Learn me class a motorhomes

A job opportunity seems to be shaping up that I don’t think I’ll be able to resist but it’s far from home (2hrs each way), swmbo is working on her doctorate and working here, and I have split custody of my daughter so moving far away is very impractical. The job opportunity is at a facility where there is a campground on site and I thought it would be a pretty decent compromise to buy a used class a camper and station it at the track to stay in a couple days during the week to cut down on commute time etc., as well as to have the rest of the time to use with the fam. 

It seems like these might be a bucket of snakes soaked in aids if you get the wrong one so I’m trying to do some research before going in head first. Id like something between $10 and $20k and from the cl/fb marketplace searching ive done but as I said, I’m just brainstorming this idea. 

Thanks in advance for insight!

Motor homes are either great on the road or great to live in. Never both.  

Decide your priority.  

Perhaps I’ve overstated it and decent is more appropriate.  

$10k buys a lot of nights in an extended stay motel. 

Steve_Jones said:

$10k buys a lot of nights in an extended stay motel. 

I'd like you to know that practical, smart advice like this is not well tolerated around here. 

Do you have a tow vehicle? A travel trailer will be cheaper and have less stuff to go wrong. Can you just leave it at the campground? $10-20k will buy you a very nice, recent TT.

No tow rig here. 

Would consider pulling a race trailer with the class a if it was in the cards to have a garage/ car with me and to be able to stay at tracks around the country. 

It’s early to tell but whether it can stay there year round would be a deciding factor in this. 

Don't know what the winter would be like living in a class a class a motorhome, I’m sure there would be challenges. 

A new motorhome is a vast and compicated array of mechanical and electric systems that you pay an arm and a leg for, and in most cases comes with a warranty and good dealer support for the inevitable issues that arise. A used motorhome is like taking a poorly constructed spec home with a bad roof and marrying it to an 80's era British luxury car, neither of which have been looked after. Ask the man who owns one. 

Have you considered an equivalently priced newer pickup/truck camper rather than than a cheap old class a?

Two of my favorite people tow a vintage red Alfa with a smallish class A motorhome all over the country.  They are currently at solo nationals for the 100%th time.  The Schweikles can do it, so can you.

For a max budget of 20K I’d look for a 10-15K RV in places where people retire (Florida or Arizona) because they tend to be cheap there as grandpa realizes his dream of wandering the American road in his own apartment is more difficult and expensive than he’d anticipated.  

Driven5 said:

Have you considered an equivalently priced newer pickup/truck camper rather than than a cheap old class a?

Unfortunately up here (Massachusetts) a 10-15k pickup isn’t much truck for the money, usually it seems to be a used up rusty toilet. 

Carbon said:

It seems like these might be a bucket of snakes soaked in aids

That's pretty much how I'd describe them- but you're a good mechanic, right?  You can probably handle it but expect everything to be incredibly poorly built and generally broken all the time.  The good news is that it seems like, at least in my area, people have no idea how to price them or whether theirs is in "good" condition.  So you'll find total dumpsterfires for $10k but also some totally serviceable (with work) stuff for $2k, with absolutely no indications in the ad or pictures as to which is which- good luck!

Would the onsite camping be free for you?  Does it have water/sewage/electrical service?  If any of those are a "no" I'd just get a van or SUV, make a very basic sleeping setup, and call it good enough.

How about traveling to get this:  https://lasvegas.craigslist.org/rvs/d/henderson-2005-ford-f550-4x4-truck/6969542467.html

frenchyd said:

Motor homes are either great on the road or great to live in. Never both.  

Decide your priority.  

 

Perhaps I’ve overstated it and decent is more appropriate.  

I've lived in an RV for about a combined third of my life including about 6 years full time.  I don't mind it a bit.

For your situation, I think a motorhome of any kind is the worst possible vehicle, though.  Borrow a 3/4 ton truck from a buddy and get a towable.  None of the maintenance of a motor vehicle, cheaper registration, and (depending on the state) no insurance required.  Even if it is required, it's much cheaper than a 20,000 lb motorized death brick.

If you're really just spending a few nights a week in it, you don't even need a big one.  You basically need a roof, a toilet, a bed, and a coffee maker.  Chances are you have something in your stable that will tow an 18-footer.  Still have the FJ?  Bingo.

Avoid slide-outs.  Avoid popups and hybrids.  Just get a box with the stuff you need.  Cheap, easy, done.

Carbon said:

 

Don't know what the winter would be like living in a class a class a motorhome, I’m sure there would be challenges. 

Yes.  Challenges is a good word.  You'll have to winterize it and take jugs of water.  In a house, you can lose heat and power and be good for 24 hours.  In an RV, that is more like 2 hours.  Your holding tank will become a urine and poop ice cube which won't hurt anything, but it means you can't dump the tanks until spring when it thaws.

I have done it, but it is a very active thing and you really need to be with the RV in case something happens.  Or, winterize it and take jugs of water.  But no slide room.  They get condensation and ice damming around the seams and you'll have ice cubes falling off the wall.

More later... have to pretend like I'm working today.

In reply to Curtis :

You're absolutely right about living in them during the winter.  In the summer without air conditioning they really do turn into an oven.  Both problems are the lack of good insulation and thin walls.  

Plumbing really has a problem with the vibration and jouncing of life on the road.  To keep weight down fixtures tend to be as light as possible which certainly doesn’t bode well for issue free plumbing. Plus plumbing is usually put in without regard for maintenance or service.  

Having given you plenty of Wine ;) The good news is there are fantastic deals out there, but not on websites usually.  On church bulletin boards, small town newspapers, word of mouth, from a friend of a friend sorta thing.  

Grandpa took care of his RV, it was his lifelong dream, sorta thing.  Now  Grandma or the kids don’t know what to do with it.  

I lived for 2 years in a 16 foot one while I was in the Navy. But 1/3 of it was the bathroom with a Tub. 1/3 was a kitchen with near full sized appliances and the last was the bedroom.  

It was comfortable, very near maintenance free, and had been in the trailer park all of its life.  

That’s what you want, motorhome, or Trailer that has not had much use.  Maybe a decade or two out of style.  

No help with the motorhome, but with the situation I'd really sit down and put pen to paper to determine the following: 

• Total cost of ownership for 2 years (or however long) on the motorhome
• Total cost of staying in a hotel/motel for that time
• Current property values and cost of ownership for 2 years of a studio apartment (or 1 bedroom etc.); potentially factor in Airbnb if it is in a desireable location to offset costs
• Scour the craigslist ads and figure out what it would cost to rent a studio/etc.

Seems like a motorhome would be the best way forward, but without putting pencil to paper how would you know? 

As someone who has had a not very good class a for 19 years, and lived in it for 3, and since has had a really nice one for the last 6 years, I will say that for this application a tow pig and a trailer is probably the best way to go. But with that budget, if you're thinking class a fits your needs for future use, a really good used one can be had. Late 80's to mid 90's 250k when new top of the line diesel pushers are in that price range and one that's been properly stored and cared for will have plenty of life left in it. To save time, look for Foretravel, Beaver, or Blue bird coaches (and maybe Country Coach as the last option). Ignore everything else. Of those 4, Foretravel is the only non-orphan. All these are built more like yachts and less like crappy plywood and plastic disposables. Foretravels are built in Texas and they understand heat issues and do surprisingly well at not turning into ovens. Blue Birds are probably the most complex civilian vehicles ever unleashed on the market. We adore our 36' mobile vacay cabin, it carries half a ton of water, 80 gallons of propane,  3 8D batteries and enough roof solar to keep em charged, and has enough basement storage to carry all my rallycar spares when used as the service rig. With the purchase price, tires, radiator replacement and sundries, we're in it for a bit under 20k. But really, for your scenario they are all overkill. Buy a 10k truck and an 8k trailer. Better yet buy an 8k trailer and borrow a tow pig once to get it there and once to haul it back when done. Sell when circumstances change. You'll prolly get most of your money back. 

I like the: buy a plain pull behind camper and leave it at the campsite idea.(Curtis) Borrow a truck once, sell it where it sits.

mtn said:

No help with the motorhome, but with the situation I'd really sit down and put pen to paper to determine the following: 

• Total cost of ownership for 2 years (or however long) on the motorhome
• Total cost of staying in a hotel/motel for that time
• Current property values and cost of ownership for 2 years of a studio apartment (or 1 bedroom etc.); potentially factor in Airbnb if it is in a desireable location to offset costs
• Scour the craigslist ads and figure out what it would cost to rent a studio/etc.

Seems like a motorhome would be the best way forward, but without putting pencil to paper how would you know? 

If Carbon is anything like me, he likely doesn't care about a few dollars either way.  Maybe he isn't like me.  Once I figure out the plan I want to do, I just go about doing it.

Me, personally, I wouldn't care if an RV was twice what a hotel was in the long run.  Not sleeping in someone else's urine and semen is priceless.  Not to mention, you can have your own place and not have to pack a toothbrush and extra clothes, first aid, tylenol... it's all already there.  That's the nice thing about the trailer I leave at the lake.  I can go for a weekend and all I have to take is a little food and beer.  I don't have to pack a single thing.

It's a shame because I just sold a 32' Holiday Rambler TT that was in excellent condition and would have been perfect.  It was really nice, and despite my abusing it (leaving it out in Canadian winters for 17 years, living in it for three months a year) it had no problems.  I did have to buy a $30 circuit board for the fridge, and I chose to tear out the carpet and put down linoleum, but for a used and abused 1992 trailer, it held up better than my house.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ said:

How about traveling to get this:  https://lasvegas.craigslist.org/rvs/d/henderson-2005-ford-f550-4x4-truck/6969542467.html

Living in that would be more of an adventure than what I’m looking for. The class a thing would be so I can go to work fresh and survive this whole thing semi long term. 

$4,500 in Baltimore. NMNA. 

I know nothing about motorhomes other than the advice on here.

I do wonder about the strap inside the vehicle.  That looks iffy.

Is that a strap or the top of a razr scooter?

In reply to CJ :

ah.  Damn my eyes are getting lazy. 

Well?  Is the Baltimore motor home too far south or too small?  

nutherjrfan said:

Well?  Is the Baltimore motor home too far south or too small?  

Cool rig but for me, not swanky enough. If I was gonna live half my life in one of these things for years on end and be fresh for work every day, it’s gotta feel like home when I’m in it. The winter part scares me, especially when it’s unoccupied for several days a week every week.