Pros and Cons of living full-time in a Motorhome?

Weighed in at 11,600 lbs truck and trailer at the dump last Friday night. Guess I should clean out the garage more often. Ha.

Well... really it was garage, storage bedroom, dead brother in law’s aluminum huge business sign, and all of the dead or broken more than I wanted to fix antennas from the back 40...

The lady was nice to me and did it by residential volume, so I didn’t get weighed on the way out, which was a bummer. I wanted to see exactly how many pounds of crap I threw away.

I know there were four dead box fans in the pile. Those don’t weigh much, of course, but they were fun to throw real far. And no, I have no idea why we had four dead ones.

$86 to toss all that stuff. Filled the 8x20 cargo trailer at least three feet deep. LOL. Thank you nice lady in the box at the dump! Haha.
 
azblackbird said:
Who is this "us" that everybody keeps referring too? :dunno:

Do you carry a mouse around in your pocket like Lenny in the movie "Of mice and men"?:eek:
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yep.. a troll, anything to keep it going.
 
Tom-D said:
yep.. a troll, anything to keep it going.
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Keep what going? Arguing with you over how wrong you are about what I want or need in a coach? My needs are obviously way different than yours, so quite trying to convince me I need to be a bus driver pulling some piddly ass little cargo trailer that somehow fits your pre-conceived notions of what you think I need. You're so far off the mark, that all you're doing is amusing me at this point. I think you finally did learn that the coach I'll be getting is not mounted on some "box truck" frame as you previously stated... or at least I've hoped you've learned that by now. :lol:
 
azblackbird said:
I guess I'll be the bad guy here... @jesse what you have pictured is a very severe case of the "tail wagging the dog". I know all the P/U manufacturers these days like to tout the towing capabilities of their respective model lines. What they fail to educate their buyers on... it's not all about the towing... it's all about the stopping! Can you get away with towing the trailer that you have pictured with the P/U you have... sure you can. But can you do it safely? Not in a million years! I wouldn't even think about pulling that trailer with anything less than a 1 ton P/U. At the very least a well speced and set-up 3/4 ton.

If you value your family, I strongly suggest upgrading your tow vehicle if you plan on doing any sort of extensive traveling. For your family's sake.

Alrighty... all you numbnuts here can start piling on me for making such a brash statement. I'll gladly take it! :p
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Thanks for the warning. I did plenty of research before spending $40,000 on the truck. I also did plenty of research before buying the trailer. In addition - I rented an even larger trailer to test things out before I purchased one.

Stopping power is absolutely not the thing to be concerned about. The weight of the trailer isn't ****. If you're worried about the weight of these things then you obviously have never towed anything like this. Honestly I'd be better off if the trailer was heavier. I've towed another trailer without any brakes that weighs as much as this camper does. Stopping that much weight without trailer brakes is not a terrifying experience. It would be with a 1/2 ton from 15 years ago.

Trailer, at gross weight (which it never would be), is 3,600 lbs less than the truck's published limitations set by the engineers that know a hell of a lot more than you.

Side forces on the trailer from the wind is the thing for a guy to pay attention to. Get enough wind and I don't care what truck you hook up to the front and it's going to flip over. It's a big ass empty box. So regardless of any truck, know your limitations, and operate within them.

I would *much* rather pull this trailer with my truck versus a 3/4 ton from a couple generations ago.
 
jesse said:
Side forces on the trailer from the wind is the thing for a guy to pay attention to. Get enough wind and I don't care what truck you hook up to the front and it's going to flip over. It's a big ass empty box. So regardless of any truck, know your limitations, and operate within them.
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That's the main thing. You're going to get whipped around pretty good if you do any kind of extensive traveling throughout the plains area. I've been there done that already towing company man and geologist trailers (similar size but a little heavier) with either a 1 ton or 2 ton throughout the Rocky Mt. area. I've had my pucker moments even with the heavier tow vehicles. Like you said, know your limitations. :cool:
 
Tom-D said:
What I've learned is .. we are being trolled.
BYE.
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You are. The rest of us started ignoring the dude back when he had his thread about his solo, like a year ago.

I was tempted to warn ya, but I was curious just how far you guys would take it. Ha.

I see poor @jesse got sucked in, too. Haha.

Only person I know who’s had more jobs than this guy is Henning, and I think Henning actually did 20% of those jobs, maybe. LOL.

Last I checked, the troll has me blocked for calling out his BS in the previous threads. Which, frankly makes this post possible. LOL.

If he sees it, I do not care in the slightest. Go read some of the other threads... quite the piece of work...
 
denverpilot said:
Only person I know who’s had more jobs than this guy is Henning
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DP... you're not blocked. I just ignore you. I see you have a problem with my employment history. I didn't know I was supposed to work for one company, or in only one industry for the rest of my life. If it helps calms your concerns, I've been pretty steady for the last 25 years or more by staying in the internet/advertising business. That's a pretty good run if you ask me. :cool:
 
azblackbird said:
DP... you're not blocked. I just ignore you.
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Looks like you forgot to, just now. Feel free to continue.

You ignore me because I called you on your excellent Google skills when trying to pretend you knew people in Colorado and Nebraska aviation you never met. It was pretty clear from a number of mistakes in your post that would only happen if you didn’t know people you said you did, and looked them up instead.

Let us know when you actually get around to doing some flying, Walter.
 
azblackbird said:
Who is this "us" that everybody keeps referring too? :dunno:

Do you carry a mouse around in your pocket like Lenny in the movie "Of mice and men"?:eek:
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"Us" is all those that can see through your mask of bravado BS
 
I've tried to give azblackbird the benefit of the doubt, but man...sure is hard to do. This thread has been very entertaining though. It wasn't but a year ago he was going to get his license, buy a bush plane, and then use it for his "gold prospecting". Hasn't happened. Not to mention the 1500 NM solo cross country. Hasn't happened. I don't think he has even started training at all? Then this RV bs, which is clearly a front as well. Sure seems to be A LOT of talk with nothing to back it up. Definitely being trolled pretty good. Makes you wonder why folks bother to put up the fake facade like this.
 
Tom-D said:
This is the case on all brake types except a surge brake system, they apply brakes any time the trailer tries to push the tow vehicle. these are used by U-haul mostly on light weight trailers because of the ease of hook up. and dependability.
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You see a lot of surge brakes on boat trailers, too, for the reasons you mentioned. I also believe surge brakes are more prevalent because most tow vehicles didn't come equipped with a trailer brake controller, so it's just easier to design the braking system without having the end-user buy/install another component. With modern half tons starting to come with factory brake controllers (almost all 3/4 ton and up do) I think it's more likely that trailer manufacturers would start to move away from surge brakes except for applications like UHaul or similar rental trailers. If we're being honest, I actually think electric-over-hydraulic is a better system that gives the benefits of both low-maintenance and adjustable control.
 
Personal story time. I rented a rv to tow with my Yukon Denali. With the trailer brakes and control set correctly, stopping didnt feel any different or longer with my panic tests. The trailer was new and the brakes were working.
But it was windy, and the tail wagging the dog feeling was not comfortable or welcome. Maybe with a better tow rig, then I might revisit it, but the 2 hour drive to a near RV park was enough. The Denali has more than enough power and a air bag leveling system for trailering, but the side to side was more than I expected. And the passing vehicles sucking the trailer towards the center lane and then the Denali didnt help.
I wonder how much different a 3/4 or 1 ton truck would have done, or if you just get used to it if you pull often.
 
sway bars/brake and torsion bars are key in side-to-side stability. Once all that is dialed in....it ain't as bad when a rig blows by. :D

Full disclosure: I towed a 32' Dutchman with a Yukon XL 2500.
 
Forget the trailer. get a 5th Wheel with a gooseneck in the truck bed. There will be zero tail wagging dog even on wet road with wind.
 
Just buy an old 747 from FedEx and pimp it out. You can get your PPL in it. a 1500 mile solo cross country will be a no-brainer in one of those, and you can write it all off on taxes anyway.

Put balloon tires on it and you can land pretty much anywhere.
 
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SoonerAviator said:
You see a lot of surge brakes on boat trailers, too, for the reasons you mentioned. I also believe surge brakes are more prevalent because most tow vehicles didn't come equipped with a trailer brake controller, so it's just easier to design the braking system without having the end-user buy/install another component. With modern half tons starting to come with factory brake controllers (almost all 3/4 ton and up do) I think it's more likely that trailer manufacturers would start to move away from surge brakes except for applications like UHaul or similar rental trailers. If we're being honest, I actually think electric-over-hydraulic is a better system that gives the benefits of both low-maintenance and adjustable control.
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The big problem with boats is that you basically have to go surge or electric-over-hydraulic. None of the drum electronic brakes in the market are rated for being dumped into a lake. They fail rapidly even if you unplug them.

So you usually see surge brakes. It costs less - and as you mention is compatible with most folks tow vehicles.
 
charheep said:
Personal story time. I rented a rv to tow with my Yukon Denali. With the trailer brakes and control set correctly, stopping didnt feel any different or longer with my panic tests. The trailer was new and the brakes were working.
But it was windy, and the tail wagging the dog feeling was not comfortable or welcome. Maybe with a better tow rig, then I might revisit it, but the 2 hour drive to a near RV park was enough. The Denali has more than enough power and a air bag leveling system for trailering, but the side to side was more than I expected. And the passing vehicles sucking the trailer towards the center lane and then the Denali didnt help.
I wonder how much different a 3/4 or 1 ton truck would have done, or if you just get used to it if you pull often.
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This is the major reason we moved up into a Class A, we still feel trucks passing us, or when we pass a truck, but we are steady in our lane. When we towed, I was very tired in 6-8 hours of driving. not so the coach. I have done 12 hour days in the coach. I could never do that in the truck trailer.
With the truck trailer there was always the chores to do when you got to the camp spot, get out put the jacks down run the cable out and plug in stuff like that.
With the coach, pull in, push a few buttons set back and have a beer. It's really nice in bad weather.

The super C motor home, draw backs are their usefulness, You are restricted by where you can take them, they are designed to be at the raceway or some stadium parking lot, you'll not find them in some national forest camp ground, they just don't fit, specially towing a big trailer. They are favored by the concession stand operators that travel to Alaska each year simply because they can carry all their supplies for the summer, but they aren't lived in by these folks, they will rent an apartment for the summer.
 
jesse said:
The big problem with boats is that you basically have to go surge or electric-over-hydraulic. None of the drum electronic brakes in the market are rated for being dumped into a lake. They fail rapidly even if you unplug them.

So you usually see surge brakes. It costs less - and as you mention is compatible with most folks tow vehicles.
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The failure of the electrics on boats is a bigger issue with salt water boating which makes the brake components corrode quickly. Fresh water isn't much of a problem as it's not much different than driving in the rain/through puddles. That salt is the bane of many a boat trailer!
 
SoonerAviator said:
You see a lot of surge brakes on boat trailers, too, for the reasons you mentioned.
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Yep, they use them a lot. the thing I don't like about surge brakes on a boat trailer, you have no brakes backing down a ramp. In Puget Sound our ramps are long and steep. I've seen two trucks dragged backwards into the water by these trailers under big boats. Actually the dragging stops when the boat floats free. But the truck driver is never ready for this to happen. Now the boat owner has two problems getting his truck out of the water and catching their boat before it floats away with the tide.
rather comical when its not happening to you.
 
charheep said:
Personal story time. I rented a rv to tow with my Yukon Denali. With the trailer brakes and control set correctly, stopping didnt feel any different or longer with my panic tests. The trailer was new and the brakes were working.
But it was windy, and the tail wagging the dog feeling was not comfortable or welcome. Maybe with a better tow rig, then I might revisit it, but the 2 hour drive to a near RV park was enough. The Denali has more than enough power and a air bag leveling system for trailering, but the side to side was more than I expected. And the passing vehicles sucking the trailer towards the center lane and then the Denali didnt help.
I wonder how much different a 3/4 or 1 ton truck would have done, or if you just get used to it if you pull often.
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Trailer sway bars help out a ton. However, I don't know that the 3/4 or 1 ton makes too much of a difference in trailer sway. The biggest thing that would make a difference is dually tire option on the 1-ton that gives more stability. 5th wheels are also an improvement due to the hitch location being on top of the axle instead of several feet behind it.
 
denverpilot said:
You ignore me because I called you on your excellent Google skills when trying to pretend you knew people in Colorado and Nebraska aviation you never met.
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DP... you were trying to tell me I took aerobatic lessons from the son (whom I've never met) when it was the father who gave me my lessons. So yeah, I got on Google to see if they were still in business and lo and behold they still were after all these years. Thus the "Google" info I threw at you because honestly I'd forgotten the fathers name also.

It looks like the son has moved their operations to the Kimball airport which is perfect, as my niece and her husband just live down the road from the airport and I plan on spending a summer with them helping them out with their ranch. Who knows, I may finish up my flight instruction up there, or from the FBO in Fort Morgan where I'm originally from.

I've ignored you because your basically boring except when you talk about aviation related stuff, then you seem to know what you're talking about to some extent. So even though you may be a "Tex Grebner" in the IT world, you're aviation knowledge is worth reading about to some extent. No harm no foul dude. :cool:

CC268 said:
I don't think he has even started training at all?
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In case you missed it, my wife passed away this summer. Pretty much all my plans were put on hold taking care of her until her death. I know your just a kid, so I don't expect you to understand any of this, but when you spend 31 years with somebody and all of a sudden they're no longer in your life, you're world is pretty much turned upside down. I'm just now getting back to normal and am starting to make new plans for my life. One of them includes buying an RV and working and traveling the country. Somewhere along the line I will eventually finish up my flight training.

Salty said:
You can get your PPL in it. a 1500 mile solo cross country will be a no-brainer in one of those
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Doing a 1500 mile solo XC is still one of my goals. It sounds like you're just a pattern flyer, so it's probably a little hard for you to fathom flying further than 50 miles from your home base, but for me it's just nice long bike ride, but rather than riding a motorcycle, I'll be doing it in the air instead. ;)
 
azblackbird said:
Doing a 1500 mile solo XC is still one of my goals. It sounds like you're just a pattern flyer, so it's probably a little hard for you to fathom flying further than 50 miles from your home base, but for me it's just nice long bike ride, but rather than riding a motorcycle, I'll be doing it in the air instead. ;)
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You need better insults to deflect from your ridiculous, and unsubstantiated bragging.

I have my license, and a plane. You?

I got my license in less time than you've spent talking about your 1500 mile solo. Literally.
 
azblackbird said:
WTF? Please do tell what I'm "bragging" about. This I gotta hear. :eek:
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All the stuff you think you know, and someday you're gonna do. Put up or shut up already.

I'm a "pattern flyer" to you, but I have my license, and I've done a 1500 mile solo (after getting my license as is appropriate). You have bragged about how you're going to do it, and have yet to take the first step. Yet you are sure you know more about it than I do.
 
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azblackbird said:
DP... you were trying to tell me I took aerobatic lessons from the son (whom I've never met) when it was the father who gave me my lessons. So yeah, I got on Google to see if they were still in business and lo and behold they still were after all these years. Thus the "Google" info I threw at you because honestly I'd forgotten the fathers name also.

It looks like the son has moved their operations to the Kimball airport which is perfect, as my niece and her husband just live down the road from the airport and I plan on spending a summer with them helping them out with their ranch. Who knows, I may finish up my flight instruction up there, or from the FBO in Fort Morgan where I'm originally from.

I've ignored you because your basically boring except when you talk about aviation related stuff, then you seem to know what you're talking about to some extent. So even though you may be a "Tex Grebner" in the IT world, you're aviation knowledge is worth reading about to some extent. No harm no foul dude. :cool:



In case you missed it, my wife passed away this summer. Pretty much all my plans were put on hold taking care of her until her death. I know your just a kid, so I don't expect you to understand any of this, but when you spend 31 years with somebody and all of a sudden they're no longer in your life, you're world is pretty much turned upside down. I'm just now getting back to normal and am starting to make new plans for my life. One of them includes buying an RV and working and traveling the country. Somewhere along the line I will eventually finish up my flight training.



Doing a 1500 mile solo XC is still one of my goals. It sounds like you're just a pattern flyer, so it's probably a little hard for you to fathom flying further than 50 miles from your home base, but for me it's just nice long bike ride, but rather than riding a motorcycle, I'll be doing it in the air instead. ;)
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I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Just seems like you talk a lot, but don't have much to back it up or show for it. Maybe your being honest, it just comes off that way to me.
 
Salty said:
You need better insults to deflect from your ridiculous, and unsubstantiated bragging.

I have my license, and a plane. You?

I got my license in less time than you've spent talking about your 1500 mile solo. Literally.
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Hey where you get that cool map that shows where you have flown?
 
charheep said:
Personal story time. I rented a rv to tow with my Yukon Denali. With the trailer brakes and control set correctly, stopping didnt feel any different or longer with my panic tests. The trailer was new and the brakes were working.
But it was windy, and the tail wagging the dog feeling was not comfortable or welcome. Maybe with a better tow rig, then I might revisit it, but the 2 hour drive to a near RV park was enough. The Denali has more than enough power and a air bag leveling system for trailering, but the side to side was more than I expected. And the passing vehicles sucking the trailer towards the center lane and then the Denali didnt help.
I wonder how much different a 3/4 or 1 ton truck would have done, or if you just get used to it if you pull often.
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Wheel base length. The Yukon is too short for long trailers. Mine gets wagged by heavy trailers too. The 3/4 or 1 ton wouldn’t matter but the extra couple of feet of wheelbase is huge for lateral motion.

Checkout_my_Six said:
sway bars/brake and torsion bars are key in side-to-side stability. Once all that is dialed in....it ain't as bad when a rig blows by. :D

Full disclosure: I towed a 32' Dutchman with a Yukon XL 2500.
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The bars help too, but noted that yours is an XL. Towing with the short standard Yukon is a different world. As is towing with the old pre-Gen 2 Suburbans that we’re even longer. Towing with those is great.

SoonerAviator said:
Trailer sway bars help out a ton. However, I don't know that the 3/4 or 1 ton makes too much of a difference in trailer sway. The biggest thing that would make a difference is dually tire option on the 1-ton that gives more stability. 5th wheels are also an improvement due to the hitch location being on top of the axle instead of several feet behind it.
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Dually changed my towing world forever. Combined with a fifth wheel hitch, and a nice heavy tongue weight in the proper proportions to trailer weight, and that thing goes exactly where it’s pointed. Towing a bumper tow on the dually when it’s light, it still goes where it was pointed but you can spin the rear tires with the Cummins because each tire has half the weight on them. Only happens accelerating. Ha. Love all that torque and a stick shift, but forget that it’s not the fifth wheel back there and I can’t just floor it.

azblackbird said:
DP... you were trying to tell me I took aerobatic lessons from the son (whom I've never met) when it was the father who gave me my lessons.
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Still incorrect. But nice try.

Condolences on your wife. Don’t do anything rash financially, take some time to grieve. The giant RV sounds like you’re going to blow a lot of money and perhaps doesn’t really meet your goals for what you want to be doing in five years. Plan ahead.
 
denverpilot said:
Condolences on your wife. Don’t do anything rash financially, take some time to grieve. The giant RV sounds like you’re going to blow a lot of money and perhaps doesn’t really meet your goals for what you want to be doing in five years. Plan ahead.
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Thanks DP... I've already grieved all I can grieve and am now ready to get on with my life. I've thought it out very carefully and selling my home and moving in to a nice RV is what I want to do at this point in my life. Will it be permanent? Who the hell knows... but it's always something I've wanted to do. :dunno:

BTW... I'm not going to argue over who I took aerobatic lessons from. That was 35 years ago. I do know it wasn't from who you think it was. Whether it was from the father, uncle, or just an old Ag pilot who was an employee, I honestly can't remember. Same goes for my instructor in Brush. I can't remember his name either. I do know my logbook was left either in Brush or Sidney, so who the heck knows where it even ended up. It's not worth arguing over.

Salty said:
All the stuff you think you know, and someday you're gonna do. Put up or shut up already.
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Somebody has some plans or goals with their life. That just irritates the hell out of you doesn't it. :rofl:

CC268 said:
I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Just seems like you talk a lot, but don't have much to back it up or show for it. Maybe your being honest, it just comes off that way to me.
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Just exactly what is it that I am supposed to show you? Help me out here kid. What do you want to see? :dunno:
 
azblackbird said:
Thanks DP... I've already grieved all I can grieve and am now ready to get on with my life. I've thought it out very carefully and selling my home and moving in to a nice RV is what I want to do at this point in my life. Will it be permanent? Who the hell knows... but it's always something I've wanted to do. :dunno:

BTW... I'm not going to argue over who I took aerobatic lessons from. That was 35 years ago. I do know it wasn't from who you think it was. Whether it was from the father, uncle, or just an old Ag pilot who was an employee, I honestly can't remember. Same goes for my instructor in Brush. I can't remember his name either. I do know my logbook was left either in Brush or Sidney, so who the heck knows where it even ended up. It's not worth arguing over.



Somebody has some plans or goals with their life. That just irritates the hell out of you doesn't it. :rofl:



Just exactly what is it that I am supposed to show you? Help me out here kid. What do you want to see? :dunno:
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I’m not trying to be a dick I just thought I’d share my thoughts lol.
 
People who believe thinking for themselves means simply disagreeing with everyone else provide short term amusement for those that actually think for themselves and use it to accomplish things.
 
Just a thought, when people want to go camping they don't take it all with them.
 
azblackbird said:
LOL... get that big Newmar and maybe I'll see you out on the road one of these days. ;)
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I really doubt that, we will places like Iron Gate trailhead. look it up. (google maps)
 
CC268 said:
I’m not trying to be a dick I just thought I’d share my thoughts lol.
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Kid... it sounds to me like you need to find something in your life that is going to make you happy. I've read your posts and you don't sound too happy. :(

Salty said:
People who believe thinking for themselves means simply disagreeing with everyone else provide short term amusement for those that actually think for themselves and use it to accomplish things.
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Same goes for you Salty... you don't sound too happy with your life either. I guess by berating others (not only me) for their ambitions or goals, it must make you feel better for your own short comings. That's the way I read you anyways. :(

Tom-D said:
Just a thought, when people want to go camping they don't take it all with them.
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Now you're making some sense. ;)

Tom-D said:
I really doubt that, we will places like Iron Gate trailhead. look it up. (google maps)
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Didn't you say you're only good for about 4 days of boondocking or does that place have hookups?
 
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