We can't exactly remember when we decided that getting rid of everything and traveling full-time in a RV was our dream for retirement. We also can't decide if it was Mark or Denisa that first came up with the idea. But we have both been sold on the plan for a long time, even though Mark always adds "Good Lord Willing" when he describes our retirement plans to others.
Making the decision to live in an RV is a big one, but it leads to many more decisions about the retirement vehicle. We waded through travel blogs and personal recommendations, went to RV shows, and attended the RV Dreams rally to get information on the best fit for us. Here are some of the decisions we considered and our thoughts about each:
1) Fifth wheel vs. Motorhome?
We never really considered a 5th wheel as we really like the idea of having a small fuel-efficient vehicle to go exploring in when we are parked. So the motorhome idea won because we didn't like the idea of driving a big diesel dually pickup everywhere.
2) Motorhome alphabet soup--A, B, or C?
We chuckle now when we think about the Class B and class C vehicles we first considered. They are great for vacationing, but we soon figured out they had too little storage to be our only home. We decided our home would have to be a Class A.
3) Gas vs. Diesel Motorhome?
This debate was a long one, and we changed sides many times. But the diesel engine brake and torque would provide us safe travel in the mountains, and that was important to us. We also recognized that we needed the cargo carrying capacity of the heavier diesel frame. As we see gasoline prices that are now $1 cheaper per gallon than diesel, we hope that was the right decision.
4) Length?
Because our priority is to stay in state and federal campgrounds as much as possible, we limited our search for 35 foot or smaller Class A diesels. I guess we will find out soon if that was as important as we thought it was.
5) Manufacturer?
We had a short list of manufacturers that we felt built a good quality coach that could hold up to full-timing. The good news was that many of the most expensive companies only make very long motorhomes. So our 35 foot limit whittled down the list even more.
6) New vs. Used?
We would love to buy a brand new diesel pusher motorhome, but we knew we couldn't afford it. But we also got tired of dealers and owners that priced their used motorhomes higher than a new price. Beware of sellers that think their coach is "better than new" and don't understand the steep decline in value of this depreciating asset.
7) Floor plan?
A roomy interior design with plenty of comfortable seating was a priority for us, and there are lots of choices in floor plans. Some other interior choices are: residential refrigerator vs. a smaller gas/electric; placement of the television to the sitting area; carpet vs. tile; table and chairs vs. booth dinette; washer and dryer vs. visiting laundromats; gas stove vs. convection oven, etc. We tried not to be sold on any of these options because buying used we wouldn't get to design all of our preferences. But some of those options could be deal breakers.
So we started looking for a used 32-35 foot class A diesel motorhome that had tile floors, a convection oven, and a large refrigerator. We shopped all the national motorhome sales web sites, forum classifieds, Craigslist, and any local sources we could find--for two years! We called owners all over the country as we narrowed down our list and got a great education in RV purchasing 101. Buying the perfect RV is a lot of work, but it was certainly fun work!
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