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askwines

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18 minutes ago, askwines said:

Thanks, I'll check it out.

I noticed your username, how's RVing and fly fishing?

It's one of the draws for me to start this up.

Any tips would be great. Would love to be able to pull up to a nice stream and stay for a bit.

There are many options for stream/lakeside RV camping all over the nation.  A good number of these will have limited utilities, but that's not an issue for a few days.  The vast majority of our RV travels have been in the NW states which have, IMHO, the best concentration of fly fishing waters in the world.  Fly fishing gear takes up little space and weight... I rarely travel without it.

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 Both the expense of 2 vehicles to insure and maintain as well as the idea that every time the MH had to have service, I would generally have to check into a motel for however long the service would take - in some cases there were stories of that taking days, weeks, in some cases - months.  Ugh!

 

This is a good example of the sort of advice that you need to carefully avoid. When you think about it, there are proponents of every type of RV so hearing what is wrong with one from someone who prefers another choice is not a good idea, regardless what type they happen to be downgrading. Modern motor vehicles spend very little time in shops until they reach very high mileage and the RV part of all RVs, whether class A, class C, travel trailer or fifth wheel, they all use the same appliances and pretty much the same construction methods and materials. The same RV repairs that force one out of the RV overnight would be pretty much the same for all. A motorized RV does have to go into the shop for things like oil changes and minor issues if not done by the owners but in our 12 years of living in a gasoline-powered class A, we only stayed outside of our RV two times, both of them because we chose to do so since we were close to family where we could just leave the RV in the shop and be more comfortable. Un those 12 years, only one mechanical issue required the chassis to be in a repair facility overnight.  The other incident was a roof issue which would have been no different for any type of RV.

if you wish, I can tell you the reasons we prefer a class A for fulltime, but I'll not share any reasons that we didn't choose something else. 

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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11 hours ago, Barbaraok said:

Legendsk, where did you get the idea that all of us with MHs spend nights in motels when we have them serviced/repaired?   We've always slept in our coach at night at the service facility which usually had at least 30 amps for us to plug into, sometimes also had water.  

You're absolutely correct Barbaraok.  That was a very poor choice of words on my part and did indeed make it sound like MH repairs always mean a motel stay and the vast majority certainly don't.

The main maintenance (and purchase, I suppose) expense difference between having two engines and drive trains versus one is clear.  If the maintenance is broken down into broad categories of "vehicle maintenance" and "home maintenance" and to be fair, let's put brakes, tires and wheels into the "home" category since both have those.  Then whatever "home" problems there are affect both kinds pretty equally.  If one has to spend a week in the shop for something, the other kind would have about the same issue.  But engine and drive train problems are limited to the MH, at least in terms of involving my "home".  If my pickup has to spend a month in the shop, I still have a home to live in while it is there.  Of course some MH service centers will let you live in while it is in the shop and then the problem goes away equally for both kinds of units, even for "home" repairs.

I'm probably a little biased from having a friend who bought a new MH, got 50 miles down the road with it and a slide decided to extend while they were cruising down the highway.  No problem, they stopped and put it back in and went back to the manufacturer.  Who fixed it overnight and the next day they made it 20 miles before it did it again.  Back to the manufacturer's where it then spent 3 months being repaired.  And now doesn't have any particular problems.  Just one of those things, but because of the repair time was pretty inconvenient.

Again, my apologies for making it sound like every time a motor vehicle needs maintenance it has to be in the shop for a long time.  Even one overnight is rare, although most of us have had the occasional vehicle problem that took more.

F-250 SCREW 4X4 Gas, 5th NuWa Premier 35FKTG, Full Time, Engineer Ret.

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8 hours ago, Legendsk said:

I'm probably a little biased from having a friend who bought a new MH, got 50 miles down the road with it and

I have known folks who have had that same type of experience with fifth wheels!  Our experience of living in a class A and towing a small vehicle was not even remotely like what you have said to be. I have published our actual expenses for the years we lived in it and the do not fit your description at all. What is true is that in our 12 years, we drove our towed vehicles a total of 249,000 miles in addition to the miles the vehicles were towed behind the motorhome. Had we been living in a fifth wheel all of those miles would have been on the big engine for a total that would have approached 350,000 miles. By towing our CR-V we put none of the wear on the motorhome engine as you would have on the big truck. The CR-V typically got more than 25 mpg, as compared to that of a big truck. In addition, the maintenance for the CR-V is far less costly than for a big truck. The one time in those years when the motorhome would not run, we still had transportation to go and find help! 

My point is that there are good and bad features for every possible choice of RV and while it is clearly valid to give the things that you like about your choice, we are all prejudiced in favor of the choice we made and that makes it very questionable if we give reasons that some other type RV choice is a bad one. I realize that you mean well with your advice, and I hope that you now understand the reason that I tell people that negative comments on other choices that we have not experienced should be suspect. 

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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22 hours ago, Kirk Wood said:

in our 12 years of living in a gasoline-powered class A, we only stayed outside of our RV two times, both of them because we chose to do so since we were close to family where we could just leave the RV in the shop and be more comfortable. Un those 12 years, only one mechanical issue required the chassis to be in a repair facility overnight.  The other incident was a roof issue which would have been no different for any type of RV.

When we had solar panels put on our motorhome we spent a night parked out back with an electrical hookup and another night in the RV inside the shop. Once you close the curtains it all looks the same.

Linda Sand

Blog: http://sandcastle.sandsys.org/

Former Rigs: Liesure Travel van, Winnebago View 24H, Winnebago Journey 34Y, Sportsmobile Sprinter conversion van

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On 10/27/2017 at 10:35 PM, gjhunter01 said:

..... As far as a pickup, don't be scared into believing you need a dually or some monster truck. We have met other full timers in 40' fifth wheels and they do just find in 1 ton SWR. It's all in what you are comfortable with driving and how you drive, not what you drive....... 

Greg

Greg, The advice here should be not to listen to others or dealers but to fully research and comply with manufacturers and legal requirements. Check the weight specifications of the unit you want and be sure to buy a tow vehicle that meets the  specifications BEFORE you buy either. Doing anything else sets you up for failure or an accident.

Dave and Lana Hasper

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17 minutes ago, Daveh said:

Greg, The advice here should be not to listen to others or dealers but to fully research and comply with manufacturers and legal requirements. Check the weight specifications of the unit you want and be sure to buy a tow vehicle that meets the  specifications BEFORE you buy either. Doing anything else sets you up for failure or an accident.

Sounds like good advice.

We have a long way to go before we decide on anything. Good possibility we change our minds a few times by the time we get there.

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I agree that it is best to play safe and stay within the vehicle requirements. That being said, manufacturing specs are based on best motor performance, chassie performance and ride comfort. This is not a hard weight number that the world will end if exceeded. Design engineers have a 1-1/2 or more safety factor built into the published specs and being within vehicle specs does not make it an automatic safe situation. I would rather have a experienced driver in a overweighted vehicle than a unsafe/unexperienced driver in a within spec vehicle. Legal weight is for commercial vehicles and DOT enforcement. I may be wrong, but I have never heard of a private vehicle being ticketed for over weight.

This post is not meant to be advice, just my opinion.

Greg

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Wouldn't it be very easy to prove? The truck manufacturer  telsl you the capacity for fifth wheel towing and the rv manufacturer tells you the fifth wheel weight. If we are talking about pulling a 40 foot fifth wheel with a SRW I am pretty sure that every one of them will be overweight.

Dave and Lana Hasper

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1 hour ago, gjhunter01 said:

I agree that it is best to play safe and stay within the vehicle requirements. That being said, manufacturing specs are based on best motor performance, chassie performance and ride comfort. This is not a hard weight number that the world will end if exceeded. Design engineers have a 1-1/2 or more safety factor built into the published specs and being within vehicle specs does not make it an automatic safe situation. I would rather have a experienced driver in a overweighted vehicle than a unsafe/unexperienced driver in a within spec vehicle. Legal weight is for commercial vehicles and DOT enforcement. I may be wrong, but I have never heard of a private vehicle being ticketed for over weight.

This post is not meant to be advice, just my opinion.

Greg

Not really aimed at our style of RV's, but the California Highway Patrol tickets drivers pulling trailers over 10,000 pounds that do NOT have a non-commercial Class A CA drivers license.  How do they know you are over 10,000 pounds you may ask...three axles.  They are primarily looking for toy boxes rather than travel trailers as toy boxes are built stronger and generally have heavier cargo in them.

I'm not saying that's a hard and fast rule, (3 axles), but its what the CHP is looking for.

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Every type of RV has advantages and disadvantages, and what best fits you may not fit me. That's why there are so many choices. We researched for several years before deciding on our (used) 40" MH. Once we realized that, no matter what we chose, we would have one vehicle towing something else. We spent several nights in a hotel when we had the new cabinet built around the new refrigerator. We could have stayed in the coach, but that would have added to the labor cost, as they would have had to clean up at the end of each work day. As it was, they barely finished by quitting time Friday night. The only other time we were in a hotel was when we had the engine rebuilt.

Today we had to break camp to take the coach in for an oil change. We left the Jeep at the campground and waited in the lounge while the oil was changed. Yes, it took longer than I thought it would, but we still ate lunch back at the campground.

David Lininger, kb0zke
1993 Foretravel U300 40' (sold)
2022 Grand Design Reflection 315RLTS

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1 hour ago, kb0zke said:

Every type of RV has advantages and disadvantages, and what best fits you may not fit me. That's why there are so many choices. We researched for several years before deciding on our (used) 40" MH. Once we realized that, no matter what we chose, we would have one vehicle towing something else. We spent several nights in a hotel when we had the new cabinet built around the new refrigerator. We could have stayed in the coach, but that would have added to the labor cost, as they would have had to clean up at the end of each work day. As it was, they barely finished by quitting time Friday night. The only other time we were in a hotel was when we had the engine rebuilt.

Today we had to break camp to take the coach in for an oil change. We left the Jeep at the campground and waited in the lounge while the oil was changed. Yes, it took longer than I thought it would, but we still ate lunch back at the campground.

I agree, a RV choice is all about compromise to suit your needs. What one RV owner finds important to them will most likely be a non-issue with another RV owner. Your personal path through life is all a compromise.

Greg

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  • 2 months later...
On 10/28/2017 at 5:26 AM, Kirk Wood said:

Welcome to the Escapee forum!

If you have done a great deal of research then you do need to settle somewhere, but in my mind, it is a bit early to settle on one type before you have even spent a night in one. Each of us has solid reasons for the type of RV we prefer and each one is right. In other words, there are good and bad points for each type and it is mostly personal preferences that determine what is best. I would take a lot of time before I made the financial commitment to buy a specific one. I have owned several types of RV over the past 35 years and each one had good points and served us well at the time. Part of the choice is in how you plan to use the RV and another factor is where you plan to take it. 

Class C is the most available type of RV for rental and any type will allow you to experience the life in one as well as using the appliances and plumbing, which is pretty much the same in every type. If you can find a fifth wheel and truck to rent, that may be best, especially if you have no experience in driving and parking one. Motorized RVs are the least difficult to park, driving one just depends on the person driving which is least difficult to learn. 

Man, I hope I never have to parallel park. I will be very partial to places where I don't have to turn around. Our size range is 32-35 feet with consideration to larger or smaller units already equipped with Banks exhaust components. We're definitely going to be class A people. The beds above the cabs won't work for me, I'm claustrophobic enough, that would Just. Not. Work. Besides, I need a free and unencumbered path to the potty. I'll leave the rest to your imagination.

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Askwines, In a Class A you can pack any/everything you need. Food. Clothes ect..

5th is great for full timing in one spot for long periods of time. as main thing that comes into play is Walking Room. 

Class C great to get in drive away, but space is not always there.  But a lot depends on your rv plans. Weekends away or trips that would take weeks.  My experience is Class A. i pack it up, everything i could possibly want. food snacks, ect..And i bring extra of everything.  If long term camping i would lean to the 5th. 

2000 Itasca Horizon DP (Got Total During Irma). 

Vice President of Charlotte County Defenders LE MC

http://charlotte.defenderslemc.com/

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10 hours ago, OldMan said:

Man, I hope I never have to parallel park. I will be very partial to places where I don't have to turn around. Our size range is 32-35 feet with consideration to larger or smaller units already equipped with Banks exhaust components. We're definitely going to be class A people.

You had better bone up on parking on weird sites and being able to turn around.  You would rarely find ideal sites time after time.  Especially with a Class A, parking is just like a car.... only longer. :)  If towing a car you will have to disconnect the car before backing in but it really takes very little time to do so.  We found that the best sites - in public parks anyway - are usually the backin sites and we pick ones far in the rear for hopefully a quieter spot and also away from the office/restrooms.  Many times the backin rear sites will have a nice open space to the rear for us to enjoy without having to look at another RV.  Sometimes it's a river or lake.  My point is, don't limit yourself to only easy pull-through sites except, perhaps, for a one-night stop.  Both of us drove and parked our 40' motorhome. It's really not difficult.

Full-timed for 16 Years
Traveled 8 yr in a 2004 Newmar Dutch Star 40' Motorhome
and 8 yr in a 33' Travel Supreme 5th Wheel

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29 minutes ago, 2gypsies said:

You had better bone up on parking on weird sites and being able to turn around.  You would rarely find ideal sites time after time.  Especially with a Class A, parking is just like a car.... only longer. :)  If towing a car you will have to disconnect the car before backing in but it really takes very little time to do so.  We found that the best sites - in public parks anyway - are usually the backin sites and we pick ones far in the rear for hopefully a quieter spot and also away from the office/restrooms.  Many times the backin rear sites will have a nice open space to the rear for us to enjoy without having to look at another RV.  Sometimes it's a river or lake.  My point is, don't limit yourself to only easy pull-through sites except, perhaps, for a one-night stop.  Both of us drove and parked our 40' motorhome. It's really not difficult.

Sigh. I know.

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