What type of RV is good for you?


What RV is good for you?



Let's consider your needs, perhaps this list can be of some help.



Depending if you are planning on fulltiming or obtaining an RV for recreational use or to use for months at a time, these questions may help you determine what you are aiming towards.



Your choices are generally ClassA, ClassC, ClassB, Travel Trailer, 5th wheel, Truck camper, van dwelling or vehicle with using tents & such.



Remember to also look at cargo carrying capacity towards your needs. That will determine how much you can safely put inside of your rig.



If you want to tow, determine how much weight you can tow as well.



Closet space:

Look at closet space that will best fit your needs.

*Will you need winter clothing as well as summer clothing?

*Bulky type of clothing for some occassions?

*Coats or jackets?

*Drawers to put folded items into?

*Or minimium closet space for part time use?



Kitchen:

*Do you do a lot of cooking?

*Need cabinet space for pots & pans or perhaps a big drawer for those items?

*Need cabinet space for dishes, cups & glasses?

*Is there a pantry to store food items in?

*Do you use a microwave or micro/convection oven?

*Do you need a real oven? Remember, most small RV's have very small ovens, so plan accordingly for that.

*Do you need a good sized fridge or a dorm sized type of fridge?

*Do you need freezer space? A larger fridge will of course, provide more freezer storage. The dorm sized will have a very small freezer.

*Do you need an ice maker in a fridge? That will determine an even bigger fridge? (That will probably more like a ClassA sized rig).

*Stove top: Will you be using a stove often?

*Do you need counter space in which to prepare foods?

*If you cook a lot of foods, is the counter space big enough to use? Can you use the dining table as well or a fold & store type of table? If you use a fold & store table, is there a space to store it when not in use?

*Sink: Double sink or single sink?



Bathroom:

*Do you need a stand up shower with a tub?

*Do you need an enclosed shower?

*Do you want toilet to be seperate away from the shower?

*Does the shower have vent access to vent the moisture outside?

*Do you need counter space at your sink?

*Do you need cabinet space?

*Do you need a medicine cabinet?

*If interested in a small rig, can you handle the pull out type of showers?

*Fold up type of sink?

*Will it bother you to get your toilet wet while taking a shower because you may have to dry it off.



Living quarters:

*Do you want a full sized sofa?

*Do you want a jack knife sofa or a sofa that pulls out into a sofa bed with a mattress?

*Do you want a sofa that has storage underneath it? (some sofas have mechanical items under them. Such as water pump, furnace, water tank, etc)

*Do you need a slide out for more living space?

*Would you prefer easy chairs as opposed to a sofa?

Slides:

Thank you to Linda Sands on that question. I don't have slides, but I'm fully aware of how some can really limit you when they have to be kept in.
So the question would be;
*Do you want slides? If so, can you still move freely about inside of your rig with them pulled in? Can you access your sink? Fridge? Cabinets?
If in bedroom, can you access your closet to get a change of clothes or a jacket if needed?

Dining area:

*Do you prefer to eat at the sofa/easy chair area with a pop in table?

*Do you want a dinette area that can also suffice as a work station?



*Entertainment center:

*Do you want a tv that folds into a cabinet or open to the living/dining area?



Bedroom:

*Do you need a bed? If so, what type of bed? A real bedroom will give you better options as your bed would be permanent.
 
*Do you need storage under your bed? Lift the bed to see if there is any storage underneath it.

*Can you sleep in an overhead bed?

*Can you sleep on a fold out sofa bed?

*Do you need bedroom cabinet/closet space?

*Is there space for a hamper or a place to put dirty laundry?



Holding tanks & water capacity:

*Do you need larger sized holding tanks?

*Is the black tank large enough?

*Is the gray tank large enough?

*Is your water tank large enough?

*Do you want a simplified (manual) dumping system or a dumping system that also flushes your black tank?



Other considerations:

*Are you claustrophobic? That can determine what size rig you are comfortable with.

*Are you tall or do you want to be able to fully stand up? Again, rig size for your comfort level will determine what you are comfortable with.



*Do you need a generator?

*Do you need air conditioning?



Traveling with pets:

*Is your rig size appropriate for you & your pets comfort levels?

*Will you have to be constantly stepping over your pets? Will that bother you or your pet?

*Do you have space for the pets items? Bowls, food, towels, shampoo, bedding area, litter boxes if you have cats, etc.

*Do you have a bathing area for them or plan to use a groomer from time to time?

*Do you have space if your pets travel in crates?

*Do you have storage for expens & such if you use those?



Storage:

*Do you need basement storage?

*Do you need an exterior storage space?

*Do you need a cargo carrier? (If so, keep in mind that you can't tow)

*Do you have adequate storage for hoses, such as fresh water hoses, sewer hose, electrical cords, etc?

*Do you have storage for outdoor items, such as tables & chairs?


Outside shower:

*Do you need an outside shower to bathe pets or wash sand off of yourself after spending time in the sand, mud or other elements?

Awning:

*Do you need an attached awning?

*Manual or electric?



Lifestyle:

*Are you interested in RV parks?

*State Parks?

*Campgrounds?

*Stealth City?

*Boondocking?



*Will you be wanting a solar system? (that can be added later though)

Question added 10-06-12 - *Entertaining - Do you want other people inside of your rig?
If so, how often? Will you have space for them to be comfortable for very long?

*Will your rig size be for accomodating yourself only or other family members?



Travel:

*Are you a slow traveler?

*Are you a long distance traveler?

*Destination traveler?

All above will determine gas usage per month.



Budget/income:

*Retirement?

*Pension Plan?

*Savings?

*Making money on the road?

*Internet secure job?

*Work camping?


~~Please feel free to add comments. If you feel or see a need for anything that is not on this list, I will be happy to add to it -- Thank you~~

Also, please read the comment list for further discussions & more information!

11 comments:

  1. Good list. Here's some more.

    What will you do with your trash? Do you want separate recycling?

    Where will you hang wet things if you go swimming or get caught in the rain?

    If you have slides will you be able to get to everything you need without opening them? We put our coats in the closet then couldn't get to the closet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good questions Linda.
      Especially on the slides!

      Trash for me personally is generally minimal. I recycle store grocery bags (which I've discovered really do break down pretty fast if you try to use them for storage, they disinegrate so I feel good about using them for disposal purposes). I actually do have a small trash can in my kitchen as well as my bathroom. I line them with the store grocery bags & may take out the bags around every 3 days while camping. So far, most campgrounds I've been in have a dumpster where you take your garbage to, to dispose of there. Some have seperate recycling containers, which is great when they do that! I check first, if they have those, then items go into them appropriatley.

      Wet items: I save plastic hangers & simply hang those items in my shower area. You can get one of those tension curtain rods to put inside of your shower area to hang items from. I also dry my shower area after use & hang my small towel that I use for that purpose in the shower area, using a plastic pants hanger.

      Thanks so much for your input!

      Delete
    2. I have a tension rod in my shower, too. But my toilet is also in my shower. So I also have a towel rack elsewhere I thought would be for hanging wet things. So far it is holding my laundry bags and a bag of grocery bags. I guess if I get caught in the rain those things will have to come down.

      Delete
  2. Linda -- great question on the wet things. That's usually something we don't think about until we're stuck in that situation.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Cyn -- Safety: Do you feel safe completely exiting a driving area to get to the living area?
    Do you feel safer driving a self-contained rig or towing one?
    What kind of weather conditions do you plan to travel in and/or avoid?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Di, actually, when I exit my rig from the driving area, I just go out the drivers door & into my entry door. For me, I have to keep my overhead bed intact since I use it each night. I never feel unsafe though. I have a hard time getting around the dog house as many others do since I have a ClassC. And well, I usually either have an ice chest or a stool blocking my path too. I like to keep cold drinks available to myself while driving so I don't have to pull over & grab one from the fridge. So usually, I have items blocking my path between the front seats.
      I always have my keys in hand, so I lock my doors upon exiting. My entry door is always locked while the rig is in motion, so I unlock it with my keys & lock it behind me when I enter. I always keep my spare keys handy just in case as well.

      I have never towed, so can't really answer the towing part. Personally for me, a towed rig would not work because I have dogs & cats that need to be inside of my main vehicle for safety & comfort.

      I've traveled all kinds of weather. Weather doesn't really deter me. If rains are torrential & you can't see in front of yourself, then I'd find a safe place to pull over. NEVER on a shoulder of a road though, that would be dangerous. Try to find a parking lot of some sort instead. If weather were severe, again, find a safe space to go to till it passes. Even if it means finding an RV park or truck stop for a night. Better safe than sorry.
      My last trip, I found that driving in the extreme heat of the day was actually tougher than other conditions I've experienced! The rig has a hard time when the heat is into triple digits. So on times like that, I might consider trying to travel earlier in the mornings & plan to stop often if I do have to drive through the extreme heat of the day to give the hot engine a break. I have the option of running the generator so I can still run the a/c for our comfort while cooling the rig down.

      Thanks for contributing with your questions!

      Delete
  4. A regular maintenance of your motorhome can make a huge difference when you sell or trade it. As a camper, I enjoy using an RV that’s clean and well-maintained. RV owners should washed their motorhomes periodically, and check if the tires are in good condition.

    Kurt Bukowski

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    2. I agree Kurt. A well maintained RV is essential. If I were buying, I'd be looking at that.

      Delete
  5. I am always missing a spot to put our shoes. Some people leave them outside, not we. Usually there are wardrobes and drawers, but a place to put f.e. six pairs of shoes would be nice. Saw somewhere a solution where people screwed coat rack low along a wall and put each shoe on one of the hooks. Well, you would need a piece of wall first that is not a wardrobe, drawer or a closet.
    People that plan new RV's should live in them for two weeks! That would help a lot.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Everything on this list is worth considering. I've never been in an RV, but I know what I need in a motorhome. We also need to estimate the number of passengers for the RV; how many be riding it. Most people purchase RVs because it instigates bond and unity between its passengers. But for me, the most important thing is the kitchen! Is it functional enough for me to cook everything that I want?

    Delena Millener

    ReplyDelete

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