A Reluctant Convert

I thought a used, reasonable in price diesel pusher would be the best "home on wheels" for me to live and work out of. I still believe that; but only if you have the means to use it to travel in. As a conveyance to get from one spot to another, they are hard to beat. To rarely drive them and use them as a parked home goes against there nature. That is why, for the most part, potential buyers are mistaken when  considering mileage as a factor when purchasing a used motorhome (diesel or gas). A used motorhome with low miles and use will inevitably show its age once turned loose on the highway. Don't forget that all the mechanicals and parts and pieces have aged as the motorhome set somewhere. Conversely, a used diesel pusher with some miles under its belt that has been cared for is probably the better buy. Most Blue Books don't even factor mileage into the appraisal of a used diesel pusher. But, I digress. After years of attempting to keep a diesel pusher operating and running and using it as our domicile in the "oil patch", we finally got serious about its replacement. I found myself thwarted because the figure I came up with for the purchase of a 5th wheel and the tow vehicle seemed to be at or near the cost of a diesel pusher. I also found out that, despite the apparent demand in South Texas, selling or trading a RV is very difficult. At least getting a decent price for it was. Add to that that I wasn't really sold on a 5th wheel and things didn't progress very well. Finally the repair and maintenance costs drove me to do some serious research and we purchased a 5th wheel and truck. I had to resign myself to settle for whatever I could get for the motorhome. Six or seven months later and we have yet to spend $2000 on the 5th wheel. And that's including the addition of a second air conditioner and putting new tires on it. We have had the coach thoroughly inspected and there appears to be nothing majorly wrong with it. There is also a lot more room than we had with the single slide out diesel pusher. While I still love a diesel pusher, I have to reluctantly say that if you're going to remain parked a majority of the time, a 5th wheel is the way to go. Finally, the added benefit of not constantly worrying about maintenance issues and their inevitable costs has lowered the stress level tremendously in my life. If nothing else, that has made me a reluctant convert.