Newcomer Questions

[Ryan Wright]

Allen,

I haven't had my bird a month yet and have never full timed in an RV,
so take everything I say with a huge grain of salt. That said:

I bought a PT-40 and I'm very glad I did. I wouldn't want anything
smaller, to be honest, not for the weekend warrior type camping I plan
to do and certainly not for full timing. I'm the type who likes to be
prepared and independent. I don't like looking for a laundromat and
then waiting around several hours to wash my clothes. I like having
huge storage tanks so I can fill up once and not deal with it for the
next thousand miles. I shop at Costco so I always have thirty extra
rolls of toilet paper handy and eight huge, juicy steaks in my
freezer.

If we didn't have kids at home, my wife and I could full time in this
RV (as soon as I add that washer/dryer). No problem. Anything smaller,
no way. This one's big enough for two people and their stuff and all
of the amenities and it has amazing fuel, water, & holding capacities,
not to mention more storage than I know what to do with. Now, I know
many people full time in smaller vehicles and use laundromats and so
on but I'm not one of them. I like my privacy, my independence, and
the feeling of security I get from being fully stocked up and able to
last for long(er) periods of time without help from the world. (It's
part convenience, part paranoia.)

Certainly there are downsides to the larger vehicle (more expensive to
buy and operate, can't get in to some parks, slightly more difficult
to maneuver, etc) but for me, the pluses far, far outweigh the
minuses.

BTW, I talked to a guy down the street who has been full timing in a
PT-40 for several years and he loves it. After having mine, even for
such a short time, I can fully see why. This size vehicle is very
livable with few, if any, sacrifices necessary.

-Ryan
'86 PT-40 8V92
Tri-Cities, WA


On 5/16/07, skip_slade <skip@...> wrote:
>
> Hello to All,
>
> My wife and I are now in our early sixties and are seriously
> contemplating full-timing for a few years. We anticipate spending
> much of the winter well south of the Mason-Dixon and summers in the
> northeast. We'd probably put approximately two to three thousand
> miles a year on any rig purchased.
>
> I have long admired the BlueBird approach to RVing; however, I must
> admit that my knowledge in this area is shallow at best. My wife and
> I would greatly appreciate any comments from current full-timers
> regarding years and models to look for as well as features that are
> considered truly indispensable. When considering any used unit, are
> there problem areas that consistently appear and for which we
> definitely should be on the lookout?
>
> Also, we are determined to avoid purchasing more vehicle than is
> necessary. Generally speaking, what minimum size seems to function
> properly for most full-timers and provide the best compromise between
> convenience and maneuverability? Anyone wishing to offer rough
> estimates on annual utility costs are encouraged to do so.
>
> Thanks in advance to anyone willing to take the time and make the
> effort.
>
> Allen Jarvis
> Merchantville, N.J.