spitfirebill wrote:JG Pasterjak wrote: Few things in the world are more expensive than a cheap motorhome.A cheap Porsche.
or a free boat
spitfirebill wrote:JG Pasterjak wrote: Few things in the world are more expensive than a cheap motorhome.A cheap Porsche.
or a free boat
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ wrote: I've been looking on CL and can't seem to fully wrap my head around what everyone is saying here. If used RVs are unsellable, how is the price floor for functional ones over $5k? There are plenty advertised as fully functional for less than that, although I understand how rampant false advertisement is on craigslist. Maybe start by tearing apart that first one I posted?
I didnt think it was too bad. lots of "home repairs" which either means its falling apart, or someone wanted to fix things as they broke. The generator is work almost a grand, around here anyway.
Mileage not disclosed, and is a small block, it wont move quickly, but parts are available anywhere.
Its been for sale for a long time, I would go look at it and get a feel for price wiggle room....
Here are my first two cheap campers:
And why I won't do old campers anymore. (well that and a few years working at an RV repair shop)
Replaced those with this setup:
Which worked great for a few years. Wanted a bigger trailer than the Rangie would tow, so I got this:
And that truck is why I won't do a cheap diesel anymore. The 8.1 liter Suburban 2500 is more comfortable, more reliable, and has a higher tow rating:
And so it now tows this:
I definitely would not want to roadtrip in the first two campers I had. When they break down, in an inopportune place, in the rain, and you're stuck in them, it will get uncomfortable quickly and get old fast.
It's worth repeating that if you want an RV you should get one where they are plentiful and cheap.
Old people buy them when they retire to Florida/Arizona thinking they will travel the world. They get older, reality strikes, maybe a health problem or 6. Now there is the perfect storm of situations coming together to drive down prices on unwanted, used RVs.
A friend told me that with a trailer, the vacation doesn't start until you get where you're going but with a motor home, it starts as soon as you leave.
I don't think it encompasses the entirety of the discussion points, but being able to walk around and make a sandwich while driving is appealing, that might be a consideration.
It seems that if you are trying to just drive around the country and just stopping to rest, a motor home is best. But if you want to go from place to place and stop and explore (on foot or in vehicle) a trailer is best.
But the caveat is that, generally speaking, you'd find a better trailer for the money.
It sounds like you'd be ok with the "adventure" an unreliable moot home would offer so that might not be a deterrent.
Cost sounds like a big factor which seems to point to trailer.
In reply to jfryjfry:
That us a great way to put it. I totally agree, with the RV it's adventure time as soon as you leave. Getting snacks and a bathroom Whitout stopping is awesome. Also especially true if your looking at pop up trailers.
My preference would be tow rig and trailer but I havent found any "toy hauler" style trailers that have living areas I would want to use that can also haul a car. Which is why I think most race car folks tend to have trucks with campers or motorhomes towing car trailers.
Having a small family being able to be active while driving would definitely be a bonus of the motorhome but being able to unhook and go do stuff without the motorhome is a big plus for a trailer.
Plus then you have a truck/suv/something for other uses
I'll toss in my two cents (but the caveat is that I have only read the first page)
Travel trailer would be my first choice. Five big reasons:
1) motorhome has higher insurance/registration/inspection requirements
2) If you want to park somewhere and see local sights, you have to tear down camp every single time you want to go; water, electric, sewer, TV antenna (you'll forget that at least twice) with a TT you just unhitch and go.
3) Maintenance/incidentals. If you get a failure in the motorhome, you're waiting two days around the shop until they can get you on the road; tires, electrical problem, branch through the roof, etc. With a TT, you drop it off at a shop and go see some sights. Worst case scenario, sign the title and hand it over and you still have wheels to get home.
4) Weight. Generally, the motorhome will suck fuel at the rate of 5 Nimitz per hour. Unless you are towing a TT with big block suburban, you can often save yourself a wee bit of fuel over a motorhome.
5) Resale. I'm not talking about value, I'm talking about maintenance. If you decide to ditch the motorhome when you're done and it doesn't sell for 6 months, you're looking at all the little nitpicky things that happen to a motor vehicle when it sits. With a TT, put it on CL for what you paid and wait for a buyer.
The nice thing everyone talks about with motorhomes is "well I can just go in the back and make a sandwich/go to the bathroom." Firstly, that isn't legal in many states (seat belts), and secondly, have you ever opened an RV fridge while moving? Not a good idea. Or had the flush valve open when there is 25 gallons of liquified E36 M3 sloshing around in the tank below it? I think you'll find that you'll be stopping for lunch which means the TT is no different than the motorhome. If you're so pressed for time that you can't stop for 10 minutes and make a sandwich and pee, then get the motorhome and some good carpet cleaner 
Jaynen wrote: My preference would be tow rig and trailer but I havent found any "toy hauler" style trailers that have living areas I would want to use that can also haul a car. Which is why I think most race car folks tend to have trucks with campers or motorhomes towing car trailers.
There are some, but it requires having a relatively small car. Say 12' long or less. I've also seen race-car haulers with living quarters, but they are not "stock" trailers, so you won't find them on RV vendor websites.
Curtis makes some valid points for a trailer vs a motorhome, although from what I've seen (also living in PA) registration costs are not a big deal.
In reply to pinchvalve: My dad always said we could stay a looooong time in a Holiday Inn for the price of any RV.
KyAllroad wrote: It's worth repeating that if you want an RV you should get one where they are plentiful and cheap. Old people buy them when they retire to Florida/Arizona thinking they will travel the world. They get older, reality strikes, maybe a health problem or 6. Now there is the perfect storm of situations coming together to drive down prices on unwanted, used RVs.
Not to say that you won't find a good deal near you, but this is generally great advice. I moved from Central Florida to the Pacific Northwest and I am amazed at the prices folks ask for used RV's out here - literally double in some cases. Florida and Arizona are the places to find deals. There are also deals in the northern Indiana area where lots of RV's are made.
As far as the choice of driveable/towable, if you really are going to ROAD TRIP, meaning constantly on the move, never more than a night in one place, etc. than a driveable makes sense. If I was to do this I would be on the lookout for a small (20-24 foot) class C with a rear kitchen and overhead bed. I would choose this over a class B because C's are a lot cheaper than B's plus they have more usable kitchens and baths (which is why you are buying an RV over a truck/van/suv anyhow). Even then it would be nice to have something like a 200cc dual-sport secured to the rear bumper so you don't have to break camp to buy milk & bread.
If you aren't really road tripping, then a towable makes a lot more sense, especially for a person who already owns a capable tow vehicle. Like Curtis said, you can pull into a rest stop and make a sandwich, take a nap, etc. like you would in a motorhome, you just can't do it driving.
m_walker26 wrote: In reply to pinchvalve: My dad always said we could stay a looooong time in a Holiday Inn for the price of any RV.
I've got 3 dogs (one over 30 lbs). Guess which hotels will take us? Most say under 30lbs and won't take more than two (and most are at one pet, not multiples).
In reply to SEADave:
The plan is very much a road trip, in the sense that we plan to put hundreds of miles between each night's camping spot. If RV is the answer, then a small motorcycle or scooter as a parts/shopping runner is something I'd be happy to bring.
My wife grew up with trailers - fairly big ones. Her dad worked in highway construction so he'd basically live in his trailer in some remote place for the summer.
She wants nothing at all to do with one, which is why we have the Westfalia. Breaking camp to drive somewhere is quick and easy, but that's also because we're not having to deal with things like satellite TV or water. Our Westy is equivalent to a pop-up trailer, a big "rock star bus" RV would be equivalent to a huge fifth wheel.
A few more thoughts:
Chris_V wrote: Here are my first two cheap campers:
The fact that a Range Rover was chosen as a replacement to IMPROVE reliability says everything you need to know about old RVs.
We have camped a number of different ways through the years from tents. popup tent campers, pickup campers and motorhomes. After many years without owning some kind of camper we decided we wanted another motorhome. I wanted something that could pull a car trailer to be able to go to different car events as mentioned in a earlier post. We made a list of the things we really wanted. We both wanted at least a queen size bed that could be made up all the time and ready to use if we wanted to stop at a rest area just to catch a few Z's while traveling. We wanted the bed to have access from both sides not one in the back corner where we would have to crawl over each other to get in and out of bed.
The motorhome also had to have a reasonable sized bathroom a separate shower big enough to actually take a shower in. We also wanted big enough black water and gray water holding tanks to be self sufficient for a few days for going to NASCAR and other race events that didn't have water.electrical/sewer hook ups. We also wanted a kitchen where we could actually cook and not just heat up food. We also wanted a place where we could comfortably sit and relax after a day of travel or activities. My wife was also big on having sleeping space to take grandchildren along occasionally.
We first started to look at Class C motorhomes built on the Mercedes Sprinter chassis because they were narrower driving down the road and had a diesel engine. We soon found out that even with slides they were pretty small even with just two people and many of the layouts required the slide to be out to use the bed.
We also looked at a number of Class C motorhomes and while bigger still didn't meet the criteria we wanted. We ended up with a 31 foot Class A which was probably a bit of overkill but has all the things we wanted and a lot of room and headroom.
I guess the point I'm trying to make is that any from of camping is a compromise in some way. When you look at RV's either trailer or motorhome many look adequate and even big but get a lot smaller with each use or with several days of rain. You have to figure out what you really need and can afford which can be a lot different then what you want. As far as driving an RV or pulling a trailer you soon get used to it so don't simply put a size limit on because you think it will be easier to drive. Although if you plan to use state parks or national parks I think 35 foot long is the absolute maximum limit for most places. Going back to the original post I think you will be a lot happier in a 5K travel trailer then a 5K motorhome which will no doubt take a bit of work before you can use it and even more work along the way!
In reply to ¯_(ツ)_/¯: Pro's and con's of RV vs trailers. RV's allow you to Tow Other things such as race cars (OK boats bikes motorcycles etc.) Plus you can grab things to drink or snack on fresh from the refrigerator or microwave while on the road. Allow others to rest or even sleep in a bed on the road, Allow the use of the toilet etc. while on the road. In addition getting up and moving around is possible. Safety advice- Yadda, yadda, yadda.
Trailers prevent all of those but as long as the tow vehicle isn't broken down they can be left behind. Plus almost all trailers tend to be pretty flimsily built. A lot of stapled together 2x2's and cheap plywood.
16 feet is about the smallest RV/trailer that contains beds, a toilet/shower, and a Kitchen. I've lived in that little of space for about a year and a Half.. My first wife didn't last that long 
Less than that and you are talking about a weekend or maybe a few weeks with everybody snarling at each other by the end of the trip.
On the other hand Most RV's tend to be big and bulky, intimidating to drive.. However, once you become used to their size they do shrink though and the norm is to trade up for a bigger one. .. Your budget will prevent you from getting the best mileage RV's. Trust me fuel costs will be a serious issue the longer you own it.. There is one garageable RV (Vixon) that claims up to 30MPG (diesel) and a few Such as La Sharro,& Toyota's that claim 20 MPG. However they are way out of your price range. Mini-motor homes with Van chassis can approach your price range but are likely to need work. Older Class A's Such as Winnebago's and Eldorado's etc. can actually be smaller than some Mini-motorhomes but may get as lousy as 4 Miles per gallon. Not to mention a lot of the older ones were made with stapled together 2x2's and are pretty flimsy.
Neither one is going to be maintenance free but don't be sold on low mileage. In fact buy something that has had regular recent use rather than something that has been sitting for a long time. One approach I have used is to ask to rent the vehicle with the rent to apply towards purchase.. That more than anything should give you a decent shot at owning something without constant troubles.. Please note there is a difference between troubles and maintenance. Troubles have you broken down, maintenance is Lights that burn out, radio that quits, seats that tear, toilets that leak, and curtains that get torn off, etc.
Shop Carefully for a RV or trailer, the season is nearly over and once past Labor day the prices of all of those drop significantly, with prices going over a cliff after Halloween.. Assume anything you buy will need new hoses, not just radiator but heater, and vacuum. Tires should be replaced if more than 5 years old and stored outside (and tires are uncovered) or anyplace where welding occurs regularly. (regardless of tread left)
curtis73 wrote: I'll toss in my two cents (but the caveat is that I have only read the first page) Travel trailer would be my first choice. Five big reasons: 1) motorhome has higher insurance/registration/inspection requirements 2) If you want to park somewhere and see local sights, you have to tear down camp every single time you want to go; water, electric, sewer, TV antenna (you'll forget that at least twice) with a TT you just unhitch and go. 3) Maintenance/incidentals. If you get a failure in the motorhome, you're waiting two days around the shop until they can get you on the road; tires, electrical problem, branch through the roof, etc. With a TT, you drop it off at a shop and go see some sights. Worst case scenario, sign the title and hand it over and you still have wheels to get home. 4) Weight. Generally, the motorhome will suck fuel at the rate of 5 Nimitz per hour. Unless you are towing a TT with big block suburban, you can often save yourself a wee bit of fuel over a motorhome. 5) Resale. I'm not talking about value, I'm talking about maintenance. If you decide to ditch the motorhome when you're done and it doesn't sell for 6 months, you're looking at all the little nitpicky things that happen to a motor vehicle when it sits. With a TT, put it on CL for what you paid and wait for a buyer. The nice thing everyone talks about with motorhomes is "well I can just go in the back and make a sandwich/go to the bathroom." Firstly, that isn't legal in many states (seat belts), and secondly, have you ever opened an RV fridge while moving? Not a good idea. Or had the flush valve open when there is 25 gallons of liquified E36 M3 sloshing around in the tank below it? I think you'll find that you'll be stopping for lunch which means the TT is no different than the motorhome. If you're so pressed for time that you can't stop for 10 minutes and make a sandwich and pee, then get the motorhome and some good carpet cleaner
It's clear you aren't a racer. Motorhomes are what allow us to race.. We tow the racecar behind and while on the road, one is driving while the rest are catching up on sleep we missed getting the car ready.. We leave when we are ready and arrive when we get there.. No reservations needed or canceled.. You know in nearly 50 years of racing I have yet to hear about anyone getting a ticket for getting up in a motorhome. It may be illegal in a few places but if it's not enforced so what?
Once at the track having the motorhome there allows us to do an engine change or whatever and yet still get some shut-eye before the next session.. No driving off to the motel or checking in. No need to unload the trunk and haul suitcases to the room, Then repacking and loading them back up. We don't have to pay concession stand prices for food that may be questionable. We don't have to go anyplace to find what we choose to eat. Meals on the road that we prepare ourselves cost no more than meals at home.. about half or less than dining out.
Yes having a Motorhome with a trailer behind is hard on the fuel bill but maybe only a little more than that same racecar would cost to get there any other way. And yes having a motorhome does require maintenance. Off season maintenance typically. Not to mention someplace to store it..
reviving this old thread to see if any more wisdom can be gained... but bumping into the $15K price range.
I'm considering setting off on some kind of multi-week ~ month long road trip with wife and 2 kids (age 4 and 8). My wife is just finishing up her Masters and will be unemployed, kids are out of school in a few weeks, and with some planning, I could work remote without much issue for that time frame. So, why not see the country?
I initially started shopping Class C's in the ~$15,000 range, thinking it's new enough to get a 2000+ Ford chassis with a V10 and fairly modern construction (and hopefully some reliability). That would give an overhead sleep compartment for the 8 y.o., the converta-couch for the 4 y.o., and the actual bed in the back for the grownups.
But now everything is on the table, as we've never done this before. We don't currently own a tow vehicle, but we need a new vehicle anyways, so that's always a possibility. Given the time frame, the buy/use/sell option seemed more appealing than a rental. Plus my in-laws have enough property to park/store it for free, and there's plenty of weekend camping use we might do with it as well.
The initial thought was to set off on a big road trip, but to set up shop in each place for 2-3 days to make it both a road trip, and a leisurely explore type trip. I can certainly see advantages to a trailer, and being able to unhitch and roll out to explore. On the other hand, having everything contained and sub 30' seems like it could be fairly easy to get most places.
Rough idea is to head from Michigan out west. Anybody done this and survived? lessons learned?
I don't have kids but I did just do 6 months camping around the US and an additional month in NZ.
I had never camped before and I still strongly recommend it. From a budget perspective there's much less buy-in, it's a LOT easier to only have a small SUV to deal with than a massive RV. You can get more places RVs can't. You camp away from everybody else. No worries about awful fuel economy or buying/reselling vehicles (although I did end up selling the Xterra post-trip). And sleeping in a tent >>>>>> sleeping in an RV. It's nature, embrace it.
Denali highway, Alaska:
To give you an idea of our stuff... tent/pads/sleeping bags were in top box. Almost everything you see here is cooking stuff (stove, blue bin with cooking stuff, clear bin as pantry and cooler/water).
All you really need are sleeping and cooking accommodations. I only wish we had bought a heated shower solution. Setup and teardown was less than an hour each. I know this isn't what you asked for but I don't think people even consider it, most everyone I know from non-outdoors backgrounds assumes you need an RV for a big outdoors trip. I really think it detracts from it.
Oh yes, some things were learned! Trip Thread Build Thread
Disclaimer- in your price range things may be different... but I personally wouldn't bet on it. Ours was in damn good shape for the price, as far as I could tell.
Everything this thread stated would happen, happened. Things broke that shouldn't have, the roof failed the moment we hit strong crosswinds and let the body flex, and the transmission (the second one in the RV's 70,000 mile life) failed on us. If I were doing it again, I would look for the heaviest/strongest chassis and drivetrain you can get for your money, then figure out how many "house" features you really need- we rapidly found that we preferred using campground showers, no matter how gross, over a tiny one that we had to worry about failing/running out of water/etc.
It was also astonishingly bad on any sort of downhill- ours was a P30 chassis with relatively fresh brakes, but a long downhill was always a scary proposition, and there are lots of them out west. If you have specific questions about our experience fire away!
https://dayton.craigslist.org/rvs/6150061654.html
At your new budget, going overbuilt and seriously heavy duty might be the sweet spot. Actual motor coach and Cat diesel?
I was going to say buy my trailer, but that Motor home is sweet.
$15k might get you a nice older Bluebird Wanderlodge!
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