One thing that is true with an RV (for non rich people) is you will either be paying a bank note or a repair bill. If you want neither then you shouldn't own an RV. Pros and Cons to both.
So easy to lose sight of economics. If the foundation of your rug is solid, would even $10k make good sense if it gave solid cosmetic , and mechanical redo. 10k would do nothing on a new or late model RV. Life changes when Debt increases. Good luck with decision.
@@frankquintiliani9397 it’s a good point if we felt $10k would have extended the life of the rig beyond 1-2 more years before we ended up trading it in anyways for something new, which we really just didn’t see happening. I do think $10-$12K would have kept it alive a year or two more but then we’d be right back where we were with buying something else and so it really comes down to how long is that $10K going to get you for decisions like these. Also, the value of our quality of life definitely played a role here too.
You guys are my favorite rv you tubers to watch . Some of the other creators complain about every little thing and can’t fix anything on their own . Bought a 22’ Rockwood Minilite travel trailer new in 2016 and only had 1 problem that I fixed myself. It was the control circuit board on the water heater . Lived in it 2.5 years and sold it when covid hit . Don’t buy anything that was made after covid hit . The manufactures figured out how to build them even cheaper .
You guys have a big enough truck, look at travel trailers. You can NOT have 2 dogs and no space and expect to be happy with your smaller spaces. Travel trailers offer lots of space and are not as large and heavy as a 5th wheel. And are cheaper. Grand Design is the best built on the market and ours has held up great. Just a thought
Discount Tire is awesome. I've been using them since the late 1980's and have never had an issue with them warrantying tires under their certificate program.
So sorry for your problems. I really like how you guys remain calm and look for problem solutions, while accepting bad news with grace. It will get better.
We bought a 28yo 40ft diesel pusher class A, built in the days when RVs were built with quality in mind, it has a real truck chassis/drivetrains designed to run 500,000 miles. Interior is all solid wood walls and cabinetry. So far we have invested 1/2 what you paid for your used 5th wheel.
My husband and I just got our small RV a month ago. We went with a grey wolf Cherokee 26BDGH. We started following you guys to get some knowledge we found you guys to be so fun and inspiring. Victoria always with a smile despite some issues you guys encounter. Always looking forward to your videos. Thank you guys for motivating and teaching us a lot 💕
You guys are great. Love how you show the challenges of RV life unlike other channels. My travel trailer is a POS as well. They are all built so cheaply.
Going back and watching your older videos, I love your positive attitudes❤ thank you for always being a joy to watch and follow on your journey. Can't believe what people pay for camper vans😳
Hi guys.. I was having a bad day today until I saw your video... I feel better now..❤... You guys are so brave... Jeanne Would have said..oops... Don't know why it caught fire at a rest area... Happy Birthday Victoria... Craig.. With all the problems of that RV... And she is always smiling... She's a keeper... We are looking forward to your next video... Thank you For making me feel better... Stay safe...J&A
I went back and forth for about 2 years and to the Tampa show twice (and I think we all drooled over that Brinkley 😍). I decided on every type of RV at one time or another (except class A), and finally landed on a 25 foot Airstream that I'm picking up on Friday. It's classic, well-made (tho not perfect by any means), has the composite floors, and is small enough to fit in most places. Good luck on your decision! Love your channel!
We've been doing the full time RV life thing for 6 years. Your maintenance is a little more than usual, but about what you would see living in the rig full time and on the move alot. I'm constantly fixing things in mine and running screws back in. Tackling the repairs yourself would definitely help save time and costs. Or use a mobile mechanic for the big stuff. As far as choosing the right rig, I would keep the 5th wheel. I have noticed those that select small rigs and/or vans do not last long doing RVing full time. It's just too cramped. Larger 5th wheels make better homes on the road. If there is a location you want to be that won't fit the larger rig, just choose the closest one that will and drive your tow vehicle to the attraction. We do a lot of boondocking in ours since we added the solar/Victron/Battleborn setup and that makes boondocking 150% more like home.
Would reach out to Lippert and explain the situation. They are a huge company that seems to be interested in good customer service. They may allow you to return the new parts for a refund. When it comes to major decisions, prayer is always a great first step! 😊
Just a suggestion on the metal plate above the tire. You may be able to weld on some angle brackets to frame that’ll hold the metal up and stop the screws from pulling through the wood
Feel for you guys! Went to Alaska last year with a two year old 5th wheel and on the return trip we totaled the 5th wheel at destruction bay. The frame cracked horizontally on both sides. No trouble, we had the frame welded and returned home. I still use the 5th wheel.
I really appreciate your channel guys. We just dropped our trailer off after an accident and definitely understand how frustrating all this can be when you are a full timer like us and y'all. Keep on truckin and hope we see you out here now that you are back in the states!
Man, I feel your pain Craig. I repaired the kitchen slide in our 5th wheel. Bought the parts, jacked up the slide and sold the trailer afterward. Watched plenty of videos for the repairs and researched the country for our next 5th wheel. Hang in there guys. U guys will learn plenty from this. Just glad u guys are safe and have each other to lean on. Take care and travel safe. My wife and I enjoy your content. 🌮 🍺 ⛱️ 🌊
Your attitudes toward adversity is admirable. It is an inspiration to us all. The small challenges you face each day and your cheerful responses are refreshing to us all. We have been rving for nearly eighteen years, and we have had our challenges too. I'd like to think we've handled those as well as you have, but we were not on camera. Keep up the inspiring quests!
Thank you so much for this great compliment! I know we don’t always keep a smile on our face but we do try to approach all the challenges as a part of the “adventure” and it is always QUITE the adventure! 😅
You guys are absolutely amazing for keeping up such a happy attitude after having that metal fall down and hit that tire. I’m still so surprised you didn’t let the people at the RV manufacturer have it for all the problems that you’ve had since you bought this hundred thousand dollar trailer.! I have owned a motorhome for close to 10 years now and the thing is 20 years old and I haven’t had a fraction of the problems that you’ve had with that trailer in just a couple years. And the problems you have are pretty big problems like the slide out not going in easily! That tire problem! Charging problems! Water problems, my gosh
You already got the truck (anything wrong with the truck?) - stick with a TT or 5th wheel. Get used Pre-Covid. Look at OutdoorsRV made in Oregon (not Indiana) for quality. Small company mostly seen west and Pacific NW. Good Luck. GD would be my next choice - always hear good stuff about them.
Yes, Grand Design Solitude or Arctic Fox or Lance. Those are top rated campers, all 4 seasons rated. Its better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it!
Some campers are rated 4 seasons capable but they have exposed dump valves outside the heated underbelly. That's a freeze break waiting to happen! Keystone!
You guys - so sorry about all the issues. Honestly, we decided on what rig to get by watching as many rv tours and rv travel videos as possible. It's a 34ft rear living 5th wheel and we still like it although it would be nice if it was 4-5 ft shorter. Since you live in it and have 2 dogs I don't see how you could go smaller than a short fifth wheel. The basement space comes in handy. Also then you have a bedroom door in case Craig needs to make a call. We love Discount Tire. Central America? I hope the conditions are better there than Mexico. After watching people traveling in Mexico with RVs there's no way I would take ours to Mexico or anywhere south of there. We're wishing you luck, sending prayers, and will be watching to see what you decide.
I like hearing your thoughts on the RVs. Your perspective as full timers, as well as your honesty and sense of style is refreshing. I hope you start reviewing lots more! Small motorhomes will be tough as full timers. I'm excited to hear what you go with! We've been very interested in the Brinkley brand, so it'll be nice if you go that route so I can see the pros and cons :D. I'm excited to see what you decide on! This was one of the best vids yall have made. You gave a lot of good information (Discount tire warranties, replacing tire how to, what to look for in an rv, etc.) and kept things real and interesting. Great work.
Haha, I have an electric one that works great, but usually, when it's one wheel, I can do it a lot faster without digging it out of wherever it's buried, lol. I learned my lesson with this last one though.
I so hate your having more bad luck with the rig. However, I think your making a wise choice of looking at getting something else vs sinking a fortune into repairs continuously. Looking forward to see what yall get next!
Thank you! We have felt good about continuing to fix this old thing up to this point but there does come a point that it just doesn’t make sense anymore and I think we’ve finally reached that point 😅
Wonder if you could put another piece of wood between the metal and the floor of the slide then you could put longer screws through the metal and then have thicker wood to hold it up? Just a thought.
It seems like 95% of everything built are poorly made, crappy parts, etc. Find yourself an “investment” not just a trailer/motor home. Resale and quality of life are the investments. For example the last made Via’s, Airstream, Brinkley, Mercedes diesel. If you can decide what then shop the used market. Everything has already been done and they hold their value. Love your channel and your honesty, Rob & Cotton.
So sorry for your problems. I’ve been in the same spot with my RV. Go with another Fifth Wheel, since you’re use to one now. Y’all are great people. Hope you make the right decision for yourself.
If i was in your shoes and trying to travel where you mentioned, i'd look at 4 specific brands. Black Series, Airstream, Northwood Artic Fox or Outdoors RV. they'll have big enough set ups to fit the dogs and stay under 25ft.
1st thing, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!🎈🎊🎁 Take a look a couple years old GD! I’ve nothing but good things about their service department and talking you through any issues you may have. The mid bunk models would be a great option to turn into a office. Please get a impact wrench that works off the batteries you already have… I was feeling your pain trying to get those lug nuts busted loose!!! I’m surprised you didn’t get your knuckles busted!! And get a torque wrench from Harbor Freight!
We have looked at some nice grand designs. They are an option. I have an electric impact, but it was buried in our storage. Normally, I can bust them loose pretty quick lol.
Craig is pretty handy and certainly could put new brakes on for a fraction of the cost. I replaced my brakes with new ones from e-trailer and I'm not a mechanic.
Oh yeah he definitely could! He’s changed brakes like that before but it’s just all a lot of maintenance due for a trailer that is already not going to last traveling for many more miles likely
You guys have been making lots of really solid decisions and I have no doubt you will make the right one now. Love your spirit and attitudes. Don't rush, just keep moving forward and you will find exactly what you need. Like so many of your other followers, I really appreciate your video's on life in an RV. You two make a great team.
Our ‘RV’ of choice is a ‘78 30’ Argosy that is pretty original. A lot of that construction was not real great because they were going after making it as light as possible. As a result our RV is all aluminum. Found out that we could do a lot more in the interior than we ever thought. Most of our work has been upgrading the materials used to make the “decor”. We’re about to begin full-time RVing at retirement age. Highly looking forward to it!! Good luck to you!
As we move towards our next life change (retirement). We too are looking to get smaller for easier travel and accessibility to national parks. We recently saw the Winnebago Vista 29NP. The only thing I dislike is that it is a gas engine. Might work for y’all too!
We bought a 2023 fifth wheel we sold our ranch to family. The trade out was we park for free on the property. It's not ever moving, and we just use our cars to go on trips. We stay in hotels and cabins. That way, we don't have to worry about our fifth wheel breaking every time we drive it somewhere. We have permanent hookups, some solar, and no house payment. that may be hard to find, but you could possibly trade something out by living on someone's land, maybe keeping up the property or taking care of it when they're gone. I don't know if there might be something out there. You could research, keep that, and then just travel by buying a small little bumper pull camper to go to Alaska or camping wherever and then come back to your RV and that's your house to come back too!!
Hi guys, I feel your pain. The wife and I love your channel and have been watching for quite sometime. If you’re given any thought to a travel trailer I have two suggestions that may work for you. We recently downsized from a 40 ft diesel pusher to a 30 ft travel trailer and are so happy with our new rig. I suggest you look at two trailers that might work great for you guys. East to West Alta 2600 KRB and the Outback 292 URL. We have the 2600 KRB and love it. No matter what you buy never pay MSRP. If you can’t get 30% off of MSRP then walk away. We purchased our rig from Camping World, which I don’t recommend. But they happily accepted our offer of 30% below MSRP out the door, don’t let them add any additional charges. If you guys would like to talk more I would love to hear from you guys. Good luck in your journeys. 😊
I agree to stay with 5th wheel. Grand Designs or Alliance. I love the Brinkleys but being so new I’d wait to see how they pan out. I have a GD for nine months. Love it. If I downsize one day it will be an Airstream. As solo female I went with a company with history of reliability and customer service. Hope all works out for you. I think I’d be trading in as well.
Irene Iron just posted a video of their new Alliance 5th wheel. Perfect for what you could use! Do not even consider trading, you will be paying them to take it. Sell it for what you can get and currently new ones are being discounted up to 35% if no trades.
Whatever you choose make sure it is spec's as "full time" it should say it on the label. Sales will tell you everything is full time, but you want to see it on the MFG label. 🙏🙏 enjoy the process! ❤
After 28 years of owning three 5th wheels, two travel trailers, small pickup camper, 32’ Class C (last year) and built a overland trailer during Covid (see my build under my profile), I’ve found there’s not a perfect RV. My wife works remotely, we have 3 dogs and full-time it’s about 95% boondocking, we prefer the mountains over anything. We sold our class c last summer and bought a 2023 Grand Design Reflection 303rls, it has been great with very few small issues. I do wish it was shorter but it feels homey and works for us since she works and with the 3 dogs. Alaska was the plan this summer but my wife was in an accident and will be in rehab for the next few months, so Alaska 2024! If you do buy new make sure you get at least 30% off of MSRP. If you go with GD let me know and I will give you my dealers name.
Oh wow that is a lot of experience to go off of! And we are thinking along the same lines that there really isn’t just a perfect rig, not for all situations anyways. We would love to have a small rig that can “go anywhere” but like you, that just isn’t going to be comfortable with someone working remotely full time and bigger dogs. Glad to hear about your good experience so far with the Grand Design! Hope your wife recovers quickly too, we are planning Alaska for 2024 as well!
@@wildrvlife as handy as Craig is you’ll be fine making repairs on a new rig. They way I look at it I would rather spend a little bit of money fixing something instead of turning it into warranty and having the hassle since we full time. Just like our bathroom skylight was crack from the screws being too tight. Sent GD an email explaining to them and told them to send me a new one with sealant and I would take care of it. If we cross paths in Alaska I will buy you a cold one 🍻.
I'm shocked that they didn't use something like liquid nails and then screws for the metal slide guard over the tires. As for the wire support, the stock ones seem to break every few years. I fabricated my own with some vinyl fence stripping and some 1/4 rubber material and it's been lasting longer than the stock parts.
Frankly, as someone who works fully remote and travels with my wife (who homeschools our son full time) son, and dog, we are looking for similar things. The main reason so many of the Class B are so cheaply made is that they are trying to stay under the chassis GVWR, so it’s all about weight. Usually, there’s hardly any payload on those for your possessions. We’re looking at a truck camper so we can use a diesel chassis and actually enjoy the drive! Northern Lite has a nice dinette and good storage and I hear they’re well made. It’s also possible to tow a small trailer and I’ve seen some folks build out a 10 foot trailer as an office and storage area with full solar (which you have already). Just a thought. Everything’s a compromise but having owned a small underpowered class C, never again!
Ahh very good insight from someone who has had one, thank you! And totally agree, there’s always a compromise somewhere, just have figure out which ones you can live with 😅
I’m on my 3rd RV in one year, lol. My first was a new Intel Horizon, so I needed a truck. I sold all of that and have a class C Winnebego. It’s great but too big for just me and my dogs and parrot. Now I’m selling this and buying a used Free Spirit Van. I’m excited, it will be great for me.
We just purchased Forest River Palamino Real lite Couples trailer from a private seller. We absolutely loved our buying experience. They spent over 2hrs answering our questions and it was a good deal.
I would recommend a travel trailer around the size 28 or 32. It would be both comfortable and easy to travel with and can fit the heavy travel lifestyle you both want to have together. If you want a good deal on a camper look at RV actions a lot of good rvs that are like brand new but did not sell go there to allow for dealers to bring in new rvs and campers.
Decision point. Since you asked, I highly recommend that you don’t rush into making a new purchase. Maybe stay put somewhere that isn’t too hot, think, research, look, think, sleep, think, look, more research. Once you know, you’ll know. Making snap decisions can often lead to poor choices. Rig size is important, yet functionality is too. Truly know what you need and want, balance it against rig type, size, etc, …
So many of these RU-vidrs have issues with newer RVs the roof falling off when they're only your old, and other amazing the garbage Construction. I've owned every shape and size of RV and now I have 36 ft Holiday Rambler pusher, with Cummins. Of all of them the best were a cargo mate converted 20-foot trailer and a 1964 Greyhound bus with Detroit Diesel. That's really the way to go. Including air ride air brakes and leveling
We just bought a 2014 Kodiak dutchman. It was used and in decent shape. We are happy with it. We went with a 2 year loan. The overall experience went well. The saleswoman was great. It was a no pressure sale. Unlike camping world which we never even went to look in person, called about 10 to 15 times a day and it wasn't even the local dealer. Why they would call from hundreds of miles away....... blows my mind. I guess sales were down. Love your videos
This is the first video of yours I have watched and loved it! You keep it real and still are smiling! We have a 2018 30' trailer that we bought new and had to repair water damage to the slide because the factory installed the bottom seal on the slide wrong and it allowed water to drain into the floor of the slide. We repaired it ourselves because the dealer wanted $2400 to fix it. we repaired it for under $300 and a couple months of our time. It took that long because I was recovering from my 5th major back surgery in 6 years. we are in our mid-seventies but we are going to sell the trailer later this year and buy a 40' class A motorhome to go full time in. We're getting our house ready to sell so we can travel. Keep a positive attitude and live a full life!! we're looking at class A motorhomes in the 2000 to 2007 model years because after extensive searching we know that those years were at the height of quality for the industry and are built better than any class A's until you get into the top price points for class A coaches. we are specifically looking at Monaco and Beaver brands in those model years. we had a class C motorhome rental in the early 1980's and I thought quality was bad then. The new models are just as bad - In my opinion.
Thank you so much for watching and coming along on our adventure! These are all great points. I actually know so many people with RVs from 2000-2007 that seem like they are lasting so much better!
Love the energy and problem solving attitude, my recommendation is for you guys to repair the slide, you have the energy and knowledge to do it, do some tide up with the drawers, that shouldn't take too long, then sale it at a better price, and much quicker, and now you will have more money to use towards buying something better. Good luck, looking forward to see what you guys deside.
Have y’all ever looked into cargo trailer (toy haulers)?? You can build your layout from scratch. I’ve looked into both school bus’s and rvs. With a school bus the ceilings are only 6’4 at its tallest point so you’ll need to do a ceiling raise unless your 5’2 plus by time you rebuild your engine your gonna be in pretty deep. Vs if you have something like a cargo trailer and it breaks down you still have the truck while it gets fixed. I’m currently looking into goosenecks cargo trailers I can build from scratch. You’ll spend less money doing it yourself/ the quality of your build is what you want it to be. Good luck y’all!
I think you might be better off if you got a bus and converted it today and for the last several years, leopard is making all these frames putting all these frames out and they’re not heavy enough material and they’re having all kinds of problem with the frames and all these campers so that’s one thing to think about if you got another one, you’re still gonna have trouble with the frames right from the start and you can’t see it because it’s all hid so if you could find a bus with low miles or a good deal that you could change too your liking. I myself have an older class a with low mileage but it’s older when there weren’t frame issues I enjoy working on them fixing them up and reselling them.but buying new I wouldn’t do at this time until the frame issue is resolved
We bought a fixer upper for our 1st rig a 2006 at 32ft & payed $10k for it. We kept it about a year & a half but then upgraded just in August to 2016 Grand Design Momentum. We understand the struggle of "do you put more money in & fix what you have that's paid off or do you upgrade". We decided to upgrade so we looked all over Craigslist, Facebook marketplace, etc. We found an older couple that wanted to stop full time & bought a house so we got theirs for a good deal. We won't ever buy brand new cause they have tons of issues, also. Buying a few years old means most the kinks are worked out, not all, but most. We've srill had to do a little here & there but no more than our 2006 did. Way less, actually. We couldn't be happier with iur upgrade. We went a little larger with this one cause I wanted the "toy hauler garage" part for my own craft room. Once we get where we're going, we move the side by side out and I convert it to my craft room. Then put it up & load the toy when we move.
😅 I don't know if you can get to it or not. But a piece of bedframe rail angle. If you could bolt it to the floor then you could bolt that piece of flopping metal to that. And that would probably Lee be sufficient for a lot of miles. Not bolt is the way to go.
We have been full time rving for 5 years and I fill your pain. I would recommend looking at an older well made coach. We ended up with a 2007 Newmar ventana and we pull our full size truck with a Harley in the back. If you want a well made smaller trailer maybe a lilsnoozy or big foot. Also an older country coach or beaver even 20 years old is better then any new trailer out there. Hang in there the adventures are always better then the problems.
We just went through all the mental gyrations you guys are going through. We landed on an early 2000s class A and traded our F250 for a Jeep. The quality of the class A motor homes built from 2000 to 2008 is incredible. It’s pretty easy to find a coach that has been well maintained for under $60,000.
So I think you should definitely try to return those parts to the manufacturer if possible first! Then list your RV for sale! In the meantime get on RV trader and try to find a used model of the RV you liked at the Tampa show and see if there is one out there! I wish you the best of luck! I love all of y’all’s videos!!! Don’t give up!!!!😊
Change stinks, we loved our 5th wheel 36' triple slides wide body. Got to be too large for where we wanted to go so, we too went shopping thinking a class b, there were just no selections on floor plans. We ended up going to a 30-foot triple slides and love it! Exact floor plan we wanted. Have put around 20 thousand miles on it. still holding up well.
Have been traveling in the same travel supreme fifth wheel for about 17 years. Bought it one year old. Still no cabinet or slide problems. It’s a 2004 model. Buy a high end used fifth wheel. Think you would not like giving up the space.
NEVER jack on your axle like that. It is hollow and you can easily bend it. Always jack on the frame. I carry a hydraulic jack and a couple pieces of 6X6 to get me up to be able to jack on the frame.
Hey guys, we would love to buy a new Class A, but the interest rate is preventing us also from a purchase. I truly believe the price on new and old RV’s will drop dramatically within the next year, so will we wait a little longer and see what happens. Buy the way… I have driven twice to Guatemala years ago. I recommend you do not go unless you are with a caravan. The areas in Mexico that are heavy in Americans are much safer. But as you travel south and enter Central America the risk to your safety is 10 fold. Just an FYI.
Make a Ben Franklin list. Draw a line down the center of a piece of paper. List all the pros on the left side of the paper, and all the negative on the right side.
Yeah we’ve fixed a lot of things on this RV over the last 2 years but since it’s an RV we know it won’t last forever so we just have to decide when it’s time to move on and stop throwing money at something that is nearing the end of its life.
For the amount you could get a pre 2009 (quality went to trash from the 2008 market crash and on) class A rig, either gas (get a Workhorse chassis with the Alison transmission for sure) or a diesel pusher you could find nice rigs for around $30-40k and they are solid! You could sell the fiver and the truck and get a little toad to tow behind the rig and you guys would be set! Class A or another fifth wheel… at the end of the day that is where it is at. The two best options and nicest rigs made…
