A Dose Of Reality

Note: This is a repeat of a blog post from 2014 that is just as true today, and may burst someone’s bubble, but it’s something they need to understand about the fulltime RV lifestyle.

I get a lot e-mails and letters to the editor and see posts online from people with limited funds who want to go fulltime and are looking at older, usually entry level RVs. And many of those RVs have been sitting a long time, which is why they are for sale at relatively low prices. I really worry that a lot of folks are setting themselves up for disappointment.

I’ve always said that you don’t have to have the newest and best RV in the campground to enjoy the RV lifestyle, and that is true. However, an older RV can come with a lot of potential mechanical problems that can easily put you off the road needing expensive repairs. Tires alone can be a major investment and must be addressed on an older rig. They can look good but still be over-aged and a potential hazard. Even new high end RVs can and do have problems. That’s why extended warranty companies exist.

An older low mileage quality unit that was stored properly can be a good investment, but be aware that things like seals and tires will deteriorate, and a generator that has sat without being run for a long time is going to need some attention. All that adds up, fast.

If your idea of fulltiming is to park it someplace and live it in, that’s one thing. But to do much traveling, one has to be aware that it takes its toll on any RV, new or older, and hopefully you have the funds to handle problems that will likely arise. I hate to see people put all their money into something and then be stuck someplace broke down and with no money for repairs.

I’m not trying to say that if you can’t afford a new or late model RV that you should stay home. I’m just saying to do your homework, shop carefully, and be aware that you are going to have to spend money to keep whatever you have running, new or old. Our last rig was a 2002 Winnebago Ultimate Advantage that was eight years old and had 33K miles when we bought it. The previous owner bought it new and did not use it much, but he also ignored a lot of maintenance items. For example, he had never taken care of the slide seals, so they had to be replaced to the tune of over $2,000. The house batteries went bad, so he replaced them with regular car starting batteries. Another $600 expense for us. Also tires, for $2800. But we bought it right and factored those items into the purchase price.

Every week I hear from people who want to raise their kids on the road and homeschool them. I think that could be a wonderful way to grow up, but I get worried when I get ones like I did a few days ago from a family with five kids, looking at a 1987 travel trailer they planned to pull with a 2002 minivan. Another from a family looking at a 1991 Fleetwood Class A gas model that has been sitting for three years. Or worse yet, the couple with 13 and 16 year old sons who want to fulltime in a B van. They said they like spending time outside so they didn’t think the limited space would be a problem. I asked where everybody was going to sleep and they said mom and dad would use the bed across the back, one son would sleep on a dinette that converted to a bad and the other in the reclining passenger seat up front. Seriously? How long do you think that’s going to last on a fulltime basis?

Please understand that I’m not trying to be an elitist. I know what it’s like to be broke. Keep in mind that we lost everything after Terry’s cancer and had to start all over again. We bought a beat up old 1976 MCI bus and converted it ourselves and lived in it for over eight years. But I do think it’s important to inject a dose of reality into the fantasy that a lot of folks have about living on the road. It’s not all sitting around a campfire toasting S’mores and singing Kumbaya.

Thought For The Day – You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.