rjwilder

We have a 30ft Winnebago Lite Five, it's a fifth wheel, we already had the truck to pull it. We did not want a Class A (the bus type) and have to tow a car. We have 3 slides and that really opens the place up, one of the slides is in the bedroom. We have a dining room table with a leaf and 4 chairs. We leave 2 chairs at home and I sew on the table. We are both retired, no one goes with us except our cat. I try to have my project cut out ahead of time and labeled and put in ziplock bags. There have been times when I've used the picnic table to cut fabric and most RV parks have a community room with tables that anyone can use. We have never had any problem getting into a spot in an RV park, many have pull through spots if you're not good at backing up. Plan your trip, do the homework and call the RV parks and ask them how long the sites are. I like the RV lifestyle, no bed bugs and you can still cook your own food or go out. We have met many wonderful people on the road. Everyone always seems so helpful. We've made many friends, learned new things, seen a lot of places we wouldn't have seen. We have met several people from Canada who have come to Calif. for the warmer winters. We like the ocean and when we are there I sew outside, doesn't get any better than that. My husband likes to read and he watches TV, we have a satellite dish on the RV. We usually only drive 200 miles a day, by the time we get up, pack up and check out of the RV park and drive 200 miles, set up in the RV park, it's a full day. We do have a home, and we are home two weeks out of every month and gone the rest of the month. I leave the RV packed, clothes, linens, dishes etc., I have a second set of everything for the RV. As far as backing up into a spot in the dark, no problem, we always use walkie talkies and in the dark I use flashlights to see and I lay those glow sticks that kids use on the ground where I want my husband to air for and then I just keep talking to him and give directs while he backs up. I'd say go for it, life is too short, have fun and enjoy yourself.

tesspug

When we retired two years ago we bought a 20 year old 20' RV. There were lots of mechanical problems. We upgraded to one that was only 6 years old and now have very few problems. So far DH has been able to fix most things. I take my small sewing machine and enough supplies and fabric to do what I want. DH has a bicycle he rides. Its personal preference, but nothing is nicer to us than the chance to pack up the dog and "the rig" and head to the beach or the forest any time we want. We are planning a long trip North this summer to visit relatives and to get out of the 105 degree heat.

StephT

I grew up going on week long trips in the summer with my family. Camping is one of my fondest memories as a child. We also went to Bear Lake Idaho for two weeks. I love camping.

I finally talked my DH into purchasing a Travel Trailer. We live in an area in Oregon where there is a lot of places to go that is close to home so he can work. LOL

MaryMo

I've dreamed of doing this but my finances make it almost impossible ... unless there's a lottery out there with my name. I envy those who are enjoying their RV, seeing lots of the country and meeting lots of people. Many of you share your exploits on You-Tube for the rest of us to live vicariously. Thank you!
Lots of good advice here. Do your homework and Go For It!

Tothill

rv.net forums are a great place to learn more about rving. We have a 1989 27 foot class c and love it. We do not tow, we both drive it, I have driven it more than dh. We can both set up and take down. We keep it stocked from March through October with linens, clothes, and nonperishable food. We just have to stop at Safeway for the rest of the groceries. We also have a dedicated RV plug on the side of our house, so we can run the fridge and keep condiments in it. Most our camping is done in BC Provincial Parks, where there are no hook-ups. Because of this we travel with a full water tank.

Quilts rock

sounds great!! DH and I are looking at a fifth wheel- 30 foot. Thanks for the tips!

Quilts rock

Thank you everyone for the great tips and stories, I will share them with my DH. We are heading out this coming weekend to check out two that he has some interest in, so will let you know what happens.

Buttons922

Best advice I got was if you. Purchase a fifth wheel make sure you can make a sandwich (get to the fridge, plates etc) without having to extend the sides. I also found getting to the potty was good. Also with your sweetheart handy with repairs, check out www.crankyape.com. We have bought 2 from them at got good deals. We had to put some money in but ot a lt. Good luck and have fun!

slmeyer

We are retired & purchased a new 32ft MH with one slide in 2007. We love it and would love to go more often, but I am a LA quilter and am usually very busy quilting for others. Since our MH was new and we've kept it well maintained we have not had any issues. We take our 3 kitties with us which is one reason we bought our MH. We try to take several trips a yr & usually one big one. Last yr we were gone for 6 weeks traveling from south TN to Seattle and back, taking different routes to see more areas of the country. I alway plan the cities and stops looking for great campgrounds, places to visit and of course quilt shops. We do not tow, but rent a car if we are going to be in an area for 2 days or want to see some sights. We found it was much cheaper to rent than buy a towable car, maintain it with insurance, etc. I like to stay in CG with full hookups, cable, internet although we now have a hotspot and satelitte dish, so we can do without that. We did stay in Yosemite last year without hookups and it was fantastic. Regarding the mattress a previous post is so right. We recently purchased a 4" memory foam mattress pad from Wal-mart that is wonderful and even put one on our bed at home. We love Rving and wish we coud go more often. We have good friends that bought a new one and have decided it just isn't for them and are selling. They just don't have the time to use it due to her FT job. I take my feather weight and sew in the kitchen, or if nice outside will sew there. Good luck in making your decision. Hope to see you on the road sometime.

Geri B

The cost of purchase of the rv, gas to go, maintenance,repair, insurance, planning where to " hookup" nightly, shopping for food having to cook, clean, yuck.....not for me.... Just pick a place drive or fly there, motel, restaurant, rental car if necessary.....now that is my idea of fun!!!!! But viva la difference!,,,