Okay so I'm not really a camping kinda gal... and DH wants a camper, or RV ... so what do you suggest?

[LovesTimone]

Hi everyone... I have never really posted here on the Camping board... I have lurked and read some so this is my first post here... Hi again...

So I need some info, suggestions and the like... in other words lots of help... in what to look for and cost - what does it really cost, what to look for, hidden cost, fees normally for sites and hook ups, to maintain it, and anything and everything that you can add to help with us going into this... We plan on doing some looking at all the RV Dealers around here... to start to really understand what we want and are really getting into... we will do lots of homework... before we ever even think about pulling the trigger buying... it took us 2 years to find the right boat for us... so we are in no big hurry...

Here's our plan and some back story...

As I said before in the title, I'm not really a camping kinda girl.... It's not I don't like the outdoors I do... I just hate "Sss" ( snakes) and mosquito and I am not sleeping in a tent or a pop up, at this point in my life... I want to sleep in a bed, with air-conditioning, we live in Florida so heat and humidity play into this alot... I want some sort of full bathroom... for in the middle of the night...

DH wants a pull behind... not a full on Land Yacht.... quality and dependability are important to him, as well as some cool gadgets... air-conditioning, and a big bed, he is 6'4" so he/we want a king size bed... is this even possible? a full bathroom with a shower that he can stand up in...

For us both - a kitchen - we both want more than a dorm size fridge, DH is a lean mean grilling machine... even with that I would like a oven for some baking, simple stuff, and some sort pull down or pull outs for extra beds to be able to take DD's family with us, or just our Sweet DGS!!! Grandkids are the best...
As well this will be a one time kinda purchase, we take good care of all of our stuff... so we want a brand that will last...


Moving along.. DH and I are almost through our 5 year plan....and believe it or not we have stuck to it, ... Yay us... so we know how we want to retire and working on the money end of all of that, and are starting to map out the next 5 year plan... Part of that plan is going to be buying a piece of property some where on the river, on a canal so that we can put in a deep water dock, and build our retirement house... So our plan is to park the RV/Camper on the property to use as our getaway house, until we can build the house... the boat dock comes first which is the most important thing...LOL yes we love our boat and being on the water... so see I am outdoors kinda gal... We want to use the RV or camper or whatever you call it... to do some traveling with it as well... looking at some beach trips, for the mountains.... we are not going to haul it all over the country be any means...

So Please enlighten me...

Thanks in advance...

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

RVing is a lifestyle. Its rarely cheaper than motel/hotel travel if you honestly add all the costs up. Things like: adequate tow vehicle, actual purchase price of trailer, insurance, maintenance like bearing repacks, fuel, campground fees and on and on.
The ability to carry and cook your own food is a way to save money for many people though. I couldnt imagine how much I would have spent over the years feeding our crew at a restaurant every meal.

 

[Uncledave54]

My advice would be, before sittling down with a salesperson, go to a rv trade show where multiple dealers are present. Go in and out of as many units as possible to get an idea of which manufactures offer what products.

 

[garneska]

You own a boat so this is something you might already know, be prepared for something to always be broken and it will cost you more than you think. That being said I do love my RV, but i enjoy hiking. Even more so i love coming back and taking a shower and sleeping in a comfortable bed.

As for homework, if they have them again go to an RV Show as you will be able to walk through a lot of models. As for suggestions, i really think you should try and rent something and spend a weekend or week in it. It does not even have to be the kind you are considering buying. If you have never done it being in any RV will give you a feel for things you will like and not like.

Good Luck.

 

[Sjm9911]

So much here.....so main thing is if you are looking for a TT or a 5th wheel. They are both tow behind. Next is what are you going to tow it with? These are the most important things. Just know, you will not be saving a ton of money. This is almost a lifestyle or hobby. So its not about saving money. Now that we are past that part.

Pulling up to say a primitive site, like your plot of land, is doable, just k ow that you will have limitations on water and sewer systems and power untill you add them to your property. Generally AC units are run off of shore power , generaters if you are far from others. So you would need to add ellectrical there also if you want that.

As far as camping you can get full hook up sites and have everything you want.

As for the camper itself, yes tou can have something huge or smaller with a king bed ,plus a bunkhouse that will have 2 beds or more depending on what you want to spend and price. Most of these will have at least a good size fridge freezer, stove and some sort of oven ( there not great but work) , AC , heat, microwave etc. My smaller TT has a bit of room for 3/ 4 people nicely and is light to tow. I have all of these things.

Fitting in the shower at his height will be dependent on the unit. I am taller and barly fit in my shower, my head is hits the bottem of the skylight! And showers are quick to conserve water.

Good luck , have fun!

 

[maxiesmom]

Do you already have, or have factored in, that you may need a heavy duty truck to pull what you are looking for?

It sounds like you want a travel trailer or 5th wheel. And there are massive amounts of floor plans, and some can be customized. I didn't see you list it but it sounds like a washer/dryer might be something to put on your wish list as well.

 

[loves to dive]

We spent a year going to RV shows, watching a lot of Utube videos and researching before we bought our fifth wheel. At first we wanted a Class A but soon discovered we could get more room for less money and have the ability to use the truck and not have to tow a car. We went to every RV dealer within a 4 hour drive of our house and walked through just about every brand of 5th wheel they had on site after we decided a 5th wheel was the way to go. Then we decided we wanted something 35 feet or less, that would carry as much junk as we wanted to carry with us without us having to worry about weight and that was built as well as could be expected. It took a lot of walking through RVs, sitting on furniture, getting in showers and jumping up and down, opening basement doors, etc. We finally narrowed it down to about 3 brands at about the 8 month mark of looking. Then it was looking at those brands again at multiple dealers, researching prices. After we narrowed it down to two brands, we pulled the trigger on buying the truck, which was also a years worth of research and searching and test driving. We ended up with a Dodge dually and a Keystone Montana 3120. We knew we wanted a RV fridge so we could boondock if we had to, we knew we wanted two AC's (we live in Georgia) we knew I don't rough it so we wanted something somewhat nice and we wanted a brand with a fairly reliable reputation. We went with a dealer about 3 hours away from us, there were others closer with the same model but we didn't like the price they offered or we didn't get a warm and fuzzy feeling from the sales people or they didn't get good reviews. It really boils down to a lot of research and in the end a gut feeling and knowing you are going to end up spending money just about every time you turn around.

 

[IngmarP]

You have received a lot of good advice from the other posters. Choosing a unit is all about trade-offs--cost vs function and comfort vs driveability are just a couple of points. Since you live in Florida I assume you will be doing a lot of hot weather camping. I highly recommend you stay away from RV refrigerators and go with a residential type. It will perform much better in the heat. Also, get at least two air conditioners. Travel trailers are much cheaper than fifth wheels, but large TTs can be difficult to tow and maneuver through gas stations. Fifth wheels, on the other hand, are great if you tow a lot of miles, but they often require a massive (expensive) truck that has a terrible ride when unloaded, is hard to park when sightseeing, and often cannot fit through a fast food drive through lane. One last thing i didn't see mentioned. If there is any way possible, you should have some kind of shelter for storing the trailer, regardless of what you choose. You won't have snow as we do here in Maryland, but you will have a lot of rain and sun that will age the camper quickly.

 

[Schneewittchen37]

Wow, you're asking a lot of us. So I wrote a wandering essay.

First, DH and I bought a used 30' Class C MH in 2006. It was 3 years old and a former rental fleet RV, so it had about 80,000 miles on it, but was well-maintained and very sturdily constructed. We paid maybe $28,000 for it??? It was a long time ago. Anyway, we were youngish and had been married about 3 years and didn't have any kids yet. We did a lot of road-tripping in our car, DH loved camping, but I'd never been camping before. An unfortunate issue with our house made us want to buy an RV or trailer to live in for a few weeks. (That's another story) My real point here is that every year retirees buy motorhomes or trailers, barely use them and then they end up on the used market. You can get a lot of value for the money with a well-maintained used vehicle or last year's model.

We looked at travel trailers, but our pickup didn't have the towing capabilities for a decent (even lightweight) trailer. The rig we ended up buying was a Ford V10 and was built by Thor Industries (I'm very pleased with the quality of this brand). Bedroom in the back with a queen bed and closets. Bathroom in the middle with a shower, steel sink and porcelain toilet. Up front we had a queen bunk over the driver compartment, a sofa that converted to a full size bed and a dinette that converted to a bed. In theory, the vehicle sleeps 7. The kitchen area had a 3 burner range, an LP gas refrigerator (about apartment sized), a steel sink with 2 basins and a convection microwave (great for baking brownies!). All of the floors were vinyl tile. I tell you this because coach construction is important. Movement from driving and UV damage is going affect how things hold up, plastic is going to crack. Stuff is going to work itself loose. Steel sinks and a porcelain commode are a big plus. Carpet is going to get nasty - especially if you have kids or pets around. Or if you go to the beach or if you stay at a campground and it rains. Basically, avoid carpet as much as possible. Look for solid wood construction on the cabinetry. It's not easy to find a king size bed. If you're looking for marble floors, full size bathrooms, washer/dryers, regular refrigerators and fireplaces, I'm going to ask you "do you really want to camp? do you really want an RV?". Get a vacation condo or a timeshare or just get a mobile home for your lot while you build. You don't really want an RV if you want luxury. Focus on useful stuff like the size of your holding tanks, good size awnings to keep out the sun and get a good generator (you'll love it when you're boondocking). Solar panels are good too.

Things to keep in mind:
1. Is it going to get messed up by sand or mud?
2. Will it fit? Very large RVs and trailers are hard to drive, hard to park, hard to find a campground site big enough. Is it going to take over your driveway?
3. Does it need too much power? If you get a rig that needs 50 amps, you are less flexible when you camp, just saying....
4. Is it so darn heavy that it's going to mess up your asphalt?

In the end, we had 2 kids and 2 dogs. We took that RV all over the country and put about 100,000 more miles on it. We tended to RV about 4 weeks a year. Took it us all over, super hot weather, cold weather, dry deserts, damp and gross places. Beach, mountains, desert, plains. It's old. The coach is starting to wear out and it's having fuel injection issues. Over the years, we've had to deal with random squawks in the coach. Expect a couple hundred dollars in coach work every year. Some years are cheaper than others. Sometimes it's just a plastic cover that gets brittle form UV damage, sometimes it's a new stovetop or a plumbing repair. There's a lot of yearly maintenance involving all of the caulk.

As for the drivetrain and chassis, it's all large vehicle maintenance. Tires, tires, tires. An oil change after every big trip. A trailer will be less of a headache than a proper motorhome, but this will put a lot of wear and tear on your tow vehicle. You will have to be very conscientious in caring for your truck or you will be spending a lot of time on the side of the road with a big tow bill. This is going to be a couple thousand every year. Make sure your insurance covers a tow!!!!!

Initially outfitting the RV is expensive. It's like buying everything you need when you first moved into your own apartment after college. Linens, kitchen stuff, cleaning supplies, lawn chairs, charcoal and propane grills, whatever. Expect to spend a couple grand on that. We ended up buying and installing a TV with a built in radio and DVD player. We installed fans that could run off the coach battery too (again, important when you're boondocking).

Cost of sites - I've paid everything from $15 to about $110/night. In theory, you could pay more but then those places are for pompous fools. Federal, state and local parks are going to be on the low end with minimal hookups. Often no hookups, just a place to fill your water tank and maybe a dump. A state or local park is more likely to have a water or electrical hookup, but still no sewer. A privately run park is more likely to have full hookups. And they cost a lot more. Usually $35+ a night. A really nice resort with all of the amenities (like Fort Wilderness or something in the Keys or Arizona) could be more like $90+ a night. But watch out for private run parks with weird rules about the ages or types of rigs allowed. Get a KOA membership, the rewards add up quickly, and it's nice to have a trustworthy place to stop on the interstate on the way to someplace better. You might want to do the Good Sam membership too, those discounts are helpful when you need to put money into fixing up the coach.

Anyway, my RV hasn't been reliable in about 2 years. We're looking at getting a bunkhouse travel trailer in the 26' - 30' range as soon as coronavirus stops ruining everything. Oh how I miss just a week in the spring at Fort Wilderness or a 3 week summer vacation to the Pacific Northwest or New Mexico...... Long weekends at the beach. After the kids start college, we may go back to a Class C motorhome; it's nice to play at being the inflight attendant. Let me fetch you a Pepsi dear.

 

[Stratman50th]

@LovesTimone , I'm very interested in what you finally decide on so hopefully you'll keep us posted on your search. We're Florida residents too and love traveling the state for now until we retire. Number one on your search I'd say is decide how you will use it and plan accordingly. Next would be find the floor plan that suits you best. Then start your research and walk throughs. There's more RV dealers around here than alligators so you can see lots of makes and models, which you should do. If you're near central Florida, check out Lazy Days. They have a huge selection of new and used to go through.
We actually have a class A so I really can't give you much advice on bumper pulls or 5th wheels. Keep asking questions in here as these folks are pretty knowledgeable. Finally, like I said in the beginning, keep us posted on what you're up to. We enjoy hearing about people's progress.
Don

 

[Sjm9911]

Buying something used or renting one to check it out is a good idea.

 

[SL6827]

I just want to say I feel you. I literally hate camping. My husband loves it. And we own a lake lot in Alabama with the whole nine yards. Boat launch and all. Me and him literally have nothing in common but two girls.

 

[Sjm9911]

Its really all about what you make it. You can camp as primative as you like , so no hook ups , ac , etc. or use it as a moving hotel room with all the conveniences as home. I do both with mine. It atually performs good for me both ways. Im a camper and can sit out by the fire every night my daughter is more princess, so she needs power for the i pad and AC. It dosent matter how you camp, but what you get out of it. Glamper or camper, all good. Just have fun with it.

 

[Boopuff]

Number one: good tow vehicle. Remember that the weight on a trailer is empty!! not full with all your goodies!
Two: Test out all the campers you can. Lay down on the bed (finding a King could be tricky) most campers have "rv queen" beds.
As far as fridge/washers etc. I think you'll find the more "homey" aspects in a 5th wheel.
It's always a lot of fun going to shows! We started with a pop-up moved into a hybrid, then a full on travel trailer now we travel in a full on land yacht. Good luck

 

[Stratman50th]

Its really all about what you make it. You can camp as primative as you like , so no hook ups , ac , etc. or use it as a moving hotel room with all the conveniences as home. I do both with mine. It atually performs good for me both ways. Im a camper and can sit out by the fire every night my daughter is more princess, so she needs power for the i pad and AC. It dosent matter how you camp, but what you get out of it. Glamper or camper, all good. Just have fun with it.

Glad you made this point. When we bought ours it was always meant to be our "condo". In fact, we thought about buying a condo but decided we wanted to travel too. We don't "camp", nor do we boondock and I make no excuses or apologize for it. We go to places that have a flat pad, water, sewer and 50 amp power. The closest we ever came to boondocking was when Irma shut off the power and we had to use the generator for 8 days. We go to a park that's as close as we can get to our desired destination and use the car to do our sightseeing just as though we were in a hotel or lodge. Oh yeah, I guess you could say we own one of those "Land Yachts" and love every minute of it.
As was said by Sjm991, buy what you like and want to use it for and don't worry about what others think, unless of course they're paying the bills.....

 

[John VN]

DW and I started looking at these and then went WAY DOWN!!!!!

 

[Sjm9911]

Lol!

 

[StormyCA]

I'll leave the towing 'technical' questions to the experts on this thread. The only thing I will say is that you have to be sure that your tow vehicle is 'rated' (has adequate power and braking) to tow the loaded weight of your trailer. This isn't only important for being able to get over the hills at more than 5 mph, it's extremely important for being able to STOP as quickly as possible in an emergency. One of the biggest pet peeves of my nDH (and most tow-drivers) is seeing HUGE trailers/5th wheels being towed by an underpowered vehicle. So be sure you factor in the potential cost of 'upgrading' your tow rig.

I told nDH when we married that my idea of 'roughing it' was a hotel with no room service. That being said I did do the tent thing for quite a few things when our kids were small, income and budgets being what they were. When I couldn't stand it anymore our 1st was a VW Vanagon because I said I didn't want to sleep on the ground. But that quickly escalated to "I will not sleep anywhere without a flush toilet" and hey presto, our first trailer! We 'upgraded' some years ago to a longer and 'taller' model.

You say your DH is 6'4". Mine's 6'5". So when you're perusing brochures be sure you check not only for the interior height, but whether or not there is anything protruding from the ceiling like lights, AC, etc. Our TT has 7 ft interior height with 2" protrusion for light fixtures HOWEVER the slide out ceiling is 6' so nDH still has to 'duck'.

As far as beds, we tried and tried. Remember that RV mattress sizes are NOT the same as 'regular' mattresses. RV 'Kings' are usually narrower and either 75" or 80" long. We couldn't find the trailer configuration we liked with an 80" King and side tables for both of us, so we ended up with twins and a center table. It works just fine.

Your 'standard' RV shower cubby will always be small for a big guy and the shower head will be low for a tall guy.

As far as fridges go, I would recommend that you get a model with 'dual fuel', that is to say it runs on shore power (hook up elec) as well as propane. My understanding is that the 'residential-style' larger fridges that are becoming popular are electric only, meaning you're either on shore power or running a generator. That being said, we've never had a problem with loading up the fridge with food or grill-fare. And we pack for 10 day X-country road trips.

And that brings me to generators. Most of your 'standard' TTs do NOT have an on-board generator. Motorhomes, Toy Haulers and (I believe) your larger 'high end' 5-ers do. You will need a generator unless you plan to stay 100% at RV parks. It's amazing how fast your batteries run down just on your 'day to day' RV lifestyle. I recommend the Honda 'super quiet' series. The difference in noise level is noticeable.

I do agree with a PP who suggested you rent first. And most importantly, that you visit plenty of RV shows. Just don't get talked into something before you are 100% sure that you are ready. And remember that there will be things you'll have to compromise on. Unless you've got the megabucks to go 'custom', there will always be a compromise or two.

 

[John VN]

p.s. to everything mentioned ---

While head room will be vital throughout the RV, butt room in the bathroom is also and many people forget to sit to see how things feel. Not that much time will be spent seated on the throne, it's just that maneuverability can be an issue for some.

Our 36' A has a complete bath for DW and the 1/2 for me with a kitchen to my liking since I do the cookng and I really enjoy having the washer/dryer combo since doing laundry is my thing.

 

[StormyCA]

p.s. to everything mentioned ---

While head room will be vital throughout the RV, butt room in the bathroom is also and many people forget to sit to see how things feel. Not that much time will be spent seated on the throne, it's just that maneuverability can be an issue for some.

Our 36' A has a complete bath for DW and the 1/2 for me with a kitchen to my liking since I do the cookng and I really enjoy having the washer/dryer combo since doing laundry is my thing.

Now that's my idea of RV heaven! (And the secret of a happy RV'ing couple!)