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<blockquote data-quote="TerryMiller" data-source="post: 3375020" data-attributes="member: 7900"><p>Well, I'm not Dennis, so he can provide his own answers. However, I'll try to help by writing about my wife's and my own experiences.</p><p></p><p>1. As for 5th Wheel vs motorhome, how do you plan to RV? If one does like the wife and I do, we stay in one place for extended periods of time (months and years). With that idea in mind a motorhome needs to be "exercised" to keep things lubricated. At the very least, one needs to start the engine and generator just about every month for 30 minutes to an hour. It also doesn't hurt to go drive it as well for the benefit of the transmission seals and differentials. That means one has to unhook their utilities (water, electric, cable or satellite, and sewer so they can go drive it. With a fifth wheel, one only needs to exercise the truck, so the trailer can stay sitting for an extended time. The fifth wheel does need an occasional trip to keep bearing grease moving around some. As for mobility, a lot of motorhome owners tow a vehicle behind them. Those vehicles can be towed "four-down," on a dolly, or on or in a trailer. These enterprising people had towed their Cadillac SUV in the trailer behind the bus.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://terrymiller.smugmug.com/Colorado-Beauty-and-Attractions/Eleven-Mile-State-Park/i-tsWhJNc/A" target="_blank"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Colorado-Beauty-and-Attractions/Eleven-Mile-State-Park/i-tsWhJNc/0/b90cf763/X2/DSC_1130-X2.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a></p><p></p><p>2. We use a local mailbox center to get our mail. That lets us keep Oklahoma as our "place of residence" but let us travel. When we want our mail, the center can mail it to us at any address we give them while on the road. Or, in our case, our youngest son is also authorized to pick up our mail. He will then call and tell us what is there, and we will tell him to either throw it away or send it to us.</p><p></p><p>3. If one is only doing short stays in places, I'd guess that motels/cabins would be cheaper than trying to purchase an RV and tag it and insure it. If one plans to spend extended time out away, then a lot of times RV sites are much cheaper than renting lodging.</p><p></p><p>4. I won't be much help here as the wife and I are on Medicare and have supplemental insurance through USAA. We did learn though that if one is on Medicare and travels, one wants to avoid Medicare Advantage plans. I used to have one when we stayed in Colorado for 20 months, but when we went to Oregon, that plan was worthless.</p><p></p><p>5. There are websites that are beneficial for finding reviews on RV parks and campgrounds. Right at the moment, I don't remember just which ones are best, but you might could use your search engine and look for RV park and campground reviews. Most of those will be for "commercial" sites as far as RV parks go, but depending on the length of one's RV and whether they want the utilities, there are lots of forest service campgrounds, Corps of Engineer parks, and other things. If one is going where there is BLM (Bureau of Land Management) lands, one can stay in the remote places (no hookups) for free, so long as they move on in 2 weeks. Moving on can simply mean moving down the road in the same area a bit.</p><p></p><p>One other thing is with regards to towables. Travel trailers (bumper pulls) can be tricky for various reasons. One needs to watch for dips in the roads/driveways and they can be "fun" to drive in high winds or when meeting semi-trucks. A lot of people prefer the fifth wheels because they are more stable for pulling, although one is limited in what they can carry in their truck's bed. The fifth wheels also tend to sit a little higher on their suspension, so dips aren't as much of a problem. (I learned the hard way with a travel trailer and a "high spot" as I was leaving one highway to go to a campground. I drug the steps for the rear door of the trailer on the pavement and bent it completely back.)</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="TerryMiller, post: 3375020, member: 7900"] Well, I'm not Dennis, so he can provide his own answers. However, I'll try to help by writing about my wife's and my own experiences. 1. As for 5th Wheel vs motorhome, how do you plan to RV? If one does like the wife and I do, we stay in one place for extended periods of time (months and years). With that idea in mind a motorhome needs to be "exercised" to keep things lubricated. At the very least, one needs to start the engine and generator just about every month for 30 minutes to an hour. It also doesn't hurt to go drive it as well for the benefit of the transmission seals and differentials. That means one has to unhook their utilities (water, electric, cable or satellite, and sewer so they can go drive it. With a fifth wheel, one only needs to exercise the truck, so the trailer can stay sitting for an extended time. The fifth wheel does need an occasional trip to keep bearing grease moving around some. As for mobility, a lot of motorhome owners tow a vehicle behind them. Those vehicles can be towed "four-down," on a dolly, or on or in a trailer. These enterprising people had towed their Cadillac SUV in the trailer behind the bus. [url=https://terrymiller.smugmug.com/Colorado-Beauty-and-Attractions/Eleven-Mile-State-Park/i-tsWhJNc/A][img]https://photos.smugmug.com/Colorado-Beauty-and-Attractions/Eleven-Mile-State-Park/i-tsWhJNc/0/b90cf763/X2/DSC_1130-X2.jpg[/img][/url] 2. We use a local mailbox center to get our mail. That lets us keep Oklahoma as our "place of residence" but let us travel. When we want our mail, the center can mail it to us at any address we give them while on the road. Or, in our case, our youngest son is also authorized to pick up our mail. He will then call and tell us what is there, and we will tell him to either throw it away or send it to us. 3. If one is only doing short stays in places, I'd guess that motels/cabins would be cheaper than trying to purchase an RV and tag it and insure it. If one plans to spend extended time out away, then a lot of times RV sites are much cheaper than renting lodging. 4. I won't be much help here as the wife and I are on Medicare and have supplemental insurance through USAA. We did learn though that if one is on Medicare and travels, one wants to avoid Medicare Advantage plans. I used to have one when we stayed in Colorado for 20 months, but when we went to Oregon, that plan was worthless. 5. There are websites that are beneficial for finding reviews on RV parks and campgrounds. Right at the moment, I don't remember just which ones are best, but you might could use your search engine and look for RV park and campground reviews. Most of those will be for "commercial" sites as far as RV parks go, but depending on the length of one's RV and whether they want the utilities, there are lots of forest service campgrounds, Corps of Engineer parks, and other things. If one is going where there is BLM (Bureau of Land Management) lands, one can stay in the remote places (no hookups) for free, so long as they move on in 2 weeks. Moving on can simply mean moving down the road in the same area a bit. One other thing is with regards to towables. Travel trailers (bumper pulls) can be tricky for various reasons. One needs to watch for dips in the roads/driveways and they can be "fun" to drive in high winds or when meeting semi-trucks. A lot of people prefer the fifth wheels because they are more stable for pulling, although one is limited in what they can carry in their truck's bed. The fifth wheels also tend to sit a little higher on their suspension, so dips aren't as much of a problem. (I learned the hard way with a travel trailer and a "high spot" as I was leaving one highway to go to a campground. I drug the steps for the rear door of the trailer on the pavement and bent it completely back.) [/QUOTE]
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