How Do You Know You're Ready to Buy an RV?

Is the RV lifestyle right for you? In most cases you’d never know until you took the plunge, but we got a head start when we “test drove” our friends’ fifth wheel in their driveway. 

Prior to vacationing to Branson, Missouri, our friends Chad and Debbie Morgenthaler called and suggested we stay in their camper during our stay to get a glimpse into our retirement. 

At first, I wondered if this was a way of telling us we’re bad guests. I am so very careful when spitting the toothpaste in the sink, and I’ve trained Pete to put the toilet seat down, so I knew that couldn’t be it. Then I started running through a mental checklist: Where would we store our luggage? Will we have to store our stuff inside and sleep outside? Would I be able to sleep “outside”? I got over that all pretty quickly. They gave us the option to stay in the house as well, but we jointly decided to take the plunge in the interest of exploring our future. 

Upon arrival I saw the Grand Design Reflection 337 RLS in their driveway and got quite excited. We settled in, gave hugs, bro hugs, how are yous, and finally I couldn't stand it any longer. I asked if we could go see our living quarters.  

I held it together long enough to listen to Chad give us instructions for the AC, the water and the lights. Then I quickly unpacked and ransacked the place. I checked out all the drawers, the pantry, behind the tv, the closet, under the sinks, the cabinets above the couches and inside the fridge and freezer. I sat on each couch, at the kitchen table and sprawled out on the bed. After three nights of not-really-roughing-it, here are my initial conclusions:

 The Bedroom

Pete and I sleep in a queen bed at home so I'm inclined to get a queen even if a king is standard. This will make the bedroom look and feel larger. Although I was able to walk into the closet and stand up without hitting my head, there wasn't a lot of room and we have to have a washer/dryer installed. That will influence how much clothing we can bring. Additionally, laundry is a one-person job and there’s no chance either of us is going to volunteer to sit in a laundromat, in Timbuktu, waiting for the laundry to dry.

I've seen some layouts with bedroom furniture with several drawers but I have to keep remembering there are two of us that need to share all that space.

I knew there’d be storage under the bed but I was surprised to learn that was already full with the dining room fold-up chairs and extra blankets. No room for extra sweaters.

Either we’ll need to do laundry all the time and wear the same thing time and time again or find storage boxes that hold a lot and fit nicely in the closet. I’m thinking that we can perhaps use the trucks (one to tow the fifth wheel, one to tow the boat) for some storage but that’s like getting a storage garage because you don’t have enough room for things you don’t use or need.

The Bathroom 

When I had my first peek of the bathroom, I thought there is no way people can survive a week's vacation in that small space. Well, I was pleasantly surprised by the room it did have.  The shower was roomy. Both Pete and I could wash our hair and neither of our elbows/arms touched the opposite walls. The large skylight makes it feel like the shower is even taller than it is. There's a step/seat so I could easily shave my legs and shelves for shampoo, conditioner, body wash, razors and other essentials. 

The toilet was comfortable, TMI, I know, but I’m going to tell it like it is. It was nice that there was plenty of room between the toilet and the sink, so no one would be knocking knees against the counter while sitting on the pot. 

It was a single sink setup. As stated above, I am very tidy when I brush my teeth but others in our relationship aren’t as tidy. Pete also leaves stubble from shaving and although it doesn’t seem to bother him, it horrifies me just writing this. Since we will be traveling together, I am thinking a two-sink bathroom is a necessity. 

The medicine cabinet was decent sized, big enough to hold vitamin bottles, toothpaste and all of that “bathroom stuff,” but I want my own. I also don't like a lot of things left out on the counter, unlike some unnamed people, so the lack of counter space would drive me crazy. The linen closet had ample space, enough for extra bottles of shampoo, body wash, towels, sheets, first aid kit and of course toilet paper. 

The odd thing was that there was only one small towel rod. Perhaps someone thought people would be traveling alone? I would imagine that in most situations there are at least two people traveling so multiple hooks would be a better option. 

The Kitchen

Despite the decent sized island with large sink the kitchen didn’t have much room. I had taken my camera and GoPros out to charge them and with the addition of our cell phones all of the plugs and counter space were quickly taken up. This really had me thinking: Where do all the items that normally go on your counters get placed or do you just do without them? That’s a problem we’ll need to solve if it’s going to be our house for half of the year.  

I didn't get to cook, nor did we make coffee, as the meals were made in the house but something tells me I am going to have to be creative or do a lot of grilling. Oh geez, another obsession I'm going to have to research, what is the best travel grill or smoker? But if I did want to cook, would I need an oven or do I just need a convection microwave? 

I asked Debbie if the 12 cubic foot gas/electric fridge was big enough. Wouldn't she rather have a residential size? She replied that bad part of a residential fridge is that it draws a lot of power, which this one can run on either electricity or propane. You surely don't want your loaded fridge to lose power and all your food to go bad.  

I didn't notice if the sink was one or two sections but I am adamant about having a one-piece sink. It's the one thing I insist we get. What’s with me and sinks? 

The Living Room

The furniture you can get for a camper is pretty darn amazing. Heated, vibrating, reclining seats with storage and drink holders. Why would you ever go to your stationary home? One of the couches has a hide-a-bed for your guests, but don't forget you only have one bathroom (guests have a limited shelf life)! The TV is bigger than we have in our current living room in Virginia and get this: there's a fireplace! Apparently, the fireplace can act as your heater if needed and will heat the entire place. The ottoman for the living room can also be used as bench seating in the kitchen and it has storage -- genius. Perhaps a nice little rug, a blanket or two and, yes Pete, throw pillows, may just make us feel right at home.

So, we followed Chad's instructions on making sure the AC stayed on, as the auto setting would turn on and off and most likely wake us up all night. Pete and I slept like babies.  

The water in the shower stayed warm for each of us and getting ready didn't take any longer than normal.  

Would having 4 to 7 more feet of space be more appealing and help me not freak out that I can't bring more stuff? Probably.  

We just don't know enough about campgrounds to figure out how many will take campers up to 43 ft long. 

Will Pete and I be able to both work in such close quarters? Will one of us work in a  separate office space and the other use the kitchen table?  

Would an extra bathroom be convenient? I keep hearing Becky Iaconelli in the back of my head stating that their extra half bath ended up being Mike's rod closet. Sorry Pete, don’t get any ideas. If we do have people stay with us, will having a bathroom between the living space and bedroom be a better option? Would the half bath be worth getting? I've noticed that most models that have double sinks have bathrooms in the front and you have to walk through the bedroom to get into them. Decisions, decisions. 

I am so glad we had the option and chose to stay in the camper, even if we never left the driveway. There are so many more important aspects of the camper that we’ll have to learn, such as the mechanics, the hookups, and the fact that Pete's never driven one before, but we’ll get there. Baby steps. 

I had Chad watch videos demonstrating some models I am interested in (okay, obsessed with) and he pointed out they may be too heavy to tow with a 3500-size truck. See, there are still things  to ask that I would never otherwise think about. 

Most importantly, Debbie made a great suggestion: She said don't buy your forever camper up front. Borrow, rent or purchase a used one that you think you want in order to figure out what you actually can and cannot live without. 

We have a lot to learn. Maybe next time we’ll even hook it up and hit the road.