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Im just getting started planning a cross country RV trip. Have a year or so to spend. Planning on buying lightly used Class C RV. My dog and I will do the trip. Have some questions?
Think it is safe for single woman to do this? If buying is it better to buy from a dealer (which I hate the game) but there is better potential for warranty.
I'm a member of AAA and AARP...does that help?
Suggestions for planning!
I'm really excited about this so, be honest but don't burst my bubble but do be honest...especially about safety and purchase ideas.
I think that as long as you use common sense and don't put yourself into scetchy situations, you will be fine. You have your dog and that is a plus. And for 'just in case' have some pepper spray always handy (next to the door).
We got our RV from a dealer, it was lightly used as well, but no warranty. This does not mean that is the rule for all dealers.
Those memberships do help, and you may want to look into camp/RV clubs too. Being a member sometimes gets you discounts and in the long run, saves you money.
I know AARP membership only means you're 50, but if you happen to be 62 by next year, be sure to get the senior pass for national parks, etc. It's $10 for life and gets you free access to national parks and monuments and half price camping in most NFS campgrounds, COE campgrounds, etc.
I've met many single women camping their way across the country and never heard of problems/dangers. Use common sense and I don't think it would be a problem. RVers tend to be good folks from my experience.
Buying from a GOOD, REPUTABLE dealer, if you can find one, might eliminate a few motor homes that have serious defects, but any warranties on used RVs aren't likely to amount to much. They'd probably be the same warranties you could buy on your own, possibly with some extra dealer mark up.
I've bought used campers from both dealers and individuals and likely will in the future. If buying an older one, it might be wise to have an expert inspect it before you make a deal. Every city of any size has a few RV techs who would know where to look for problems. You might also want to have a mechanic look at it for the chassis end of it.
[quote=Willowkitty;30045280]
I'm just getting started planning a cross country trip.
What do you intend to do with a used RV after the 2-10 weeks it takes to go cross country?
Location: Just transplanted to FL from the N GA mountains
3,997 posts, read 4,142,400 times
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You mention traveling with your furry friends. Don't forget to make sure you have your pets vaccinated and carry copies of their medical records as well with you on your travels. There have been times we were so glad to have Q-tip's and Chloes' (our two Eskies) medical records. Most of the campground directories show if a campground has pet restrictions of any kind so those are good sources as well.
Plus... there is kind of a camper/pet Etiquette. Common sense kind of things... like keeping your pet on a leash not only for their safety but for others, picking up after them, and how your pet responds to being left in the camper by itself if you need to leave for a while. Do they bark incessantly or are they quiet as a mouse? Make sure you know how to program your generator to kick on automatically if you must leave them and for some reason there would be a power outage. These RV's will get HOT very quickly just like a car. Of course, this too is dependent upon the rules at the campground.
You will have a blast...... But expect the unexpected because thing will occur you didn't plan for.....warranty, no warranty that is up to you but be prepared for things to break, things that may or may not fall under a warranty contract.. Do make sure you have a very good roadside assistance program like Coachnet.
One of the biggest things to look for when buying any used RV are the tires...if you buy used from a dealer demand all brand new tires on the RV as part of the deal. Now unless you are an experienced rv'er and understand all aspects of an RV before you buy any RV hire a independent RV specialist to check out the RV before signing on the dotted line.
There is not a very big market for class C motor homes so used ones will be a dime a dozen so do not over pay...
When traveling with a pet the biggest concern is leaving it inside the RV while you are away. If the power goes out during that time the inside can become a oven very quickly so one, make sure you have a good generator (not all class C's will come with a generator) and two, make sure you add an auto start set up on the generator which automatically starts the generator when you are away if there is a loss of power.( to run the AC)
As far as the safety concern. You will have people who love to tell stories about having their property stolen at campground while they were away from their RV or strange people approaching them at night at rest stops etc.....take those stories and put them in the back of your mind as a reminder because yes they do occur but again they are very rare....as long as you use common sense while traveling you will be fine.
The biggest safety concern you will have to deal with while traveling will be the weather..make sure you know what the weather is doing that day before you start off, weather can and will change often during the day depending on the season and what part of the country you happen to be in. I have been chased off the roadway into storm shelters because of tornado warnings, I have been caught in blinding snow squals in July in the upper Rockies... You have to be ready for high winds, dust storms, swarms of love bugs so thick they reduce your vision to pretty much zero, unexpected road closures due to accidents, rock slides, you name it etc. and don't always trust your GPS unit...lol. Bottom line is be prepared and have an exit plan to get off the roadway when needed....
But again just have fun, don't be in a rush, get off the interstates whenever possible and travel the back roads. Follow the 2/2/2 rule whenever you can. Every city/town you will visit believes they are famous for something. When you pull into a campground ask the camp host what is fun to do around that area, where are the best places to eat etc.....just enjoy the ride, you will see allot but miss so so much, but that gives you a good reason to start planning your second trip back to a certain area...
Im just getting started planning a cross country RV trip. Have a year or so to spend. Planning on buying lightly used Class C RV. My dog and I will do the trip. Have some questions?
Think it is safe for single woman to do this? If buying is it better to buy from a dealer (which I hate the game) but there is better potential for warranty.
I'm a member of AAA and AARP...does that help?
Suggestions for planning!
I'm really excited about this so, be honest but don't burst my bubble but do be honest...especially about safety and purchase ideas.
As far as safety, it is just about common sense. If you try to save money by parking in some desolate area, that might not be too safe, but you can find busy rest areas, Walmart parking lots, campgrounds both public and private and be as safe as you can be anywhere.
Location: Just transplanted to FL from the N GA mountains
3,997 posts, read 4,142,400 times
Reputation: 2677
Quote:
Originally Posted by malamute
As far as safety, it is just about common sense. If you try to save money by parking in some desolate area, that might not be too safe, but you can find busy rest areas, Walmart parking lots, campgrounds both public and private and be as safe as you can be anywhere.
A lot of Wal-mart parking lots any more do NOT allow for overnight any more. Cities are putting in ordinances against it. Some folks took advantage of the situation, and some cities were pushed into it by local campgrounds upset that they weren't getting the business, IMHO. So you'll need to watch for that, when you pull into a WM lot.
Also.. if your going to overnight in a WM a couple etiquette "rules.". Don't set up! WM isn't the place to throw out all your slides, set up your TV satellite (presuming no roof dish). Don't set up the grill and lawn chairs. WM is for resting.. not camping. And, go into the store, let the manager know your going to be there overnight (great way to find out if there's an ordinance) and buy something. A gallon of milk, some toilet paper, something. While we don't use WM much it is great to use in a pinch and we do what we can to help keep this option available for those who do.
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but do be honest...especially about safety and purchase ideas.
