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Pablo said:
I just meant no pooping unless you really have to. NO stinking the joint up. I didn't mean no toilet.
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This is one of the nice things about a trailer vs a van, a bathroom with a door that can contain the noise and associated damage, plus also have a fan to draw fresh air in and the toxins out.

The other nice thing about a towable is that you can leave it on the site while you wander off to get groceries or go sightseeing.
 
Pablo said:
I just meant no pooping unless you really have to. NO stinking the joint up. I didn't mean no toilet.
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We have a strict "no deuce" policy in our rig. Odors aside, another benefit is that, in 17 years of ownership, I've never had a problem cleaning the black water tank, as it's mostly "water" and no "black", as it were.

And related, we also don't cook/bake/fry a single thing in our RV. About the only thing we've done is pop some popcorn in the microwave, and even that is rare.

Between no deuces and no cooking, there's no odors in our rig to speak of. A light cleaning at the end of each season and the interior smells great the next spring. I do run the roof fan often to keep fresh air moving through the rig when in use as well. If not for the dated decor (being made in 2006), you'd swear our RV was practically brand new. At least on the inside; the outside is a different story, as it has a lot of road wear (nicks, scratches, fading, etc) commensurate with nearly two decades of travel.

We really just use the trailer to sleep, prep food and change clothes. Yes, occasionally we've been rained out and had to spend a day in the RV, but that's been rare. Still, we cook under the awning so the food odors don't get inside.

I guess my point is that keeping odors out of the RV does have it's advantages, both short and long term.
 
That's an interesting way to travel. One of the attractions for us as we travel in retirement is our bed, our bathroom, our food. Honestly can't remember last time I set foot in a campground or convenience store restroom. So if you dry camp it's dig a hole behind a bush time?
 
Azjeff said:
That's an interesting way to travel. One of the attractions for us as we travel in retirement is our bed, our bathroom, our food. Honestly can't remember last time I set foot in a campground or convenience store restroom. So if you dry camp it's dig a hole behind a bush time?
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Wife and I walked in the kybo's at a WA state campground on Wed last week after a constitutional hike.

My business was ready.

No other details other than we both looked at each other after and said "That place was spotless". Pretty sure you are a bit off on your estimate of grubbiness. Sure there are some trail heads, fed land, with exciting pit toilets, but just pronto biz and out.
 
I have to revise what I said, we hike quite a bit while camping and otherwise and do sometimes have to pee and have used some state park pit toilets that you didn't want to be in longer than you had to be. Maybe it's different where the ambient temps are a lot higher day and night for months.:sick: All I know for sure is if it had been suggested when we moved from pop-ups to the first real trailer that we shouldn't use the sanitary or kitchen facilities as provided I would have been told "no problem see you when you get back".

We should cook outside more but the Coleman stove and propane bottle grill get tedious after a long travel day. I need to upgrade to better kit.

Do no $100k+ travel vans not have a door on the toilet?
 
Something else I thought of Pablo, if you have someone in your circle of family and friends who you know is a long time RVer you might try to get them to give anything you're getting serious about the once over and see if they find anything that isn't right with it. If you're new to RVs you just don't know what you don't know. A trusted mechanic can tell you how the running gear is but might not know much about all the rest.
 
Used has to be the way to go. We will be patient, but if the right deal comes up, make a reasonable offer.

I'm telling you, some of these folks selling are dreaming.
 
They missed the high mark but still hope to get it. You can always come down but can't go up.

Are you leaning toward something shorter and simpler like adventure vans or longer wheelbase and more lux?

I like the idea of the adventure van but the amenities of the fancier ones. Not that we'd ever get one but we're over any sort of roughing it like a cassette toilet or outside shower or crawling up onto a bed platform. That's for the younger well paid mountain bikers. (y)
 
Pablo said:
Used has to be the way to go. We will be patient, but if the right deal comes up, make a reasonable offer.

I'm telling you, some of these folks selling are dreaming.
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Pablo, all those sellers dreaming... you check the amount of inventory sitting in dealers lots and you know the market is saturated...and it isn't easy to sell an overpriced white elephant like an RV unless the seller can provide financing, which is something a private seller usually cant provide.. also people selling still owe money on RV's, and they cant satisfy the lien..which makes finding a buyer a chore..

so my advice to you is you make lowball cash offers on anything you are interested in buying where the seller has clear title.. and you leave em your name and number and tell them to contact you when they find out they can't sell it for what they think it is worth but you are willing to give them the amount you offered.
 
Pablo said:
I'm telling you, some of these folks selling are dreaming.
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In March of '21 we sold our 30' Airstream for more than we paid for it brand new. We used it for three years and pulled it 30k miles. I'm willing to bet anyone who wants to bet, that selling a used RV for more than it was new will never happen again in our lifetimes.

It's now a buyer's market. Patiently beat them up on price and you'll get a great deal.
 
Wayne said:
In March of '21 we sold our 30' Airstream for more than we paid for it brand new. We used it for three years and pulled it 30k miles. I'm willing to bet anyone who wants to bet, that selling a used RV for more than it was new will never happen again in our lifetimes.

It's now a buyer's market. Patiently beat them up on price and you'll get a great deal.
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I agree. traditionally these things are about as good of an investment as a boat.. I too had a total loss( forest fire) on my previous fiver in 2021, was going to be happy if it just got paid off but I ended up getting 7k more than I owed..

I think that was an outlier and will never happen again.
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The "I made money on my RV" days are over; likely to never happen again in our lifetime. Or, at least let's hope not, because that condition of buying stuff (trucks, RVs, boats) and making a profit came as a result of CVD19, and frankly I'd rather not repeat that experience. So as much as it is painful to lose equity in an RV, I'll take that over the ravages of social and labor market collapse.
 
Pablo-
I would recommend that if you're serious about getting into RVs, then go rent one for a weekend, or even a week. Maybe even try a couple different RVs for a few different weekends. Typically you'll find class Cs, but there are also some class Bs out there as well. Also, there are some RV private rentals in some major market areas. Renting first is a great way to scratch the itch without first making a monetary plunge. If you like the overall experience, but don't like the RV you rented, at least you'll know what you do and don't like about any particular floor plan. What looks good on paper is often quite different when you have to live with it for 72 hours or more.

When we got our travel trailer, I already knew what I was in for, because it was very similar to the RV my dad got for our family when I was a kid; same size and layout. I already knew what worked well and what we could tolerate, so it made my purchase much less stressful.
 
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