I WONDER

[THINK BOUT FULL TIME]

I AM THINKING ABOUT RETIRING AND BUYING A PUSHER. IS THIS CRAZY AT THIS TIME DUE FUEL COSTS,US ECONOMY
I HAVE A NEED TO TRAVEL AND SEE THE COUNTRY BEFORE MY RECALL DATE.I HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT PUSHERS FOR 5 YRS.
AM NOT AWARE OF REAL COSTS ON THE ROAD,E G FLAT TIRES REPAIRS TOWING INS. I AM A COMPLETE NOVICE . ANY COMMENTS PHILLY BOY.

 

[C Nash]

Re: I WONDER

Welcome to the forum Phillip. Caps make for hard reading and are considered shouting so turn caps off unless it is eaiser for you. Well some of us are hard hearing. :laugh: If you are approaching rving with the thought you will save money forget it. . Just like any hobbie or way of life it's not free. A diesel pusher is the way to go if you will be really putting the miles on IMO. I have a gasser and it serves us well. The diesel will have more torque, ride better and most handle better than gassers. Servicing the diesel cost more IMO. Tires have to be replace ever 5 to 7 years on any rv regardless of tread left. You need to keep a road service policy such as Good Sam, AAA etc. Some like the extended warranties that will repair appliances, motors, trans but they can be expensive. One fridge , motor or trans replacement would make it worthwhile. Insurance on the MH can be expensive as well as tags but differs from state to state. If you are able to do most miner upkeep and repairs you will save a bundle.

 

[onthecoach]

Re: I WONDER

Hi Philly Boy,

Welcome to the forum...as C Nash stated above, this is not the least expensive way of living, but it sure is fun!! Since you have been researching for 5 years, you should have a pretty good idea of what you want and what you need. Fuel will always be a challenge...just need to be judicial about your travels. Maybe spending more time in some places. Maybe you have enough $$$ set aside to just drive and travel the entire time.

The biggest concerns will be site rents, maintenance and fuel. As everyone on the forum knows by now, I am living alone on the coach while Dear Husband (DH) is working overseas....he will be gone a total of 2+ years. I am fairly handy at doing the work here, but sometimes I need professional help because some areas of the coach are unaccessable. For instance, I am doing skirting for the RV by myself this weekend!! For the most part though, as long as you can handle most things on your own, you will be fine.

I did purchase a warranty when I bought the coach...it has more than paid for itself! The failure of one major appliance can really set you back!!! I have also dropped my Good Sam Road Service and went with www.Coach-net.com. Check it out!!!

You don't say whether you will be traveling alone or not. It is always fun to have someone to share the experiences.

Again, welcome to the forum! Hope we see you down the road!!! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

 

[DRMIKE]

RE: I WONDER

hi phil, sometimes i type in caps too. got neuropathy in my hands, diff to shift all the time. dont see the diff. . some people get anal about it. also, everyone has their own opinion, do alot of research before u decide on any problem. i ve been doing full time
for yr. or so. i have good sams but. as the lady said , there might be better ones out there. when i started alot of peoplsuggested good sam. we ended up with a 37ft pace arrow on a ford 350 chassie. it was a used 98 with around 18,000miles on it. its a gas with a 460 motor. runs great and gets around 10mpg. i tow a new kia and have a rack for my motorcycle. not bad milage. was going to buy a new diesel but, fuel went up and i can work on my gas motor easier. diesels cost more to p[urchase also. also, most systems on ur rv are similar to any household, electrical,mechanical,plumming. etc. . if ur handy u can do repairs yourself with a little dilegence. we just put a new rubber roof on ours last week just so it will be ready for our trip latter this mo. to canada. pa. and then on to fl. for the winter. if money isnt a concern, people say the diesels are the way to go. good for towing. ours drives and pulls good though. im 53, retired surgeon and my girlfriend is 52 a retired engineer. we still try to watch our money and afford other toys. bikes,flying, vacations full time and of course time with the grandkids. buy the way we found a local rv dealer that business was slow, he had our rv for almost a wk. did the whole roof for $1,250.00 total. some people are charging around 3500. look around for deals, ebay, racing junk.com, and craigs list are good places. alot of good deals to be found. i just passed up a beautiful endevor 05, loaded ,tip outs for 70,000 last wk. its a buyers market now. good luck, mike

 

[DL Rupper]

Re: I WONDER

In 13 years full-timing we have crossed the USA a number of times. We have been to all 48 lower States and have only managed to put about 95,000 miles on our 5th wheel. We have put 300,000 + miles on our diesel tow vehicles. You would really need to be on the move all the time to justify the added miles/gal and longevity of the diesel engine to justify a diesel pusher for pure economics. The ability to climb the hills/mountains is another matter. The gas engine Motorhome just will not climb the hills with the same ability as the diesel pusher.