How many of you also have a motorhome

[kokopelliTim]

Since I am a guy who lives simply and already has a simple smallish boat; I am looking at teardrop trailers to tow behind my corolla.

Simple, compact and easy to maneuver.

Tim

 

[LaBomba]

While working it was too much to have both so we sold our fifth wheel a number of years back, but now retired we have a pair of 37s, boat and Class A. Canada and the US have so much to see and it’s not possible by boat.

 

[MurrayM]

The intrepid hero-photographer pauses, introspectively, centring himself, before leaving the comforts afforded by a Swiss Army knife of cargo/camping trailers to climb the ridge for a valley sweeping view:

 

[slowgoesit]

Currently looking for our next boat. Had a Monk, and a Grand Banks, now looking for 42' to 52' trawler type. Currently have a 38.5' Dutch Star diesel pusher. Built building on property to store it in when not in use. Normal preventative maintenance you'd expect from a complex bit of machinery, but aside from a failed radiator, nothing spectacular in 6 years/45k miles of ownership. . . except for that leak in the fuel tank . . . keep having to fill it up when we use it.
Will we keep the coach when we buy the next boat? Remains to be seen. It's paid for, no "moorage" to pay monthly, just tabs, insurance and routine maintenance, so we'll see.


Oh, forgot to add, two slides, electric, and not a problem in the time we've owned it.

 

[oscar]

Having spent a quarter to a third of the last 34 years in airports, planes and hotels I am DONE with all of them. Land travel takes place in the Dragonship. Just like a boat, minus the bilge pumps. We'll winterize the boat in a few weeks here and after the holidays we'll go find some nice weather in the coach....

 

[Ken E.]

The intrepid hero-photographer pauses, introspectively, centring himself, before leaving the comforts afforded by a Swiss Army knife of cargo/camping trailers to climb the ridge for a valley sweeping view:

Looks like an efficient setup, Murray.

 

[Cat Daddy]

We have a Class B on a sprinter. We’re trying to figure out how many depreciating assets we can have at one time.

By chance were you in Silverton, Co. about late July or early August? I talked to a guy from FL with the same rig( as I recall) in town while waiting on laundry. We were camped at Mineral Creek at the same time.

Looks like that guy could be you.


Rafe

 

[MurrayM]

Looks like an efficient setup, Murray.

Yup. Basically a towable tent. All depends where you fall on the want/need continuum.

 

[ctjstr]

we have our 4788 and have had a 36' Country Coach for several years. Maintenance takes some time on both, but gives me something to do. just like a boat, having the motorhome stored inside our garage makes things way easier. Like everyone else, sooner or later one or both will be sold, but til then, we enjoy them both.
toni

 

[Nomad Willy]

We have an old gas 350 Coachman Starflyte.

Leaks rain water around the AC some and needs ball joints.
Been keep'in it around for several years fixing a few things here and there.
It's so tall we had to spend almost a day cutting tree limbs so the things on top don't get damaged. Fortuneatuetly We have another gated entry.
The leak and the ball joint problem have kept us from using it much.

 

[FF]

The key to a motor home stability in a a stiff side wind is the wheelbase.

Bigger is way better.

Look for a chassis made to the wheelbase , not an extended chassis by the converter.

 

[Bacchus]

The key to a motor home stability in a a stiff side wind is the wheelbase.

Bigger is way better.

Look for a chassis made to the wheelbase , not an extended chassis by the converter.

That certainly is one factor but the Comfort Drive feature available on Newmar diesel pushers is another.
The difference from a previous MH was rather amazing for me and made a huge difference in how much effort is required to drive in crosswinds.
Here is a link to a thread and a white paper written by the inventor / developer.
https://www.irv2.com/forums/showthread.php?t=369558

This not just a gimic... it makes driving a pleasure and find I arrive much more rested after a long days drive.
I have interest in CD or Newmar other than a happy owner.

 

[DavidM]

There are a lot of similarities between boat cruising and RV camping, but one very large difference: anchoring out vs boondocking. I use the term boondocking to mean finding a free spot to pull your RV into and set up without making reservations or asking permission, just like anchoring out.

In the west there are boondocking areas in federal public lands such as BLM and to a lesser extent USFS. But these tend to be in desert, unpopulated areas, Quartzite, Arizona being the most notable. In the east, midwest and in the wetter/cooler/coastal parts of the west there are campgrounds that at least in the current CV environment you have to make a reservation, sort of like marinas. There are some first come, first served USFS campgrounds, but those are more like mooring fields are to boaters.

Boating OTOH has anchorages almost everywhere, particularly on the east coast that let you drop the hook without asking anyone and 99% of the time there is room for another boat to find a spot.

So boating to me is a much more free form recreational experience than RVing.

David

 

[psneeld]

Add in though...are you anchoring/ boondocking at a destination or an overnight stop?

If traveling and using overnight spots like snowbirding by boat...there are lots of rest stops, truck stops, Walmart, etc..etc.... that may accommodate you like overnight anchorages (just a few more rules but reservations not required, just a check to see if usable).

 

[Art]

There are a lot of similarities between boat cruising and RV camping, but one very large difference: anchoring out vs boondocking. I use the term boondocking to mean finding a free spot to pull your RV into and set up without making reservations or asking permission, just like anchoring out.

In the west there are boondocking areas in federal public lands such as BLM and to a lesser extent USFS. But these tend to be in desert, unpopulated areas, Quartzite, Arizona being the most notable. In the east, midwest and in the wetter/cooler/coastal parts of the west there are campgrounds that at least in the current CV environment you have to make a reservation, sort of like marinas. There are some first come, first served USFS campgrounds, but those are more like mooring fields are to boaters.

Boating OTOH has anchorages almost everywhere, particularly on the east coast that let you drop the hook without asking anyone and 99% of the time there is room for another boat to find a spot.

So boating to me is a much more free form recreational experience than RVing.

David

 

[Northern Spy]

I'm in the market for a fiberglass RV, not really large and 1/2 ton truck towable. The Escape 5.0 5th wheel is on my short list right now. Made in BC, not many around and they sell within 24 hrs on the market. I don't want leaks , slides, staples or cheesy looking construction.
I can keep it at my house, plenty of really fun destinations within 5 hr drive of home. Maintenance will be similar to boats with the exception of engine. Other systems are similar to boats.
Full disclosure: I have never been camping in my life,lol!

Hen's teeth. They are hard to find here in BC.

There is one for sale as of yesterday in Nanoose Bay on the Escape forum.

https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/...5-0ta-can-33-500-firm-trailer-only-19454.html

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

Hen's teeth. They are hard to find here in BC.

There is one for sale as of yesterday in Nanoose Bay on the Escape forum.

https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/...5-0ta-can-33-500-firm-trailer-only-19454.html

I'm on the Escape Trailer forum....they are for sale for 24 hrs or less....usually

 

[Mike H]

Here's how it went for the Admiral and I.

Young and living in California. All camping done with everything on our back.

Moved to Alaska. Lots of bugs. Bought 27-foot Class C.

Campgrounds getting more and more crowded. Bought 35-foot sailboat. Used sailboat in summer, motorhome in spring and fall.

Moved to Maine and brought both with us. Bought 64 acres, and we like to landscape and grow things. Still working, so something was going to be neglected. Yards, motorhome, or boat (can't neglect the jobs)? Motorhome was ditched.

Now retired (kind of). Bought Californian 48 CPMY. Still growing things. Sailboat has to go (hopefully this coming summer).

I doubt we will circle back to backpacking, but who knows, maybe a motorhome again in the future. But I do have a lot of Hilton points and airline miles....

 

[sum escape]

Boat and Motorhome...Yes!

Lived aboard our boat for almost five years, then COVID hit. No dirt home, no car. What to do to see children in three states, MI, CO and WA? Flying did not appeal to us so we researched and bought a 35' Class A diesel pusher in April. Now store boat summers in public Florida facility (indoors) and motor coach winters (in same facility as boat). This has worked out perfectly for us and we enjoy RVing too. (Boating still better though) Lots of places to explore that cannot be reached by boat. Best of both worlds for us.
Regarding short wheelbase on RV we have one. I have not found it difficult to drive in winds (although we did stay "home" a couple days when 50mph crosswinds were forecasted in Wyoming and S Dakota). I will say that the 35' lengthand short wheelbase give us lots of flexibility to find state and national park sites that are too small for "big rigs". 35' is sort of a magic number and the shorter wheelbase makes it easy to manueaver. And it was about as small as we could find with an on board washer and dryer. No regrets at all.

 

[Nordlys]

Yes it can work well—even better with open borders

We just added a truck back camper for backcountry camping about a year ago (pre COVID)where we can mountain bike and hike. We have a GB 42 MY that we love for the summer. 12 years of coastal exploration (sail before that)
Living in the PNW (BC) there isn’t a conflict as our plan was to head south to the Utah Arizona area in late FEb to early April then again end of Sept to Nov finding dryness and warmth. Boating is for the interim May to Oct 1. We had one year where this worked great! Then-COVID—so staying in BC meant our shoulder season camping was colder—dressed properly and outfitted well it was still fun and great exploring though I will admit the seasons now conflict. I also agree with the points READY makes earlier in this stream. So one day we will be back to the dual season approach. By the way—both camper and boat get some winter “excercise too”.

 

[Tda]

I think once you get past the fact that you now ownTWO depreciating assets that require constant maintenance you will find that they are fairly complementary. Most of the systems are similar and share similar needs and basic logic. I own a 38 foot diesel pusher and a 43 foot trawler. My wife, cat dog and I think it is the best of both worlds. Frankly, we have become accustomed to taking our “home” with us and being free to go when and where we want with our entire entourage in tow. I think the bottom line is simple; it’s your life. Figure out what works for you and enjoy!

 

[Exsailor2018]

Rv and boat

Our last two boats shared us with a Tiffin 40ft diesel pusher. We stored the boats during hurricane season and roamed the country coast to coast for six years. Right now we are back to dirt dwelling and still roaming the country whenever we feel like it.

 

[Julsburd]

We actually became RV owners by accident. We had to postpone our loop last March due to COVID so we spent 3 more actually lovely months on our boat in Florida. Then we started looking at the ominious return to Michigan which was locked down tight and we would have to drive back and stay at motels... so one day I rode my bike past a used Class A motorhome and started to put a plan together. We needed to buy an RV to use for the trip home so we could camp our way back and spend an additional 2-3 weeks free! We didn't buy the Class A, we shopped around and ended up with a wonderful 31' Class C which we have affectionately named "The Covid Coach". We love it! Similarities to our 43' Selene:
1. Small spaces which we found out we didn't mind after 3 months at docks in Florida.
2. Worrying about poop and related issues with your black water tanks!
3. Utilizes the same small space equipment such as Magna pans, Insta pots, rechargeable vacuum, portable grill, nice deck chairs and plenty more. We moved all of these things off our boat before we put it up on the hard, directly into our RV!
4. Ability to bring our home with us and explore new, lovely spots in this beautiful country of ours.
5. Planning our travel days... with some type of reservation stay at the end of the day.

Differences are:
1. RV's are not near as difficult to manuveur nor are they more likely to get damaged while underway. The chance of accidents are much less.
2. Husband and wife can easily share the driving duties.
3. Takes much less time to arrive, park/dock and set up for happy hour.
4. In general the RV parks are not near as nice or beautiful as the marina's.
5. RV parks are much cheaper than marina's. In fact RV'ing in general is cheaper. Cheaper to repair, cheaper on fuel and much cheaper to insure.

I could go on with all of this but my point is, RV lifestyle really seems to suit the boater lifestyle. It is essentially the same thing on land or on water. Highly recommend it!!

 

[timb7734]

We have a small class B we have had since 2014, we use it between boating seasons in Florida and the Great Lakes to travel the American and Canadian west. Plan to go to Nova Scotia if ever the quarantines relax. Something else to do like boating. We frequently clandestine or “wild” camp off road on government land. Occasionally WalMart parking lots or Cracker Barrel. Do not care for organized campgrounds in population centers, but about every three or four days we stay in a hotel when they are handy.

 

[ssobol]

We tow our C-Dory around. When we aren't near water, we just use like a trailer camper. Sort of like an amphibious RV. Sometimes get odd looks at the RV park though. It keeps our options open.

 

[Baker]

We tow our C-Dory around. When we aren't near water, we just use like a trailer camper. Sort of like an amphibious RV. Sometimes get odd looks at the RV park though. It keeps our options open.

^^^^^^I love this^^^^^^

 

[Ken E.]

We tow our C-Dory around. When we aren't near water, we just use like a trailer camper. Sort of like an amphibious RV. Sometimes get odd looks at the RV park though. It keeps our options open.

That is a great idea.

 

[Art]

That is a great idea.

Is good idea! Wish our fairly small 34' Tolly tri cabin was legally towable. 12'6" beam negates that fantasy.

Soooo we got a really neat 25' Tiffin Allegro RV for land travel. And, a 19' cuddy cabin Blue Water i/o ski boat as a "toad"! Relatively inexpensive play toys for experiencing best of both worlds.

Our 25' RV has comforts of home and can be easily parked in most locations. Towed boat is for good times at lakes while RV boondocking.

Spring, summer are for Tolly enjoyments. Fall, winter fit the bill for RV and toad use!

Cheers - Art!

 

[BandB]

Wifey B: So hard to admit that there's a land near equivalent to boats, but RV's are. Many people don't boat and get much of the same experience by RV.

My first response to RV's is that I'd rather do hotels than RV parks. I've recently given that more thought based on an employee's experience I'll share below. If you take the same philosophy on the water, then why don't I stay in hotels at resorts instead of marinas. When we started, hubby and I made a deal that one night a week, we'd stay in a nice hotel. First time came, we decided "nope, don't want to." Now we've cruised for 8 years and we've never once stayed in a hotel. :lol:

So maybe I was wrong about hotel vs. RV? We have an employee who refers to herself as "the crazy lady." She's one of a kind, but her job is merchandising for 8 stores from NC to FL. She buys all sorts of liquidations, a wheeler dealer, which make up about 15% of store inventories. One of our key people decided to outfit her in a Sprinter, custom built to be an office and place to sleep. Still she was told to not hesitate to stay in hotels on the road. Boy, has she taught me some things. I've talked to her about every other day and she loves it. She's put in some long days and lots of travel as we're opening these stores right now. These horrible RV parks I thought of, not so horrible. KOA's in Charleston, Wilmington, near Peachtree City, GA, wonderful. She drives in and hooks up and in 15 minutes has her back rolled out to give the full bed and has her canopy out for a great sitting patio and her side out for a little more space. She's cooking gourmet meals, mostly Instant Pot but some on the stove. We're restricting her store time so she's got some half days just to enjoy where she is. Some of her work days are funny. I recall one day she got up and fixed breakfast and left the RV park about 9:00. Pulled up at the store and worked a while with the manager. Then stepped out to the Sprinter and took care of emails and some calls plus put lunch on cooking. Ate lunch and went back into the store for a couple of hours. Then a break later in which she went and took a nap. Finally back inside for a couple of hours, then off to the RV park. Made herself some weird tea and sat on her patio, while painting something she was working on. Surrounded by RV's of all sizes, people were most curious about hers. She loves it, feels like she was given a bonus. I talk to her and it does sound fun. She's got all she needs. Phone, computer, internet, bed, shower, head, desk, stove, refrigerator. All she's missing is laundry but she pulled up at a laundromat one morning and sat in her Sprinter while watching it.

Now, she is a bit out there and crazy but she sure makes it sound cool, almost winning me over. Maybe we need one of those next time we travel on land.

 

[psneeld]

As usual....it all depends.