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This category was probably the most important of all those researched during the planning stage as the decisions made here were about OUR HOME for the next 3 years. We would literally be living with the consequences of these decisions and would have constant reminders of any mistakes.
There are five main types of RV's in the USA:
Truck Camper - A Trailer Shell fitted into the back of a Pick-up truck.
Not suited for long term occupation.
Class A Motorhome - Looks like a European Coach (BUS). Winnebago probably the most famous.
Class C Motorhome - Same as European Motorhome, bedroom above the drivers cabin.
Most expensive option although Class C is less expensive than Class A. Most pull a car behind the Motorhome for run-about use when on site which makes for a long combined length and extra cost. We would need to tow a vehicle capable of handling forest roads for access to mountain walks.
There are some "Horror Stories" around regarding the stability of some expensive Class A Motorhomes, but we have no personal experience of this.
Travel Trailer - Same as European caravan - is attached to the rear bumper of the tow vehicle.
Fifth Wheel - Hitches in the bed of a pick-up truck, similar to an articulated lorry connection.
Travel Trailer is less expensive than Fifth Wheel. The Fifth Wheel combined length is less as some of the trailer is inside the truck. Fifth Wheel has much better towing stability and more robust construction.
By choosing a Fifth Wheel:
We can have the living area required but keep the overall length and cost down (part of the trailer inside the truck, no car to tow behind).
Have good towing stability - our 34 foot tows like a dream.
Have a home suitable for winter (Snowbirding) and full time living.
Have a tow vehicle (Ford F350 truck) able to handle forest roads.
Literally months of study required here as the menu is large and varied. Some expensive RV's owe their cost more to luxurious interior fittings than robust and safe construction, take care! The main sources of information were:
RV Consumer Group - Publication gives rating of quality, safety, type of use and resale value. You need to take out a years subscription but this is Dollars well spent!
RV Buyers Guide- Publication from Trailer Life which gives extensive list of makes and prices.
The two factors which contribute to the size of your RV are the length and the number of slideouts (don't know if it is possible to buy a new or nearly new RV without slideouts).
Slideouts - These are extensions to the width of the RV which are extended on a hydraulic system when on site and retracted when travelling. When retracted they do not allow a lot of space for moving about inside the RV. Normal areas for slideout are lounge (typically 36" width extension) and bedroom (typically 20"). In the past some RV's had kitchen slideouts but the weight caused problems. Most of the teething problems with slideouts have now been solved? Buying an RV which has the early slideouts would require careful research.
Length - It is possible to buy RV's up to 40 foot in length. Obviously the longer the RV the more weight to be moved around. It is possible in the longer RV's to have 3 slideouts, 2 lounge, 1 bedroom.
The size of your RV has to be a personal decision as you are living in it, towing or driving it and paying for it.
Other considerations to take into account when deciding on the length and number of slideouts is the availability and accessibility of RV sites (See below).
Most if not all states require the RV to be licensed and display a license plate. The cost varies from state to state. Some states charge X dollars per $1000 of value per year. This can be in the region of several hundred dollars. California & Washington states operate that charging system whereas Oregon charges a flat fee of $130 for 2 years! The cost of licenses, taxes etc. vary across states but we read that it is best to have Address, Driving, Tow vehicle and RV licenses all from the same state. Many states will not issue licenses unless you have a resident address in that state.
There are quite a few companies which provide RV insurance but probably only 3 or 4 that really cater for fulltimers. Most policies are built around the fact that a homeowner in the USA already has insurance associated with their house that covers them whilst travelling in their RV. However if you are a fulltimer without a home in the USA you do not have that protection and this must be added to your RV insurance. This increases the cost when compared with others on the market but as always you get the coverage you pay for! The two major RV'ing organizations have their favoured companies, offering discounts to members. We arranged our insurance through an Insurance broker in Oregon (Miller Insurance Agency) who are specialists in RV insurance (they also arranged our truck insurance). The cost depends on the value of the RV and the level of Deductible (excess in UK terminology) you decide upon. The cost for a value of $35000 with $500 Deductibles was approximately $550.
Various publications are available listing and rating RV sites but the two we have found most useful are Woodall's and Trailer Life Directory. There are local guides available which give a more extensive listing for a particular state.
Most RV's have onboard tanks which collect Grey Water (washing up) and Black water (Sewer) and if the hookups are not provided the site will have a Dump Station where these tanks can be emptied.
RV's also have onboard fresh water tanks for those sites which do not provide a water supply.
Many RV's (particularly Motorhomes) have a gasoline generator and/or solar panels for sites which do not have Electric.
Many RV's have Satellite Television facilities (some built in) after all you can't be without quality television for too long?
These vary from site to site but generally include:
Electric Hookups - 30 Ampere (some 20, some 50). Larger RV's may require 50A (fewer sites provide).
Water Hookups - connected directly to the municipal water supply, or in some cases a private well.
Sewer Hookups - connected to a municipal sewer drain or septic tank. (A major topic of RV conversation).
Cable TV Hookups - 20+ channels of quality television?
Refuse facilities, Toilet/Shower block, Coin operated laundry.
Some RV sites are providing access to a telephone line for E-Mail access but you must use a FREE number i.e. Local or 1-800 number. A few RV sites put a telephone lines(s) in a recreation room for E-Mail and general Internet access. Even fewer are offering a Telephone Hookup directly into the RV as most RV's have a telephone point built in.
RV sites are freely available in all the areas we have visited to date. There are sufficient sites to take any size of RV but the bigger the RV the less choice. Some National and State parks have length restrictions and many National Forest RV sites have a no slideout rule (the cost to upgrade the sites is beyond their budget). National Forest parks generally have a length restriction commonly about 22 foot. There is no cost penalty to site a large RV.
When we chose a 34 foot Fifth Wheel we knew we would not be able to get as close to some walks (many in National Forests) as we would have liked but considered we needed the space for full time living.
The main RV organizations are the Good Sam Club and Escapees. these organizations are similar in concept to European camping clubs. They provide insurance, financial and breakdown/travel services. Membership entitles you to discounts on site fees, typically 10%. We have joined both organizations and Good Sam ($15/Annum) has already paid for itself in site discounts. Escapees have a series of seminars on RV'ing each year which we attended this spring and that repaid our fees easily. They are strong on site discounts in the southern states which we will be visiting in the winter. KOA (Campground Owners of America) sites are of a high standard but their pricing reflects this. Membership is available for $10/annum which entitles you to a 10% discount on site fees.
There are other organizations which for payment of an annual fee provide larger discounts at selected sites. The less expensive of these (Passport America) $20/annum have restrictions of timing and length of stay. The more expensive $1000+ (Campground Memberships) and an annual fee are more like a Timeshare arrangement and provide inexpensive basic site fees of $6/night. As always all of these should be investigated thoroughly before parting with cash or signing pieces of paper! We always work on the principle of the less the apparent expense the more research required!
There are a few publications which give advice on FREE RV parking (Walmart car parks) but we have not yet plucked up the courage to try any of these.
Obviously these vary from site to site, state to state (believe California is expensive, apparently it costs more to park your car for 8 hours in LA than it does to park an RV overnight, with Hookups, in Oregon). Most sites operate a Daily, Weekly, Monthly and Seasonal rate. Our site costs in Oregon/Washington for full Hookups (Water, Sewer, Electric, Cable TV) have varied from $13/night to $23/night. Sites without Hookups are much less expensive $8 to $12 and some National Forest sites are free (but we are too long).
When you look at the list of facilities and equipment fitted to RV's in the USA you can imagine that the list of accessories would be endless! well you are correct. There are Sewer Hoses, supports for the hoses (which type are best for which type of terrain), chemical (no formaldehyde), cleaning of tanks and hoses etc. etc. etc. An awning, lights for the awning, Electric Mosquito Zappers for the awning, a stepladder to hang the lights and the Zappers, supports to stop it blowing away? (if it had blown away to start with we could have saved all that money?) etc. etc. etc. Everyone you meet has another useless (sorry useful) accessory to add to your list which you can obtain from your local Walmart, K-Mart or hardware store and all so inexpensive? The best accessories though come from Camping World a national chain (but slightly more expensive) because there never seems to be a branch nearby when your friendly neighbour tells you about this new wonder gadget! Now you have a problem, do you move the RV 150 miles near to a Camping World store or do you do a day trip and hope you don't miss any other great accessories when you are there? There are supports for the slideouts, supports for the nose of the fifth wheel, a barbecue, sun chairs, picnic tables, water hoses (white) and couplers, hoses (green) and fittings with brushes for washing truck and RV. Do not worry salvation is at hand, it's pay back time, here comes this months novice and pretty soon you are telling them about all the wonderful accessories they can get at their local Walmart, K-Mart or hardware store. Of course in reserve you have Camping World! - they are off, fill the truck with gasoline, rise at the crack of dawn, return at dusk with a truckful of gadgets. Now is the time to move on to the next site while they figures out what they are going to do with it all and when?
Hyperlinks that may be of interest:
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