Motorhome living is a way of life for a growing segment of the population. Some individuals are retired and looking for adventure. Others have decided they want an alternative to renting a place to live or becoming tied to a mortgage that takes decades to pay off. Whatever the reason anyone who is considering roaming the open roads permanently should investigate the advantages and disadvantages of residing in a recreational vehicle.

One big advantage to this lifestyle is the scenery is always changing. It is impossible to get bored with the surroundings because it is always possible to go somewhere else. There is no need to pack belongings or ship furniture to a new location. RV parks and campgrounds are available everywhere. Users who want a change of scenery can just drive to a different campground.

One challenge for RV dwellers is securing a permanent residence for mail delivery. Some states allow citizens to retain an address even if they do not live there. Each state has its own rules and requirements. Choosing the right option depends on where the resident plans to spend the most time and individual circumstances.

Anyone who lives in a recreational vehicle will need more than a basic RV insurance policy which is nearly identical to automobile insurance. RV owners who use the vehicle for a residence will need to have personal liability coverage similar to that available with homeowners’ insurance. Experts advise consumers to purchase a policy that offers replacement cost for contents.

Gas prices may dictate whether individuals decide to travel most of the time or park in a permanent location. Either way the freedom to leave anytime is what many people like so much about motorhome living. This type of lifestyle is not for everyone but those who enjoy moving around freely with no strings attached will have all the independence they need to do so.

Some Financial and Health Benefits of Motorhome Living
It seems that motorhome living has become more and more popular in recent years. This may be due in part to people having longer and more vigorous lives than ever before. This allows them to enjoy a longer period of retirement to satisfy a desire for travel and exploration.

Younger couples and families may also enjoy this nomadic lifestyle though perhaps on a more part time basis. Aside from allowing for more opportunities to go on vacations and see more sights there are other advantages as well. These includes saving money in several ways and being much healthier at the same time.

A recreational vehicle of this type will include a kitchen of some sort whether compact or more elaborate in larger models. Being able to prepare your own meals while traveling can save a lot of money. Eating in restaurants constantly is generally more expensive than cooking at home.

At least as important as cost in the meals and snacks you eat is the quality of the food. When you cook you are aware of everything that goes into each meal unlike eating out. This allows you to control calories and be sure that all ingredients are fresh and wholesome as well as eliminate any allergens that you or anyone else may be sensitive to.

Another very important aspect of traveling is sleeping accommodations. Staying in hotels or motels when on a trip or vacation can represent a sizable expense. With a mobile home your own bed is always with you which can be a big help to your budget. Having a television and other entertainment devices in your vehicle means you will not miss such hotel amenities.

Your own sleeping facilities also ensure that you have a clean and healthy environment every night. Even upscale hotels in recent years have been known to harbor bedbugs due to the high volume of guests from all over the world. Motorhome living protects you from this danger and lets you enjoy your travels with greater peace of mind.

After purchasing two different RV’s in the past couple years one being a 5th wheel and one being a Class a Motorhome I can tell you the most important thing you do before you sign the bottom line is your Pre Delivery Inspection (PDI). This is where you spend time with your dealer going over every inch of the rig looking for issues to have fixed before you take it off the lot. I can tell you this our first one we didn’t do this properly and ended up spending most of the first few months going back and forth to the dealer getting things fixed under warrantee. The second one we spent a few hours inspecting everything and got them fixed before we left the lot thus allowing us to enjoy the RV more.

Below is a list of things you should look for during this inspection with the dealership. You also will need to bring a few tools with you to do this properly. Don’t expect the dealership to have any of the tools you will want to bring. The Dealer though should provide you with full propane tanks full water tanks and fully charged batteries.

Tools you should bring:

Ladder
Flashlight
Screw Driver with three Bits. Flat / Phillips / Square
Notebook and Pen
Digital Camera or Video Camera

Things to Inspect:

1) Start with the top of the roof and crawl across it on your hands and knees. Inspect each seem completely and look for caulking either missing or coming off. Also look for any bubbles in the roofing material itself. Make sure to check everything including around vents and air conditioners.
 
2)Check around all windows for proper fit and for proper sealing. Make sure they open and close properly.

3)Make sure all storage compartment doors open and close smoothly and that all keys work.

4)In the docking station make sure all hose connections are tight and that they don’t leak. Make sure you understand how each valve works and when to open and close each one.

5)If equipped with propane tanks make sure you understand how to turn them on and off. Also how to remove the tank if possible to have it filled. Open the valve and smell around for gas checking for leaks.

6)Find the battery compartment. Check how to use the by-pass switch if need be. Also look and see if they are maintenance free and if not ask how to do the maintenance on them.

7)Open the awning if equipped. Check for smooth operation and if there are any holes or tears in it. Make sure all seams are tight. Make sure all mounting hardware is tight and not missing any.

8)Make sure all slides open and close smoothly and completely. Also make sure you understand how to use them and if you can open them manually if the motor fails. Make sure there are no caps with closed that will allow water in when driving down the road.

Time to move inside the rig.

1)First check all cabinet doors for proper opening and closing. Make sure the doors are tight and that inside there are no loose shelves. Pull out each drawer and check its operation also. Also check each closet door the same way.

2)Next look at all molding throughout the rig. Get down on your hands and knees and follow it completely around.

3)Operate each light switch and check that all lights do come on and off properly. Check your 12-volt system at this time since most lights in a RV run off the batteries and not shore power.

4)Make sure each and every blind open and closes properly on each window. If it has Day/Night shades make sure they operate properly all the way up and down.

5)Make sure there are no holes in any of the furniture and that they don’t appear to be worn if this is a brand new unit. Check construction of each piece for sturdiness.

6)Check the operation of each water faucet and look for leaks around the base or under the counters.

7)Open and close each window and make sure they are smooth in operation.

8)Remove each and every vent cover. Look inside for sawdust and other construction debris. It is common to have sawdust in these from the manufacturer. Make the dealer vacuum them out for you if you see the sawdust.

You should now be about 1 to 2 hours into the inspection. Now you need to test each and every piece of equipment for operation. Ask your dealer if they have somewhere on location that you can just spend the night so you can run each piece of equipment. If they don’t or refuse to let you stay the night, then tell them that it will be at least another hour of inspection time before you are done. Below is a list of things you should test completely your dealer will show you how to operate each device.

1)Shore Power. Test each outlet
2) Converts and Inverters
3) City Water system
4) Sewage tanks both Grey and Black
5) Water Pump
6) Water heater both on AC and LP
7) Furnace or Heat Pump on Air Conditioner
8) All safety devices such as Smoke Detectors LP Detectors and Carbon Monoxide Detectors. The dealer should have something that can test and set off each of these devices.
9)Refrigerator. Make sure it cools on both AC and LP and that it switches automatically between them if need be.
10) Propane stove. Make sure all burners ignite
11) Microwave
12) Clothes Washer and Dryer if installed
13) All TV’s and the antenna booster switch

Keep in mind none of this list is inclusive. You may have more or less equipment on your particular rig so the list may need to be modified. The purpose of the Camera or Video is so that you can actually document how to use everything as the dealer goes over it with you. No matter how good of a memory you have you will forget something that could be important.

Have the dealer repair all items on your list? Only after everything is repaired are you ready to sign for your new RV. Now the enjoyment of owning a new RV will begin with you and your family.

The first thing I would like to point out is that driving a motorhome is nothing like driving your car or even a large truck. My wife and I took a one-day driving course when we first purchased our motorhome and even though they try and teach you as much as possible there is still a lot to learn that you won’t fully understand until you get behind the wheel of something this large and drive it for yourself.
 
The first thing you will need to do is determine if the state you are a residence in and hold a valid driver’s license will require you to get a separate driver’s license for operating a large motorhome. As an example the State of Texas requires all large motorhome owners who register their vehicle in the state to have more than just a normal driver’s license used for driving a car.

The following states require a special license for driving and registering a Motorhome.

California > 26000lbs
Connecticut > 10000lbs
Hawaii > 26000lbs
Illinois > 16000lbs
Kansas > 26000lbs
Maryland > 26000lbs
North Carolina > 26000lbs
New Mexico > 26000lbs
Nevada > 10000lbs
New York > 26000lbs
Pennsylvania > 26000lbs
South Carolina > 26000lbs
Texas > 26000lbs
Washington DC > 26000lbs
Wyoming > 26000lbs

Another key to remember is that you are now driving something that weighs on average 25000 pounds. This is a big difference than driving a normal car that weighs on average 5000 pounds. This difference in weight means that you must realize your reaction times must be faster and you must start breaking long before you need to stop and make sure you have a greater distance between you and the vehicle in front of you when going down the road.
 
One of the Key driving techniques you will learn to use is called Turning at your hip. This is where you make sure your hip clears any obstructions in the road such as a curb and then start your turn. If you start you turn any earlier you will most likely run over the curb. This is important for both right hand and left hand turns. Also you must remember that unlike your car. The back end of your motorhome will actually swing in an outward motion so if people are in the lane right next to you must be careful not to collide with them with your back end.

Next you should learn how to drive using your cameras. This include both the mirror cameras that look down the sides of your motorhome and the rear view camera that will allow you to watch and see what is coming up from behind while you are driving. The mirror cameras usually only kick in when you turn you turn signals on. This allows you to see if someone has come up beside you before you turn into them. Remember now that you are driving something much bigger than your car your blind site is much larger also and the cameras help minimize your blind areas but most do not remove them in their entirety.

A key point in helping you drive down the road much easier and safely is to make sure your motorhome is balanced throughout the rig. This means to make sure you pack the motorhome both inside and outside evenly so it rides down the road straight. One way to determine if you have done this properly is to load it as if you are ready to hit the road and then go to a truck stop and have it weighed. Make sure to have weighed each set of tires separately and to make sure to weigh the right and left side separately also. This will show you to determine if you have distributed the weight evenly.

One thing you will read in many articles on driving a motorhome is that you can’t back up when towing a vehicle. This is actually false it’s not that you can’t it’s that you should not or at least be very cautious when doing so. The reason for this is the tow bars you are towing with have a tendency to jackknife very easily and can damage either your tow vehicle or your motorhome itself. My wife and I find that if we do have to back up she will get in the tow vehicle and turn the wheel as I turn to make sure it doesn’t jackknife and damage anything. The rear view camera allows me to do this slowly and monitor the progress as we go.

When driving a motorhome please make sure not to drive once you get tired. My wife and I find that after about 6 hours of driving our reaction times are diminished and we no long feel we are safe to be on the road. There are many places you can pull over in a motorhome to take a nap and relax as to not injure yourself or others. Rest stops and truck stops are convenient places along the roads that you can pull over and get a few hours of sleep. Keep in mind when you are driving a motorhome you actually have your bed with you at all times.

In closing: many RV dealers throughout the United States will offer some kind of Motorhome Driving class. If they do please make it a point to take it will teach you all the proper skills to safely maneuver your motorhome on the road. If you are not able to find a class in your community, then take your new motorhome to the nearest mall parking lot after hours and drive around. Even take some cones with you to help assist you in learning to make turns and to practice backing up and parking. One other key thing that I was told once by an instructor and it has stuck with me ever since. If you find yourself blocking traffic because someone won’t allow you the space to turn just sit there until they move. People may honk there horn at you but always remember you will never see these people again so Who Cares.