This is a tour of my 2023 Winnebago Solis 59P camper van. I’ve had the van for 1.5 years now so this tour is long overdue. Music: bensound.com License code: UAMVPX7KDBVYV1KE
How often do you go camping or hiking ? Please use caution and train with a weapon and learn how to use it. We live in a world where ppl are just not worth trusting and not to mention all the bizarre stuff that takes place in the wood's! Safety first and thanks for your awesome video!!
If you ever come up to the PNW....I"ll go camping / hiking with you! love the outdoors ...but at the same time it's hard to ever find ppl who want's to enjoy it too out there !!
@mia-pham, I just subscribed to your channel based on your superb review of this RV. How do you find the build quality so far? Any issues? Thanks again for the video. Great job!
Thank you so much Mia, for sharing. I was so impressed by your wisdom and insight. I have watched a lot of van videos and van lifers and I haven't enjoyed listening to anyone, the way I did with you. You speak with so much grace and warmth and I am super grateful you found great happiness with your purchase. Your van is beautiful and the thoughtfulness behind the add-ons you made is refreshing to see. I wish you the best.
You provided the most thorough and careful evaluation of rv purchase I have seen on RU-vid and I've watched a lot of them. Thank you for sharing your experience and all the helpful advice. You sound like someone who is very resourceful and goes out of their way to help people.
Thanks for recommending the book, “Die with zero” from Bill Perkins. I’m listening to the audio after your recommendation me it truly resonates with me. Much appreciated ❤
right now I'm using reflectex to cover the windows,. but I'm gonna try to make my own zippered covering one day.. hope you are enjoying your rig!!!!@@mia-pham
So much good info, Mia. We are looking to buy this exact model. We went to the big RV show in Tampa 2 weeks ago, and will make a decision once we find “the one”.
Hi Mia! What a wonderful, down to earth, helpful video, thank you so much! How is the gas mileage on this camper van? How about maintenance cost? Thanks again Mia!
Hi Mia, great review and tour. Love the layout and I can totally see my wife and I traveling in this thing. Our Kids are grown up but we may take couple friends on occasional trips. Thanks for the financing tips. Quick question, what kind of gas mileage do you get from this van?
Car prices, both new and used, are dropping like a rock and especially RV prices, they are piling up in parking lots. Wait at least another year and you will get the deal of a lifetime!
@@mia-pham 100%, but it's more than higher interest rates, it's this massive government spending during Covid that has driven prices of everything sky high in most Western countries.
Nice 👍 I bought one in Auction $750 plus auction fee and tow around $1400 , I put other $1500 total around $3000 , my RV doesn’t on the road yet , 😂😂😂 I plan to go Los Angeles this summer from Philadelphia to there, my RV 2000 Ford E450 V10 engine only got 45000 miles on it , thank you share your video , you got a beautiful RV , I wish you always have a great trip .
Mia thank you for the information you provided in this video. I did not realize I could write off the interest on my class B loan! The bank said they do not automatically send that interest statement! I wonder if it would be worth filing an amendment. Now I want to check out your financial content as surely you provide value there as well! Thank you again!
I’m glad that I’m able to provide value! Sometimes the banks don’t send out the 1098. I use TurboTax to file my own taxes. I’m not sure if you do your own taxes, but here are the instructions from TurboTax on how to report it if your bank doesn’t send you a 1098 for the interest: ttlc.intuit.com/community/tax-credits-deductions/discussion/where-do-i-put-the-interest-paid-on-my-rv/00/599284
Thanks for sharing. I was curious to know how much you paid for it and it was interesting to see how much off MSRP you were able to get it. I bought an older Sprinter Van and did my own conversion. I’m pretty happy with it as I was able to build it with the exact layout and features I wanted.
I did not even know you can buy a Class B RV without air conditioning. The reason i wanted a custom van is so i can get it without AC so problem solved. I have a rooftop AC now in my van and in 10 years i have never used it and it is nothing but problems (leaks, height restrictions, etc.). I do not want a generator either now that they have such nice lithium battery systems. But I would want a LOT more solar on my roof, at least 900 watts, lol.
nice van...that's it's what I want to do when I retire and drive around in Grand Canyon area or the coastline. I actually work remote so maybe I can do that in the van possibly but need wifi/data.
Thank you for a very informative video. You mentioned making your purchase in Mississippi. How does the registration work? is the tax based on your home address? I am serviously considering the Winnebago Revel 4x4, which seems to fit my needs the best.
A video on the type of warranty that came with the RV would very useful to me and others interested in such a big investment. Steve Lehto an attorney on youtube has a few videos on how horrible these RV contracts are as you have to sign that if anything should go wrong with the RV you agree to resolve it through arbitration in Delaware only. It would be interesting to know what was your experience with the that part of the contract.
Yes, I looked at a number of vans, but ultimately, we loved the floor plan of the 59P with the dinette seats in the front and sofa bed option in the rear. Pleasure Way has a reputation for quality builds so you can’t go wrong with them if the Tofino floor plan works for you. Good luck! I’d recommend looking for the Pleasure Way Tofino owners group on Facebook and reading up on what they have to say and asking them a lot of questions. Those groups are a wealth of information.
Great video. I have the same model (2021). The best mod I made was to add a mattress topper on the sofa bed. It turns it into one of the most comfortable beds I have ever slept in.
Congrats on this joy-filled purchase! Question, do you know if they would swap out the cassette toilet for a dry flush toilet? Thanks for your amazing feedback!! 🎉🎉❤
I’m not sure, as I never looked into that, but you can contact a local van builder to see if they would be able to do the swap for you if the dealer can’t.
As a girl driving a white colored van, you won't give off that "creepy" van vibe. LOL. It's just us male guys, unfortunately. And if you are ever in Arizona in the summer months you probably want the white color and $1600 back. Believe me, that slight bit of shades does make a difference in the exterior body temp--even tested with an Infrared Thermometer.
You are right, of course! I like white for the temperature efficiency but another reason why I didn't get it (which I didn't mention in the video) was because my last white car was involved in two major accidents (it was declared "Total Loss" after the second major accident) and some other minor accidents, so my dad said that I shouldn't buy any more white cars (totally superstitious and irrational, I know, which was why I didn't mention it in the video). 🙂
These prices are a joke lol. It's because everyone and their mom wants a camper van #vanlife after it started going viral. I was vanlifing from 2014-2019. I got a similar van for around $35,000. And I put another $8000 or so into it. So ~$43,000 total I sold it during COVID for $90K. Figured I was going to take a break for 2-3 years. I wanted to get another van to go back out again recently, but am still seeing prices around $80K-$90K. What an absolute joke. I'm going to give it another 2-3 years when this fad starts dying down. and the interest rate comes back down.
Thanks for a thoughtful and comprehensive overview - curious when you say - “take the interest deduction” - what are the specific tax mechanics of that? Do you mean interest on the loan as if it’s a mortgage on a 2nd home? Thanks.
Yes. According to TurboTax, “You're allowed to deduct the interest on a loan secured by your main home (where you ordinarily live most of the time) and a second home. A mobile home, RV, house trailer, or houseboat that has sleeping, cooking, and toilet facilities counts as a main or second home, and as long as it meets all the other requirements for deducting mortgage interest, you can claim the interest like an immovable home.”
I wish I knew not to pay so close to the MSRP prices when buying my last three vehicles new including the most a Ram ProMoster cargo van. Thank you for sharing your information. I am nearly done with converting my can into a simple camper van. Is it correct that insurance for camper van (used to be a cargo van) is significantly lower than for a cargo van? Is Progressive (versus Allstate or State Farm) the best you found for camper van insurance? What should I request for camper van coverage? My Allstate auto insurance does not include property stolen coverage. I would have to use my Allstate homeowner insurance and pay another $250 deductible for the property stolen.
The MSRP discount is applicable to RVs, not cargo vans. In general, insurance for a campervan that is titled as an RV is lower than a cargo van. Yes, Progressive was the best that we found and was the one that was most often recommended in the RV Facebook groups and forums. Our dealer highly recommended getting Total Loss Replacement. Our policy is as follows: Liability to Others Bodily Injury Liability: $100,000 each person/$300,000 each accident Property Damage Liability: $50,000 Comprehensive Total Loss Replacement/Purchase Price: $1000 deductible Collision Total Loss Replacement/Purchase Price: $1000 deductible I’ve read of people on the forums getting their self-converted van build re-titled as a RV to get lower insurance. I hope this helps.
@@mia-pham Thank you very much for your helpful reply. I will definitely follow your suggestions if I decide to purchase an RV after I am tired of my DYI camper van and want to upgrade. I also want to learn more about US Bonds and will be watching your other videos.
The California DMV charged me $7,538 for taxes and registration. Yes, it fits in front of a normal driveway. I park it in front of my driveway. If you have an HOA, make sure that your HOA is okay with it though.
I’m going to assume you’re not full time living, given that you have a newborn and didn’t say anything about it. And you say “us”…that’s your family. Sorry just listening! I’m about to buy a trailer, now in my new truck. It’s more expensive but I need something to live in - and it’s going to be my home. So I want more space. 26 foot. 2 slide outs. F150 hybrid as the tow vehicle See you out there!
Hi, new subscriber from SD. The best content ever. Very straightforward and detailed information. What is the name of the dealership? Who is the point of contact i can reach out to? I wanted to buy the exact one like yours.
www.van.life was the dealer. I think they are selling 2024s now, so the 2023 price might only be available from dealers who still carry them. Good luck!
MIa, I am curious about your choice to finance for TWENTY YEARS! 😯 That length of loan certainly gets your payments down but in about ten years won't you still owe far more than the van is worth? We have a PX with a 10 year loan and I was not very happy even with that length of a loan and we are making extra payments to try to pay it off early. Nice tour.
Great question! The reason why I decided to finance it over 20 years was because the long term average return on the stock market is 8-10%. Since the interest rate on the van was 5.49%, it was better for me to hang on to my money to keep it invested in the stock market. That said, I hate having debt in general, so I ended up paying off the van last year when the stock market was up. Kudos to you for making extra payments to pay off your PX early!
That’s Aguirre Spring Campground in Las Cruces, NM near White Sands National Park. One of the most beautiful campgrounds that I’ve ever stayed at. I highly recommend it!
@@mia-pham Thank you for the info hopefully I can check it out some day. It would be interesting to see some of your camping trips on your channel too.
attractive/well-made video but my brother had two of these campervans. maintainence was a constant chore, and expensive/time-consuming if you cannot d.i.y.
Mia, thank you for your great work and video info! Can you share the name of the RV dealer in Mississippi where you purchased yours? I subscribed and will tell others about your wonderful channel and details ! thanks again, Rob
For the price you paid for that van, I could build a detached adieu, mother-in-law apartment in my backyard and rent it out for $1,800 per month and let the tenants pay for my Leisure Lifestyle Investments. Then I would also actually gain on the value of my single family home property as well
Yes, that’s another option. I saw your other question about the interest rate deduction in my email but I wasn’t able to find that comment on here to reply to it (I’m not sure if you deleted it), but here’s more info about the tax deduction: ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/tax-credits-deductions/mortgage-interest-rv-mobile-home-tax-deductible/L3FfU5z1h_US_en_US
I’m in SoCal so we haven’t had a need for AC but Winnebago was running a promotion in the spring where they included an EcoFlow Wave 2 Portable AC/Heater with the purchase of a Solis 59P.
