Date: Tue, 26 Mar 2013 11:36:09 -0500
Reply-To: mcneely4@COX.NET
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>
Subject: Re: Beyond Vanagon
In-Reply-To: <CAHTkEuJhGRUjNBGVf4khDxCgrxT1n3SuBGcmjvgNTjchDg8ZCg@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
---- Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> I think the motorhom-ing is a compromise, too.
In talking to people who motorhome, I find that most have not compromised. They never wanted to go to the places they can't get to, and they have no intention of considering doing so. Some may feel differently. Those I know prefer motor home parks to wilderness, so they are not compromising by giving up the wilderness.
But I don't know them all. mcneely
RVers who choose the
> Motorhome style have to compromise due to it's size and fuel requirements.
> They have to decide between having all the comforts of home or not so
> much. Full comfort= size and weight= limited access. House-sized vehicle
> will just not fit lots of places. A lot motorhomes simply are too big and
> unwieldy to negotiate everywhere... So you have to choose...Be really
> comfortable and have all your "stuff" but accept that you won't be going
> into a lot of places...Or..take fewer cubic feet of living space along and
> go more places.
> When traveling motorhomes are a compromise. You might see an
> interesting looking mining town in the mountains or a small village
> somewhere but with the motorhome, you'll have chosen to 'skip' going there
> in favor of being totally comfortable where you can go. You'll be looking
> for KOAs and reading their websites to see what length they are able to
> accommodate. You may have to begin to follow truck routes on your GPS and
> check the clearance of bridges and underpasses before you get to them...(or
> not, as some seem to do) I'm not saying that's bad, but it is the
> compromise of choosing to use a big RV..
>
> We, too, inherited a motorhome and tried it for one winter..drove it to
> the tip of Baja and back to the Columbia River Gorge..Nice, comfortable,
> take plenty of stuff along but it just wasn't our style. Scary as hell
> trying to negotiate Baja hwy 1, which is quite narrow... Replaced it with a
> telescoping Alaskan-brand slide -in camper on a 4x4 diesel truck with a
> small Wells Cargo utility trailer behind. That was a better compromise,
> for us. We could go most anywhere there were vehicle traces and not worry
> too much about getting through...though towing a small trailer was at times
> inconvenient. Again, though, a compromise....No TVs no DVR no garbage
> disposal no generator no power front steps no real living room sized
> space....
>
> Then when diesel fuel hit $4+ per gallon, I chose to downsize to the
> Vanagon...Which suits us pretty well. I actually still have the Alaskan
> camper, the Ford 4x4 and the Wells Cargo, and if the price of fuel ever
> dropped I'd prefer that rig for extended traveling...It was the best so
> far, but it costs about 3 times as much to drive, so the compromise there
> is only to drive it 1/3 as far or 1/3 as often.
>
> For short stays, day or overnight trips, daily driving, bike races and
> windsurf outings...the Vanagon is perfect. It works pretty good as a work
> vehicle, too...
>
> No one vehicle will ever do it all, everyone has different priorities...
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
> >
> > On 2013-03-25, at 10:10 AM, "bernie" <1234bjs@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> >
> > > Everything is a compromise, except motor homing is not. It is taking the
> > > house with you, no compromise at all. mcneely
> > >
> > >
> > > I agree Dave.
> > >
> > > I don't judge motorhome travel I simply meant it would not work for me.
> > > I have really considered getting something bigger but I just can't see me
> > > in it.
> > > When my Dad died 11 years ago he left us a bigger motorhome.
> > > We drove it around the block and found we could not see ourselves lugging
> > > it around.
> > > We sold it and bought the westy.
> > > At the last VW campout I met a nice couple and their two daughters
> > camping
> > > in a westy. She said that a year ago they were camping in their 20 ft
> > > trailer.
> > > They found the girls stayed in the unit and watched TV.
> > > This was not the experience they wanted to give their children so they
> > > bought
> > > a westy.
> > >
> > > Bernie
> > > Vancouver BC
> >
--
David McNeely
| 
