but fewer books and clothing.  Will be swapping stuff out from storage next month. 

I am very short (5'1") and looked at some smaller Class As but couldn't reach the visors. Would have had to have pedal extensions because steering wheel hit me in stomach.  Class C cockpit it easier for me to handle. 

 

[HueyPilotVN]

I have spent 30 years traveling with most every kind of RV.
I started with a Travel Trailer pulled by a conversion Van back when conversion vans were "cool" complete with shag carpet on the walls.  LOL
I gradually progressed to a Class C, larger Class C, Gas powered Class A, Diesel Class A and finally DP with a Stacker.

I am sure that many on this forum will think that what I have now is a hassle and overkill, but I love having all the "toys" along. 
I carry a Mustang Convertable race car, a Jeep SUV, a golf cart, a workshop, a game room, and all kind of extra stuff in the loft of the Stacker.

I guess what I am trying to say is you should decide what makes you happy and go for it.  As someone said earlier, "Spend lots of time thinking about it and little time buying".

  Have fun with whatever you choose to do, Life is too short to waste.

 

[Betty Brewer]

I have seen people spend an entire afternoon setting up a 5er.

When we were deciding between a Class A and a 5th Wheel, we had a small van conversion.  We "camped" at  a luxury resort and watched class A's pull in and set up.  We watched  5th wheels  set up and hook up again on departure.  There was a small dip along the roadways as the  pick up backed in to  connect to 5er.  Took him almost 30 minutes to connect.  Lots of a backing up, swearing, hollering  at wife and finally he just gunned it and it slammed into  place.  We looked at each other and KNEW our relationship could not survive this process.  We bought a class A.