Getting into RVing???

[Kev Williams]

A great place to chat about RV's is iRV2 Forums

I've been RV'ing since I was a kid. My dad bought a Mercury trailer in 1960, then moved up to a '64 (or so) Aljo a few years later. Between my parents and myself, we've been thru 3 trailers, 2 campers, and are on our 5th motorhome, which we bought used 6 years ago...
Allegro1.jpgAllegro2.jpg
2000 model Allegro Bus, 40' diesel pusher-
We bought this specifically for when we semi-retire, which is about 2 years from now. We've only used it about twice a year since we've owned it. I've towed a 26' Chaparral bowrider with it a few times, the 8.3 Cummins hardly knows it's there. And next year it gets to tow a 28' Regal pocket cruiser. Pretty sure it'll tow a car without breaking a sweat. Has only the one slide, which is plenty, and I like NOT having a bedroom slide because without it, I have nearly unfettered access to the engine.

Because we'll have limited funds later in life, a new one was never in the cards. The original sticker on this rig was $168,000, we paid $56,000. After 6 years, it's value is still in the 50's. And it'll be paid for when we retire. All I have to do is continue to take care of it.

FWIW, we also own 4 boats, 3 of which are already paid for. (2 need to get sold!)...
THAT'S been our retirement plan for the past 10 years, instead of worrying about how to afford the retirement toys we'll want, we already bought them, we're enjoying them when we can in the meantime, and they'll all be paid for and ready to go when WE'RE ready. So far it's working out great!

My intent isn't to try and talk you out of buying new, I'd love nothing more! But how we're doing it has worked out very well so far!

I know this much, you'll have the everlovin' time of your life! Just cruising around with no particular place to go or time frame to get there, I can think of nothing more relaxing...

Check out iRV2 Forums , it's the best resource for everything RV'ing I've found!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Larry, the suggestion of renting one first or buying a relatively new used one is pretty sage. We bought a relatively new 5th wheel. The first year we used it several times. The next year we used it several times. Then due to illnesses in the family and aging parents, it set for 4 years unused. Finally I was able to convince my wife it should be sold as it was depreciating just sitting in front of our home. We sold it.

We bought it at a fraction of the price of a new one. It served us well. Had no problems We sold it at a fraction of what we paid for it. Would I do it again? Uh?....Buy used? Yes. Buy another RV? I'd have to think on that one.

[Rich Riddle]

Ken,

But where do you hide when you're in trouble now that the RV is gone?

[Larry Browning]

Do you plan on towing a vehicle with the RV. Most RV people I know do.... park the RV then use the car to explore.

Yeah, that's the plan.
I have a 2012 Hyundai Elantra (automatic trans) that we want to drag around with it. Turns out it will require a dolly. Those things run about $2000+ new, but they seem to be available used for about half that. Still cheaper than trading it in on something that can be towed without the dolly. This just brings home the reality that the cost of the coach is just the beginning. But, hey, It costs a lot to get into woodworking too.

[Randy Henry]

There are 2 kinds of R/V's..ones that leak, and ones that will leak. Prepare to spend big $$ to repair when it does happen.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Ken,

But where do you hide when you're in trouble now that the RV is gone?

She stays gone a good portion of the time so if I get into trouble, it's with myself!

[John O'Brien]

I've had 5 Rv's over the past 20 years. 3 class C's and 2 class A's, from 23' to 32', with and without slides. Enjoyed them all, had very few problems and with the proper maintenance you can really enjoy the trip. I've only owned gas models, no diesel.

To answer your original question, I think Thor products are on the lower end, quality wise. Most manufacturers use the same chassis, and many of the interior components are at least from the same manufacturers. All appliances are covered under their own warranties. Winnebago, Fleetwood, Newmar and some others are built better.

years ago, at an RV show, we were looking at different models and as I was walking out of one Thor model you could see light between the door frame and the wall. Someone cut the opening too big and just put the door in anyway. That made me wary of any Thor product. Recently Thor has bought out some of the independent manufacturers, which kept their names, but now fall under the Thor parent company. Don't know if that changed their quality or not.

Look into how the cabinets are secured to the walls (pull on them and see what moves), and the exterior wall construction since delamination is common in the less expensive models. Dual pane windows are a must for noise and condensation. Normal cooking, showering and body heat can create a lot of moisture in a closed RV.

But, if you get what you want and you are happy with it, you will enjoy it. We've been cross country a few times, and while the gas is expensive, you can save money by doing some cooking, eating take out in the RV, stopping at a supermarket and picking up a prepared meal, etc. We also spent many nights in truck stops (Flying J and Pilot have RV parking spots), WalMart and Cracker barrel parking lots, rest areas on the highways (some rest areas have RV spots with water and electric for a small fee). The big plus for us was being able to bring our 2 German Shepherds with us, saving a lot on boarding fees.

It's a big decision to make, and getting what you want is important.

Good luck.

John

[Jim Becker]

I can't help you with any of your questions...no experience...but I will say that the 'rents did something similar to what you proposed by touring a big chunk of the US not too long after my dad retired and had a wonderful time. They visited many places they had always wanted to do so and reconnected with a number of friends from earlier times along the way.

[Justin Ludwig]

Jamatt is just an hour south of you in Poteau, OK. They have more RV's than you can shake a stick at. I drive by there often and my shoulders would be shot if I shook a stick at all of them.

[Mike Chance in Iowa]

No knowledge of the Thor's, but I wanted to bring up some things to keep in mind when picking out floor plans. Look at it with the attitude you will be staying in this for more then a few days. Will you have enough room to store your clothes and food & pots, plates, coffee maker, etc? Is it going to be comfortable to sit back and relax and read a book, watch a movie, play a game of cards, use a laptop? Where are you going to store your dirty clothes or extra shoes or rain gear? Can both of you get in/out of the bed without needing to climb over the other person? (Room to walk on both sides of bed.)

We have a toy hauler with slide-outs that we enjoy and it's great for weekends and meets our needs, but we find the couch is not comfortable for us to watch a movie. It's too compact for two to snuggle up or stretch out.

[Larry Browning]

Jamatt is just an hour south of you in Poteau, OK. They have more RV's than you can shake a stick at. I drive by there often and my shoulders would be shot if I shook a stick at all of them.

Do they even carry motor homes? Their adds on TV seem to imply they only carry travel trailers.

[John Stankus]

Larry,
Thor Motorcoach is a subisdiary of Thor Industries. Thor Industries owns many of the brands of RV including: Airstream, Bison, CrossRoads, Cruiser RV, DRV, Dutchmen, Entegra, Heartland RV, Highland Ridge, Jayco, Keystone RV, K-Z, Livin' Lite, Redwood RV, Starcraft RV, Thor Motorcoach, and Venture RV. A couple of things to note, that while there are quite a few "Brands" of RV, a lot of them are owned by the same couple of conglomerates. That being said, you will find that for the RV components there only a handful of manufacturers. For example the main RV Fridge manufacturers are Dometic and Norcold. RV toilets are Thetford and Dometic (I think they make a line). So a lot of the infrastructure items will be the same (or fairly equivalent).

You will get good a repairing stuff, especially field repairs. Basically, think about your RV as your house, built with lighter materials that you shake for 4-10 hours each driving day. Normal day to day chores include dumping the grey and black water tanks and recharging the toilets. (I don't think the model you are looking at has this, but don't get an RV with a wetbath (shower shares space with rest of bath)).

Is there a diesel option for the motorhome you are looking at? It would be a bit more efficient than the big V10 gasser.

We used to have a 17 foot Casita Travel Trailer. It was small but well laid out. We were good for about a week. Make sure what you pick has enough space for your extended travels. Most RV floorplans really don't have enough storage space for extended travels. Having an RV can be great fun. It is very nice to bring a clean bathroom along with you.

John

[Pat Barry]

I know this much, you'll have the everlovin' time of your life! Just cruising around with no particular place to go or time frame to get there, I can think of nothing more relaxing...

Where do you tend to park it for the night? State Parks? Walmart parking lot? Certainly not at the stadiums you visit? Every day you need to pack it up and then at the end of the day unpack it -- it all seems like a lot of work to me. Stuff like this gets harder the older you get. You sure you want to do this?

[Kev Williams]

Our main hobby at the moment is boating. Right now our motorhome is parked at our boat harbor, plugged in, stocked with food, ready for us whenever we show up. Dish TV too In the past 6 years we've only taken to where we can go boating. Hopefully that changes in 2-3 years when I plan to cut my work load down by 2/3. (these 100+ hour weeks are killing me)

Best trip we ever took was right after we bought our first motorhome. Took some friends and we just headed west with no itinerary. At Sacramento we went north to Redding, then thru the mountains to Arcadia, then up the coastline. Couple of nights we spent in parking lots, most nights were in RV parks. Did the redwood, seals, watched the tide come in while eating at one place, went out while watching seals. Cool if you've never seen it before! Kept going north thru Oregon, checked out a few beaches and just taking in the terrain. Never saw so much rain & green vegetation in my life as we did driving up the Oregon coastline. We ended up in Seattle for 2 days, played around the fish markets. After hours we spend around a campfire. Last night was spent in Boise, then home.

That trip was a LOT of driving, but we only had a week. And our friends, unbeknownst to us at the time, were halfway thru a divorce. Even with that nonsense, we all enjoyed ourselves. Time to sit for more than a day at time would be nice, which is exactly what we're hoping for soon.

And as for motorhomes, packing up isn't much more involved than folding up a few chairs and putting the BBQ away.

[Justin Ludwig]

Do they even carry motor homes? Their adds on TV seem to imply they only carry travel trailers.

I guess you're right. I never paid attention to that. Sorry for the misdirect.