Looking to buy an RV and need advice

[Singleton]

Looks very clean.
now go enjoy it!

 

[LakeMead Boater]

Congratulations! Just like @Singleton and everyone else said, use it. It’s been one of the best things for my family, the boys love it!

 

[rivrrts429]

Congrats Vic! My kids don’t ask to fire up the StarLink to play video games when out camping, never. Nice rig!!

 

[JFMFG]

So did you sleep in it Vic?

 

[NicPaus]

So did you sleep in it Vic?

He is going to need a bigger motorhome in 9 months

 

[BHC Vic]

So did you sleep in it Vic?

I only had one night at home so I hung out with the wife. I got it in the backyard this morning and now I’m connecting in San Jose

 

[BHC Vic]

Looks like a nice rig. Is that on the f53 chassis, gasser power? How long are those bunks? Would they fit a 6'-2" adult?

Yes f53 gas. They measure 6’2. I’m 5’9 and I could sleep in the bottom bunk for sure. 6’2 would be tight

 

[BHC Vic]

I need to get tires. Hoping I can get an appointment for Saturday so need to figure that out. Drove nice on the way home but I don’t really have much to compare it to.

 

[wzuber]

I need to get tires. Hoping I can get an appointment for Saturday so need to figure that out. Drove nice on the way home but I don’t really have much to compare it to.

There's also mobile tire guys that will come to you for installs if the will help.

 

[wzuber]

Yes f53 gas. They measure 6’2. I’m 5’9 and I could sleep in the bottom bunk for sure. 6’2 would be tight

Thanks for the length verification.
F-53 does that still use the single transmission mounted e-brake drum system? If yes, that's a rather spendy repair bill to fix if ya happen to forget to release it and drive off. My dad did that once. His was a 96 or 99 and parts were almost impossible to get for that model. Just a mention of something to keep an eye on.

 

[Hardly Satisfied]

Beautiful Motorhome Vic. Congratulations. The paint looks amazing from your pictures

 

[zhandfull]

Nice!

I try and use mine once a month. Been hard since buying the river pad though.

 

[BHC Vic]

I won’t be able to get there till Saturday but we are making progress

 

[Done-it-again]

damn vic you are making progress. Congrats on jumping ship and moving on... You did the right thing.

Now I need to get off my ass and find something. Between you and Socalx09 I've got FOMO not having an RV since ours sold...

​

 

[Boatymcboatface]

Might want to replace the spare. The 1st time I took my motorhome in I didn’t. The second time they asked if I wanted to do the spare. I said check it and see. It was from 2003!

 

[BHC Vic]

Might want to replace the spare. The 1st time I took my motorhome in I didn’t. The second time they asked if I wanted to do the spare. I said check it and see. It was from 2003!

Would you put one of the takes as a spare or just hit another? They are like 470

 

[Boatymcboatface]

Would you put one of the takes as a spare or just hit another? They are like 470

I’ve got a class c the 7 tires I got where under $1000 installed and I replace them every 4-5 years.

The more it sits the worse it is for the tires. We use it once a month if retired and driving it all the time id change them every 6-7.

 

[Boatymcboatface]

Might add that you can over heat tires even if properly inflated. I did it on the way home from Parker towing the boat. It was a 115 plus day I was on rice road and maybe traveling at times a little above the proper speed limit and separated a couple ply’s luckily it just caused a little feedback in the steering wheel. I made an appointment for new tires and the right rear exploded the day I was taking it to the tire shop. It happened just as I was pulling out of the storage gate. Was a little annoying changing to the spare but could’ve been way worse if it happens on rice rd.

 

[RogerThat99]

Congrats Vic. You, and your family will have a great time. I have a group trip planned this weekend, then another group trip for New Years.

 

[Flyinbowtie]

What a journey it was for you to get here, Vic.
I am happy for you and your family. As I sit here at 65, many of the very best memories I have with my wife and sons revolve around an RV of one type or another, but the best are those we had with a 31 ft Southwind Class A we bought when they were about 11 and 14. The excitement would ramp up when the boys saw me hooking up the toybox and loading the quads and sand rail. Within 3 days of leaving they were bouncing off the walls.
When they were young we would let them sleep in the motorhome the night before if we were leaving in the wee hours of the morning. It would give me some peace and quiet in the house, LOL.
Enjoy every trip you make in it. They can be a pain in the ass to maintain and are not a good "investment" dollar wise, but a huge up when it comes to creating memories with your family. I look forward to pictures...

 

[Justsomeguy]

I agree vic, get a spare. I bought mine and the original tires separated. I wanted nothing to do with those POS. Now I have peace of mind.

 

[n2otoofast4u]

Fuck a spare, get AAA!

 

[bilz]

Strap a take off to the

 

[Boatymcboatface]

Fuck a spare, get AAA!

Why not both?

 

[RiverDave]

Where is the spare at? Under the rear? Is that a thing with class A gassers?

RD

 

[Ricks raft]

Where is the spare at? Under the rear? Is that a thing with class A gassers?

RD

Various locations. My spare is in same compartment as propane tank.

 

[Ricks raft]

Would you put one of the takes as a spare or just hit another? They are like 470

Take one of the newest better tires that your replacing and move it to spare.

 

[RiverDave]

Various locations. My spare is in same compartment as propane tank.

I had no idea.. I have only owned my diesel class a though in terms of a motorhome.. I just figured they were all so damn heavy none of them carried spares.

RD

 

[Bigbore500r]

Congrats @BHC Vic !

 

[Ricks raft]

I’ve got a class c the 7 tires I got where under $1000 installed and I replace them every 4-5 years.

The more it sits the worse it is for the tires. We use it once a month if retired and driving it all the time id change them every 6-7.

Good brand 19.5 or 22.5 are from $300-$600 apiece. Michelin says RV tires are good for 10 years. My rv is in a carport out of sun and I park on plywood to keep concrete from sucking out moisture.

 

[Hardly Satisfied]

Where is the spare at? Under the rear? Is that a thing with class A gassers?

RD

Motorhomes these days don’t have spare tires anymore when I worked for Fleetwood motorhomes back in the 80’s had spare tires but there only had bottle need jacks rated to lift up the motorhome but almost impossible for someone to change them so they stopped adding them to the coach. Also it could have been a cost thing too

 

[Boatymcboatface]

Good brand 19.5 or 22.5 are from $300-$600 apiece. Michelin says RV tires are good for 10 years. My rv is in a carport out of sun and I park on plywood to keep concrete from sucking out moisture.

I’ll happily change out cheaper tires more often than risk the damage from a blowout in a motorhome. Again the amount of use plays a huge part in the life of the tire.

7year old tires that sat in the same spot for 8 months? No thanks!

 

[69hondo]

The average guy changing a 19.5 on the side of a freeway possible but not going to be fun. Need a heavy bottle jack and a high torque impact. LOL My gasser had a spare but i was pretty religious about changing out my tires after so many years so I never had to try. I did however help the tire shop guy. steel 19.5 wheels plus the tire is well over 100 LBS I am sure Aluminum wheel is quite a bit lighter.
I couldn't imagine changing my 22.5 now. I am calling roadisde. LOL

 

[BHC Vic]

The average guy changing a 19.5 on the side of a freeway possible but not going to be fun. Need a heavy bottle jack and a high torque impact. LOL My gasser had a spare but i was pretty religious about changing out my tires after so many years so I never had to try. I did however help the tire shop guy. steel 19.5 wheels plus the tire is well over 100 LBS I am sure Aluminum wheel is quite a bit lighter.
I couldn't imagine changing my 22.5 now. I am calling roadisde. LOL

This has 22.5 alcoas. Probably weigh more than me. The brochure shows a spare in the back trunk but I’m not sure I have that.

 

[rivrrts429]

The average guy changing a 19.5 on the side of a freeway possible but not going to be fun. Need a heavy bottle jack and a high torque impact. LOL My gasser had a spare but i was pretty religious about changing out my tires after so many years so I never had to try. I did however help the tire shop guy. steel 19.5 wheels plus the tire is well over 100 LBS I am sure Aluminum wheel is quite a bit lighter.
I couldn't imagine changing my 22.5 now. I am calling roadisde. LOL

Bingo and this is spot on.

I’m pretty good knowing what roadsides are available to me where I’ll be traveling.

Shit, this was last week before leaving for the desert. Called roadside and did tires in the girlfriends driveway lol

No way I’m dealing with 19.5’s or 22.5’s on the side of the highway let alone my little Class C tires hahaha

 

[BHC Vic]

For insurance I’m thinking progressive? Anyone have any better ideas? I have AAA roadside I’m assuming I need to upgrade to RV. I’d like to have AAA insurance but it’s super pricey

 

[callbob]

My spare is in a compartment underneath the bedroom slide out. No fucking way in hell if I could even get it out, could I put it back. Goodsam roadside assistance for the win.

 

[69hondo]

For insurance I’m thinking progressive? Anyone have any better ideas? I have AAA roadside I’m assuming I need to upgrade to RV. I’d like to have AAA insurance but it’s super pricey

Vic for roadside get Coachnet. Its a set price for the year and great service.
AAA for Class A motorhome is the worst.

 

[RVRKID]

Would you put one of the takes as a spare or just hit another? They are like 470

$470? is that with the mounting?

 

[BHC Vic]

$470? is that with the mounting?

Maybe I have to check my notes. I know out the door 6 tires mounted and balanced was $3295.22

 

[Singleton]

For insurance I’m thinking progressive? Anyone have any better ideas? I have AAA roadside I’m assuming I need to upgrade to RV. I’d like to have AAA insurance but it’s super pricey

Get coachnet for roadside.
Since you are getting new tires, get coachnet tires as well. They are seperate transactions, but coachnet tire are one price for 5 years of coverage.

Insurance - I did StateFarm. Everything I have is with them. Nothing is cheap when it goes wrong in a RV, so set the deductible at 1k.

 

[Boatymcboatface]

For insurance I’m thinking progressive? Anyone have any better ideas? I have AAA roadside I’m assuming I need to upgrade to RV. I’d like to have AAA insurance but it’s super pricey

I just moved to AAA from progressive it was the same price. The main reason was because I needed to ad it to my homeowners insurance my insurance company canceled my policy. It gave me a huge discount on my homeowners insurance because it made it a multi policy account. All my other vehicles are still with progressive.

 

[rivrrts429]

For insurance I’m thinking progressive? Anyone have any better ideas? I have AAA roadside I’m assuming I need to upgrade to RV. I’d like to have AAA insurance but it’s super pricey

Nobody on the side of the road with a family that needs roadside assistance calls and says thank you for the cheap price, they just want service

If the value is worth the extra money then spend the money. Side of the road sucks and I want the service if it’s worth the scratch.

I have AAA on the RV as well and they’ve been decent. I wouldn’t say spectacular but have been consistent. There very well could be better out there I just haven’t utilized it. I had Good Sam roadside but never utilized their services.

 

[wzuber]

In the event you have to change a tire or other work roadside or elsewhere the coach leveling Jack's are your friend. Then you only have to lift the axle weight.
Losing a tire typically involves other equipment too such as exhaust systems on rear duals. Adds insult to injury$$$. Helps to justify the cost and effort of preventative maint.

 

[Flyinbowtie]

Couple thoughts here, Vic.

Get a set of the tire covers for those new tires.. The sun beats the hell out of them and will steal tire life from you. Keep them covered when it is parked.
Get yourself a good digital tire gauge and keep it in the RV. Check the pressures before you roll. For a long time I had a regular checklist of stuff to check on the RV before we took off. Tires, makes sure we had chemical for the black tank, turn the fridge on a couple days before we rolled out, run the generator, etc. Do all of this about a week before we wanted to leave if it was a big trip, this way if I discovered a problem I had time to address it in the driveway, before we left, not in camp somewhere in the middle of BFE.

Find a RV dealer or mobile service tech you can trust who does seal and roof maintenance. The vast majority of RVs out there have not been maintained, and if you get a leak in the structure you are on your way to misery. Preventative seal checks twice a year and reseals every 5 yrs or so is worth the $.
Take your time, you are a handy enough guy to figure out the way it all works. Build yourself a tool box to stay with the RV, and add to it as you need to.
You are lucky you have 22.5s We had the 19.5s on our old Class A and the tire selection wasn't good.

I hope it does not happen to you, but I got to change a couple of those 19..5s on the side of the highway.
I was younger then. I had a toybox behind with a compressor and an air impact (long before battery tools were around) and it made it easier. Get yourself a bottle jack that will lift it, work out in the driveway if you need any blocks to make it all work.
I still carry an 11 ton bottle jack and now have the big Milwaukee impact. I can change a flat on the truck or the 5th wheel if I have to...but my wife will be calling road service before I get out of the truck.

 

[Justsomeguy]

In the event you have to change a tire or other work roadside or elsewhere the coach leveling Jack's are your friend. Then you only have to lift the axle weight.
Losing a tire typically involves other equipment too such as exhaust systems on rear duals. Adds insult to injury$$$. Helps to justify the cost and effort of preventative maint.

This! I learned this and felt dumb. I struggled putting my spare on. Won't lie.

Then, one day I was greasing it and checking some things. My buddy put the stabilizers down and then proved to me a tiny tiny jack could then lift the axel with most weight off.

I'll never ever forget that again.

I have roadside also. But, I hate waiting. Granted my wheels do not sound even remotely as heavy as your guys tires on these class a.

 

[wzuber]

If it doesn't already have it....the extenders for the shrader valves on the inside read duals is very helpful. Ask around to see which are the best ones as I've heard some are prone to leak.

 

[rivrrts429]

If it doesn't already have it....the extenders for the shrader valves on the inside read duals is very helpful. Ask around to see which are the best ones as I've heard some are prone to leak.

They’re all prone to leak. There isn’t a tire shop that will recommend them. They have little o-ring like seals in them. They last a year and start to leak. I yanked them off my motorhome.

We pulled them all off of our semi trailers too. It was a pain in the ass in the long run.

Purchase the same air fill as all the large roadside guys use and it’s easy to use without the extenders.

 

[Boatymcboatface]

Camp in your yard the 1st time if possible or the closest campground you can. This really helps you figure out the little things you’ll want camping.

But some of the best trips are the times we’ve forgot stuff and had to take a little extra excursion to get what we needed.

 

[GNEnsrud]

Congrats…. That has fun written all over it! I’m an F53 MH owner, and love mine. Fun per buck, real tough to beat. Now start making it yours and having fun!