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Message
re: Living in a luxury camper full time, truck advice
Posted on 12/28/24 at 4:57 am to VolSquatch
Posted on 12/28/24 at 4:57 am to VolSquatch
I have not gone full-time, but I have gone on trips for about three months. It is a great experience, but not for everyone. I had a 40' DP motorhome when I did the long trips. I have a 34' travel trailer now and my trips are only about two weeks.
To decide what type of RV you want is decided by what you need. Will you need the big truck to drive around everywhere or will a toad serve your purpose. The cost will not be a lot of difference between a fifth wheel/ diesel truck and a motorhome.
I choose the motorhome route also due to the bedroom and having no steps to get to the bedroom. In a fifth wheel the ceiling height of the bedroom are normally low (at least it use to be).
Where will your kids sleep? Can they sleep in the same bed.
As others as mentioned you need to be handy with tools and you need to pack tools for anything and everything. The motorhome will have more storage space. Can you and your wife drive the motorhome? My wife could not, so if something happened to me we would be stuck.
This is a great forum for anything RV related.
LINK
To decide what type of RV you want is decided by what you need. Will you need the big truck to drive around everywhere or will a toad serve your purpose. The cost will not be a lot of difference between a fifth wheel/ diesel truck and a motorhome.
I choose the motorhome route also due to the bedroom and having no steps to get to the bedroom. In a fifth wheel the ceiling height of the bedroom are normally low (at least it use to be).
Where will your kids sleep? Can they sleep in the same bed.
As others as mentioned you need to be handy with tools and you need to pack tools for anything and everything. The motorhome will have more storage space. Can you and your wife drive the motorhome? My wife could not, so if something happened to me we would be stuck.
This is a great forum for anything RV related.
LINK
This post was edited on 12/28/24 at 4:59 am
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Posted on 12/28/24 at 5:59 am to UtahCajun
quote:
what makes you happy
Happiness is a choice.
To be content in any circumstance is happiness.
I spent most of my life looking for “things” to make me “happy.”
Happiness is found inside of us, not outside.
Posted on 12/28/24 at 6:21 am to VolSquatch
Have a few friends that do this. From the feedback I have received:
Make sure your relationship with spouse can handle that closeness.
Get a setup that doesn’t limit you to RV parks.
Make sure your relationship with spouse can handle that closeness.
Get a setup that doesn’t limit you to RV parks.
Posted on 12/28/24 at 9:36 am to VolSquatch
My wife (no pics) and I want to do this after we retire. Basically want to be snowbirds. Want to try ID, MT, WY, etc and thought we’d try buying a motorhome instead of renting houses.
I wouldn’t do this with a child. Socializing with other kids their age is too important to miss imho.
I think as a general rule motorhome (don’t know class size but like a Greyhound or tour bus size with a diesel engine) and pull a run around vehicle behind on a 4 wheel car hauler style trailer. I think a motorhome would be built a lot better than a pull behind camper. They’ve never impressed me. I’m sure a really good one could be found but I suspect it would be as expensive or more than a nice used motorhome. The drivetrain and framework on a motorhome are built a lot stronger than the same size camper.
I wouldn’t do this with a child. Socializing with other kids their age is too important to miss imho.
I think as a general rule motorhome (don’t know class size but like a Greyhound or tour bus size with a diesel engine) and pull a run around vehicle behind on a 4 wheel car hauler style trailer. I think a motorhome would be built a lot better than a pull behind camper. They’ve never impressed me. I’m sure a really good one could be found but I suspect it would be as expensive or more than a nice used motorhome. The drivetrain and framework on a motorhome are built a lot stronger than the same size camper.
Posted on 12/28/24 at 9:39 am to Beaux Man
quote:
I think a motorhome would be built a lot better than a pull behind camper. They’ve never impressed me. I’m sure a really good one could be found but I suspect it would be as expensive or more than a nice used motorhome. The drivetrain and framework on a motorhome are built a lot stronger than the same size camper
really depends on personal preference and how it will be used, arguments, valid arguments, can be made for either
Posted on 12/28/24 at 9:42 am to VolSquatch
My kids are older. One is a freshman at LSU and the other is junior in high school. Once my youngest graduates I’m selling all my shite and getting either an RV or 45’ish boat to live aboard. I change my mind on which one every few weeks so I’ll probably just do both.
Posted on 12/28/24 at 9:43 am to Pelican fan99
quote:
Doing this with young kids sounds like a terrible idea and really not fair to them
40 plus upvotes to this response shows how sad the American male has become.
Was it “fair” that my dad and his sinlings all had to work from 0400-0700 milking cows and then head to school and do it all over again in the evening 7 days a week? They all turned out great and loved their “unfair” lives as determined by their parents chasing a dream to own land and work it.
This whole American experience making life decisions based on kids’ schools / sports is not a good thing. Live fully.
To the OP, I congratulate your sense of adventure and wonder and encourage you to not listen to these hen-pecked, cubicle slaves. Life is better lived outside.
Posted on 12/28/24 at 9:58 am to VolSquatch
I lived in my Montana 5th wheel for most of the year for several years. It was fine for me. Loved it even. Need much more space to live with the wife though. There are several things about 5th wheels that you need to consider:
Most importantly the fridge. No matter how nice one looks, absorption fridges suck. They can work on propane and be portable, but they suck. A variable speed compressor fridge is infinitely better and can run on dc aux from vehicle when driving or tiny generator when parked. Dealing with tanks is a pain, even when docked. I would look into variable speed air conditioners. Fixed speed models are loud and will need mods to work on smaller generators. With the right appliances, a smallish inverter generator should suffice for overnight stays on the road but you need to keep noise levels in mind to keep from going crazy. I wouldn’t mess with solar or big battery banks. They may run the fridge for several days but won’t help much for air conditioning until you’re spending $10k and adding a bunch of weight. Most 5th wheels come weighing in pretty close to their rated weight so you really shouldn’t be adding a whole lot without further modifying your tractor and upgrading at least the tires on the trailer.
Most importantly the fridge. No matter how nice one looks, absorption fridges suck. They can work on propane and be portable, but they suck. A variable speed compressor fridge is infinitely better and can run on dc aux from vehicle when driving or tiny generator when parked. Dealing with tanks is a pain, even when docked. I would look into variable speed air conditioners. Fixed speed models are loud and will need mods to work on smaller generators. With the right appliances, a smallish inverter generator should suffice for overnight stays on the road but you need to keep noise levels in mind to keep from going crazy. I wouldn’t mess with solar or big battery banks. They may run the fridge for several days but won’t help much for air conditioning until you’re spending $10k and adding a bunch of weight. Most 5th wheels come weighing in pretty close to their rated weight so you really shouldn’t be adding a whole lot without further modifying your tractor and upgrading at least the tires on the trailer.
Posted on 12/28/24 at 10:11 am to BK Lounge
Round trip. from Corpus Christi to Fairbanks is 15,000 miles. to Calgary 1/3, to Alaska border 1/3, to Fairbanks 1/3. Three hundred miles per day requires 50 days of driving. It's really a four month trip. Go north in spring and south in fall. After Labor Day, alaskan rv parks close down pretty quickly.
The Prudho Bay Haul road starts about about 30 miles north of Fairbanks and is wash board gravel. for 400 miles north.I have traveled lots of places, the haul road is one of the best.
The Prudho Bay Haul road starts about about 30 miles north of Fairbanks and is wash board gravel. for 400 miles north.I have traveled lots of places, the haul road is one of the best.
Posted on 12/28/24 at 10:31 am to VolSquatch
My wife and I are retired, and we spend two months each year in our RV. We have a 33' fifth wheel with 3 slides that's plenty enough room for the two of us. Our tow vehicle is a 3/4 ton Ford Super Duty that is a great tow vehicle. We just surpassed 125,000 miles, having towed from Louisiana to South Dakota and Yellowstone, to Nashville and Canton, Ohio, and multiple trips to the Asheville and Atlanta areas. The Super Duty has never failed us.
Having said all of that, I can imagine that we would feel cramped, even with a larger RV, with two young children added to the mix. While the children would have the opportunity to witness some remarkable travel experiences, I would be most concerned about the absence (for the most part) of normal
socialization opportunities with children their ages.
Having said all of that, I can imagine that we would feel cramped, even with a larger RV, with two young children added to the mix. While the children would have the opportunity to witness some remarkable travel experiences, I would be most concerned about the absence (for the most part) of normal
socialization opportunities with children their ages.
Posted on 12/28/24 at 11:49 am to SuperSaint
quote:
Get your head out of your arse and give your kids a stable home environment instead of dragging them around the country because you and your wife 'enjoy camping'
Yes because things are so great for kids now with teachers indoctrinating them into cutting their genitals off, record rates of kids committing suicide, being obese, being depressed, and when they become adults not ever getting married and starting families. Clearly it's working so well, God forbid people simply check into possible alternatives
Posted on 12/28/24 at 11:52 am to LeeeroyJenkins
quote:
40 plus upvotes to this response shows how sad the American male has become.
Was it “fair” that my dad and his sinlings all had to work from 0400-0700 milking cows and then head to school and do it all over again in the evening 7 days a week? They all turned out great and loved their “unfair” lives as determined by their parents chasing a dream to own land and work it.
This whole American experience making life decisions based on kids’ schools / sports is not a good thing. Live fully.
To the OP, I congratulate your sense of adventure and wonder and encourage you to not listen to these hen-pecked, cubicle slaves. Life is better lived outside.
I feel like somewhere between your response and the skeptic responses lies the truth. It would be very hard with kids. They might not like it. But it's not dooming them for eternity or impossible to do either.
It is pretty funny to see a bunch of people with seemingly no drive to live a full and eventful life and want that for their kids get so passionate when I said in my OP we are very much still exploring this, it's not even likely we do it at this point lol
Posted on 12/28/24 at 11:54 am to VolSquatch
Airstream. The rest are pretty much junk as far as campers go.
Posted on 12/28/24 at 2:59 pm to VolSquatch
A useful piece of data for vehicle planning. Many. of the western state and federal campgrounds were built in the 50&60's period with camping rigs at the time maxed out to 30-35 foot and parking spots built to suit. If you plan to camp much in the remote parks and forests, having a rig that fits is handy
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