[Murf the Surf]

So this might be a departure but here goes, and no doubt there will be opinions. My wife just retired and I've been retired for a few years. We are both 61, fit and active. Our plan for retirement in the winter months was to go south, rent a house or AirBnB for January to March, the prices have gone through the roof. We could manage it, but can't justify it. We have been boaters, 36' Sailboat and 30+' powerboats so like the gypsy lifestyle. We have lots of friends who do the motorhome thing, and we like the vibe but we think a travel trailer might be more our speed.

We are looking at Airstreams, not as cheap or roomy as other travel trailers but they suit us, my wife is eclectic, she likes marching to the beat of a different drum and so do I.

The cash outlay is a bit more upfront but renting a "pad" for a few months is cheaper and the ability to road trip and see different places really appeals to us.

We're just bought a Ram 1500 ecodiesel which can tow a trailer up to 30' easily, we are looking at a 28' trailer this weekend.

Call me crazy Rhoda (the old folks will get that), so let me have it. Is this stupid, I can take the feedback, advice, thoughts and opinions. You can't hurt my feelings because I don't have any.

[RickFLM4]

Personally, I have never considered traveling in RV's or motorhomes. Big upfront investment, lots of gasoline and hookup fees must approach the cost of AirBnB or moderate hotel, which are (IMO) more comfortable. So if it were me, I'd be all for road trips to see different places, but would prefer to do it in a car or SUV and stay in hotel or AirBnB, but really just a personal preference thing.

If you do decide it might be something for you, I suggest renting one for a week or two and going on a trip to try it out before buying.

[Murf the Surf]

Originally Posted by RickFLM4

Personally, I have never considered traveling in RV's or motorhomes. Big upfront investment, lots of gasoline and hookup fees must approach the cost of AirBnB or moderate hotel, which are (IMO) more comfortable. So if it were me, I'd be all for road trips to see different places, but would prefer to do it in a car or SUV and stay in hotel or AirBnB, but really just a personal preference thing.

If you do decide it might be something for you, I suggest renting one for a week or two and going on a trip to try it out before buying.

We have crunched the numbers at nauseum. Hotels, motels and AirBnB have become really expensive. I can get a pad in south Texas for $1000 a month.

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by Murf the Surf

We have crunched the numbers at nauseum. Hotels, motels and AirBnB have become really expensive. I can get a pad in south Texas for $1000 a month.

How much is the Airstream?

[Murf the Surf]

Originally Posted by RickFLM4

How much is the Airstream?

$70K CAD

[vreihen16]

I'm actually facing a similar dilemma right now. I have the Mighty Dodge with a Cummins diesel and 6-speed manual, and it can tow a house and not even break a sweat. Two weeks ago, I spent over a grand in diesel fuel (not towing anything) and even more in hotels for a week-long road trip.

Living in the woods in upstate NY and owning a tree farm down south, one thing that I can say from experience is that parked campers quickly become mouse/rodent nests. No way would I drop "keeping up with the Jones' " mortgage-crazy payments on something that would be eaten to shreds in a few months! I just looked at the web site of our area's RV dealer, and they are getting more than I paid for our house back in 2005 for a Ram ProMaster van converted into a Class B RV! Even tow-behind campers are approaching 6-figures...American dollars.

TL;DR - I'm looking for a well-used Mercedes Sprinter high-roof cargo van, to do my own conversion into a stealth RV. I don't need a big screen TV or whirlpool tub in a camper, and being able to "Wally-Dock" overnight at a Wal-Mart or truck stop without drawing attention is a plus to me. As a bonus, they are easy to stand up in and walk around to stretch the aching bones while on the road, and seem like they would be a more comfortable road trip vehicle than the Mighty Dodge.

I can't leave an RV or camper at the tree farm for weekend getaways due to zoning, so having one vehicle that gets us there/back and lets us boondock off-grid for a few days works for us.....

[Bingham]

Cool post Murf.

My wife and I are starting to think about life after work and seeing the US and the world on our terms as well…

IMO, trailer or otherwise- if that “something”, and you have the responsible financial means, is going to be a major part of your life spend the money and don’t look back.

The only thing that has me hung up on road-tripping across the country is the towing aspect.

I absolutely fukin HATE towing shit.

I’ve been pretty lucky, however, I’ve seen and helped out with a couple significant trailering incidents. Only a matter of time before something will go wrong and typically it’s fairly major…accident or break down.

And I don’t consider myself soft or fire Marshall Bob. Towing is just super unforgiving imo and I’m not getting any younger.

I salute ur sense of adventure sir!

Be well.

B.

[Nativetexan]

I'd say go for the Sprinter Van RV style.

My in laws had an airstream and RV trailers just seem like more of a commitment to keep going.

My neighbor has a Mercedes Sprinter RV van and is always gone in that thing.

Seeing him has sold me on the idea of it. It's unique too!

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by Nativetexan

I'd say go for the Sprinter Van RV style.

My in laws had an airstream and RV trailers just seem like more of a commitment to keep going.

My neighbor has a Mercedes Sprinter RV van and is always gone in that thing.

Seeing him has sold me on the idea of it. It's unique too!

+1

My grandparents had one of these and they loved it. Good on fuel, easy to maneuver and drive, can park it pretty much anywhere. Airstreams are certainly cool, but it really depends on where you want to go. Dragging a trailer around everywhere can be a huge PITA, and IMO adds another layer to a road trip.

[dreamingat30fps]

In 2017 after I got laid off from my job I sold both cars I had at the time for an F150 and my gf sold her car and got a beater focus. Bought a travel trailer and hit the road (having never owned a truck and definitely never towed anything). Between 2017 and 2019 we would travel around the country each year between 3-5 months out of the year.

I would say it's the best time I've had. You can't compare traveling in your own home to airbnbs and flying etc. We have ALL our stuff with us all the time. We don't have to pack and unpack, no matter where we go, there's our house with all our things. It's not something I expected to enjoy as much as I did.

My only advise is if you plan to actually travel (vs just parking it in one spot) then I probably wouldn't spend a ton of $$ on your first RV. I really believe that once you start traveling you will better understand your travel "style" and what type of RV works best for you.

For example we are 99% campground people. We don't really boondock, we don't tend to go out into crazy remote areas, we like to have our electric, water etc. So for us a travel trailer worked great as we could just leave it at the campground and have a truck to travel around and see the area. We did not go with an airstream because of cost and space. For us slide outs were a must as they just give you so much more room and airstream does not offer any.

Some people prefer to go out to more crazy terrain and boondock most of the time. Something smaller like a sprinter and fitted with solar and batteries etc would work better for that. The thing to keep in mind when going the motorized RV route is that it either needs to be small enough to drive it around town when you get somewhere or you then have to tow a vehicle behind it. You also have 2 engines to deal with now, more tires etc. However some people prefer that style of traveling so it really depends.

We ended up selling the original RV we bought and getting another bigger one a year later. We took it up to Maine with the F150 and decided the new one was too big, even though it wasn't much more on paper than our old one 28' vs 30'. Ended up upgrading to an F350 and headed west for like 5 months.

The main thing when towing is payload. While most half ton trucks will claim to be able to tow quite large trailers, they run out of payload capacity real quick, especially when optioned up. My Platinum F150 only had about 1400lbs of payload. Although I believe a 28' airstream should not be too bad.

Another thing to keep in mind is RVing is hooooot right now. 30% was the standard discount on RVs. Everyone knew if you didn't get at least 30% off you were getting fucked. As far as I know that is out the window now. Not sure what discounts if any they are giving these days. Also if you plan to travel I've heard campgrounds and rv parks are packed. It was tough sometimes to find places when we were traveling, especially since we did not plan any of it so we usually had to find places on the spot. I can't imagine now with the huge influx of people getting RVs.

Still I would say go for it. For us it was an awesome experience. We hope to start doing it again soon, maybe shorter trips to the states around NC.

[HFW003]

Yeah nah!!!!!!!!

[2000cs]

Its not for me; I prefer a very comfortable ride and average hotel, etc.

I have a good friend who has always had motor homes. He recently bought a new one, Not max length but one size smaller. Brand new, $115k. Negotiated hard to get the deal (sticker north of $150k).

Tore out the electrical and rewired with solar panels on the roof and batteries below deck sufficient to provide all electrical needs. Has a propane heater if needed, AC, shower, head, galley, water, bed, pop-outs both sides, big screen tv, etc.

After refitting it, he and GF took off on a 6-month tour of the USA. Their set up allows them to go anywhere, and so far looks like its been fun. By the end of the trip they’ll know if they’re right for each other.

He is all-in on motor homes. I think if I wanted to try it for a while I’d rent one, then decide what features I really want and need before committing.

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by Murf the Surf

So this might be a departure but here goes, and no doubt there will be opinions. My wife just retired and I've been retired for a few years. We are both 61, fit and active. Our plan for retirement in the winter months was to go south, rent a house or AirBnB for January to March, the prices have gone through the roof. We could manage it, but can't justify it. We have been boaters, 36' Sailboat and 30+' powerboats so like the gypsy lifestyle. We have lots of friends who do the motorhome thing, and we like the vibe but we think a travel trailer might be more our speed.

We are looking at Airstreams, not as cheap or roomy as other travel trailers but they suit us, my wife is eclectic, she likes marching to the beat of a different drum and so do I.

The cash outlay is a bit more upfront but renting a "pad" for a few months is cheaper and the ability to road trip and see different places really appeals to us.

We're just bought a Ram 1500 ecodiesel which can tow a trailer up to 30' easily, we are looking at a 28' trailer this weekend.

Call me crazy Rhoda (the old folks will get that), so let me have it. Is this stupid, I can take the feedback, advice, thoughts and opinions. You can't hurt my feelings because I don't have any.

You are young, healthy, have the time, like the gypsy lifestyle, and like to travel. I'd say go for it!

We were at a campground last year next to a couple in their 70s who had a smallish Airstream trailer. They were all set up with everything its place and sitting outside enjoying life. My grand kids and I were walking by and stopped to say hello. They showed the kids inside and talked about how much fun they were having traveling around.

I don't know the trailer market, but I'd think about a used trailer. If you really like the life, you can always sell it and upgrade.

Just do it already!

[ryan stewart]

Id do it. One nice thing about the airstream is youre bringing more of your lifestyle with you. Hotels are more comfortable but with the trailer you will have a kitchen, more of your personal stuff, etc.

Im thinking of an overland camper when I get tired of work or go full remote.

[Murf the Surf]

I appreciate all the replies. We talked about Motorhomes, a few friends have them but the thought of towing a car behind it isn't too appealing, and the cost of gas/diesel. My one friend gets about 6 mpg. From what we've seen and learned our truck pulling a 7000lb trailer should do about 12 mpg.

This will primarily be a 2-3 month holiday, so as much as we like hotels, we'd need something with a kitchenette or an AirBnB (which was our first choice) but the cost is stupid, about $200/night is the best we can find for something we could live with.

Those stealth campers are slick but we don't want to fold down the sofa to sleep every night and frankly just too cramped.

[Tommy-G]

I love the idea of packing up the fur kids in an RV and touring the country, no plans…just GO!
There is an Airstream dealer by Disney and they look awesome

[kscarrol]

How much rum can the airstream hold?

[Buug959]

Originally Posted by kscarrol

How much rum can the airstream hold?

It doesn't have to hold much. You can buy it most everywhere.

[ryan stewart]

Originally Posted by Murf the Surf

Those stealth campers are slick but we don't want to fold down the sofa to sleep every night and frankly just too cramped.

Yeah they are "cool" Ive rented one. They are great for an overlanding trip or something but the whole "van life" can get really old really quickly.

[Josh-PA]

I'd check the used market, as a lot of people jump into the rv lifestyle with both feet only to realize it isn't for them. Ont he other hand, airstream are so "cult classic' compared to othe rrvs thay they may not see the same depreciation. If you decide mercedes sprinter, Def go used.

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by Buug959

It doesn't have to hold much. You can buy it most everywhere.

Actually most rvs have a fresh water tank. On ours it's around 50ish gallons and honestly…. who needs water?? So it can hold a fair bit of rum.

[Buug959]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

Actually most rvs have a fresh water tank. On ours it's around 50ish gallons and honestly…. who needs water?? So it can hold a fair bit of rum.

I like the way you think.