Figuring it all out - new full time RVers

It's been three weeks since we made the decision to live in an RV full time. Once the decision was made, there was no turning back.  We immediately started selling stuff, and as the children watched wall decorations and small furniture go out the door, they knew we were serious. Then, the furniture started to sell, the tools in the shed and precious nic nacs were sold.  They couldn't deny that we were doing this.  I do have to give credit though; they got on board and helped with garage sales and by word of mouth they helped me sell items in the household at a fair price.  They might not have been fully on board initially, but they have been, nonetheless, supportive.

The first weekend after we made our BIG DECISION, we went RV shopping.  At this stage we were "just looking", trying to get an idea of what was available, what options were available, and what it was going to cost.  We told the dealer that we were interested in used, but he kept showing us new. I know they have to make a living and are working on commission, but "geez". The two used trailers he did show us were ratty, ugly ten and fifteen thousand dollar models that we wouldn't even consider. We looked at mostly new Keystone trailer models. We had decided that 28' was the smallest size we could live in, and he showed us mostly 34' and larger. They were beautiful, but at $28,000 and $35,000 we knew the purchase would be contingent on the sale of our household goods and other property including a motorcycle and the house.

We had decided to really buckle down and save every penny toward the purchase of our new home. After all, we were going to be full timing it and this wasn't just a camping trailer; it was going to be our home for at least the next two years. We weren't going to spend money on eating out or buying anything we didn't need.  We would start selling our stuff and build up a pot of cash.

Yesterday went to see a fifth wheel that a friend of my daughter's was selling. She was asking $15,000 for a 2005 Keystone Challenger. We have already done our research, and I was very interested in fifth wheels, but knew they might be a little out of our price range. If we got a fifth wheel, we would definitely have to buy used. We were certainly not opposed to a used model as long as it met our needs.  In fact, after much research, we had decided to buy a used model trailer, but were considering models only a year or two old - not ten years old.

When I first looked at the RV, I noticed the awning was ripped, so right off I had a negative attitude about this particular RV, but I decided to take a look since they had come out on a Sunday to show it to us.  They did caution that it wasn't actually on the market yet.  They had lived in it with three kids and two dogs for 6 months while their house was being built, I learned.  They hadn't cleaned it up yet - they were just glad to move out of it and into their new home.  They said they were waiting for cooler weather to thoroughly clean it.

We had been warned by other RVers to take our time and get what we want, to make sure we spend our money wisely. I've done a lot of research and am aware of the things we need, the things we would like, the things we can live without and the things we can't live without.  I know I would like two bathrooms, and this floor plan doesn't have two, but it's something I can live without.  I would like an outdoor kitchen, a residential refrigerator, theatre seating, and a booth dinette, none of which are included in this model.  However, it does have the toilet, sink and shower in separate areas, which I really like, but my husband prefers it all in one room.  It is a fifth wheel, which I thought I would only dream of owning.  It doesn't have stadium seating, but is designed so we can put it in.  The layout includes a nice size living area and three slides, so space won't be as much of an issue. It doesn't have two ducted air conditioners, but it is set up to install a second one, so we can fix that. There's a lot of things we can fix for a relatively low cost.  

They were offering a great price, and it was hard not to buy it on the spot.  But, when they offered to trade it for one of our motorcycles, it was all but a done deal.  Sure, it was hard to part with the the bike, but we wouldn't be able to realistically travel with three bikes, so one would have to go eventually, anyway.  But, it was my husband's bike; a beautiful 2005 HD Softail Deluxe with all the bells and whistles.  It's the bike that my husband has personally ridden in 44 of the lower 48 Continental United States. He rode it alongside Snake River Canyon, took a 14 day trip across the East Coast of the United States, took it to Philadelphia for a Philly Cheese Steak, to Chicago for a Deep Dish Pizza, and to Maine for lobster.  He rode Iron Mountain Road up to Mt. Rushmore, took it to Sturgis South Dakota for the largest motorcycle rally in the world, not once, but twice, rode it to the Daytona rally and completed the Iron Butt challenge, 1,000 miles in 24 hours.  There's literally too many trips to list, and a lot of memories. But in the end, practicality won out, and we made a good deal. And the beauty of owning a used model is that it will give us a chance to travel and learn so when we buy a brand new model, we'll know what we want.  After all, you don't know what you don't know! And, so this will be a learning experience.

Follow me as my husband and I transition to full time RV living. Leave comments and suggestions which we are always open to. And, if you are a motorcyclist or an RVer, you will likely need the services of a good travel advisor.  Give me a call or email and see what I can do to help you with your travel plans, whether it's a cruise, an airline ticket or a trip to Walt Disney World!  Call 318-588-2567 or email maric12@gmail.com or maricticket2travel@yahoo.com  If you have a minute, please visit my website at maricticket2travel.agentstudio.com