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I have "RV'ed" at least half a dozen times with the wife and kids.
Random thoughts:
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"Sleeps 6!" Irrelevant. It's not how many you can sleep, it's how many can actually be awake in a small space.
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Downside of renting: You have to pack all your own stuff - linen, cooking supplies, etc. If you own, you have it stocked already
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Plan on about 7 mpg with a Class-A. The tank holds 100 gallons. Yeah...
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Rentals are DEFINITELY the way to check it out. Remember, you'll probably only use it about 5-8 times per year.
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Storage is a problem if you're in a semi-urban area. Pricey too.
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We rented one last summer as an experiment, and because of Covid being rampant at the time. We also took a car with us, and a tent, and we used both - there was 4 of us. We went to the Berkshires, so not a massively long way away, and we had a good time.
It was fun, but it's a fair amount of work - all the cooking and stuff gets old.
There's no way I'd buy one.
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My mom and dad had one Class C and two Class A's. They usually towed a small vehicle behind them, although the Class C also had a motorcycle rack big enough for a 350 Honda. They wrote part of the cost of the motorhomes off as a business expense.
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Now, about travel trailers...Two kinds, fifth wheel and bumper pull. If you want extra room, an easier tow and a tighter turning radius, buy the fifth wheel. That requires a pickup, of course. So you lose space in the bed.
If you want a bumper pull and want to use what you have now, choose wisely. For a family of four, about 23 feet is about right (that's without slide-outs). You'll need a load-leveler hitch and enough vehicle to pull it. A pickup can use the bed when you have a bumper pull.
A few extra words...Don't always believe the owner's manual on what your vehicle will tow. Always undershoot the maximum, preferrably as much as you can. Aluminum frames will save you weight, but cost you money. Airstreams are a bitch to remodel. Slide-outs are great for space, but add more weight for towing. Most travel trailers aren't used that much and the best buys are in a used one. And almost all of them leak eventually, except for Airstream or the one-piece fiberglass trailers.
A word about fiberglass...They are very light and can be pulled with darn near anything, depending on trailer size. They can be a bit more expensive. And you can't do much reconfiguring or customize floorplans, because the cabinets, etc, are part of the shell. They also tend to be a bit smaller. Some folks love them. Some can't stand them.
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RV’s are for ladies…Men use tents. Real men just use a hammock and a rain fly if they absolutely need it…
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RVs are a boomer solution. Xenon, you're a yuppie, you gotta go with a conversion van.
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@aqua-letifer said in RV?:
you gotta go with a conversion van.
If you do it right, you can look like an escaped sex-criminal.
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@lufins-dad said in RV?:
RV’s are for ladies…Men use tents. Real men just use a hammock and a rain fly if they absolutely need it…
I've spent the night in a tent, when it got down to 14 degrees after sleeting all evening. I would have
loved to have been in a warm, comfy RV.Always remember, Operation Valkyrie was an act of sedition.
Warning: I post things that interest me. Read and comment at your own discretion. -
@lufins-dad said in RV?:
RV’s are for ladies…Men use tents. Real men just use a hammock and a rain fly if they absolutely need it…
I've spent the night in a tent, when it got down to 14 degrees after sleeting all evening. I would have
loved to have been in a warm, comfy RV.I’ve been in a tent at 3 degrees. With the right clothes and the right bag it is a glorious thing.
Calls of nature are a bit of a bitch, though…
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@aqua-letifer said in RV?:
Xenon, you're a yuppie, you gotta go with a conversion van.
100%. No pushback from me.
I've considered it... only thing holding me back is that it's hard to get a solid conversation and still keep 5 seatbelts...
So damn cool though:
https://www.treehugger.com/stacia-van-conversion-by-vanlife-conversions-uk-5115788
