Have trailer, want motorhome

[tnjewel]

First time user here. We have a 1974 31" Soverign and are looking to sell or trade to get into a motorhome instead of trailer. Any ideas, suggestions etc. welcome. The Airstreams are the best, but we don't want to tow anything! Thanks for the help! Debbie Chapman

[pilgrim]

Have you thought about towing an automobile?? When you park the motorhome and need to run errands (grocery store, post office, etc... are you prepared to break camp, unhook the motorhome and drive it into town - look for a parking space and then "park" it and run your errands?? You need a "toad" to run around in so you'll still be towing something. Now, you'll trade for a 6 mile per gallon vehicle that will challenge you every move. Think this through.....there are some things that don't get better. Good luck. I often think I'd love to have a mtorhome, but......I stay with my 25' Airstream International and we seem to be very happy with it. We'll spend about 85 nights on it this year and cover about six states. Enjoy whatever you do!!

[SteSpot]

You could go the B Van route but you still would have to unhook and drive your B van where ever you want to go. It is almost car like but not as roomy as your trailer.

Also motohomes have all the systems of a trailer plus the systems of a tow vehicle to care for......Just a thought--there are pros and cons to each...paula

[DaveFL]

How long have you been a camper? If you are very experienced you might be able to plan ahead so that breaking camp not needed. If you want the space of your trailer you almost have to have a toad as large rigs are hard to go shopping in. Min. requirements are a B van, ours never required a toad, our 31 ft now tows for the convenience it offers. We can still camp without toad but it is a choice.

[3 Dog Nite]

These are some possible negative thoughts (cons) about getting a MH. Here's some positive (pros) to think about. 1) A MH can have a water heater that the engine cooling water runs through. This means instant hot water for a quick shower upon arrival if you've been doing some serious driving. 2) Your traveling partner can get up enroute to make a snack, coffee, etc. 3) Need a restroom? Just pull over somewhere safe & take 10 short steps to your own for use. 4) Ah, a built in generator. 5) A lot more storage areas.

Yes a MH has both systems of a TT & aTV. Aren't you there already?

Ricky

[345bill]

We dont tow with our MH and we use it frequently. What Dave mentioned above concerning planning ahead is great advice and each time we go out we learn a little more for next trip.
It works well for us and the times when we know that we will be hooked up for ten days or longer a rental car has never been hard to find.

[SteSpot]

A tankless water heater in a trailer can also provide instant hot water for a shower.

Luckily you can choose whatever meets your needs. paula

[withidl]

One additional thought to add to the others is if your camping is seasonal OR if you have to store it for any length of time a trailer bears the storage burden much better than a motorhome. The motorhome drive train does not suffer disuse well unless excercised monthly. This was one of the main reasons I opted for a trailer.

[Mike Leary]

A forum member posted today that his almost re-built coach is for sale.

[tbro]

I considered the pull it vs. drive it option myself before buying. I'm totally happy with the MH route. As for running around, you can always get a bike that carries on the back, I've even seen a fold-up trike with a cargo basket. Personally I have a toad, and don't mind towing. My girl and I are full-timers and stay pretty much along the Oregon Coast currently but it really isn't that big of an effort to break camp and take the MH for a spin, we just love traveling in it, even more than driving the toad.

[TerraYacht]

Our first-time purchase was the MH in our photo. We have a Honda Insight that is my commute vehicle that we toad around a dolly trailer (found it on Craigslist at the right time). Much of the info above is accurate: when you camp you might want to go into town, tour around, etc, but there are a fair number of 4-wheel down toads that show up for sale, and could be a nice solution. (My neighbor has a 30' SOB and found a used Subaru at a great price, no wset up to tow). My Insight and dolly track behind our MH very nicely: no problems with tight turns, etc. OTOH, as withidl comments, the MH needs Stabil in the gas when parked, & relatively frequent exercise and vehicle maintenance, plus the "house" maintenance.


We kind of fell into this MH when we started looking, and we like the self-contained aspect of a MH, especially since we didn't own a tow vehicle and would have had to buy that too.

Now there are times we can just "take off" without bothering with the toad, but usually bring it along. Its a challenging choice...