My husband and I are highly considering becoming full-timers. My husband is still active duty Army and I am retired Air Force and we are currently stationed at Ft Meade, MD for the next few yrs. We just put our house on the market and are hoping it sells soon. We've been doing all sorts of research on the Internet about RVing and we know a few things so far, try it first, meaning take a vacation and see if it's for you. If you buy have your own knowledgeable mechanic go over every inch of the coach. And buy from a reputable dealership. What we don't know and desperately need to is: how in the world do we get our drivers license? Is there a "drivers education" for Class A motorcoaches? What are the safest or most durable Class A motorcoaches out on the market? My husband and I are pretty taken with the Tiffin Phaeton, what does anyone think about that brand? We have settled on a Diesel engine, we know that. What should we look for in a motorcoach? We're not just interested in the pretty interior, we want safety, security, reliability, value, etc. We don't need crystal drawer handles :0) Our price limit we're going for is no more then $300k. So please, any and all advice is welcome, especially how can we learn to drive one?! And a good rental agency so we can try it out? But mainly, our first step is our drivers license. Thanks for the help, much appreciated.
Urine Tin Tin
Lucky Mike said
05:03 AM Feb 19, 2013
Well first welcome to the forum!!!!
Drivers license is simple......the one you have to drive your car is what you need!!!......no special endorsements I would suggest a driver training course thru one of the rv dealerships near you
as far as witch to buy.....thats a personal preference..and it will be the one your ready to call home!!!!
as for rental on a class a DP, I would suggest a dealership.....but if you mention you havnt driven one it could be a problem
Urinetintin said
06:12 AM Feb 19, 2013
Hi Lucky Mike! Thanks for the advice and quick response! So we don't need a special Class B (noncommercial) endorsement on our drivers license to drive a Class A motorcoach with air brakes? We we still be able to get insurance on the coach without these endorsements? We're so confused. I just want to make sure what we're doing is absolutely legal and up to par and all t's and i's are crossed and dotted. Has anyone ever heard of a "drivers ed" for motor coaches? I mean everyone has got to learn somewhere right? People don't just buy a $300k vehicle and hop in and drive it without knowing what they're doing, do they? Is that legal? Why do the DMV's have all these different endorsements then? We've found one or two courses but one course from a college was asking for $2k just for the course!!! How do people learn to drive these huge buses? Also, there's got to be known RV companies that people know are cheap and to stay away from and also the ones who are reputable, any ideas on those? Since we've been stationed in MD for the past 2.5 yrs, so, so, so many people have tried and sometimes succeeded in ripping us off, we just want to make sure that doesn't happen again. So any knowledge is greatly appreciated! Thank you!
Urine Tin Tin
Terry and Jo said
06:31 AM Feb 19, 2013
Laura,
First of all, thanks to you and your husband for your service to our country. Welcome to the RV Dreams forums, which is a good source of both information and encouragement. Feel free to ask any questions that come to mind, as we all tend to learn from each other.
As for the license, you will need to check with the department of motor vehicles in your state of domicile, which appears to be Maryland. While many states only require one with an RV to have a regular driver's license, some states may require special versions of a license. If you choose to full time RV and choose to select another state for your domicile state, be sure and check the license requirements of that state as well.
When we were looking and researching for our RV, we considered both motorhomes and fifth wheel trailers. With regards to motorhomes, we also took a liking to the Tiffin Phaeton models. We had the good fortune of looking at a good dealership that let us test drive two different models of the Phaeton. We drove a 40-foot model for roughly 80 miles round trip. We later drove a 42-foot Phaeton for a longer test of about 200 miles round trip. That 42-footer was one with what is called a "tag axle," meaning that it had a second axle in the rear with only one tire on each side. The wife and I both thought that the 42-footer with the tag axle seemed to handle with a lot more stability.
While the wife was raised on a farm and was familiar with farm trucks, we did the test drives just to make sure that she would be comfortable with driving a rig that was 40 feet or longer.
Good luck with your research and planning, and we're glad to have you as part of the family.
-- Edited by bjoyce on Tuesday 19th of February 2013 01:49:04 PM
VanMar said
03:30 PM Feb 19, 2013
Laura
Welcome to the forum. Like the others have said, just look at a lot of coaches and pick the one you like best.
As for the driver training: in a previous life I was the contract manager for a private school transportation company. We did rent out school busses to various people and groups for a variety of reasons. I was always renting busses to individuals who needed a vehicle to drive for a class E, or school bus, licence(in KS--For Hire). Consider renting a 60-72 passenger school bus from a private contractor in your area--it will be much cheaper than a motor home. Also, they will always have a driver trainer. Inquire about hiring them in their off-duty time for private instruction. Also, as Mike said, any larger dealership should be able to point you to a driver training service.
Best of luck in your endeavors and thank you both for your service.
Vance
MarkS said
04:26 PM Feb 19, 2013
First, welcome aboard. It is always great to meet brothers and sisters of the fraternity. It never hurts to learn all you can. Many RV dealers offer some form of driver training. I know one of the big ones in Tampa is known for the training they offer. But don't worry too much about that. The coach looks a lot bigger today than it will after you have had it for a few days. You will find that they maneuver around town much easier than it appears they might. Just go a little slower in traffic until you feel secure. Take corners a little wider, slow down as you approach traffic controls, look in your mirrors every 5 to 8 seconds so as to be aware of what is all around you. Keep this in mind, you both qualified for the military. That in itself, makes you smarter than 50% of the truck drivers on the road. I apologize to all the dumb truck drivers but, the smart truck drivers know what I mean.
When it comes to picking a coach, the more you shop the more you learn. I doubt that any are really junk. Some cost more than others which indicates a level of quality. With your budget, you will do fine locating a good solid coach.
PIEERE said
07:04 PM Feb 19, 2013
Welcome folk; from one Old Army Vet to another! I agree I would find a place to get Driver Training; Baltimore and the D.C. area should have plenty of opportunities: Try a transit/city bus company and find out where or if they do training. This is not your grandfathers Oldsmobile....LOL! When I trained for my bus license; even being a heavy vehicle mechanic; I learned that before you drove off...their was certain safety checks you should perform; the maintenance intervals and the hazards from other traffic on the highways. Being around RVs continously since 2009. I 've heard owners of Travel Supreme, Tiffin; Navistar; Discovery praise units they had for 3-5 years. A Cummins diesel; with Allinson Transmission seems to be most everyones choice of power-train. Happy Trails!!!!
Terry and Jo said
02:28 AM Feb 20, 2013
Just a note as a follow-up about your Maryland license. I was just reading over on another forum that I frequent that Maryland will allow a "normal" license if the combined weight of the rig is under 26,000 lbs. I would suspect that a Tiffin might be over that weight, so be sure and verify with the state's DMV.
Terry
NorCal Dan said
05:17 AM Feb 20, 2013
Urinetintin wrote:
People don't just buy a $300k vehicle and hop in and drive it without knowing what they're doing, do they?
Yes. I was one of those people. Like you I was worried about driving a monster vehicle. For the first few months I took it slow and calculated, never in a hurry, and always thinking ahead before committing. It's actually a lot of fun to drive and the view out the window is fantastic.
Welcome to the forum, and thanks to both of you for your service to our country.
lasvegasron said
01:15 AM Feb 23, 2013
First off most licenses cover you driving a motorhome and states that reqire more, you don't want to be there anyway. Tiffen is a popular Class A and I think they are #1 in sales. Some things that are IMPORTANT
1) When you buy it have a Montana LLC in place, NO Sales Tax, First year plates $300...I paid cash and saved a bundle.
2) Cost, If you look at at MSRP on the sticker you should be able to pay about 70-75% of that, any more...walk. I shopped, listened to all of the buy it today deals and ended up buying from a dealer (ordered it) and paid $5000 over cost. Shop the internet, look around
3) If you buy a new one/used one ALWAYS get an extended warranty. (you should pay about $5000 for 7 years) Motorhomes always need some repairs and you will get you money's worth.
Go out and look online for something late model, I think you could get a nice Monaco Dynasty (2007-2009) for your price range. The American Coach is a good unit. Be sure to get the tag axle. If you look at 40 foot, 3-5 feet more make no difference and having the weight carrying capacity will make a huge difference. Try to stay with 2007 or later units. There are many that are lightly used and about 1/2 of their original cost.
Take care and good luck
bjoyce said
03:06 AM Feb 23, 2013
I don't fully agree with lasvegasron but I am sure these were steps that were good for his needs. Read, listen, evaluate why others like something and decide how much of their advice will apply to you. Including mine.
Terry and Jo said
05:00 AM Feb 23, 2013
I agree with Bill on this one. The Montana LLC is not always suitable for everyone and is not always recognized in some ways, from what I've read on some of the forums. As we are still "static" full-timers, we've not had to look into the issue of a new domicile state. We may keep Oklahoma as ours as we have family here and there are no restrictions on using a normal driver's license for driving an RV. (And, they keep talking about ending the state income tax. We'll see about that one.)
Lasvegasron is right about the Tiffin's sales, though. At the latest RV show that we attended, there was a sign at the Tiffin dealer's area that said that the Tiffin brand was the biggest seller, AND that the Phaeton was the most popular Tiffin.
Drivers license is simple......the one you have to drive your car is what you need!!!......no special endorsements
I would suggest a driver training course thru one of the rv dealerships near you
as far as witch to buy.....thats a personal preference..and it will be the one your ready to call home!!!!
as for rental on a class a DP, I would suggest a dealership.....but if you mention you havnt driven one it could be a problem
Laura,
First of all, thanks to you and your husband for your service to our country. Welcome to the RV Dreams forums, which is a good source of both information and encouragement. Feel free to ask any questions that come to mind, as we all tend to learn from each other.
As for the license, you will need to check with the department of motor vehicles in your state of domicile, which appears to be Maryland. While many states only require one with an RV to have a regular driver's license, some states may require special versions of a license. If you choose to full time RV and choose to select another state for your domicile state, be sure and check the license requirements of that state as well.
When we were looking and researching for our RV, we considered both motorhomes and fifth wheel trailers. With regards to motorhomes, we also took a liking to the Tiffin Phaeton models. We had the good fortune of looking at a good dealership that let us test drive two different models of the Phaeton. We drove a 40-foot model for roughly 80 miles round trip. We later drove a 42-foot Phaeton for a longer test of about 200 miles round trip. That 42-footer was one with what is called a "tag axle," meaning that it had a second axle in the rear with only one tire on each side. The wife and I both thought that the 42-footer with the tag axle seemed to handle with a lot more stability.
While the wife was raised on a farm and was familiar with farm trucks, we did the test drives just to make sure that she would be comfortable with driving a rig that was 40 feet or longer.
Good luck with your research and planning, and we're glad to have you as part of the family.
Terry
RV Driving School locations - http://www.rvschool.com/rvschool/Current_School_Locations.html. It looks like nothing that close to Maryland, with the closest in Myrtle Beach, SC. Come later in Spring many of the instructors will move north.
-- Edited by bjoyce on Tuesday 19th of February 2013 01:49:04 PM
Laura
Welcome to the forum. Like the others have said, just look at a lot of coaches and pick the one you like best.
As for the driver training: in a previous life I was the contract manager for a private school transportation company. We did rent out school busses to various people and groups for a variety of reasons. I was always renting busses to individuals who needed a vehicle to drive for a class E, or school bus, licence(in KS--For Hire). Consider renting a 60-72 passenger school bus from a private contractor in your area--it will be much cheaper than a motor home. Also, they will always have a driver trainer. Inquire about hiring them in their off-duty time for private instruction. Also, as Mike said, any larger dealership should be able to point you to a driver training service.
Best of luck in your endeavors and thank you both for your service.
Vance
When it comes to picking a coach, the more you shop the more you learn. I doubt that any are really junk. Some cost more than others which indicates a level of quality. With your budget, you will do fine locating a good solid coach.
Just a note as a follow-up about your Maryland license. I was just reading over on another forum that I frequent that Maryland will allow a "normal" license if the combined weight of the rig is under 26,000 lbs. I would suspect that a Tiffin might be over that weight, so be sure and verify with the state's DMV.
Terry
Yes. I was one of those people. Like you I was worried about driving a monster vehicle. For the first few months I took it slow and calculated, never in a hurry, and always thinking ahead before committing. It's actually a lot of fun to drive and the view out the window is fantastic.
Welcome to the forum, and thanks to both of you for your service to our country.
First off most licenses cover you driving a motorhome and states that reqire more, you don't want to be there anyway. Tiffen is a popular Class A and I think they are #1 in sales. Some things that are IMPORTANT
1) When you buy it have a Montana LLC in place, NO Sales Tax, First year plates $300...I paid cash and saved a bundle.
2) Cost, If you look at at MSRP on the sticker you should be able to pay about 70-75% of that, any more...walk. I shopped, listened to all of the buy it today deals and ended up buying from a dealer (ordered it) and paid $5000 over cost. Shop the internet, look around
3) If you buy a new one/used one ALWAYS get an extended warranty. (you should pay about $5000 for 7 years) Motorhomes always need some repairs and you will get you money's worth.
Go out and look online for something late model, I think you could get a nice Monaco Dynasty (2007-2009) for your price range. The American Coach is a good unit. Be sure to get the tag axle. If you look at 40 foot, 3-5 feet more make no difference and having the weight carrying capacity will make a huge difference. Try to stay with 2007 or later units. There are many that are lightly used and about 1/2 of their original cost.
Take care and good luck
I agree with Bill on this one. The Montana LLC is not always suitable for everyone and is not always recognized in some ways, from what I've read on some of the forums. As we are still "static" full-timers, we've not had to look into the issue of a new domicile state. We may keep Oklahoma as ours as we have family here and there are no restrictions on using a normal driver's license for driving an RV. (And, they keep talking about ending the state income tax. We'll see about that one.)
Lasvegasron is right about the Tiffin's sales, though. At the latest RV show that we attended, there was a sign at the Tiffin dealer's area that said that the Tiffin brand was the biggest seller, AND that the Phaeton was the most popular Tiffin.
Terry