Good afternoon, SKPs:

Yesterday Steven and I spent the afternoon at two RV dealers going through model after model looking and talking in great detail about the kind of floorplan that we think might best suit our needs. This is only our second trip out looking, but because after a while they all start to look the same, we decided to document our day on video. At the end of the day, we put together a little film, a kind of HGTV-style production we call "RV Hunters". (Episode One - The Floorplan.) So if you have a little spare time, please take a look! (Give it a minute to load, and it should just play.)

RV Hunters


Best,
Linda

I wrote a post regarding a little film Steven and I did yesterday while RV hunting, and the message has not appeared on the forum. I've read the terms of service and did not find anything restricting new members from posting URLs, so I wonder if I posted incorrectly? The post does show up in the "New Since Your Last Visit" section, but not in the "Beginning RVing" forum. Any thoughts on what I might have done to make this happen?

Best,
Linda

Oh. Nevermind, there it is. Sorry for all the posts.

Best,
Linda

Very nice movie - enjoyed it very much. We also are looking at new full time 5'ers also. We've been through probably 400 or more. Good luck in your search.

BRAVO, Linda & Steve! MORE!!! Lee

You do know that there are at least three manufacturers that will build whatever you can dream of? Space Craft in MO, Travel Units in IN, and New Horizons.

DIYguy, on this forum, has a really nice Space Craft with pictures for ideas.

Of course I'm partial to our Travel Units, I am waiting to get some interior "redecorating" done before photos.

Just don't sell yourself short on something you wil live in full time. These custom 5ers are only as expensive as you make them, if price is a concern.

It is my opinion you might as well get what you want on the first try and not just settle for what the larger manufacturers tell you can have.

Here are some links:

www.spacecraftmfg.com

www.travelunits.com

www.newhorizonsrv.com


Hope that helps.

Linda, loved the movie! Good job!

Looks like you are finding some "trade offs". As you drill down, you will come upon that one that is just the right fit!

You may want to look at the Titanium. I believe you mentioned in another post you will want to use it in colder climates as well?

Good hunting.

Mona

Watching your video right now and it's very entertaining, we have been on the road since 1992 and full time in an RV for 10 years.
The first question you asked was "What does it take to pack up?", Everything has to be packed up, you need to use anti slip pads in your cabinets, and secure your cabinets before you pull out, some people use Velcro, we use mini budgie cords, not attractive, however, after a few good bumps you will be glad you did something. No Glass.
You aren't going to find a rig with room for a 42 inch TV, we gave TV up completely, we get enough news on the Internet to keep us happy, and well we are having to much fun with our neighbors and adventures to watch TV, we do watch a movie every now and then but we can cuddle on the bed with our 17 inch laptop and do that.
Good Luck, we will keep watching and see what you end up with.

Very well done! The movie was not over edited and provided a sense of not taking it too seriously while the technical quality says you two are professionals. Leaving some of the out takes in kept it from appearing pretentious, and allowed us to get to like you Linda because of your focus and friendly cool! The information and questions you raised are excellent for the beginners, and perhaps experienced folks alike.

Some personal answers to a few of your questions.

Skylights. Nice, bright, and a major break in the all important roof insulation. One thing we'll never do again is a skylight over the shower. In cold climates the cold just comes down at you. If you find yourselves in extreme cold or have to spend some time in 100 degree summer temps they really take a lot from your climate control. IMO there is no such thing as a perfectly insulated RV of any type, just those that are adequate and comfortable, and the rest. Skylights can take you from adequate, to the rest. And yes they can leak over time, crack, deteriorate, and break from limbs that would bounce off a rubber roof with at most a patch repair.

In your next video where you get a bit closer show the dump valve/rinse set ups and the wiring from the batteries and in the boxes. As well show some of the storage bays and how the manufacturer laid out the visible water, heat/A/C ducts, and plumbing lines/electrical wires. The quality from one manufacturer to the next is very apparent there.

Two things you might want to add to your must have list. Dual pane thermal windows, and external probes for at least the black water tank (the internal probes are a pain to keep clean and rarely work well to show level in the black tank.) Heat gain and loss, in any structure mobile or not, is really significant through the windows if the insulation is adequate. But an added benefit from the thermal windows is sound control. They add a lot, both ways. Can keep your TV and stereo from intruding on the neighbors, and theirs from intruding on you. No not entirely, but for most situations significant.

As to your questions about the stuff that needs to be secured for travel, we have had both a rear living room and a rear kitchen. Some swear by each. We will never have a rear kitchen again because the construction zones and the bumps can really shake up the stored glassware and pantry, not to mention the stuff in the fridge. Believe it or not we just stuffed the throw pillows in the cabinets and they held everything together. Our glassware was put in a mason jar box we kept with dividers everytime we moved before we stuffed the throw pillows in the cabs. Just not in the fridge.

You may have noticed that Norcold and Dometic are pretty much the only choices in fridge brands. Both work, both have their fans and detractors. But you liked the double fridges, and I have a suggestion there. Before the large double door single unit fridges several manufacturers put two independant regular size fridges side by side with the doors oriented to the middle. If you are going to go with a big fridge, consider two together. Then you have the option of setting different temps in each, and if you do have a failure of one, you will have the other most likely still working to keep your food from spoiling while you wait for a repair.

Lastly, get an LCD rather than a plasma. It is better suited to vibration, and at altitude plasma may not even work above from 5000 feet to 7000 feet. The key specs for an LCD are viewing angle and access response time. Make sure it has 5 ms response, and the viewing angle is not always reliable from the written specs. Turn it on and check.

Just my take and nothing more, hope that helps.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: RV,

The thrill of the hunt! Your movie brings back memories.

BTW, we have a 42" HD Sony Bravia in our rig and it fits very nicely. In fact it looks like it belongs in the location I mounted it. While it would not work in many rigs, all rigs are different and almost anything is possible. It just depends on what you want.

One more thing. You did review some lesser brands and this is a tip many miss. The floor vents (heat) are usually blowing in both directions or off, and some don't even turn off.

Look at what the heat vents are aimed at. We had one that blew all the hot air into the 12 volt converter from about six inches away, adding to the heat there significantly! Are any heat vents aimed at appliances, or electronics from way too close?? I am not talking from a few feet away, I am talking 12 inches or less where they can contribute to a failure.

Remember, take what you can use and leave the rest.

Good job, Steve and Linda

We will be buying a motorhome instad of a 5er, but I found your video fun, informative and useful. Yes. Please do more,

It was nice to read that Rif could fit a 42" TV in their rig. That's a lot of TV.
Other good pointers where mentioned as well. Storage compartments, how your black and grey tank connects, and one I just learned from our neighbor. Just last Tuesday his rig was hit with lightening, it came down a tree, jumped from the tree to the slide out and into the rig, all of their power inverter and such where under the bed in the box, and repairs have been difficult because of that.

Nice video, and it does show a great deal of what must be dealt with, but it also points out some of the weaknesses in most new RVers shopping tactics.

I very much agree with Derek about the 42" TV. Plasma will be a major mistake. They are very sensitive to movement and they don't like to change altitudes. Most of the high end builders have gone back to the LCD types of TV.

We also agree on the skylight issue. It is difficult to find RVs that don't have them today because most RVs are sold more on appearance than on functionality. Given the choice, I would not have any.

On the dual pane windows, I would never consider any RV that does not have them for full-time use. Derek's reasons are only part of the problem. Condensation is nearly impossible to control in cool weather if you have the single pane windows and the window frames for most dual pane windows are also of much higher quality.

Having a preference for motorhomes, we don't address the rear kitchen issue. Packing up is very dependent upon what you set out and how you choose to decorate.

On the ice maker, I think that you will find that most fulltimers who ever have one, will never be without one again. It doesn't have to be an independent one but could be inside your freezer compartment, if space allows. If you have only the typical ice trays, you will be buying ice on a regular basis and in a few years will have paid for the ice maker that you don't have. And, you will need to store the ice that you purchase and won't have that space in the freezer anyway. RV refrigerators are very slow at freezing ice and it takes several hours for each ice tray to freeze.

Do learn about the convection ovens. The #1 mistake that we made in the kitchen was in not getting one. If you have one, you do not need the gas oven and RV ovens are too small to keep even temperatures like a home one does.

Refrigerator brands, I have had both and see no major issue over which is in any RV. Each one has have it's good and bad runs and for the most part both are quality products.

You show an MSRP and let me say that from what I saw it does appear to be the legit one. Every RV builder sends one with the unit but the dealers are not required to show them to you. I never deal with a seller who won't show it to me. If it does not have the elaborate top like those on cars have, it is probably created by the dealer and you can be assured that it has been inflated. That is a very common practice. If you don't see the MSRP, how can you possibly begin to compare prices and deals?

One thing that I did notice is that you seem to be comparing trailers with no thought to brand, quality, & weight issues. The Teton is one of the most heavy and high quality trailers built today while the Dutchman is toward the other end of the scale. I suggest that you narrow the range some as you get serious about buying.

Keep in mind that it will take much more truck to tow a Teton than most trailers. Look at the weights of the trailers and consider what tow truck you plan to buy before you set your floor plan. Larger heavier trailers will have more space and nicer interiors. Solid wood cabinets are much nicer than the vinyl wrapped particle board or plywood but they also cost and weigh much more. Most trailers in the Teton class require at least a medium duty truck to tow them and are too heavy to be safely towed by a pick-up. Also give thought to the length and the number of slides that you want. As you gain space in the trailer you will also increase the weight and the size of tow truck, as well as the size rig you will have to navigate the highways and campgrounds.

The other issue is one of quality. If you have not done so, I suggest that you spend time in study of the different manufacturers and their reputations and quality ratings. And if you have done so, you may want to address this in any future videos if you want them to be really helpful to new buyers. Far too many people buy based entirely on the visual side of the RV. What is hidden is usually more critical to the RV quality.

I am a very firm believer in the RV Consumer Group, especially for new buyers. Some manufacturers have become very talented at at making RVs which on the surface seem to be much like the ones from companies like Teton and Double Tree, but sell for much less.

I suggest that on your next trip you may want to spend the time looking inside of the cabinets and openings to see how things are made and what they are made of. Quality of construction is critical to an RV's survival in constant use. Take a look into the construction materials used in the RV framework and under carriage. Check out the R values of the insulation in walls, roofs and floors. And compare the weight of each of the RVs that you look at.

Also, when you go inside of the RV, give the length so that one can understand that the spacious appearance may be due to design of the floor plan, or it might be a much larger RV.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill B:
Very nice movie - enjoyed it very much. We also are looking at new full time 5'ers also. We've been through probably 400 or more. Good luck in your search.

Oh my goodness. 400+? And you're aleady F/T. Now I'm scared. Glad you enjoyed the movie, thanks for watching and sharing your comments.

Best,
Linda