Tee Jay

As you ponder, do the math. Hotel, motel, short term rental from any source is going to run in the vicinity of $3,000 per month. Factor in food storage and preparation, and cooking and eating utensils. Hotel meals are pricey. Your employer is in a state and city with taxes, but you are remote, say Florida. Your bank is in Florida. You get paid by direct deposit. All your bills are auto-pay to your checking account, including your credit cards. You need to solicit the advice of a competent CPA or Tax Attorney on doing this to minimize taxes and maximize freedom. Regarding car vs RV, you have to be comfortable in driving an RV. Mine is a 42' monster, but it holds 100 gallons of water, 60 gallons black (toilet) and 60 gallon grey (shower and sink). Boondocking in parts or the Southwest is free on BLM land, so cost is a sewer dump every week and taking on more fresh water, $15, plus a few gallons fuel to and fro. You can do solar, or run the generator daily, sometimes both. Maybe $15 a day for the generator. Reception from Verizon and ATT, and others is excellent, 4 or 5 bars mostly. Don't plan on good Internet reception in a lot of areas, including any rental options. RV parks are usually in the $500/month range for budget purposes, some more and some less, and a lot of seasonal variation. Annual maintenance on a big diesel pusher will be a few thousand, less on a class C. A small travel trailer could be towed by a medium size car, but for comfort you may want to look at a 25' or larger TT as it will have a walk around bed, shower, kitchen and seating, and a dinette for work space. A 5th wheel needs a truck, likely 3/4 ton or larger. Motorhomes usually have a car in tow. So, where are you going to be happy? You need to think this through on a lot of levels, but the first one may be creature comfort over extended periods, as in bed, shower, food and drink. A happy and contented worker can be productive, but one annoyed at living arrangements not so much. Best wishes on your quest.

Maybe this is better? I have a CC, and it is one on the best built coaches out there, with a proprietary chassis that is integrated with the body, rather than a body bolted on to a chassis. In discussing quality and reliability, all the builders buy the parts and assemble them, so the issues are the parts on the one hand and the assembly on the other. The one issue I have had In the last 40,000 miles was a gremlin in the Allison tranny causing it to not shift properly. Looking, I don't see a King bed until about a 42' Intrigue, so maybe not suitable for you. The bigger point is that older, well built DP coaches are available for the cost of a newer gas coach. A broker/dealer nearer you who deals in DP will be a great help in finding what you want. The RV MH business has always been a bit geographic, with some brands more common in the east than the west. Bottom line, go for quality, not glitz.

An upper end Diesel can be priced about the same as a newer gas unit.. The era from about 2001 to 2007 had a lot of great coaches, and they age well. There have not been a lot of technological advances in most systems, so you are not stepping back in time. A lot of the used coaches have upgraded the TV to digital, and many have replaced the fridge with a 110v model, and many have a washer/dryer, a huge feature for travel. https://www.kenaicoach.com/DealerFiles/ He is in Junction City OR and has a number of coaches in your desired range and the sweet spot in years, and the price is in the $100,000 range. He has been in the business for years. Call and talk to him. A couple blocks away is Premier, which Zulu cited. The also have a current inventory of used coaches. Louie Courteman handles the sales side. They were employees of Country Coach and started a sales and service business when the company went out of business. https://www.buybyebluebird.com/ This is a broker for Blue Bird Wanderlodge. May be a bit harder to find a King bed in the earlier models. There are likely other sites for other manufacturers. Good luck in your search.

The auto level is available with both gas and Diesel, and with both jacks and air suspension. Jacks can only lift the low corners, so you sometimes have a long distance bottom step. Air leveling can drop the coach down and then level. Most gas models have steel springs rather than air. Most Diesels have air suspension. On driving, when we purchased this coach I wanted a demo drive, and asked the instructor how new drivers do. He said there had been a number who were too terrified to continue. Do the driving school before you put down your money.

Older Class A Diesel from upper end builders are available, say around 2000 to about 2006 model years. Many of those builders are no longer around, but all the parts makers that they used are, so service and parts are available. The market value tends to hold steady to a slow decline, so you could buy one and resell without much pain if you did not like it. Some thoughts. Air suspension and air leveling are really good, I prefer it to the jacks. A 110 volt kitchen refrigerator is much better than a propane/12volt one. The HydroHot (there are other names) uses engine heat on the road to heat the interior, it heats your hot water with either electric of Diesel, and provides heat while you are parked. A rear engine with side radiator is relatively easy to work on. The net load capacity (how much you can put in) is usually very high, as in 5,000 lbs or so. A tag axle adds a lot of stability. I think 42' is sort of ideal, as there is room for a king bed with walk around space, a washer/dryer, a large pantry, . table dining for 4, rocker/recliners, a couch , a desk, and an ample (by MH standards) kitchen. As you get shorter, things need to go or shrink. Best wishes on your search. Specify your location and there may be suggestions for local brokers with inventory.

Lots of day cab log trucks on bad roads. You need the proper tires to get a grip. Real serious off road, the chip trucks are all wheel drive, as are many oilfield trucks. All Class 8. They are out there. The odd thing is the greatest horse and torque tend to be in Class 3 and Class 8, and also the nicest interiors. Many Class 4 and 5 derate the engine, or assume it is a city delivery truck and downsize the engine. Personal opinion, the heaviest part of the tow controls. Put a 16,000 tow at 3,000 pin on a 9.000 dually, it is almost a tie. Go heavier, trailer takes over. No big deal most days, but things can get real ugly real fast. Electric brake wires are routed through the axle tubes. Grit, vibration, and time short the wires out, so no brakes. Electric over hydraulic has a delay before they kick in. Air is immediate. Long bed dually has been my daily for the last 9 years. The HDT guys have a valid point in more truck, better turning, less money. Just get it properly set up to start with. Park further out and get your exercise, and avoid parking garages and drive thru's. Parking in So Cal can be a bear, and likely the East Coast as well. The recurrent theme on these discussions seems to be to take it to the limit, and then some. If you do that, look closely at the related issues.

Several top of the line RV manufacturers went out of business in the 2009 financial panic. Excellent build quality. That would be the era to look to, say 2002 to 2009, for an older quality unit.The obvious ones in 5ers would be Teton or Carriage, and there are others. They ought to be priced at somewhere around 20% of current comparable pricing. In the MH area, a mid 2000's Country Coach with pre-emissions engine went for around $500,000, they are now under $150,000, and many look new enough to be indistinguishable from the current production.

Rubberized shelf liner. Most cabinets have a positive lock to keep the contents imprisoned. With a Mid kitchen, we keep plates and cups and bowls over the sink. Never lost one yet, but we only have about 80,000 miles in trailers and 40,000 in motorhomes over 13 years. Others may have more experience. The one to watch is the silverware drawer, as worn catches can allow that drawer to go on a wild ride on some corners. Enjoy your new home.

With the I80/I5/20/101 route you get Sacramento commuter traffic, and heavy wine country traffic on 20 and 101. Using I80/395/44/299 you get a lot less traffic, easier grades, and better scenery, as a lot of 299 follows the river. It is a heavy truck route, so very driveable in an RV. There are some twisty sections on 299 around Weaverville. When I lived in Arcata so long ago, 299 was the preferred exit, and that was before I5, when 99 was the N-S route. Today, my friend who lives in Eureka prefers the 299 route between there and southern Nevada. Just wanted to mention it. Assuming your son travels, ask him.... On driving, do not attempt any 600 mile days, figure more like 400 mile days. You may find that a highway speed of about 62mph is comfortable for the RV, gets decent fuel mileage, and lets you feel in control. You need to stop for fuel and meals and comfort. You will likely average a bit under 50 mph, figured at total travel time including stops and actual distance traveled. Put another way, a 10 to 12 hour day may get you 500 miles. And don;t be afraid to use a campground.

Get the Truckers Atlas from Rand McNally. It clearly shows roads OK for trucks, and NOT OK. If a road is not OK for a 40' trailer and tractor, then most RV's should avoid it.

Use the Tow/Haul. It does nice things for your transmission and speed control. Topping the hills to start a descent can be done at 60mph on most grades, or whatever your speed is climbing the hill. If you have Cruise Control and are On at a comfortable speed, Tow/Haul will kick in and slow you if you exceed your On speed by 5mph. You want to flow with the traffic, not be an impediment. Some trucks will be slower than you, so pass them. A lot of traffic will be faster, let them go. Serious grades are well marked, lots of signs, and most have a brake test area at the top. It will be almost all trucks, but they are nice folks. Pull over into it, take a break, walk the dogs, and relax. Now you are stating slow and just follow the trucks. It is really easy and simple, you just need to let it happen. You may find you need to feed it a bit of gas on some hills to keep up, others may need a bit of brake. Just chill, your imagination is running on overdrive.

Been with USAA over 50 years. If pressed, they have alternate providers to Progressive. But you can still insure the MH for less elsewhere. My issue with USAA and others has been: They want/need a Physical address. The PO has no delivery in our area, so we get a "free" PO box. So we treat it like an apartment. 1234 Maple Street #1781, Mailing Service, SD 88888-1781. USAA is happy, they have a physical, and the PO knows the drill so they deliver to our Box. Best wishes for success.

Current closure is thru June 12. Reports are you may only stop for fuel at Pay At Pump and get food at Drive Thrus. No RV parks. No Stores. No deviation from direct route. Yukon is transit in 24 hours. Upon entering Alaska, a 14 day quarantine.

I-80 West to Little America, hang a right over to I-15. North to I-84, West to Portland, Right turn to I-5 to Seattle. The grade is from Cheyenne, but not all that long or steep. The Downgrade is into Pendelton, OR. A bit steep and a lot of curves. Put it in Tow/Haul and turn on the Engine Brake. Stay out of Cruise. You will likely need to hit the accelerator pedal to keep a reasonable speed. Use the Tow/Haul and Brake around town to see what it does. Coming off a freeway ramp a light touch on the service brake will cause a series of downshifts and quickly slow you to 30mph or so.

Consider a 1 ton (3500) series truck, as it will also handle most of the future upgrades and changes that may occur in your trailer selection. The footprint and driving are similar across the three trucks (1500, 2500, 3500) unless you get into the long bed dually. Changes in recent years make all three trucks ride about the same empty, but it really becomes noticeable when you put a load on them, the heavier trucks adjust and the lighter ones just sag. Trucks are spendy, so go for the heavy one first.

Encountered this twice, one was a broken wire going to the engine battery charger, one was a disconnect of the feed circuit. Check the fuse and wire integrity and connections.

You went mid level MH to Upper level 5th, we went mid level 5th to upper level but older MH. Pretty much agree with your analysis. We are reluctant to run the propane heater on the 5th going down the road, so very cold bedroom at 35 degrees. The aquahot can be set to 70 and runs off the engine radiator when traveling, warm on arrival. Same with cooling, run the AC going down the road off the genny in the MH, not always an option in a 5th. Not available in all MH, but a difference. In the MH, the stove is the only propane, and it used about 3 gallons in 2 years of 4 to 5 months a year usage. In the 5th, with the electric/ propane water heater and propane heat, I was filling the propane tanks monthly or sooner, but at lower temperatures. The aquahot just makes heat using electric or diesel, and diesel is about 4x the heat as electric, plus it can use engine heat going down the road, or become a pre=heat for the engine in colder temps. Had no issue hooking up the 5th, but it requires a long reach to get to the hitch lever, especially over a dually fender. The biggest difference may be bathroom access when travelling. For some it is an issue, not one for others. I think your truck turns better than a 3500, The turning radius in a 42' mh is amazing. Turning radius differs in that the trailer turns way farther inside than the rear axle on the MH. Just practice wide, square turns, and a bit wider with a 5th. A dually truck is no issue as a daily driver, unless you want to go to downtown hotels or parking garages or most drive-thrus. I still use the dually for a daily driver. We (you and I) have flipped weights, The MH is 43,000 and 5th was about 25,000. I really liked the variable turbo in the Ram, but the Jake in the MH works as well, and in both pay attention to gear choice. In either case, an electric or household fridge is the only way to go. Thanks for the comparison, Happy Travels.

Have not been full time, but have been 4 to 6 months at a stretch for about ten years. We have used TT around 28', 5th at 40', and DP at 42'. You seem comfortable driving and parking a larger unit. You have a dually. Look at the higher quality or upper end units, and go back in years for your price point. I say this as we were disappointed with the quality and survive ability of the current name brands. The older name brands just wear better. They are heavier, so need the dually. They are built well enough to enable remodeling and redecorating.

Drove it a couple weeks ago. Much better than 2 years ago, but still in rough shape. A 12 or so mile construction zone with pilot car east of Chistochina. Very doable in a 45,000lb MH, just take your time. Allow 3 to 3-1/2 hours Tok to Glenallen.

Do you want to go to Anchorage or do you want to see Alaska? 😉 We have made the trip periodically since 1969, and annually since 2007, and the road conditions just keep improving. It is an easy trip, just long. You may run into overnight reservation issues in a few places, but you can deal with it by going boondock. There are a few steep grades, so know how your engine brake/turbo and tow/haul work both up and down the grades. None are all that long, but they are not straight either. If you have been to Pendeleton, you know what I am saying. Expect fuel to be a lot more expensive. Should be a fun time.

You will lose all signal after Ft Nelson.

@RandyA Don't disagree. My surmise is the RV industry is focused on the unit that goes to the lake in May and comes home in October, maybe a 2 hour drive away. Glitz sells, structural integrity, not so much. @Georgia Hybrid The recent (say last 10 years) of pick up do have a decent tow/haul feature on the transmission, usually a functional exhaust brake or variable turbine, and a 5 or 6 gear transmission. They can be controlled on descent if you pay attention. We hauled a brakeless TT 500 miles thru Canada on the Alaska Hwy until we could get all the issues repaired in Whitehorse. Also towed a 15,000 lb 5th over the passes in ID and MT using the truck Tow/Haul and Engine Brake (turbo) and never touched the service brakes, actually had to hit the accelerator to maintain a reasonable descent speed. Net of everything I see heavy construction equipment hauled on a gooseneck behind a 250/2500, and heavy toyhaulers on 5ths behind the same class of trucks. The customer is price sensitive and sees the glitz and usually does not comprehend the structural quality tradeoffs.

One issue in an RV in WA in winter is moisture control. You start to get condensation everywhere. It is less of an issue in a Park Model, and almost no issue in a Mobile or Modular home. The site CityData has weather stats for any place you would consider, as well as a lot of other data. The solution to condensation is double pane windows and ventilation. That makes the heating bill a bit higher. Also, depreciation on an RV follows a path that looks a lot like a rock dropped off a bridge. Good luck in your research.