[ot, sorta] Need help choosing an RV - Page 4

 


|I just bought a 1997 32' Fleetwood Wilderness 5th wheel
| with 2 opposing slide-outs in the living room. More spacious
| than living in an 7x7 rectangular tunnel. There's room
| for parking a bike under the overhang.
|
you can even get an enclosure for it (the overhang).

 

wrote:


Excellent choice I think.

Robert

 

Robert Bolton wrote:

Now, to do the job I need five gallons of diesel and some high-octane gasoline.

 

wrote:


I'm trying to decide how I'll do the winter thing when I retire.  I
enjoy living in Alaska, but have to admit the winters, although milder
than they used to be, are still a bit long.  I simply enjoy seeing
different places too.

My sister knows a few people who own a second inexpensive home in the
desert where they winter, but the home sits empty for 6 months at a
time.

Others simply leave mid-winter for a short break in Hawaii, Mexico,
Belize, or some similar place that's warm in the winter.   I can leave
the state for up to 2 months a year without sacrificing the Permanent
Fund Dividend, which is roughly $3k a year for us.

2nd home - Expensive to maintain.  Variation could be a duplex where
rent of one unit helps to pay annual cost.  Could keep clothing, auto,
etc, on site.

Rent a home - Can't keep auto and goods on site.  Rents may fluctuate.
Not locked into one location with a rental.

RV/Trailer - Presumably less expensive than 2nd home or long term
rental, though costs for insurance, registration, and winter  storage
enter the equation.  Cramped living quarters.  Must tow to location,
unless one wants to rent space all year.  Can change locations any
time.

Robert

 

| wrote:
|
| >I just bought a 1997 32' Fleetwood Wilderness 5th wheel.....

I assume you plan to park it with "hook-ups" - more or less attached to
electric, water and sewer.  If you have two sewer tanks, grey water and
black water, you should leave the valve for the grey water open so that it
constantly drains into the sewer.  But do NOT do that with the black water
tank.  Leave the valve closed until it is full then dump it all at once else
the solids will collect and dry in the tank making an awful mess (Don't ask
how I know).

The black tank must also be cleaned periodically.  Flush a bunch of liquid
detergent down the toilet then use a hose to fill the tank. Let it soak a
few hours then pull the valve and dump the tank.  They make a wand somewhat
like a lawn sprinkler to facilitate cleaning.

Put a skirt around the bottom of the trailer and wrap and heat tape your
water input in cold weather.  Get a shed for bikes & storage.  Enjoy your
adventure. We did.