First Timers, diving in head first

[mercedesbenz9694]

Hello,

 

My husband and I are in the process of purchasing our first RV to live in full time. Is there any advice that you may have or are willing to give to a couple like ourselves? What to do and what not to do? We have chosen our RV already, just waiting on our house to be put on the market before we can actually purchase.

 

If you have any questions about the situation, let me know. I want all the information I can get and need to know.

 

Thanks!

[sandsys]

Here's some things I think are important when it comes to lead time:

 

Get your mail forwarding address about 3 months before hitting the road so you can catch the ones you missed.

 

Start getting rid of things NOW. It takes longer than you think.

 

Start making notes of places you want to go. Researching online and following blog links in signature lines on this forum are good ways to get ideas.

 

Linda Sand

[mercedesbenz9694]

Thank you so much! We have already started selling our things. We have way more than we thought we did. So it's going to be a process.

[Second Chance]

If you have not already done so, join the Escapees RV Club to get access to the wealth of knowledge available in the Resources section - then read, read, read. Another good resource is the RV-Dreams.com web site. Howard and Lina have been full-timing for about 12 years and put on educational rallies for those considering the lifestyle. Howard has written up a number of articles on various relevant topics and put them on the web site. (They also have forums over there - but not the depth or amount of activity there is here on the Escapees forums).

 

As you think of topics about which you have questions, search the Escapees forum. It's almost certain someone has had that question before and one or more of the "old-timers" has answered it.

 

Finally, as Linda said, planning and lead time are extremely important. Don't get caught out like we did when our house sold after only two weeks on the market instead of the projected four to five months. Talk about a "panic purge!" Planning and time are your friends.

 

Happy travels!

 

Rob

[mercedesbenz9694]

That is what I am afraid of that's why I'm putting off putting our house on, because our real estate agent said that she sold a house here in 12 days. So yeah. We are gonna get rid of most of our stuff before we list it

[Pat & Pete]

That is what I am afraid of that's why I'm putting off putting our house on, because our real estate agent said that she sold a house here in 12 days. So yeah. We are gonna get rid of most of our stuff before we list it

 

That's a good move .

 

Our home sold within 6 hours of the first showing .

[mercedesbenz9694]

Holy crap! Congrats on that! Lol. I just want to make sure we don't forget anything or put it up too soon and is not be ready if it sells the same day. Lol

[Pat & Pete]

You can always make the sale contingent on your being vacated by the end of a given period of time . ie : 30 days ...

[mercedesbenz9694]

Right. Our real estate agent said that. The closing could take from 30-45 days. So that's good for us

[mercedesbenz9694]

Another question!

 

It's a 5th wheel, weighs about 15,500 lbs all together, like total loaded weight. I am looking at the Ford F series, I like the 250s but I think I might need to go up to the 350 since the max for a 250 towing is 16,000.

 

Would that be the best? And should I do the 8 ft bed, or stick with the 6.5ft bed? And we want the crew cab, what are your guys' thoughts about the different layouts of the trucks and what not?

[Big Greg]

In addition to the towing weight capacity just as important is the payload capacity. I suggest a F350 and NOT a F250. All the new one ton pickups have a much greater towing and payload capacity compared

to older year trucks. When you look at payload be sure to include the fifth wheels pin weight (20 to

25%) of the RVs max loaded weight capacity. Add the weight of the hitch (couple hundred pounds) and

everything else in the trucks bed. We have an auxiliary fuel tank/toolbox combo (70 gallons of diesel)so we don't have to stop at a fuel station when towing and be concerned about maneuvering in stations. Get the 8' long bed. Greg

[mercedesbenz9694]

Greg,

So a 350, long bed. I test drove the 7.3 diesel and loved it!

Is there anything else you recommend, on the truck subject??

[mercedesbenz9694]

Drop in or slide in 5th wheel hook up?

[Second Chance]

Drop in or slide in 5th wheel hook up?

 

Perhaps you're talking about a fixed hitch versus a sliding hitch? With a long bed and a modern fifth wheel, you shouldn't need a sliding hitch. With the fiver you're talking about, stick with the long bed 350 and dual rear wheels (diesel, of course).

 

Rob

[mercedesbenz9694]

Of course on the diesel part. And okay. So a fixed hitch will work just fine with the long bed?

Also, should I need to add anything to the truck? Like accessories wise, I know some come with standard stuff but will I need anything extra. This truck will also be my daily driver.

[Big Greg]

If you are talking a 7.3L it's at least 13 years old so be sure to verify the towing weight and payloadcapacity. The 7.3 has a good reputation but Ford's 6.0L does not, I know from experience! The 6.4 is a little better and the new 6.7 is excellent. Don't trust what a truck or RV salesperson tells you,

verify info yourself. GM and RAM diesels are fine too. A fixed hitch is fine in a long bed. If you

get the right truck you shouldn't need anything else.....except a GPS!

 

If you can attend an Escapee Boot Camp course, you'll learn a lot about RVing and meet and make RV

friends that are in the same situation as you are. It will be well worth the time and effort. Greg

Escapees North Ranch - Congress, AZ , February 3-5, 2017

57th Escapade - Tucson, AZ, March 16-18, 2017

https://escapees.com/knowledge/boot-camp

[Kirk W]

My husband and I are in the process of purchasing our first RV to live in full time. Is there any advice that you may have or are willing to give to a couple like ourselves? What to do and what not to do? We have chosen our RV already, just waiting on our house to be put on the market before we can actually purchase.

Welcome to the Escapee forums!

 

If you have not done so, start by reading a book or two on the subject of fulltime RV living by visiting your local library or buy one or two from a place like Amazon. There are many good ones so if in doubt, ask for some suggestions here as we did so a long time ago and the one that we used is no longer in print. You also need to consider where you will call your legal home and maintain things like your driver's license, vehicle registration, and insurance policies. The location chosen becomes your domicile, a legal term with specific definitions. There are quite a few things to consider as you move ahead and there are many different ways to deal with things. These forums have many very experienced members and different ways to do things so you should find answers to most questions that will work for you.

 

It's a 5th wheel, weighs about 15,500 lbs all together, like total loaded weight. I am looking at the Ford F series, I like the 250s but I think I might need to go up to the 350 since the max for a 250 towing is 16,000.

 

Would that be the best? And should I do the 8 ft bed, or stick with the 6.5ft bed? And we want the crew cab, what are your guys' thoughts about the different layouts of the trucks and what not?

You are very wise to choose the right truck for the trailer that you have. It has often been said here that it is very difficult to have too much truck for the trailer that you have and my experience tends to support that belief. If it were me, I'd go with the 350/3500 series trucks as well and I'd also only consider diesel models. Are you thinking of new or used trucks?

[DuneElliot]

I adore my 7.3L diesel too. Good advice above to go with the F-350 and the long bed for a fifth wheel of the weight you are talking about...there is no point in pushing the limit of the truck if you have other options. As others have mentioned...avoid the 6.0L like the plague.

 

My truck already had a fixed gooseneck hitch in the bed which I still use so I didn't want to go the king pin route with a hitch I couldn't move myself. On the other hand most of the gooseneck hitch adapters are terrible so I went with the Andersen Ultimate hitch...and that thing is amazing. It is still a little heavy for me at 70lbs but still more manageable than a fifth-wheel hitch. It is also incredibly easy to hook up when I'm along since I can see it.

 

You asked what else you would need: brake controller on the truck which is wired to a 7-way plug-in in the bed.

 

There are lots of things you will need like hoses and adapters and surge protectors etc but don't go hog-wild at camping world until you've done some research for recommendations and seen what other people use/need

[mercedesbenz9694]

Kirk, I am wanting a new one but I am open to used one.

DuneElliot, the new ones come with the brake controller.

 

I'm just stuck between a 2015-2017. I have no clue. I had my heart set on the one I test drove, it was a 350 SWR king ranch, but I'll need the DWR. So do I go with a new one or used? I am stuck.

[RV Vagabond Jerry]

There are 2 types of fulltimers. Those who stay put in one place nearly all the time and those who travel nearly all the time. Preparation is much different for each type of fulltimer. So which are you?

[Kirk W]

 

 

There are 2 types of fulltimers. Those who stay put in one place nearly all the time and those who travel nearly all the time.

Only two types? We didn't really fit into either of those categories. We would sit still in one location as resident volunteers for anywhere from one to four months, then travel pretty much constantly for a few months, then sit and volunteer again.

 

 

 

The different ways one can live full-time in an RV are only limited by the imagination of the people living in that RV.

[mercedesbenz9694]

Well. My husband is military. So every 4 years there's the potential to be moved or not. So kind of the first one. Lol

[Nomad Hiker]

We chose our 5th wheel, THEN chose our truck! More truck IMHO is better than "less" truck. Our friends bought a truck THEN a 30 ft. TT and had to push it up hills(well, almost) SO within 2 months had to trade that brand new truck for another brand new truck. Big loss! We benefited from their mistake.

[mercedesbenz9694]

Right. We already picked the 5th wheel. Just a process before we get it.

[Nomad Hiker]

Best of luck to you!