When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Looking at some options with Class C Motorhome Travel for Day, Week, Month, adventure stocked pantry, with a no real expectations.
Take the fish'n boat, the quad, and or the 72 in a trailer, e-bike on the rack, (maybe one of those old school front bike racks) and see where the wind blows me and my travel companions Pepper and Deb... Norm I know reading some of your post's with the 5th wheel hauler...any words
One thing that is on my list is an ultimate car show, fishing, science museum type tour for 26, 27... a week at a time... live evolve.
Dream'n is free.. Help with others confirmation is priceless. I hope my health keeps up with my mind or vise versa, I know this my eyes are mostly bigger than my stomach... close race
Here is an example for a visual
The fellow I have been speaking with is super chill. They used this for a cruiser to the "Winter Place" since 2017 he purchased it from the Original Owner 100k easier hwy rolling... Pro's / Con's
On the edge of buffalo adadge... some elders advise "Walk some miles in others moccasins b4 jumping"
The other one I heard long ago and really made sense... Grandpa puts his ear to the ground and replies "Hmm Buffalo Come" jr asked "Grandps how you know" Hmmm side of face sticky"
Keith - I have a life long NPS/USFS Interagency pass - can't recall what I paid for it. There are several types - they may have been called a Golden Pass or something similar at one time. At any rate, whatever they're called (mine is in my truck glove box), it provides you w/ no entry fee for all parks, some provide free camping in parks, as well. They save a bunch of $$.
Hey, that thing looks pretty nifty. Anyone else use that (nifty) word?
Words >>> Go Slow, Relax, Go Slow, meander, Go Slow, Relax...take it all in. You have any ideas/notions/thoughts on where to head out to? Canada Rocky Mountains (Jasper, Lake Louise, Banff) are nice. Can't bring a pistol. Redwoods Park, Zion Nat'l Park, Bryce Canyon. Man, I envy you.
Crying laughing? Haven't heard the Buffalo joke in a while
A young brave and his elder grand father are walking the path of two villages...
When upon the path the young brave see's an elder brave on the other path with his willie in the wind... " Grandpa what is he doing?"
Him Telling Time
On the next path another elder brave willie in the wind only cranking it with figgure... " Grandpa what is he doing?"
" Him Windeing Watch"
Sitting about a full moon after a traditional Lakota Pow Wow the young Woohitike asks the elders why his brother is named 'Sitting Bull' & his sister named 'Soaring Eagle'. When your brother was born the first thing we saw was a bull sitting down in the tall grass prairie, when your sister was born the first thing we saw was an eagle soaring above. Why do you ask 'Two Dogs *******'?
We have gone on the road using a bumper pull trailer and using a motorized rv. Both have been enjoyable, remember that with a motorized rv you will probably be pulling a small vehicle to use once you have set up camp someplace to "spoke" out on your daily adventures from your "hub" campsite. With a bumper pull all you have to do is set up camp and go wherever you wish with your truck. I believe it all boils down to how much money you have to invest in your rig. By your title I am not sure if you are asking for differences between motor rv and bumper pull or between types of classes of motor rv. All I could offer is my experience. We pulled a front wheel drive towable with our motor rv by using a tow dolly, some people flat tow and I don't know how they address that problem. In the past it was only advisable to flat tow a manual transmission equipped car but the new automatic transmission may be different or there may be a provision for that in the driveline somehow. I did have a scary day up in Wyoming one fall when the winds were gusting in the high 30's, it was directly 90 degrees to my direction of travel and that thing was rockikng and rolling! I think a trailer would have been less scary as that side motion can be absorbed by the stabilizer bars attached to the truck. One last thing, I use the term bumper pull as a generic term, not actually hooking up to the truck's bumper but the frame through a good receiver set up.
Thank you Dan
My quest is mostly finding a well kept unit for an affordable price, and how others have found the traveling about in general. Trying to get a feel and get comfortable pulling the trigger when the right one comes along.
The towing ideas are helpful
If you want to flat tow a car get a small Saturn. That was one of their big things, being able to tow an automatic without damaging it. Or get a Corvair, the Powerglide has two pumps so nothing goes dry when you're towing.
That Class C better be almost free with 100k miles on it. Low mileage ones historically are good deals. You might widen your search for a good deal on a Class A.
I have been keeping an open mind to a Class A. A diesel would be a bonus consideration. One of the biggest issues are roofs and the kept maintenance. Which ever unit, if and when I make the decision, a dealer inspection will be part of the purchase price agreement. I have been following AZ Expert you-tube channel for a bit and appreciate his content. He personally owns a Beaver unit, very nice quality.
I have been keeping an open mind to a Class A. A diesel would be a bonus consideration. One of the biggest issues are roofs and the kept maintenance. Which ever unit, if and when I make the decision, a dealer inspection will be part of the purchase price agreement. I have been following AZ Expert you-tube channel for a bit and appreciate his content. He personally owns a Beaver unit, very nice quality.
Rooves and maintenance are issues to both the Class C and A. Things that are usually problematic are rain water leaks, non performing appliances and generators, other electrical issues, old tires, worn brakes, transmission and engine issues due to lack of access.
We used a regular old van, but it depends on how many people/ how much room you need. Our first trip was in 1998 in a 1990 Chevy Van just wife and I. 2nd one was in 2017 in a 2002 Ford Van, wife and I and dog. Smaller rig much easier to go tight places in Both our trips were about 10,000 miles- 1st one 30days, 2nd 40 days Can't beat traveling our country- so awesome!!
Greg -
Thanks for the insight I have to agree on many points. Walk before we run stands out.
I had intentions with the owner of that Class C for sale here in Wisco. They, he and wife used it to commute from here to AZ since 2017. The miles seemed easy and used , Highway...not sitting around collecting dust. @28' and one slide for the dinnette (Peppers bed) it seemed like a no brainer for NAED 25k he wanted 31K I for now in the end got cold feet.
The ideas from you are helping so much, makes my brain re-set and re-direct function with necessity, thanks for that
The getting there is the best part. Like the whole trip you made and raced the events as you went , what a frick'n trip. Memories can not be replaced or ever forgotten An inspiration for most of us. Thanks for the posts along the way
I'm not looking for heroism. The fact is that people (families) did this when these cars were all that was available. They can do it, and people should exercise them as meant to be. Your "dependents" need to be on board, though.
Last edited by fleming442; Mar 26, 2025 at 07:22 PM.
The year 1976 Mom and Dad left Wisco for California Disney Land in our 70 Vista Cruiser pulling our Scamper pop up
( The intial trip was presented Disney World FLA) Dad asked when all the road signs read west and north instead of south when us boyscouts would figure this out....
Such an awesome trip, such an awesome time in our country Custom Van, Trucking, CB craze met so many neat travelers and friends along the way, one trucker gave us boys a ride down the strip in Vegas in his double decker Kenworth back when Mom and Dad either trusted strangers or after that long on road hoped he took us away...LOL
I always sat right behind Dad on the rear passenger seat so he could not reach me until he cooled off from us whiney little **** heads (Red Foreman on steroids) we did deserve a kick in the ***.
The right place right time meant to be, the spice of life.
Pretty cool
Dad was stationed in Nevada during the testing and explained the duties of going on the sites with what he called "Sniffer Trucks" 1ton jobbs collecting data. No wonder I have 6toes and web feet...also love Duff Beer
When you went on those trips Greg I assume the West to Cali then another direction care to share
Yeah Keith, they were great trips.
--1998 one was planned, I was still working and took 30 days vacation- had a great boss-. Both those vans were "conversion" vans. Took out all seats except 2 fronts, got a old bed steel full size spring/frame and mattress. Moved and extended legs to make bed pretty high and put it in van with rear about 1 foot in from rear doors. That way top of bed was about 2-3 ft below ceiling- was a standard van- not raised. So there was space for our clothes, etc in slide out plastic containers under bed. Put a rear rack in the slide in class 2 hitch and had a pickup style tool box on it. In that we carried stuff and a 20lb LP tank and grill. That van had a rotating passenger ft seat. It was tight at times but very cheap. Left Mich. and went west down around Chicago, thru Wisconsin, Minn, stopped where ever we wanted to sleep. Then went down into Utah, Bryce, Arches Yellowstone, etc. Then South Washington, Oregon, California. Visited aunt and cousin in LA then went to Tijuana (walked). Then back up to Utah again, then back east thru New Mexico, Texas. Louisiana, Florida, back up to Mich.
--2017 was in a Ford van used same bed frame- same clothes arrangement. but no rear slide in box. This time had dog bed in front of bed on floor where he slept most times- A mellow older dog- sure miss him... Wife found a miniature kitchen cabinet that was free that was built by someone for a little girls play kitchen. We put that in the rear so when opened rear doors could have a nice out door kitchen to cook. That van didn't have a flip around passenger seat so I found a swivel in a junkyard out of a old van and added it. That was really good cuz if weather was bad, one could sit on swivel, other could lay in bed- really cozy and comfortable. On both trips we brought a little buddy LP heater and a electric heater for use when we were at a campground w/ power. That trip left early-end of March- so went south out of Mich, Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee, Louisiana, Texas, NM, Calif, up to LA, stayed with different family, then up thru Oregon, Washington, then got into snow down to Yellowstone and back up. Was going to go up into Canada to National park (can't remember the name) but too much snow. Then back to Michigan.
--We had no problems with either van and both were over 100,000 miles. We had to go to laundromats a few times. 2nd time I bought a fancy porta potty we put between the front seats and wife could use in the night. We also had a 120 volt college size fridge that sat behind the drivers seat. Had a inverter wired up from battery to the engine cover inside van so could turn off and on and plug in fridge to it. That was super convenient as ice sucks.. Found some juice containers that fit perfectly in freezer- when running down road fridge was running and making ice. When stopped fridge was off and ice was keeping contents cold like a old ice box. We would usually stay at a campground and pay, but lots of times we would just stop and stay out in the boonies. A couple times we would get a room, but maybe only twice each trip. I was great and as I said, cheap.. Highly recommend it!!
You guys really saw a bunch of countryside. Good ideas for the vans with the bed, cloths and essentials, chuckwagon, and cooler rigs. The swivel seat would be a great addition to any of these travel rigs just gives a nice option for utilizing the space. Sounds like you had the best of the best for travel companions and navigators, those ole pups sure leave their mark with our hearts. Sounds like Buddy likes riding so that's cool.
The appeal of the conversion van would be no roof maintenance and ease with common parts if you did run into issues on the road. I'll keep looking for the right deal to land on my doorstep and sure appreciate you sharing the trip details, helps for sure in thinking of options.
Have a great weekend... Oh I forgot for a sec.. every night is Friday and every day is Saturday for you now. Enjoy!
One thing I just thought of you may appreciate... I had a real good boss / business owner just out of high school. He had a place in Scottsdale AZ. His conversion van he left there at the time was an 82 or 83 GMC. he had the idea to sell it and thought he would get a better price if he sold it in Wisco, so he paid me to fly out to Phoenix pick it up and bring it home. When I got back to town I stopped at Mom and Dads to show them the rig and they ended up buying it along with my good boss giving them a real square deal on it. Dad let me use it a few times for some trips in Northern WI with a little honey I had at the time, some dang good memories. Seems what it is all about.
