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Yes. I'm considering the 190 but, really, I don't want all that stuff they put in there? I'm more of a (as another Sportmobiler put it) "Class B-" type. Also, hate the power-sofa bed. And it's not even almost a little bit stealthy.
I found the answer, and it is the Sportmobile custom camping vans, which is why "conversion van" wasn't yielding any results, but they are just vans. "Converted" from or into what? At any rate, it's a very misleading name.
"converted" from the factory standard interior. "Conversion" vans cover a wide range of modifications, which could include seating, windows, interior trim, etc ... all the way through a complete camper rig.
Researching this option now. I really don't want to use plumbing or mess with gray or black water, hoses, winterizing, have propane on board, etc.... I'm happy with just a marine toilet and bottled water, with everything run off a generator and electricity (aided by solar panels). I suppose I could buy a standard Class B and just opt not to use what I don't want to use, but it seems wasteful, so I'll look into the feasibility of this option.
And wasteful it would be to acquire a Class B RV such as the Roadtrek 170 you've been looking at with a hefty price tag and then planning to not use the onboard features. But the weight, equipment, fuel economy, tire wear, suspension wear ... all of these issues cost you per mile to operate whether or not you use them.
IMO, if you're really into saving money but desire some of the features of a Class B RV for stealth camping at a minimal outlay for the short time frame while you check out places to buy a house and retire ... you'd do far better financially to check out the much lower cost older Roadtrek's such as you'll see at the dealers that specialize in Class B sales or from sources such as eBay. I've seen more than a few that would easily meet (and exceed) your requirements sell for less than 5 figures, mostly mid-to-late 1990's vintage Roadtrek 190's.
What you'd be buying is the remaining useful service life of the Class B RV and vehicle, which for a nominal price of admission will satisfy your short-time boondocking and living requirements and still be saleable merchandise at a far lower cost per mile total outlay than if you'd bought a limited appeal $35,000 rig.
OTOH, now that you've clarified that most of the features/functions/utility of a Class B RV aren't what you need, I'd question the financial smarts of buying such a vehicle at all for your travels. You don't want to use the plumbing or the water systems, you don't want to use the heating or cooking systems. You're strictly looking for a shelter with a mattress, some storage space, and room for a porta-potty in privacy, and a minimal amount of electricity for small uses. Sounds like you don't even need to use the refrigerator, stove, counter space, hot water/shower, or sink.
Alternatively, you might consider the bare bones facilities of a small pick-up truck with a minimally equipped slide-in camper shell. You can have a bed, table, storage area, a porta-potty, and a house battery to hook up to your solar panels/charging system for communications/entertainment, interior lighting, an ice chest, and room for a kitty litter box. It can be very stealthy with the primary difference that you'd have to get out of the driver's cab and walk around to the back of the rig to enter the camper. As easy to drive as the Class B RV and potentially better fuel economy. You'll not have the water systems/tankage, propane system, and so forth to mess with.
In all candor, you're not a "Class B RV" candidate. It would be a waste of money and resources to buy one for your travel/living requirements. For that matter, a Class C won't work, either. You're simply not presenting a paradigm or situation where you are utilizing the equipment and facilities to any advantage.
My bet is that you'd do far better financially to do your due diligence in advance of the places you want to check out for retirement so you have "a plan, a roadmap" for your time/travels. Then travel there via a much more fuel efficient vehicle and stay in reasonably priced motels or extended stay motels. You're traveling with a pet? there are many "pet friendly" motels to be had around the country; your cat in a travel cage can do quite nicely (as do our small dogs when we travel and need to stay in a motel). Again, a little research ahead of time for your destinations and motels will be most useful for your travel plans.
I know people boondock full-time... But how?
"boondock(ing) full-time" is a lifestyle of choices ... where to go, where to camp, where to be able to find parking, potable water, sewage/waste water disposal, and so forth. It's a "cheap" way of living only in limited circumstances for folk who can deal with the way of life that presents. It can take a lot of work each day or so to get the benefits of boondocking successfully if you're doing more than simply staying put in one spot for a day's activities. In many locales, it's not a viable way of living beyond an odd day or two where they haven't been caught living out of their RV ... where you may find that you can only "camp" at designated locations for a fee.
Many communities have codes that effectively prohibit RV camping in their jurisdiction. Some desirable locales aggressively police against such activity, and "stealth" is the key to being able to sneak in a few days before being told to leave (and sometimes with a ticket in hand to be paid).
The folk that make a longer term proposition out of boondocking are generally taking advantage of remote locations that don't have the rest of the amenities that you seek for a retirement community or are using their RV's to access public lands that aren't developed areas (which still will require admission fees, parks passes, etc). But make no mistake, it's not "free". One could draw the analogy to the realities of living aboard a boat full time ... it takes a lifestyle, dedication, and money to do so despite the dreams of many ....
PS: as one who has been "stealth" camping in a Roadtrek 190 Versatile for years now on business (primarily) and some recreational travels across a 5-state region, I can asssure you that a 190 is quite "stealthy". From WalMart parking lots to the parking lots of commercial businesses to plugging in at the loading docks of some warehouses in industrial locations to public campgrounds to admission paid parks campgrounds ... and sometimes, in the entry roads of "closed for the season" parks campgrounds, sometimes in the "closed for the season" campgrounds (public and private), and sometimes on interstate and state highway "rest stops" .... BTDT for years. Be assured, however, that it takes time, planning, and a commitment to make it work. My last trip involved boondocking at a "closed for the season" but accessible mountain campground in Colorado with all the facilities shut down for the winter season, and then using the disposal facilities at a small town down the road where they had a dump station for free ... then camping out at a County fairgrounds parking lot in WY where thanks to a winter event there, the heated bathrooms and showers were open that evening and my RV was sheltered from a raging snowstorm by an overhang of the building I parked next to ... otherwise, I'd have parked in the entry area of one of the show barns. I finished out the trip with an overnight in a campground in NE where they'd closed the facilities for the season but didn't shut off the power to the campsite plug-ins ... so I got to enjoy a 30amp hookup that night to run a couple of space heaters in a 0F overnight snowstorm. Judging from the tire tracks in the snow, nobody had been in the campground for many weeks before me, I got to run my dog around the lake shore in complete solitude. With a storm front shutting down I-80 back to WY, I spent most of the next day in a highway rest stop ... fortunately, had 'net communications and made phone sales calls from the comfort of my mobile office before continuing homeward.
Many hotels that accept dogs won't accept cats, and - even if they did - staying in hotels over two years (the length of time it may take me to check out all the potential retirement destinations I have in mind) might get pricey! I need some sort of "mobile home" for a couple of years at least (would ideally keep it for part-time travel later, too); it's just a matter of deciding what type... And then learning how to use it! Some good tips; thanks.
Honestly, I never really considered the Class C... It just seemed, I don't know, "masculine"? And there's the security issue of having to exit the cab to enter the rig as a woman alone. But wow! I'll check it out.
Many hotels that accept dogs won't accept cats, and - even if they did - staying in hotels over two years (the length of time it may take me to check out all the potential retirement destinations I have in mind) might get pricey! I need some sort of "mobile home" for a couple of years at least (would ideally keep it for part-time travel later, too); it's just a matter of deciding what type... And then learning how to use it! Some good tips; thanks.
I think what you've been missing in this thread is that RV'ing in many locales is NOT CHEAP.
I'll repeat myself here: before you've spent one night in your RV, you have the acquisition cost, taxes, insurance, and license/registration costs. To drive the vehicle somewhere involves time ... and you will go slower with the RV than with your car ... and gasoline, oil, and other consumables. You will pay for the maintenance of the vehicle, including tires/brakes and similar consumables over your projected two year use.
Once on site each night, where you'll likely be paying a fee for the camping space privilege, you're then going to be using the energy sources on board and/or shore power to create your comfortable living environment, be it A/C or heated. You'll be using energy to cook, clean, and maintain the RV. The likelihood of finding stealthy places to camp "for free" for most of the nights in the towns you're considering is a very few days out of a prospective two year housing search. And, as you'll soon find out ... "free" isn't FREE.
In order to utilize the independent living features of your RV, you will have to do a lot of work ... hook-ups, planning and management of the space and functions of the RV. Be sure your dealer walks you through each and every piece of equipment and use of all the systems on-board before you leave with your RV purchase.
Again, it's a lot of work to utilize an RV to achieve it's promised returns. It's a lifestyle and either you will find it agreeable and justifiable ... or you won't.
With that in mind, I'd highly recommend that you rent an RV for a trip or two and actually travel with them at least a 1,000 miles before purchasing one. You may find that the RV experience and utility works well for you ... or you might not. But it's better to be able to walk away at the end of a couple weeks without further obligation than it is to be stuck with selling an RV that you don't want to use.
PS: I'm still under the impression that you've not actually shopped the motel rates and food costs of the places you have under consideration in comparison to the realities of using an RV to stay in those places. You may yet be in for an awakening in this regard when you factor in all the costs of using an RV in those locations.
FWIW ... a Class C RV takes more consumables to operate than a Class B. You mentioned earlier in this thread why you wanted as small an RV as possible. Understand that while you may be able to acquire a Class C for a lot less money than a Class B, the operational costs will be higher per mile and heating/cooling the larger volume will cost more. The trade-off is you may have a lot more housing to enjoy living out of for those years of use. Don't forget that the Class C is a bit more of a handful to drive than a Class B, and parking it may be a challenge in some areas compared to the smaller Class B. Again, best to rent for awhile and travel with a Class C to see if it suits you, and go through the work it takes to hook up, operate, and then get ready for travel again after an overnight stay.
I have pets. One of them is chronically ill. I can't just "leave" them.
Hotels won't accept cats, almost without exception (they're considered much more destructive than dogs, not that I agree). Even my own relatives don't want me staying with them if I bring my cats! So I really don't have a choice.
Either I stay home with them for the rest of their lives, hire a pet sitter for up to TWO YEARS while I search for a retirement destination, board them at a vet's for two years (even more expensive than RVing), re-home them (who wants a sick cat; anyone), or euthanize them, and obviously THAT'S not happening. Or I bring them with me! So although there are negatives, I will be RVing while I travel. It's not a matter of "is the RV lifestyle the right one for me"; it's a matter of "this is only way I'm ever going to leave the house for the next ten years."
So again, the only question now is what is the best way for me to do this.
Last edited by otterhere; 01-21-2016 at 07:16 AM..
Honestly, I never really considered the Class C... It just seemed, I don't know, "masculine"? And there's the security issue of having to exit the cab to enter the rig as a woman alone. But wow! I'll check it out.
You must be thinking of something else as in a Class C rv you just get out of the drivers seat and walk to the back,http://blog.elmonterv.com/wordpress/...4/In_C22.1.jpg
The reason i suggest a Class C is for a long stay its more home like whereas a class B is more like living in a glorified car.
Perhaps I was thinking of the "camper top" on a pickup truck? Thank you for the clarification. However, this would still be viewed as a recreational vehicle rather than passing for a vehicle.
I think I know a little bit about dealing with "pets" ... as we live on a sizable chunk of land where in addition to my 350+ tons of irrigated alfalfa hay I raise/bale each year ... we have (between poultry, sheep, lambs, cattle, llamas, LGD Dogs, Herding dogs that are also housepets, 8 barn cats, 3 domesticated house cats, and burros) about 300 mouths to feed and provide well being care and preventative care for 24/7/365.
So when we both travel via our RV, at a minimum we will take the herding dogs (P. Welsh Corgi's) with us and sometimes a house cat or two, too. It's a process to load up, provision, supply, and takes a good deal of planning to have a good trip. Know in advance that there may be substantial limitations on having pets at many RV sites ... and at others, functionally no limitations (within reasonable responsible pet ownership).
One must be acclimated to efficient use of space, resources, materials, water, tankage, food, fuel and so forth to be able to utilize the RV effectively.
Throughout this thread, I've not heard you yet identify with the realities of camping, either by tent or RV. Indeed, you went to some length to describe that you wanted no part of the realities of using an RV ... didn't want to do the hook-ups, didn't want to deal with provisioning/supplying, didn't want to use a water system/tankage, didn't want to use the propane appliances, and so forth. You made it clear that you were fully expecting to only use the sleeping accomodations, bottled water, and a porta-potty in the RV. But you were adamant that you'd buy a Roadtrek 170 at a fairly high price because it was locally available.
There's a huge disconnect between your "need" to provide housing for your pets and your concept that the RV lifestyle will be functional and accessible while you take "two years" to find a new residence.
Apparently, you have no experience with the RV operations, limitations, or resources which are essential to being able to live out of one for an extended period of time and travels ... or even efficiently. But you do mention that you've got to be frugal with your finances. Jumping into an RV ... any RV ... is not an inexpensive process, even for those folk you've heard about who "boondock".
Given what you've presented, your best option would be to hire that pet sitter and do your independent travels as needed via other means of transport, lodging, and meals.
Good luck with your retirement.
PS: you wrote: "However, this would still be viewed as a recreational vehicle rather than passing for a vehicle." Here again is a major disconnect in your perceptions; ie, any RV ... including a Roadtrek or Coachman or similar Class B RV ... is still showing all the signs of a "recreational vehicle". All anybody has to do is glance at the externals ... intakes and exhausts for refrigerator, stove/vent, hot water heater, generator, furnace, A/C roofmount system, drain pipes/plumbing/tankage ... and it's obvious what the vehicle is. You'll not fool anybody into thinking a Class B RV is anything but a recreational vehicle even if it's just parked in a WalMart parking lot.
Well, thanks for the encouragement It's true that I have no experience with RVs, but if I can't find a way around using the various systems in a typical rig, I'm sure I'll prove capable of learning how to use them (again, hiring a pet-sitter while I search the entire east coast for the best retirement destination really isn't feasible)... You HAVE got me thinking about Class Cs however, and there are plenty around here to check out, unlike Class Bs, so I appreciate that suggestion!
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It's true that I have no experience with RVs, but if I can't find a way around using the various systems in a typical rig, I'm sure I'll prove capable of learning how to use them (again, hiring a pet-sitter while I search the entire east coast for the best retirement destination really isn't feasible)... You HAVE got me thinking about Class Cs however, and there are plenty around here to check out, unlike Class Bs, so I appreciate that suggestion!
