.  This list has a lot of knowledge and

IMO you should check out
http://www.rv.net/forum/  also,
On matching truck to trailer this is good
http://www.klenger.net/arctic-fox/weight/

Regards,
Barry

Hi,
How much it will cost to insure depends on many variables.  You will
have to check with an insurance company for a good answer.  There are
insurance companies that deal specifically with RV's, sometimes your car
insurance company will handle them too.  Depends upon what you want.
Check with both.  An RV specific insurance company will sometimes offer
coverage's that car insurance companies won't.

RV'ing is not really a hobby or past time.  It's more like a way of
living.  Here are some things some might think as negatives.  Rv'ing is
not necessarily cheap and can easily become expensive it all depends
upon how much you can do yourself and how much you are willing to invest
in the RV and tow vehicle.  RV's require maintenance just like a house,
so if you are not the handy man type, you will either learn or pay
someone else to fix the problems you may have.   You can stay in hotel
rooms for a lot of nights for what a Fifth Wheel RV and tow vehicle
costs.  You will use more fuel towing then not.  If you don't have a
truck now the truck will probably use more fuel then your car towing or
not.  If you borrow to pay for the RV you will be paying for it even
when it's not being used.  You have to do all the same things in an RV
that you do at home, laundry, dish washing and something most folks
don't do at their home, emptying the waste tanks and making sure you
have water if you think you might need it when traveling.

 On the more positive side.  You can save some money by staying at
campgrounds, or overnighting in Flying J's or Wal Marts on your way to
an area, cooking your own meals lets you choice exactly what you like to
eat and is cheaper then eating out all the time.  You will have your own
bed to sleep in and your own living room to relax in and you can choose
where, when and how long you stay in a location.  You will get to meet a
lot of nice folks in the campgrounds if you choose to.  Will be able to
get a little more off the beaten path, if you want to.

It has not been necessarily any cheaper then traveling by car and
staying at hotels when you add in the up keep and initial costs.  But I
would do it all over again in a heart beat.  We enjoy the outdoors and
the travel and being able to stop where we want, leave when we want and
go where we want.  And we've met many interesting and friendly people
along the way.

There are other considerations besides these of course.  Before you go
spending big bucks on an RV and tow vehicle you may want to try renting
one for a week or two to see if you like the life style.  Many RV
dealerships have rentals available.

Here are some sites you may want to check out for more information on
RV'ing.

http://www.newrver.com/
http://www.rvknowhow.com/index.html
http://www.rvnetlinx.com/index.php

Hope this helps some.  Take care and Happy Campin...

Well,
I'm not a full-timer yet...I have a few more working years..ok, maybe more
then a few.
I'm 34yrs old and almost own my first real RV. Let me explain....

I have had a pop-up in the past but sold it when I decided to return to
school. It was used and cheap (Read: under $1000 including my upgrades and
repairs.)
I also sold my truck at the time because, once again returning to college
and have a mortgage...

Once I graduated from college, I decided that I much rather drive then fly
to my destinations. I decided that I did not want to trade in a realativly
new car on another truck but, wanted to return to the camping/travel I had
done previously. So, I bought My first Class C. Initally I had a budget of
$10K, I looked at about 5-8 units and decided that this wasn't going to cut
it. Most of the <$10K units were absolute crap.

I settled on an older but very low milage used class C froma reputable
dealer. Aka 1997 Fleetwood Tioga Montara 26', with less then 15K miles on
it. I paid about $24K.  (I think I was the first person to ever use the oven
and have probably used to stovetop 2-3X more then the previous owner.  Over
the past year, I paid it down and now owe about $4000 on it. I have used it
30+ nights with an average of 3 people per night.

I have met some fantastic people in my short travels and hope to meet some
more this summer.

My annual insurance costs with 100K/300K/100K liability and $250 comp/$500
collision cost me a little less then $300/yr in combination with my auto
premium.

I have the motorhome set up to pull a 2002 Toyota Echo (4 wheels down). I
plan to add a braking system so that it is 50 state legal.  It is legal now
in PA, as the car is less then 2300#.

My first year repairs/ maintanance cost me about $350 with most of that $168
for inspection and minor repair/replacement for marker light. I replaced the
house battery for $48 from a major battery mfg. local to area.

I pay about $500 annually to store it as I live in the city.

These are approximate costs that I have paid. I did not take the extended
warrenty (4yrs/48K)as there was a clause on gaskets and seals which I
thought they could blame for any failure, I banked the $1500 instead

This is only my experience and yours may vary. I'm handy and capable of most
appliance repairs and exteriors. I'm not able to perform any repairs which
require a lift. I am not a mechanic by trade but, have a better then average
tool chest.

I'm planning for 45-60 nights this year and have already scheduled 15 nights
out. See you on the open road.

Ed