Well before retirement, Natalie and I began talking about downsizing from our home of 30 years into an RV, leaving Washington, and traveling until we find a place to make our new home. One of the best ideas we heard about the idea was to try RV living before investing in an RV because many people get the RV first, then decide they really dont like the idea, and that can be an expensive mistake.
So, a couple years ago, we rented a Class C (Basically a big truck with the camper built into the frame) and described the experience in our blogs trip 2.
Once that test proved we could probably enjoy the idea, it became very important to gather enough information to choose well. The best way to get started proved to be from some of the surprisingly many RV focused travel blogs online. They not only describe many places worth visiting; they also give abundant detail about the downsides and how to deal with those. Among my favorites are Changing Lanes and Today is Someday. They can lead to several other useful, interesting, and informative sites
a class A coach or a trailer. For us, it boiled down to the question how wed rather travel around an area after getting the RV set up for a few days. I just dont want to drive a big monster bus to Safeway or a tourist spot; so, wed need to tow something behind the class A coach. With a trailer on the other hand, you need a tow vehicle that can handle the trailer, and Id rather have a truck than a little car.
The next question was not really much of a question because one very good friend convinced us a fifth wheel is enormously easier to handle than a trailer. (A trailer attaches at the bumper; a 5th wheel attaches to a hitch in the bed of the truck.)
Then the question became just how much truck wed need. And that required figuring out how much of a trailer wed want. After a fair amount of research, we decided we needed a truck to deal with about 20,000 pounds max, and that called for a pickup with the diesel engine. Because Im a Ford bigot on this, our desired truck would have to
Because we hoped to be on the road in 2022, our basic plan then was to get the truck in Fall of 2021 so we could get used to driving a truck before having to learn how to tow the 5th wheel. Fortunately, a slightly used 2020 Ford F350 with the diesel engine became available in late October, and that part of the plan came true. It is one awesome vehicle because many of the necessities were already installed, along with some really nice luxury features like heated seats, a moonroof, and towing support systems.
After retiring in January, the next part of the plan was to buy a 5th wheel during early spring so we wouldnt have to winterize it but would be able to grow into it before it turned into our only home. When we went to the Seattle RV show on a Thursday in February, we were planning to check out four 5th wheel models: the KZ Durango Gold, the Keystone Montana, the Keystone Montana Alpine, and the Northwood Arctic Fox, all at 35 or so feet long. (We liked the Grand Design rigs, but considered them beyond our price range.) We had absolutely no plan to buy a RV.
When we woke up that Friday, Natalie had spent her night dreaming about the Arctic Fox, and we had several good discussions about it over Friday and Saturday, but were busy with other obligations so couldnt go back until Sunday. On Sunday, we went back to the RV show with the plan to put money down on an Arctic Fox if one was available. There was, and we did. But the RV was still on the production line, awaiting parts. (Something about a supply chain was slowing everything down.) But it should within a month or so.
Well, it turned into two months, and we took delivery on April 19th and moved into a spot at a very nice RV park in north Bothell called Lake Pleasant. And it really is a very pleasant little lake almost right in the big city but youd never even notice unless you wanted to get there.
