Want To Buy: RV wanted, east Coast Florida to SC, July to October.

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Most all the foreign nationals in flt school bought cars to drive around while they were here, The Germans especially seemed to get a hoot out of driving the big old American land yachts like a Cadillac etc. I don't think insurance and license etc. is at all hard to do.

We do drive on the wrong side of the road here though, just remember the driver is always in the middle of the road and you will be all right

I'd look into the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone if I were you. I haven't been in over40 yrs, but understand Yellowstone is rather crowded now?

ALL Europeans get a kick outta driving American style... I think it's the "high" they get while blowing US fuel prices out the tailpipe!

Sshhh.... We don't wanna put out all the secret awesome places here in public... If you did venture towards Yellowstone, you could visit our land crabby...

[SVTatia]

Originally Posted by monte

...Yes we usually buy and sell cars when not sailing. Over the last 4 years we've bought and sold in Italy, France,Australia and Spain...

My 2 cents is that you'd better off with a car.

1) Easy to park when you get to wherever - some places you can't find a place to park!
2) Easier to sell when done
3) More flexible if you stay in hotels/motels than paying RV park fees.
4) You still need transportation to go the events; shopping, etc
5) The rent option is still doable (with free mileage)
5) Less money for gas.

[Canibul]

We had a few issues registering a vehicle in the US, even though we're US citizens. The problem was that even though we own property in several states, we're not residents of those states. We had a hard time finding a state where non-residents could register a vehicle. We ended up forming an LLC in Montana, and registering both a travel trailer and a tow vehicle to the LLC. even though we don't live in Montana and do not keep the vehicles there. And of course there are costs associated with all of that.

So you might want to start putting some research into that part of it, because it can add a lot of delay to your plans while waiting on paperwork. I think you can get Florida residency fairly easily though St. Brendan's Isle, in Glen Cove Springs, too. We elected to go the Montana route because we plan to keep the vehicle year after year, and Montana registration hassles are minimal. Don't have to return to Montana for an inspection sticker every year, for example.

[mtarcher]

Hi Monte,

We planned on the same when we retired...live on land and travelling around the country during the summer in our 5th wheel. Winters have been on the boat in the BVIs.

The reality is the cost for fuel in an RV can be difficult to appreciate. As a64 implies, 6000 miles can add a lot of fuel expense, considering the fuel mileage in an RV is somewhere "south" of 10mpg on a good day. Most RVs of any size average around 8mpg. Our 1st year of travelling averaged about $1000/mo just for fuel. Don't forget that your "land budget" still needs to factor in the boat-storage expense. You might find that travelling on land is much more expensive than in the boat.

To alleviate expenses and contribute back to society, we found that volunteering work at different charitable places such as churches and kid's camps really offset the expenses for living. Many of these offer free parking and hookups, and other free services that are difficult to find otherwise.

Otherwise, you may find less expensive travelling by using various websites for planning your stops, such as:

https://www.boondockerswelcome.com/
Free Campgrounds for RVs
RV Dump Stations

Also, when you go RVing, don't forget the tools...there's always something that needs fixin' on an RV!

Sandy

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by SVTatia

My 2 cents is that you'd better off with a car.

1) Easy to park when you get to wherever - some places you can't find a place to park!
2) Easier to sell when done
3) More flexible if you stay in hotels/motels than paying RV park fees.
4) You still need transportation to go the events; shopping, etc
5) The rent option is still doable (with free mileage)
5) Less money for gas.

Oh man... You are talking apples and ... moon rocks... Not even the same experience ...

Sure... car if you were going from point A to B.... But if you are thinking A to Z ... and National Parks...

Originally Posted by Canibul

We had a few issues registering a vehicle in the US, even though we're US citizens. The problem was that even though we own property in several states, we're not residents of those states. We had a hard time finding a state where non-residents could register a vehicle. We ended up forming an LLC in Montana, and registering both a travel trailer and a tow vehicle to the LLC. even though we don't live in Montana and do not keep the vehicles there. And of course there are costs associated with all of that.

So you might want to start putting some research into that part of it, because it can add a lot of delay to your plans while waiting on paperwork. I think you can get Florida residency fairly easily though St. Brendan's Isle, in Glen Cove Springs, too. We elected to go the Montana route because we plan to keep the vehicle year after year, and Montana registration hassles are minimal. Don't have to return to Montana for an inspection sticker every year, for example.

I'll bet there's more than 1 person on CF willing to title the RV for you guys if it came down to that...

[Steve W]

This RV forum might be a good place to ask your question: Trailer Life Magazine Open Roads Forum I just talked to my neighbor, who has owned four Class A motorhomes in the past 10 years, his latest is a 43' tag axle diesel pusher. He suggested that you stick with a Ford V-10 gas powered motor home because it is the most popular gas powertrain and should be easier to sell. He also said to check the tire date codes because any date over 6-7 years can be prone to failure and at roughly $500 per tire, it would could be an unexpected expense. You shouldn't have any trouble finding a good MH in FL. Your plan sounds like great fun!

[a64pilot]

I can tell you that a good, safe and clean trailer park will cost you as much as a motel.
I got about 6 MPG in my class A big block Ford gas motor, 10 MPG in my Duramax Diesel pulling a 36' 5th wheel, but fuel is as cheap now as it has been in a long while, if your gonna do it, now is the time.
Lot to be said for driving down the road and the wife fixing lunch, just can't do that in a car, plus everything is in the RV, same bed sheets, no schlepping suitcases etc.
But it is NOT a way to save money, car and motels are definitely cheaper.

[hellosailor]

" I think you can get Florida residency "
Canibul-
The catch being, Florida might be the only state where there is no such thing as "State residency". The Florida Statutes, the main body of legal code down there, provide that each and any state department may define "residency" for it's own purposes, pretty much any way it pleases. So the tax department, the motor vehicles department, the voter registration people, each can define separate and contradictory "residency" and in fact, several have and do contradict each other.


This is one reason why so many residents of other states laugh at Florida. Other states have uniform laws to deal with these things. Florida? Nah, that's too much to bother with.


Damn convenient if you need a 'paper' residency though. I give 'em credit for that.

[Cheechako]

a couple things things, after checking into RV's myself for a couple years now:
*I am amazed at how expensive RV parks are! Many motels are cheaper! Ouch!
*Cars are very cheap to rent ... in FL especially.
* The mileage on RV's seems to be different than like cars. An RV with 75K miles on it may need, or have had, a lot of repairs. I expect most modern cars to go about double that with nothing major.
* RV's seem to have a lot of roof leak issues. Watch for that... it rots the walls...
* dry cracked tires abound on rv's ... from sitting in the sun. A set of tires can be a lot of money.
*the 460 Ford engine based RV's are great, but the 460 engine has a lot of problems with cracked or leaking exhaust manifolds. I guess it's due to heat buildup trying to carry all that weight around... there are custom headers etc out there to solve the problem... but they aint cheap! So if the seller says , "oh yeah , it's just got a little exhaust noise.." ...know that you are in for a couple grand repair..

[rgscpat]

Let me know when you need info about New Mexico or Arizona. Some Wal-Mart stores allow RVers to spend a night in their parking lots, and at least a few Native American Indian pueblos or reservations have good deals on their RV parks. The America the Beautiful one-year pass is a good value for basic entry into national parks, wildlife refuges, etc., although it does not cover camping or RV fees. US States also have state park systems, separate from the federal parks and monuments and many of these state parks have campgrounds. Joining an RV club (Good Sam etc.) and getting a printed guide to RV parks (Woodall's, etc.) might be a good idea and not expensive, and of course joining some sort of auto club with RV towing insurance (also may be available via your RV or auto insurance company).

Also, if you're not averse to hanging out with sailboat racers, it might be fun to visit regattas as you cross the country -- you might even be able to crew on boats, or help with race committee or some such to meet sailors. Colorado's racing season is mostly focused on summer, whereas spring and fall are the popular times in Arizona.

[hellosailor]

Actually, WalMart has a national policy of allowing RVers to park overnight in their lots. With some exceptions when there have been local issues.


But it works well for both parties, since the space is usually empty, and an RVer is likely to just pull closer and FILL that fridge and freezer while they are there. It makes very good business sense to encourage RVers to come to the stores, by giving them something that costs the store nothing.


As long as the policy isn't abused, and people keep filling those shopping carts.

[Cheechako]

Yeah... if you are in transit and just need to stop to rest the WalMart would work good. Or if you are into "touring" America to view all the lovely WalMart parking lots and surrounding flora! ... much easier to get a Big Mac too, than doing something stupid like going to Yosemite!

[monte]

Thanks again. Yeah I heard Walmart were RV friendly, but hopefully mostly we can find free campsites in the wild. In Aus we have free camps every 20miles, usually with BBQ facilities for the campfire etc. I'm hoping the US has a similar setup but maybe not? Definitely want to steer clear of trailer parks as much as we like to stay out of marinas. The whole idea of an RV is to be self sufficient. Camping type music festivals would be good to hop between, maybe some country, bluegrass, anything weird, maybe burning man, and staying in national parks like the brand canyon, Yosemite and whatever else is amazing along the way.
A rough look at the map shows around a 6000M round trip, so a couple of grand in fuel and around 400M/ week.
Hotels and hire cars aren't really our travel style either, even though it might be cheaper, as mentioned above we like to stop when and where we feel like it and make lunch and sit under a tree and stare at the view. We also have our dog with us so that can make hotel stays problematic, unless they're as pet friendly as France..

[Cheechako]

We traveled kitty corner the USA in a van.... WA to Florida... with 3 dogs. We didn't have issues with motels much, but it is always in the back of your mind.....for sure. We did have one place we couldn't find a motel in town to take dogs at all. But most of the motels were full of construction workers ... something was going on in that area in general. Round trip we logged 9300 miles.
I'd say 90% of the budget motels take dogs. Some chains advertise it.

[nimblemotors]

I would agree with this assesment. Unless you want to stay a long time in one place, a small car and a tent is a much better way to travel. Highway hotels are not that expensive relative to paying for 8 mpg motorhomes, even with current cheap gas. Just think what a 50 mpg Prius would cost in fuel
to cross the USA and back. And reselling such a car is going to be easy.

Originally Posted by SVTatia

My 2 cents is that you'd better off with a car.

1) Easy to park when you get to wherever - some places you can't find a place to park!
2) Easier to sell when done
3) More flexible if you stay in hotels/motels than paying RV park fees.
4) You still need transportation to go the events; shopping, etc
5) The rent option is still doable (with free mileage)
5) Less money for gas.