Alphabet Soup &
Fulltime RV Living

Out with the Pop-up, in with our new mobile home!

Yes, fulltime living in an RV by choice. We are not retired, rich, or homeless (we have been asked all the above at some point) we decide to make our home where we park it! With this choice we can have beachfront property, beautiful hills, and mountains all while saving loads of money. Perhaps at some point we may get back into a mortgage or rent, but for now the freedom to choose our own path is exciting. We can be as close or as far as we are willing to travel to our jobs. Bottom line – it will be our choice!

RV Types

Fulltime RV living brings about a whirlwind of new options. First, you have the alphabet soup of the RV industry. Class A, B, B+, C, Super C, trailers, truck campers, and pop-up trailers (RVIA). You could spend a lifetime researching floor plans, pros and cons, and still be confused. We may do a little write up explaining the different classes.  We spent many hours and days checking out different platforms. Old vs. New. Cash vs. Loans. We were fortunate to have a couple of really helpful RV sales people spend many hours with us helping to guide our decision. The crew over at Mike Thompson’s RV Store in Fountain Valley, CA, are top notch. No pressure sales, no BS, just solid information.   If we ever decide to go new, they will get our business. Give our boy Andrew a call (760) 508-1767, he will set you up with what you need.

So, what did we need that could not be found at Mike Thompson’s RV Store?

As first time RV owners we were not sure what we wanted, but we definitely had a wish list. The wish list included – walk-around rear queen, full shower, separate toilet, good holding capacity in the tanks, 4×4, diesel, pre-low sulfur diesel, affordable (either monthly or total cost). The search for 4×4 or a platform that could be converted just about eliminates 98% of the RV market. Instead, you are left with cottage manufacturers who build highly specialized ($$$$) offerings. On one end you have the amazing, Earthroamer, luxury overlanding at its finest. To the more traditional RV options, built by Phoenix Cruiser, Host, and probably the most bang for your buck, Provan Tiger.

Earthroamer

Phoenix Cruiser

Provan Tiger

All of these options hovered around the 6-figure mark. This was counter to our idea of simple living. We searched for “other” options and just about gave up. One evening we searched the wonderful world of Craigslist. We found a local used RV dealership, Sport Auto in Stanton, CA. They had an incredible amount of used affordable inventory. Our thoughts of 4×4 gave way to comfort and amenities. Sub 30 Class A was our new goal (was that English???). They just so happened to have several options in stock. We reached out to one of the salesmen, Gordon. He agreed to stay a little late as we had to hightail it across town and through Orange County traffic after work one evening. Gordon was incredibly helpful and showed us several options.

As we expressed our dream list to Gordon, he said he had something we might be interested in…

The RV Gordon had in mind for us was not “for sale” and “technically” was not inventory. In fact, it was owned by one of the former partners at Sport Auto. (This just goes to show you what a stand up guy Gordon and Sport Auto really are.) He basically showed us a perfect dream rig and he wouldn’t receive a dime. He asked if we would be interested in an older 4×4 diesel Class C Coach built on a Dodge 3500 chassis. We could hardly contain our excitement. Jimmy couldn’t stop smiling. It was not for sale, but he would be willing to see if the owner would consider letting it go. He would arrange a meeting between ourselves and Bob. A couple of sleepless nights later we met with Bob back at the RV. Just like the rest of the people at Sport Auto, Bob, was just as nice and had more knowledge then we could hope to gain in our lifetime. He wanted us to be 100% sure we wanted this older rig. He would not strike a deal unless we were confident with the mechanical, and structural makeup of the RV. Bob is just the guy you hope to meet when you buy an older RV. Every little detail has been looked over. The rig was incredibly solid and well maintained. The Dodge only had 60,000 miles and that was nothing for those old 12 valve motors. We were sold! Now if only Bob would accept our offer?

Scotty Serro