Wanted RV

[maric]

DH and I have been discussing selling everything and getting an RV. The money we spend on rent & utilites could go for the payments but me being the RV 'dummie' only knows that we need the kind you can drive not the kind that goes behind a truck. Any suggestions on how we can get one would be appreciated.

 

[Dennis Olson]

What's your budget? Do you want to pay cash? If not, how much down? What do you want to spend total? How many people would be living in it? Any pets? If so, how many and what kind? Lots of questions to answer in order to define the RV's "mission".

 

[maric]

What's your budget? Do you want to pay cash? If not, how much down? What do you want to spend total? How many people would be living in it? Any pets? If so, how many and what kind? Lots of questions to answer in order to define the RV's "mission".

Buget is about $600 a month with $1000 down. I'm not sure 'how much' of an RV we can get for that. It's DH, me & the cat. Thats about the specifics so far.

 

[summerthyme]

Maric... put an ad in Craigslist in your area, and look on Craigslist in the Rochester area as well as Syracuse. We saw SEVERAL RV's which would probably meet your needs along route 417 (old Route 17) west of Hornell last Monday when we were hauling a sale calf to Greenwood. At least half a dozen along that stretch of road, sitting in yards with "for sale" signs on them.

PLEASE, get a good mechanic to check it out for you, though... and figure in things like insurance, etc in your monthly costs. An older RV can nickel and dime you to death in a real hurry. Also, consider how you'll handle things like shopping or traveling if you want to park the thing in one place (which you're going to have to do... gas is going to get VERY expensive for it to move very often, I'm afraid). Many people pull a small car on a trailer behind the RV, but that's another problem and expense.

Not trying to discourage you at all, but please really look at the potential issues before you get in over your heads.

Prayers continue.

Summerthyme

 

[maric]

Maric... put an ad in Craigslist in your area, and look on Craigslist in the Rochester area as well as Syracuse. We saw SEVERAL RV's which would probably meet your needs along route 417 (old Route 17) west of Hornell last Monday when we were hauling a sale calf to Greenwood. At least half a dozen along that stretch of road, sitting in yards with "for sale" signs on them.

PLEASE, get a good mechanic to check it out for you, though... and figure in things like insurance, etc in your monthly costs. An older RV can nickel and dime you to death in a real hurry. Also, consider how you'll handle things like shopping or traveling if you want to park the thing in one place (which you're going to have to do... gas is going to get VERY expensive for it to move very often, I'm afraid). Many people pull a small car on a trailer behind the RV, but that's another problem and expense.

Not trying to discourage you at all, but please really look at the potential issues before you get in over your heads.

Prayers continue.

Summerthyme

Good advice. Thanks. I've figured the money part already. I now pay $775 between rent and utilities so the $600 won't a be problem. Plus what I pay for truck insurance will go torward the RV insurance. And I won't have those 'nickle & dime' monthly things either like renters insurance, newspaper or cable/phone bills.

 

[Dennis Olson]

Listen to ST. I had to buy a cheap used car tow dolly (the front two wheels of the car ride on the trailer), because I need to have a car in addition to the RV. MOST cars CAN NOT be "flat towed" on 4-wheels, because it will wreck the transmission. And when you get the RV, you WILL need to have it gone through THOROUGHLY. I've spent close to $400 having that work done, to be sure that the engine and drivetrain is in good shape. And I have several hundred more to spend on maintenance before I move in to it for good. Also, no RV mattress is good enough to sleep on EVERY NIGHT. You'll need to get a "home-quality" mattress, which will cost you at least a couple hundred bucks.

So if you have $1000 down, plan on setting aside another $1000 for your "startup" costs. In terms of length, I would personally recommend about 30' or so, with a queen bed in it. Make sure you have a separate shower as well. A Class "A" is a good choice. It has lots of "basement" storage for preps or whatever.

But expect to pay a significant amount of $'s up-front to get it ready to go.

 

[et2]

Good advice. Thanks. I've figured the money part already. I now pay $775 between rent and utilities so the $600 won't a be problem. Plus what I pay for truck insurance will go torward the RV insurance. And I won't have those 'nickle & dime' monthly things either like renters insurance, newspaper or cable/phone bills.

You plan to make a payment by financing it? Do you plan to stay for free somewhere? If not you will have campground fees ... some can be $600.00 month or more. Some will charge you for electricity if you are extended campers. This all on top of your RV & insurance payment.

Also consider what happens if your motorhome breaks down. You loose your sleeping quarters and home. Many banks will not finance homes too old and most likely require 10% - 20% down on a used unit with faster payback terms.

 

[et2]

Try this web site to see what vehicles can be flat towed. There are quite a few you can do this with. By all means check with your dealer and your owners manual to see if there are any modifications needed. You should also verify that your within the motorhomes tow rating "with the vehicle in tow".

http://www.rvtoads.com/toadblog/category/approved-dinghys/

http://www.motorhomemagazine.com/
( dingy towing on bottom right of web page ... 2010 included)

 

[maric]

Thanks for your help Dennis & et2.
We already got a good mattress. Two of them in fact we can use but I guess the down payment and the financing are gonna be the problem because I just don't see how we can afford a new one. And on a fixed income? I dunno. Maybe it's just a dream but I know in my heart of hearts that going off the grid is going to be imparative real soon. I almost wish The Lord would call me home then I wouldn't have to worry about it.

 

[nomifyle]

Thanks for your help Dennis & et2.
We already got a good mattress. Two of them in fact we can use but I guess the down payment and the financing are gonna be the problem because I just don't see how we can afford a new one. And on a fixed income? I dunno. Maybe it's just a dream but I know in my heart of hearts that going off the grid is going to be imparative real soon. I almost wish The Lord would call me home then I wouldn't have to worry about it.

Its a good idea, you just have to do your homework. You said you have a truck, maybe think about a travel trailer. As for a place to park it, i imagine there are several of your friends here on TBK2 that would offer you a place to park.

I know how you feel about the Lord calling you home, but its probably just not your time and besides would you really want to leave your DH. Take it a day at a time and trust in the good Lord above.

I am really feeling the call to do something along the same lines except that I have my son's land (formerly mine) to do what ever I want to on. Build a shack, get a camper, have a compost toilet or whatever. This particular son is beginning to feel anxious about having a place to go to.

Praying for you,

Judy

 

[gillmanNSF]

Having bought new and still 12 years from paying it off, I would suggest purchasing something used. There is financing available for used vehicles but don't know much of the details. If we had it to do over we would have taken a little longer and probably bought something slightly used.

New RVs, class A, aren't without their problems and all the kinks need to be worked out. You only find out about these issues only after using it. One brand isn't necessarily better than another, they all have issues. That said, I would have really liked to have looked at a Fleetwood motorhome. From their website (they got bought out, I heard) they offered a lot of RV for the money. You may be able to find a used one, or something you really like, for a good price. You just have to look at lots of them.

I may be selling everything, too, in the very near future. I'm tired of having too much stuff anyway.

 

[Dennis Olson]

My RV is a Fleetwood. It was $75,000 new, and I paid $16k for it only 14 years old and with 41k miles on it.

 

[et2]

Your already half way there. What type of truck do you have (1/2,3/4,1ton)? If it is in good shape consider a used pull behind or fiver if you have a bigger truck.

You can pick these up for a lot less than a motorhome. Probably in better shape than a used motorhome and less maintenance issues to be concerned with. If you can scrape up $5000 - 10,000 in cash you can get a trailer in really good shape. Then you don't have to worry about financing it. Look for ones with a slide-out. They will give you a lot more interior ... even more than most low end motorhomes.

 

[maric]

Your already half way there. What type of truck do you have (1/2,3/4,1ton)? If it is in good shape consider a used pull behind or fiver if you have a bigger truck.

That won't work because the truck needs a lot of repairs. Right now we need a new radiator. It's a wheelchair van, Ford F-150. A 1991 with nearly 70,000 miles and the biggie thing is the body is in terrible shape. I'm afraid if we tried to tow anything it would fall apart. We were gonna sell it because the one thing about it is it has a brand new hydrolic wheel chair lift in it. That part is worth more than the truck. Otherwise that would have been the way to go.

 

[Hfcomms]

I would encourage you to do a lot of research before you make such a drastic leap. If you think your going to be saving money you might be very surprised. You can be quickly nickled and dimed to death with an RV. If your going to get one however you need to be very educated as to what your getting into less you get way over your head with this. Get on some of the RV forums and do a lot of studying and perhaps see if you can rent one for a weekend to get a flavor of what your dealing with first.

 

[Nuthatch]

Most RVs aren't wheelchair friendly. That adds a new dimension. Why not consider temp rentals first, while you decide. You know, those kind of places that rent by the week. Because you are going to have more expenses than you can imagine with the RV lifestyle, not the least of which is fuel. Maybe Dennis can add what he recently paid and MPG to give you an idea.

Try putting an ad on Craigslist that says you are looking for a "room to let" and you might find a place that costs less, fast. My niece found a place with four guys outside of DC for a good price in a decent neighborhood she would never have afforded on her own. And there is no lease. Her space is TINY but there are the common spaces and it is near the metro, safe, etc. Plus the guys have their own lives. I never thought I would say it, but try there so you have more than 28 days to change everything about your life. That will buy time to make an informed decision.

 

[Dennis Olson]

Here's a little perspective:

The previous owner spent $1500 on repairs in the weeks prior to putting it up for sale. *I* have (so far) spent about $600 in repairs and checking the various systems for proper functioning, AND I have a roof re-seal scheduled for later this week which will cost about $2000. After that, I need to have the front windshields re-sealed (about $400). Once these things are completed, it should be pretty close to 100% functional. However, the dash A/C is still in need of repair (about $300) and the cruise control is inoperative (probably about $200).

So After the $16,000 purchase price, I'll have another $3500 in repairs. That in addition to the $1500 the previous owner spent. One HAS to keep up on maintenance on these things. Failing to do so will result in a set of repairs, the cost of which is more frightening than the scariest horror movie....

 

[Nuthatch]

Craigslist for Rochester, NY sublets/temp housing: http://rochester.craigslist.org/sub/

Some most certainly will not be a good fit, but you never know.

And it has taken Dennis some time (how long Dennis?) to get from purchase to almost ready to travel. It would be difficult to be living in it while it got work done.

 

[et2]

Here's a little perspective:

The previous owner spent $1500 on repairs in the weeks prior to putting it up for sale. *I* have (so far) spent about $600 in repairs and checking the various systems for proper functioning, AND I have a roof re-seal scheduled for later this week which will cost about $2000. After that, I need to have the front windshields re-sealed (about $400). Once these things are completed, it should be pretty close to 100% functional. However, the dash A/C is still in need of repair (about $300) and the cruise control is inoperative (probably about $200).

So After the $16,000 purchase price, I'll have another $3500 in repairs. That in addition to the $1500 the previous owner spent. One HAS to keep up on maintenance on these things. Failing to do so will result in a set of repairs, the cost of which is more frightening than the scariest horror movie....

Honestly Dennis your paying way to much. You would do better installing a new rubber roof for a little more money. Unless you have leaks you can get buy using the externabond I have mention to you before. It will fix any holes and all seams,vents,etc. It will probably be what they use. When I first started Rving I was told the same price. I did it myself for less than $100 and never have had any leak.

Just trying to help you out since your strapped for cash. Rv dealers and repair shops love to stick it to ya.

 

[Dennis Olson]

New rubber roof = $4000. I've asked at a dealer.

The current roof NEEDS a re-seal. After that, I will use the Externabond for future repairs. If you saw the roof close-up, you'd understand. I WILL get a supply of Externabond and use it.

 

[noroses4u2c]

Are you hung up on living in NY? There's a lot of cheaper places to live than in NY.