Class of 2017

[jamtracy]

Hi All!!! Just checking in. I can't believe we are almost in the 4th quarter of this year. We only have 19 months to go. I remember when it was 65 months. This is crazy.

We have a 4 day trip planned on October 1st and a another one on October 23rd. That will be it for the rest of this year.

Not much planned for 2016. We are going to take that time to get rid of everything.

We are going to nail down our first route and destinations for 2017 before returning to California to spend the holidays with our kids and grand kids.

That's it for now.

 

James

[MilesAndSmiles]

My wife and I are headed to Hershey for two days at the big RV show this week. There are so many seminars that I'd like to attend! But we are also committed to spending lots of time touring various motorhomes so we can get a better sense of what will work for us. At least I know that there's a fountain of information here if we miss one of the "essential" seminars!

[Tumbleweed]

DenellenGuy:

 

Enjoy the show. You will need to tell us about the show. I have never been to the Hershey show.

 

Dave

[HSVBamaBob]

X2 Going to Hershey is on our bucket list as wellv - more for the seminars than RVs though.

 

Pictures woul;d be nice thoug

[MilesAndSmiles]

Last night my wife and I pulled into our driveway after an exhausting and exhilarating two days at the Hershey RV show. I'm going to start with some general impressions, then go on to the things we learned that have a more personal application as we plan for our future as extended timers.

HUGE - I know this is obvious, but you can't fully understand what it's like to walk over the bridge from the parking lot and see a huge ocean of RVs - every kind of RV you can imagine from large and small manufacturers, designed for everything from the weekend camper to the full-time RVer, from the frugal to the opulent. Wow!

STRATEGY - We quickly realized that we needed a strategy in order to survive and enjoy the show. We wanted to get a broad taste of what's available, but we didn't want to waste time in areas that really are not applicable to us. So, we basically started on one end of the outdoor exhibition area, used the map to see which manufacturers made Class A's, then headed directly toward the diesels. Also, since we have three teenagers we decided to only look at coaches with 4 beds. Special KUDOs to Camping World because they have very clear graphics posted by the door of each of their units saying how many people they sleep. From ten feet away we could quickly zero in on the coaches that interested us. For other manufactures, depending on how big their area was, we'd either make a quick scan of the floor plan usually posted by each door and count beds.

It soon became apparent to us that we really like Bunks, so we'd ask sales people to direct us to the bunk units. And, we also expanded our search to bunks in gassers for comparison. We also loved the drop-down beds over the cockpit. Two bunks and a drop-down bed = perfect!

SURPRISES - We were really shocked by how few of the venders had anything to offer that was of interest to us. Sometimes that was because we don't have a coach yet, so we're really not ready to talk about insurance, roof repair (lots of those), or retirement communities for an exit plan! Not interested in the cleaning products, cookware demonstrations, wet-basement remedies, or hot tubs either.

More surprising to us were a few categories that were missing. We expected to see a few companies showing solar panels, inverters, specialized batteries, installation kits, and installation. There was only one vender with solar products, and they were little portable products for charging your laptop or cell phone! We would have liked to go to a seminar on solar power for your RV, but there wasn't anything like that offered.

Likewise we thought we'd find more "green" venders showing things such as composting toilets, boondocking "must have" gadgets, etc. Nothing we could find.

WORKSHOPS - We really enjoyed both workshops we went to with Bob and Carol Marx. He is thorough and entertaining, and helped us think of a few questions we hadn't thunk before! Most of the seminars were travelogues that we didn't have time for.

HIDDEN SECRETS - A number of dealers brought their leftover 2015s and parked them outside in the parking lot. Worth asking if that's what you're looking for.

PRICING - "Show" pricing was mostly a come on, but I was surprised to see how many people were buying on the spot. By Friday afternoon there were MANY new 2016 unites with "Sold" signs by the door.

The one real show-only deal that seemed worth buying there was from Winnebago who were offering 3-year/100,000 mile warranties on their 2016 diesel coaches. If buying new, that's a bonus worth looking into.

At the end of the day, we left with our focus both widened and narrowed! We quickly realized that we're not "motor coach" people, although it was fun to look at some of the high-end vehicles. When we asked one salesman for a luxury brand if they had any units with bunks he looked at us with just a bit of distain and said, "In this price range?" Hey, wealthy people have kids too!

Little things started to stand out again and again. Things we hated such as no place to put your book (or CPAP machine) beside the bed, the space between the bed and closet being so small you have to turn sideways to get to your clothing, TVs that are mounted sideways to the couch, bunks that are firmly attached in place so that you can't use that space for a work area, storage area, or hanging closet when you don't have the kids on board, sliding doors held open by little pieces of plastic that you snap in place, couches that are uncomfortable to sit in, and skylights in the bedroom (we like to sleep in).

We learned that we loved double sinks and kitchen counter space, full-size showers, air conditioners in the bedroom, "hidden" workspaces, comfortable and sturdy cockpit chairs, easily convertible bunks, dinettes with storage space under the seats, drop down beds over the cockpit, metal plumbing fixtures, slide-out pantry storage, power awnings.

We only found one brand that we completely crossed our list. Even in their brand new 2016 display coaches we found hardware improperly installed or missing, woodwork with gouges in it due to poorly placed screws and catches, and the absolutely most uncomfortable furniture we tried in virtually every Forest River coach. In their Berkshire line we actually heard other couples laughing about how short you'd have to be to sit comfortably in the dinette, and even with pillows the sofas were anything but ergonomic.

 

We were surprised at some "common sense" issues in the Fleetwood Bounders as well. For instance, in one coach the passenger's seat in the cockpit could theoretically swivel, but the foot rest rubs against the doghouse and you have to basically force it past. Seems like a recipe for annoyance and future repairs.

On the other hand we found that we kept returning again and again to Winnebago. We liked their floor plans, the fit and feel of (most) of their coaches, and the interior design. In particular, we kept coming back to look at a Forza 38R bunkhouse. The bunk area is easily convertible to be used as bunks, a closet, or a work area. The furnishings were comfortable and the overall design felt like it fit. Some other time or place I may go into more detail and ask some more specific questions.

Near the middle of our second day we decided to check out Winnebago gassers with bunks and were very surprised to also fall in like with the Vista 31BE and the Sunstar 31BE which are identical except for color schemes according to the factory rep we spoke with. This unit is a BIG leap from the Forza. It's much smaller, but the design is quite clever so that it incorporates the features we really like. The $30,000 or so price difference is apparent in the quality of the fixtures (the faucets and sinks are plastic junk that would need to be replaced quickly). But still, overall it felt comfy.

Our plan is to do a few test drives at dealers over the next few months. We are in no hurry, and ultimately will be looking for one of these used in about two years. Personally I think the Forza is the way we will go, but my wife's a more of an "ease you way into it" kind of person and might feel better by deliberately buying our "first" RV with the expectation of trading up in a year if we really like the lifestyle.

I hope these reflections are interesting to some, and helpful to others - particularly as you prepare to go to an other show or Hershey 2016!

[Tumbleweed]

DunellenGuy:

 

Very thorough report.

 

Thanks for the update

 

Dave

[NJTroy]

We are exhausted as well after four days here in Hershey. We were looking for a 5er and already had a fairly good idea of what mattered to us. That allowed us to narrow it down to a short list of manufacturers before the show and we added one while here. After a lot of back and forth between these trailers, we rank ordered our list. We were back and forth so many times between the handful we were deciding among that we're worn out. I'm sure some of their sales people were ready to duck us by this morning as we tried to dig into what was under the surface.

 

In the 5er class, we were very focused on infrastructure and systems quality. Unfortunately, many of the trailers are trying for pretty or gimmicky. Augusta/Luxe was particularly guilty of this, with white interiors, counter surfaces that charge all your electronic devices and pot fillers. They certainly were pretty and if we were looking for a seasonal they have created a pretty, usable coach. But if you need the storage and build quality of a fulltime trailer, there were just too many issues for me. These are also mostly long coaches, coming in mostly over 38'. I think there may have been a shorter floor plan or two in the Augusta line, but not in the Luxe line.

 

Returning to my surprise was Carriage. While this is not the Carriage of old (Thor bought their plans and brand after they went up for auction in 2012). I knew that Thor had done that, but didn't expect them to be manufacturing again at this point. Nice attempt, but there were maintenance items that made my head hurt. They've enclosed their tanks in individual boxes and provided separate heat feeds to each one to give them better insulation in cold weather. But all I could think of was how expensive that design is going to be if you have a failure on one of them. Layouts are what you'd expect. I think this is supposed to be between the Redwood level and the DRV level in the Thor family, but I actually thought the Redwood was better thought out and a more mature product line.

 

Redwood is now a more mature line, nicely done. Details and quality are definitely below DRV, but still quite serviceable with good layouts. These are showing up a lot in this area and I can see why.

 

DRV is still presenting a very very nice 5er. The takeover by Thor doesn't seem to me to have changed too much, although I'm sure there are more components that they are common sourcing.

 

Best in show for higher end 5er from our perspective goes hands down to the updated New Horizons Summit. This line was the original New Horizon line, but with the introduction of the Majestic it had become very dated. The plan now is to make this a semi-custom line with less of the frills on the interior, but more of the solid things that most of us want for full timing. It's now on a 102" wide frame, like the Majestic and has the same framing and structure. Still has the same quality electrical systems, suspension, and so on. On the inside, they have made solid surface counters standard (replacing the dated Formica), simplified the Majestic's lighting system and so on. This line will probably take a year or so to shake out the details, but unlike totally new lines (like the "new" Carriage), we're confident that this will deliver with the same quality as the lovely Majestic, with a significantly lower price point. It's still quite a bit above the DRV line pricing, but the quality is significantly higher as well.

 

Now to lock in our choice over the next couple months, work out finances, choose a truck, solar/not solar, so many decisions!!

 

But it's all progress. Now to get some sleep and head back home.

[Honalee]

Hi all!

We have only 1 year and 8 months till we retire and begin our traveling adventure! (I have a countdown app on my phone! Doesn't everyone?) We still have not located the perfect 5th wheel for us. We are planning another trip to Denver in January to attend the RV show there. Thank you for all of your advise and observations regarding the RV show in Hershey!

As we drive around in our normal day to day travels, we see RV's drive by and wish we were already there. But, we still have a lot to do! We have a whole house of stuff that needs to find another home! Slowly we are moving things out the door but it doesn't seem to make a dent in what we still have to do! Right now, I am power washing the cedar siding on our house and staining it! I hate cedar siding but knowing this is the LAST time we have to do it... helps! I will miss my beautiful flower gardens! But, I plan to have pots of flowers in the RV, that I will set out when we stop and move back inside when we are moving!

Those are the things running through my head as we get closer and closer to our date!

 

Seems like all of these posts are from you guys out there! Although very informative and much appreciated, I'd love to hear more female perspectives!!

Kathie

[NJTroy]

Welcome to the class, Kathie! And surprise! I'm not a guy! So you are getting at least one female perspective. Don't worry, it's so common it doesn't bother me at all. If there's something specific you'd like to hear about, feel free to ask. I've been particularly focused on kitchen functionality as I love to cook. That's what I will miss from our house. I designed my kitchen to do exactly what I want.

 

We are at mostly the same point as you, can't wait to get out, still have a house full of stuff we are working on getting rid of, still have my DH's job to finish up. We're not washing cedar siding, but we have a cedar deck that needs to be sanded and refinished this fall. We'll likely have to seal it once more before we go. So not looking forward to that job. Most of the research and planning is my job since my DH is still working full time. That is taking up a lot of my time.

 

We're a bit stalled at the moment. We're traveling for various reasons until the middle of October with just short breaks back home. It's a nice relief from the painting we were focused on over the last couple months and all fun things, but we'd almost rather be home getting everything done.

[Honalee]

JN, Thanks for your response! We too are traveling a lot in October. Visiting daughter in DC and then to LA to a family wedding. While there, we are visit a couple dealers to look at more 5th wheels and a quick hike in Sequoia National Park.

 

I am just learning the lingo... what does DH mean?

[jamtracy]

JN, Thanks for your response! We too are traveling a lot in October. Visiting daughter in DC and then to LA to a family wedding. While there, we are visit a couple dealers to look at more 5th wheels and a quick hike in Sequoia National Park.

 

I am just learning the lingo... what does DH mean?

I have my meaning of DH but on here it means Dear Husband.

[HSVBamaBob]

JN, Thanks for your response! We too are traveling a lot in October. Visiting daughter in DC and then to LA to a family wedding. While there, we are visit a couple dealers to look at more 5th wheels and a quick hike in Sequoia National Park.

 

I am just learning the lingo... what does DH mean?

Here is a quick n dirty list - I have a more extensive one at home if you are interested LOL

 

DH = Dear Husband

DW = Dear Wife

DD = Dear Daughter

DS = Dear Son

BF = Boyfriend

GF = Girlfriend

SO = Significant Other

MIL = Mother-in-law

[Peter+Kristi]

We plan to begin fulltiming about Oct 1, 2017 My husband will retire in September of that year and then we will take off. We have spent the last year reading a ton of books, forums and blogs to educate ourselves. We have attended RV shows and went to a couple of RV manufacturers. We attended an educational rally last fall put on by RVDreams and learned a lot. We dont currently have an RV but are seriously considering a Phoenix Cruiser. We want to stay on the small side since we want to spend a lot of time in National Parks and Forests in the first few years.

 

We have also been downsizing our belongings and getting needed stuff done around the house.

 

We are very much looking forward to 2017!

 

Peter & Kristi

[Honalee]

Good to hear from you Peter and Kristi. Somehow comforting to know others are going through the same things we are. Lot's of excitement for the future but also wondering what it will be like to travel in our home. We have always worked and lived in one place. Not sure what the future holds but it will be an adventure! And, it will get us out of our comfort zone which will be good!

 

We don't have an RV yet either. We plan to go to two dealers in California when we fly out there next week. Also plan to go to the RV show in Denver and Kansas City in January. We live near Wichita, Kansas and the dealers around here really only carry "fair weather" RV's. We too want to keep it pretty small so we can get into National Parks. We too are reading all we can and gathering all the information we can. We plan to retire in June of 2017. Can't wait!

 

We want to go to the Escapee Boot Camp once we purchase our 5th wheel. We are very new to all of this!

Again, good to hear from you!

Kathie

[Tumbleweed]

Peter & Kristi, Honalee:

 

Welcome to the class of 2017!!! It's great to have you with us.

 

We have attended the boot camp and it is very educational.

 

"And, it will get us out of our comfort zone which will be good!" - so true. It's becoming more real as we get closer to 2017.

 

Our big issue is that we will still need to work for another three years after 2017. My wife's job can be done remotely and she works one to two days a week from home. However, we don't know if her employer will let her work full-time remotely. Then it becomes decision time. We also need health insurance coverage for her since she will be pre-medicare.My job will be done remotely to some extent. I will need to be back the area 4 times per year.

 

But as you say "it will be adventure".

[BigTexRex]

Hi everyone!

 

We've just joined Escapees and are RVing full time, but are still anchored because I cannot retire until 1 March 2017. At that time we'll pull chocks and wheels up on the full-timing adventure. Even though we've been Rving for eight years, this last year I've learned more than the other seven combined--vacationing in one and living in one full time is a totally different game.

 

Kathie, I also have a countdown app. When we got ready to sale the house, we hired an estate agent to sell all of our belongings. After everything was gone, I worked on the house for about a month, put it on the market and had it sold in 11 days.

 

We'll be attending the 2016 boot camp. I often wonder how far in advance we should start the mail service.

 

Rex and Karen

[Honalee]

Hi all!

We just returned from Washington DC and then California... we flew!

We spent a day at the LA RV show. We had already narrowed it down to two 5th wheels and were able to go back and forth to look at both. We really didn't spend any time looking at any others. It was so helpful. Our criteria is that it has to be a true 4-season and we wanted as tough/rugged as possible. We plan to move around a lot and cover a lot of area all around North America. We want it to hold up. We also wanted something fairly small in length so we could still get into National Parks etc. The only ones we found were not made anywhere near us (Kansas)! So, the brands we are looking at are both made in Oregon and not sold east of Denver. So, the LA show was perfect. Although we had decided on Glacier Peak, made by Outdoors RV, we were also looking at Arctic Fox, made by Northwood. So, again, we decided on the Glacier Peak.

 

We rented a car and drove to Sequoia and spent a few day there. Also had lots of time to talk about our decision and make additional plans. We noticed the roads in and out of Sequoia has a lot of switchbacks etc. Pretty difficult to get a 5th wheel in there! Wouldn't even try it... and they wouldn't have let us in anyway. So, we had time to talk about how to see things we wanted to see without going into the parks if needed.

 

So, our next step is to research a truck. We are going to look at a 3/4 ton, diesel. Any ideas? Things to look for etc.?

 

A lot of you are seasoned RV'ers and we have never had an RV. We had a sailboat for several years so we do have towing experience. I am sure our first year fulltiming will be full of learning experiences!

Kathie and Tom

[jamtracy]

Hi all!

We just returned from Washington DC and then California... we flew!

We spent a day at the LA RV show. We had already narrowed it down to two 5th wheels and were able to go back and forth to look at both. We really didn't spend any time looking at any others. It was so helpful. Our criteria is that it has to be a true 4-season and we wanted as tough/rugged as possible. We plan to move around a lot and cover a lot of area all around North America. We want it to hold up. We also wanted something fairly small in length so we could still get into National Parks etc. The only ones we found were not made anywhere near us (Kansas)! So, the brands we are looking at are both made in Oregon and not sold east of Denver. So, the LA show was perfect. Although we had decided on Glacier Peak, made by Outdoors RV, we were also looking at Arctic Fox, made by Northwood. So, again, we decided on the Glacier Peak.

 

We rented a car and drove to Sequoia and spent a few day there. Also had lots of time to talk about our decision and make additional plans. We noticed the roads in and out of Sequoia has a lot of switchbacks etc. Pretty difficult to get a 5th wheel in there! Wouldn't even try it... and they wouldn't have let us in anyway. So, we had time to talk about how to see things we wanted to see without going into the parks if needed.

 

So, our next step is to research a truck. We are going to look at a 3/4 ton, diesel. Any ideas? Things to look for etc.?

 

A lot of you are seasoned RV'ers and we have never had an RV. We had a sailboat for several years so we do have towing experience. I am sure our first year fulltiming will be full of learning experiences!

Kathie and Tom

Sounds like you guys are doing some good homework.

You didn't give any specs of what you are looking for. But I do know a true 4 season well built rig will be heavier than the cheaper made ones. We did the 3/4 ton standard bed GMC Diesel and traded up for a 1 ton. Huge difference in payload with the same price. The new one is a long bed. Way more room in the back of the truck to haul other things and we don't have to worry about weight. Also tows much smoother. If you go diesel make sure you have an exhaust brake or add one. Makes a huge difference on those steep grades. You can find threads all of the place on gas vs diesel, gm vs ford vs dodge.....We like GM products. My wife does 99 percent of the driving. I'm just along for the ride.

Good Luck,

James

[BarbDan17]

Hello 2017 class mates. We've been lurking on here for awhile, but no more! We're moving up to the 2016 class. We've been doing garage sales all summer and just had a "bakery" sale this past weekend to sell off all my baking/cake decorating supplies. It appears we'll be selling our house in April 2016 and my employment should be ending around that same time. So.....nothing else will be holding us back. While it's been a pleasure watching everyone's progress, we'll be switching over to the 2016 class. Excited, anxious, eager, nervous....how did it get here so quickly?!?

 

Take care and safe travels to each and every one of you!

 

Barbara and Dan

[HSVBamaBob]

Hi everyone!

 

We've just joined Escapees and are RVing full time, but are still anchored because I cannot retire until 1 March 2017. At that time we'll pull chocks and wheels up on the full-timing adventure. Even though we've been Rving for eight years, this last year I've learned more than the other seven combined--vacationing in one and living in one full time is a totally different game.

 

Kathie, I also have a countdown app. When we got ready to sale the house, we hired an estate agent to sell all of our belongings. After everything was gone, I worked on the house for about a month, put it on the market and had it sold in 11 days.

 

We'll be attending the 2016 boot camp. I often wonder how far in advance we should start the mail service.

 

Rex and Karen

Rex (and anyone else with experience),

 

How did the hiring the estate agent work for you? This is the one area I am woefully behind in my research!

 

Cheers,

 

Bob & Anne-Marie

[BoonHauler]

Hello 2017 class mates. We've been lurking on here for awhile, but no more! We're moving up to the 2016 class. We've been doing garage sales all summer and just had a "bakery" sale this past weekend to sell off all my baking/cake decorating supplies. It appears we'll be selling our house in April 2016 and my employment should be ending around that same time. So.....nothing else will be holding us back. While it's been a pleasure watching everyone's progress, we'll be switching over to the 2016 class. Excited, anxious, eager, nervous....how did it get here so quickly?!?

 

Take care and safe travels to each and every one of you!

 

Barbara and Dan

 

WOW, Awesome!! ...... great news!

 

Congratulations!!

[BigTexRex]

Rex (and anyone else with experience),

 

How did the hiring the estate agent work for you? This is the one area I am woefully behind in my research!

 

Cheers,

 

Bob & Anne-Marie

It worked out GREAT. I had known the estate selling agent for years. He did all the advertising, knew a lot of individuals looking for items, and hauled away anything I did not want after the sale. His fee was 25%. I was under a time deadline. From us deciding to sell the house to having it on the market was two and a half months. It sold 11 days later...I was working my butt off. I did sell some items privately and on eBay. It is difficult to sell all your stuff, but also liberating. I miss some of my hobbies, but not the money I used to spend on them.

[Second_Star]

 

 

It is difficult to sell all your stuff, but also liberating. I miss some of my hobbies, but not the money I used to spend on them.

 

Amen to that. Stuff that I always thought I would get to has now gone except two. I'll probably keep those and take them with me.

 

Just crossed the T-minus 2 year mark a couple of days ago!

 

I need to start getting serious about cleaning out and getting the house on the market before too much longer. I'll be moving into an apartment for a short period between the house selling and retiring from work/jumping off. So pretty much anything that isn't going with me into the fifth wheel has got to go!

[BigTexRex]

 

Amen to that. Stuff that I always thought I would get to has now gone except two. I'll probably keep those and take them with me.

 

Just crossed the T-minus 2 year mark a couple of days ago!

 

I need to start getting serious about cleaning out and getting the house on the market before too much longer. I'll be moving into an apartment for a short period between the house selling and retiring from work/jumping off. So pretty much anything that isn't going with me into the fifth wheel has got to go!

We moved into the RV before we had sold the house and stayed at a local RV park. We thought about renting, but all the issues with renting were just too taunting for us and it required two moves.

[DuneElliot]

New to Escapees but thought I would add my 2cents worth here too since my plan to full-time will be around October 2017 (depending on the weather) or before. Since I am a young pup at 36 (by comparable standards to most people here...no offense I hope) I will be workamping in different places each winter and coming home to Wyoming for the summer to see friends and enjoy "vacation" time and to ride the one horse I plan on keeping (somehow), and also to do any moderate to large maintenance on the truck or camper (friend here is a welder/fabricator/plumber/electrician/mechanic etc).

 

I have always been a traveler and gypsy, even when I was 18, 25, or 30, working on different guest ranches each summer all around the west. I would love to do this again, but more importantly I like working somewhere different every year and making new memories, meeting new people and seeing new places. Some of my best stories come from these times (I even published a book about it).

 

The next couple of years will be remodeling my 5'er to my liking. I have already upgraded the suspension (bent axle and flattened springs) from 2 3500# axles, to 2 6000# axles which will keep me from having to worry about weight and will be doing various interior upgrades over the next couple of years while I have a full-time, decent-paying job. The inside is already decorated to my liking, although the curtains aren't up yet, but there are certain things I want to change. I have recently removed the dinette and sofa-sleeper and added a small love-seat. Now on the hunt for a small table that can be used for eating, or working on my laptop. Upgrading the faucets is the next job (the plastic ones are so ugly) and then to install a catalytic propane heater and the solar system.

 

The dogs (two border collies) are already used to living in the RV (was parked and lived in for the summer last year...2014...at the ranch I used to own) but the cat will take some time. I think I'll just leave the door open during next summer and she can come and go as she pleases...I've already found her sleeping in the dressing/tack room of the horse trailer so I don't think it will be too much of an upheaval for her. Of course, I will have to relocate my outdoor cat to the neighbor's place but he's already over there catching mice anyway so he won't really care if his food bowl moves 200 yards north!

 

I'm excited to scratch these itchy feet of mine again...finally...and, in the words of Bilbo Baggins "Yes, I think I'm quite ready for another adventure."