Judy and LeRoy
Sioux Falls, SD
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Joined: 11/05/2009
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Hello, We are new on this forum, but I have been getting a lot of valuable info for a long time. We retired recently and are planning to go south for the first time, right after New Years. We have a 38' Pace Arrow Vision. It is in excellent shape, but no slides. It's fully loaded even W/D. Has a banks system and only 28,000 miles. It's a 98, but looks great inside and out. Do we need more room if we're going to spend 3 mos in it, or should we wait and see how it goes. More room would be nice, but reading about the problems people have with their slides make me nervous. We have found a GS Tourmaster same age 40'Diesel. Looks like it's been well cared for. Would we be asking for trouble? What are your thoughts?
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Bearnkat
Fort Worth, Texas
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Joined: 07/30/2004
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Room is what you make of it. We have some friends that full-time in a small Casita travel trailer. I believe their trailer is 17' long. It all depends on how much "stuff" you require in your life.
Chuck & Terry
2005 Pilgrim 281RB-S
2006 Ford F250 Lariat CC 4x2 PSD
My Lap-Band Journey!
Chuck and Terry's Pilgrim Adventures
C & T's Photos
Lone Star Dutch Oven Society
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Gale Hawkins
Murray, KY
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Joined: 07/22/2007
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Go with the one you own then decide after the 3 month trip before you spend $$$ trading.
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smlranger
Virginia
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Joined: 06/23/2004
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Obviously, only you can determine how much space you want or need. We had a no-slide coach and enjoyed it much but neither of us would have wanted to spend 3 months living in it. We traded it for a used DP with two slides and have never regretted it. We don't full time but have taken a couple of month-long trips. We would not have a problem spending more time in the current rig.
As with any coach you might consider, how it has been maintained (mechanical in addition to appearance) is critical. Diesels have their advantages but do need to have regular PM's.
Good luck with whatever you decide and safe travels.
2002 Winnebago Journey DL,36GD, 2008 Explorer 4WD toad. Blue Ox Aventa II, SMI Air Force One braking system. Lucy the rescued lab/springer mix. Smith Mountain Lake, VA
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avan
Sioux Falls, SD & Livingston,TX
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Joined: 11/02/2002
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Excuse a non MHer answer. You can never have too much room. Slides not only give extra room but they also change the character of the space - from sort of a tunnel to a real room.
Sure you read of some problems but if you make your decisions based on that, you'll take the rubber off your wheels and ride on the rims. Perhaps no problems are crabbed about more than tires. While you're at it, you probably would want to minimize your risk by taking the motor out of your rig as well.
I think if you were to count the number of posts about a slide problem and divide that by the number of slides in use, the ratio would be small indeed. We've FT'd 13 yrs now with slides. That means using the slides in one way or another 365 days per yr for 13 yrs. Have had one problem in all those years and that was a burned out slide motor. Pulled the old one (took one wrench), got the number of the mfr., called them and had them Fed Ex a new one overnight and by noon the next day, the problem was history.
Click for more pics of our FT home, our snowbird digs and our summer trips
The puller - International 4700LP (530E) - Wiers Towmaster; Trailer-Saver Air Hitch
The pusher - 40' Travel Supreme Fifth
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BigSkyBob
Western Montana
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Joined: 11/21/2006
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Our first trip south was in a '94 34 foot Southwind with no slides but it was a DP. We found the lack of room disheartening so we spent the next 6 months doing mental gymnastics deciding what we wanted in a new DP. We then ordered our present coach from the factory with all the options we wanted with the intent of keeping it until we croaked. It has 4 slides that have never malfunctioned in two and a half years(knocking on wood) but did have the usual new coach problems. We were lucky in that our two year warranty expired about the same time that Monaco did, so we were able to get all our issues addressed. We have never been sorry for moving on up to more room and more power.
2008 Monaco Camelot 40PDQ, 4 slides, 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 Hemi Quadcab 4x4. Blue Ox, Garmin 7200 GPS, Doran Pressure pro on all 10, M&G Brake, 50 amp SurgeGuard, FMCA, Coachnet.
Once you're dead you have lost a very important part of your life.
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FIRE UP
Ramona, CA. USA
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Joined: 03/08/2004
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You'll have to determine for yourself if you need more room or not. People have monster 45 footers and some have small class B units and both are happy. Living in one for a while would take its toll on the nerves if it was real small. One of the things that's kind of important is, how much you're out of the coach.
If, you're out of the rig for much of the day, touring, walking, bicycles, what ever, then you're only in it at night. But, if, you spend a lot of time IN the rig, daily, the size you have might just close in on you in short order.
As for slides, they've been around for quite a while now and just about 99.9% of the bugs are all gone. That doesn't mean they're perfect, once in a while you still might have one trip up. But, the companies are pretty well versed on the mechanisms now and they seal real well too. I surely wouldn't let that detour you from moving to a nice pusher with some. The only one recently that I've heard of that was troublesome for at least the first generation was the "full wall" slide. They had all kinds of trouble with those but, someone might chime in here and let us know the improvements and reliability of them now.
I'd try yours for a while and see how you take it. If it wears on you, change. It's steel, not an arm or leg. You can sell it and change all you want. Good luck.
Scott
Scott and Karla
San Diego Fire Department RETIRED
1999 Bounder 34V w/slide, V-10 W/BANKS
toad-'04 Yellow Jeep Rubicon
2002 Stream Silver Metalic GL 1800 Goldwing
KI60ND
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tahiti16
Camarillo, CA
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I agree with Gale use what you have and see what changes you do or don't need to make. Once you are out on an extended trip you will have a better idea of what works for YOU!
Keep in mind that just like a stick house after you have lived in it for a while there is always something you would do different if you could do it over. Also since our "homes" are meant to travel down the road there will be compromises that go with that flexibility.
Ray, Cheryl, Cory & of course Miss Molly the four-legged child
2006 Dolphin 36' F53 V10 5 speed auto 2 slides 7.5 KW genset
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sbishop
Eagle Rock, CA
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Joined: 08/09/2001
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The DW and I spent 3 months in our 27 foot Bounder during our trip to AK and this summer we took three week trip with the GDs and while the trip with the GDs was a little tight at times we enjoyed both. Take the trip South and then decide.
David Bishop
1990 Bounder 27D
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klm
SIOUX FALLS, SD
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Joined: 05/26/2004
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Keep your Pace Arrow, for now. You don't want to rush into a purchase, especially when buying used. You can manage for 3 months, I'm sure. Remember, you will be in warm weather, think of all the outdoor space!!!! Sit outside.
While you are living in the coach, start thinking about what features (floorplan, slides, etc) that you would need in a new coach. I don't know where in in the south you will be, find some dealers, or find some rv shows and look at lots and lots of coaches. Talk to your fellow rv park residents about their coaches, pros/cons.
In the meantime, enjoy your retirement. Where will you spend the winter? Will you be fulltiming in the coach? If so, remember to put high ccc on your list of "must haves". Oh, and a big welcome to the forum.
Kathy
'02 KOUNTRY STAR DP
'04 PT CRUISER INFERNO RED
LUCKY THE TRAVELIN'BLACK CAT
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