We Have Owned 4 RVs, Here’s What We Learned

When I met my wife Lynn, she had already been full-timing for a couple years, towing a 16’ Casita with a Toyota 4Runner.

I was a normal house dweller back then and had never stepped foot inside an RV, much less camped in one. My idea of real camping was backpacking. I scoffed at RVers in their fancy campgrounds watching their fancy TVs and sleeping in their soft fancy beds.

Since that time, I converted over to a full-time RV lifestyle. My wife and I have been on the road long enough to change RVs four times. Here’s why we did so and what we have learned along the way to find the best RV.

Our Story of Owning Four Different RVs

Despite my skepticism, I was eager to experience first hand what Lynn’s lifestyle was like. So I agreed to go on my first RV trip to Petit Jean State Park in Arkansas.

I learned that RV camping was actually quite fun. Who knew that cooking in a kitchen, washing dishes in a sink, and using an actual toilet could enhance my camping experience?

Little did I know that the entire purpose of this trip was part of her diabolical plan to convert me into a full-time RVer. I totally fell for it.

Casita Was Perfect for One, Not Her Plus One

There were some immediate problems, however. The Casita was the perfect set up for her. It was very cozy and easy to tow. It had plenty of room for a girl and her dog.

But there was no way we were going to cram me, my stuff, and my two dogs inside that little fiberglass egg. It was also too short for my 6’ frame to stand up in.

So even though she loved her Casita, it turned out she loved me more, because she was completely on board with an upgrade.

Researching Larger RVs

We spent months watching YouTube videos and touring RVs, trying to figure out what to buy. Initially we looked at travel trailers, but were eventually drawn to 5th wheels. It was the high ceilings that first got our attention, but it was the door between the living room and bedroom that sealed the deal.

I’m a bit of a night owl, and she’s an unrepentant early bird, and the separation of spaces allowed us to continue our preferred sleep schedules. Our months of research paid off when we found our unicorn: a used 29’ Starcraft Aruba that we towed with a diesel engine Ford F250.

It had the perfect layout for three dogs who needed floor space and two humans who needed desk space. The interior color scheme was white, which was quite the rarity back in those days.

Lovely white interiors may be the norm for modern RVs, but they were never to be found back then. Everything was brown, light brown, or dark brown.

The Aruba is No Longer the Right Rig

The Aruba seemed perfect at first, but eventually we started to notice its flaws. It was a 3-season RV, so the insulation was not great, which made it hard to keep cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

And although it was comfy to live in it, it was still a bit of a big rig on the road. We started to notice smaller trailers and vans parking where we couldn’t and zipping easily down the road. We began to dream of being more nimble and mobile.

On top of that, our two older dogs had sadly passed away, and we were left with what felt like too big of an RV for just us and one little dog.

Time to Downsize

So, after two years of owning the Aruba, we decided to downsize. It was an exciting idea, but also led to a lot of doubts. It felt ridiculous to switch RVs after just a few years, especially after we had put so much time and effort into buying and outfitting our 5th wheel.

We found ourselves going through the stressful search all over again, which led to lots of second guessing.

Van Life or Class C

We eventually decided on a motorhome for the simplicity of having a single unit. We drove ourselves nuts comparing the living spaces of Class B and C RVs.

We considered going the van life route, but to be perfectly honest, there was one thing we wouldn’t compromise on—we wanted a whole bathroom to do bathroom stuff in.

Pros and Cons of a Buying a Motorhome

We finally discovered Born Free Motorcoaches, made by a now defunct mom and pop manufacturer out of Iowa. We loved Born Free because they have solid oak cabinetry, a well insulated fiberglass shell, and excellent build quality.

Benefits of the Motorcoach

The cozy interior felt like a little wooden sailboat cabin. It was an entirely different RVing experience for us. No hitching things together, no weird back-ins to RV sites, just park like a normal car, plug in, and you’re done.

There’s nothing like pulling into a site during a downpour and just hopping out of the driver seat and onto your couch. Wait, maybe there is…climbing out of bed in the morning and jumping into the driver’s seat while still wearing your pajamas is pretty good, too.

Born Free Motorcoaches were a little tricky to find because they weren’t being made anymore, so when we found a 26’ 1996 Born Free President, we bought it immediately.

Downsides of the Motorcoach

Unfortunately, we soon discovered the downside of buying an RV that you’ve been dreaming of without doing your due diligence, like taking it to a mechanic first.

A few months into living in our motorhome, we had engine issues which stranded us in Wichita, KS, for three weeks straight. We discovered the major challenge of living in a motorhome. When it’s in the shop, you have nowhere to live, and nothing to drive.

After several more breakdowns and expensive Airbnb stays, we knew it was time for another change.

Return to a Fifth Wheel

We had come to realize that we preferred slower travel to quick and nimble. We were more often than not staying in places longer. We missed having our own personal space (as if that were such a thing in an RV).

We decided pretty quickly that we wanted another 5th whee, to match our preferred slow travel lifestyle. It took downsizing for us to figure this one out.

Features We Wanted for Our RV Lifestyle

Since we had already lived in one, we knew exactly which upgrades we wanted: four-season insulation, automatic leveling, and something manufactured by a company with good customer service.

We found a 29’ 2017 Grand Design Reflection that fit the bill, and a diesel engine Ford F350 to tow it. It had one previous owner and was in great shape. Four RVs later, we have finally found the rig for us.

Is this the last RV we will ever buy, you might ask? Well, we might just be evolving into the next level of full-time RV living.

Why own one RV when you can own two? Our plans are to buy a small, used truck camper for far-flung trips, like a winter in Baja, Mexico, or a summer in Alaska.

Our 5th wheel will be our home, for tooling around the deserts of the southwest, while our truck and truck camper will become our adventure rig.

Have you found your ideal RV yet? If not, that’s okay. There is nothing wrong with a little trial and error. There is no perfect RV, only the perfect RV for you. It might just take you a little time and experimentation to find it.

Josh Jones

Josh J has been a full-time RVer for six years, and a boondocker for the past two years. His love for the outdoors started with wandering the woods surrounding the farm that he grew up on in Arkansas. He spent his high school and college years hiking, backpacking, canoeing, and rock climbing every hollow and stream he could find in the Ozark National Forest. He graduated from the University of Arkansas with a Master’s degree in Geography, and is now an author. His writing can be found at joshjones.pro, and you can follow his travels @cheesecloak on Instagram.