We just finished what you are asking about, bought a class C motor home to travel up north for the summer. We bought used but still have close to $60,000 invested after taxes, license and insurance. Right now used class Cs are at at premium because a lot of snowbirds are doing what you are thinking about doing. We found very few class C RVs on dealer lots through Florida. We got lucky when we went to General RV in Ocala to look at a new model just to get ideas as to what we wanted in a used RV. They had a used 2020 as close to what we wanted as we had found throughout Florida. This saved us close to $20,000 over buying new. I have driven 30 ft trucks in the past but still had some reservation about it. Turned out the driving came back pretty quickly and was not bad at all. Big semis still push you around when they pass you and they do pass you a lot. We studied You Tube videos for weeks before we were to travel. There are many Dos and Don'ts as well as how to videos out there so take advantage of other peoples knowledge. We traveled about 1300 miles and used 174 gals on gas at and average of $2.05 a gal. We use two RV camp grounds (with booked reservations) for two overnights for about $120 total. That comes out to $475 cash outlay for the trip. I read somewhere that driving your RV down the road at highway speeds is like being in a class 5 on the Richter scale earth quake. I don't think it is that bad but you have to be prepared for things to shake loose. In our case the toilet had a small leak at the floor seal , towel racks came unfasten and a kitchen draw has problems staying closed. These were not major problems but keep in mind our RV is only one year old. Now that we are back up north and my wife was very adamant about me driving and towing a car behind, us we are faced with the problem of only one car. So golfing , shopping , church volunteering , lunch with the girls (and guys) etc.. will be a problem and may involve getting another car (more expense). So bottom line is it worth it to buy a class C motor home? We travel with a dog and two cats. Motel stays were always a hassle and something we did not want to out up with in this age of pandemic out breaks. Hopefully we can take a few trips around our state to see friends and family and keep social distancing at a minimum. Looking forward to maybe going to California to see son and grandchildren. So even if we decide RVing is not for us we are not out $60,000 as we can sell it (great used market out there) and recoup some of our money. We think right now it was a good decision for us and look forward to some fun times with our RV. You have to weight the pros and cons for yourself. Good luck with your decision and safe travels.
|