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Thinking about buying a 1985 Winnebago chieftain, it is 33 ft. long and has a 454 engine. My question is do you think it is too long and too old for full time living? thank you.
Boz,
I’m in an ’05 Four Winds Hurricane – just me and Figaro, my cat. With the slide out, I’ve got (30′ x 8′) + (39″ X 12′) = 279 square feet of living space, and I’m finding that it’s a little small (though Pippi would LURVE it for the extra space on the floor in the living room!).
I *need* an extra 6″ between the foot of the bed and the forward bedroom wall, and I *need* an extra 4″ fore-aft in the bath – if the coach I have were a 32’er, I’d probably be fine.
I think you’ll be fine in a 33′ Winnie, if you keep in mind the Porsche adage – “If you can’t afford an expensive Porsche, you damn sure can’t afford a cheap one!”
Budget the money you save on the initial purchase price for maintenance and wear items, like…basically every rubber seal in the whole coach.
Expect stuff to break unexpectedly, and plan to have a solid emergency fund of at LEAST $1000 at all times. Not that a newer coach breaks less often – The YarrVee water heater elements (110 and propane) just randomly gave up and quit working this week – having an RV emergency fund is just the best way to manage that risk. =)Hi Sboznoz, an RV in my opinion is never too long for full time living. The more the merrier from my point of view. Yeah, YarrVee, slide outs rock and I just wish I could magically make mine have three or four…or at least one!
Best of luck in the decision Sboz, and YarrVee has a great point about having some cash on hand to manage unexpected circumstances. 🙂
I have a 34 foot Winnebago Vectra While I have not spent months in it I have lived in it for weeks at a time. Once while in a cast (limited mobility) the bathroom is one hop from the bed room and the kitchen is one hop from the bathroom. That made life a lot more simple.
Do you find yourself backing up more than you’d like with your 5th wheeler? I’m trying to decide between a new 5th wheeler or a 2 or 3 year old drivable. Not worried about the drivable, but backing a trailer has never been a strong suit!
Mr Pete. Just go to a parking lot or a field on a test drive of a 5 th wheel and try it out! Is 15 min or less you will feel comfortable and confident backing it up. Very easy and you can have it detached and drive the truck to the store in moments and enjoy your second vehicle. I tow an airstream one have no trouble on both accounts. Much more mobility. Happy Trails
There are companies out there that can add a slideout to your Motorhome. I’ve seen one on older MH… Looked great and worked for the couple for years. I don’t know name of company and have lost touch with these folks. Can find many on online search.
I wound up finding a really nice class A 2001 Winnebago Sightseer with 27,000 miles. Headed to Round Rock, Texas this week end for my 1st ‘adventure’!
A Sightseer is a great model! It is one of the few, if any, coaches where the storage under the slide actually slides out with the slide. You do not have to worry about hitting you head on the slide out! Does it have a washer/dryer?
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