Which RV do I want?


marstrings

New Member
This is probably the best question I could ask, but don't know how to get the answer. Here's my criteria/background.

Myself and my partner are planning to spend a year in the USA and Canada starting next March. (We're UK residents.) We'll be travelling pretty much all the time. Hence we want to buy an RV. What I think we need is:

Something not too long! Say 24" max.
Sleeps 2 comfortably.
Is reliable.
Good fuel consumption.
Is reliable. (Did I say that already? I just don't want to spend November freezing my ass off in North Dakota, waiting for a part to arrive from the other side of the States. If I can help it.)
Costs less than $30,000
Will be cool enough in Summer, warm enough in Winter.

Am I right? Am I wrong? Any advice? Resources?

Cheers,

M.
 

marstrings

New Member
RE: Which RV do I want?

Then there are other questons like..

What's a furnace? What's a useful sized furnace?
What's a generator for? What's a useful sized generator?

What's my name? Where do I live?

M.
 

marstrings

New Member
RE: Which RV do I want?

Ah. I should have said in my first post that part of the plan is to buy the RV at the start of our year and then sell it at the end. Don't know if that makes a difference to anything.

M.
 
G

Guest

Guest
RE: Which RV do I want?

Good luck on finding an rv in that length for that kinda money ,, even if u bought a small tt ,, u would still need a tow vehicle for it ,, and that pretty much blows the $30.000 mark ,, JMO ,, but other's could have more.... ;) :cool: :laugh:
 

marstrings

New Member
RE: Which RV do I want?

730 - 11/24/2007 2:24 AM

Good luck on finding an rv in that length for that kinda money ,, even if u bought a small tt ,, u would still need a tow vehicle for it ,, and that pretty much blows the $30.000 mark ,, JMO ,, but other's could have more.... ;) :cool: :laugh:

Are small ones more expensive then? I'm talking about 'pre-enjoyed' RVs.
 

TexasClodhopper

Senior Member
Re: Which RV do I want?

The way you save money on a used RV is to know what you want and be there when someone decides to sell theirs and bring the $$$ with you (in other words, have the money ready). You may have to be in several places before you find one that fits you.

RVs aren't priced by the foot. They are priced by what the buyers are willing to pay. If a seller runs enough buyers off with the price, then the price will go down. You have to make an offer to a seller of at least 25% off the asking price and see where the chips fall, but you need to know what the RV is worth, too.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Re: Which RV do I want?

Tex is right .. ck the NADA of the tt u'r looking at and then make an offer ,, the seller may or may not take it ,,,, but do alot of research on any TT u'r wanting to buy and then make an offer ,, and as Tex said ,, most sellers like cash in hand ,,, that way there is no middle man or interest ,, and taxes on the sale ... :)
 

hertig

Senior Member
Re: Which RV do I want?

A year is a long time for 2 people to be in a 'small' RV. We spent 6 weeks in a 24.5' 5th wheel trailer and didn't have any problems, but I wouldn't want to go any smaller.

The only RVs which get 'good gas milage' are Class B (van campers). They are pretty much the size of a van and would be much too small for most couples for a whole year. Most RVs will get from 6 to 16 MPG. The Class B's might get up to 20 MPG or even a bit better.

A furnace is a LP fired heater. The size needed depends on the size of the RV, and the insulation it has. Many people use a small 'ceramic' heater to take off the worst of the chill, since it is usually cheaper to operate than the furnace.

A generator is a device which takes some fuel in (you can get one which runs on gas, LP or diesel) and puts out 120 volts. The size depends on the power requirements of the RV. If the RV is 30 amp, then 3500 to 4000 watts should be enough. If it is 50 amp, then 6000 to 12000 watts will do depending on what 'goodies' are in the unit.
 

marstrings

New Member
Re: Which RV do I want?

Thanks for all the replies guys. It's all valuable info to me, though I'm sure it looks like painfully obvious stuff to you.

The whole business of living in such a small space together is a little daunting, but we've lived together in a small flat for the last year and found that we rub along pretty harmoniously 99% of the time. All the same, we'll think about ways to give each other space on a regular basis :)

The fuel consumption thing is a shock. On that basis alone, we may have to go for a class B. Are Phoenix Cruisers known as a good model?

I'm not ready to buy yet, but this one looks pretty clean

M.
 

TexasClodhopper

Senior Member
Re: Which RV do I want?

Whether it is your new RV or your 'empty nest', you learn to respect each other's space in a different way than when you had 2 or 4 kids/teenagers running around.
 

sushidog

New Member
Re: Which RV do I want?

Here's another option: How about a fold-up or pop-up camper towed behind a small car. I have an 06 Aliner fold-up, hard sided camper that I tow with a tow-prepped 06 Chevy Cobalt SS (2.4l auto). On my last vacation I averaged 22.7 mpg towing through the mountains! Though it is very small, (I prefer the word intimate.) it has all the amenities to live in: king bed, 3-way refrigerator/freezer, stove, shower/toilet, microwave, a/c, etc. On level ground I get from 25-30mpg towing and up to 39mpg unladen.

It sets up easily and quickly, is well insulated and you hardly know it's behind you on the road. You might consider the addition of a screen room to provide a little more living room when camped. The main advantage of a light weight camper is that your tow vehicle detaches from your home so you can purchase/replace or repair it separately so you can use your home while your vehicle is being repaired. Since you can tow it with almost anything, you can rent a small car, minivan or suv to tow with while your main vehicle is in the shop.

I bought my 06 Aliner LXE for $8,900 (barely used) from a dealer in Louisiana. Admittedly, I got a very good deal, but if you shop around on the various Aliner/Chalet
forums and Craig's list, you may find an even better deal. A good used car for a tow vehicle can be purchased anywhere in any price range, giving you great flexibility. You could easily come in under $20,000 for a good used rig that you wouldn't lose too much on when it comes time to sell.

By the way that Ford v10 powered Phoenix class B is going to suck down the fuel big-time!
 

hertig

Senior Member
Re: Which RV do I want?

The hardsided popups 'chalet' type popups looked nice to me when I saw them. They would be great for a weekend or even a week or 2. Might be a little less cramped than the van, but I don't know if they would be sturdy enough for 'full time' use. I don't recall they had much in the way of storage space either, another problem for long term usage.
 

sushidog

New Member
Re: Which RV do I want?

I am planning on a full-time mobile retirement in a Chalet XL1935 (new model with Dormer.)

http://www.mikenchell.com/forums/album_pic.php?pic_id=29105

They appear to be put together much better than the Aliners, and have a large amount of storage space with a little more load capacity (1500 lbs). My DW and I plan on extending our storage space/ load capacity by towing with a Toyota Rav4 or Sienna minivan with rear seats removed.
Here's a pic of my Aliner rig in "travel mode."

http://www.mikenchell.com/forums/album_pic.php?pic_id=29627
 

brodavid

Senior Member
Re: Which RV do I want?

We are going to upgrade from a 19' Provan Tiger to a 27' BTouring Cruiser by Gulfstream soon. More room for David to get around with his walker. Also bigger bath.
Msjackie
 

Marshad

New Member
RE: Which RV do I want?

I am thinking of ghetting a class B to drive from CA to east coast. Any suggestions on year and make. I would prefer a used one
 

sushidog

New Member
Re: Which RV do I want?

Conquest makes a sweet VistaMB that uses a 5cyl Mercedes turbo diesel that gets great mileage (low-mid 20's.) Good luck on finding a good used one though. There are several manufacturers using this engine in a "Sprinter" chassis. I would only buy a used class B for 2 reasons.
1. It's the only way you're going to get one to fit your budget. Class b's are pricy.
2. You'll lose way too much on 1st year depreciation when you go to sell it in a year.
 

Marshad

New Member
Re: Which RV do I want?

It does appear that used B's are hard to find (and I thought the economy was slowing and now would be a good time to buy one). I think I have raised my estimated purchase price and will still keep looking carefully. I also heard that the Ford and Dodge engines are better than the Chevy.
 

aussie Keith

New Member
RE: Which RV do I want?

We did a year touring the country in a 6 year old Class A ($44000) 36ft and would not have liked to try anything smaller for that time. Word of warning - they shrink while being used! By the time the 12 months were up ours was only about 22ft.
Remember, you will be "living" in it for a year, not just camping. Do it as comfortable as you can afford - it will be the trip of a lifetime. Re: gas consumption - it will be a lot cheaper than buying it at home @ $9 per gallon!
We also found a dealer we could trust (Vermont Country Campers) who sold it for us when we left. Good luck.
 

marstrings

New Member
Re: Which RV do I want?

sushidog - 11/29/2007 10:57 PM

Here's another option: How about a fold-up or pop-up camper towed behind a small car. I have an 06 Aliner fold-up, hard sided camper that I tow with a tow-prepped 06 Chevy Cobalt SS (2.4l auto). On my last vacation I averaged 22.7 mpg towing through the mountains! Though it is very small, (I prefer the word intimate.) it has all the amenities to live in: king bed, 3-way refrigerator/freezer, stove, shower/toilet, microwave, a/c, etc. On level ground I get from 25-30mpg towing and up to 39mpg unladen.

It sets up easily and quickly, is well insulated and you hardly know it's behind you on the road. You might consider the addition of a screen room to provide a little more living room when camped. The main advantage of a light weight camper is that your tow vehicle detaches from your home so you can purchase/replace or repair it separately so you can use your home while your vehicle is being repaired. Since you can tow it with almost anything, you can rent a small car, minivan or suv to tow with while your main vehicle is in the shop.

I bought my 06 Aliner LXE for $8,900 (barely used) from a dealer in Louisiana. Admittedly, I got a very good deal, but if you shop around on the various Aliner/Chalet
forums and Craig's list, you may find an even better deal. A good used car for a tow vehicle can be purchased anywhere in any price range, giving you great flexibility. You could easily come in under $20,000 for a good used rig that you wouldn't lose too much on when it comes time to sell.

By the way that Ford v10 powered Phoenix class B is going to suck down the fuel big-time!

Thanks sushidog. I have to admit that I've not been looking at trailers for a couple of reasons. Firstly that I've always had real difficulties towing things in the past. Secondly (and I know this is a poor reason) that they look a bit silly.:0) Especially the chalet style ones. :0)

That said, I can see the advantages you are arguing. Particularly the fuel economy. I asked the vendor about the Phoenix Cruiser. Economy? No. Consumption! 9-14 mpg. Also, I can see that being able to un-hitch has it's uses.

Thanks for the advice - I'm going to check out the trailer situation.

M.
 
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