Prioritizing (aka: where should the money go)?

[Zulu]

4 minutes ago, Carlos said:

On the RO, I really recommend that you look at units which replenish the minerals and alkalinity, like the one I linked above.

Both of our links are to 5-stage RO units. You're spot on about RO units removing needed minerals from water. Do you have a link to one of those "mineral replenisher" cartridges?

[FL-JOE]

22 minutes ago, Carlos said:

You use whatever "tricks" work for you for this.  Don't let people get you down on what YOU think YOU need.  This forum as a whoe is so judgy about doing unconventional things.

On the water, I forgot to post this.  Someone else had talked about it on another thread, and I got one for home.  Great RO unit:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B003XELTTG/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_4?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

 

We had an RO system in our last Florida sticknbrick because we were on a well.  We also had a softner and two tanks.  What I learned about these RO systems was that the filters (mine had 3) are not cheap.  

Many campground you stay at will have city/county water, some will have well water.  I would suggest doing some research on RO systems for RVs and their related filters before deciding to go that way.  

[Carlos]

Just now, FL-JOE said:

What I learned about these RO systems was that the filters (mine had 3) are not cheap.  

Yup, you will spend $55-60 per year on filters.  We have both RO and softening, and spend about that much on salt too.  So $120/year.

 

[FL-JOE]

1 minute ago, Carlos said:

Yup, you will spend $55-60 per year on filters.  We have both RO and softening, and spend about that much on salt too.  So $120/year.

 

My idea of costly filters in an RO system for an RV was way off then.  I was basing it on what I had to pay for my 3 filters on my sticknbrick system, which if I recall correctly was about $30 to $35 each and they had to be changed every 4 to 6 months. RV systems sound cheaper to maintain.  

I probably still wouldn't spend the money or waste the space on one for an RV.  But everyone is different.

[TherapyBound]

30 minutes ago, Zulu said:

You can plumb an RV RO system so that the brine (aka RO waste water) flows back into your water holding tank instead of your gray tank.

I read something about that elsewhere and definitely want to look into it as an option. 

[TherapyBound]

32 minutes ago, FL-JOE said:

The other thing you may want to budget funds for is something I think is the number 1 piece of safety equipment for any RV, and that is a TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system).  It will show you each tires temperature (ambient) and psi, plus sound an alarm if the tire overheats or rapidly deflates.  A TST brand system currently is around $300 to $400 with six sensors.

That sounds like a wise investment. I am aware tire safety is of primary importance, and we do take that seriously. 

[Carlos]

19 minutes ago, FL-JOE said:

My idea of costly filters in an RO system for an RV was way off then.  I was basing it on what I had to pay for my 3 filters on my sticknbrick system, which if I recall correctly was about $30 to $35 each and they had to be changed every 4 to 6 months. RV systems sound cheaper to maintain.  

The home system I linked to above is about $40 per year, I actually over-estimated it.  The system I had prior (Watts Premier) is $55 per year.  That includes a full pack of filters, some replaced more often than others, but add up to one year.  I've never heard of an RV-specific system.

https://smile.amazon.com/iSpring-7PK-GAC-Replacement-5-Stage-Filtration/dp/B004HL32EE/ref=pd_bxgy_60_2/142-8505529-3238815?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B004HL32EE&pd_rd_r=f0c7b5b9-8199-11e9-8ec8-f37f2ab7fd5a&pd_rd_w=eXY9t&pd_rd_wg=T6ws0&pf_rd_p=a2006322-0bc0-4db9-a08e-d168c18ce6f0&pf_rd_r=CPJNE3V5ZBQK2JDH14AS&psc=1&refRID=CPJNE3V5ZBQK2JDH14AS

We're not full time, so bottles are fine.  We never drink the onboard water.

 

[Kirk W]

27 minutes ago, FL-JOE said:

I probably still wouldn't spend the money or waste the space on one for an RV.  But everyone is different.

I strongly agree with this. On our limited budget and gas chassis RV, we had better use for both the money and the storage capacity. 

[Carlos]

I just find random water too nasty to drink in many places.  So it's either bottles or a filter for us.

 

[TherapyBound]

1 hour ago, sandsys said:

Generator. You built in one should be fine. The generator discussion is usually about free standing ones.

This is an obvious flaw in my understanding, so I do appreciate you making the point. I thought all motorhomes needed a free-standing generator. I'm obviously mistaken. 

So what is all the discussion about free-standing generators about? Is that not something everyone has?

[TherapyBound]

8 minutes ago, Kirk W said:

I strongly agree with this. On our limited budget and gas chassis RV, we had better use for both the money and the storage capacity. 

It's possible this won't be an issue, but I'm ultra-sensitive to changes in water, so I think it's something we'll be happy to have. I could be wrong!

[SWharton]

3 hours ago, Bigthinkers said:

This is an obvious flaw in my understanding, so I do appreciate you making the point. I thought all motorhomes needed a free-standing generator. I'm obviously mistaken. 

So what is all the discussion about free-standing generators about? Is that not something everyone has?

Because free-standing generator are cheap relative to the builtin ones some people use them. In National and State Parks, there is a decibel level generators should comply with that are quiet: Honda and Yamaha are normally the brands. Most MH's come with a quiet generator.

I think it is time for you to start visiting RV shows and dealers to see that actual application of everything you have read. This will give you a more realistic perspective.

[TherapyBound]

We spent two days at the huge Tampa show this past summer, and have been to several dealers (including LazyDays, which isn't too far away), but mainly to get a feel for different brands' quality, and to decide what sort of floor plan we think will work best for us, and what size we want (35-36ft seems to be our sweet spot). We've narrowed it down to 2, so far, but will attend the big show in Orlando in August to do further research.

We needed to know a LOT more about RVs than we did during the Tampa show, so now we can go in with a much better understanding about what's important and what's negotiable, as well as having more knowledge about various aspects of RVs, so we can get down to the finer details this time. We're still 2 years out, so we've got time to really get it as "right" as we can without actually living in an RV yet. 

With all the expenses, though, prioritizing our savings is a good way to feel like we're moving forward when there's still quite a lot of time before we can make this dream a reality. 

 

[Kirk W]

13 hours ago, Bigthinkers said:

I'm ultra-sensitive to changes in water, so I think it's something we'll be happy to have.

That isn't a problem as long as you understand your options and the added cost and space requirements of those units.

On lengths, we too found 35/36' to work for us. On manufacturers, I would rate Tiffin, Newmar, and Winnebago at the top and in that order for quality and factory support. 

[TherapyBound]

Those are three brands we've looked at quite a bit, Kirk W. The quality is obviously higher, as is the cost. There was one Tiffin we liked, and one Winnebago (all the Newmars we saw were out of our price range). There was also a Fleetwood Southwind that really fit the bill, though we do know the quality is less (owned by Thor now, IIRC?).

We're in the process of weighing up whether or not to go with a MUCH older rig (like, 15 years) and pay FAR less, but have money to put into the things we want to change, or go with a newer rig (3-5 years) and live with it as-is. We know we won't get our money back out of either option, but there are benefits to both.

Edited May 29, 2019 by Bigthinkers

[JimK]

You are getting an RV as big as a house and even a washer and dryer.   Do you really plan on boondocking more than a night or two?   If so will you go without using the microwave, big screen TV and A/C.?  You can probably do without solar and just get a generator.  That is one less envelope.

[TherapyBound]

Well, yes, we do, JimK. As far as I can tell, it's not at all uncommon for bigger rigs (even with washer/dryers) to boondock for a week or two. You just don't use the washer/dryer during that time, if you have one. Why would that be surprising? (Not being sarcastic; I really am wondering why that surprises you.)

We know we'll have limited access to some comforts during that time, but that's part of the experience, isn't it? And wanting to do that is part of our desire to have solar. The way our work is structured right now, it's seriously full-on. We work 12-14 hour days, 7 days a week. We've had 2 vacations in 17 years, and both were less than a week. Being able to roll up to some gorgeous location, with peace and quiet surrounding us (meaning, little or no generator noise), is the reset button we really need to push.

 

Edited May 29, 2019 by Bigthinkers

[Kirk W]

37 minutes ago, Bigthinkers said:

There was also a Fleetwood Southwind that really fit the bill, though we do know the quality is less (owned by Thor now, IIRC?).

Fleetwood is a major RV manufacturer. The original company was founded in 1950 to buy up RV manufacturers, much as Thor Ind. has more recently. In 2009 Fleetwood went through bankruptcy and the intellectual property and name, along with the motorhome part of the business were bought up and currently is owned by REV Group Specialty Vehicles and continues on a more limited basis today. 

Thor Ind. was formed to buy the Airstream company in 1980 and continues to buy up other RV companies today, but is in no way connected to Fleetwood.

Tiffin, Newmar, and Winnebago are all privately owned companies and are not listed on the stock market as are both REV & Thor Ind.

On the subject of adding things to your dream RV, you are looking at adding some very expensive things to an older RV. It seems to me that until you have some knowledge and experience in RV living you would be foolish to push the cost up so very high. Have you considered what you will do if either of you finds after a few months or a year that you simply hate the RV lifestyle? I realize that everyone here seems so very positive, but you need to know that we are a minority of those who go out in an RV. I have never seen any documentation to indicate what % of those who try fulltime RV life are still traveling after 3 years, but I am certain that it is far less than half of them. You need to realize that those who don't like RV travels do not stay on the forums to tell others of their experiences. 

Edited May 29, 2019 by Kirk W

[TherapyBound]

4 minutes ago, Kirk W said:

In 2009 Fleetwood went through bankruptcy and the intellectual property and name, along with the motorhome part of the business were bought up and currently is owned by REV Group Specialty Vehicles and continues on a more limited basis today. 

I was thinking both Thor and Fleetwood were under the REV Group umbrella, but now that you mention it, I was mistaken about Thor. It's Holiday Rambler I was thinking of.

But am I correct that Fleetwood is very firmly a mid-range product? 

[FL-JOE]

There are certain things that you will have to muddle through and figure out as you go.  As the saying goes, one size does not fit everyone.

For example, the idea of boondocking for one or two weeks.  Actually if you have a generator and decent size battery bank you wouldn't need solar.  If your coach was set up correctly you could run everything except the a/c units just off your battery bank, even a washer/dryer stacked unit for a limited time.  The issue would come in on tank size.  If you held 100 gallons of fresh water you might make it a week or longer, but of course your gray and black would have to be big enough to hold parts of that 100 gallons also.

Obviously your battery bank is not going to be two 12 volts, it would have to be more robust than that. 

[TherapyBound]

23 minutes ago, Kirk W said:

On the subject of adding things to your dream RV, you are looking at adding some very expensive things to an older RV. It seems to me that until you have some knowledge and experience in RV living you would be foolish to push the cost up so very high. Have you considered what you will do if either of you finds after a few months or a year that you simply hate the RV lifestyle? I realize that everyone here seems so very positive, but you need to know that we are a minority of those who go out in an RV. I have never seen any documentation to indicate what % of those who try fulltime RV life are still traveling after 3 years, but I am certain that it is far less than half of them. You need to realize that those who don't like RV travels do not stay on the forums to tell others of their experiences. 

It's certainly something we consider when we're weighing up all these decisions, including whether or not to go older, or buy newer. We don't THINK we'll travel longer than 2 years, but we definitely want to be comfortable during those two years. If we love it, we'll keep going and re-evaluate what we live in at that time.  

I have a friend who spent a year in an RV and hated it (make that, HATED it). She and her husband traveled every couple of days, and were on a rather break-neck pace. Their goal was to visit every state in the lower 48. The things she hated about it are things we won't be doing, but it's so valuable to hear her perspective.

This is the Blue Sky phase of planning for us; the time when we're weighing everything up and narrowing things down. That's why I asked the question. It helps to hear real-world experiences when it comes to what makes for a comfortable life while traveling, and what can really be put aside. We know what our non-negotiables are (good mattress, washer/dryer, new tires), and now we're narrowing down our negotiables.

We've spent years coming to this decision, weighing up the pros and cons, and while this probably won't be "forever" for us, it will certainly be the year or two we really do need.

 

[SWharton]

You are primarily working on your future home. As the time gets closer you will need to consider domicile, medical insurance, mail service, banking etc.  Just letting you know you have a lot more research and decisions to make. A good time frame would be to have this all decided and begin transition 3-6 months prior to going fulltime.

[TherapyBound]

30 minutes ago, FL-JOE said:

There are certain things that you will have to muddle through and figure out as you go.  As the saying goes, one size does not fit everyone.

Yes, absolutely. Hearing lots of different opinions based on real-world experience is so helpful in the process of both educating myself and eliminating things I think may be important but clearly aren't. There is nothing like first-hand experience to help clarify your own needs, but one of the best things about a discussion forum is the ability to get an idea of what to DO so you don't make a big mistake and what NOT to do so you don't make a big mistake.

[TherapyBound]

22 minutes ago, SWharton said:

You are primarily working on your future home. As the time gets closer you will need to consider domicile, medical insurance, mail service, banking etc.  Just letting you know you have a lot more research and decisions to make. A good time frame would be to have this all decided and begin transition 3-6 months prior to going fulltime.

We won't technically be full time, even though we'll be on the road non-stop. We're downsizing a 5 bed/4 bath house to a 3 bedroom, and will maintain residency in Florida. Our oldest son will live in the house while he finishes university. Because of that, many full-timer decisions won't be an issue for us.

The real  hold-up is preparing our business for the transition. That's what necessitates the 2-year time frame.

[Lou Schneider]

3 hours ago, Bigthinkers said:

We're in the process of weighing up whether or not to go with a MUCH older rig (like, 15 years) and pay FAR less, but have money to put into the things we want to change, or go with a newer rig (3-5 years) and live with it as-is. We know we won't get our money back out of either option, but there are benefits to both.

If you decide to stay with the RV lifestyle, it's highly unlikely you'll get everything right with your first RV.  Yes, you can change some things after you get it, but not if you find you've made a major mistake in something like the size vs. accessibility tradeoff.

In my case, after owning a couple of motorhomes I ultimately chose a truck and trailer combo for my retirement.  This lets the drivetrain stay seperate from the house so when it needs service or repairs my house can stay away from the repair shop, set up in a comfortable campground for the duration. With a motorhome you're sitting in a waiting room or wandering around homeless while it's being worked on.  As the drivetrain ages or if it suffers a catastrophic failure, I have the option to simply replace the truck instead of being forced between making major repairs or walking away from everything I've invested in the house.  Or vice-versa, if something happens to the house or I find one I like better I can replace it without losing my investment in the power unit.  

Edited May 29, 2019 by Lou Schneider