Who knew that buying an RV (recreational vehicle) would be so complicated, and fun at the same time? We sure didn’t. Did you know that there are literally thousands of RV options to choose from? Makes, model, style, length, floorplan, options, etc. It took us 13 months from our “Epiphany” point in Alaska that I mentioned in our last blog to reach the point of buying our new RV. At this point I have seen so many listings, specifications, and pictures of RV’s that I’m fully confident that I could sell them for a living.
MEET POPCORN
Popcorn is our new RV travel trailer. She is a 2024 Forest River Flagstaff Micro Lite 25FBLS. We chose a travel trailer because we wanted a smaller rig that could be taken almost anywhere, and because we decided on a lighter rig that did not require a 3/4 ton truck.
The kicker for us was the truck. Our Nissan Titan 1/2 ton V-8 4WD is a beloved family member, but her towing capacity and torque wasn’t quite up to what we needed. Even light RV’s like Popcorn become much heavier when the tanks are full, and they are stocked with your supplies. Enter our newest family member the 2023 Ford F-150 Platinum edition V-6 Hybrid 4WD.
The absolutely coolest thing about this truck is the 7.2 kW Pro Power Onboard™ generator. The 7.2 kW generator comes with six available 120V/20A outlets, and enjoys a 32-hour maximum run time on a full tank of gas. PLUS, she powers everything, and doubles as our main generator for the RV. Very cool!
NOW BACK TO POPCORN
Our suggestion is to make a list of what you think you will need in an RV. Call it a wish list. What are you going to use the RV for? Full time living, weekend getaways, long vacations, etc. Decide on the version of RV you would like as well such as motorhome, 5th wheel, toy hauler, travel trailer, etc. Then do some research using your list to start narrowing down makes and models that you like. Don’t just look at dealers websites or sales sites such as RV Trader. We suggest also looking at manufacturer websites as well. This will give you more detailed descriptions, more accurate weights and lengths, and all of the specifications you will need to use when making your final decision. SIDE NOTE: 7/10 sales listings have incorrect weight and length specifications. Always double check with the manufacturer’s details. Overwhelmed yet? We were too. Don’t worry, you’re almost there.
We wanted an RV to do long trips in leading up to and during our retirement. We also wanted something pretty much self-sufficient that allowed us to take off on our own and not have to stay in an actual RV park. RV-ing for us wasn’t just to sit in an RV park with lots of other excited travelers. We want to get all the way out into the outdoors with no other people in sight, no hook ups (water, sewer, electric), and for more than just one night. That being said we knew we needed an amazing off grid RV that would give us that freedom.
Our first thought was to look for used RV’s but we quickly realized that it was almost impossible to find a used one that had everything we needed/wanted. Solar power was the tip top of our list, and for what we wanted to use it for it had to be a large system. Not just one panel. More research showed us that doing it ourselves, while fun to think about, would be cost and time prohibitive. So, at this point we knew that we needed an affordable NEW RV. We really liked Forest River as a manufacturer, and finally found the perfect model, floorplan, and options for us and the fur babies to begin our adventures in.
FOREST RIVER TO THE RESCUE
Lucky for us we were able to find our dream RV at a local dealer. After touring the model on the lot and discussing our exact needs with our amazing sales associate we were delighted to learn that the Power Package was an option for our RV that checked all of the boxes we had. This was it. Off grid power installed at the factory. Sold. This is what was included.
On top of the Power Package we decided to get slide toppers, double paned windows, sway bars, and a complete extended warranty to cover us for 7 years.
Now all we had to do was wait for 2 months to have her built, shipped, and delivered. Trust me, the wait is the hardest part. What stage in the process are you at?
I hope reading a little about our journey to buy an RV helps you answer some questions and alleviates some of the mystery about where to begin. In just the first 3 months of owning an RV we have experienced some amazing things. I hope you do also.
Do you feel restless or caught up checking off those boxes of life that someone said we are supposed to? Come along with us as we begin the process of LIVING our lives, and not just the same day over and over again.
Be on the lookout for our next blog post discussing some of the coolest, and most practical things we bought for our RV adventures.
Adventure awaits, let’s go find it.
House Cat in Paradise 