選擇合適的房車可能是一個挑戰。有太多選擇！我們給正在購買房車的人的第一個建議是 沒有完美的房車 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.

說實話， 你問到的許多全職房車愛好者很可能至少有 2 到 3 輛不同的房車. 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.

您可以閱讀所有 選擇合適的房車的技巧 （就像我們寫的帖子一樣， 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.

對我們來說，我們從來沒有擁有過房車，甚至幾乎沒有在房車裡露營過。 我們自動為該空間選擇了第五輪車。 We loved it, too! In fact, we wrote this post – 選擇第五輪拖車進行全職房車旅行的 10 個理由。這些原因正是我們決定購買第五輪車的原因，現在仍然如此。 選擇第五輪車有巨大的好處。

然而，8 個月後，當需要購買一輛新房車時， 當我們選擇換一輛 C 級房車而不是另一輛五輪房車時，我們完全感到驚訝. 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.

不過，我們最終選擇 C 級房車的原因如下。

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

當我們把物品搬出 第五個輪子, 我們拿出了很多從未使用過的東西 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 房車。因此，許多人會選擇更大的房車，直到他們意識到他們實際上需要的東西是多麼少。 It’s extremely common for full-time RVers to downsize their RV during or after their first year on the road. 從某種程度上來說，經歷這些階段是簡化生活過程的一部分。

機動性>生存空間

當我們從第五輪車換成 C 級車時，我們損失了大約 50 平方英尺的空間。我們錯過了嗎？當然！ 但我們獲得的好處超過了空間的損失。

我們最喜歡的優點是我們的 C 級機動性非常強。 駕駛它的感覺與駕駛我們的舊卡車非常相似。 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. 現在，我們發現自己可以輕鬆地將車停在任何地方，而不必經常檢查後視鏡以確保我們能夠避開路緣，而且 Lindsay 在任何時候都感到 100% 舒適地駕駛。 

更輕鬆的旅行

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.

現在，讓我開始解釋旅行天數的差異，因為當我寫這篇文章時，我們正開車去納許維爾。 丹開車時，我舒適又安全地坐在餐桌旁。 When it’s lunch time, I’ll get up and 不用停下來就幫我們做三明治 如果我需要 使用洗手間…no problem! The dogs can move around a bit more too.

哦，在我們離開某個地方之前，我們只需要 10-15分鐘收拾，斷開連接，然後起飛。不再需要拴住和綁住。我們收起物品，拉動滑梯，解開掛鉤，跳進去就走！我們旅行很快，通常每次在新地方只停留一周，所以這對我們來說意義重大！

第五輪 38C 鑄頂板拖車卡車零件掛接裝置 重型掛接裝置

更好的工作空間

儘管許多較新型號的第五輪拖車都擁有寬敞的工作空間，但我們的卻沒有。我們唯一的工作區域是廚房餐桌椅，裡面擺放著一些沒有靠背的小木椅，與餐桌之間的距離也僅僅夠舒適。配有優質坐墊的餐桌椅更適合全天坐著。

如果餐桌對我們兩個人來說太擁擠，我更喜歡在乘客椅上工作，因為乘客椅可以旋轉面向起居區。我還可以安裝一張可拆卸的桌子，如果我想在寫作時更舒適地看電視，可以將其放在沙發前面。因此，我們有 3 種工作空間選擇！ 

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.

現在我可以更舒服地駕駛新的房車了，丹可以在我開車的時候工作。 旅行日不再意味著我們必須抽出時間工作. It’s all about efficiency and multi-tasking, right? And our weekends are free for adventuring!

更省油

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.

現在，房車的油耗與卡車的油耗相同, 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!

就是這樣！顯然，我們對從五輪拖車換成房車的決定感到非常高興！ 我們選擇了 2018 年 Winnebago Navion 24D，並且非常喜歡它！ 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!