Class A motor home

[Sir Henry]

I looked at a few Class B’s and really liked them. Then I looked at the Class C’s and didn’t like them. The RV part was nice but too much for the chassis because they are wide and high. The RV is much wider than the tire track. The A’s are much bigger and the track is wider. It’s something you can drive all day.

A few questions: how much does it cost to stay at a KOA for a month, what mileage might I expect. The salesperson said 12 to 15 but that seemed way high.

I might just not buy a place for a couple of years.

[JEBar]

prices at KOA's and all oth$100$40er campgrounds are all over the place .... daily rates run from around $40 a night to something over $100 .... significant discounts are usually available for longer stays .... we've owned every type made, they all have advantages and disadvantages .... on top of that I've spent over a decade working in the industry .... if it would help, I'd be happy to speak with you at most any time

[SAGA22]

JUST A FEW THOUGHTS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.

I BELIEVE 32 TO 34 WOULD GIVE YOU PLENTY OF SPACE,
DIESEL PUSHER A MUST. I LIKE ALLISON TRANSMISSIONS... GILLIG CHASSIS VERY DURABLE.
YOU FIND A LOT IN THAT SIZE RANGE WITH ABOUT 60,000 MILES ON THEM.. JUST BROKEN IN.
LOTS OF BATTERY STORAGE. TWO BIG 150 AMP ALTERNATORS ON THE DIESEL SO LOTS OF ELECTRICITY MADE IN A SHORT TIME.
SOLAR PANELS... AS MANY AS POSSIBLE.
GENERATOR IS VERY EXPENSIVE TO RUN SO NOT FOR EVERYDAY USE.
EFFICIENT HEATING AND COOLING.
INDUCTION COOKTOPS SAVE ENERGY, HEAT FAST FAST AND SAFE.
REPLACE ANY LIGHTS THAT ARE NOT LED.
GOOD TO HAVE HIGH LEVEL INSULATION..... EVERYWHERE!
YOU CAN WIELD A SAFE TO THE CHASSIS FOR SECURITY.
PUSH BUTTON AUTO LEVELERS.
EXTRA HEAVY DUTY TRAILER HITCH WIRED FOR TRAILER BRAKES.
LOTS OF OWNERS MANUALS FOR EVERY SYSTEM.
ASK FOR SOME PERSONAL DRIVERS INSTRUCTION.

I'VE BEEN THERE... DONE THAT..MORE THAN ONCE!
IT'S A GREAT WAY TO LIVE.

DOC

[Sir Henry]

prices at KOA's and all oth$100$40er campgrounds are all over the place .... daily rates run from around $40 a night to something over $100 .... significant discounts are usually available for longer stays .... we've owned every type made, they all have advantages and disadvantages .... on top of that I've spent over a decade working in the industry .... if it would help, I'd be happy to speak with you at most any time

Thanks. I suspect you are one of the most experienced here.

[cooperhawk]

We've been RVing for over twenty years, or even more if you count trailers. We started small, little tow behind trailers like a Scamp. Too confining for periods of bad weather. I also had a pop up at one time, slept 8 but there was only room for 3 or 4 to stand up. Spent a week in 3 days of rainy weather at the beach with irritable children and a brother-in-law with his bitchy wife. Nope, nope, nope.
For long term stays, comfort is a must, and that means room to move around or even have guests.
Even over twenty years old models like ours are still listing for $55,000.00 or more.
The trick is to find a nicely taken care of older model and get a good price.
I prefer Winnebago. I know, some folks don't like them, but there are several different levels of them. They also own Newmar, Chriscraft, and several trailer and fifth wheel companies. They are the largest manufactures of RVs in the world. But there are others that are well built as well.
I prefer pre 2008 model diesels as they have no DEF requirements. DEF seems to be a problem.
We have an Onan quiet diesel generator. It's fairly cheap to run and although they say quiet, it does make some noise, however with the bedroom in the rear and the genset in the front it's not a bother. We sometimes camp in horse pastures at music festivals and sleep well.
A diesel pusher gives you the advantage of air ride, (now that's a big deal), also a quiet ride up front. It kinda floats along quietly.

Tell you what, there is a forum with around 70,000 members where you can go and ask any question and get many many answers quickly. I've been on it for along time and find it very useful.

It's https://www.irv2.com/forums

It's free unless you want to contribute. Check it out.

[cooperhawk]

Oh yeah, Winnebago also owns Country Coach. They have a huge rally every year at the home plant in Forest City, Ia. and there are usually over 10000 units in attendance. They have a week of music and activities as well as factory tours. We've gone several times and had a ball. Newmar and Country Coach owners are included.

There is also a Winnebago forum.

https://www.winnieowners.com/forums

[John E Davies]

I know nothing about motorhomes, but I do know this, you cannot load one down with tons of guns and ammo, most likely you are going to have to sell some.

https://www.thormotorcoach.com/blog/co ... -capacity/

I would avoid anything with a slide out, with just you inside you do NOT need acres of floor space, and they are really problematic in terms of maintenance and leaks, and are SUPER deadly in a collision. I would look for something on a commercial chassis. Get it inspected by an impartial third party or you may get royally screwed.

https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forum ... struction/

You will be joining hundreds of thousands of new RV owners and may have a very hard time finding a long term home base with hookups. Be prepared to boondock, and that takes big water tanks, big batteries, lithium preferred, and big solar arrays. The dealers are swamped, and you can’t get stuff repaired for many months. I hope you have some decent mechanical skills, you will need them.

https://www.rvia.org/news-insights/sur ... rough-2021

This could be a great adventure or a disaster, I really hope it turns out well for you.

John Davies
Spokane WA

[Sir Henry]

I know nothing about motorhomes, but I do know this, you cannot load one down with tons or guns and ammo, most likely you are going to have to sell some.

https://www.thormotorcoach.com/blog/co ... -capacity/

I would avoid anything with a slide out, with just you inside you do NOT need acres of floor space, and they are really problematic in terms of maintenance and leaks, and are SUPER deadly in a collision. I would look for something on a commercial chassis. Get it inspected by an impartial third party or you may get royally screwed.

https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forum ... struction/

You will be joining tens of thousands of new RV owners and may have a hard time finding a long term home base. Be prepared to boondock, and that takes big water tanks, big batteries, lithium preferred, and big solar arrays.

This could be a great adventure or a disaster, I hope it turns out well for you.

John Davies
Spokane WA

Thanks John. I’m having a hard time finding one without slideouts. What I’m doing is trying to find one with slideouts that are comfortable slide in.

As a Disabled Veteran I can stay for free at Washington and Oregon State Parks. I can stay 20 days at a time in Washington in the off season and then drive 50 miles to the next one. I’ve also volunteered at parks and camped for free indefinitely.

[John E Davies]

Since you have sold your primary residence, buy and register your new motorhome in MT after forming an LLC.

https://rvlifestyle.com/montana-llc-titling-rv/

John Davies
Spokane WA

[Sir Henry]

Since you have sold your primary residence, buy and register your new motorhome in MT after forming an LLC.

https://rvlifestyle.com/montana-llc-titling-rv/

John Davies
Spokane WA

Thanks again. That would be a real tax saver for me and since I won’t own property in any state I might just become a Montana resident with a Montana drivers license.