HOTEL ON WHEELS

I always thought it would be so much fun traveling in an RV (recreation vehicle) going across country. There’s no set schedule to follow. No check in time. No check out time. You can come and go as you please. Just imagine all the wonderful things you can see and visit. Unless I win the Mega Millions, an RV will just have to remain part of my dreams. When researching for this article, I actually saw a motor home that was for sale for ONLY $1,250,000! Yup, you read that right………over a million dollars! I’m sure these are the type of buses (that’s what this one looked like) that the country/western or rock stars travel in. Inside they look like a five star hotel!

Some people who show dogs and some handlers own RV’s (motor homes). Most of the time I’ve seen the larger RV’s that show dog people own. If you are traveling with dogs, naturally you’ll need the room for dog crates and that can take up a lot of space even when you are stacking them on top of one another.

When choosing which RV to buy, there are some things to take into consideration. Obviously the number one thing is how much money you can afford to spend. As noted, some RV’s cost as much or more as a house! Naturally comfort is important. Roominess is another factor. Is a nice little kitchen important to you with modern conveniences? Does it have a table to eat at? Is the bathroom large enough? Does it have a shower? What about the bedding area? How’s the storage areas? Some have hidden storage under the seat cushions of the sofa. How many people can sleep in the RV? Does it have enough room for dog crates? Generators are standard or available in most motor homes, so you’re less dependent on campground hookups. Motor homes are run by diesel or gas.

I don’t think people who own RV’s are looking to save money by not staying at a hotel. I think people who choose to own an RV, choose it because of the freedom it affords them. They can travel at their own pace. They just have to find places for hook ups for their motor homes and places that will allow dogs to be exercised.

There are three classes of RV’s, (A, B, & C), but for this article I’m writing about class C and class A. The class C motor home is great for small trips. These smaller motor homes are built on a van chassis with attached cab section. Some of them feature a large bed over the cab. Larger Class A motor homes feature open, spacious floor plans and are an excellent choice for extended trips. Class A motor homes have an integrated chassis (they look more “bus-like”). Gasoline-powered Class As is typically less expensive than diesels, and, since most have the engine in the front they offer more flexibility in the rear floor plan. Diesel-powered Class As tend to be more powerful and more fuel efficient than gasoline models. Most have the engine in the rear, which makes these smoother and quieter to drive.

There are many different dealers who sell RV’s. Do your research about the reliability of the manufacturers of these motor homes. Ask other motor home owners what they think about their RV’s. I’m sure they can give you some tips of what to look for. For instance, how well does the motor home handle on the road? Some of them I’m told are very easy to drive whereas, some of them are much harder and someone told me that they sold their first motor home because it was not easy to handle on the road. They bought another one and driving it is so much nicer.

Some popular manufacturers that you might want to check out are: Airstream, Allegro, Coachmen, Fleetwood, Forest River, Gulf Stream, Jayco, Keystone, Newmar, Winnebago, among others.

Another way to travel in a motor home if you can’t afford to buy one is to rent one. If you are going to travel to a big show like a National Specialty, you might want to consider hooking up with a friend to see if they might want to share the expenses and rent a RV with you.

As for this writer, as I said unless I win the lottery, I’ll just look at all the pretty pictures online and dream about it!

My rating: if you can afford it…RV: (4), renting an RV: (4)