
- Singles or couples that stay constantly on the move and seldom stay over a day or two.
- Then there are the ones that set up camp and stay longer periods may be a month or so or even longer.
- Then there are the seasonal retired full-timers that travel weather patterns and just enjoy the journey.
- Then you have the permanent or stationary full-timers.
- Next, you will find traveling Nurses traveling from job to job similar to contracted workers in the construction industry.
- Then lastly there are the very wealthy that travel anywhere and stay forever at anyplace they chose. They more than likely still have a home, but do have a full- time residence in their RV.





The next BIG STEP after deciding if you will be a Snowbird, is to decide where your HOME STATE will be to see where you will register your car and RV, receive mail, go for regular health physicals, and just call HOME ON THE ROAD.
- Florida: Escapees RV Club and the Good Samaritan Club is a famous group for RVers and they have a very popular mail forwarding service.
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Texas: Texas is the home of the Escapees RV club, and it has a very popular mail forwarding service.
- South Dakota: The state actively pursues Full-Time RVers to make it their home state so many very well-known mail forwarders have sprung up to service them.

- Check RVTrader.com. Used and new RV dealerships also advertise on there too.
- Check out RV forums on facebook and other social media.
- Check out RV blogs.
- Craigslist from personal sellers.
- eBay from personal sellers.
- RV Shows (some say it’s great to buy there, however, do your research upfront. Also many say buy right after an RV show to get a good deal).
- Check online complaints at PissedConsumer.com.
- Check manufacturers and dealerships on BetterBusinessBureau.org. Ethical RV Dealerships
So far in my research, I have come up with 4 RV dealerships they are working as ‘consumer advocates’ on behalf of their customers so these are the RV dealerships that everyone should check out:
- Cheyenne Camping Center – Iowa
- RV Sales of Broward – Ft. Lauderdale
- RVStation.com – Texas and Oklahoma
- PPL Motorhomes of Texas
Read my article entitled “The Truth About the RV Industry – What You Need To Know About Camping World.”

- I really love this RV.
- I don’t know anything about an RV.
- My trade in is right outside.
- I don’t really want to get ripped off.
- My credit is not good.
- I am going to pay cash.
- I really want to buy an RV today.
- I need to have a monthly payment below $500.
- You are a doctor, lawyer, engineer or in some other career where the salesman perceives you make a lot of money.
- And don’t ask crazy questions such as ‘where is the cup holder’, especially when you can be using this time to ask good and relevant questions.
RV Loans – What You Should Know

If you need any of these things, then be sure to find an RV that meets your physical needs when purchasing. Never cut corners when it comes to comfort, that is a sure way to become miserable when trying to live out of your RV.
Remember up front that the RV industry is like nothing you have experienced. It might take days, weeks or months for parts to arrive from the manufacturer.
Where will you stay? Some dealerships might allow you to stay in your rig on the lot — but not for too long and — not always.
RV service shops are busy and you have to get in line. You really need to learn to do the simple things yourself or bundle up problems and to take in at end of the season.
There are very few places that take RVs so it might take two weeks or even three to get an appointment for repair. Try to google a ‘go-to’ mobile repair person or google “Mobile RV Mechanic” near you.
If you start having issues with the RV, you want it to be covered under a warranty. New RV warranties might cover structures, but not mechanics so you will need to read the warranty to see what it covers. Take your time and read the FINE PRINT. Don’t just sign anything.
According to the RV Lemon Lawyers, the biggest issues with RVs are their slides letting water come in, leaking air or can’t go in or out along with the electrical systems in the RVs not working.
You need funds to pay an inspector to inspect the RV even if the RV is new. Some of the mistakes the factories are making, which are mostly located in Indiana include:
- They are wiring the RVs incorrectly.
- They are putting on side mirrors backward.
- Some have loose bolts when trying to steer.
- Fresh water tanks could fall off.
- Some of the escape windows have been blocked.
RV Lemon Lawyers are warning new RVers to thoroughly look at the RV warranty before purchasing. See how long the warranty is. Is it one to 6 months or 4 years?
Also, some of these RVs that have been sitting on lots for a year or so will be picked for parts such as TVs and other appliances that should automatically come with the purchase.

- We Won’t Work on RVs Unless You Buy It Here: Because the RV industry is so busy, most dealerships will tell you they will ONLY WORK on your particular RV if you buy with them. But this is usually just a dealership ‘scare tactic’ to get you to buy there.
- Bait RV: If you see an RV that you really want when you arrive at the dealership, you might want to put down a down payment to hold it. However, that particular model might not even be available. When the paperback is all completed the salesperson might come back to you and tell you, that that unit has been sold in order to get you to buy a newer unit — to get more money out of you. It was probably some type of “BAIT RV,” which was NEVER available for sale in the first place.
- No Longer Available: What they do sometimes also if someone don’t take possession right away — once they see an RV they want — is they, RV salesmen, will tell you later on by phone that the unit is NO LONGER AVAILABLE and that you have to pay more for another unit.
- Bring It Back In: Another TRICK they do is give you possession after buying or especially when you do a SPOT DELIVERY (have them deliver, which you have to pay for), is tell you to bring it back in – in 2 to 3 weeks (after you have fallen in love with it) because your financing fell through. Then they try to get you to pay more. They do this with cars also.
- Depreciation: Think about selling it when you buy it. How you get into it will dictate how you get out of it. RVs depreciate — maybe up to 50% in 2 years. Once it has been purchased and titled, you can’t just swap it back in because then it’s considered “USED.”
- Seasonal Vehicles: RVs are not meant to be heavily used. They are a seasonal recreational vehicle so this is why you will have issues with them especially if you move around a lot.
- RV Differences: RVs are much more similar than different. No RV is exactly alike even if it came from the same manufacturer. They might have run out of parts from one vendor, so they might change something when building it. They all add features from a SMALL GROUP of vendors. For instance, they choose from three (3) RV air conditioner vendors.
- Regulating Temperature: When shopping for RV, understand up front that to regulate the temperature in the RV will be a challenge. It’s not like a home. The RV is one and a half to 2 inches thick so pay attention to the season you camp in. You might have to become a ‘Snowbird’ to live comfortably, buy a second air conditioner or follow 70-degree weather around the country until you can afford solar panels.
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- Fix Everything Before You Take Delivery: Make sure they plug up everything and fix everything before you take ownership even if you have to go back home or wait around a few days. If you purchase at an RV show, it might be 30 days or longer before they can find the exact one for you.
- Check Out Manufacturers: Make sure the manufacturer stands behind the plan. GOOGLE THEM. Check with the Better Business Bureau (BBB.org). Check the ‘ownership side’ and the ‘seller side’. Will you get service from the independent dealer? Find all of this out ahead of time.
- Spot Deliveries: Always remember if they still have ownership, it’s THEIR ISSUE. If you have taken ownership, it’s YOUR ISSUE — so slow down and keep this in mind. Slow down and don’t be so quick to take delivery. It’s best not to do a “Spot Delivery.” Keep in mind, they will charge you for this too. They will do this once they know you have GOOD CREDIT. Make sure you have someone who understands your unit show you around or wait around for this person and make sure you understand everything before leaving. You might need to do this a couple of times.
- You want to visually look at it before you buy. Look at ‘attention to detail’ within the RV? Is it going to hold up or is it cheap looking? Many new RVs like new cars, uses cheaper material so unless you are buying a name brand like Winnebago, Tiffin or Airstream then you can buy an older RV.
- Look at the roof and make sure it’s arched.
- Is there a full plate outside of the RV where the furnace is available? Furnaces will go out in cold weather. Labor is expensive so if you have to fix something, it will be more expensive. Many RVers just use a smaller heaters (Mr. Buddy or Champion) instead of the furnace unless they live in extremely colder weather.
- Look at the frame and chassis of the RV. All chassis are made by Lippert. Is it for off-road? Do you have shocks on axil? Many RVers end up adding more shocks to their RVs so it rides better.
- What about insulation. There is quality material used for insulation. Your walls will probably only be 2 inches thick. Some companies use fiberglass. You should use the high-density foam or styrofoam over the pink stuff. The pink stuff is sheets of fiberglass, which can sag over time so you will have no insulation toward the upper part of RV.
- Is there insulation in the slideouts? Many slideouts have issues with leaking and letting air in so again try to check this out.
- What about storage bay doors. Look to see if they are well-insulated. Is it keeping the bedroom warm? How well have they treated that area?
- Is the shower door or outside shower door insulated? Is there an outside shower?
- Look for an electric awning so you can shut it quick. Make sure the awning cover the slide so you can’t get debris at the top of the slideouts. Never leave the awning out when you leave.
- Ask how many thousand-pound axil and compare to specs.
- Look on the bottom. Is there obvious signs of rust. If you buy in coastal cities (Florida, Michigan, etc.) or colder climates where salt is laid out on roads, there might be signs of corrosion or rust on the bottom or sides of RV so look for this.
- Walk with your shoes off to see if the floors are foamy, which means it could be signs of water damage
- Look for mold.
- Look for mice poop.
Wholesalers vs. Retail RVs
There are surely PROs and CONS to each dealing with wholesalers or regular dealerships. This wholesalers prices might be cheaper than regular dealerships or even personal owners that you can find through facebook marketplace, on eBay, Craiglist, etc.

The key issues are whether you have a shower, flush toilet, air conditioning or heating. If you need these, then a Class B or a larger RV is your best choice.
But if ‘stealth camping’ is your highest priority (where you can fit in with all the cars and hide out in your car or van) and comfort is a very close second, then a box/step van would be a better choice. It will give you great stealth and enough room to add all the comforts you need.
On the other hand, if you can compromise on room and comfort, then you may be okay in a van. You might be saying I want to get the heck out of dodge.
Remember, if you are transitioning into that life — you are not tired to a rig — you are tired to that life. Why it comes to buying an RV, the main consideration with RV’s is their terrible fuel economy. This is why many just choose to become a car or van dweller.
Many RVers chose their RVs for specific reasons. Many women who will be traveling solo, rather have an RV that they don’t have to get out and hook it up — apparently for safety reasons. If they feel threatened by another person, a bear, mountain lion, or some other animal, they can just hop into their front seats and drive off.
Some RVers would like to be able to take a break from driving and pull over and walk into the back of their RVs and make a sandwich, instead of locking the vehicle and walking into the back. So you see many RVers have different reasons for choosing the type of RVs they chose.
Van or Class B Van
- You can strip out a van.
- It’s quick.
- Better gas mileage.
- Great mobility so you can get up and go.
- Great for stealth camping.
- More affordable than a Class B plus, Class C and Class A.
- There is a demand for a smaller type of RVs that can go more places.
- It can go into the back country and woods and stay there for weeks.
- You can get a used van for $3000 t0 $5000.
- No shower. It might have an exterior show or you can buy a shower tent or take a shower on campgrounds, at fitness clubs, etc.
- There is not a big refrigerator. If you are a foodie and like to cook that’s a con.
- Don’t have a lot of room. They don’t have as much room as a Class C and Class A.
- There is stress to have to move every night if you go into cities (stealth camping).
- They can get hotter than RVs so you can’t or shouldn’t leave animals in vans or maybe even some electronics unless you find a way to keep it cool.
- You can take into cities.
- Better on gas mileage,
- You can take in campgrounds like national parks where they are required to be 25 ft.
- Resale values are higher.
- They can be pricey.
- They can’t go down every road because they don’t have clearance.
- They are 22 up to 30 feet.
- They have a cab that extends over the cockpit with a bed.
- They are generally roomier and more comfortable.
- You can have a bed, dinette, kitchen, and shower.
- It’s obvious that there is someone sleeping in there so you can’t stealth park in cities.
- They might have leaking problems.
- There are so many, they depreciate quickly so you will lose money if you sale.
- You will need to tow a car to save money on gas and not have to break camp for day trips.
- Cost is $50,000 to $100,000.
- Great for those who want more convenience, features, and comforts of home.
- They don’t fit in regular campgrounds so your camping options are limited. Many campgrounds have a 25 feet limit.
- They are hard to maneuver.
- They get bad gas mileage.
- You will need to tow a car to save money on gas and not have to break camp for day trips.
- They can cost up to $500,000 or more.
- They can be quite roomy.
- They are much better than travel trailers and are easier to drive and back up.
- Once you have set up camp, you can drive the tow vehicle on day trips without breaking camp.
- Gas mileage is bad.
- They are in campgrounds, but not in all places.
- The hitch in the bed of the pickup takes up much of its storage space.
- Hooking, unhooking can be a hassle.
- Leveling can be a hassle.
- You might want to buy a backup camera if they don’t come with one.
- Unlike most other RVs, trailers must be towed by another vehicle.
- They’re smaller than other options, but also cheaper.
- Older ones can be bought very cheaply and have all the comforts of home.
- These trailers hook up to the trailer hitch of a pickup (or SUV with the smaller, lighter models), leaving the bed of the truck available to carry more stuff.
- Once you have set up camp, you can drive the tow vehicle on day trips without breaking camp.
- Leveling can be a hassle.
- They are not as easy to drive as a fifth wheel and are unstable at high speeds.
- Many can flip over in high winds.
- It’s a small place.
- You can go into back country and set up outdoor space.
- If something breaks — camper and car can be separated to get fixed.
- You can get a used camper for $1000 on craigslist.
Con:
- You cannot take your camper to a city park or you can’t stealth park because you have to walk from the car to camper.
Tow Car
- Not tied to your car.
- They can be very affordable.
- You can take the car to lots of places and go sightseeing.
- They can get wind gust and jackknife so the RV can be trickier to drive.
School Buses, Horse Trailers, Boats, etc.
- You can make a schooly (school bus) and make it into a camper. You have to have an artistic vision.
- You can make a semi, horse trailer and boat into a camper.
- They might get bad gas mileage.
- Also, there is upkeep, especially if they are older.
- You can’t stealth camp in a city.
- Airstream
- Aliner
- American Coach
- Beaver
- Brekenridge
- Canterbury Park Models
- Carriage
- Cherokee
- Coachmen
- Coleman
- CrossRoads
- Cruiser RV
- Dutchman
- Eclipse
- Entegra
- Fleetwood
- Forest River
- Grand Design
- Gulf Stream
- Heartland RV
- Highland Ridge
- Holiday Rambler
- Itasca
- Jayco
- Keystone
- K-Z
- Lance
- Monaco RV
- Newmar
- Nexus
- Northwood
- Omega RV
- Open Range
- Outdoors RV
- Pacific Coachworks
- Prime Time
- Renegade
- Riverside
- Roadtrek
- Shasta
- Skyline
- Starcraft
- Sylvan Sport
- Thor
- Tiffin
- Travel Lite
- Venture RV
- Viking
- Volkswagen
- Winnebago
- Forest River Violations: Remember that most RVs are made in Indiana so naturally the big brands like Forest River will have more violations. Violations top $250,000 in Elkhart, IN. They were hit with thousands of dollars in safety violations. Workers blame drug use and poor safety practices (click here).
- CampingWorld.com: They have the worst Customer Service on the internet, especially in facebook forums. I even read they are looking at filing for bankruptcy. Many RVers trade in their RVs every 32 to 40 months. And that’s when many RVers at Camping World, find out how they were cheated by them.
- GanderOutdoors.com: This company is Camping World sister company so naturally the association can’t be good.
- Lazydays RV: They have a bad reputation.
- Leisure Travel RV: You have to get parts in Germany so they have bad customer service.
- Thor: This company has a bad reputation and also owns Jayco RVs, which also have a bad reputation in the RV industry.
RV Recalls
To obtain a list of all the RV recalls subscribe to RVTravel.com.
Just some of the latest recalls include:
- Forest River recall: Bunk latch could fall off – Apr. 16, 2019
- Forest River recall: Mirror monitors show back up images in reverse – Apr. 18, 2019
- Keystone recalls trailers: Cooktop flames may invert – Apr. 19, 2019
- Thor recalls motorhomes for loose bolts that could affect steering – Apr. 19, 2019
- Jayco recalls some trailers: Fresh water tank could fall off – May 14, 2019
- REV Group recalls some Flair, Holiday Rambler motorhomes – May 23, 2019
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Livin’ Lite recalls some RVs for blocked escape windows – May 24, 2019
- Five-star warranty
- Family run business
Tiffin’s warranty covers 10 years on the frame construction, five years on fiberglass delamination or wall separation, one year or 12,000 miles comprehensive coverage, one year of 24/7 roadside service and ongoing owner support for as long as you own your RV.
- Class A, B, C and travel trailers available
- WIT Social Club
- Custom configuration options
- The aerodynamic design saves up to 20% on fuel costs
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