Re: [A/S] Re: Airstream Motor Coaches

[hhamp5246@xxxxxxx]

In my 1.5 year fulltiming I observed a few things.  Most fulltimers are 
married couples and most have either class A motorhomes or fifth wheels. More 
fivers are pulled by Ford diesels, second choice is Dodge diesel.... and many 
fulltimers seem to have at least one small dog or a cat.

I started my RV experience with a motorhome.  It was an AirstreamArgosy 24 
feet long.
Perfect condition and darling (c:  If Roger Rabbit had a motorhome it would 
look like this.

I had it for about a year and realized I wanted a trailer. I thought I wanted 
a fiver and fell in love with a Fleetwood Avion, a few years old, on a 
dealer's lot. The problem was I drove a Suburban. As I was looking at pickups 
to go with the fiver I saw an internet ad for a 1994 21 foot Airstream 
Sovereign...... miracle of miracles it was 40 minutes away.   

I drove up to Hendersonville, NC and saw it. When I went inside it's hard to 
explain what happened..... I was very quiet and just took it all in. I sat on 
the couch and felt oddly like I was bonding with it... I bought it.

Why didn't I want the motorhome?  I had a tow vehicle already (the 'burb) so 
having the motorhome meant another engine to feed and care for... then I 
bought a toad, a Ford Bronco II to pull.... a third engine to feed, maintain, 
tax and insure. (SC has brutal property tax & insurance rates on vehicles!).

I much preferred driving my Suburban than the MH, who wouldn't? 

The motorhome was HOT to drive in the summer... the dash air couldn't begin 
to cool it so the dogs were dying of the heat and I would run the generator 
and the roof air while I was driving... it was sucking gas from both ends!  
The Dodge 440 was a great engine, but a hungry beast.

I don't like how high up motorhomes are, It's one step up to the trailer, the 
motorhome was like a first floor walk up which was a pain for loading and 
unloading and when you forget somethingand have to run back.

I don't like having an aisle.  The motorhome had no floorspace.  The trailer 
has a big floorspace in front of the couch.  The dogs and cats need room to 
move around. I also hate the location of the tv in motorhomes in relation to 
the couch...

I don't like having a steering wheel and dashboard in my living room.  I like 
going from the truck into my house, not driving my house and spending all my 
time in the same vehicle. Motorhomes are big and lumbering...... 

I think it's much easier to dump the trailer at a campground and go 
sightseeing in the truck than dragging a toad.  I like drivng my big truck 
rather than a small car. The truck also has shopping advantages.  For 
example, in Amarillo I bought a huge painting.... it's 6 feet X 4 feet.  I 
couldn't have put it in a toad, if fit right into the bed of the pickup. 

I sold that 21' when I started fulltiming and got my 25'..... after 1.5 years 
on the road I know I wouldn't change a thing.  For *me* my truck and trailer 
are the perfect combination.  Interestingly when I was in Lubbock getting the 
trailer repaired I rented a nearly new Southwind MH, a huge beast.  It 
reminded me how much I love having my set up.

The only advantage motorhomes have, that I can think of, is the generator.  
You can boondock in them and still have your electric stuff. Of course, with 
enough solar you can in a trailer too.

<the disclaimer> I am in no way criticizing anyone's choice of RV.... it's 
great that there are so many choices out there, something for everyone.

It's just for *me* my trailer is perfect and I wouldn't trade it for anything 
out there. 

Hunter