I was a full-timer between 2006-2008. I traveled in an Arctic Fox 31W pulled by a GMC 2500 truck. It was the best time of my life! If you are on the fence about full-timing don’t waste another minute.... just go for it! I had to sell the AF-31W and my truck in 2009, but I want to hit the road again in 2014 with a customized travel trailer.
Here are (5) important things I learned in my first full-timing experience that might help you in selecting an RV;
1) It’s not about the size of your rig, it’s the floor plan and design that make the real difference. A good floor plan in a small RV is better than a bad floor plan in a bigger one.
2) Throw the manufacturers "RV mattress" in the garbage and get a real comfortable residential mattress. You’ll spend 1/3 of your day on it so get the best you can.
3) RV doorways are awful. They swing open in the wind, bring in rain water, provide a small entry way, are difficult to open when holding items and they let in very little light (it’s one of the most enclosing components).... so if there is a way ADD a sliding glass door.
4) The bigger the bathroom the better. Better to have a bigger bathroom than another closet for stuff you really don’t need to take.
5) Find a way to install a washer/dryer. Anything you spend to buy one you will make back in a short time. It will free up your time to do the things you want. You won’t have to wait till 7am when the laundromat opens, or have to go find quarters, or have to keep coming back to see if it’s your turn.
Happy Trails....
igotjam said
06:08 PM Feb 14, 2013
Interesting take on it, but everyone is different. I have been fulltiming 6 years, and would disagree with points 3, 4 & 5 totally. I think your view of these things varies depending upon who you are, how you fulltime, and your life experiences. The one part of your post I totally agree with is "the best part of my life" part.
bjoyce said
06:58 PM Feb 14, 2013
I agree with igotjam, these are very individual choices. I agree with #5 for different reasons, especially if anyone in the family has allergies or sensitivities to soaps or fragrances. I also do not agree with #3 and #4. Our entry doors are fine and we don't spend that much time in the bathroom to allocate more space to it than needed. We replaced our RV mattress quickly and now have a high end Sleep Number bed with memory foam. Big bucks but getting comfortable sleep is very important.
Everyone has to figure out what is important to them. That is why I tell people their first full time RV might not be the right one, but they need to live with it a while to find out. Another reason not to shoot your financial wad on it. Of course many won't listen.
ROADDOG said
07:48 PM Feb 14, 2013
Thank you for your replies. Yes, of course "everyone is different" and just about all things in life are "individual choices", but that also applies to eating at a bad restaurant as one can still choose to do so or consider the advice of others that have eaten there before. I believe the key to successful full-timing is to do it in a RV that most resembles the way you would live in a fixed home. Do you have an RV swinging door that leads out to your patio at home? (one that brings rain in when you close it after having it pinned back to use the screen door?)....so why would one want that on the road? Certainly not all could have a sliding glass screen door on a built lot model, but if you could.... do it. Most RV bathrooms are like airplane bathrooms...sure you'll use anything if you have to go and get used to what you have if you bought it that way, but if you could why not have a bigger one that makes taking a shower or a bath more comfortable? (we all spend a lot of time in there)
Here are (3) more.... (These are good to consider if you are ordering a unit from the factory and can make small changes)
6) Tankless water heaters should be a must. (and they have come down in price) 7) Don't get skylights (they will look great the first 3 days and then they will always look dirty, get cloudy...and just try cleaning them) 8) Avoid pass-thru storage to interior (just another way for bugs, rodents and drafts to come in)
Happy Trails....
Raytronx said
08:01 PM Feb 14, 2013
I guess a major difference would be if your mostly at full hookups or like to dry camp a lot.
Like a washer and dryer for a hardcore boondocker is next to useless but a built in generator is golden.
Dog Folks said
08:40 PM Feb 14, 2013
After 6 years of full time and talking to many others while campground hosting, IMHO, full timing is two things: 1. always changing and evolving for you. 2. Is so widely varied as it is different for every person/couple.
I have stopped replying to: "What type of RV should I get?" There are just so many variables.
I will reply to; "Do you like your unit?"
bjoyce said
09:36 PM Feb 14, 2013
We also might have a better entry door and bathroom arrangement than ROADDOG did. As "he" said, floor plan matters.
There are a lot of variables with full timers. How much you boondock is one, some want to do it as close to all the time as possible, others don't want to do it even one night. I met a couple once who went from avid boondockers who looked down on those that did not to having a medical need to be in campgrounds every day. They stayed on the road and learned to be much, much more tolerant about others choices.
Read, watch, listen. Try not to make mistakes that make you dislike the lifestyle. If the RV is wrong, fix it. If there is no money left, sorry. If you thought someone would change their mind after being on the road a while and it didn't happen, it is not the fault of others. We all have to find our own way. No one else can make the decisions for you, but many will try.
MarkS said
04:37 AM Feb 15, 2013
I agree with everybody, all the time. Whatever I think I want today is likely to change after I have been fulltime for a few months. That said, there is one absolute non-negotiable that will not change as long as clothes are fashionable. I will have a washer and dryer and I will run the generator when boon docking and dump the gray tank as frequently as necessary. What I will not do is be seen in the proximity of a laundromat and I am unanimous in that! For some people it's clowns. For me it's laundromats.
Lucky Mike said
04:49 AM Feb 15, 2013
Im with Mark.....!!!!!
Gotta have my washer and dryer!!!.......add up total laundry cost and it paid for itself in the first year!!! and I dont have to run around the park trying to find out who's Granny bloomers ended up in my laundry!!
As far as units....Ive tried them all over the years and learned not to go with the flow, but go with my needs...my coach doesnt have to be new it has to be comfortable......of course it also has to be extremely boondockable too!!!......We all have our preference...some want to see nature at its best......some want to be a part of nature at its best.....and some just have the nature just to be far from it!!!!!
SnowGypsy said
04:41 PM Feb 16, 2013
On laundry, I was reading in another forum this week that some people were pleased with a Panda washer (some use the Wonder Washer) and small spin dryer (removes a lot of water but doesn't actually dry). I located both at Amazon to just look at them and how the reviews were. We had a Splendide in a 5th wheel that we owned some years back, I called it my husband's "hobby" for reasons I won't go into and it added a lot of humidity to the trailer which was good in our location.
It is always good to see what everyone likes and doesn't like because it always provides "food for thought" and then, sometimes you get lucky and find someone that is on the same page and you can learn from the mistakes and mishaps of others and save yourself some agony.
Bigger isn't always better and doesn't equate to more storage. Some people need more storage and some don't. I never liked the fifth-wheel because of the steps and the air never properly circulated to suit me and the slide made me crazy (crazier, more crazy which ever it is) because I have an obsession about symmetry. We like travel trailers, open ones, small and plan to make one our full-timing home.
Technomadia said
09:52 PM Feb 16, 2013
I'll concur that it's all about the layout, not necessarily the size of the rig. And not to hesitate to make it your own and making it as comfortable as possible.
But the rest of the stuff... really is subjective, and difficult to generalize on. We're all different and so aren't our travel styles and priorities.
Personally, I don't miss having a washer/dryer and really like being able to get 2 weeks worth of laundry done in a couple hours by running multiple loads at a laundromat. They don't freak me out. But, some don't find it a hassle to be constantly doing smaller loads and feel the spaced they take up is worth it, and that's cool too.
And for us, we really like the size of our bathroom - we found a floorplan that allows it to be a very usable smaller side bath to allow other folks to continue moving around the coach. Or both the doors open to make it double in size, creating a really spacious dressing area while blocking passage between the bedroom/living area. Heck, after full timing for our first year without a bathroom, I'm thrilled to have one at all :).
- Cherie
Delaine and Lindy said
02:08 AM Feb 17, 2013
W/D are one of the best options, we would never buy a RV without a W/D. Happy Trails...
kb0zke said
04:48 AM Feb 17, 2013
Two years ago we started our research by asking people why THEY chose the type of coach they had. We didn't know enough to have any intelligent thoughts on what we wanted or needed, so we started by trying to get the reasoning of others. It didn't take long for us to develop some ideas of we were going to want and need. Then we could revise our questions to find out how well each class of RV would work for us. We started with the idea that a 5'er would be ideal, and a motor home would be too expensive. As we asked questions of owners and sales people we realized that a motor home would be the best FOR US. Further research got us to a few brands, and more research got us to the features that we must have and "non-features" that must not be present. We're now looking at specific coaches, knowing that one day we will see the one for us.
GENECOP said
03:23 PM Feb 17, 2013
We opted out of the washer/dryer, it might change, but the reasons being
1-Space can be put to better use 2- We are in no hurry, if we are, we are doing something wrong. 3- Forces us to walk, get out, carry something, back and forth.. 4- Gets us exposed to other Rv'ers. Many good contacts and conversations had in the laundry room.
Rob_Fla said
03:33 PM Feb 17, 2013
I agree, Fulltiming means something different to everybody, that is what makes this lifestyle so neat, there is no "Right Way" to Fulltime !!!!
We meet a lot of Fulltimers on the road and everybody's lifestyle and stories are different, guess one thing that is common is they all love the fulltime lifestyle.
For us here are some of the things that are important and not so important.
1. I agree with the right Floorplan comments, finding the right floorplan for your lifestyle and wants is most important. Again everybody has different wants and needs.
2. A great mattress is very important, this is your home and a good nights sleep is Priceless !!!
3. Our RV door seems to be fine, it has a big window in it. For us we would not want a sliding glass door. (There are some manufacturers now offering sliding glass doors options on 5th wheels and TT's.)
4. Bathroom, I am not sure if bigger is better, guess I would say "Functional" bathroom, that is what was important to us. (We do not spend much time in the Bathroom) Our bathroom is not the biggest but it does have a nice layout, good size shower, nice size lavatory and quite a bit of storage for bathroom stuff and towels in the bathroom.
5. Washer / Dryer, for us we have one and love it. But again our Fulltime lifestyle park hookups, we do not boondock, (Wife is a 50 Amp Queen) Having the ability to do wash clothes when we want to even though it is a little at the time, it works for us.
6. Tankless water heater a must? Not so sure about that, we have a standard 12 Gal water heater and we have never run out of hot water, even in the cold winter. Also since we stay in parks and use their electricity, I run our water heater on electric. If we had a tankless, they only operate on "MY" Propane.
7. I would agree with Don't get skylights, they are a PITA
8. Avoid pass-thru storage to interior (just another way for bugs, rodents and drafts to come in. This was a interesting comment as I have never seen a 5th wheel with pass thru storage to the interior, but I agree.
9. Then there is the Generator question, we have Generator Prep on our 5th Wheel but no Generator. We have thought about getting a generator but we have had many TTs and 5ers in the past and now have been Fulltiming for about a year and 1/2, I only remember one time in the last 30 years of RVing when it would have been nice to have a generator. Again different strokes for different folks, our Fulltime lifestyle is full hook up parks so we do not have much use for a generator.
10. Leveling system, our 5th Wheel did not come with a leveling system (It was not offered by Manufacturer at the time) but this is on our list for this year. Again with our lifestyle moving from park to park, we want the convenience of a leveling system so we will be installing one this year. Many RVers look at the expense of a leveling system and say, I will just use wood or plastic blocks and pocket the money.
So again, as H & L say, No Right Way to Fulltime.
If it works for you, then you got it right!!! The main thing is to enjoy everyday to its fullest, do not look back, always look forward!!!
Terry and Jo said
10:58 PM Feb 17, 2013
As for comment #8 and the pass through with access to the interior, we had a 26-foot Rockwood fifth wheel with a cabinet under the closet. That cabinet had a hole in the floor so one could drop dirty clothes through it and into a plastic laundry basket kept in the basement area. That is the only thing that I could think of that would be close to the description of number 8.
As for washer and dryer, if one were to be living in one place for some time, as we are, they are very handy. Here in Oklahoma City, there aren't that many "good" laundromats worth using. We've had problems with our washer at times and have had to utilize those laundromats. The RV park right next door has 4 washers and 4 dryers, but we hate to go there to use their equipment as we aren't "tenants" of the park, but are in a mobile home park right next door.
The closest commercial laundromat is about 7 miles away and a load of laundry costs $3.50 with free drying. Another is about 10 miles away but only charges $1.50 per load but that amount for both washing and drying. Neither of those two places are clean in any way, shape or form. A third one that is clean and charges $1.50 per load is about 20 miles away.
Considering the cost of the laundry loads and the cost of fuel to go there to wash, we figure it is cheaper to have our own washer and dryer. However, in our case, our Mobile Suites has a cabinet in the bedroom slide made specifically for a side by side set of units.
Oh, and Jo considers the laundromats as a waste of time as she can be doing other things at home if she has her own set of laundry equipment. And since everyone knows that if the lady is happy, life is a lot more pleasant.
Terry
Rob_Fla said
12:17 AM Feb 18, 2013
Terry,
I agree, if Mama is not Happy, Nobody is Happy !!!!
The Bear II said
07:46 PM Mar 6, 2013
I agree with poster on #4, 3 & 2
I agree with commenter 4 but not line 6
I disagree with commenter 6 except his signature
I'm not sure about commenter 8
Commenter 12 seems like a nice person
I agree with line 3, 5, 7, 12, 22 and 99 from commenter 14
I'm ignoring everything The Bear II said
So now I want to know...did you go back and look through the posts to see which ones I liked or disliked ???? Sorry.....
bjoyce said
10:45 PM Mar 6, 2013
The Bear II: I have had a couple bosses like you but they didn't tell me to ignore their comments.
kb0zke said
01:13 AM Mar 11, 2013
Our Foretravel is supposed to have w/d hookups, but so far we haven't seen them. I suspect that they are under a couple of panels in one of the closets. Eventually I'll call Foretravel to see what's what in that department. That was really the only "must" that we wondered about before we bought the coach. We're not going to do a lot of boondocking, but do want the ability to do so should be desire. We also wanted to be able to get to the bathroom at any time, which eliminated quite a few coaches, especially 5'ers.
One point to consider is storage space. We rather reluctantly eliminated one brand that we both liked because of the lack of storage space. Maybe 50 years ago people got by with less, but we really wondered where to put several of the items that we must take with us. Now that we have our coach home, we can figure out what will live where, both when traveling and when set up in the campground.
Quality construction is THE most important factor followed by layout, at least for us. Once we got into our heads what both of those looked like we were able to narrow our choices down fairly quickly.
I was a full-timer between 2006-2008. I traveled in an Arctic Fox 31W pulled by a GMC 2500 truck. It was the best time of my life! If you are on the fence about full-timing don’t waste another minute.... just go for it! I had to sell the AF-31W and my truck in 2009, but I want to hit the road again in 2014 with a customized travel trailer.
Here are (5) important things I learned in my first full-timing experience that might help you in selecting an RV;
1) It’s not about the size of your rig, it’s the floor plan and design that make the real difference. A good floor plan in a small RV is better than a bad floor plan in a bigger one.
2) Throw the manufacturers "RV mattress" in the garbage and get a real comfortable residential mattress. You’ll spend 1/3 of your day on it so get the best you can.
3) RV doorways are awful. They swing open in the wind, bring in rain water, provide a small entry way, are difficult to open when holding items and they let in very little light (it’s one of the most enclosing components).... so if there is a way ADD a sliding glass door.
4) The bigger the bathroom the better. Better to have a bigger bathroom than another closet for stuff you really don’t need to take.
5) Find a way to install a washer/dryer. Anything you spend to buy one you will make back in a short time. It will free up your time to do the things you want. You won’t have to wait till 7am when the laundromat opens, or have to go find quarters, or have to keep coming back to see if it’s your turn.
Happy Trails....
Everyone has to figure out what is important to them. That is why I tell people their first full time RV might not be the right one, but they need to live with it a while to find out. Another reason not to shoot your financial wad on it. Of course many won't listen.
Here are (3) more.... (These are good to consider if you are ordering a unit from the factory and can make small changes)
6) Tankless water heaters should be a must. (and they have come down in price)
7) Don't get skylights (they will look great the first 3 days and then they will always look dirty, get cloudy...and just try cleaning them)
8) Avoid pass-thru storage to interior (just another way for bugs, rodents and drafts to come in)
Happy Trails....
Like a washer and dryer for a hardcore boondocker is next to useless but a built in generator is golden.
I have stopped replying to: "What type of RV should I get?" There are just so many variables.
I will reply to; "Do you like your unit?"
There are a lot of variables with full timers. How much you boondock is one, some want to do it as close to all the time as possible, others don't want to do it even one night. I met a couple once who went from avid boondockers who looked down on those that did not to having a medical need to be in campgrounds every day. They stayed on the road and learned to be much, much more tolerant about others choices.
Read, watch, listen. Try not to make mistakes that make you dislike the lifestyle. If the RV is wrong, fix it. If there is no money left, sorry. If you thought someone would change their mind after being on the road a while and it didn't happen, it is not the fault of others. We all have to find our own way. No one else can make the decisions for you, but many will try.
Gotta have my washer and dryer!!!.......add up total laundry cost and it paid for itself in the first year!!! and I dont have to run around the park trying to find out who's Granny bloomers ended up in my laundry!!
As far as units....Ive tried them all over the years and learned not to go with the flow, but go with my needs...my coach doesnt have to be new it has to be comfortable......of course it also has to be extremely boondockable too!!!......We all have our preference...some want to see nature at its best......some want to be a part of nature at its best.....and some just have the nature just to be far from it!!!!!
It is always good to see what everyone likes and doesn't like because it always provides "food for thought" and then, sometimes you get lucky and find someone that is on the same page and you can learn from the mistakes and mishaps of others and save yourself some agony.
Bigger isn't always better and doesn't equate to more storage. Some people need more storage and some don't. I never liked the fifth-wheel because of the steps and the air never properly circulated to suit me and the slide made me crazy (crazier, more crazy which ever it is) because I have an obsession about symmetry. We like travel trailers, open ones, small and plan to make one our full-timing home.
But the rest of the stuff... really is subjective, and difficult to generalize on. We're all different and so aren't our travel styles and priorities.
Personally, I don't miss having a washer/dryer and really like being able to get 2 weeks worth of laundry done in a couple hours by running multiple loads at a laundromat. They don't freak me out. But, some don't find it a hassle to be constantly doing smaller loads and feel the spaced they take up is worth it, and that's cool too.
And for us, we really like the size of our bathroom - we found a floorplan that allows it to be a very usable smaller side bath to allow other folks to continue moving around the coach. Or both the doors open to make it double in size, creating a really spacious dressing area while blocking passage between the bedroom/living area. Heck, after full timing for our first year without a bathroom, I'm thrilled to have one at all :).
- Cherie
1-Space can be put to better use
2- We are in no hurry, if we are, we are doing something wrong.
3- Forces us to walk, get out, carry something, back and forth..
4- Gets us exposed to other Rv'ers. Many good contacts and conversations had in the laundry room.
I agree, Fulltiming means something different to everybody, that is what makes this lifestyle so neat, there is no "Right Way" to Fulltime !!!!
We meet a lot of Fulltimers on the road and everybody's lifestyle and stories are different, guess one thing that is common is they all love the fulltime lifestyle.
For us here are some of the things that are important and not so important.
1. I agree with the right Floorplan comments, finding the right floorplan for your lifestyle and wants is most important. Again everybody has different wants and needs.
2. A great mattress is very important, this is your home and a good nights sleep is Priceless !!!
3. Our RV door seems to be fine, it has a big window in it. For us we would not want a sliding glass door. (There are some manufacturers now offering sliding glass doors options on 5th wheels and TT's.)
4. Bathroom, I am not sure if bigger is better, guess I would say "Functional" bathroom, that is what was important to us. (We do not spend much time in the Bathroom) Our bathroom is not the biggest but it does have a nice layout, good size shower, nice size lavatory and quite a bit of storage for bathroom stuff and towels in the bathroom.
5. Washer / Dryer, for us we have one and love it. But again our Fulltime lifestyle park hookups, we do not boondock, (Wife is a 50 Amp Queen) Having the ability to do wash clothes when we want to even though it is a little at the time, it works for us.
6. Tankless water heater a must? Not so sure about that, we have a standard 12 Gal water heater and we have never run out of hot water, even in the cold winter. Also since we stay in parks and use their electricity, I run our water heater on electric. If we had a tankless, they only operate on "MY" Propane.
7. I would agree with Don't get skylights, they are a PITA
8. Avoid pass-thru storage to interior (just another way for bugs, rodents and drafts to come in.
This was a interesting comment as I have never seen a 5th wheel with pass thru storage to the interior, but I agree.
9. Then there is the Generator question, we have Generator Prep on our 5th Wheel but no Generator.
We have thought about getting a generator but we have had many TTs and 5ers in the past and now have been Fulltiming for about a year and 1/2, I only remember one time in the last 30 years of RVing when it would have been nice to have a generator.
Again different strokes for different folks, our Fulltime lifestyle is full hook up parks so we do not have much use for a generator.
10. Leveling system, our 5th Wheel did not come with a leveling system (It was not offered by Manufacturer at the time) but this is on our list for this year. Again with our lifestyle moving from park to park, we want the convenience of a leveling system so we will be installing one this year. Many RVers look at the expense of a leveling system and say, I will just use wood or plastic blocks and pocket the money.
So again, as H & L say, No Right Way to Fulltime.
If it works for you, then you got it right!!! The main thing is to enjoy everyday to its fullest, do not look back, always look forward!!!
As for comment #8 and the pass through with access to the interior, we had a 26-foot Rockwood fifth wheel with a cabinet under the closet. That cabinet had a hole in the floor so one could drop dirty clothes through it and into a plastic laundry basket kept in the basement area. That is the only thing that I could think of that would be close to the description of number 8.
As for washer and dryer, if one were to be living in one place for some time, as we are, they are very handy. Here in Oklahoma City, there aren't that many "good" laundromats worth using. We've had problems with our washer at times and have had to utilize those laundromats. The RV park right next door has 4 washers and 4 dryers, but we hate to go there to use their equipment as we aren't "tenants" of the park, but are in a mobile home park right next door.
The closest commercial laundromat is about 7 miles away and a load of laundry costs $3.50 with free drying. Another is about 10 miles away but only charges $1.50 per load but that amount for both washing and drying. Neither of those two places are clean in any way, shape or form. A third one that is clean and charges $1.50 per load is about 20 miles away.
Considering the cost of the laundry loads and the cost of fuel to go there to wash, we figure it is cheaper to have our own washer and dryer. However, in our case, our Mobile Suites has a cabinet in the bedroom slide made specifically for a side by side set of units.
Oh, and Jo considers the laundromats as a waste of time as she can be doing other things at home if she has her own set of laundry equipment. And since everyone knows that if the lady is happy, life is a lot more pleasant.
Terry
I agree, if Mama is not Happy, Nobody is Happy !!!!
I agree with commenter 4 but not line 6
I disagree with commenter 6 except his signature
I'm not sure about commenter 8
Commenter 12 seems like a nice person
I agree with line 3, 5, 7, 12, 22 and 99 from commenter 14
I'm ignoring everything The Bear II said
So now I want to know...did you go back and look through the posts to see which ones I liked or disliked ???? Sorry.....
One point to consider is storage space. We rather reluctantly eliminated one brand that we both liked because of the lack of storage space. Maybe 50 years ago people got by with less, but we really wondered where to put several of the items that we must take with us. Now that we have our coach home, we can figure out what will live where, both when traveling and when set up in the campground.
Quality construction is THE most important factor followed by layout, at least for us. Once we got into our heads what both of those looked like we were able to narrow our choices down fairly quickly.