Greetings!
I have recently upgraded from my camper van to an RV, and it's been a great choice for me.
I had all my necessities covered with my self built camper van, but this RV is about 1000% more comfortable and more practical. It's just as easy to drive as the van alone, and gets pretty close to identical gas mileage at 18mpg on the highway.
It's old, a 1976, and it was ugly when I bought it for $800. The license was out of date by 10 years, but the owner said it ran when it was parked. It's a 318 Dodge drivetrain, and I've had good luck with them, so I figured I'd roll the dice. It was damp inside & moldy smelling, because the roof had developed leaks around the roof vents and the A/C. Other than the smell, the interior looked brand new, just dusty, and the odometer read only 34k miles.
It was already in a storage lot, so I had a perfect place to work on it, and the rent was only $30/mo. and paid up for that month, and it was only the 3rd. It only took me 3 days to make it road worthy, livable, and downright new looking both inside & out. After new batteries, tires, belts, hoses, an oil change, thorough lube & grease job, I have a grand total of just under $2k in it, and it runs, drives, and looks like it's brand new.
I also fixed the leaky roof and ran a rented ozone generator in it overnight to kill off any hidden mold, and it smells brand new inside and the moldy smell has not returned.
After many years in my camper van, I had almost forgotten how luxurious, roomy, comfortable, and convenient a full fledged factory motorhome could be. Totally off grid ready without the need for solar or any other nonsense. I can start the generator with the simple push of a button without ever going outside, and I have a microwave for the first time in many years.
So life is good, I can still park for free on many city streets, and since it's an obvious camper it doesn't make any of the neighbors nervous. None of the negative stigma attached to unknown cargo vans. The rear dualies also make it much better for forest service roads.
I'm now into forced retirement, and I'm sure glad I saved up good money while working because living on the small amount of SS I'm getting, while possible, would really suck especially with the current gas prices & inflation.
I plan to travel for now, and maybe settle into an RV park if one feels right.
I rescued a young lady & her kids from an abusive situation, so I now have a family, and life is brighter than ever. They all have severe trauma, but know they're safe with me, and we won't be easy to find by their abuser, since we're constantly moving for now. It's funny how the stars line up... I switch to a MH with extra beds, and a week later we needed them. I guess somebody somewhere had a plan for all of us.
We're currently camped for free on the Rio Grande, near Albuquerque, NM. Mid 70's with occasional sprinkles. We're stocked up on groceries for a week or more, so we might just chill & I'll teach the kids how to fish. This is a great new adventure for my new family. Very enjoyable.
That's all for now, hope everybody is safe & happy.
I have recently upgraded from my camper van to an RV, and it's been a great choice for me.
I had all my necessities covered with my self built camper van, but this RV is about 1000% more comfortable and more practical. It's just as easy to drive as the van alone, and gets pretty close to identical gas mileage at 18mpg on the highway.
It's old, a 1976, and it was ugly when I bought it for $800. The license was out of date by 10 years, but the owner said it ran when it was parked. It's a 318 Dodge drivetrain, and I've had good luck with them, so I figured I'd roll the dice. It was damp inside & moldy smelling, because the roof had developed leaks around the roof vents and the A/C. Other than the smell, the interior looked brand new, just dusty, and the odometer read only 34k miles.
It was already in a storage lot, so I had a perfect place to work on it, and the rent was only $30/mo. and paid up for that month, and it was only the 3rd. It only took me 3 days to make it road worthy, livable, and downright new looking both inside & out. After new batteries, tires, belts, hoses, an oil change, thorough lube & grease job, I have a grand total of just under $2k in it, and it runs, drives, and looks like it's brand new.
I also fixed the leaky roof and ran a rented ozone generator in it overnight to kill off any hidden mold, and it smells brand new inside and the moldy smell has not returned.
After many years in my camper van, I had almost forgotten how luxurious, roomy, comfortable, and convenient a full fledged factory motorhome could be. Totally off grid ready without the need for solar or any other nonsense. I can start the generator with the simple push of a button without ever going outside, and I have a microwave for the first time in many years.
So life is good, I can still park for free on many city streets, and since it's an obvious camper it doesn't make any of the neighbors nervous. None of the negative stigma attached to unknown cargo vans. The rear dualies also make it much better for forest service roads.
I'm now into forced retirement, and I'm sure glad I saved up good money while working because living on the small amount of SS I'm getting, while possible, would really suck especially with the current gas prices & inflation.
I plan to travel for now, and maybe settle into an RV park if one feels right.
I rescued a young lady & her kids from an abusive situation, so I now have a family, and life is brighter than ever. They all have severe trauma, but know they're safe with me, and we won't be easy to find by their abuser, since we're constantly moving for now. It's funny how the stars line up... I switch to a MH with extra beds, and a week later we needed them. I guess somebody somewhere had a plan for all of us.
We're currently camped for free on the Rio Grande, near Albuquerque, NM. Mid 70's with occasional sprinkles. We're stocked up on groceries for a week or more, so we might just chill & I'll teach the kids how to fish. This is a great new adventure for my new family. Very enjoyable.
That's all for now, hope everybody is safe & happy.