Hi, I've been hopping all over online and you guys appear to be the friendliest and most knowledgeable. So, can I start picking your brains? Mine is worn out from constant research, research, thinking, looking....I've already learned a lot from your threads on tow capacity,etc.
We still have all the details to deal with, like sell vs. rent out our house, have our huge moving sale, give away at least one of our two dogs (and maybe the cat?), establish mail service, learn how to be connected on the road, figure out schooling options, figure out the costs of being on the road full-time, and a host of other details -- keeping me up late at night, like right now!
My main questions, for now, have to do with:
1. Being a single parent on the road full or semi-full time. We have done some tent camping and four years ago, I rented a popup and pulled it with our minivan for a 3 week trip around the West. Now I'm serious. I'd like to hear from single parents and from women travelling on their own, about how you do it all? My kids are 12 (boy) and 13 (girl).
2. I'm looking at the 5th wheel/truck option and want to keep our trailer as short as possible and our truck to a one ton. From other threads, I'm hearing from you oldtimers out there that I'll need a one-ton dually to safely pull/stop up to 15,000/16,000 GCVW. I want to stay well within/below those gross maximums, especially since I'm a newbie driver. And yup, I'm gonna go to one of those driver's schools. I've zeroed in on the Chevy Silverado 3500 diesel dually, later model years and I can drive this without white knuckles (at least on test drives in the city, on the highway, and not towing....my only experience so far!) How am I doing so far?
3. How many full-timers use lighter 5th wheels and stay south during the winter vs. towing a heavier, more insulated four season 5th wheel? If pulling a heavier 5th wheel (and the insulated ones so far seem to be at that 12,000+ threshold,) safely requires more than a one ton diesel dually, I have to reconsider what our travelling would look like.
4. Choices among the 5th wheels. I'm going to get the Consumer guide CDs, in the meantime, I welcome any comments about 5th wheels that could accommodate the three of us. I've been reading these forums, talking to anyone I can, and looking at a variety of rvs at dealers and shows. When thinking four season I've looked at Newmar Cypress or Americana (but they lack a bunkhouse floorplan). One of your threads had folks giving their "favorites" for true four season fifth wheels -- so I'm working through those lists in my research.
Ideal for everyone's privacy and sanity, given that I'd like this "boondoggle" to last as long as possible! would be a 5th wheel with a bunkhouse. Would like to find one with the bunks on opposite sides of a room to give them maximum space and privacy, but any bunkroom would do. There's a new Jayco Eagle light that has the best floorplan, but it truly is a 3 season trailer and I wonder about Jayco quality (don't have the RV guide yet!) I am also looking at the Newmar Cypress with bunkhouse. The problem there is weight (and cost). The Cypress with bunkhouse is over 12,000 lb. unloaded and there will be three of us and all that we need to put in there. I don't want to go the medium duty truck route.
Trying to figure out which are true "four season" and which aren't is tricky when they all quote all these different R values. I am assuming that the unloaded weight of the trailer tells you something about that? Which brands are the better built lighter weight ones?
I am looking forward to getting out there! And from hearing from anyone on this thread or privately -- thanks! KateyJ
We still have all the details to deal with, like sell vs. rent out our house, have our huge moving sale, give away at least one of our two dogs (and maybe the cat?), establish mail service, learn how to be connected on the road, figure out schooling options, figure out the costs of being on the road full-time, and a host of other details -- keeping me up late at night, like right now!
My main questions, for now, have to do with:
1. Being a single parent on the road full or semi-full time. We have done some tent camping and four years ago, I rented a popup and pulled it with our minivan for a 3 week trip around the West. Now I'm serious. I'd like to hear from single parents and from women travelling on their own, about how you do it all? My kids are 12 (boy) and 13 (girl).
2. I'm looking at the 5th wheel/truck option and want to keep our trailer as short as possible and our truck to a one ton. From other threads, I'm hearing from you oldtimers out there that I'll need a one-ton dually to safely pull/stop up to 15,000/16,000 GCVW. I want to stay well within/below those gross maximums, especially since I'm a newbie driver. And yup, I'm gonna go to one of those driver's schools. I've zeroed in on the Chevy Silverado 3500 diesel dually, later model years and I can drive this without white knuckles (at least on test drives in the city, on the highway, and not towing....my only experience so far!) How am I doing so far?
3. How many full-timers use lighter 5th wheels and stay south during the winter vs. towing a heavier, more insulated four season 5th wheel? If pulling a heavier 5th wheel (and the insulated ones so far seem to be at that 12,000+ threshold,) safely requires more than a one ton diesel dually, I have to reconsider what our travelling would look like.
4. Choices among the 5th wheels. I'm going to get the Consumer guide CDs, in the meantime, I welcome any comments about 5th wheels that could accommodate the three of us. I've been reading these forums, talking to anyone I can, and looking at a variety of rvs at dealers and shows. When thinking four season I've looked at Newmar Cypress or Americana (but they lack a bunkhouse floorplan). One of your threads had folks giving their "favorites" for true four season fifth wheels -- so I'm working through those lists in my research.
Ideal for everyone's privacy and sanity, given that I'd like this "boondoggle" to last as long as possible! would be a 5th wheel with a bunkhouse. Would like to find one with the bunks on opposite sides of a room to give them maximum space and privacy, but any bunkroom would do. There's a new Jayco Eagle light that has the best floorplan, but it truly is a 3 season trailer and I wonder about Jayco quality (don't have the RV guide yet!) I am also looking at the Newmar Cypress with bunkhouse. The problem there is weight (and cost). The Cypress with bunkhouse is over 12,000 lb. unloaded and there will be three of us and all that we need to put in there. I don't want to go the medium duty truck route.
Trying to figure out which are true "four season" and which aren't is tricky when they all quote all these different R values. I am assuming that the unloaded weight of the trailer tells you something about that? Which brands are the better built lighter weight ones?
I am looking forward to getting out there! And from hearing from anyone on this thread or privately -- thanks! KateyJ
