Are RVs Autos?

Congrats Joanne. We have an RV, and we use it in lieu of owning a summer home because weve had summer homes in the family and its more work than fun.

We use our RV to live in MAine for two months each year, and we love it.It comfy, enough room, and if anything goes wrong we take it to an RV dealer to fix.
They can be a bit pricey .
My advice is to stay with a diesel "pusher" style, since it gives better mileage and on frame things like generators are more in tune with operating smoothly.
Slide out rooms are great for additional square footsge. The only drawback is that youll need to buy a small car to tow as a "getting around" vehicle.
We bought a mini-cooper this year and its a great tow vehicle because we keep it in a tow box and not directly on the road.
Keep your mind open cause if its just you alone, Id recc a "class C"" rig, this is a basic truck body with a camper on top and they come in sizes up to 32 feet with slideouts.
The main advantage of a class C is thst it can fit into most campgrounds easily , whereas the big rigs need"pull through sites" and one like ours is way too high , so we bought land and have a big patio where we park.
When we get another rig , were gonna get a Class C cause it just makes more sense and is better for 2 people than the big rig.
We started with a tow trailer, it was a very cool looking thing called an AWARD, it was made in Canada and the company went broke. Some firm in ALAska is again making them. They have a very slopy front end and they tow like a dream , only problem, not much storage room so you have to use your tow vehicle. The best of all worlds , I think, is a 5th wheel tow trailer. This style has a 2 story look and the bedroom usually is set over the cab of the tow vehicle. This style is made for towing with a tow set up IN the bed of a truck. Most people who live in RVs as their lifes house (and there are many) , swear by 5th wheelers. You can hook and unhook easily, they drive well because your turn radius begins in the truck bed not in the end of the bumper. You also have a vehicle free once you set up. In todays 5th wheeler, all things are set up for easy hookup. Many shows demo how a "Kid" can hook and unhook'
If youre going alone and your not detailed oriented, I dont recc a "bus" rig, theres a lot of things to continuously monitor, you need to not forget to check certain things. (tire pressures, environmental "life support readouts", rear cameras) and a number of other things.

We want to take a trip on the road some year , its just that we use our rig more as a summer home and spend more time on our boat than riding from place to place.
I know many people in the antiques business who use RVs as their bases for shows. The most popular rig (other than 5th wheels) is the Monaco buses. (they make monaco and Holiday Rambler) they seem to be just right for size and comfort.
A little dirty secret Joanne--we have a "higher end bus" outside of some very minor options , all RVs are about the same, they all use the same brands of heaaters, ACs, stoves and friges. So all your main systems are different models of the same company. Dont ever go for the busses with the "granite topped work areas" thats a complete yuppie rip-off, choose a surface like corion or germ free formica. Dont add a lot of weight to your floor plan because its gonna make the thing drive like an aircraft carrier.
Oh yeh, invest in a sizable bank of solar panels for electricity and make sure your able to power up with 12 or 24 volt interchangeable systems, and opt for on board generator that senses the power load. You often see RVers parked in WAl MArt lots and they are set up just like at home. (Of course, Wal Mart doesnt like you to vacation on their parking lots, they just let RVers park overnight so they dont have to be a safety hazard. If you PM me and let me know what youre thinking of , Ill be glad to give you any ideas from our experience.
The only negative is that RVs dont have a lot of pickup , so you must plan your moves in advance , and people(mostly New England and Virginia) are rude and try to cut RVs off , so you have to be defensive. BMW drivers seem to be the most inconsiderate, I dont know if its just me or what, I just feel more vulnerable with a BMW crowding me . Im very careful with my rig and I dont wanna have Beemer crap all over my nice shiny graphics or have one all wrapped up in my tandem wheels.
You need to get you to some RVshows and just shop , let them know your interested and you want the best deals and youre willing to drive to Florida or QUebec City to get the best deal. Florida has more RVs , new and used than just about anywhere on the planet.

Wow FM thanks for the great info. I will shop around of course now that you have given me some ideas. I already have a little car and figured I would tow it is good to know that the carrier kind is the best.

This all came up last weekend in OK, OK. I went up for and antique/art/flea market. I had so much fun and some of the folks from this area that I know where there and they talked me into staying one night in the RV area with them. It was great and I saved so much money - motel and food.

Orginally I was going to buy a cabin in the Waxahacie area but have decided the travelin deal would be more fun.

I don't know a damned thing about RV's, but I have to say I'm jealous as hell, JD.


Joe

Don't be jealous Joe, if I can do it you can do it.

wait aminute. I thought you lived in New Jersey. AM I havin a flashback?
If youre in Texas, they have some major RV mfrs in Nacxgodadoches (Im nowhere near correct spelling I know). They also have RV shows and . You gonna be mostly by yourself? then a Class C is definately the way, and tow a big box trailer where you can stash your goods and your little car.

You gonna be another "Cadillac Jack" , from the McMurtry Book? he was an antiques "picker" who made his fortune by buying low and selling high. Its a good book

FM don't worry about knowing how to spell it many Texan's I know who have lived there simply call it Nowheredoches! Actually GoAway lives there.

Thanks for the infom re "Cadillac Jack" I hope that will happen to me, nah. I just want to be able to learn enough to take care of myself and Carlotta and the Supreme Bean.

Finally, after all these years, 58 of them, I am beginning to find my way. And you know that all of you in the Art group have really helped along this path.

Just think in between shows and "pickin and sellin" I can find an RV camp and undo the little white car and go into nature to paint.

The American Dream in my view. Real retirement - doing the work I love therefore it is not work.

I'm jealous too. I always figured at some point I'd get a heavy duty pickup and a 5th wheeler and head south for the winters.

There is a big RV place up on Rt. 287 just outside of Witchita Falls. That's probably a 2 hour drive for you but it's a fun place to poke around and see what's out there.

Thank you fishin man I will probably do that. I went looking yesterday and I am really thinking the fifth wheel is what I will go for. You know I have really been a fifth wheel almost all my life anyway.

Let's see it has been one month over three years now that you have been steering me in the right direction. Whew what a pain in the neck. But I guess I had to go through what I was going through to get to where I am.

The only thing, now that you have joined the conversation my sweet fishin man, what about computers. Do RV camps have high speed internet hook ups?

no.
But you can subscribe to a satellite service. No problem, It goes down in thunderstorms and totally blanks in snow. You also nee to watch out for really wooded sights. (works through clouds though, cant figure)

If your goin 5th wheel then you cant tow anything or youll look like a circus train snaking down the ropad. They do make 5th wheelers with a little garage in the back, but if you have a truck to tow, you already have a vehicle.
You do get more room in a 5th wheeler and the prices are all for living equipt , not for the engine and tranny and bus gear.
Most people who live long times of the years in RVs prefer 5th wheelers.

You can find camps with phone servise and cable (no internet cable as Ive found yet)
You gotta get over to Nawlins and spend some time down Lafayette painting the swamp. Goddam I wish I could go back on the road (and the water) for couple more months.

Jeez Joanne.. I dunno! Most of the places I go to don't even have electricity so.. Hmmm..

Hey, I just punched "Campground high speed Internet" into Google and I only got one real hit. ( http://www.camplan.com/ )

I see a lot of RVs with Sat. dishes on the roofs. You could always subscribe to one of the Sat. TV/Internet services and always be assured of having it. Farmerman is probably a lot more famaliar with how all of that would be done with an RV than I am.

Are you gonna come up and visit the Boston gang in your travels?

Gosh FM you nailed me my life is rather circus like. I have several weeks to firgure this out since the cash to do it will not be arriving until the middle of next month.

Decisions, decisions.

Will head for Boston ASAP before snow or in the spring. Also need to stop by West Point to see my god son.

What about an F250 diesel with a fifth wheel and not little white car would that work? Can you have four wheal drive with a fifth wheel?

I could get a tent and one of those outside storage bins for my junque and antiques and carry it inside the 5th wheel while on the road.

And if I got the passenger cab thingy I could put art junk in there and stop and paint when the mood striks.

Wow I am getting wonderfully happy today.

I wouldnt go to New England anytime this year , they sometimes get snow in mid October and you dont wanna be in an RV in the snow or ice.
Yes you can get an F 250 or a gM diesel (Id recc a diesel for towing anyway) You can get them 4WD and the neatest thing (IMHO) is to get a short bed F 350 diesel with a crew cab. You have all the benefits of a car and a truck. This is gonna be the next hot thing for SUV drivers. Tricked out pickups are now being driven by soccer moms as a weapon of choice .

Even though I dont like em, most 5th wheel fanatics opt for dual wheel (doolies) rear wheels. this is just for better stability and comfort in towing. You dont Need it, (and they are ugly as hell) but if your gonna be going for long hauls.

Lets revioew

You may want to consider

An F350 0r F250 dual wheel diesel pickup with an in bed towing rig. The tow rig is usually configured right over the rear wheels in the bed

Get a short bed cover so , when towing you can still have a cover over the truck bed to protect your antiques.

You get a 5th wheel rig. Ive seen a rig this summer that was only 29 ft long and it was more than enough room for a couple.

Get slide out rooms youll kiss yourself for the extra width when its extended

A 5th wheel with enough underneath stow area (we call t5his the cellar of an RV) and you can carry about anything including blanket chests.

Have one of the compartments for your art gear and set it up with after market shelf frames so you can use large plastic bins like "tupperware bins" and leave enough room on the bottom for your paper of canvases.

Never stock your RV at home. Just put in minimal clothing and covers and towels. Shop for food on the way. Your frig operates on elec or gas or 12 Volt through the inverter or through a generator.

Practice backing up in a huge parking lot like a church during the week and learn how to get the feel of placing the rig where you want it , watch a truck driver
Theres a trick to backing and correct placing your rig into a spot while in reverse. This is kinda critical . Also learn to make very wide turns when turning right especially where theres signs along the street

Great I really want power and height as well as the ability to get off road and FM this sounds the best for me.

Your are right about having to practice driving and stuff. The junkers I met at the show in OKC,OK gave me similar advice.

In San Diego I had a friend that lived in a 5th wheel parked at Imperial Beach. I remember the first time I visited her I was shocked about the amount of room she had. TV, coffee on, a little kitchen place and a bathroom. Plus the sitting area.

The side rooms sound good too.

You are right about NE weather that is for sure. And there are plenty of shows in TX and LA to keep me busy for the winter. At this time I am up to two shows a month but will probably pull back from OK as winter comes on.

The thing is I am meeting so many great people, the junkers and of course the ocassional AH. I have already had the flim flam played on me re "how much will you offer me for this and I will take this of your's as part of the payment."

And the folks behind me last week sold a fake indian painting to some Indians, sheesh. What a mistake - they came in on Sunday and raised some cane. The dealer did give back the money but they wanted a chair he had and he ended up giviing that to them too. Later in the day I heard the woman trying to sell an old mink and get her chops busted by the elderly woman who was considering buying it.

But on the whole most dealers are honest and helpful. They love having a baby dealer to mentor.

Maybe we should start a seperate topic on the business?

yeh, Im game. Ive got some great tales of how I got suckered on some arts and crafts pottery (Fulper and Newcomb). Rule of"if it sounds too good to pass, pass"
I tried a couple threads on antiques and fakes etc and not much interest.
Have you seen the fake Lalique and LCT glassware? or the pre distressed foke art game boards? .
Gotta watch the Appalachian folk art and salt glazed "dave the slave" type work with cobalt slip. This stuff is being cranked out in Indonesia and is being bougfht up like treasures by unsuspecting buyers. Fake Roseville is easy to pick out, as is the Fake Staffordshire doorstop dogs.
I usually hang around a few really knowledgeable dealers and bug them for knowledge.

Ok, then I will give it a try when I am fully awake and thinking - stating something in the art forums.

Boy oh boy, I hope I can pull this JoanneDorel's on the road show. A real dream come true if it all works out.

Well here I am in sticker shock, oh my goddess this is a big undertaking financially. Sheesh who knew not me.

But I have plenty of time to look around but still I will have to get used to the prices of these deals. I want the F250 diesel but they are almost as much as a house!

A small country cabin in the outback of Texas to clarify.

However I am bound to do what ever it takes to get out of the Fort Worth/Dallas metroplex.

Definitely look into some driver training if you're serious about this. It is not anything like handling a small vehicle. Parking is different, hills are different, turning is different, reversing is different, braking is SERIOUSLY different.

You'll also make some connections in terms of buying if you hook up with a good driving instructor. The schools always know other people in the industry.

truly sed eh beth. BAcking up is the mostest tenderest training. It should be done by someone who can dispassionately teach you. The elsctric brakes (which are a must even in Mississippi, will allow you to adjust to how heavy a foot you have and they have anti Lockup features even for the rig. however, we never drive ours in the ice or snow, ive heard too many scare stories and near-deathy experiences ,"when Trailers Attack".
id get a copy of RV magazine at some bookstore or supermarket and start looking at the articles on the trucks you can get. A good 10 year old diesel with 100000 miles is barely broke in . The need for 3/4 or 1 ton is really up to you. Id spend the extra money, not on leather seats cuz they are totally not warm in cold weather. instead spend on a diesel engine and 4wd, and a crew cab. You can find package deals including truck and trailer in the magazine.
Some people impulsively go out and buy stuff without seeing iof they like it or are not intimidated . I knew a guy with a very nive Beaver Rig who bought new in 1999 and sold it for almost half, a year later. Some fool made a great deal (Boat buying is the same way, never buy a new boat, you can find tons on the year old market and the sellers have added all the jazzy electronics and radar for you)

Since we all agree that you should experience the feel and get some training, why not find an RV rental place. I know lots up in Del and NJ that you could work out a seasonal deal for this year and you get to try it out and see whether you even like RVing, cuz many people think RVing is only for beer swillin NASCAR types, the kind who put up Dale Earnhart memorials on their lawns. Actually there are many of us sophisticated farmer types who like to race RVs (kidding)
But do look into rentals , we started with a rental pop-up with the whole family years ago. Inever want to return to that time in my life , it was hell. Later, as life got better, we rented a bus type , (A Bounder), except for the funky smell in the dishwasher , it was a cool rig. Then we tried em all on short demo weekends . Theres a whole l,ot to be sed for renting, especially if you have had no experience and the rig is already a little used. your dings wont even be noticed. Usually the fender areas and bumper areas get knocked by imperfect steering and RV/tree interactions when setting up in a camp and you drive over your picnic table. (I did that, ) I also took out an entire water spigot system and we had a fountain till the camp owner fixed the system (with my apologetic self pitching in sincerely) **** HAPPENS tO THE BEST OF US.

I learned to drive on a Volare - then went straight to a summer job where I was driving a Suburban pulling a small construction trailer - it was NOTHING like driving the Volare. Reversing into a lot with that rig - well, I was lucky my boss was understanding and had the time to teach me the details. I was fine on the highways going straight - but life isn't like that - eventually you've got to turn. Turning right in a big contraption is very different from what you expect it to be. Braking takes much longer than you're used to in a smaller vehicle.

I spent part of last week at truck-driver school (18-wheelers) - went out on the highway with one of our instructors at the wheel - I was reminded of the skill needed to handle yourself when you're taking up so much space. I plan to go back for some lessons on the range. Partly to remind myself what the big rig drivers are up against.