A Fulltimers Story

I thought I knew much more than I really did about RVs when I finally purchased one. (Where have we heard that before?) I had coveted an RV and the lifestyle that went with it for most of my life. Other than my turn in the Scouts our family did not camp much, if at all. I remember a disastrous trip that my parents had in California. They rented a small Class A gasser, packed up their things with their friends and set out; only to break down on the road. That was the end of RVs as I remember it, until my sister got into them. She purchased a Class A diesel coach which I loved. I decided to make the plunge and bought a Class A gasser built by Fourwinds. Other than a minor roof leak, it was great place to start. I sold the Fourwinds and purchased a diesel pusher and then the economy and my health crashed. Unbeknownst to me, I had set myself up for a fulltime life, working out of a RV. After heart surgery and with limited opportunities for employment, we set out to make a living on the road. At the time I had a Holiday Rambler diesel pusher, which served us well till we exposed it to the caliche backroads of Southern Texas. After nearly starving as workampers we decided to try gate guarding in the oilfields; but that is a different story. The Holiday Rambler ate more money than we should have put in it and; after a radiator hose blew and cooked the engine, we decided to get rid of it. Ironic as it may sound, we still believe for a life traversing the highways there is no better RV to do it in than a diesel pusher. They just aren't meant to sit for extended periods and don't hold up well on unimproved roads. We ended up trading our diesel pusher for a 5th wheel, something I believe we should have done to begin with. The thing that held me back was the requirement and purchase of a reliable, strong truck to pull the 5th wheel. A one ton pickup dually (with four wheels and tires on the back axle) of any decent quality costs upwards of thirty thousand dollars, usually much more. Basic math puts a small 5th wheel and pickup truck at well over fifty five grand. We have bought two diesel pickups and I believe we need to find a third to finally get the necessary power and hauling capacity. The problem with towables is not so much having the ability to haul it, it is the ability to stop all that mass. Even though the oil field gate guard gig pays well my health issues and other circumstances have held us back. We are on our sixth RV and our third 5th wheel and have finally purchased a quality 5th wheel. Fate has conspired to prevent us from owning a decent RV till this point.  I see a light at the end of the tunnel for us; really, I do. I want a toyhauler with a 12 foot garage and a one ton dually to haul it with. I believe that will eventually happen one day. If you want to full time and work out of an RV I recommend you purchase a quality, used 5th wheel and the proper pickup to tow it.