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Caroljv123

Carol
Joined
Oct 10, 2020
Messages
22
Location
Michigan
RV Year
2021
RV Make
Jayco Greyhawk Prestige
RV Model
31FP
RV Length
35.5 ft
Fulltimer
No
Hi, we are first time buyers of an RV and I have been doing an almost college level crash course in trying to find the "perfect" RV for us. We will be weekenders, not full-timers. We are 63, me, my husband is 65. I drive a Tahoe, he drives a Jeep Grand Cherokee. We have been married 41 years. Big vehicles do not deter me even though I am a petite person. The process of buying this rig is straining our very solid marriage...?. My husband is retired Army - 31 years. I feel it is sort of "my turn" now and this rig will take me to places to promote my art and book and hopefully future book (as the book I am currently writing is not agented as the former book had a publisher, this does not...yet but I am hopeful). Soooo, I feel this rig should be larger to meet more of my future needs. Thus be a bit on the larger size. He is BIG on the more compact size. No more than 25 or so feet max. I am finding rigs, Class A's and C's that go 32-33' that are perfect and he's saying they are going to be a nightmare to fit into many places we'll want to go like national parks etc. I am not a queen sized bed kinda gal. So that leaves out almost 100% of the rigs that are compact. He would open his mind way more to some of the smaller class A's if we could know in advance the king beds did not fold when the slides were closed as we will boondock often because we'll use military bases etc. as often as possible. My cookbook is Homefront Cooking and all author proceeds go to Veterans and first responders so that is my target audience and that's where I promote our cookbook most often. Boondocking is something we want to try on and off while on our trips.

SOOO -- 1. Is it true that 32-33 foot rigs are really that awful to fit into national parks these days?
2. Does anyone know of 30 ft. or smaller rig with King stationary beds that do not fold? I think I know of every single twin in the back - like the Tiffin Wayfarer 24TW/Winnebago Navion 24V /The Platinum III (out of our budget more than likely and we'd have to go to FL to buy -- we live in MI)-etc. I love that option -- we are considering that type but they tend to be diesels and they tend to be over our budget going by MSRP and the current hot market and my husband prefers gas. But they convert to the king bed and it's a small enough rig for my husband. But for me, a tad too small. I'd prefer the size of the Forest River FR3 32DS -- my husband thinks that's WAY too huge and we will regret the purchase because we will get kicked out of national parks. He says he keeps reading how people trade in rigs for being too large and rarely reads that people trade in for rigs being too small. I also love the Jayco Class C Greyhawk 31FP -- it's perfect. Luxury in a class C, tons of room, I think the King does not fold, I think the rig drives well - I saw a video,

Does anyone have any other suggestions for a larger Class C or A with a NO FOLD king bed and sleeping for grand babies that stays around 30 feet??? Are rigs the size I am talking about possible? No fold King in a 30 foot or so rig that is gas? I've thrown out a lot here, but any help will be much appreciated! We are not going to pull the trigger until January. No rush!
 
Last edited:
Welcome @Caroljv123 to the forum. I don’t have a suggestion on your purchase but will say that under 35’ you will be fine in most National Parks. I would think 32’ would be perfect length for what you are talking about. Good luck with your search.
 
Thanks. Good advice and it's what I gathered but I needed some verification from those in the know. Thanks again.
 
Welcome to RVF, @Caroljv123; glad to have you here. And thanks for you and your husband's Army service from another Amy vet. And, I do believe that spouses serve alongside their active-duty mate.

@NWIP is right on the money about RVs 35' and under not being a problem in national parks. The general rule of thumb is that 40' is the absolute maximum for most national parks and 35-and-under rigs are pretty easily accommodated.

As for king beds folding, I don't think you'll find many that do in a 32' and longer. That may be more frequent in the shorter rigs.

TJ
 
Hello! I'm PWDan, a retired teacher, a writer, and an aspiring owner of a newer but used Pleasure-Way XLTD. Like so many others in recent years and months, I am beckoned by the call of the open road. I have no desire to full-time RV, but I'm itching to trqvel the highways with my wife of fifty years. Our children are grown with families of their own, so the time is right while I can still get around (I'm 74.75 years old) to see as much of God's creation as we can together. Thank you for having me. I'm excited about participating in this gang of nomads!
 
Thank you and thank you too for your service and your wife's as well. I call the wives "Heroe's at Home." I used to write for military publications and wrote several columns and articles depicting the many trials and tribulations we who stayed at home tackled.

Thanks for the verification. My husband keeps asking "What did they say?" I am confident that many more answers like this will finally convince him that a 32 or 33 foot rig is not going to turn us away when it comes to traveling and staying in national parks, so I hope coming here and having input from kind people like yourself he'll start to soften to maybe going a bit more on the roomier side.
 
Welcome to RVForums @Caroljv123. Great to have you join us.
 
Thank you and thank you too for your service and your wife's as well. I call the wives "Heroe's at Home." I used to write for military publications and wrote several columns and articles depicting the many trials and tribulations we who stayed at home tackled.

Thanks for the verification. My husband keeps asking "What did they say?" I am confident that many more answers like this will finally convince him that a 32 or 33 foot rig is not going to turn us away when it comes to traveling and staying in national parks, so I hope coming here and having input from kind people like yourself he'll start to soften to maybe going a bit more on the roomier side.
Thank you as well. And, please tell your husband (in a kind and gentle way) that this Ol' Army Guy says "you'll be just fine in the National Parks with a 32-35' coach." We'd love to have you join us in the RV life.

TJ
 
Daddy was in the AF for over 30 years and so I'm partial to military families. Our most recent fifth was a 33 ft and we had no problems at all, anywhere! I'm the backer upper (hubs can't even back up his pick up straight) and I was able to squeeze it in to places amazing (marriage got rocky during those moments). You write well - I enjoyed the cadence of the above introduction.
 
Daddy was in the AF for over 30 years and so I'm partial to military families. Our most recent fifth was a 33 ft and we had no problems at all, anywhere! I'm the backer upper (hubs can't even back up his pick up straight) and I was able to squeeze it in to places amazing (marriage got rocky during those moments). You write well - I enjoyed the cadence of the above introduction.
Awww you're so kind. Thanks so much for helping me out here. He is giving me a bit of say in this -- and I am going to push the extra space a as one thing we will be doing with the rig is having a stay down south in Florida when the weather gets horrid in Michigan -- and I don't want a teeny, tiny rig for that. I want a bit of elbow room to work and stay when we are in a place for two-three weeks. Provided the rig drives well and these days, most class C and A rigs have powerful amazing engines -- especially the ones we are narrowing it down to. So I think that should not be an issue. I pray your Dad is still with us. If he is, please give him my thanks for his service. I will take your advice and pass it on to my husband! Thanks so much!
 

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