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Old 04-08-2008, 12:43 PM   #1
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Roseburg , Oregon
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Smile kingsley

Oh, I am sooo happy I found you!!! I neeeed answers. I am planning on buying a motorhome to transport my kids and pets accross country this summer (and see the sights of course) I have always thought that the airstream must be the best aerodynamic design and probably best on fuel efficiency, is this true? Is it best to travel with kids in a motorhome versus a trailer? I know that they must wear seat belts while we are under way, but they can slump and stretch better than in a car, right? I was also worried about forgetting I was dragging something and making a sudden move. So do you all think I should definutely stick with the motor home idea? I will be buying a used late model one that may need work. How scarey is it for a single woman with out of state plates to show up at a service station? Is there a way to get a good reccommendation online while travelling? I was hoping to find a smallish one, say 26 feet. We may be living in it for quite a while back east (Massachusetts) until my house in Oregon sells and I can afford to rent somewhere. (I am enrolled at UMass starting in sept) Is this way too small for a family of three (the kids are 10 & 7) I was not sure about slide outs, I have read that older ones make a motorhome unbalanced. Any advice is appreciated! thanks, Rachel
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Old 04-08-2008, 12:54 PM   #2
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- hi Rachel, welcome to the #1 airstream resource...

- I'm biased to trailers, 'cause I like silver egg shaped things... that DON'T have engines ;-) pretty easy to keep a super reliable Toyota (etc) running smoothly...and unhitch when you arrive...

-but if you have the $$$ a motorhome will provide a LOT of luxury...plus they tend to be easier to back up for non-experienced pullers...provided you can keep the ENGINE running smoothly (along with all the related drivetrain systems)...again, for me, it's about the $$$...or lack thereof...

- you and 2 kids in a 26-footer..hmmm...doable...but wow, you'd have to be on a serious downsize-the-possessions program...especially the Hello Kitty stuff ;-)

- I don't think many mechanics would be scared to see you pull up in a RV with out of state plates, btw....;-)
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Old 04-08-2008, 02:45 PM   #3
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Hi Rachel!

We have a classic 310 motorhome (31-foot) and LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

The first thing I will tell you is it is very easy to drive. The second thing is that I do not think you will have enough room with the two kids in a 26-footer. It does not have a lot of storage space and you will feel cramped. It would probably be okay for occasional weekend trips, but for full-timing you will want more space.

A slide would help with the living space and I have not heard anything about their being unbalanced. The issues I have heard about with slides is they leak, and they can have problems with the motors that make them move. The classic mohos did not have them, but some of the newer ones do.

The stuff you would be seeing a mechanic for is mostly truck-chassis stuff (RV-makers take a regular truck chassis, like the Chevy P30, and then stick an RV on top of it), so they will know it very well and have parts for it. The only thing you would have to be "scared" about is if they would rip you off on service/parts, but they would do the same thing if you were in a car (just maybe on a bigger scale since they might try to convince you that stuff costs more since it is a motor home). If you have some knowledge of the vehicle, you can hopefully alleviate that. And always ask to see a part they say needs to be replaced.

Regular mechanics will usually not work on the "house" part of the vehicle (plumbing, interior wiring, etc.). You will need to go to an RV shop for that. It is not quite like house stuff since it uses a lot of RV-specific stuff, so a home repairman is probably not a good idea unless he is familiar with RV work.

One thing about buying an older moho is that the price you pay is usually just the "price of admission." This means there are always things you will have to fix/replace before it is right (front suspension, shocks, dash a/c, roof a/c, heater, etc.). If you can find one at a dealer where they have done the work already, that may be the best way to go. Prices should be very negotiable.

I would think kids would travel a lot more easily in a moho than in a car--like you said, more room to stretch, plus it's a lot quicker when they have to go to the restroom to just pull over and have them run to the bathroom (instead of having to get into a trailer, etc.). You will be able to see the sights out of the motor home better than a tow vehicle (sits up higher), as well. The drawback is that unless you tow a car or something bhind you, you will have to use the moho for running errands or other driving trips. If you are parked full-time with a car, that works fine.

I hope this helps you! There are a lot of people on the forums who are willing to help with inspections if you have found one you like. There may be someone with moho experience in your area. Here is the topic you can look at/post in for info.

I hope this helps! Good luck with your search!

Susan
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Old 04-09-2008, 05:15 PM   #4
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Looking to buy, new to RVing, any advice is appreciated!

thank you for all the good info. I have followed the link to find help in inspecting mohos. can you tell me how to change my title on my intro so that people will know what info I need? I don't want to post a new thread and junk up the works.
thanks!
rachel
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Old 04-09-2008, 05:40 PM   #5
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Rivet Welcome to the forums

Quote:
Originally Posted by rachel kings
thank you for all the good info. I have followed the link to find help in inspecting mohos. can you tell me how to change my title on my intro so that people will know what info I need? I don't want to post a new thread and junk up the works.
thanks!
rachel
Hi Rachel,

If you go to the Portal and scroll to the bottom of the page, you will see the names of who is online. The ones in bold type are Moderators. jcanavera, Janet, CanoeStream, and overlander63 are online now. Send a Personal Message (PM) to one of the Mods requesting the change. (If you look over to the right in the Stats box, you will also see that overlander63 it the top poster on the forums with 10,769 posts {for the next few seconds, anyway})

Susan (Alumatube) gave you some excellent advice. She and Brad’s 310 (31 footer) is a nice motorhome, and the extra 5’ is almost all on the inside. (Any Dr. Who fans out there?)
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Old 04-09-2008, 07:07 PM   #6
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Yeah, it's the T.A.R.D.I.S.!

Susan
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Old 04-11-2008, 12:09 PM   #7
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thanks Vaughn

Quote:
Originally Posted by vswingfield
Hi Rachel,

If you go to the Portal and scroll to the bottom of the page, you will see the names of who is online. The ones in bold type are Moderators. jcanavera, Janet, CanoeStream, and overlander63 are online now. Send a Personal Message (PM) to one of the Mods requesting the change. (If you look over to the right in the Stats box, you will also see that overlander63 it the top poster on the forums with 10,769 posts {for the next few seconds, anyway})

Susan (Alumatube) gave you some excellent advice. She and Brad’s 310 (31 footer) is a nice motorhome, and the extra 5’ is almost all on the inside. (Any Dr. Who fans out there?)
I'll try that next time someone is on, or maybe I am in the wrong portal to do it?
rachel
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Old 04-11-2008, 01:36 PM   #8
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Hi Rachel,

It is reached from the Portal link in the top blue bar on the far left. It takes you to the root address of the forum, http://www.airforums.com/.
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