This is the fifth and final part, (for now), in the never-ending series on choosing a fulltime nomadic home.

Part 1: First Questions To Ask When Picking Out A Fulltime RV Rig

Part2: An Overview Of Homes On Wheels

Part3: Motorhomes and Dinghys

Part4: The Towables: Travel Trailers and 5th Wheels

Additional Thoughts and Questions

I thought I’d wrap up this introductory series, (yes I could go on and on), with some final additional thoughts on choosing an appropriate home for fulltiming.  The key word here is appropriate . There are a multitude of diverse rigs one could choose, adapt, or perhaps, gulp, even build themselves in which to fulltime.

It is a costly affair to purchase an RV home, only to have to subsequently sell it, to buy something more adequate after the fact.  In the case of a new rig, one will take a depreciation hit as soon as you drive off the lot, thus loosing, often, a large amount of money in the transaction.  You want to get it right from the start as much as possible, while having a fun and exciting time in the process.

Then there are the things that must be right even when choosing a more “conventional” rig.  Let’s further explore these topics a bit, to help wrap up this inherently deep, often controversial, (in some circles), subject.

Size Can Matter

In the case of RV’ing unlike other matters in Life, size does matter.  Take it from me and the school of “way-too-cramped” knocks, though an RV looks adequate on the dealer lot, living in it for an extended period of time, is a whole different animal.  Once one begins to move in their belongings, and the indoor space fills up, the inadequacies begin to show, often only too late, though this humorous cartoon, illustrates the opposite scenario, and something to keep in mind too.

I once bought a brand new 31’ travel trailer for my then wife and I to live in fulltime.  The problem was that I had never towed a trailer before, and as I stood and stared at that hulk, I realized I was way too intimidated to tow it.  Not only that, but my van was completely underrated to tow it, (not that the dealer was concerned when they sold the trailer to me!).

I subsequently sold the big monster, and one rainy day, adding to the pressure, went to a nearby dealer to buy a certain mid-sized model of travel trailer that my van could handle, but they were out.  In haste, I ended up buying a 20’ model, that seemed OK, or maybe it was the rain, and the fact that I needed a house to live in, that made it seem so attractive.  Long story short, that rig was WAY too small for the two of us long-term, but too late.  I had already taken two depreciation hits from the previous sales.

Think it out, take your time, make some lists of your honest needs BEFORE you go out and start looking.

Twice the pleasure?

A further consideration, especially for those who will be working a stationary job, is the acquiring of two rigs; i.e., a van camper or truck camper in the front, towing a sizeable travel trailer for living in.  This way you won’t have to break the big rig down to go out camping, at least on shorter trips like a weekend.  On longer trips, say a week or so, you can bring the big rig.

This setup also works well for fulltimers who like to stay a month or so at each destination, often RV parks, paying by the month for economy.  The van camper or truck camper can be used for further Micronomadic™, exploration of the surrounding nooks and crannies with great convenience.  The “mothership” can stay behind, running the internet, automatically growing a hydroponic salad garden and other useful tasks.

What About The Others?

By far, motorhomes, 5^th wheels, and travel trailers are not the only games in town.  As I’ve stated before, one could live in a tent trailer, small van conversion, or even tent camp!  The point to take here, is that while fun for a short while, these routes will prove inadequate fast, and are only recommended for the Youth, the Poor, or the Impatient.  I’ve done ALL the above, and speak from experience!  Don’t take the temporary, quick route, out of haste; it’s simply not worth it!

Further considerations would be the huge can of worms of trailerable boats.  When I learned that one could have a boat/travel trailer combo unit, I couldn’t believe it, my favorite being the trailerable houseboat, towed by a van camper or truck camper.  This is a viable path, indeed, marinas can be very cheap rent wise, and the boat could serve double duty as a camper on land when on the trailer!  I will save this subject for the future as this article is getting too long already.

Other questions that come up from the youth concern school bus conversions, bread trucks and other unique RV’s?  I caution with the advice. DON”T!  It’s bad enough to possibly look different physically like I do, than to also hold up a sign over oneself, LOOK AT ME!  Also be aware of the fact, that many, if not the majority of RV parks will not let in a school bus or other homemade contraption, no matter how nice it is.  There is also a rule that many RV parks use, the rule of “10 years or younger”, that they will pull out if they don’t want you taking residence.  It states that your rig must be 10 years in age or less, and will use it to discriminate.

Do yourself a favor, and set yourself up to thrive.  Nature’s Superhero’s need to be a little bit discreet for now, if they plan on helping the rest of humanity without getting personally hassled constantly, though I’m NOT a good example as far as physically fitting in. [pic]

Build Or Buy?

Building your own RV is indeed an attractive proposition too.  I was seduced and enamored by the idea.  I wanted to build a towable houseboat to function as both travel trailer and houseboat, I mean, what’s not to like there?  Luckily, I decided to build a truck camper first to learn woodworking, fiberglassing etc., the skills of the boat-building trade.

The problem with building your own, especially for someone with lot’s of ambition, and little experience, is that one underestimates the amount of work that you have to output to complete a monumental task such as building something sizable.  God forbid, you’re working a job of any kind, as that will drag the project on and on and…

I only recommend that someone with years of experience in carpentry and all things mechanical take on something like that.  Of course, for those that ARE up to the task, you end up with something completely all your own and unique, like no other, which is the pull that sucked me in.  Please, don’t take this option lightly!  Build a small project like a dinghy rowboat first to determine if you have what it takes.

By the way, I NEVER finished the camper, instead selling it off, and buying a too small travel trailer, though we had the time of our lives, and hit the road; another cautionary tale for ya!

Financing or Purchasing Outright

There are different schools of thought on purchasing outright, or financing the purchase of an RV.  My thoughts are that, if you are still working, or have an established internet business already, financing is a viable option.  Usually the caution comes from seniors preparing to fulltime on a fixed budget, in an effort to squeeze into a fixed income.

The fact is that, you could finance an a nice 5^th wheel or travel trailer, and pay the monthly rent in a nice RV park, for less than the rent on an apartment nowadays, without all the first and last plus deposit hassles, with the added bonus, that the rig is yours, (well at least theoretically), to do what you want as far as modifications.

Things You’ve Got To Get Right

By far, one of the most important things to get right, is to make sure your rig is safe and adequate for the journey.  Dealers want to sell units, not make sure that the tow vehicle is up to the job of towing; they just don’t care.  Do your homework and study tow ratings to make sure you have a good match.

The same goes for the overall cargo carrying capacity for your chosen rig.  Be sure that it has an adequate rating for your overall cargo load.  I will talk in future articles where and how to determine this.  Search for Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and similar on the internet, if you need to get going now for an education.

Additionally, as stated previously try and purchase the best quality rig you can afford, as regards insulation, real wood cabinets, quality construction like fiberglass siding, a decent warranty and so on.  Take your time, get these details right, and you’ve got an awesome adventurous Life ahead of you!

This concludes our survey of additional thoughts on nomadic homes.  Hope it gives you fuel for the collective campfire, and most importantly, spares you some of the grief I’ve encountered from hard lessons learned. If you’ve got some hilarious and/or tragic stories, share them in the comments section if you want.

Happy nomadics!

Tags: 5th wheel, fulltime, motorhome, rv, travel trailer