Need second opinion, Am I Crazy or Not

there are a lot of FULLTIMERS out there

not wanting to rain on your parade, BUT my thoughts on owning a motorcoach is kinda like owning a boat.

DEFINITION OF A BOAT: hole in water you throw money in

Motorcoach: SEE boat, just on land, dig a hole and throw it in and burn it

My grandparents did just that in 1970. Grampa sold everything, bought a 20' Champion motorhome and grandma just cried. They travaled and fished all over.

Grandma was being treated for a kidney infection and not too long after the adventure began they said she had cancer. Travel stopped, got an apartment within a mile of their old house and she died a short time later. Grandpa still went fishing some, but kept an apartment because he was never gone that long. Not much fun alone.

I have had the use of a 36' diesel pusher and in it's day was a top of the line coach. They drive great and you can see a lot from up there. BUT there are a lot of places you cannot go with it. SELL THE HONDA AND GET A SATURN, or a JEEP. They can flat tow without any mods. I can hook or unhook Moms Jeep in about 2 minutes and be on the way.

It has a cummins and allison 6 speed and gets about 10 mpg (@ 4+ per gallon) you can stay in a lot of NICE HOTELS for the cost of fuel and what they charge at campgrounds

I have taken it to Carlisle and a few other car shows pulling my 24' car hauler and got 8.8 mpg, the thing was 66 1/2' long not the easiest to get around in. Talk about hard to find a place to park.

So since I have been in motorhomes and traveled some with them for the past 40 years if I were planning on traveling and doing it in a motorcoach here is what i would do.

Sell the house but buy a place to park the coach INSIDE the 6 months you are back north of the border (the weather really ages the coach) a pole barn with a hookup inside and apartment travel till it is no more fun, then give the coach away and go back to a normal life. Resale on used coaches isn't very good.

My parents bought a place in Florida in a retirement community, very reasonable, they both loved it. dad passed 7 years ago and I figured mom would move back home. NOPE, sold her house here and lives full time in Florida and she still LOVES it.

Now for repairs, the cost to keep a motorcoach on the road is HIGH, tires are expensive, oil change, 3 gallons of oil and a filter that is 18" long, oh labor cost $$$$$ and batteries X 5 in the diesel pusher I use. 3 coach 2 starting

Campgrounds, full hookups probably $35-55 a nite maybe more depending on location and time of year, walmart & sams club in most area will let you stay in their parking lot for FREE, but then you might need to run the generator for heat or cooling, most generators use close to 1 GPH depending on load (make sure it is a quite diesel not propane)

New or used they will need repairs. I don't know anyone that has a maintenance free coach, always something to do.

So the thought of FREE SPIRIT travel is not FREE or leisurely

Personally I would rather stay in a nice hotel and have someone clean the room and cook breakfast than have to have the wifey cook and make the bed. It isn't retirement for someone.

Too each his own, if money is no object, you can do whatever you want, just make sure you have a place to call home, you never know when you might need it.

For the last 15 years I could take the motorcoach anytime I wanted. I prefered to stay in hotels drive my truck and haul my cars in enclosed trailer.

The only real advantage is if there is no hotels in the area you want to visit.

Check out renting a house or check out retirement communities in the areas you might like.

keep doing the research, don't make any life changing moves you might regret

IF I were to want to buy something to travel in I would get a Freightliner coach with a stacker trailer, could take BIKE, Car and have plenty of living quarters. If you had to have the vehicle worked on at least you wouldn't have to get a hotel room of stay at the repair shop.

MY 2 CENTS