"House" hunting adventure!

After 3 days of relaxation (see previous post), we were feeling refreshed and ready for some more excitement. As luck would have it, the RVIA 64th Annual California RV show was taking place roughly 45 minutes from the Long Beach Port. We had breakfast with our friends, debarked the ship early, and set our proverbial sails for the Pomona Fairplex.

As we mentioned a few weeks ago, our plan is to do some serious downsizing, in the form of living full-time in an RV. Our free time has essentially consisted of non-stop research since the idea came about. One of the obvious early steps in this process is deciding WHAT RV you will be living in, and ensuring that the resulting budget is still one where you are saving money over traditional "sticks-and-bricks" living. Since we are in California, nearly ANYTHING is cheaper than buying a home, but it is still important to be mindful of the numbers.

On more than one occasion, we have wandered around local RV dealerships, but due to the horrendous quality of certain models, and the overall limited brands/floorplans on the lots, we were feeling somewhat underwhelmed. Where were all the models that we had seen online? We hoped that this RV show would be the answer to our wishes, and judging by the website, we were fairly certain that it would be.

The aerial photo from their website. This show is BIG!

Being a Sunday, this place was packed. The remaining parking spots were in the middle of nowhere, and it was HOT, but we were determined to find what we were looking for. Judging by the sea of RV's that lay before us, I had a feeling that if "the one" wasn't in there, then it didn't exist.

We paid the (very reasonable) $10 entry fee, filled out a survey for a "swag bag" to carry our newly acquired literature, and started exploring. The VERY first RV that we walked in to was like nothing we had seen thus far. Built by New Horizons - a luxury custom manufacturer from Kansas - this thing was built like a mansion. I was too overwhelmed by the granite counters, plank hardwood flooring, cedar-lined closets, rough-cut cherry cabinetry, and high-end residential appliances to get any interior photos, but take my word for it when I say that this thing was AMAZING! In an ideal world, our search would have ended right there by the gate, but unfortunately the price tag said "better keep looking."

If we ever have the money, THIS will be our Dream Home.

What ensued next, was a 98 degree death-march from manufacturer to manufacturer. Emotions roller-coastered from hopefulness to disappointment, to mediocrity, to wanting to strangle a certain salesman and leave him in the desert. I'm not going to be a brand-basher, but let's just say that a certain salesman tried to con us in to ORDERING a trailer that rhymes with "Finnebago", sight unseen, because he didn't have anything at the show that fit our needs. Good try, buddy, but you lost me when I saw that your cabinets are held shut with velcro! 

Our next "awestruck" moment came at the DRV Suites section. Much like the New Horizons unit, these things were stunning. Solid, luxurious, and obviously built for comfortable full-time use. We talked with the salesman for a while, and he even took the time to price out a unit with all the features that we would want/need. We came in slightly cheaper than the first manufacturer, but still found the price tag to be higher than we could easily afford. Next...!

DRV makes a gorgeous trailer.

After seriously wondering if we would succumb to heat-stroke and die right there in the middle of RV-ville USA, we chugged some cold water in the shade, and kept trudging onward. I was excited for our next stop, and this manufacturer was one of my biggest reasons for wanting to attend this show. This was the section for Road Warrior, by Heartland. These aren't just 5th wheels, but 5th wheel Toy Haulers. I've seen blogs online about people living in these full time, and in general, they seem to be absolutely thrilled with them. Not only does this allow you to bring "toys" (up to and including small cars - Smart/GEM/Mini/etc.), but the 'garage' space gives you the flexibility to transform from office, to playroom, to workshop, to second bedroom with ease. 

Allow me to introduce you to the Road Warrior RW427. This thing is 44' and 16,698 pounds of awesome!

Rear ramp doubles as an enclosed party-deck.

A second side-patio, protected by one of THREE awnings.

Open floor-plan makes it feel way bigger than it is.

Corner mounted 60" television and electric fireplace, with Sliding patio door to the left,
loft above, and garage door to the right.

Hands down THE NICEST KITCHEN layout I have seen in an RV.

5-seat reclining/massaging super-sofa, and residential side-by-side refrigerator.

Enclosed side-patio with table and 40" television.

The Master bedroom.

Master Bathroom (with REAL tub!)

The garage, with everything stowed out of the way.

Garage with queen bunks/benches lowered. 

Second half-bath in the garage area.

This unit pretty much has EVERYTHING that we have been looking for, and then some. It has a separate space for Aedan, room for all of us to sit down as a family, fresh water and waste tank capacity to support 3 of us on dry-camping trips, a Cummins Onan gasoline generator (included standard), aluminum laminated sidewall construction... I could go on and on, but we both immediately fell in love with this trailer, and the price is much more in line with the budged we have in mind.

Obviously we have been doing tons of research since we got home, but every day it feels like we have more of a plan. There are a lot of steps to take between now and then, but it is nice to feel like maybe we are a step closer to hitting the road!