Sceglie u RV ghjustu pò esse una sfida. Ci sò tanti opzioni! U primu cunsigliu chì demu à e persone chì anu shopping per un RV hè questu ùn ci hè micca un RV perfettu for you. You will have to make some sacrifices…of course unless you plan to spend a million dollars for custom options. But if that’s the case, you probably aren’t reading this post anyway.

Per esse onestu, assai RVers full-time chì dumandate anu più prubabilmente avutu almenu 2 o 3 RV differenti. Before you’ve lived in an RV, it’s hard to truly know what you want and need. So don’t be surprised if you change your mind, too.

Pudete leghje tuttu cunsiglii per sceglie u RV ghjustu (cum'è u post chì avemu scrittu, DON’T Buy an RV Until You’ve Read These 5 Tips!), do tons of research, and drive yourself crazy. But, ultimately, until you’ve hit the open road and discovered your travel style, your parking preference, etc….it’s hard to know which RV is the best for your lifestyle.

Per noi, ùn aviamu mai avutu un RV è avia mancu appena campatu in unu. Avemu sceltu automaticamente una quinta rota per u spaziu. We loved it, too! In fact, we wrote this post – 10 motivi per sceglie una quinta rota per u RVing à tempu pienu. Quelli ragiuni eranu esattamente perchè avemu decisu di una quinta rota, è sò sempre vantaghji enormi à sceglie una quinta rota.

Tuttavia, 8 mesi dopu, quandu era u tempu di cumprà un RV più novu, ci hè stata completamente sorpresa quandu avemu sceltu di passà à un camper di classe C invece di un'altra quinta rota. We purchased our fifth wheel knowing it was a “starter unit” to simply allow us to try out RV life and determine if it was for us or not. It wasn’t designed for full-time living…it was much more of a weekend warrior RV. So we originally went into the purchasing process with the plans to buy another fifth wheel.

Eccu i mutivi, però, chì avemu finitu per sceglie invece un camper di classe C.

We didn’t need as much “stuff” as we thought we did

Quandu si move e nostre cose fora di a quinta rota, avemu tiratu fora tante cose chì ùn avemu mai usatu and actually forgot we had in there. Again, we didn’t know anything about the lifestyle and how it would be. Now, we know what we like to do in the places we visit, we know we don’t need as many clothes as we thought, and we ditched the duplicates of things.

It’s a huge adjustment to downsize from a house to u RV. Cusì, assai persone sceglienu un RV più grande finu à chì capiscenu quantu pocu anu bisognu. It’s extremely common for full-time RVers to downsize their RV during or after their first year on the road. In un certu modu, passà per e tappe, hè parti di u prucessu di simplificà a vostra vita.

Maneuverability> spaziu di vita

Avemu persu qualcosa di circa 50 sq ft quandu avemu riduciutu da a nostra quinta rota à a nostra classe c. Ci manca ? Ben intesu! Ma i beneficii chì avemu guadagnatu superanu a perdita di spaziu.

U nostru benefiziu preferitu hè quantu maneuverable a nostra classe c hè. Cunducendu si sente assai simili à guidà u nostru vechju camion. Since the length is right under 26 feet, we can “fit” into most parking spots. We’ve even managed to find street parking in the city and have “moochdocked” outside of family members’ houses with no problem at all.

In contrast, the last time we returned home, we had no choice but to put our fifth wheel in storage while visiting family because there was not enough space for it in anyone’s driveway or neighborhood. It was really inconvenient to move out of our home for a few weeks and not have full access to some of our belongings.

We also used to be so jealous of the RVers who could pull off the side of the road to snap a photo of a scenic view. We’ve had to settle for mental pictures because pulling over with a 30ft trailer isn’t exactly safe, if there is even space for it. Avà, ci ritruvemu cunfidenti di trascinà in quasi in ogni locu cun facilità, senza avè da verificà constantemente u specchiu per assicurà chì sguassemu un curb, è Lindsay si senti 100% còmode di guidà in ogni mumentu. 

Ghjorni di viaghju più faciuli

Let me paint a picture of what our travel days looked like when towing the fifth wheel. First, we would have to strap down any loose furniture, along with the typical stowing of items. Then, we’d have the usual disconnecting of the sewer, water and electric. The final step would be backing up the truck just right, lowering the trailer, and hitching it up, which would typically take 10 minutes alone (on a good day). We’d often be stressed that we would forget a step, because there were just so many.

I forgot to mention that we’d have to set up a comfortable space for the dogs, pack up a bag of snacks, water bottles, a trash bag, our computers (if we wanted to struggle to work at all), cameras (you always have to be prepared for beautiful scenery), etc. We would be crammed in and have to stop every 2-3 hours to stretch and use the bathroom. If we wanted to make lunch in the fifth wheel, we’d end up taking 30-45 minutes every time we stopped, which made travel days even longer.

Avà, lasciami cumincià à spiegà a diffarenza in i ghjorni di viaghju dicendu chì mentre scrivu stu post, andemu in Nashville. Sò pusatu cunfortu è sicuru à a dinette mentre Dan conduce. When it’s lunch time, I’ll get up and fateci un sandwich senza avè da piantà è s'ellu ci vole aduprà u bagnu…no problem! The dogs can move around a bit more too.

Oh, è prima di lascià in qualchì locu, ci vole solu circa 10-15 minuti per imballà, disconnect, and take off. Ùn ci hè più l'attaccamentu è a cinghia. Stovemu l'articuli, tirà u slide in, stacchemu i nostri ganci, saltimu è andemu! Viaghjàmu rapidamente è di solitu stemu solu 1 settimana à volta in novi posti, cusì hè enormu per noi!

Quinca rota 38C Cast Top plate-remor truck parts Hitch Heavy Duty Hitch

Spazi di travagliu megliu

Ancu s'è parechji mudelli novi di quinta roti anu grandi spazii di travagliu, u nostru ùn hà micca. A nostra sola zona di travagliu era in a dinette di a cucina. Questu era custituitu da picculi sedie di legnu chì ùn avianu micca cuscini di spalle è pocu spaziu per esse una distanza còmoda da a tavola. A dinette di cabina cù cuscini di qualità hè assai più pratica per tuttu u ghjornu à pusà.

Se a dinette hè troppu affollata per noi tramindui, preferimu travaglià in a sedia di u passageru, chì gira per affruntà a zona di vita. Ci hè ancu un tavulinu staccabile chì possu stallà, chì pò ancu esse piazzatu davanti à u divano, se mi sentu più accogliente è fighjulà a TV mentre scrivu. Avemu dunque 3 opzioni di spazii di travagliu! 

I mentioned that I am working while we drive, which is also a big deal for us. And the computer is not sitting on my lap in the passenger seat. I am actually at a “desk”, where I can focus without getting car sick or getting a neck cramp!

We also used to only be able to travel on weekends because Dan was the primary driver and he couldn’t take time away from his work during week days. We would occasionally be able to squeeze travel in on a week day if the drive was under 3 hours and after the work day. The hardest part about that though, other than driving at night, is that our weekends are our most valuable time. Weekends are the best time for us to be exploring new places and enjoying the greatest benefit of RV life.

Avà chì sò più còmode di guidà u novu RV, Dan pò travaglià mentre guidà. I ghjorni di viaghju ùn significanu più chì duvemu piglià u tempu fora di u travagliu. It’s all about efficiency and multi-tasking, right? And our weekends are free for adventuring!

Migliure di gasu

What do you get when you cross a GMC Sierra 2500 truck and a 8,500 pound fifth wheel? A gas guzzler! That’s not a joke. We used to get 7-8 miles per gallon while towing! Then we’d continue to get poor gas mileage when we would detach the trailer and drive the truck around cities. We basically lived at gas stations.

Avà, l'autocaravane solu riceve u listessu chilometru di gasu cum'è u camionu solu, which is around 15 mpg. When we tow our Jeep Wrangler behind the motorhome, we still average around 11 miles per gallon…not too shabby. But when we arrive, we can ride around in the jeep and get 18 miles per gallon around the city! Cha-ching! More money in our pockets, which makes us happy campers!

Allora ci hè ! Chjaramente, simu assai cuntenti di a nostra decisione di passà da una quinta rota à una casa di motoru ! Avemu sceltu un Winnebago Navion 24D 2018 è simu in amore! We named her “Wanda” because she allows us to “wanda” around the country while feeding our “wanda-lust”. Or, as my dad says, we “wanda” how we’re going to pay for her! But, as they say, not all who “wanda” are lost. Ha! Okay, that’s enough puns!