Fulltiming - Part 8

Shopping Suggestions

Finally, the potential fulltimer should consider the following shopping suggestions before embarking on this new lifestyle:

• Talk to other fulltimers. Find out what they like and dislike about their current arrangement.
• Visit RV shows and learn from the ultimate comparison-shopping experience.
• Visit dealers, but be wary of salespeople until you have narrowed down your choices.
• Ask lots of questions. No question is too insignificant. Propose the same question to many different people. The first answer may not be the right one for you.
• Don't be afraid to travel great distances to find the right unit. Your local dealers may have a limited variety of models from which to choose.
• Purchase a well-known brand. The established manufacturers didn't achieve that status by accident, and they will be in a better position to back up what they sell.
• Look for an extensive dealer network, so that servicing your rig when on the road will be as painless as possible.
• Collect brochures on every model you look at. This will make comparison easier when you're sitting in the comfort of your home, away from the pressure of salespeople and the hustle and bustle of RV shows.
• Make a wish list of what you want in your perfect RV, and then start compromising. You will eventually find a rig that makes you happy. Believe me, it's out there. Just keep looking.

Eventually, you will find a fulltiming RV that, as Bill and Jan Moeller put it in their Complete Guide to Full-Time RVing, is good at "the business of living." It will be well suited to cooking, dining, showering, bathing, dressing, sleeping, cleaning, and relaxing. When you find it, hold on and never let go. It will take you happily on the greatest adventure of your life.

In the next installment, we look at the many benefits of this wonderful lifestyle, including places to visit, things to do and see, and other great choices available to fulltimers.

Part 9 > The Joy of Fulltiming