9 months to go

[mionerr]

Hi.

I'm just over 9 months from retirement. The wife and I are getting ready, donating, selling and dumping stuff.

We've decided to full time in a Class A MH. We've attended a few shows. Since dealers are scarce in our neighborhood we're going to spend the weekend in the Denver area kicking tires.

At a recent show, we heard from a dealer that we should buy the MH before we sell the house because lenders are reluctant to write loans if you don't have a stix &brix house.

Has anyone experienced this or is this dealer horse pucky.

 

Thanks,

 

Roger

Colorado

[Clay L]

It is true for some/many banks and credit unions but not all.

Before we stopped full timing (full timed for 10 years and snow birded for 1) and settled here in Palisade CO (abuts Grand Junction), we had our domicile in Sioux Falls SD and at least one of the local banks there was happy to provide loans to full timers.

 

We had moved to NH from CO in 1984 and started full timing when I retired in 2002, Before we moved to SD from NH we investigated CO but found the yearly registration fees were way high compared to SD, FL and TX. The car and motor home together were over $1800 per year in NH and close to that much in CO. In SD it was $186 total for both.

[mionerr]

I know Palisade. Peaches. I'm not far from Rocky Ford. Maybe we can trade cantaloupe for peaches. :-)

I had heard that CO registration fees were high. We'll have to investigate further. We want to keep our doctors here. We'll have to investigate the whole Domicile in regards to medical care. I've got access to medical coverage that is not dependant on where we live.

More food for thought.

[Kirk W]

Welcome to the Escapee forums! We are here to help so feel free to drop by and join in at any time!

 

On the loan process, it is definitely less difficult to find a lender while you still own a home and it may even mean a lower interest rate. What I'd do is to shop loans now and go from there.

[Raquel]

We weren't the owners of our home when we bought our 5th wheel. All the credit union cared about was whether we would be able to make the payments. They bet that since we always had that we'd continue.

[scouserl41]

There are plenty of people who get auto loans financed while living in an apartment so that may not be a problem. What is important is getting the MH financed before you retire as the finance companies won't be happy financing based on your retirement earnings.

Have fun and stick to your plans, We're a couple of months from our fulltime step so we know where you are coming from!

Look at LOTS of MH's.

There is a saying that you never get the one you really want until you've bought your THIRD one.

Thinking about what you want, need and don't like about the rig you are sitting in at the dealers can help shorten that very expensive lesson.

Make a list with the make, model, length of each one you look at. Take pictures inside and out and write down what you liked and didn't like.

Keep the notes with you when you shop otherwise you'll get lost and forget what you've looked at.

You can follow our adventure so far at

http://banbrv.blogspot.com/2014/11/you-can-get-there-from-here.html

BnB

[Clay L]

 

I know Palisade. Peaches. I'm not far from Rocky Ford. Maybe we can trade cantaloupe for peaches. :-)

I had heard that CO registration fees were high. We'll have to investigate further. We want to keep our doctors here. We'll have to investigate the whole Domicile in regards to medical care. I've got access to medical coverage that is not dependent on where we live.

More food for thought.

Sounds like a deal! The Rocky Ford cantaloupe are great!

We have relatives here and since we were coming here for a couple of months each spring and a couple of months in the fall on our way south we ended up having our primary care doctors here even though we were SD residents.

 

[mionerr]

All, thanks for the great answers. All useful information. We are headed up to Denver after work today. The DW has mapped out directions to 3 or 4 of the bigger dealers up there so we can see a variety of makes and models. Still debating gas or diesel.

Apart from liking to travel with our dogs, our other driving force to full time is seeing our kids and grandkids in Dallas, Omaha, Boise and Geenwich, CT. We want to spend more time with all of them.

[Kirk W]

The gas/diesel issue is mostly one of budgets. Be careful to watch the weight specifications carefully one either one as some have very good capacity to carry your things while others in either type can be short on such capacity. As you look be very careful to not allow the sales people to push you into any purchase until you are ready. They are masters of working on your emotions and that is a very dangerous way to buy an RV! I would never sign anything or put down any money until you leave the lot and spend a day or two thinking it over. They may say that you must buy now or this one will be gone, but believe me that there is always another that is as good or better and if looking to new, even the exact same thing as you see now. I'd leave the checkbook at home this trip.

[Phil Saran]

I still don't know just what my tags for my new MH are going to cost me here in CO, but through AAA my

car insurance for two cars plus a new MH is less than $1500 a year.

[mionerr]

Look at LOTS of MH's.

Thinking about what you want, need and don't like about the rig you are sitting in at the dealers can help shorten that very expensive lesson.

Make a list with the make, model, length of each one you look at. Take pictures inside and out and write down what you liked and didn't like.

Keep the notes with you when you shop otherwise you'll get lost and forget what you've looked at.

Ok, We just spent Friday and Saturday looking at LOTS of motor homes. The DW is our picture taker and note taker. Trust me, she takes LOTS of pictures! I made notes on the floor plans. She added to them. She's putting it all together in a binder this week.

 

We're pretty flexible on most things but there are a couple of things that are deal breakers for us; washer/dryer and space for some diog crates. We've added a third and that is shower size.

 

We are not small. I'm 6' and somewhat broad and the DW is not a frail little thing either. How do you pick up a bar of soap you've dropped in the shower? Step out, pick it up and get back in? We're talking about 36'-38' diesel pushers.

 

Another observation; almost all of the coaches had 3 or 4 tvs. Really? We're weaning ourselves away from the tube; not completely but cutting waaay back. And many of the TV locations seem awkward with no really good place to sit and comfortably view them.

 

One last observation: fireplaces. Are they being used or just a sales gimmick?

 

As we sat in variuos coaches that we liked, we made notes of modifications we'd like if it was ours. Hate to spend a bundle of bucks and then have to modify it a lot. Ah, well, the eternal search for the elusive "perfect" motorhome. We'll have to compromise on something, I expect.

[Kirk W]

It does seem that many RVs today are designed to have TV everywhere! I've not yet seen one in the bathroom, but expect to do so any day now. We are not big TV people either but many folks are and they tend to build what sells, or at least what they think will sell.

 

On the fireplaces, most of them also have a built in electric heater and those do get used by most owners. We didn't have one but they can be sort of neat if you have the space for one. I don't know that I'd consider it of much importance, but if it fits.............

 

You are starting off doing the right thing in your spending a lot of time looking at different ones. It is good to actually get into the shower and go through the motions as well as doing that same thing in other areas. For example, if you are likely to need to pass through the kitchen while the wife is cooking, pantomime doing those things at the same time as well. Simulate doing every sort of activity that yoou do now in your stick house as most of those things will come up in the RV. It is good to also consider where each will do whatever activities that you occupy yourself with when weather is bad. It is impossible to live for long periods and not experience times when a series of days with bad weather take place. Most of us do hobbies that we had before we went on the road, at least at times. I would also consider what you each do to occupy yourself if the other happens to be sick. Can one of you be busy while the other is recovering? Floor plans can be critical to a comfortable life and long term satisfaction with the RV. Trading RVs to get different or better accommodations is expensive and moving from one RV to another when fulltime is a big chore.

[sandsys]

Liquid soap from a dispenser fastened on the wall. Any that drops just gets washed down the drain.

 

Linda Sand

[mionerr]

Liquid soap from a dispenser fastened on the wall. Any that drops just gets washed down the drain.

 

Linda Sand

I wondered if that would be a viable solution.

 

On another subject, I'm guessing that you and Dave were active model railroaders before you hit the road. Did you quit cold turkey or did you find ways to continue the hobby while traveling? My wife is encouraging me to continue on the road with a small operations oriented layout. Being in N scale for 40+ years helps.

[Jimalberta]

We had a fireplace in our fifth wheel and we used it quite a bit when we were on shore power. It puts out up to 1500 watts of heat and was often adequate to keep the fiver warm.

[mionerr]

It is good to actually get into the shower and go through the motions as well as doing that same thing in other areas. For example, if you are likely to need to pass through the kitchen while the wife is cooking, pantomime doing those things at the same time as well. It is good to also consider where each will do whatever activities that you occupy yourself with when weather is bad. It is impossible to live for long periods and not experience times when a series of days with bad weather take place. Most of us do hobbies that we had before we went on the road, at least at times. Floor plans can be critical to a comfortable life and long term satisfaction with the RV.

 

I'd love to walk through the kitchen while the wife is cooking except it normally is the other way around.:-)

We both have hobbies that we'll continue with. My wife has scrapbooked since she was 10 and while she still does it "traditionally" she leans more to digital scrapbooks now. I've been a model railroader for nearly as long and also flyfish and tie flies on occasion. I've worked out a plan for continuing the modeling. While I like exploring and seeing new things, my wife defines the word "curious". She always wants to know about things. Anythings. All things.

Floorplan is key for us, especially since we have three dogs,two medium size and one small. They'll also need some attention. They actually are one reason we like the RV lifestyle. We can take them with us.

We are so looking forward to the lifestyle. We are ready. Now to finish out the career.

[mionerr]

If a rig comes with a fireplace, so be it. We keep the house at 65 or below year round. I expect a high electric bill when I have to pay for it.

[FULLTIMEWANABE]

Mionerr, we love our RV floorpan for the most part but the bathroom limitations on size for drying and big step up into bug us the most showering every day. When we were looking at our second RV for us in 2002 the most important things were being able to walk around the bed to make it easier (got it), closet space (we got 2 good sized ones), Kitchen prep room (yes!), accessibility when slides in to bathroom, fridge and able prep something in kitchen (got it). We didn't even think about the bathroom at the time and that's what now bugs us the most.

 

Looking at replacing what we have now had for about 13 years, we found we liked the bathroom in the 36ft Tiffin (double sinks, floor space and wider rectangle shower. Also the ones with a bath and a half (we really don't want two bathrooms for just two of us and would rather see space better utilized for our needs), tend to have more space on the rear baths (Entegra & Tiffin).

 

Seemed like every floorpan we looked at in the Entegra, Tiffin, Newmar, lines, had something we loved and something we didn't, and like Kirk says, the sales folks are trained to play on your emotions of the "what you do like" compromise to get it. Almost put pen to paper on one couple of years ago and so glad we didn't, as we'd have just been buying a different compromise than the one we currently have and have accepted.

 

As for all these TV's everywhere like you we have need for only one, as we hardly ever watch it. Think our bedroom one was turned on once over a decade ago (LOL). Whilst the fireplace feature seems a nice focal point, I do wonder how efficient for heating they actually are? I'd opt for extra storage space personally than the fireplace if there was a choice and it fitted in our budget to do so still.

 

When something appeals visually on floorplan to us we always test out each and every area as if we were living in it day to day to get an idea what would bug us after the honeymoon period is over.

[Jimalberta]

One question I have is ...why are you restricting yourselves to 36 feet? We had a 37 foot fifth wheel and towed it with 1ton dually crewcab long box truck. Our over all length was something like 60 feet and was a chore to park in tight RV parks. Sometimes it took a bit of back and forth to wiggle it into tight spaces.

 

With our 40 foot MH I find it a breeze to park. It is a lot more maneuverable than the fifth wheel ever was. Also with a toad that disconnects in very little time....less than a minute ( I used to claim 20 seconds but that offended some people here ☺️) we find parking in RV parks no problem and have found very few places where we are too long. The 40 feet gives us a bit more room to stretch out and makes the bathroom area less cramped

 

For full timing we would find a 36 ft too short..

 

Just my 2 cents for what its worth.

 

Jim

[FULLTIMEWANABE]

Actually Jim, we didn't restrict ourselves down to that and were looking at 40-42ft but ironically that particular Tiffin model we just stumbled intohad a way better bathroom than any of the longer ones, and had big slides so felt pretty roomy. Was just mentioning it in case OP who mentioned bathrooms too cramped might work out. Do find that Tiffin generally utilize putting in more albeit smaller drawers in the kitchen area, so generally better use of space there, but like with all there's pros and minuses whatever you look at.

 

Are you guys back home yet? Enjoying this gorgeous sunshine and warmth we've got :)

[mionerr]

the most important things were being able to walk around the bed to make it easier (got it), closet space (we got 2 good sized ones), Kitchen prep room (yes!), accessibility when slides in to bathroom, fridge and able prep something in kitchen (got it).

Also the ones with a bath and a half (we really don't want two bathrooms for just two of us and would rather see space better utilized for our needs),

As for all these TV's everywhere like you we have need for only one, as we hardly ever watch it. Whilst the fireplace feature seems a nice focal point, I do wonder how efficient for heating they actually are?

 

Boy, that's exactly how we're thinking.

[sandsys]

On another subject, I'm guessing that you and Dave were active model railroaders before you hit the road. Did you quit cold turkey or did you find ways to continue the hobby while traveling? My wife is encouraging me to continue on the road with a small operations oriented layout. Being in N scale for 40+ years helps.

On our first motorhome trip in a rental unit many years ago we chased trains and did research along the way. Later we carried a bunch of N Scale stuff but never did anything with it. We talked a lot about building a layout under the lift up bed when we had the Class A but having all the wiring be visible did not sound attractive to us. We did sometimes visit friends with model railroads to get an operating fix. And Dave is very active in the local operating groups now we are back home. We have friends who traveled part time who built models while on the road to use once they were home again. If you have room for it, you might build N-Trak modules to connect up with other groups as you travel; setting a couple of those up outside in a campsite would likely draw visitors quickly.

 

Linda Sand

[Jimalberta]

Yes we are home and it is nice and warm here although windy.

[sushidog]

Whilst the fireplace feature seems a nice focal point, I do wonder how efficient for heating they actually are? I'd opt for extra storage space personally than the fireplace if there was a choice and it fitted in our budget to do so still.

All electric fireplaces, heaters, etc. that use resistance heat are of equal efficiency. A 1,500 watt electric heater produces 5,120 BTU/hr (3.41 BTUs/watt) - not very efficient. The only thing better is an electric heat pump, which does not create heat, but exracts heat from the outside air and moves it inside, The warmer the outside air (the more heat it contains) the more efficiently it works. The most efficient heat pump I've seen is this one: http://www.geinnovations.net/Specifications.html At about $2,000 it is very expensive but can be adapted to RV use, particularly suitable for solar applications with a large 48v battery bank - since it a native 48v DC appliance. The HSAC-12H/C moves 12,500 BTUs of heat from outside to inside consuming only 600 watts (20.83 BTUs/watt) which is over 6 times more efficient than electric resistance heat! However most people only look at it's heating capability is a side benefit, as it's main use is efficient air conditioning, producing 12,000 BTUs of cooling with only 560 watts, for a world beating EER of 21.43 (not to be confused with SEER, which should be well over 30 for this high of an EER)!

 

Chip

[mionerr]

If you have room for it, you might build N-Trak modules to connect up with other groups as you travel; setting a couple of those up outside in a campsite would likely draw visitors quickly.

 

Linda Sand

After 30+ years of NTRAK I'm done with it at least for a while. I hope to visit RR museums, N scale (and other) layouts and hobby shops, maybe write some articles for one of the N scale magazines. Attending some of the OPS weekends should be easier, as well. While my wife does not participate in the hobby, she is very supportive and likes to visit layouts and ride trains with me. There are a few remote operating RR I'd like to visit, as well. I should have spent less time operating on local layouts and more time on my own since I moved to Pueblo. And going to OPS weekends. Gotta retire. Work keeps getting in the way.