Is It Worth It?

[Jayflight]

I cannot tell you how many road miles and square miles there are in the U.S. alone. But with a class A, unless it a freight train size, you can find places with the alternative one night stays like Harvest Host and Boondockers Welcome between the long stops across this country.

And FWIW some of the Harvest Host locations are now offering power and electric, with dumpsites at a lot of truck stops and rest areas out in the western regions of the country.
Cabelas out west offer dumps and water with a free nights stay. Some even have horse stables with some dog kennels on site to allow your furry animals a break from being inside the rv. We traveled during the peak of all the shut downs and out west and barely had any problems with a place to hang our hats. By all means resorts claim to be full all the time. But most are way too pricey for what we want to spend, and require no real services that many offer except for maybe laundry facilities.

And state parks, with some restrictions in size is a bit of a hassle with third party booking agencies, which makes it a real hassle in my opinion to get open sites on short notice that may actually be open because you are not really talking to a "man of the scene" human being. But its doable. Of course this is all dependent on if you are willing to shell out bunches of money for just the fuel costs thats increasing everyday will no real break in sight. YMMV

 

[eaglelmc]

My wife and I RV in our Class C part-time since 2019, both retired, I'm 71 and she is 69, figure as long as our health holds out, traveling and meeting great folks in the camping world is great! We just bought 2 new ebikes from Lectric and are looking forward to riding them on the bike trails, also bought a trailer for our golden retriever, Ellie. Enjoy life, God Bless!

 

[DonTom]

But I had no idea they could jump at least 3' off the ground.

3" would be a lot more accurate. See here.

"How Far Can A Snapping Turtle Jump?"

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[DutchmenSport]

Is it worth it? Well, is it worth it to a blind man to have a big screen television instead of a small 14 inch screen? Only if the big screen television puts out better sound!

Like the blind man, when it comes to RVing, it's not what you see that drives the ambition, it's what you feel deep down inside!

 

[JudyJB]

You've got to watch those hissing tortoises.
My kids made me stop in the middle of the road for a big turtle one time. The teenager got out of the truck to move the turtle out of the road. He learned about snapping turtles that day. I already knew they snapped, but I had no idea they could jump at least 3' off the ground. Possibly the funniest thing I'd ever seen.

The kid or the turtle??

(Sorry, but I could not resist.)

 

[JudyJB]

That's funny - an investment RV...

You make your own reality no matter what you decide to pursue in life. In my travels the past 2 years my observation was people were people despite covid and if someplace was closed or booked, there was something else down the road. A quarter century ago I remember the Harley craze, people were buying anything they could and bikes were selling for thousands over list. I got mine, rode it all over hell and creation and I don't regret it for a minute, despite that the demand for milwaukee iron became but a memory. If you want to jump into traveling in an RV cost is a consideration but if it's something you really want to do, you figure out a way to make it happen. Money can't buy you memories when you're too old to do anything about it later.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

I agree that the concept of an investment RV is logical only to someone who has never owned an RV.

However, my younger son's father-in-law commented when I bought my RV that it wasn't a good investment. I did not respond out of politeness, but if we lived our lives only doing things that were good investments, I think most of us would live very dull lives and would certainly never have kids. And, by the way, that father-in-law passed away last fall at roughly age 70 with several million$ in the bank. I think I had and have a lot richer life than he did.

 

[JudyJB]

There are other issues with buying the best and the most expensive RV:

1. Very expensive and less expensive RVs are often built on the same chassis and use many of the same components because there are a limited number of component manufacturers. What the manufacturer does sometimes (but not always) is to put in a lot of marble, mirrors, and fancy finishes. It is true that all wood paneling instead of the cheap stuff where the wood is just a pattern on paper would look better longer and be easier to maintain over time, but do you really want all that marble? So, you need to look carefully at what you are paying for in a more expensive RV and then decide if that is what you want.
2. I don't know much about boats, but RVs take a lot of rough treatment on highways. This will be true for you if you travel a lot. Things bounce around a lot and gravel will constantly be hitting your gorgeous new RV. Do you really want to spend a lot of money of stuff that no matter what you do will get scratches from tree branches that hang over the edge of the highway, or gravel thrown up by passing trucks and cars, or even weather stuff like hail??

One thing I am very glad I got in my motorhome, that I originally thought was a waste of money, is a full body-paint job. Most trailers and less expensive motorhomes come with a gloss coat directly over the fiberglass and have a few decals stuck on to make them look sporty. After a very few years, the fiberglass will turn yellow and the decals will start to fall off, and you will find yourself doing a lot of waxing and treating it to get rid of the yellow oxidation. On the other hand, my ten-year-old motorhome looks only a couple of years old because the automotive paint is still shiny and looks new. (Don't get too close, however, or you will see all the small scratches and gravel hits, and places where I hit something.)

I occasionally wash my rig myself, but as I get older, the most I do is run it through a Blue Beacon Truck Wash every couple of months. I have never waxed it, but it still looks glossy, from that optimum distance, of course.

 

[chovy]

I’m tied down due to kids. They live with their mother but I’m constantly being told if I leave they’ll never talk to me again. I pay $500/mo in south San Jose and would rather go explore.

 

[SeilerBird]

The wife and I are closer to buying a Class A, but with all that has happened in the past couple of years, is it still worth it? Folks have been buying hundreds of thousands of RVs, trying to escape the COVID nonsense. This has resulted in overcrowded or closed campgrounds. BLM land is being ruined by those who leave their trash behind, resulting in those areas being closed to the public.

I don't agree with any of the above. I live full time in a fiver, 25 miles from Disney World in a large RV park. I have noticed no difference in the number of empty sites in this park.

 

[DonTom]

I have noticed no difference in the number of empty sites in this park.

That is because they tell everybody who calls them that they are full when they are not.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[ziplock]

and would rather go explore.

This is what the world is up against.

 

[SeilerBird]

That is because they tell everybody who calls them that they are full when they are not.

-Don- Reno, NV

No, the sites are usually filled in a day or a week.

 

[DonTom]

No, the sites are usually filled in a day or a week.

The area that I was at is now full?

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[SeilerBird]

The area that I was at is now full?

-Don- Reno, NV

I have no idea, I never go over there.

 

[UTTransplant]

I think the comment about “How much is a year or two of your life worth?” is the best. We all know people who looked forward to retiring to travel, but never made it. We know people who die or have life altering medical issues, and you never know when your day will come. Make every day count, and don’t wait until you think everything is perfect. Nothing is ever perfect.

We bought a new 40’ MH in 2018. We boondock a lot, generally 90+ days a year, but we are out traveling 6-8 months a year in various trips, many 2-4 months long. I don’t regret a minute of it.

 

[LarsMac]

The only way you'll ever know if it's worth it to you is to go for it.

 

[DonTom]

I have no idea, I never go over there.

Sounds like you need to get some exercise!

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[SeilerBird]

Sounds like you need to get some exercise!

-Don- Auburn, CA

I ride my exercise bike every morning for a half an hour.

 

[Oldgator73]

I ride my exercise bike every morning for a half an hour.

Well put some wheels on it and ride down and check out that area Don stayed at. Report back with your findings.

 

[Ex-Calif]

No, the sites are usually filled in a day or a week.

That is because they tell everybody who calls them that they are full when they are not.

-Don- Reno, NV

LOL. My kid called them up and they told him there is a wait list. They said to call at the end of March to see if anything has changed.

He's going to Ft. Pierce on Wednesday to make the arrangements for the private property site. He's gonna overnight with my niece and wants to get eyes on the place before he commits to 6 months there.