If money were no object whatsoever, what configuration of RV/towables, etc., would you own? I think this could be insightful to see why people would choose the configurations that they would. Since $ seems to often be one of the biggest drivers of this decision process, I was wondering if you were to take this out of the equation completely, why you would choose a particular configuration based on your own experiences and personal preferences. This could be insightful, as maybe there's considerations we haven't thought of. Please indulge me on this, and leave the $ out of it. Thanks for your thoughts!
Kathryn & Brian
Terry and Jo said
09:26 AM Oct 2, 2014
Kathryn and Brian,
With regards to lifestyle, you are going to get all kinds of answers, but ours will be a bit different than most. We live full-time in ours, but we don't travel much. We spent three years in our fifth wheel in Oklahoma City until we retired this last July 1. Then we moved to Colorado to be near Jo's sisters and may be here for up to 3 years - depending on different factors. We also have a second vehicle, so having a fifth wheel allows us the option of being able to go in different directions if we want to. She can go into Colorado Springs (NW of us) and sew with one sister while I go west in the other vehicle to photograph nature or whatever else I want to do.
We also like the storage space that our fifth wheel gives us on the inside of the coach. That much storage wasn't available so much in the motorhomes that we looked at.
In addition to that, when we do finally get to travel, our plans are to go to an "area" and stay anywhere from 1 to 6 months so that we can check out all the things we want to see in that area before moving on to another area. Again, because we won't be going together all the time, the two vehicle approach leaves us the option to do that without having to use the RV as one of the vehicles.
Terry
The Junkman said
09:36 AM Oct 2, 2014
Everyone would be driving .. a multi million dollar prevost. pulling a trailer to house my bentley and my lambo..lol
Or better yet.. No rv at all.. just stay in nice hotels, and fly everywhere in my Jet.
Joking aside.. I think many go 5th wheel for the cost savings over a equal quality class A. I know that was me.. But realisitically.. I'd much rather be in a new 45 ft, tag axle, luxury Class A.. Decent ones i seen start at about 650k..And I'd still have a huge trailer full of "stuff"..lol
But I'm poor.. so fifth wheel and a truck for me.. I was able to go new though.. Thankfully. Wife made me..
BiggarView said
09:38 AM Oct 2, 2014
With enough money, one doesn't need an RV. You can simply fly where ever you wish, helicopter into more remote spots, have prearranged ground transport available etc, etc. If you insist on an moveable accomodation you could heavily modify a 40' shipping container and carry it around with a Sikorsky SkyCrane (google it)...
Too extreme? Then, with relatively less than unlimited $$$, I'd talk with Jack Mayer. He has great ideas on well equipped New Horizons 5ers and the right vehicle to tow it.
Most design criteria we have revolve around eliminating the little "irritants" in everyday life, like craning your neck to watch TV, or ducking when entering or exiting the shower, not having toilet paper holders in weird locations that turn you into a contortionist to get to it at the end of your business, just to name a few. Look for rigs with the best "bones".
We like the floorplan in the new Winnebago Journey 42E, but we still have concerns about it feeling more closed in than a similar sized or even smaller 5er. So for now our ideal (based solely on what we have looked at) is a DRV Mobile Suite 38 RSSA, Truck still TBD. The trailer would be equipped with Mor/Ryde IS, 17.5" Goodyear G114 H tires, and a host of other amenities, including a genny and prepped for solar, probably no dishwasher or washer & dryer. Jury is still out on residential fridge vs propane/electric though we are leaning to the former. If we were going today that would be the plan. If the Journey was our choice, we'd have a toad that could do more than just haul groceries.
Our ideal set-up will be nothing like the 7 figure, mega RV's one sees on the Travel Channel shows like "Extreme RVs"
FWIW, Brian
-- Edited by biggaRView on Thursday 2nd of October 2014 10:03:16 AM
Technomadia said
10:38 AM Oct 2, 2014
Hmm... our ideal mobile home would be small and maneuverable to get into a variety of places, able to go off road... and then once there, expand into an ideal layout with a gourmet kitchen, office area with multiple screens, large bedroom, skylights, kick-a$$ entertainment center inside & outside and separate sleeping quarters for the butler/cook/maid. And then it would be able to lift off and fly, and be amphibious for water travels. It would have a garage built in that our self driving convertable Tesla could drive right into for storage.
Oh, and while we're at it.. it'd have a deployable outdoor hot tub, ample solar and lithium batteries to power anything off-grid, and a back-up whisper quiet generator. It would have multiple ways to seamlessly get online with mondo extending antenna mounts.
Oh, and Kiki requests lots of cat-safe crawl spaces and nap nooks. And two robotic feeding stations, and water dispensers that drip fresh filtered water into her mouth on call.
But, we're actually quite happy with our bus conversion towing a Mini Cooper setup. After our first 5 years on the road, it's the ideal setup we configured to meet as many of these needs as is realistic :D.
- Cherie
BiggarView said
10:47 AM Oct 2, 2014
Technomadia wrote:
...separate sleeping quarters for the butler/cook/maid. ...
- Cherie
I presume you would have them/him or her as personal workampers... site paid for per the usual arrangement? Bring their own rig... please provide pix of rig, nothing to trashy to pull our own flash and glam down, and nothing that would show up the "mobile transformer in a box". You go girl!!!!
cherylbrv said
11:15 AM Oct 2, 2014
It was a hard decision for us between a Class A and fifth wheel. The ease of driving, hitching a toad and having our living space right there without having to go outside were big pluses for a Class A. Also, unless we want to have a scout vehicle (which we didn't), our "get around town" vehicle has to be our MDT truck which pulls the 5'er. Break down and set up seem so much faster and easier with a Class A.
However, I feel that no matter how fancy it is (even the million $ Prevosts) are still very linear - they just don't have that homey feeling. Therefore, despite all the advantages of a bus, I would say my preference is in a fifth wheel with a rear or front living room which gives the appearance and feeling of having separate "rooms". When I refer to my living room, it actually IS a living room and not just a sofa across from the galley. My kitchen is a full fledged kitchen, not just some appliances lined up in a row. I also enjoy sitting in a recliner facing the tv (and fireplace) rather than craning my neck to watch something over the driving area or pantry.
A-S Travelers said
11:55 AM Oct 2, 2014
It really comes down to your personal life style of RV'ing.
As mentioned above a 5'er is more like a small apartment, very livable. This is great when you don't move very often. This you mostly stay 2weeks to 6 months in one spot. Having a 40' plus 5'er with a HDT to tow it would be great for that.
For us, even when we full timed, we moved frequently, 1-3 times a week. Yes there where times each year we stayed put for 2-4 months, but the the rest of the year we traveled. We found the class A MH to be the best. Since we love parking most anywhere we are NOT in an RV Park, small size (under 30') works best. While fulltimeing we did get our 40' diesel pusher in to some pretty small NF campgrounds.
We would love a 26'-29' class A on a 4 wheel drive chassis with a GVWR of 22,000 to 28,000 pounds. Must not be a Class C, to much wasted space in the front. It must have a short overhang in the rear, well under 4 feet. Most MH's have 8-12' overhang. Plenty of solar and battery to stay off of shore power for months at a time. Lots of fresh water, about 150 gallons and 60-80 gallon black and 70-80 gallon gray water. Lots of dual pane windows for visibility. Plenty of blue flame or catalytic heating. All water/holding tanks protected from freezing temps down to -10 degrees w/o using any elect heating.
Glenn West said
04:27 PM Oct 2, 2014
Mine would be a new Volvo 770 full lounge with Smart on deck towing a fully decked out 45' Continental Coach. No motor home for us.
DenJen12 said
04:59 PM Oct 2, 2014
If money were not an issue.....HMMMM.....well, I believe I would still be right where I'm at. Never had much want for a motorhome. Always liked the look and feel of the 5th wheels. They all seem to have a comfortable home feel.....some more than others, but in my opinion they are ALL better feeling than a motorhome. As far as layout, I guess the only other thing I would like is my second bathroom back (had 1/2 bath in previous 5'er). They have them out there but I don't want to lose any of the room or layout in my current one....so, right now, even if money were no object, my Open Range 3X is really my dream scenario. Love having just one vehicle as well. Such a pain to move everything around when we had 2 personal vehicles and hubby's company vehicle, and there are only 2 adults....plus it gave me the opportunity to upgrade to my dream truck All in all, one happy girl here, right where I'm at!
kb0zke said
06:00 PM Oct 2, 2014
I'd probably take our coach down to Foretravel and have them upgrade everything, then take it to Extreme for a paint job. Not sure what I'd do for a new toad, since the one we have was picked because of the true 4WD that is needed for one of our part-time jobs. If we didn't have that there would me many more choices available.
MarkS said
06:05 PM Oct 2, 2014
If money were no object I would keep what I have and finish all the customization. Max solar, max generator, custom paint on the truck to match the trailer, bed with hydraulic smart lift and a refrigerated beer tap built into the bed.
SnowGypsy said
07:04 PM Oct 2, 2014
I never came up with a real answer but I was happy to see that so many were satisfied with their current configuration and you would a little this and that. After all, a realistic dream is one that can become a reality. I don't think money to spend makes a huge difference in the "configuration" that one would choose though and if I couldn't afford to buy something I would be happy with in my price range, I don't think I would be very happy in the lifestyle in the first place.
kb0zke said
08:10 PM Oct 2, 2014
After thinking a bit more, I'd like to change my answer. I'd have Foretravel build me a new U300, only with a newer engine/transmission combo. Of course it would have plenty of solar on the roof.
One thing that would be a great upgrade (but doesn't exist, probably) is something to let me get up on the roof without climbing the ladder. My knees really don't like ladders anymore.
Kathryn said
09:27 PM Oct 2, 2014
It is so great reading all your replies! It really gives a lot of food for thought. Even the "outlandish" ideas, does help one to think outside the box, or just dream .... I had given thought to some alternative ideas, like maybe buying a good SUV and a small storage trailer if needed, and then stay in monthly rentals on the longer term stays, which would be most of the time. When you consider all expenses, including gas and depcreciation, etc., these ideas could work. But then I noticed, the fun suddenly went out of it, which told me I was no longer following my bliss .... Not to mention the benefits of truly being in YOUR home with your special pillows and all the rest. Now, if money truly were NO object, then you could afford to stay in such luxury places, that you could probably work out the pillow thing. But joking aside, I think this has further confirmed my truck/5th wheel combo plan. It was nice to hear the comments about a 5th wheel felt more like a home (at least to some people). Because in my very limited experience thus far, I felt this way too. And since we'll be full time, that is very important. I'm still stuck on whether we should tow a small vehicle in addition. Does this start to get somewhat unwieldy in navigating/backing, RV spots, etc.? There is the possibility of driving a small car separately, but maybe this is not very cost effective? Also, takes a bit of the fun out of the travel part. But our plan is to explore this country for as long as we feel like it, but staying in places for extended periods of time that we want to get to know better. The idea isn't to be ON the road, except to get to our final destinations. Then again, I suppose that's usually the idea .... Our departure date is still ambitiously set as January 15th, 2015 - it's good to have something to strive for. But at any rate, for sure by early Spring.
Terry and Jo said
11:27 PM Oct 2, 2014
To follow up with your last post, Kathryn, here are some other thoughts to go along with yours.
So many of us, and myself especially, have a real affinity for one's own bed, and in our case a Select Comfort bed where both of us can have different settings but both can still rave about their bed.
Considering the option of the second vehicle, which we have, if we do travel, it generally wouldn't be more than a four hour trek from one campground/RV park to the next. Thus, traveling separately for a ways wouldn't be a big hassle. (Plus, I can listen to Thomas Dolby's "Aliens Ate My Buick," an album that the wife can't abide.) That second vehicle allows Jo to follow me and keep an eye on the trailer from that perspective. If needed, she can "scout" ahead and pick out good places for me to park or an easy way to get in to get fuel.
Towing a second vehicle does limit you some. Before backing, you must unhook the second vehicle. And in our case, our second vehicle is another pickup with a topper over the bed, giving us yet more storage room. I joke about the F150 being our "storage shed," and even when parked for some time overall, the F450 can serve as a storage area as well. I keep some of my tools in the rear seating area.
Whatever you decide to do, enjoy the research and looking.
Terry
The Junkman said
04:27 AM Oct 3, 2014
I must not be the norm.. Cause living in a fifth wheel, pulling the fifth wheel, setting it up , storing and unstoring your stuff, working with limited space and weight , Parking side by side with who knows who.. Is not FUN to me..
It's either WORK, or things that need to get done, so I can go have the fun.
The fun for me is sites, the locations, the food, the events, the local spots to check out, the tourist attractions, the socializing ( some ) etc. That for me, is the fun part.
I'd rather not have to deal with the rv'ing part.. But It is what I can afford to do, to get out there and see America, Canada, Mexico..
To your question..
We plan to move in 2 hour travels.. mostly.
I just bought a 2015 Hyudia elantra.. it gets 38 mpg on the highway. After running the numbers, the car pays for itself in 4 years.. And that's not counting the mileage it keeps off my ram..
We are very fast learners, and can and do make fast decisions.. We found after 1 month , the ram is great for daily transportation.. but when you hit those beach towns, or big city, it becomes a bit of a hassle to park.. How anyone does this with a mdt/hdt is beyond me.. but they say they do. So the Elantra saves us about $100 week in fuel I guess.. and has a warranty to 100k, and we can zip around anywhere quickly and efficiantly.. I expect I will still drive the Ram sometimes, as the Hyunidia is no loaded Longhorn Ram..lol
cherylbrv said
07:06 AM Oct 3, 2014
The Junkman wrote:
Cause living in a fifth wheel, pulling the fifth wheel, setting it up , storing and unstoring your stuff, working with limited space and weight , Parking side by side with who knows who.. Is not FUN to me..
It's either WORK, or things that need to get done, so I can go have the fun.
The fun for me is sites, the locations, the food, the events, the local spots to check out, the tourist attractions, the socializing ( some ) etc. That for me, is the fun part.
I'd rather not have to deal with the rv'ing part.. But It is what I can afford to do, to get out there and see America, Canada, Mexico..
My thoughts exactly!!! I've come to really dislike the logistical part of travel. Wish I could be like Jeannie: cross my arms, blink my eyes, and voila! I'm there!
BiggarView said
07:18 AM Oct 3, 2014
cherylbrv wrote:
The Junkman wrote:
....
I'd rather not have to deal with the rv'ing part.. But It is what I can afford to do, to get out there and see America, Canada, Mexico..
My thoughts exactly!!! I've come to really dislike the logistical part of travel. Wish I could be like Jeannie: cross my arms, blink my eyes, and voila! I'm there!
Cheryl, you're full timing now. Yeah, you're travelling, but you live in a CoW. Still gotta do the house thing, whether your mobile or not.
-- Edited by biggaRView on Friday 3rd of October 2014 07:30:38 AM
bigboomer said
12:52 PM Oct 3, 2014
If money was no object we still would be doing our thing as we do it now. FT RVing for us is not about how big your rig is or how expensive it is or even if it is a MH or 5'er. It is about the freedom it offers and the simplistic lifestyle. We can choose to make it as complicated or simple as we want it. We can choose when and where we go without the need to worry about getting "home" to back it in and unload. I am blessed that my partner in this "Dream" is on the same page and shares the same thoughts about our lifestyle. Everyday offers a new challenge and it is up to us to live up to the challenge.
Lonney Wade said
01:03 PM Oct 3, 2014
bigboomer wrote:
If money was no object we still would be doing our thing as we do it now. FT RVing for us is not about how big your rig is or how expensive it is or even if it is a MH or 5'er. It is about the freedom it offers and the simplistic lifestyle. We can choose to make it as complicated or simple as we want it. We can choose when and where we go without the need to worry about getting "home" to back it in and unload. I am blessed that my partner in this "Dream" is on the same page and shares the same thoughts about our lifestyle. Everyday offers a new challenge and it is up to us to live up to the challenge.
Boy, I couldn't have said that better than myself.
Thank you for your good words Bigboomer.
Lonney
BiggarView said
05:36 PM Oct 3, 2014
BigBoomer, X2 Lonney's comment. Thanks for that reality check.
Jack Mayer said
09:02 AM Oct 4, 2014
If money were no object we would do things like now....
We do not travel constantly. We spend summers in one location - but may move around more in the summers in the future - as we have in the past. We tend to spend at least 2 weeks minimum in a location unless moving point to point.
We do love the ability to move around. We would never spend years in a location. The 5 months in the mountains in the summer is "hard"....we get hitch itch by the end of the summer. For us, I don't think we will ever be totally stationary. After 15 years I think I can say that with some certainty.
The 5er is BY FAR the best choice for us. It is way more homey, way more spacious than even the largest bus. No comparison at all. And since we do not move constantly the MH has little to offer us. However, having owned motorhomes, we know that if we moved every few days that would be our choice.
We would own a small motorhome (around 27-30') for extended touring trips....we use our truck now, but it is not ideal for us for more than a week or so. So for month long trips from the "base 5er" a small MH would be ideal. We plan on purchasing one in the next year or so. We have places to keep it when not being used.
SnowGypsy said
10:08 AM Oct 4, 2014
I do wonder after reading the posts how much one's choice has to do with S/B lifestyle morphing into the RV lifestyle. I have noticed that some are choosing an RV lifestyle because that is how they can afford to do the traveling they are interested in doing. For us, we love camping! Our dream developed over 25 years ago when we were living among snowbirds and full-timers in AZ. We met a lovely retired couple in their 80's that workamped/volunteered on public lands and from that point on.......... I am a minimalist so money doesn't make a difference one way or another and we are leery of the bigger units for a number of reasons so we are looking at Class C debating between high end used (always our choice in vehicles over the yearsJ) or bright and shiny new but lesser quality for the same price. I already know which we should and most likely will get. If not for security issues and bears, I could live in a pop-up!
MarkS said
11:05 AM Oct 4, 2014
Bigboomer nailed that sucker right on the head. It isn't about having the stuff you want, it's about Wanting the stuff you have (Cheryl Crowe). For us it's about simplistic freedom. The morph was from a life of responsibility and growth to something much less frenetic.
The Junkman said
12:16 PM Oct 4, 2014
“Freedom is a state of mind, I said wondering where I'd heard it before, not a state of being. We are all slaves to gravity and morality and the vicissitudes of nature. Our genes govern us much more than we'd like to think. Our bodies can not know absolute freedom but our minds can, can at least try.”
― Walter Mosley, Killing Johnny Fry: A Sexistential Novel
Gannet said
07:11 PM Oct 4, 2014
Great thread, many thought-provoking replies.
Since we are still in the prep/planning stage, of course we've given a lot of thought to this very question - except for the "money is no object" part. :)
But actually, barring fantasy scenarios with hired help, i don't think the money makes much difference as to the basic configuration. TT/5er/Class A/Class C, they all are good at some things and bad at others. None of them are good at everything, no matter how much money you spend. You might buy newer or older, plainer or fancier based on finances but it wouldn't change the basic tradeoffs.
The "trick" is to figure out which things are most important to you, and which are less. You have to compromise somewhere.
For us, we seem much more strongly drawn to Class As than 5ers. We want to boondock most of the time. So, we will have to move at least every week or so if for no other reason than to empty tanks. And, we want to travel together, not in two different vehicles. As we looked at units we found, unlike most, that the floorspace opened up by slides doesn't really do much for us. "Tube life" is fine. :) So we're looking at late 90s-early-00s high end coaches in the 38-40' range. Yes, that's a bit long for boondocking, but it seems to me that unless you go significantly shorter, like 32-34', it won't make all that much difference in practice. We looked at the shorties and they're just too small for full-timing, at least for us. Plus, we want to tow our crew cab pickup for our toad, and that needs a pretty good-sized coach to tow well, or so it seems to me.
We chose and bought the pickup specifically for use as a toad. I'm going to put a cap on the back and use it as a bit of a workshop, plus of course for overflow storage. I wanted something *easy* (low hassle) to tow, and that seemed to narrow it to a GM or Dodge pickup, or a Jeep. Everything else has some limit or fooling around I didn't want to deal with. The Wrangler wasn't comfortable enough for long daytrips, and none of the other Jeeps offered the storage/workshop feature - if they still made Gladiators it might be different. So Dodge it is. But now I'm "stuck" with a 7,000 pound toad and that drives some things so far as coach selection goes.
Time will tell whether this type of setup remains our final decision, and how it will work out. Wish us luck! :)
Thanks all for sharing your thoughts.
Jake62 said
12:29 PM Oct 5, 2014
Gannet wrote:
For us, we seem much more strongly drawn to Class As than 5ers.
We are of the same mind, for the most part. Next year we hit the road and a used high-end Class A DP in the 00's seems to be the right direction "for us." Prevost, Newell, or Foretravel are all high-end custom coaches and, like you mentioned, they too have their own pros/cons. Prevost & Newell would be hard to find under 40'; however, Foretravel makes a number of models under 40'. I'm looking for a tag in the 42'-45' range. Good luck with your decision and keep us informed on your progress.
The Bear II said
01:35 PM Oct 8, 2014
I always dream of winning the big Lotto and going up to Marathon Coach in Oregon to have two buses built. One for us and the second one for the driver, butler, maid and cook to stay in. The driver would drive our bus while we sat back and enjoyed the scenery.
One bus would tow an enclosed car trailer with a Range Rover and Lamborgini. The other bus would tow an enclosed trailer with a boat, two jet skis, a razor and two CanAm Spyders.
Can you imagine what our campsites would look like ....."Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous"
galtgirl said
08:46 PM Oct 8, 2014
If money were no object:
I would purchase a beach front cottage somewhere along the west coast; probably No. CA or Oregon that would have space to park a motorhome.j I would purchase a nice mid-size motorhome that I could tow my Mini Cooper behind for trips when the desire arose.
I would also buy a lot in a winter resort in AZ with a Casita (small apartment size with kitchen/bath/bedroom/laundry, nice covered patio with grill and outdoor kitchen, as well as an RV pad.. I would spend winters there and also take trips to Florida and the southern states during the winter towing the Mini behind the motorhome.
I would trade my Mini in for a 2015 John Cooper Works Mini with every option available.
This is a dream after all!!
Lets get moving said
08:57 PM Oct 8, 2014
The Bear II wrote:
I always dream of winning the big Lotto and going up to Marathon Coach in Oregon to have two buses built. One for us and the second one for the driver, butler, maid and cook to stay in. The driver would drive our bus while we sat back and enjoyed the scenery.
One bus would tow an enclosed car trailer with a Range Rover and Lamborgini. The other bus would tow an enclosed trailer with a boat, two jet skis, a razor and two CanAm Spyders.
Can you imagine what our campsites would look like ....."Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous"
All of this and a custom ferry/ship for loading it all up and traveling across the pond When the fancy strikes! Yes it's a dream!
Aurora Borealis said
08:53 PM Oct 16, 2014
Hmmm... I was just going to say I wanted a kitchen counter long enough so I can cut fresh veggies and make healthy food. And a real oven.
Plus a good sized wardrobe area such as comes with a bedroom slide.
But there's only me and I've been looking at smaller motorhomes ;)
Sushidog said
07:34 PM Oct 19, 2014
That's want amuses me - the outrageous ambition to the sublime. I love America!
For me I have more humble aspirations regardless of my circumstances. Nevertheless, I will never again "rent" a piece of property from the government (home ownership). Having the local government raise my property taxes 1,000% overnight, I am rather gun shy of losing another home to big brother. Sorry, I have no intention to get political, but when you've lost your family home that your dad drew up on a napkin at the kitchen table and built with his own hands to a greedy local government tax assessor, needy of tax dollars after Hurricane Katrina, then you might feel similarly. It's the gypsy's life for me, as a moving target is much harder to hit. My lifestyle would stay the same, keeping any excess funds in the bank as a contingency against another such government "procurement" of my conspicuous resources. I love my country, but fear my government will try to do to me again what it has in the past. A comfortable TT with a nice solar ac system for boondocking in warmer weather is my sole ambition. It may not be much of an ambition compared to some, but it is sinful ambition, nonetheless.
We should all rather choose to be happy with our current circumstances, seeking wealth (if at all) to do good for others in need, rather than to consume it upon our lusts. No offense intended.
Chip
Terry and Jo said
09:39 AM Oct 20, 2014
Chip,
Just for the record, your comment possibly being "political" isn't up to my "standard" of political, and thus, in need or editing. You did not mention any political party or politician in your comments, just the fact of assessors feeling the need to increase property taxes.
I could comment more, but then I'd endanger myself by possibly getting political.
Terry
Sushidog said
11:47 AM Oct 20, 2014
Thanks Terry and Jo. I don't blame one political party, but it's corruption and unchecked, run amok government I'm against, which I think cuts across all parties, and is indeed apolitical.
Back to the subject at hand, I think the functionality of a particular configuration transcends monetary considerations. One can have a very functional (for one's intended purpose and needs) rig that costs less than $20-$30k (used of course) or a multi million dollar Prevost that falls short of the mark. For those who primarily like to boondock in out of the way places, a completely different set of functionalities are appropriate, compared to those who stay primarily in high-end RV parks. Also, if one moves daily or weekly and enjoys touring out of the way places while traveling, a completely different type of rig would be ideal, compared to one who would rather move monthly or seasonally and tour the area in a small toad/motorcycle from a fixed base of operations. A boondocking friendly travel trailer or toy hauler (carrying a couple motorcycles, a street legal golf cart or ATV) would approach my ideal configuration. Had I additional financial resources, I might plan on getting a more off-road capable truck, adding more solar panels, switching to lithium ion batteries, etc., but the basic configuration (truck and TT) would not change. Even a large Earth Roamer / Unicat style RV would not fit my particular needs as well as my chosen configuration. Everyone has different ideas about their ideal FT lifestyle, and while additional resources may buy a newer, larger, more opulent, better appointed, etc. FT rig, I don't think it will change many folks minds on the basic configuration of their rig - unless it's one of those fancy class A's that turn into a boat, a "floaterhome" or something even more outlandish like a flying RV.
If money were no object whatsoever, what configuration of RV/towables, etc., would you own? I think this could be insightful to see why people would choose the configurations that they would. Since $ seems to often be one of the biggest drivers of this decision process, I was wondering if you were to take this out of the equation completely, why you would choose a particular configuration based on your own experiences and personal preferences. This could be insightful, as maybe there's considerations we haven't thought of. Please indulge me on this, and leave the $ out of it. Thanks for your thoughts!
Kathryn & Brian
Kathryn and Brian,
With regards to lifestyle, you are going to get all kinds of answers, but ours will be a bit different than most. We live full-time in ours, but we don't travel much. We spent three years in our fifth wheel in Oklahoma City until we retired this last July 1. Then we moved to Colorado to be near Jo's sisters and may be here for up to 3 years - depending on different factors. We also have a second vehicle, so having a fifth wheel allows us the option of being able to go in different directions if we want to. She can go into Colorado Springs (NW of us) and sew with one sister while I go west in the other vehicle to photograph nature or whatever else I want to do.
We also like the storage space that our fifth wheel gives us on the inside of the coach. That much storage wasn't available so much in the motorhomes that we looked at.
In addition to that, when we do finally get to travel, our plans are to go to an "area" and stay anywhere from 1 to 6 months so that we can check out all the things we want to see in that area before moving on to another area. Again, because we won't be going together all the time, the two vehicle approach leaves us the option to do that without having to use the RV as one of the vehicles.
Terry
Or better yet.. No rv at all.. just stay in nice hotels, and fly everywhere in my Jet.
Joking aside.. I think many go 5th wheel for the cost savings over a equal quality class A. I know that was me.. But realisitically.. I'd much rather be in a new 45 ft, tag axle, luxury Class A.. Decent ones i seen start at about 650k..And I'd still have a huge trailer full of "stuff"..lol
But I'm poor.. so fifth wheel and a truck for me.. I was able to go new though.. Thankfully. Wife made me..
With enough money, one doesn't need an RV. You can simply fly where ever you wish, helicopter into more remote spots, have prearranged ground transport available etc, etc. If you insist on an moveable accomodation you could heavily modify a 40' shipping container and carry it around with a Sikorsky SkyCrane (google it)...
Too extreme? Then, with relatively less than unlimited $$$, I'd talk with Jack Mayer. He has great ideas on well equipped New Horizons 5ers and the right vehicle to tow it.
Most design criteria we have revolve around eliminating the little "irritants" in everyday life, like craning your neck to watch TV, or ducking when entering or exiting the shower, not having toilet paper holders in weird locations that turn you into a contortionist to get to it at the end of your business, just to name a few. Look for rigs with the best "bones".
We like the floorplan in the new Winnebago Journey 42E, but we still have concerns about it feeling more closed in than a similar sized or even smaller 5er. So for now our ideal (based solely on what we have looked at) is a DRV Mobile Suite 38 RSSA, Truck still TBD. The trailer would be equipped with Mor/Ryde IS, 17.5" Goodyear G114 H tires, and a host of other amenities, including a genny and prepped for solar, probably no dishwasher or washer & dryer. Jury is still out on residential fridge vs propane/electric though we are leaning to the former. If we were going today that would be the plan. If the Journey was our choice, we'd have a toad that could do more than just haul groceries.
Our ideal set-up will be nothing like the 7 figure, mega RV's one sees on the Travel Channel shows like "Extreme RVs"
FWIW, Brian
-- Edited by biggaRView on Thursday 2nd of October 2014 10:03:16 AM
Oh, and while we're at it.. it'd have a deployable outdoor hot tub, ample solar and lithium batteries to power anything off-grid, and a back-up whisper quiet generator. It would have multiple ways to seamlessly get online with mondo extending antenna mounts.
Oh, and Kiki requests lots of cat-safe crawl spaces and nap nooks. And two robotic feeding stations, and water dispensers that drip fresh filtered water into her mouth on call.
But, we're actually quite happy with our bus conversion towing a Mini Cooper setup. After our first 5 years on the road, it's the ideal setup we configured to meet as many of these needs as is realistic :D.
- Cherie
I presume you would have them/him or her as personal workampers... site paid for per the usual arrangement? Bring their own rig... please provide pix of rig, nothing to trashy to pull our own flash and glam down, and nothing that would show up the "mobile transformer in a box".
You go girl!!!!
However, I feel that no matter how fancy it is (even the million $ Prevosts) are still very linear - they just don't have that homey feeling. Therefore, despite all the advantages of a bus, I would say my preference is in a fifth wheel with a rear or front living room which gives the appearance and feeling of having separate "rooms". When I refer to my living room, it actually IS a living room and not just a sofa across from the galley. My kitchen is a full fledged kitchen, not just some appliances lined up in a row. I also enjoy sitting in a recliner facing the tv (and fireplace) rather than craning my neck to watch something over the driving area or pantry.
As mentioned above a 5'er is more like a small apartment, very livable. This is great when you don't move very often. This you mostly stay 2weeks to 6 months in one spot. Having a 40' plus 5'er with a HDT to tow it would be great for that.
For us, even when we full timed, we moved frequently, 1-3 times a week. Yes there where times each year we stayed put for 2-4 months, but the the rest of the year we traveled. We found the class A MH to be the best. Since we love parking most anywhere we are NOT in an RV Park, small size (under 30') works best. While fulltimeing we did get our 40' diesel pusher in to some pretty small NF campgrounds.
We would love a 26'-29' class A on a 4 wheel drive chassis with a GVWR of 22,000 to 28,000 pounds. Must not be a Class C, to much wasted space in the front. It must have a short overhang in the rear, well under 4 feet. Most MH's have 8-12' overhang. Plenty of solar and battery to stay off of shore power for months at a time. Lots of fresh water, about 150 gallons and 60-80 gallon black and 70-80 gallon gray water. Lots of dual pane windows for visibility. Plenty of blue flame or catalytic heating. All water/holding tanks protected from freezing temps down to -10 degrees w/o using any elect heating.
One thing that would be a great upgrade (but doesn't exist, probably) is something to let me get up on the roof without climbing the ladder. My knees really don't like ladders anymore.
It is so great reading all your replies! It really gives a lot of food for thought. Even the "outlandish" ideas, does help one to think outside the box, or just dream .... I had given thought to some alternative ideas, like maybe buying a good SUV and a small storage trailer if needed, and then stay in monthly rentals on the longer term stays, which would be most of the time. When you consider all expenses, including gas and depcreciation, etc., these ideas could work. But then I noticed, the fun suddenly went out of it, which told me I was no longer following my bliss ....
Not to mention the benefits of truly being in YOUR home with your special pillows and all the rest. Now, if money truly were NO object, then you could afford to stay in such luxury places, that you could probably work out the pillow thing. But joking aside, I think this has further confirmed my truck/5th wheel combo plan. It was nice to hear the comments about a 5th wheel felt more like a home (at least to some people). Because in my very limited experience thus far, I felt this way too. And since we'll be full time, that is very important. I'm still stuck on whether we should tow a small vehicle in addition. Does this start to get somewhat unwieldy in navigating/backing, RV spots, etc.? There is the possibility of driving a small car separately, but maybe this is not very cost effective? Also, takes a bit of the fun out of the travel part. But our plan is to explore this country for as long as we feel like it, but staying in places for extended periods of time that we want to get to know better. The idea isn't to be ON the road, except to get to our final destinations. Then again, I suppose that's usually the idea .... Our departure date is still ambitiously set as January 15th, 2015 - it's good to have something to strive for. But at any rate, for sure by early Spring.
To follow up with your last post, Kathryn, here are some other thoughts to go along with yours.
So many of us, and myself especially, have a real affinity for one's own bed, and in our case a Select Comfort bed where both of us can have different settings but both can still rave about their bed.
Considering the option of the second vehicle, which we have, if we do travel, it generally wouldn't be more than a four hour trek from one campground/RV park to the next. Thus, traveling separately for a ways wouldn't be a big hassle. (Plus, I can listen to Thomas Dolby's "Aliens Ate My Buick," an album that the wife can't abide.) That second vehicle allows Jo to follow me and keep an eye on the trailer from that perspective. If needed, she can "scout" ahead and pick out good places for me to park or an easy way to get in to get fuel.
Towing a second vehicle does limit you some. Before backing, you must unhook the second vehicle. And in our case, our second vehicle is another pickup with a topper over the bed, giving us yet more storage room. I joke about the F150 being our "storage shed," and even when parked for some time overall, the F450 can serve as a storage area as well. I keep some of my tools in the rear seating area.
Whatever you decide to do, enjoy the research and looking.
Terry
It's either WORK, or things that need to get done, so I can go have the fun.
The fun for me is sites, the locations, the food, the events, the local spots to check out, the tourist attractions, the socializing ( some ) etc. That for me, is the fun part.
I'd rather not have to deal with the rv'ing part.. But It is what I can afford to do, to get out there and see America, Canada, Mexico..
To your question..
We plan to move in 2 hour travels.. mostly.
I just bought a 2015 Hyudia elantra.. it gets 38 mpg on the highway. After running the numbers, the car pays for itself in 4 years.. And that's not counting the mileage it keeps off my ram..
We are very fast learners, and can and do make fast decisions.. We found after 1 month , the ram is great for daily transportation.. but when you hit those beach towns, or big city, it becomes a bit of a hassle to park.. How anyone does this with a mdt/hdt is beyond me.. but they say they do. So the Elantra saves us about $100 week in fuel I guess.. and has a warranty to 100k, and we can zip around anywhere quickly and efficiantly.. I expect I will still drive the Ram sometimes, as the Hyunidia is no loaded Longhorn Ram..lol
My thoughts exactly!!! I've come to really dislike the logistical part of travel. Wish I could be like Jeannie: cross my arms, blink my eyes, and voila! I'm there!
Cheryl, you're full timing now. Yeah, you're travelling, but you live in a CoW. Still gotta do the house thing, whether your mobile or not.
-- Edited by biggaRView on Friday 3rd of October 2014 07:30:38 AM
If money was no object we still would be doing our thing as we do it now. FT RVing for us is not about how big your rig is or how expensive it is or even if it is a MH or 5'er. It is about the freedom it offers and the simplistic lifestyle. We can choose to make it as complicated or simple as we want it. We can choose when and where we go without the need to worry about getting "home" to back it in and unload. I am blessed that my partner in this "Dream" is on the same page and shares the same thoughts about our lifestyle. Everyday offers a new challenge and it is up to us to live up to the challenge.
Boy, I couldn't have said that better than myself.
Thank you for your good words Bigboomer.
Lonney
BigBoomer, X2 Lonney's comment. Thanks for that reality check.
If money were no object we would do things like now....
― Walter Mosley, Killing Johnny Fry: A Sexistential Novel
Great thread, many thought-provoking replies.
Since we are still in the prep/planning stage, of course we've given a lot of thought to this very question - except for the "money is no object" part. :)
But actually, barring fantasy scenarios with hired help, i don't think the money makes much difference as to the basic configuration. TT/5er/Class A/Class C, they all are good at some things and bad at others. None of them are good at everything, no matter how much money you spend. You might buy newer or older, plainer or fancier based on finances but it wouldn't change the basic tradeoffs.
The "trick" is to figure out which things are most important to you, and which are less. You have to compromise somewhere.
For us, we seem much more strongly drawn to Class As than 5ers. We want to boondock most of the time. So, we will have to move at least every week or so if for no other reason than to empty tanks. And, we want to travel together, not in two different vehicles. As we looked at units we found, unlike most, that the floorspace opened up by slides doesn't really do much for us. "Tube life" is fine. :) So we're looking at late 90s-early-00s high end coaches in the 38-40' range. Yes, that's a bit long for boondocking, but it seems to me that unless you go significantly shorter, like 32-34', it won't make all that much difference in practice. We looked at the shorties and they're just too small for full-timing, at least for us. Plus, we want to tow our crew cab pickup for our toad, and that needs a pretty good-sized coach to tow well, or so it seems to me.
We chose and bought the pickup specifically for use as a toad. I'm going to put a cap on the back and use it as a bit of a workshop, plus of course for overflow storage. I wanted something *easy* (low hassle) to tow, and that seemed to narrow it to a GM or Dodge pickup, or a Jeep. Everything else has some limit or fooling around I didn't want to deal with. The Wrangler wasn't comfortable enough for long daytrips, and none of the other Jeeps offered the storage/workshop feature - if they still made Gladiators it might be different. So Dodge it is. But now I'm "stuck" with a 7,000 pound toad and that drives some things so far as coach selection goes.
Time will tell whether this type of setup remains our final decision, and how it will work out. Wish us luck! :)
Thanks all for sharing your thoughts.
We are of the same mind, for the most part. Next year we hit the road and a used high-end Class A DP in the 00's seems to be the right direction "for us." Prevost, Newell, or Foretravel are all high-end custom coaches and, like you mentioned, they too have their own pros/cons. Prevost & Newell would be hard to find under 40'; however, Foretravel makes a number of models under 40'. I'm looking for a tag in the 42'-45' range. Good luck with your decision and keep us informed on your progress.
One bus would tow an enclosed car trailer with a Range Rover and Lamborgini. The other bus would tow an enclosed trailer with a boat, two jet skis, a razor and two CanAm Spyders.
Can you imagine what our campsites would look like ....."Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous"
I would purchase a beach front cottage somewhere along the west coast; probably No. CA or Oregon that would have space to park a motorhome.j I would purchase a nice mid-size motorhome that I could tow my Mini Cooper behind for trips when the desire arose.
I would also buy a lot in a winter resort in AZ with a Casita (small apartment size with kitchen/bath/bedroom/laundry, nice covered patio with grill and outdoor kitchen, as well as an RV pad.. I would spend winters there and also take trips to Florida and the southern states during the winter towing the Mini behind the motorhome.
I would trade my Mini in for a 2015 John Cooper Works Mini with every option available.
This is a dream after all!!
All of this and a custom ferry/ship for loading it all up and traveling across the pond When the fancy strikes! Yes it's a dream!
Plus a good sized wardrobe area such as comes with a bedroom slide.
But there's only me and I've been looking at smaller motorhomes ;)
For me I have more humble aspirations regardless of my circumstances. Nevertheless, I will never again "rent" a piece of property from the government (home ownership). Having the local government raise my property taxes 1,000% overnight, I am rather gun shy of losing another home to big brother. Sorry, I have no intention to get political, but when you've lost your family home that your dad drew up on a napkin at the kitchen table and built with his own hands to a greedy local government tax assessor, needy of tax dollars after Hurricane Katrina, then you might feel similarly. It's the gypsy's life for me, as a moving target is much harder to hit. My lifestyle would stay the same, keeping any excess funds in the bank as a contingency against another such government "procurement" of my conspicuous resources. I love my country, but fear my government will try to do to me again what it has in the past. A comfortable TT with a nice solar ac system for boondocking in warmer weather is my sole ambition. It may not be much of an ambition compared to some, but it is sinful ambition, nonetheless.
We should all rather choose to be happy with our current circumstances, seeking wealth (if at all) to do good for others in need, rather than to consume it upon our lusts. No offense intended.
Chip
Chip,
Just for the record, your comment possibly being "political" isn't up to my "standard" of political, and thus, in need or editing. You did not mention any political party or politician in your comments, just the fact of assessors feeling the need to increase property taxes.
I could comment more, but then I'd endanger myself by possibly getting political.
Terry
Back to the subject at hand, I think the functionality of a particular configuration transcends monetary considerations. One can have a very functional (for one's intended purpose and needs) rig that costs less than $20-$30k (used of course) or a multi million dollar Prevost that falls short of the mark. For those who primarily like to boondock in out of the way places, a completely different set of functionalities are appropriate, compared to those who stay primarily in high-end RV parks. Also, if one moves daily or weekly and enjoys touring out of the way places while traveling, a completely different type of rig would be ideal, compared to one who would rather move monthly or seasonally and tour the area in a small toad/motorcycle from a fixed base of operations. A boondocking friendly travel trailer or toy hauler (carrying a couple motorcycles, a street legal golf cart or ATV) would approach my ideal configuration. Had I additional financial resources, I might plan on getting a more off-road capable truck, adding more solar panels, switching to lithium ion batteries, etc., but the basic configuration (truck and TT) would not change. Even a large Earth Roamer / Unicat style RV would not fit my particular needs as well as my chosen configuration. Everyone has different ideas about their ideal FT lifestyle, and while additional resources may buy a newer, larger, more opulent, better appointed, etc. FT rig, I don't think it will change many folks minds on the basic configuration of their rig - unless it's one of those fancy class A's that turn into a boat, a "floaterhome" or something even more outlandish like a flying RV.
roadtrippers.com/blog/meet-the-floaterhome-the-insane-rv-that-transforms-into-a-boat
www.doityourselfrv.com/flying-rv-airplane/
Chip