So the VW van inspired the prospect of RV living, and then a multitude of web sites and podcasts filled-out the present state of the RV industry.
The minimal footprint of the Class B (basically a large cargo van filled to the brim with a mobile living space) was my first choice, but after my first visit to one I realized that it would not work from a size perspective, just too small and confining.
Then on to a Class C (a motorhome that has the sleep over space over the driver cabin) where space and storage was in great abundance. The trade-off being it felt like you were driving a Brinks truck and then the ‘aha’ moment that once you arrived at your destination and completed all the machinations of setting it up, you wouldn’t want to tear it down again to go in to town. So why not tow a car, buy an electric bike to add that capability? An unwanted snowball effect of more stuff that went against wanting to scale back to a “less is more” focus.
I went to a Campers Inn nearby and a great salesperson spent time going over what I had looked at, and introduced the Travel Trailer option. I was reluctant as we hit the inventory on the lot to look at Class Cs, but he talked about the fact that you would use your truck to tow the TT (that’s the acronym for Travel Trailer), set up camp once, disengage the truck you use to tow, and then have said truck to drive freely in the given area to your heart’s content (without dragging your mobile home space everywhere you go). Some of the trailers were amazing replications of a full-size, land-based homes fireplaces, center islands) that didn’t actually feel like camping units, but I can see where people would like having the space and abundant creature comforts.
And then we came to a used TT, one with a rounded front that evoked the airstream vibe of what I envisioned a camper to look like in my mind’s eye. It was a 2016 model so had all the bells and whistles of what RVs have evolved to, but inside felt fairly basic compared to what I had looked at on the lot. For me the openness of a full queen bed where you could get in on either side (as opposed to crawling down to the foot of the bed in an enclosed space), the galley kitchen on one side with the bathroom opposite that led to the back where a dinette area was next to a couch with large windows on all three sides. This one resonated with me, and I knew that it was the one I wanted to buy.
i could not take delivery as I will need to trade in my hybrid SUV for a truck to tow it with: now begins that process. Oh and how about a storage space for when I’m not on the road (don’t think my neighbors here in my condo development want a 25 foot travel trailer in their midst every day). And just starting to consider the add-on modifications/accessory parts that will make the Z-1 my very own.
Further down the first-time, newbie RV rabbit hole, and enjoying every moment….