Becoming a "One and a Half Car" Family?

Like most "wonder-bread, white picket fence, suburban Middle-class" American families, we have two cars (usually only occupied by one person at a time), which we use on a daily basis to get back and forth from school/work/shopping/errands/etc. Could we combine efforts, plan ahead, and get by with one vehicle? Probably, but that would just be Un-American!

Making the transition to Full-time RV living complicates things. For the next year or two, while we are still remaining here on the California Central Coast, there is no problem keeping our two vehicles, and going about life as usual. But what about when we are on the road? Since we aren't independently wealthy trust-fund babies, at least one of us will always be working, or at school, even as we make our way around America. No one wants to drive a SECOND vehicle, across the country, so how does one of us maintain the ability to run errands while the other is away for up to 13 hours a day?

Since we are considering a toy-hauler RV, this opens up the realm of a few options. We will have the ability to carry up to 2,500 lbs, in a 12' x 8' garage. Our first thought was "lets just get a really small car!" We considered vehicles by Smart, Fiat, Mini and other similarly sized offerings, but after some searching, determined that these vehicles were a.) too expensive, b.) too close to the weight limit of our trailer (considering we also need to bring along all of our belongings), and c.) Just not convenient to try to squeeze in and out of an RV on a semi-regular basis. Also, lets be honest... We aren't tiny people, and these things are TIGHT!! Next...

The Smart Fortwo cabriolet

NEV's, or Neighborhood Electric Vehicles, are basically Golf-Carts with mirrors, horns, and license plates. Their top speed is around 25 mph, and if your wallet is deep enough, they can be customized with fully enclosed cabins, sound systems, heat/AC, and most of the other amenities you would expect from a small commuter vehicle. GEM and E-Z-Go are the two manufacturers that we researched. This option, however, also seemed very limiting. The low top speed meant we could only drive this vehicle on docile, city/neighborhood streets, so county highways were out, which could pose a problem considering the rural location of many RV parks. We also realized that once we configured one of these vehicles to our liking, the price was nearly that of an actual car. Next...

The GEM e4, by Polaris.

The E-Z-Go 2Five 2+2

Our third, and so-far most popular idea was embrace our Wild Side and take it to two wheels. No... Not a beefy Harley, or sleek Sport Cruiser. We are talking about 1 cylinder of putt-putt'ing Scooter Power! It's not the most glamorous option, but I'm not going to lie... These things are pretty cool! We decided to head to the local Yamaha/Suzuki/Polaris dealer and check one out for ourselves!

The Yamaha SMax

The Suzuki Burgman 200

We had done a bit of research online before we went in, and fortunately this dealer had 3 of our favorite models on the floor. The Owner helped pulled our favorites out and let us sit on them, look them over, and of course press EVERY button (I will let you guess which one of us that was...). He also pointed out the Pros/Cons/Similarities/Differences between the models, and helped steer us in the direction he thought would best suit our needs. 

I think this means they like it...

They also make an undeniably adorable "Biker Gang"

Turns out that the 200cc engine requires a motorcycle license in several states, California included, so we have some studying to do for our permit tests, but I think that we found an solution that will work out well for us. Check one more box in our plan book, and one step closer to hitting the road to live our dream. Stick around!

Aedan wanted us to get this one... I wanted him to get a job... Neither of us got what we wanted. 

"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!