Any Motorhomers/RV'rs here on AK?

I like that Combicamp skizo! It has everything you need, and more by the looks of it!

Like the TV commercial ... "I saw it, and I just had to have it ..."


I was looking for something I could tow behind a tiny lil Ford Ranger with the basic package. I'd almost given up on finding anything that I liked (I did consider a smallish popup, till I got inside and kept running into myself). This thing only weighs 500 pounds, even with the extension bedroom and enclosed porch, has loads of room, and sets up enough to keep you dry in less than a minute ... :thumbsup:

I'm still keeping an eye out for one for a Mercedes MH series van. I see them every now and then, and just missed out on one a few months back that was going for $3k ... I think they're pretty much the coolest thing around for camper conversion.

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Here's the rig getting ready to head out west to visit our daughter and son in law at Twentynine Palms USMC base a couple years ago....
yU4Iin7.jpg



This is Monument Valley where a lot of the John Wayne westerns were filmed.
Clint Eastwood climbed that large spire on the left in the Eiger Sanction movie.
Extremely beautiful country!

E5V7wmW.jpg


Once we get where we're going we can park the rig and drive around to see different sights.
This is the Valley Of The Gods just north of Monument Valley....

7bXYnri.jpg


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On our way we took old US RT66 through Arizona and Southern California......
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Came upon this classic....
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It's a very enjoyable way to travel and see our great country!
We plan on making more trips as time will allow.

Bob

Wow Bob.....That is a cracking looking RV!......Great pics also....Wished I took time out to see AZ.....Thanks for sharing:thumbsup:
 
Like the TV commercial ... "I saw it, and I just had to have it ..."


I was looking for something I could tow behind a tiny lil Ford Ranger with the basic package. I'd almost given up on finding anything that I liked (I did consider a smallish popup, till I got inside and kept running into myself). This thing only weighs 500 pounds, even with the extension bedroom and enclosed porch, has loads of room, and sets up enough to keep you dry in less than a minute ... :thumbsup:

I'm still keeping an eye out for one for a Mercedes MH series van. I see them every now and then, and just missed out on one a few months back that was going for $3k ... I think they're pretty much the coolest thing around for camper conversion.

3f2bd024a335854f7714353fd5586ac2.jpg

Cool video skizo.....there really is a lot of space when opened out. Excellent!:thumbsup:

Wouldn't mind getting my hands on one of those Merc vans also, Those diesel engines of that era really are bullet proof, real sturdy looking van.
 
We sold everything off and live in our RV, a Tiffin Allegro Open Road. My sound system now consists of Iphone, Ipad, Apple TV, a smart TV, bluray machine and several sets of headphones.

Right now we're in Defuniak Springs Florida, in a couple of months we'll head north and then west, figure on being in Seattle late summer.








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Stunning looking rig Tom! You are living my dream, hope to be doing the same thing in 10 yrs......What a way to see the country!:rockon:.......oh....lovely dog!
 
Dude, that is awesome! You have an F150 as your Toad, I love it! Those Newmars are sweet. I'd like to get a diesel rig but nearly all of them are huge and expensive. When I was seriously considering pulling the trigger on an RV I was torn between diesel and gas. I was only leaning towards gas due to options, size and maintenance costs. I wish I knew more about diesel engines than I do.

Here's the rig getting ready to head out west to visit our daughter and son in law at Twentynine Palms USMC base a couple years ago....
yU4Iin7.jpg



This is Monument Valley where a lot of the John Wayne westerns were filmed.
Clint Eastwood climbed that large spire on the left in the Eiger Sanction movie.
Extremely beautiful country!

E5V7wmW.jpg


Once we get where we're going we can park the rig and drive around to see different sights.
This is the Valley Of The Gods just north of Monument Valley....

7bXYnri.jpg


QCIHbCb.jpg



On our way we took old US RT66 through Arizona and Southern California......
7p7qT9w.jpg


Came upon this classic....
H3H8unZ.jpg


It's a very enjoyable way to travel and see our great country!
We plan on making more trips as time will allow.

Bob

I like those Allegros to. I like the "dog window" (as I call it) that they put near the passengers feet. I imagine my little dog would love to be able to look out that window.

We sold everything off and live in our RV, a Tiffin Allegro Open Road. My sound system now consists of Iphone, Ipad, Apple TV, a smart TV, bluray machine and several sets of headphones.

Right now we're in Defuniak Springs Florida, in a couple of months we'll head north and then west, figure on being in Seattle late summer.

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I like those Allegros to. I like the "dog window" (as I call it) that they put near the passengers feet. I imagine my little dog would love to be able to look out that window.

The dog uses the window.

IMO Tiffin makes the best gasser--they often use heavier chassis and longer wheelbases than their competition, even Newmar, which IMO is another very good outfit. My 32SA is the only 34' gasser on Ford's 24,000 pound chassis--competitors use the 22K chassis and less. And the wheelbase is 228", no long rear overhang as you see on many gassers. Better handling and stability.

You have to watch axle ratings and overall payload carefully with gassers, some are overloaded with just the driver and a passenger, never mind cargo. With mine fully loaded with cargo, 60 gallons of gas (the tank holds 80) and about 50 gallons of water, and me at the wheel the rig weighs 22,500 pounds, 1500 pounds under the GVWR. The rear axle rating is 15.5K and the front 9K so we're in good shape.

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I know what you mean about the weight. I've noticed that as well but I didn't know about the Tiffin's being on the heavier chassis. That's good info especially since I seem to see them a lot. I remember when I was looking at lightweight 5th wheels that many of them were also way to close to the GVWR without taking into account full tanks, gear and passengers. That's pretty much why I quit looking at lightweight 5th wheels.

The dog uses the window.

IMO Tiffin makes the best gasser--they often use heavier chassis and longer wheelbases than their competition, even Newmar, which IMO is another very good outfit. My 32SA is the only 34' gasser on Ford's 24,000 pound chassis--competitors use the 22K chassis and less. And the wheelbase is 228", no long rear overhang as you see on many gassers. Better handling and stability.

You have to watch axle ratings and overall payload carefully with gassers, some are overloaded with just the driver and a passenger, never mind cargo. With mine fully loaded with cargo, 60 gallons of gas (the tank holds 80) and about 50 gallons of water, and me at the wheel the rig weighs 22,500 pounds, 1500 pounds under the GVWR. The rear axle rating is 15.5K and the front 9K so we're in good shape.

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Those miltary camper conversions are sweet, Agreed they are overkill for the normal RV'r but who would like to go off the beaten track in one of these!

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Exactly! I think those retrofits are options for the mechanically inclined. Not an amateur type build. But if you have the ability, and want a fun project....why not? You could always sell it later for half the price of anything that comes close and still make a profit. I have built a few way back before it was a trend. I am keeping my eyes on the auctions!
 
I just bid on a Stewart & Stevenson M1078 LMTV similar to the one I show here. These are the best deal now. I been looking for an Oshkosh but they are just too expensive. You can get one of these in good shape between 2 and 4k on a lucky day. They are street legal, make fantastic RV's and you will not overload these unless you build your box out of lead! Inline 6 cylinder 300 HP Turbo diesel, 5ooo pound cargo capacity, 7 speed Allison automatic with shift on the fly 3 range transfer case, front and rear axle locks and central tire pressure management system. Other than that, they are very spartan, but I have seen some really fantastic retrofits of these. There are tons of used parts on the market as well. There were 95,000 of these put into service and most of these are all replaced by the newer models by now. I think the one below is a 1994 model.

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I just bid on a Stewart & Stevenson M1078 LMTV similar to the one I show here. These are the best deal now. I been looking for an Oshkosh but they are just too expensive. You can get one of these in good shape between 2 and 4k on a lucky day. They are street legal, make fantastic RV's and you will not overload these unless you build your box out of lead! Inline 6 cylinder 300 HP Turbo diesel, 5ooo pound cargo capacity, 7 speed Allison automatic with shift on the fly 3 range transfer case, front and rear axle locks and central tire pressure management system. Other than that, they are very spartan, but I have seen some really fantastic retrofits of these. There are tons of used parts on the market as well. There were 95,000 of these put into service and most of these are all replaced by the newer models by now. I think the one below is a 1994 model.

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Thats a lot of vehicle for little money.....Fantastic looking machine!
 
We picked up a short Lazy Daze end of last year. (Hate the name, like the camper.) Have yet to use it, but it's in very good shape, and well-constructed. Have a few projects to regain hitch capacity (reversing factory chassis mods) but should be good after that. Usually the best sound system when camping is turn everything off and open the windows... or just go outside since that's what you're there for.

Chip
 
We sold everything off and live in our RV, a Tiffin Allegro Open Road. My sound system now consists of Iphone, Ipad, Apple TV, a smart TV, bluray machine and several sets of headphones.

Right now we're in Defuniak Springs Florida, in a couple of months we'll head north and then west, figure on being in Seattle late summer.

I am an ex-military heavy battle tank mechanic, so these are not much of a challenge for me, however, still a big project and not for the faint of heart.
I know the RV's tend to be smaller in Europe, but I did a lot of roaming when I was stationed in Germany and I would not want to try and get a "American" size RV through some of those towns. We could not even get the old 2.5 ton trucks through. I think Euro RV's have a lot to offer, they are that way for a reason. Some of the German RV's I have seen when there are prime examples of the most efficient use of space I have ever seen...not to mention, best built and most innovative.






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I would give up my audio for that! I am a engineering contractor and just finished a contract with Prevost. I can't even comprehend the price tags I was seeing on those. Here are a few images1_2321_240668_1889517.jpg 1_2321_240668_1889548.jpg f_148838014-071b716e.jpg prevost-interior-9.jpg ...these were the same chassis, one was a 2012 and one was a 2013 "entertainer" model.
Thought I'd see if any Ak members enjoy the Motorhoming lifestyle? When I lived in the states I had a 28ft Champion RV with the 7.4 Chevy motor! Got to see a lot of great places from South Dakota to Florida. Over here in Ireland/Europe the Motorhomes are a tad smaller with even smaller engines but all diesel in the main. We have travelled many countries in Europe and still many more yet to visit,.....Here's a couple of pics of our Campervan, A 1999 Adria which is based on a Fiat Maxi chassis 2.8 turbo diesel.......Happy trails!

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Thats a lot of vehicle for little money.....Fantastic looking machine!
 
I just bid on a Stewart & Stevenson M1078 LMTV similar to the one I show here. These are the best deal now. I been looking for an Oshkosh but they are just too expensive. You can get one of these in good shape between 2 and 4k on a lucky day. They are street legal, make fantastic RV's and you will not overload these unless you build your box out of lead! Inline 6 cylinder 300 HP Turbo diesel, 5ooo pound cargo capacity, 7 speed Allison automatic with shift on the fly 3 range transfer case, front and rear axle locks and central tire pressure management system. Other than that, they are very spartan, but I have seen some really fantastic retrofits of these. There are tons of used parts on the market as well. There were 95,000 of these put into service and most of these are all replaced by the newer models by now. I think the one below is a 1994 model.

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Now if you planned on boon-docking in bad urban high crime areas , they offer this model. I would definitely spring for the optional roof mounted machine gun at that point.

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We sold everything off and live in our RV, a Tiffin Allegro Open Road. My sound system now consists of Iphone, Ipad, Apple TV, a smart TV, bluray machine and several sets of headphones.

Right now we're in Defuniak Springs Florida, in a couple of months we'll head north and then west, figure on being in Seattle late summer.

You are living the dream! It has been so long since I have driven something that big and that long. I am afraid I would end up losing my mule, and the last 10 feet of something that big, and that nice!







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Like the TV commercial ... "I saw it, and I just had to have it ..."


I was looking for something I could tow behind a tiny lil Ford Ranger with the basic package. I'd almost given up on finding anything that I liked (I did consider a smallish popup, till I got inside and kept running into myself). This thing only weighs 500 pounds, even with the extension bedroom and enclosed porch, has loads of room, and sets up enough to keep you dry in less than a minute ... :thumbsup:

I'm still keeping an eye out for one for a Mercedes MH series van. I see them every now and then, and just missed out on one a few months back that was going for $3k ... I think they're pretty much the coolest thing around for camper conversion.

3f2bd024a335854f7714353fd5586ac2.jpg

Those little popups are great, but still expensive for what you get (now a days) in my book. I had one for a while but I never had time to let it dry properly in the mornings and it ended up molding pretty bad.
You must be crying missing out on that Merc, those are true classics. It is hard to find that much headroom in a classic van, unless you find an old concession van and they just don't have the same personality.
 
We have a 1994 Newmar American Star 32' fifth wheel camper that we picked up a few years ago. Very solid camper overall and can attest greatly to the craftsmanship put into one of these things.

I called the company on a question we had and was able to talk to one of the builders that built our very camper. Seems they have a low turnover rate, even had one guy that has been there for 40 years. :thumbsup:
 
I'd also like to mention how much I love just checking out RV's. Even when I'm not serious about buying I totally love checking out RV's, seeing how they are all laid out and how everything is engineered. I find them completely fascinating. I feel the same way about boats with similar amenities.
 
I'd also like to mention how much I love just checking out RV's. Even when I'm not serious about buying I totally love checking out RV's, seeing how they are all laid out and how everything is engineered. I find them completely fascinating. I feel the same way about boats with similar amenities.

I like doing that as well! There is a huge Camping World dealership in Colfax, NC. I like looking around but the sales people can be a tad aggressive. The more I participate in this thread, the more I want another RV. We will see! That being said, I know I do not have the time for one right now.
 
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