Want to RV but don’t know how!

[DanaMc]

Hi!
I’m Dana - from Nolan County, Texas. I retired, early, two and a half years ago to take care of my dad. He passed a year ago and I am now bored out of my mind. Not bored enough to go back to work! Ha.
I recently rented a condo on North Padre Island for a month. The beach is my happy place —- but I don’t want to live there full time. I’m throwing some ideas around in my mind about buying a small RV (pull behind - travel trailer) and hitting the road. Thought about finding a great RV park near the beach and staying there for a few weeks at a time and them putting my RV in storage. I know as I get more into my planning, I’ll have a ton of questions. I also know that I won’t even know what questions I should ask. That’s why I joined this group —- to have lots of experts on hand to offer advice. So — thanks in advance!
Best,
Dana

 

[NWIP]

Welcome @DanaMc to the forum and a great group of people willing to answer any questions you may have.

 

[Neal]

Welcome to RVForums @DanaMc - go for it, you will not regret it. I've stayed at amazing beaches in my RV. One just north of Daytona Beach right on the ocean front. Same at Myrtle Beach, and I go to Virginia Beach every year. I also love the mountains, you can do it all and keep on going. What a great lifestyle, you're making a great decision. Good luck and let us know how things go along your journey and ask any questions here of course. Welcome aboard.

 

[Joe Hogan]

Dana,

Welcome to the Group. You might consider renting an RV for a couple of trips to get the feel for things. That would give you a better idea of what type of RV would suit your preferred style of camping.
The two large distinctions ie either self propelled or tow behind. Size has its penalties, both large and small. Over 25-29' and some National park campgrounds are no go, but smaller rigs limit space and load capacity.
State and County parks are a good alternative to commercial campgrounds, unless you want large child playgrounds and pool areas.

As you have learned by now Youtube has many RV folks sharing their experiences.

There is lots to learn!

Enjoy,

Joe

 

[AbdRahim]

Welcome. Read through the forums on the different brands, in fact all of the RV Forums on RV related subjects. There are many YouTube videos that will take you through a tour of various models..
Decide what you want to do with and RV - weekend camping, longer trips
Do you want to tow a car or tow an RV (trailer fifth wheel)?
How much do you want to spend? How much do you have set aside for year maintenance, and repairs?
Do you want new or used?
Go to RV Shows, dealers etc. Familiarize yourself with the various types, brands, and quality issues.

Above all - take your time.
It could take a year or more of research to find what is right for you. It could save you from buying several in a short period of time before arriving a t the right one.

You may even want to rent a few times, different style each time to get the feel.

Ask lots of questions.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

Welcome to RVF, @DanaMc; glad to have you here with us. Every journey begins with a first step! I think checking in here was certainly a good first step. Lots of knowledgeable and experienced RVers here. And, we cover a broard range of RVs from tiny "tear-drop" trailers to big 5th wheels and motorhomes. Many of us have arrived at where we are after having experienced most of the RV types out there and we are always happy to help a newcomer get started.

Time for the second step; doing some research. You've received good advice from pervious posters; take your time and look at a wide variety of RVs. Don't make up your mind before you see what's out there. Along the way, please feel free to come back here and ask all the questions you can think of. We'll do our best to provide answers based on our collective knowledge and experience.

TJ

 

[DanaMc]

Dana,

Welcome to the Group. You might consider renting an RV for a couple of trips to get the feel for things. That would give you a better idea of what type of RV would suit your preferred style of camping.
The two large distinctions ie either self propelled or tow behind. Size has its penalties, both large and small. Over 25-29' and some National park campgrounds are no go, but smaller rigs limit space and load capacity.
State and County parks are a good alternative to commercial campgrounds, unless you want large child playgrounds and pool areas.

As you have learned by now Youtube has many RV folks sharing their experiences.

There is lots to learn!

Enjoy,

Joe

Welcome to RVForums @DanaMc - go for it, you will not regret it. I've stayed at amazing beaches in my RV. One just north of Daytona Beach right on the ocean front. Same at Myrtle Beach, and I go to Virginia Beach every year. I also love the mountains, you can do it all and keep on going. What a great lifestyle, you're making a great decision. Good luck and let us know how things go along your journey and ask any questions here of course. Welcome aboard.

Thank you so much for the warm welcome!

 

[DanaMc]

Dana,

Welcome to the Group. You might consider renting an RV for a couple of trips to get the feel for things. That would give you a better idea of what type of RV would suit your preferred style of camping.
The two large distinctions ie either self propelled or tow behind. Size has its penalties, both large and small. Over 25-29' and some National park campgrounds are no go, but smaller rigs limit space and load capacity.
State and County parks are a good alternative to commercial campgrounds, unless you want large child playgrounds and pool areas.

As you have learned by now Youtube has many RV folks sharing their experiences.

There is lots to learn!

Enjoy,

Joe

I’ve been thinking about this for a year now. And the only thing I’m certain of is that whatever I end up with absolutely has to have a real bathroom. And I want something fairly small - I keep going back and forth between tow behind and self propelled...My google searches have been “smallest travel trailer with bathroom” or some variation of that. I was really leaning toward a tow behind — until I friend suggested that as a female traveling alone, I might not want to have to exit one structure in order to get in a vehicle that could be used to escape a bad situation. Food for thought.
Renting is great advice — I looked into it a little (very little) and thought it seemed pretty expensive. Need to do more research, I suppose. Where does one rent an RV????

 

[DanaMc]

Welcome to RVF, @DanaMc; glad to have you here with us. Every journey begins with a first step! I think checking in here was certainly a good first step. Lots of knowledgeable and experienced RVers here. And, we cover a broard range of RVs from tiny "tear-drop" trailers to big 5th wheels and motorhomes. Many of us have arrived at where we are after having experienced most of the RV types out there and we are always happy to help a newcomer get started.

Time for the second step; doing some research. You've received good advice from pervious posters; take your time and look at a wide variety of RVs. Don't make up your mind before you see what's out there. Along the way, please feel free to come back here and ask all the questions you can think of. We'll do our best to provide answers based on our collective knowledge and experience.

TJ

I appreciate the information and offers of help. One reason I registered for this specific site was because I kept seeing the word “friendly” when it was described. I am definitely finding that to be true! Thank you!

 

[DanaMc]

Welcome. Read through the forums on the different brands, in fact all of the RV Forums on RV related subjects. There are many YouTube videos that will take you through a tour of various models..
Decide what you want to do with and RV - weekend camping, longer trips
Do you want to tow a car or tow an RV (trailer fifth wheel)?
How much do you want to spend? How much do you have set aside for year maintenance, and repairs?
Do you want new or used?
Go to RV Shows, dealers etc. Familiarize yourself with the various types, brands, and quality issues.

Above all - take your time.
It could take a year or more of research to find what is right for you. It could save you from buying several in a short period of time before arriving a t the right one.

You may even want to rent a few times, different style each time to get the feel.

Ask lots of questions.

Thank you for reminding me to take my time. After lots of reading and looking, I was putting pressure on myself to just make a damn decision in order to get this show on the road. I need to relax, breathe, and find a few RVs to rent. Any suggestions on a good place to find a rental?