New from West Jordan, Utah

[Crown5544]

Hello,
Recent personal events have me thinking very seriously about RVing full-time. I don't currently have an RV, but I am looking to purchase one next spring after I sell my home. I'm divided between a 5th wheel and a motor-home.

I'm a widower of one and half years with three cats and ready to move onto the next stage in my life. I have several hobbies that I'm hoping to continue pursuing as I RV. Among them is metal detecting, bladesmithing and Leather work. Those hobbies are going to depend on the amount of space I have for them when I get an RV.

So I will mostly be browsing at first. But any input on any of the above is most welcome.

Thank you
Sean

 

[John&Andrea]

Welcome. Good luck as you shop. I will say that a fifth wheel, you will need a good tow vehicle. Have you towed much in the past? A toy hauler will give work space for the hobbies.
If motor home, you will need to tow something to drive. You don’t want to break camp to drive to the store for milk. Towing something to drive is much easier than towing a heavy FW.

Any RV will have issues that require repair, as well as regular maintenance. If you handy taking care of repairs will save you money.
Look on line for videos on RV maintenance to get an idea of what you will face. I do most of my repairs.
RV ownership at times can be overwhelming as things do go wrong. It’s not like owning a house that is more stable.
Will you move around or be stationary in the RV. Do you want to see the country in your journey. Many here full time in their RV, and many move around in the journey. We do not FT. Happy shopping!

 

[Crown5544]

Thanks John & Andrea
I've pulled a 21 ft trailer with my F150. The F150 didn't have enough power so the trailer remained parked. I learned from that experience and plan on buying a F250 diesel at the same time I get a Fifth Wheel.

And when I was much younger I pulled fifth wheel flatbeds for an auto parts store. So yes a little bit of experience.

On the other hand, I have no experience with a Motor-home. My step-son thinks a Motor-home would suit me better. He's a long truck driver, and currently has a fifth wheel himself. They also had an old motor home at first. So he knows what he's talking about.

I'm fairly handy with making repairs. At 71 though, I am slowing down and I have a bad back. So it would be a mix of do it yourself and having it done. My step-son has helped do a lot of repairs on the house I'm selling, but he won't be coming along! Just me and my three cats.

I had originally planned to buy a smaller home in Coos Bay, Oregon. And that is still an option, though the more I dig into RVing full time I think it would be more fun. I wish I could both. But I simply don't have the finances for that.

I'm hoping to see more of the country. I've lived in the same house for 31 years now. And while I have traveled during that time it was either for work, to visit relatives, or take short vacations. But I haven't seen enough of the country yet. I've been a "Westerner" most of life. I'd like to see more east of the Rockies. And some parts of the south, such as New Orleans.

So who knows? I might spend a month here, a month there. Or maybe shorter or longer.

 

[John&Andrea]

We have a 31’ class C we had a 5th wheel. We purged a lot a year before we sold the 5th and have purged again since the C. We carry only what we use. The motor home is easier to set up than the 5th.
We looked at class A’s but thought the C was better for us. The C has the same engine as the gas A so to me a smaller box was better. Diesel pusher was a thought but the maintenance on that was a concern. I do most of my repaired but I am not a mechanic. The longest we have been on the road has been about 6 weeks. And no more than 2 weeks in one place. Good luck. Happy travels.