RV Show

Since Chris & I spend half of each year living in our “little” (27’) travel trailer we have begun to get interested in what else is out there. Not that we are in any big hurry to find new living quarters because we are quite happy with the “house” we have. As a matter of fact, just thinking about having to move everything from one place to another yet again gives me the willies. Twice a year is quite enough to suit me. We have, however, discovered some “issues” that we might find solutions for by looking at other rigs.

Yesterday Chris & I attended an RV show where we were able to look at lots of new and used travel trailers, 5th wheels and RV's. To say the least, it was pretty interesting. Most of them had pretty similar layouts but every so often we’d go into one that really stood out with some different innovations.

Chris would love to have an RV, and truth be told, I wouldn’t mind either but they are terribly expensive. Also, they seem to be pretty much all flash. Most of them have a ton of wasted space (big open spaces) in the living area but, by comparison, the bedrooms are somewhat cramped (I wonder if any of the, clearly men, designers have tried to make a bed while IN it) and the kitchens either have very little counter area or it is an un-usable design. One thing I found a bit disconcerting is that many of the big RV’s have the bathroom in the middle of the rig which means that it is pretty much in the kitchen. Ewww. In addition, they all seem to have two (sometimes three) built in televisions. Who in the world needs that many TV’s in a space of 35’? Of course, we have never had a TV in the bedroom and have no desire for that particular feature. We can find lots of other more fun things to do in that room.

I must admit there was one RV that really caught my eye. It wasn’t a brand new one…I believe it was a 2008 model…but it was very nicely laid out, the color scheme was pretty (instead of boring or garish) and it had some unique extras (think built in washer/dryer) that made it stand out.

Chris, being the guy that he is, was checking out all the outside storage as well as the whiz bangs and do dads on the “Starship Enterprise” like dashboard. His eyes lit right up with the backup cameras that they all have. :-) I’m sure that would be helpful but Chris can back up the travel trailer into impossible places with just me as his “backup camera” so I don’t see the need. Especially since an RV doesn’t turn in the middle. My favorite dashboard extra was the pull-out desk for the passenger (me). How convenient is that?

The gas powered RV’s are less than half the price of the diesels but that was no surprise. They get less mileage and the engines are much more complicated (thus…more things to break) so even though the price per gallon for diesel is higher, the diesels would be a better long-term choice.

RV’s are no different than any other high end purchase. The initial price is only the beginning. The diesels are built like semi trucks and one look at the tires made us shudder. Replacing those babies (and they don’t last forever) could easily involve taking out a loan on your life insurance. In addition, if the vehicle needs any sort of mechanical repair done and it is your primary residence you could end up spending several nights parked behind a shop somewhere.

Still, there was ONE diesel that we thought we could probably live quite comfortably in. The living area was very well thought out, it had a full sized, four door side-by-side refrigerator and there was even a garage in the back for the Smart Car so it wouldn't have to be towed. We'll take a hard look at that one when we win that lottery! In the meantime, if we do decide to upgrade someday we’ll probably go to a 5th wheel. They have much more user friendly layouts and some even have big picture windows in the back and fireplaces.

After our day of tromping through dozens of over the road houses I must admit to being a bit confused about one new trend. Since I live on a boat for half the year I am very cognizant of what happens to “stuff” when the house is moving. It seems that the new models of motorhomes now often come with a table and four chairs instead of the built in booth type dinette. Now where, exactly, do you think those chairs would end up after a few hours of rattling down I-5 in northern California???