I’ve been to a ridiculous number of RV shows and I’ve found
that deciding on an RV is a cross between fit & function and is very
personalized.
Fit means is it a good fit for me? Is it comfortable or
not? Is the layout workable or is it clunky? Is it warm or kitschy? Is it
utilitarian or flashy? Nowadays I can step into a rig and within seconds
determine if I’m ‘feeling it’ or not. Some I would go into are very cold and
stark while others would try for that suave, sweeping sexy look. Both having advantages
and drawbacks. So for the fit portion it essentially boils down to, could I
call this home and be comfortable?
Typically its simple things that start to take a rig
downhill in my book pretty quickly. For instance, I’ve noticed that a lot of
rigs don’t have a towel bar in the bathroom anymore. Now I know that that’s a very
tiny detail, but I think that it’s the little ‘burr under the saddle’ that
makes things a pain. Add up several of those and it really starts to
become noticeable. I know I could easily fix those things, but I shouldn’t have
to.
I read somewhere that an RV traveling down the road is
analogous to a continuous mid-level earthquake. Bumps, rocking, swaying,
jostling all work to loosen up joints in cabinets, walls, roof, flooring, etc. So
if a cabinet is already loose in a brand new rig with zero miles, think of what
it will look like after a few thousand miles of traveling! So that’s why I pay
special attention to how cabinet joinery is accomplished. Is it stapled or does
it have pocket screws and glue? Seeing staples in a cabinet door is an instant
total red flag.
I’ve developed a list of items that I consider make/break in
a rig. Seeing any one of those fall into the ‘break’ category means the rig
gets exited immediately and not waste any further time on it. Of course a rig
having all of the boxes checked off will often cost a ridiculous amount, or be
so big that it needs a tractor to pull it. That’s why I’ve gone to numerous RV
shows, haunted dealership lots, and surfed the internet for hours. Finding the
perfect rig has turned into a quest and will hopefully pay off.
So what is the list of some things I look for? Well, since
you asked:
Less than 40 feet
long (preferably in the 35 to 38 range)
Can be pulled by a
truck as small as an F-250 w/single rear wheels (weight limits)
Generous storage
area with separate space for generator/batteries
Load range G tires
No less than three
slides (or if only two then the one in the living space had better be huge)
Cabinetry that is
glued/screwed, not stapled
Doesn’t have a
ridiculously tiny awning
Rear ladder/rear
hitch
Interior and
exterior LED lighting
Solar pre-wire
Generator pre-wire
Motorized/automatic
awning
Slide toppers
Pre-wire and pre-frame
for second bedroom A/C (if not already installed)
Roof area and layout
that allows maximum solar panel layout (Space for 8-10 (12?) solar panels)
No carpeting (or as
little as humanly possible)
Stove/oven NOT
located in a slide (Every stove I’ve seen in a slide for some reason is very
low)
Space and
pre-connects for a washer/dryer
Rear kitchen floor
plan (Very much preferred, but negotiable)
Generous kitchen
counter space (you’d be surprised at how small some I’ve seen are)
Dedicated food pantry
Convection/microwave
oven
Double stainless
steel kitchen sink
Covers for kitchen
sink and stove
Frameless dual pane
windows (R factor and noise)
Window day shades
and night shades
Queen bed, not king
(king takes up too much space) with storage underneath
Pull out sleeper
sofa (for when Jess comes to visit)
Generous bathroom
space and a layout that isn’t a joke (you’d be surprised)
A real stand-up
shower that has believable headroom (yes, I actually stand in them to see)
Residential fridge
(although I can make good arguments for an RV fridge)
Insulated for winter
climes
Self-leveling system
Rear-view camera
system
Five step entrance
Locking slam latches
on external storage doors
At least a group 24
deep cycle battery (prefer a group 27 deep cycle)
No less than a 1000
watt true sine wave inverter (preferably a 2000 watt)
Manufacturer that allows
small changes in construction
Manufacturer that
has an in-depth factory tour (This may sound trivial, but it isn’t)
Sounds like a ridiculous list doesn’t it? However, most
upper end units have about 80-90% of that list as standard features. Notice I
say upper end units. I’ve found that there are basically four levels of RVs and
range from super-duper cheap to oh-wow expensive.
The lowest level is what I call the ‘El-Cheapo Weekend
Warrior RV’ that will only get used on a few weekends and maybe a week of vacation
per year. They will end up being what I call storage lot queens. That’s where
they are stored for 99% of the time and used only about 1% of the time. Typically they are very low quality and have a
very low (if any) resale value. These would not stand up to full-timing at all.
The second level is what I call the ‘Luxury Weekend Warrior’.
This is where the toy haulers and somewhat nicer cheap RVs are. These are still
for the weekenders, but they have a few of the options that the nicer rigs
have. These often will be storage lot queens also. These often will actually
have some resale value, but still won’t stand up to everyday (literally) use.
The third level I call the ‘Full Timer Class’ and these RVs
are mostly designed for full-timing. They are set up and built with the full-timer
in mind. They are noticeably better built and with that come a better price.
These approach the feeling of having your living room on wheels. Most of the
appliances and fixtures will be residential grade and not the cheap plastic RV
crap. This is the level where I am looking.
The fourth level is the super high end RV. They are either
semi-custom or full-custom built and bring a very hefty price tag. These will
often need the very biggest of passenger truck (think F-450) on up to a full
blown semi-tractor to pull them. I even found a company that takes full size
semi-tractor/trailer rigs and will build them out for personalized RVs. They
are HUGE and demand an equally HUGE price. They’re fun to look at, but are way
outside of my price range.
That about covers the fifth wheel, so what am I doing for a
vehicle to pull my humble abode? Well, I initially started looking at Toyota Corollas,
but quickly ruled them out as they didn’t come in my color. Wouldn’t that be a
crazy sight, a fifth wheel squashing a tiny Toyota?
Anyway, back in the land of reality, I thought originally
that I would buy a used truck that only had just a few thousand miles on it.
This way I wouldn’t get hit with the depreciation of a new truck. However, there are a few
problems with that idea.
1.
I very likely wouldn’t be able to get the options I want on
it
2.
I would have to spend additional money to get an
aftermarket 5th wheel hitch installed ($$)
3.
I would have no idea as to how the truck was
used (or abused) in its prior life
4.
No idea as to how the maintenance was kept up
(or not)
5.
The truck would NOT have any warranty
That last item turned out to be the deal breaker. A warranty
while on the road is extremely valuable and will be worth quite a lot. So I
researched into new trucks and yes, they are expensive. However it did fix all
five of the problems above. Actually, it ended up that the depreciation hit
wasn’t all that horrible after all once all the factors were added in. Having
that 5 year/100,000 mile warranty is worth a LOT of money in my mind.
Another big plus is that I can get a truck that is a bit
bigger than what I actually need right now. Then if I decide to get a bigger
and/or heavier 5'er (jargon, nice right?) later on, I already have a truck that can handle it. It also
means that I’m not maxing out the truck all the time and wearing it out.
The other thing I found out is that it doesn’t cost one
extra penny to order EXACTLY the truck I want directly from the factory. The
only drawback is that I have to be willing to wait about three months to get
it. Well, that’s no problem for me. I’ll just order it right around the end of
November which should put delivery right around the end of February, right
about the time I’m ordering the trailer. Huh, imagine that, the timing is
almost like it was planned that way.
Sorry, this entry got too long, but it’s vitally important
to get this part right.
Next up: Making the jump from traditional sticks and bricks
house to full-time RV living
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