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As some of you know from my previous thread //www.city-data.com/forum/campi...questions.html I am moving to Cali next summer with my hubs, three kids three dogs and two cats We will be taking about a month long trip across the US to see the country. We are moving from Delaware so literally one coast to the other. Anyway, after looking into renting an RV and seeing how much they cost to rent, I am thinking about buying one now since it seems it will cost almost the same or even less by the time we pay for milage, extra for towing a car and bringing pets. So I think we have decided on a class C. I figure it has plenty of room for us to travel comfortably in and they sleep 6. We may only use it once then sell it, or may keep it for future use and to let our friends use it as well. I found a few older models for under $10,000 that look like they are in good shape. I will have it checked out thoroughly by a certified RV mechanic before purchase, but I still have a few questions...
*I know lower mileage is better, but what shouldn't I look over?
*Any preferred model?
*Seatbelts, how many and where are they usually? My kids will all need to be buckled in. The baby will be in his car seat and the older two will be in booster seat.
*We will be towing our car. Is a flatbed better to use so we don't tack the miles on our car?
*Any other things I should ask for or consider and if you think buying would be a better option for us than renting.
*How difficult is it to sell an RV if we decide we would rather not keep it?
OK without writing a book I will just lightly hit on each question for now....
*I know lower mileage is better, but what shouldn't I look over?
Lower mileage in normally better but not always, maintenance records is the first thing you want to see on an RV...no maintenance records, keep looking
*Any preferred model?
If you are looking to only spend 10K or so you will be looking at models that are 7-12 years old....so no not really
*Seatbelts, how many and where are they usually? My kids will all need to be buckled in. The baby will be in his car seat and the older two will be in booster seat..
This could be the iffy one and the one that gives you the most problem...Read the RV's owner's manual. Usually, car seats are NOT approved for installation in any seat but the front passenger seat, that may go for booster seats also....May have to do some customizing on any unit
*We will be towing our car. Is a flatbed better to use so we don't tack the miles on our car?
Personal choice here, but remember, if towing on a trailer, you have to have some place to put the trailer once at the campground every night, most campgrounds will charge extra for the car trailer so those fee's will add up quick
*Any other things I should ask for or consider and if you think buying would be a better option for us than renting.
Well you need to decide if this vehicle is just something to use once to get across the USA or something your family is interested in using for years to come.
*How difficult is it to sell an RV if we decide we would rather not keep it?
Well look that the thousands that are for sell across the USA right now, that should give you your answer, An RV is considered a toy and into days economy people sell their toys first when money gets tight.....Right now most RV's are selling for pennies on the dollar and every RV on the road is worth a little less every day..An RV is just like any other vehicle in that it depreciates every year...You have to look at it this way....that RV you buy, you are really over paying for it..why, because you are willing to pay more than anyone else for it, if not someone else would of all ready bought it for a higher price.....
Problem you are going to run into is no different than anyone else, it does not matter if you are spending 10K or 200K on a used RV…….You have RV’s out there that have high miles on them, some are well taken care of and others are a piece of junk. Then you have the yard birds that have very low miles because they have did nothing but sit in the driveway or yard for years, again some of those are in good shape because they have been maintained but then you have the others that have just sat there and have rotted out…
I understand what you are wanting to do. You want to buy a lower end older RV and travel across the USA with your family. That is great and people do it every day but I think you are going about it all wrong and the trip may turn into a nightmare. First you need to buy an RV right now and use it as often as possible on trips because every used RV will need some type of work, be it 100 dollar repairs or 5000 dollar repairs…Yes that’s right 5000 dollar repairs…don’t let that figure scare you, you might as well understand right now that RV’s cost money to maintain be it a brand new 2011 or a 20 year old model the maintenance is the same and things are going to break and/or wear out…the only difference between an older unit and a newer unit is the warranty….
By buying a unit now you can start fixing any problems that arise so you will have the RV in travel shape when next year rolls around and both you and the RV will be more prepared for a cross country trip…5 people, 3 dogs, 2 cats in a smaller older RV sounds just nuts to me, but maybe somewhat fun also….
One other thing you need to understand……….. finding campgrounds that allow that number of animals will be difficult. Even many of the pet friendly campgrounds I visit have a limit of 3 animals and many others have a limit of just 1 so you will need to do your homework and book early to find campgrounds along the way that will allow 5 animals (expect extra nightly fee’s)
How do people travel with babies in an RV then without a carseat??? That is completely insane! I would assume that the seatbelts would be the same as they would in a backseat of a car so you would be able to strap the carseat in! Its illegal to not have children in a carseat if they are under the age of ten. I don't get it. My kids will be 10, 7 and 18 months.
As far as purchasing one, I just figured since it would cost me the same amount or even less to get a used one, it would be better. The price of renting one is absolutely insane. The cheapest I was quoted was $7800 plus mileage and then more to tow a car and more to have pets and by teh time I was done adding it all up it was about $10,000! I figured we would use one we purchased a few times and it would pay for itself in even jsut one use, and then sell it if we didn't need it or want it anymore. I just hate the thought of throwing $10,000 down the drain to rent one when I could buy one for a bit less. Even if we sold it for a couple thousand less than we paid for it, it would still save us about $7000.
As far as our pets... The cats will not leave the RV under any circumstances. They are not outdoor cats now and we aren't about to ahve them be that either. The dogs, we have one large dog and two small ones and unfortunately, I don't thik one of the smaller ones will make it that long The two smaller dogs are bit older and the big one will be 2 when we move. All will kept on leashes and cleaned up after. We were planning on finding some free campgrounds around the country. Another poster gave me a list of all of them that don't cost anything, so I didn't think having dogs would cost me anything no matter where I went.
We are towing a car becaise we feel it will be safer in case anything should happen to the RV such as it breaking down or hvaing to be in the shop for a day or two, we would have our car to get around in and find a hotel to stay at.
The size of the RV...Class C is what we are looking at. It sleeps six and seems to have plenty of seating for the trip. My two older boys would more than likely be at the table playing games or watching videos and my little one would be in his carseat wherever the seatbelts were available. The dogs would probably be on the bed in the back and the cats in their carriers. It will be a much more comfortable trip than driving our car that is for sure. We all love long road trips, so this won't be a problem being together this long. We ar emaking plenty of stops along the way to see the sights and visit friends as well.
I have been doing all my research and trying to think of every possible scenario. I want to do this affordable int eh way that makes the most sense and can save us as much money as possible. I just need help from the experts here that have done it numerous times and I am hoping I can get many opinions on this.
*We will be towing our car. Is a flatbed better to use so we don't tack the miles on our car?
They make tow-dollies that are easy to use as long as you don't back up. If you only plan to use it for one trip across the country, check out U-haul or other similar companies.
I've never bought an RV but I've traveled with kids and dogs, cats, and other critters cross country a number of times.
In my opinion a van pulling a pop-up would make economic sense or a truck with a camper shell pulling a travel trailer or a pop-up would make economic sense. I would expect a used RV could be hard to sell - but I'm sure any of them have plenty of engine left in them. I'd much rather buy a used RV after someone else had to eat up the depreciation. I don't think it's a bad idea as long as the buyer gets a good well-maintained RV that isn't going to break down.
Certainly it can be used for side trips later on, or to go back for visits and avoid staying in motels which are not fun for kids like traveling and staying in a campgrounds is. My biggest issue would be the gas mileage for an RV.
good luck. your trip sounds like it could be the trip of a lifetime.
make sure you prepare for all possible things that can happen, usually by having the money to fix them. ;-) breaking down in the middle of nowhere could take much longer for parts and repairs than you think.
we have crossed the country in "older" vehicles a few times with up to 5 kids and sometimes a dog. i have had a few breakdowns, one required renting a u-haul truck and a trailer to haul the car home, and one so bad we sold the car at our destination and bought a train ticket home. all in all, they were lovely trips with lots of fond memories. we broke down one night really late and pulled into a roadside park just outside of a small town way up in Northern Michigan. we slept in the car. when the sun came up, we got out and found that we had slept quite near the most lovely little waterfall that had we not stopped...we would have missed it in the dark whizzing by.
malamute has given you the best advice. Not only is a van (or SUV) pulling a pop-up more economically sensible, but it is safer. I would imagine that not many (maybe none?) of the older RVs you've looked at would have seatbelts in the living areas. (In some states, it is not even required for anyone in the back of an RV to have a seatbelt on.) Consider also that when traveling in the back, everything has to be secured. Something as small as a can of peas flying out of a cabinet could cause injury. I know our trailer has had latched cabinets come open just by bumping along over potholes.
We tow a fifth wheel trailer, so we travel buckled up in our pickup. Shoot, we even secure our dog (seatbelt harness) not only for its own safety but so it does not become a projectile that could harm us during an accident.
The living area of an RV is no place to be at highway speeds.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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*I know lower mileage is better, but what shouldn't I look over?
see below *Any preferred model? Yes, there are some that are much better built, try several, get good advice from seasoned RV'r (Escapees RV Club – the club for all RVers) You want one built as homogenous as possible (fewest seams, strongest frame, best covering (I would not get one with thin metal siding and roof)) single piece and fiberglass has much less chance of leaking. *Seatbelts, how many and where are they usually? My kids will all need to be buckled in. The baby will be in his car seat and the older two will be in booster seat. Some models have conventional seating (mine has this for 4 places + 4 belted places at Dinette) Granted RV's are more dangerous in a crash, so get a good one, have it safety checked, drive very responsibly and take a course for commercial drivers. I like to recommend "Smith Driving" Can be done online. I made 'flip cards' of the 5 Points for my kids to review, and I myself review frequently (a CDL driver) *We will be towing our car. Is a flatbed better to use so we don't tack the miles on our car? I would use a 4x4 suv as a 'toad' (tow car). You can put the transfer case in neutral and not rack up the miles + they tow nice and are ez to re-sell. Be sure to have braking system added If you have a nice car, you can ship, BUT I will warn a used east coast car is not very ez to sell in rust-free CA. I would buy a replacement there. It costs ~ $800 to ship a car. My ultimate tow cars are my 52 mpg Diesel VW Passat Wagons ('96&'97). They are tough to find, but 5 spd = no need for trailer. I think your crew would be tight even in a wagon *Any other things I should ask for or consider and if you think buying would be a better option for us than renting. I'd buy a quality rig and plan to use or resell, BUT I would buy in a non-rust area (SC or GA, if on east coast) *How difficult is it to sell an RV if we decide we would rather not keep it Can be a chore, especially if it looks USED and is a 'generic' brand. Thus I would buy quality. It may cost you more, but probably will enjoy your experience more, be safer, easier on Maint / care, Better handling, better built, ez'r to keep (long-term', ez'r to sell.) check with CA dealers to find out what sells well there.
There are quality brands in each size. I like these, (they come in different sizes) it will take some searching to find a cheap one, but they are there (Usually in FL retirement communities) Safari RVs in - Available at Select RV Dealers
My mom sold a premo Sportscoach WITH a great Jeep Grand Voyager toad. it was super low mileage with plastic still on upholstery. It was quite old ~ 20 yrs and less than 60k miles (they drove it to local spots and let it sit for a few months while they explored)
These are a bit intimidating to the usual 'Camper', but they are a safe and smooth ride some potentially helpful sites (buses + more) Mci Rv For Sale - Yakaz Miscellaneous
Be sure to use a national search for used RV. I use Crazed list + rsss feeds also RV Trader. You can get someone to deliver for fuel and a ticket home ($89 on SWA )
This could be a very fun and adventurous trip, you need to find a good source of support and have a blast.
BTW: I've done Vans too, (for 35 yrs) and actually usually prefer them, but feel it is too tight for your planned venture.
Lighten up!
Last edited by StealthRabbit; 09-18-2010 at 07:07 PM..
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We will be taking about a month long trip across the US to see the country. We are moving from Delaware so literally one coast to the other. Anyway, after looking into renting an RV and seeing how much they cost to rent, I am thinking about buying one now since it seems it will cost almost the same or even less by the time we pay for milage, extra for towing a car and bringing pets. So I think we have decided on a class C. I figure it has plenty of room for us to travel comfortably in and they sleep 6. We may only use it once then sell it, or may keep it for future use and to let our friends use it as well. I found a few older models for under $10,000 that look like they are in good shape. I will have it checked out thoroughly by a certified RV mechanic before purchase, but I still have a few questions...
The two smaller dogs are bit older and the big one will be 2 when we move. All will kept on leashes and cleaned up after. We were planning on finding some free campgrounds around the country. Another poster gave me a list of all of them that don't cost anything, so I didn't think having dogs would cost me anything no matter where I went. 
some potentially helpful sites (buses + more)
)
