Which Rig?


Snake

New Member
Going to Full Time around January...Live in Calif. What is best way to buy M.H.should I go to Oregon, no sales tax, low reg. fee. Or is it worth the trouble???
Also looking at New Gas Bounder, or used deisel Discovery, any comments on which rig is best for full timers???
thanx for any response,
Snake
 

grouchman

New Member
Which Rig?

Snake,

I heard that if you keep the rig out of CA for over 91 days and can prove it with receipts and such, you will not be required to pay CA taxes. You might want to call DMV or other resources in CA.

As for the type of rig for Full Timing, if you are going to do a lot of driving I would go for the diesel. If you are going to sit for weeks, months at a time I would get the gas although, I don't think I would get the Bounder - there are better gas units out there. Just my 2 cents, others will disagree with me.

Enjoy the trip

John

Edited by - grouchman on Aug 22 2001 1:45:15 PM
 

Butch

New Member
Which Rig?

Well now,

I would strongly recommend that before buying any Fleetwood, one should get their hands on a Fleetwood owners manual and read, then re-read the paragraph about recreational use. If used for more then the occasional use, like fulltiming, they could void your warranty. Some Fleetwood owners say that all handbooks have this statement, THEY DON'T. In any case, I would shy away from the bending bounders. JMHO - Happy motoring, Butch - Nancy Lake, Alaska
 

whsrv

New Member
Which Rig?

Snake: Re Butch's comment on fulltiming & the Fleetwood handbook statement; Winnebago has the same caveat. I have a 35 ft Itasca Suncruiseer (gas/Ford V-10), & like it a lot. Just started fulltiming 2 mos ago, so not a lot of experience at this life style. Am looking for a physical address for vehicle regis, drivers license, taxes, etc. Escapees in Livingston, TX is one option, and Fast Forward Remail in Fla looks even better.
I agree w/the gent on diesel vs gas. Winnebago seems to have a pretty good product, and I like many of their systems, for a moderately priced rig like mine. Product support has been very good. Think about an extended warranty---it may pay off later on.
Enjoy you rig, whatever you buy. Hell, it's only money. Cheers, Will

Will
 

Kirk

Senior Member
Which Rig?

Diesel for full-timing? They are quite nice and do have some advantages, but they are hardly necessary! If you want one, and if your budget will get you one with out stretching it, go for it. But there are more like us who full-time in a gas chassis. We started to shop for a diesel but gas fit our financial picture better. We have lived in ours for 18 months and we are not sorry. Just use some discretion on loading stuff into the rig so that you don't overload the rig.

Good travelin~! .................Kirk
URL: www.1tree.net/adventure/

Good travelin! ......Kirk
www.1tree.net/adventure
 

smoking1

New Member
Which Rig?

Check out the new Coachmen Diesels......
Crosscountrys to be specific.....Alot less money than the Fleetwood and just as good/if not better..........
 

d.duin

New Member
Which Rig?

I had a 99 Bounder and enjoyed it but found warranty service was almst none
exsistant but do think most of the problems were the dealerships. Considered buying a new one but was very disappointed with the decline in interior finish and quality so have just bought a new Itasca pusher and so far very happy with warranty service. :)
 

Kirk

Senior Member
Which Rig?

"Live in Calif. What is best way to buy M.H.should I go to Oregon, no sales tax, low reg. fee. Or is it worth the trouble???"

This is the issue that caught my eye, and which has not been answered. First, are you aware that the state of Oregon has begun to work with the state of California to catch and prosecute those California residents who register RVs in Oregon for the purpose of avoiding the taxes and registration fees of California? It has gone to the point of a few jail terms, as well as many heavy fines. This is not a good idea. But the answer is to change states of residency when you go on the road. Many, like myself, choose to join the Escapees RV Club and use the services they offer for a legal residence in Texas, where there is no state income tax and my motorhome costs a grand total of $130 per year to register. You could choose to make your residense Oregon but it does take actually living in Oregon, while Texas does not require any length of stay. And there are also other states that are popular due to tax considerations. South Dakota is rapidly becoming more popular, Florida and Nevada are both popular, as are several other states. Oregon does not have a sales tax, but they do have an income tax that you will be expected to pay. If you are interested in becoming a Texan, visit www.escapees.com and they will help.
 

bert

New Member
Which Rig?

i live in australia and am looking to buy an f250 powerstroke or similar. so many questions, we dont have the 6 litre as yet is it worth waiting for? are the fords better than the chevs & gmc? are these big diesels reliable enough to take on a long trip towing a large caravan? is it worth while coming to the states to buy a rig and then taking it back & converting it to right hand drive? can anyone hear me?
 

bert

New Member
Which Rig?

to register a vehicle in australia it has to be right hand drive there are a couple of places out here that bring utes out and convert them but obviously you can only choose from what they have here. please tell me a bit more about the unit you drive and how it compares to similar vehicles in its class
 

hertig

Senior Member
Which Rig?

I have a GMC long bed, extended cab with 410 positraction/limited slip gears, auto transmission with tow/haul mode, 6.0 L gas engine. I have always had good luck with chevy/GMC vehicles (usually they are still working past 200000 miles) and bad luck with fords (they start breaking down at 50000 miles). Dodge seem ok mechanically, but my dodge bodies fall apart early. This is strictly gas, and just the way it has worked out for me. I don't claim that any of these brands are intrinsically better or worse in general, just this has been my experiance.

If you are going to tow a 5th wheel, then the long bed will save you trouble; for towing trailers, the short bed may do. The extended cab is very, very useful; it can carry stuff protected from the weather and other people, and most importantly, you can incline the front seats :). I'd never go back to a standard cab truck. If you often carry people back there, then the crew (4 door) cab may be of use.

My truck is a 2500 HD, which is a 3/4 ton on steroids, or a wimpy 1 ton. It is supposed to tow 9200 lbs, I think, making it the highest rated 3/4 ton. It handles 6-7000 pounds very well, and with the right engine could probably approach its limit without serious worries. The small block gas engine, though, is marginal for towing my trailer in hilly terrain.

Gas engines, particularly big block gas engines, can do a creditable job of towing, but indications are that diesels pull better and last longer. Properly maintained and within its rated capabilites, you should not have problems with any of the major brand diesels. Of course, given the same environment, you shouldn't see any gas engine failure either...

If you provide the vehicle, what would they charge to convert it to RH drive?
 

bert

New Member
Which Rig?

there is a place here in australia which i found on the net a corvette.com.au that will convert your vehicle for around 18,500 australian dollars. now they also sell chevs and gmc trucks ready to go. one that caught my eye was a silverado 2500hd crew cab for 118,000 australian dollars. this vehicle had a 6600 duramax and an allison 5 spd auto. so i looked up both the engine and the gearbox on the net and was impressed with the figures on both. from what i have read on the net the powerstroke is either an engineering masterpiece or mobile money-pit depending on whose opinion you get. personally from what i have read i feel that the duramax would be a more economical and reliable option, unfortunately at this stage though my opinion is not a particularly educated one. notwhithstanding this though the problem is still how to get the vehicle i want into australia.what option i certainly wouldn't mind though is to come over to the states buy the vehicle i do decide on cruise around and check out the sites and then bring it back to australia and have it converted to right hand drive. so thanks for your input on a vehicle choice and happy touring.
 

BirdDog

New Member
Which Rig?

Originally posted by Snake

Going to Full Time around January...Live in Calif.

Seriously...First...Change your state of residency. You'll save a ton of money. Taxes, Income tax, license fees, everything is high in Cal. and going higher. Cal has to pay off it's blunder debt somehow. Right?

Then.... Subscribe to RV consumer group. They have good info and a good book to straighten you out on buying an RV.

Then buy the RV and register it anywhere but Cal. :approve:

RonP
 

rickboston

New Member
Which Rig?

Hi, Am going to full time for a year with my wife and 4 year old. Do you recommend a class A or fifth wheel?
We will need 2 sleeping areas. Accepting all opinions.
 

hertig

Senior Member
Which Rig?

Both are viable options. We'll need more information to pick one over the other.

How much driving, how many and what kinds of places will you be staying, what will you do with the unit after the year, how much stuff will you be taking with you, etc?

In either case, you are looking at a 'system', not a single entity. If you decide on a class A, in most cases, you will want a class A AND a towed vehicle. On the other hand, if you decide on a trailer, in almost every case :) you will want a 5th wheel AND a towing vehicle.
 

steverino

New Member
Which Rig?

we are going to get a disel. Question is a discovery by fleetwood, mandalay by thor or vectra by winnebago?
 

Jim@pocketmail

New Member
Which Rig?

Hi Snake,

Just my thoughts.

We use Texas and Escapees mail service. 10 years and it just gets better.

Look at a used Newmar before a new Fleetwood.

Don't buy anything in Calif. Get out as quick as you can. When we travel the west coast we drive around Calif.

Jim
 
Top