Monday, May 25, 2015

Another RV Post

Monday Michael, Nolan and I drove to Dublin, CA to look at a 31 foot Gas Winebago Sightseer....this is usually a 2 hour drive; but it took 3.5 hours on Memorial Day. ::snort::

We wanted to see this one so we could actually compare the storage between a gas and diesel pusher. By looking at the photos we hoped we could modify the bunk from a double to a triple. We also wanted to compare the undercarriage storage between a diesel and gas motorhome.

The Winnebago was beautiful!  We went for a ride which reminded us how gas RVs  rattle as they go down the road.

On the way home we talked. We listed why we want a new RV and why we want a motor home over a trailer or 5th wheel. We will want to test drive a diesel pusher too, I think, at some point.

The master bedroom was great. The bunks were wonderful - but  couldn't be modified to a triple.  The Caboose has way more storage and four bunks.

The Caboose needs some repairs, but it's paid for. Pulling the caboose for lots of miles may blow out our van's transmission (it has 130K on it) BUT we could replace the transmission for less than a new RV of any type.  I could drive a motorhome;  I doubt I can drive our rig (55 total feet) - I'm willing to try to learn....bumper hitch.

We had a good talk on the ride home...I think it was good to have Nolan's input as well. We finally agreed that any RV (Gas or Diesel) would be more comfortable for TRAVELING than the Caboose. The kids could do school as we traveled. Potty breaks and lunch breaks would be easier. We'd get better gas mileage. We could boondock for longer periods of time with bigger tanks and batteries. The caboose is UGLY and this one is shiny and pretty.

 However, for LIVING The Caboose fits us much better than any motorhome we've seen - except the two that got away. We have an "entertainment center", four big cupboards and four bunks in The Caboose. We have the same amount of space in the undercarriage. We have no drawers in the master bedroom... We really want each kid to have their own "space."  We currently have a front and back bedroom.

 If we can find a triple bunk/diesel pusher in our budget, we'll consider. We think we could make a motorhome work if we had all the pass through space under the diesel. Otherwise, our current plan is to do some repairs and modifications on The Caboose. We'll not drive as fast or as long with the trailer....but we'll save up the payments until we find what we want. 

We spent an hour or two talking through what we could do to make the trailer more livable.....I'll post before and after shots as we work on the projects....Michael figured out a way to get some drawers and more storage in the master bedroom. We'll have an extra bunk we can use for storage......we bogged down when I started talking about some deep, rich color in the slide out. ::snort::

Seriously, I won't be totally sure what we're doing until we actually begin doing it. If the right RV comes along, we'll snatch it. LOL

6 comments:

Renee said...

One disadvantage to an RV is that you have to drive it all the time even to run into town for a few items.
With the caboose, you unhitch and only drive the van into town.
Praying the answer becomes clear for you as you get closer to retirement

Renee said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Laura said...

If you do end up keeping your travel trailer, you might consider looking into a Hensley Hitch. It is not your typical sway bar hitch. It is a miracle! It allows your travel trailer to pull more like a 5th wheel hitch. We had one back when we had a travel trailer and it made a huge difference in my comfort level pulling. It is expensive, but I can tell you that it was worth every single penny. It does take some learning to hitch it up, but again, worth all. Here is the website. http://hensleymfg.com

If you or Michael have any questions please feel free to ask me or Marvin. We sold our Hensley with our travel trailer, but we used it for about 8 years so can share those experiences with you if you like.

DeEtta @ Courageous Joy said...

Renee, if we get a motorhome, we will sell the van and trailer, buy a small car to tow.....so we will be towing something but in an emergency we wouldn't have to tow something. LOL

Thanks for the info, Laura. I'll pass it on to Michael. Does it help at all with being sucked into the cross winds and vortex of semis?

Laura said...

Yes!! It absolutely helps with that. In fact, it keeps your trailer straight with your vehicle even with those huge semis blowing past you. You should take a look at some of the videos on the Hensley hitch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL3KQFKTunln29XLlH1XGmDwXLpMT8v09I&v=YDER3up7I_s

They probably will explain it much better than I. But, I can tell you that this thing keeps your trailer straight behind your vehicle brilliantly! And, it allows you to make tight turns that normally a bumper hitch wouldn't be able to make. (if you ever get in tight situations, that is also a wonderful trait!) I know that for me the Hensley hitch made all the difference in the world regarding my comfort level pulling.

DeEtta @ Courageous Joy said...

Thanks, Laura. We've watched the clip and will price it out.....still waiting to see if we end up with a motherhome or stay with the trailer.