Guidance for "right" RV for first time full timers

[ndna]

Thank you for your feedback and input! We really appreciate all of you taking time to answer our newbie questions. We’re currently considering a 2004 Fleetwood Southwind 32VS - any pros or cons with this brand/model (I know it’s a subjective question, but that’s kinda the point too)? Any particular issues to aware of? 

[ndna]

On 3/8/2018 at 12:18 PM, Chad Heiser said:

Go find a big RV dealer with multiple types of RV's or a big RV show and spend time in all the different types of RV's.  Act out all the things you will do in the RV.  Sit and pretend to watch TV.  Is the viewing angle comfortable?  Pretend to cook in the kitchen.  Are things laid out conveniently to cook?  Is there enough counter space?  Can you wash the dishes later or will you have to do them as you go because of space issues?  Go in the barroom and "take" a shower.  Do you have enough room?  Sit on the toilet.  Do you knees hit the wall/door/cabinet?  Lay in bed.  Do you fit?  "Make" the bed.  Can you do it without leaning over the bed?  Can you access both sides of the bed?  Look at where your clothes would go.  Is there enough drawer/closet space to hold enough clothes?  will you need to do laundry every other day or once a week or?  Is there a laundry option in the RV?  do you want to use a laundromat on a regular basis?  There are many more questions that you need to answer as well to make an informed decision.

Great advice! We‘ll make sure to ‚test-live‘ in it! 

[ndna]

On 3/8/2018 at 12:55 PM, Dmitche4 said:

If you are using this full-time and need to have a quick stop while on the road or rest area, ensure you can use the majority of the trailer with the slides in (if you have slides). On mine we cannot access the fridge with the slide in but with planning we pack a cooler, everything else is accessible.

David

That’s a good point too. Definitely not something we would have initially thought about!

[ndna]

On 3/8/2018 at 1:14 PM, scouserl41 said:

We were in the same position you are, I went thru our means of getting there in our blog:

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

The best thing to do is go and look at LOTS of RV's and mime watching the TV, cooking, taking a shower. Try the rig with the SLIDE IN to make sure you can access closets, beds etc when you just pull over for a quick night stop.

If there is one thing I would recommend to the first time RV buyer it would be Go to RV Boot Camp BEFORE you buy an RV. We did it that way and we saved so much time and money when we finally did buy our rig.

BnB

Thank you for sharing that link - very detailed intro to RV buying! 

[ndna]

On 3/9/2018 at 7:55 AM, Kirk Wood said:

Before you get too deep into things, never forget that the posts on these forums represent the person posting's opinions and are often very biased. Most of us like to believe that we are the wisest in our selection of RV and so often attempt to sell others on our way of thinking. Make sure that you read both sides of each argument as you may not be listening to the right opinion for you.

While it is possible to increase the CCC of an RV, it is far from practical as you would need to completely rebuild it in ways that would cost more than it did to construct it when new. Don't waste your time in that effort. I would commend you for having learned about the weight ratings before you buy as very few new folks do so. If you have not done so, study all of the weight ratings.

On which type of RV is best for you, we have traveled with both motorhomes and towable RVs and we loved both ways. The best choice is one of personal preference and each one has their supporters who will insist it is best. I will say that ability to use the amenities of a motorhome while traveling is far superior to that of any other means and with children I would clearly recommend the class A for most purposes. Even if you never move about while traveling in a class A, the ability to use the toilet and refrigerator is far better with a brief stop on an onramp or another place to get off of the roadway. Our grandchildren could sit at the dinette with seat belts and do things to stay entertained while traveling in our class A but not towable RV is safe to be occupied while traveling. On the other hand, the towable does have somewhat higher safety rating while traveling as the tow vehicle will generally provide better protection in a major accident than would any motorhome. 

As to setup difficulty, with a motorhome you could pull into a parking lot in a nasty storm, lower the jacks, start the generator and be quite at home without ever going outside of the RV. Not true for any of the towable RVs. I have done this many times. In addition, the motorhome is kept at a comfortable temperature while traveling but the towed trailer is not. 

I have seen very few RVs that have one and most do not have the space to add one. 

The main problem that I see in your plan is financial. While you should be able to find something functional for your plan for the $40k, you need to realize that you probably will lose a major part of that money when you sell, especially if you are in any hurry to sell and move to Europe. I think that you should be prepared to sell for at least 25% less than you pay. A great part of this cost will depend on your ability to drive a hard bargain and to know a quality used RV that has been well cared for. A great deal of what is important isn't obvious to one not familiar with RVs and RV construction. Most people who buy an RV that is sold after only 1 year take a major loss.

Thank you for your advice - it’s much appreciated! So you think that with a 10yr old used rig we would still lose 25% in a year?

[ndna]

On 3/9/2018 at 3:07 PM, SWharton said:

Are you looking for a double-sink(kitchen-kind of standard) or a double lavatory(bathroom-never seen one, no space)?

I should have been more clear. I’m looking for a double sink to make doing dishes easier. No need for a double vanity! I just put it down as a criteria because I’ve seen several newer model with only one small sink. 

[ndna]

12 hours ago, rm.w/aview said:

 What a fun year you're about to have.

Thank you! We’re excited and itching to get going, but know we need to do our research first! 

[FULLTIMEWANABE]

3 hours ago, ndna said:

Thank you for your feedback and input! We really appreciate all of you taking time to answer our newbie questions. We’re currently considering a 2004 Fleetwood Southwind 32VS - any pros or cons with this brand/model (I know it’s a subjective question, but that’s kinda the point too)? Any particular issues to aware of? 

FWIW:   We have a 2003 Fleetwood Southwind 36ft with the washer/dryer combo in the kitchen.   Two Slides = Bedroom/Closet in Hall Opposite Bathroom & Dinette/couch Drivers side.   Picked that floorpan because of extra prep room in kitchen (I bake and cook mainly at home wherever we are) and the secondary wardrobe on the bedroom slide that's in the Hallway has been a godsend for guests when onboard and extra clothes for us on long trips..  

Absolutely have loved everything about the rig we've had since new, and found it very easy to learn it's intricacies and do a lot of maintenance/upgrades ourselves.   Only one thing on my wish list would be a bigger bathroom, floorpan wise a couple of years ago was the 37ft Tiffin to meet that wish item "if" we eventually upgrade.

We did have a replacement engine about 4 years ago due to a $2 clip failing and causing punctures by a rod.   That has been our highest expense to date at a little over US$7K.

[Kirk W]

8 hours ago, ndna said:

Thank you for your advice - it’s much appreciated! So you think that with a 10yr old used rig we would still lose 25% in a year?

I'm not saying that a used RV will depreciate by 25% per year under normal circumstances, but that you will be likely to lose that much if you sell after only one year. There are many reasons for this. Unless you handle the sale yourself you will have to pay a commission to the salesman who does it for you and even if you do seii it, you will have to pay for advertising it and associated paperwork. It is also very nearly impossible to get financing for an RV that is more than 10 years old, so that limits your customers to cash sales unless you plan to carry a loan. If you are in any hurry to sell that puts you at a distinct disadvantage to the buyers.

You may not lose that much, but you need to be prepared for it. I did an online search for the  2004 Fleetwood Southwind 32VS  listings and found a range of prices from a low of $34,000 to a high of $54,000. If you go to the NADA pages they list a base price for the Ford chassis of $24,850 or the Workhorse of $26,150 , both of which are below the best price I could find advertised. If you should find a lender who will carry the sale of one, that is the price they will look at in considering what to loan and they typically only lend about 80% of the wholesale value. All of these factors will come to play when you go to sell. 

Remember that an RV is considered to be a luxury item and as such, they tend to have a high markup.

[accumack]

Let me add 1 thing I think is important. Get a real weight before buying there are many RVs out there that are at or over weight with nothing in it even though the the sticker says differently.

Being able to repair things yourselves will save you a lot of downtime. Enjoy your adventure!