Motorhome with a family....

[GreatLakes5]

Hey all....we currently tow an Outback 5th wheel (bunkhouse) with a Ford F350. It is plenty large for a family of five plus two dogs. We are considering, however, a future trip out West in addition to our yearly trek to FW and assorted more local trips. Our eldest son is at that gangly 12 year old age where everything is growing and nothing is large enough.

Does anyone have thoughts one way or the other about upgrading to a motorhome of some sort? I'm not thinking Prevost or anything, but as we picture hours spent in the cab of a truck with growing children (and growing dog) we can't help but look longingly at motorhomes. We haven't found one yet, however, for which we would not be sacrificing living space in exchange for travel convenience.

Any thoughts?

 

[bevypoo63]

For us the decision was easy. The convenience of traveling in a Motorhome far outweighs any other obstacles. Not having to stop for bathroom breaks, or snacks are 2 very big conveniences that you do not have with a TT.
We pull a small car behind us, so we still have a way to travel once we arrive at our destination although this is not really necessary when traveling to WDW as you know.
Motorhomes are more expensive but when you consider the cost of a tow vehicle required for the larger TTs, motorhomes don't seem that much more.
The last trip we took to WDW with my older kids (now grown) before we bought our MH was not fun, a 17yo DS who is almost 6ft tall is no fun for 900 miles in the back seat of an expedition Especially with 2 other siblings along for the ride.That is when we decided we needed to find another mode of transportation.
We started out looking at class C motorhomes because I wanted something small that I would feel comfortable taking on weekend vacations alone with our youngest son since my husband can't always take off at the same time as me, but we found a deal on a 3 yr old class A that we could not not pass up. So we wound up with a larger MH than I anticipated but we love it. I would suggest looking in the classifieds and doing your homework because you can get good deals on used MHs if you look. If you take your time and really look I think you can find something that will fit your needs and make traveling together even more fun. I know we did and we couldn't be happier.Good luck with your decision.

 

[Shannone1]

Hi neighbor

We LOVE our motorhome. We spent one fall camping with a 5th wheel. The truck was pretty crowded with our 3 kids and dog. We quickly realized that long distance trips would not be much fun. So we upgraded to a motorhome. We have a 2007 Winnebago Sightseer 35J. It has a king bed, bunkbeds and a couch that pulls out like a futon for sleeping. My oldest taked the couch and the other two have the bunks. The bunks have flip down tv/dvd screens and individual privacy curtains. There are also sliding pocket doors at either end of the bunk area which gives it privacy.
While we are on the road..we have plenty of room. The kids read, play games, use the laptop at the table, watch tv on our bed, or just hang out on the couch checking out the view. There are seatbelts on the couch and dinette. Our dog also enjoys being able to stretch his legs and move around. We can pull into a rest area and Chad and the kids will go toss a ball around while I make us lunch. It's a very fun, comfortable way to travel. We took our first long distance trip from Mi to FW last spring and it was so nice to have all that space !! Even with the slides in we can still access the bathroom/kitchen/bedroom. Here are a few interior pictures...

The front room.

This one shows the bunks to the left, bathroom door on the right and bedroom in the back. There is a pocket door that closes for the bedroom for privacy.

The bunks. Our 6 and 11 yr olds sleep here. In the summer they just used sleeping bags, but this fall we found sheet sets that fit and they like those better than the sleeping bags.

 

[FloridaTeacher]

We LOVE our motorhome!!! We knew we had to get one on our Jan. 2006 trip to the Fort. We had our two sons (16 & 9 at the time) and our nephew (14 at the time) plus the two dogs (a Bassett Hound and a Yorkshire Terrier). There is NO truck big enough for all of us.

Also the Bassett is getting kind of old and had back problems from the cramped riding conditions, so we bought him a motorhome. We bought a "new to us" 1998 Bounder in great condition and (again) we LOVE it!!!!

Though it doesn't have bunks, it does have a sofa bed and the table lets out into a bed, plus a queen bed in the bedroom. It is perfect for us!

I think the key is deciding what is really important for your family and make your decision based on that!

Happy Camping!

 

[CCIntrigue]

For us the decision was easy. The convenience of traveling in a Motorhome far outweighs any other obstacles. Not having to stop for bathroom breaks, or snacks are 2 very big conveniences that you do not have with a TT.

Same here! Plus it's more convenient and safe to stop overnight at Flying J, Walmart, etc. We can cover more miles in a day. While I loved my TT and hated to see it go, I would never trade back down to a TT after experiencing the MH.

Gas mileage is as good in MH as TT/tow vehicle. Setup/take down time in MH is about 1/4 what it was in the TT. Travel time is shorter, comfort is 1000 times greater, at least twice the storage space, there's just no comparison!

 

[ILoveDisney&Cruising]

The bunks. Our 6 and 11 yr olds sleep here.

That is SO cool!! I've never seen bunks in a motorhome before! Looks like a tour bus! Will definitely have to file that in the back of my mind ...... we've thought of motorhomes over the years, but have always seen them mainly just built for 2 .......

 

[Shannone1]

That is SO cool!! I've never seen bunks in a motorhome before! Looks like a tour bus! Will definitely have to file that in the back of my mind ...... we've thought of motorhomes over the years, but have always seen them mainly just built for 2 .......

Bunkbed models have been out for the last couple of years, and there are more to choose from every year.

 

[bradisgoofy]

....We haven't found one yet, however, for which we would not be sacrificing living space in exchange for travel convenience.

Any thoughts?

We traded our 36' fifth wheel for our current 38' motor home, no loss of space there.

....Gas mileage is as good in MH as TT/tow vehicle. Setup/take down time in MH is about 1/4 what it was in the TT. Travel time is shorter, comfort is 1000 times greater, at least twice the storage space, there's just no comparison!

Wow, that's great, we lost 4 miles per gallon with our switch but the diesel engine is not broke in yet. And I agree about the setup and take down times, it's much quicker and easier.

I agree with Shannone1, there are new innovations all the time. Make sure you go to the Ford Field RV Show January 26, 2008 and the Novi RV Show on February 16, 2008.

 

[des1954]

The Class A's ---- they are a changin'!! The RV industry finally realized their Class A designs were not family friendly & they have come a long way in redesigning A's with families in mind.

Since 1974, DH & I have had all types of camping equipment except a 5th wheel. We finally graduated to a Class A MH in 1996, and have never looked back.

May I suggest that you don't get trapped in the "one-foot bigger" game, however. Our first A was a 1992 Winnebago Brave, 28ft (no slides). We traded up to a 30ft Dutch Star (2 slides), & then to a 45ft Travel Supreme Bus (4 slides) - which was very luxurious, but waaaaaaaay too big (especially for some of the loops at the Fort). We backed down to a 40ft Winnebago - but again, too large. We are now comfortably back down to a 32ft Itasca (2 slides) which I will drive and am not intimidated by it.

The other thing to keep in mind if you will use your MH in places other than the Fort is this... a lot of state, federal & private campgrounds cannot accomodate a rig larger than 36 feet. Having been from a small MH to a bus & now back to a small MH, I don't see the need for anything larger than 36 feet, anyway.

Another amenity to weigh out is this...a washer/dryer in the MH. Again personally, I had one in each of our two larger MH's & found it to be useless. You can do only a few items at a time and because they are 110 & not 220, it takes forever to do your wash. Also, if you don't shake your items out before the unit goes into the dry cycle, your clothes come out all wadded up & wrinkled beyond belief! IF I were to have another washer/dryer in a MH, they would be separate, stackable units and not an all-in-one. Plus, you give up an entire cabinet for the washer/dryer unit.

Last but not least - a dishwasher drawer. Another useless item in a MH. Our 40ft Winnie had one & I ended up taking the rack out and storing items in it. You could only put 4 plates, 4 glasses & silverware in it, and pots and pans were out of the question. If I have to wash my cookware by hand, why not do everything else at the same time??

I wish you the best in searching out the MH that is right for you and your family. Go to as many RV shows as possible, and gather as much info as you can on the different makes and models before making your purchase. Your very best bet is to try and purchase a good used model. They are out there (and a lot are low mileage) and by purchasing a used one, the other guy has taken the financial beating, and not you!

Lots of luck! Debbie ♥

 

[BigDaddyRog]

Man...you guys are giving me ideas that my wifes gonna hate!!! She thinks our conversion van with a fold down back seat is all we need.....but I have bigger dreams!!!....My wife-a, she does not-a understand-a me.

 

[kimluvswdw]

We just sold our motorhome this past week. I loved the rv. I just hated the payment. I will miss the ease of traveling in it. We never had to stop for the restroom or food, we just made sandwiches in the rv as we were going down the road. I guess its back to a travel trailer for us.

 

[CottontailCurl]

Hi neighbor

It was so inconsiderate of my parents to get a motor home without bunks, those are cool!

 

[loveDmouse]

I love our motorhome. We don't have kids our yellow lab travels with us. That is actually why we got it so she could take trips with us. The other dog doesn't like to go anywhere. He is a happy homebody.
We have a 31' Class C. This is our first motorhome. Actually our first experience with camping other then the glory days of Girl Scout tent camping. We have had it for a little over a year now. I would like to upgrade to a Class A just to have a little more room but that will be a ways off. That is too much money a month for us right now.
You should go to an RV show. There are SOOOOOOOOOO many different types of Motorhomes that it isn't even funny. I had no idea. I have to be honest and say we really didn't look much before we got ours. We were all excited about the idea and just dove in head first. Luckily it didn't even hurt to bad. We've been lucky.

I love being able to get up and go to the bathroom if I need to real quick or go grad a soda or snack. I like being in one unit and not towing something. Our dog loves it too! She can stretch out and nap in comfort.

Good luck! Have fun looking.

 

[bradisgoofy]

....May I suggest that you don't get trapped in the "one-foot bigger" game, however. Our first A was a 1992 Winnebago Brave, 28ft (no slides). We traded up to a 30ft Dutch Star (2 slides), & then to a 45ft Travel Supreme Bus (4 slides) - which was very luxurious, but waaaaaaaaywaaaaaaaay too big (especially for some of the loops at the Fort). We backed down to a 40ft Winnebago - but again, too large. We are now comfortably back down to a 32ft Itasca (2 slides) which I will drive and am not intimidated by it.
According to Motor Home Magazine , one of the major mistakes made when buying a motor home is not getting one big enough.
The other thing to keep in mind if you will use your MH in places other than the Fort is this... a lot of state, federal & private campgrounds cannot accommodate a rig larger than 36 feet. Having been from a small MH to a bus & now back to a small MH, I don't see the need for anything larger than 36 feet, anyway.
I have a 38' coach, and had a 36' fifth wheel, and have not experienced that problem. Just be sure you tell the campground the size of your rig so they don't try to put you in a small lot.

Another amenity to weigh out is this...a washer/dryer in the MH. Again personally, I had one in each of our tMH'sarger MH's & found it to be useless. You can do only a few items at a time and because they are 110 & not 220, it takes forever to do your wash. Also, if you don't shake your items out before the unit goes into the dry cycle, your clothes come out all wadded up & wrinkled beyond belief! IF I were to have another washer/dryer in a MH, they would be stackable stackable units and not an all-in-one. Plus, you give up an entire cabinet for the washer/dryer unit.
We have had very good results with our all in one unit but we don't do any large loads with just two of us. http://www.rvstuff.org/proddetail.asp?prod=1-56870-590-3

Lots of luck! Debbie ♥

Just my opinions.

 

[LarryJ]

Hey all....we currently tow an Outback 5th wheel (bunkhouse) with a Ford F350. It is plenty large for a family of five plus two dogs. We are considering, however, a future trip out West in addition to our yearly trek to FW and assorted more local trips. Our eldest son is at that gangly 12 year old age where everything is growing and nothing is large enough.

Does anyone have thoughts one way or the other about upgrading to a motorhome of some sort? I'm not thinking Prevost or anything, but as we picture hours spent in the cab of a truck with growing children (and growing dog) we can't help but look longingly at motorhomes. We haven't found one yet, however, for which we would not be sacrificing living space in exchange for travel convenience.

Any thoughts?

We've raised two sons and two small dogs RVing coast to coast on many, many trips and have always had a full sized Van with just a sofa bed in the back and have always had plenty of room traveling. We always had the sofa bed made into a bed for the dogs and boys and they could even move around in the area between the bed and the front seats ... an area about 6'x6'. When they were smaller they would play lego on the floor or just lounge on the bed. Never had a single complaint from them and we even carried a porti-potti in the Van that could be used and served as a second seat. We had snacks and stuff in an ice chest that could be put between the two captains chairs in the front and gave one of the sons a place to set and look out the front with us. What we really have liked is that after traveling all day we can go into the trailer which is a different environment that what you have in a MH. Also, you have to have a toad with a MH to have the mobility when camping. I also have a second large vehicle when not camping and can carry just about anything in the Van like appliances, 4x8 sheet of plywood and 12' long timbers. While Ford is no longer offering a diesel in their full sized Van you can always get the V-10, but you mpg will suck big time towing. With my current trailer, I'm getting close to 12mpg towing and only got 7-8 with my 1978 Ford Van with the 460. You might look at the GMC Vans which I think offer a diesel option. The TT/5er option will probably cost you 1/2 of what a similiar sized MH will be and it have very limited uses when not traveling.

Just another option to consider ...

Larry

 

[GreatLakes5]

Thanks for all the responses so far guys! My husband is a big fifth-wheel fan & when the most recent one "came home" I had sort of suggested travel trailer instead just to have a bigger tow vehicle option. Just can't separate that man from his diesel truck. This is all something we will definitely be considering in the not so distant future. We grow 'em big and tall in this house and I'm thinking the next trip they may take off without me and not even realize it until they hit the first rest stop. (Never mind that the labradoodle now out sizes me when standing on its back legs.)

Those with bunkbed motorhomes (or who have seen 'em in person) do they measure long enough that you can foresee them used throughout your child's adolescence, etc.?

 

[Shannone1]

Those with bunkbed motorhomes (or who have seen 'em in person) do they measure long enough that you can foresee them used throughout your child's adolescence, etc.?

I have laid on the bunks just to get an idea of size. They aren't huge but I had more than enough length. I am 5'5". Different manufacturers offer different sizes. Our bunks are 30" wide which is 2 inches wider than the competitor we looked at.

We do not anticipate having this same motorhome all through our youngest's childhood years(he is 6). He is already the tallest kid in his class !! The girls (11 and 13) are probably going to end up 1-2 inches taller than me. We figure maybe 4-5 years before we upgrade again. Next time we will get a 40' coach with two couches that face each other and both open up. The kids will be able to sleep on those. By then our oldest will be almost out of high school and I hope will still come camping with us from time to time...but realistically she will have her own life and probably her own weekend plans most of the time.

 

[snocrossmechanic]

I hate to go opposite of the grain here but I would not get into a stanard class A and go anywhere. I think this way after being in the insurance world and seeing a rolled over Class A first hand.

I would like a little more protection between my family and the road besides vacume moulded walls and wood/aluminum studs. In an effort to save weight (ie...fuel economy) they are making the Class A's lighter and lighter. As for moving around in them I think that you become a projectile any time your not safely buckeled in. Unfortunatly, Class C, 5ers, and TT's are all built the same way. If you get one on its side (or upside down) they collapse like cardboard.

That being said we still tow our 5er and ride somewhat less comfortable in a vehicle made to withstand a crash.

Sorry to be the negative person but I argue this with my motorhome owning friends all the time. I am sure you will be happy with whatever you get.

Cheers

 

[Goingtoseethemouse]

I like that sightseer!!!! Wow! I know the Damon Daybreak has bunks too. We have a Coachman Freelander. It works well with our 3 kids. It was probably half the price of your Winnie because it is a Class C. You can get a new one for under 60 out the door if you haggle (but ours is gas---$$$$$$$)

 

[Shannone1]

I like that sightseer!!!! Wow! I know the Damon Daybreak has bunks too. We have a Coachman Freelander. It works well with our 3 kids. It was probably half the price of your Winnie because it is a Class C. You can get a new one for under 60 out the door if you haggle (but ours is gas---$$$$$$$)

Ours is an entry level gasser too. It will be awhile before we could afford a diesel pusher. We looked at some class C's and I liked the cab over. But we couldn't find one that my tall hubby could drive as comfortably as the A.