Shitter’s Full - An RV Thread

Tmac · Oct 7, 2021

My wife and I have decided to travel across tue US and visit most of the national parks next spring for about 6 months.

This timeline feels a little tight, but we’re committed to it and already have a loose roadmap with about 40-50 stops.

My job is to find an RV or trailer.

Right now I’m looking at 29ish foot Class A motorhomes and older/oldish Airstreams that are fine or we can fix up. We have a friend in Kansas who has already told us he would help us remodel an Airstream (he’s good).

The reason for the Class A would be convenience in traveling and being able to resell it after the trip.

The reason for the Airstream is that it’s trendy and we have land w a stream we could set it up as a BNB and use that to pay it off and get additional income.

We prefer open layouts and don’t like feeling cramped and the floor plans we like the most are the ones that are almost loft like w minimal barriers between everything.

Anyone got experience w this? I know

Gravel spent $30k fixing his van up, which is what I might expect fixing up an Airstream to cost.

Foler · Oct 7, 2021

Come visit me in Florida. Plenty of room to park the rv on my land brother.

Chukzombi · Oct 7, 2021

Tmac said:
My wife and I have decided to travel across tue US and visit most of the national parks next spring for about 6 months.

This timeline feels a little tight, but we’re committed to it and already have a loose roadmap with about 40-50 stops.

My job is to find an RV or trailer.

Right now I’m looking at 29ish foot Class A motorhomes and older/oldish Airstreams that are fine or we can fix up. We have a friend in Kansas who has already told us he would help us remodel an Airstream (he’s good).

The reason for the Class A would be convenience in traveling and being able to resell it after the trip.

The reason for the Airstream is that it’s trendy and we have land w a stream we could set it up as a BNB and use that to pay it off and get additional income.

We prefer open layouts and don’t like feeling cramped and the floor plans we like the most are the ones that are almost loft like w minimal barriers between everything.

Anyone got experience w this? I know Gravel spent $30k fixing his van up, which is what I might expect fixing up an Airstream to cost.

you should be checking youtube for van life oriented videos. lots of people doing what you want to do. Air Streams are the holy grail of RVs. you arent going to find anything decent for under a 100k. maybe not even anything shitty. as you said its trendy, that means all prices will be jacked up. you also need to keep in mind that RV parks are also charging a premium and some wont even allow you into their park if you have some Walter White shitbox trailer. they might not even allow a restored Airstream.

at some point i would like to do this too, but in a stealth van. this way i can hang in a residential neighborhood overnight and be gone by morning before anyone notices. no fees and you dont have to worry about a monster vehicle to maneuver and crazy gas prices. you should go for a regular panel van and see how it goes or one of those popup campers you can tow with the family car. then if you like it you can upgrade to one of the big boys.

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-edit
nm i was off on Airstream prices. was going by what people were saying years ago and thought prices were even higher. you can get one for under 50k.

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Tmac · Oct 7, 2021

Have you met my wife? lol

I have a friend in Kansas who will help us renovate whatever we find. I just found an Airstream shell in Dallas for $8k, so I'm going to try and go see it while I'm in Dallas this weekend at the Red River Rivalry.

I live in GA, so I'll be threading the needle and if I like it I'll rent a truck and drive it back.

BrutulTM · Oct 7, 2021

Is there something special about airstreams aside from looking cool? They all seem pretty tiny compared to the newer ones.

I don't know shit about RVs, but I think self driving RVs are going to be awesome for road trip vacations. Just imagine you spent the day in Yellowstone park and you go to your rv, watch a little tv, go to bed, and by the time you're done with breakfast, you're at the grand canyon. Not at the Flagstaff airport waiting for a rental car, you're in the parking lot at the national park entrance. You go hiking all day, go to the IMAX and get dinner and then hit the sack and when you wake up you're in the parking lot at Disneyland. No time behind the wheel, no airports, no hotels, and you can cover 500 miles in your sleep. Sounds like a great vacation to me.

Fucker · Oct 7, 2021

Chukzombi said:
you should be checking youtube for van life oriented videos. lots of people doing what you want to do. Air Streams are the holy grail of RVs. you arent going to find anything decent for under a 100k. maybe not even anything shitty. as you said its trendy, that means all prices will be jacked up. you also need to keep in mind that RV parks are also charging a premium and some wont even allow you into their park if you have some Walter White shitbox trailer. they might not even allow a restored Airstream.

at some point i would like to do this too, but in a stealth van. this way i can hang in a residential neighborhood overnight and be gone by morning before anyone notices. no fees and you dont have to worry about a monster vehicle to maneuver and crazy gas prices. you should go for a regular panel van and see how it goes or one of those popup campers you can tow with the family car. then if you like it you can upgrade to one of the big boys.

RV Rentals at Lightnin RV Rental and Sales in Lawrenceville, GA

Looking to rent an RV in the 2024 camping season? We'd be happy to help you find the perfect RV rental for your upcoming trip! RV Rentals at Lightnin RV Rental and Sales in Lawrenceville, GA

www.lightninrv.com

-edit
nm i was off on Airstream prices. was going by what people were saying years ago and thought prices were even higher. you can get one for under 50k.

Used Airstreams For Sale

Airstream Marketplace is the nation’s largest Airstream For Sale marketplace. Have a used Airstream for sale? Place your Airstream in front of thousands of monthly visitors today. Ready to buy an affordable Airstream? We can help with that too, browse over hundreds new and used Airstreams for...

www.airstreammarketplace.com

$25k.

Sledge · Oct 7, 2021

A friend of mine bought an old Airstream and the cost to fix it up is nearly the cost of buying new, but he wanted a vintage model. I think you might be disappointed with an old $8k unit and it would be tough getting it fixed up within your time frame.

Tmac · Oct 7, 2021

Sledge said:
A friend of mine bought an old Airstream and the cost to fix it up is nearly the cost of buying new, but he wanted a vintage model. I think you might be disappointed with an old $8k unit and it would be tough getting it fixed up within your time frame.

I have a family friend who's actually done something similar recently and he'd work on it full time, so I'm not worried about our timeline. I'm mostly worried about the cost of renovating. He's wildly proficient at fixing stuff and is a legit carpenter, so that's the only reason I would ever even embark on such a thing.

We can also pour a pad and sell BNB's while it's being "stored". No one wants a shitty RV to BNB, they all want Airstreams bc they're trendy and cool.

Otherwise, we're going to have to drop $75k on a Class A, because my wife wants to bake while we travel.

Lanx · Oct 7, 2021

Chukzombi said:
you should be checking youtube for van life oriented videos

i watched a few videos of van life cuz of gabbie, and surprise

the vanlife culture is putrid, ugh

this one is the only tolerable one

Sledge · Oct 7, 2021

With the mileage you're planning and possibly wanting to sell it later, I wouldn't skimp much. My understanding is the entire shell should be disconnected and lifted from the frame and basically everything is a complete rebuild while saving the shell. I believe his is a 24' unit from bumper to tongue and his estimate for renovating was around $90k. Pretty sure he said it was a 6-8 month job.

Lanx · Oct 8, 2021

don't forget about what youre gonna do w/ the van after your done, depending on where you want to move to hoa's aren't aimiable to em

(i mean they are pretty ugly just sitting in driveways)

Chukzombi · Oct 8, 2021

Lanx said:
don't forget about what youre gonna do w/ the van after your done, depending on where you want to move to hoa's aren't aimiable to em

(i mean they are pretty ugly just sitting in driveways)

i'm sure there are HOAs who dont even want you to have your car parked in the driveway. the key is to not live where some faggot can tell you what you can do with your own fucking house. If you own an RV, that usually means you live in a more rural area where Karen wouldnt live because its not close to a Starbucks or Whole Foods.

Tmac · Oct 8, 2021

We'll pour a pad and park it 50 feet from the creek when we're done traveling and rent it out to trendy chicks:

Borzak · Oct 8, 2021

Uncle always had an Avion trailer. Pulled it every other year to AK from TX to spend the summer. It held up pretty well considering he drove it across the Alcan highway on the way and said he once got 5 flats in one day due to the shit road. He didn't do campgrounds much, someone in AK let him park it at their house for the summer while he fished and shit. A class A to me looks like it would be really confining unless you pulled a run around something. Uncle liked the bumper pull cause he would put a chest freezer in the back of the truck for all the stuff he killed on hunts and stuff.

Tmac · Oct 8, 2021

Found this one for $40k and it's a special edition Norman Rockwell: 1997 Airstream Limited 34 - Illinois, Joliet

My grandparents were huge collectors of his stuff, so it's pretty nostalgic. Seems like a decent deal at $40k and is in impecible shape!

Furry · Oct 8, 2021

It all sounds like a good idea other than the timeline being tight. When you're with nature, rushing yourself is doing it wrong. Personally, I'd sort through the places you want to go and try to rank them in priority. Put a bunch in the "If we have the time" category, and loosen your expectations up. If a place is peaceful to be at, just enjoy it and don't worry about your schedule and if you can spend a week there. With the time I've spent in the pacific ocean I can say that this is especially true. You learn to just enjoy those days where everything is calm, because there's plenty where nature also gives you the ole' fuck you, which can be beautiful in its own way.

Tmac · Oct 8, 2021

Furry said:
It all sounds like a good idea other than the timeline being tight. When you're with nature, rushing yourself is doing it wrong. Personally, I'd sort through the places you want to go and try to rank them in priority. Put a bunch in the "If we have the time" category, and loosen your expectations up. If a place is peaceful to be at, just enjoy it and don't worry about your schedule and if you can spend a week there. With the time I've spent in the pacific ocean I can say that this is especially true. You learn to just enjoy those days where everything is calm, because there's plenty where nature also gives you the ole' fuck you, which can be beautiful in its own way.

I agree, but my wife is more of a “let’s do everything and more!” kind of person.

The only logistical problem is that a lot these RV parks require you to book 3 months ahead of time or they will fill up.
So atleast from that perspective we’re kind of a slave to whatever schedule we make.

lurker · Oct 8, 2021

I've owned 2 trailers, a Class B and 2 Class Cs. My advice is don't spend a lot of money on your first RV whether it's a trailer or a motorhome and definitely don't buy new. In fact if you can rent, do that a couple of times. There is no way that you know what features or floorplans will work for you until you try living with them. No one's first RV is their last. Do you want a full time bedroom or are you OK making up a bed every night? If you pull a trailer you have a vehicle for sightseeing after you set up camp. If you get a 29' Class A, do you own something you can tow (not an inexpensive thing to do) because taking a 29ft MH to trailheads for a hike ain't fun. Do you like to just see things along the way or do you like to set up camp for a few days? Also, the days of spontaneously showing up at Yellowstone or Yosemite or Zion or just about any other NP are gone. Way too many people out there.

My last 2 RVs were a Class B and then a Class C. The B was a wonderful way to travel. It was great for putting on miles and visiting distant friends and relatives that always invited you to sleep in their homes. You had a bathroom and a kitchen when you were traveling and the overnight stays mid journey were very tolerable.

Outside our friend's house in AZ

But we also like to camp and spend 4-5 days in one place and the B, for us, sucked at that. It was just too small.

So we sold that for what we paid for it after 5 years and bought another Class C. This thing not as fun to drive and gets half the mileage. A trip earlier this year to AZ was planned but we knew we would be sleeping in a house as a guest when we got there so it made no sense to take the C. We would have taken the B no questions asked. Instead we just drove my truck. On the other hand, we've just returned from 5 days in N ID and lived in luxury with a queen size bed, Keurig coffee in the mornings and cappuccinos after dinner. We are sissy campers.

Heyburn SP

There are a ton of newbie campers out there right now because of the covid farce. A lot of folks who used to take plane trips or motel trips are now RVers but if the imposter in the WH allows it, they will be selling their RVs and going back to how they used to vacation. The current thinking is that there will be a ton of lightly used campers on the market next year. Or we could be on permanent lockdown.

Fucker · Oct 8, 2021

Chukzombi said:
i'm sure there are HOAs who dont even want you to have your car parked in the driveway. the key is to not live where some faggot can tell you what you can do with your own fucking house. If you own an RV, that usually means you live in a more rural area where Karen wouldnt live because its not close to a Starbucks or Whole Foods.

HOA tried to make me move mine. Told em no rules against it, and to kindly go piss up a rope. Other neighbors took the same stance.

I get it if it is a small neighborhood with small streets and short driveways, because even small RV's can clog up a street and make it dangerous if they park them on the street, or with their asses hanging out over curbs, but in a large subdivision with long driveways? Fuck the right off.

Fucker · Oct 8, 2021

lurker said:
I've owned 2 trailers, a Class B and 2 Class Cs. My advice is don't spend a lot of money on your first RV whether it's a trailer or a motorhome and definitely don't buy new. In fact if you can rent, do that a couple of times. There is no way that you know what features or floorplans will work for you until you try living with them. No one's first RV is their last. Do you want a full time bedroom or are you OK making up a bed every night? If you pull a trailer you have a vehicle for sightseeing after you set up camp. If you get a 29' Class A, do you own something you can tow (not an inexpensive thing to do) because taking a 29ft MH to trailheads for a hike ain't fun. Do you like to just see things along the way or do you like to set up camp for a few days? Also, the days of spontaneously showing up at Yellowstone or Yosemite or Zion or just about any other NP are gone. Way too many people out there.

My last 2 RVs were a Class B and then a Class C. The B was a wonderful way to travel. It was great for putting on miles and visiting distant friends and relatives that always invited you to sleep in their homes. You had a bathroom and a kitchen when you were traveling and the overnight stays mid journey were very tolerable.

Outside our friend's house in AZ

But we also like to camp and spend 4-5 days in one place and the B, for us, sucked at that. It was just too small.

So we sold that for what we paid for it after 5 years and bought another Class C. This thing not as fun to drive and gets half the mileage. A trip earlier this year to AZ was planned but we knew we would be sleeping in a house as a guest when we got there so it made no sense to take the C. We would have taken the B no questions asked. Instead we just drove my truck. On the other hand, we've just returned from 5 days in N ID and lived in luxury with a queen size bed, Keurig coffee in the mornings and cappuccinos after dinner. We are sissy campers.

Heyburn SP

There are a ton of newbie campers out there right now because of the covid farce. A lot of folks who used to take plane trips or motel trips are now RVers but if the imposter in the WH allows it, they will be selling their RVs and going back to how they used to vacation. The current thinking is that there will be a ton of lightly used campers on the market next year. Or we could be on permanent lockdown.

I sold mine. It was worth $16k more than it was before covid.

Mine was a PITA. Thing broke down the morning I was going to drop it off to sell.

Shitter’s Full - An RV Thread

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