We are Canadian Naturopathic coaches looking to develop a lifestyle that will allow us to escape our harsh winters for 4 to 5 months, out of the year. (In the longterm)
This website will take you on our journey towards accomplishing that dream.
We decided that RVing was the best option for us, you can watch our first Vlog here. Because we do not want to tie ourselves down to only one place and we want to bring our fur baby Angel with us, we settled on RVing as the best choice for us.
After much research we realized condo vacation rentals had too many pet visitation rules and from one year to the next take away the option to bring pets into their units. Pet friendly hotels are also very expensive, especially with kitchens. So purchasing a recreational vehicle appeared a good choice to us.
Onward with a ton of research. RVs have a vast category of options. When looking at different types we lumped them into two major categories. Those with and those without motors. We both decided that if we wanted to park on city streets, that a car and a trailer would be more difficult than a self contained unit. So, we nixed Trailers and anything else that needed « pulling » disappeared from our choice options.
When it comes to Motorhomes there are 3 primary categories, Class A, B and C. (Class A are the biggest, but Class C is bigger than a Class B... weird to find out as newbies, but we go with the flow.)
With all this new information we sat down and really discussed how we wanted to travel in order to escape winter. And so, we came up with the following list:
We wanted to:
- have it fit into a regular North American parking spot (we have a condo and only have access to an outdoor parking spot)
- No higher than approximately 10.feet in height
- be able to stand up in our motorhome
- have a functional kitchen (2 burners, a counter, sink, fridge, microwave)
- a separate space for the toilet and an inside shower
- a hot water heater
- 2 lounge areas, a permanent bed and separate lounge area. (we don’t always wake up or sleep at the same time)
- A gasoline engine (diesel is more expensive to maintain and repair)
- It needs to be built on a van and not a truck chassis (we don’t like the drive with a truck)
So that brought us to our final decision, to shop for a Class B motorhome.
Below are some description of the different motorhomes and why they did or didn’t, make the list:
Class A description:
This type of Motorhome is built on a Bus type chassis and is one of the tallest and largest in size. Because it is so large in height and length it often has the most inside space and luxuries when it comes to motorhomes. These unit can enough cost over a million dollars. These unit often do have all the conveniences of home, with slide out room for even more indoor living space. Those that seek luxurious Full-time living in full service RV resorts will often gravitate towards a class A.
Since these units are larger and heavier, they are also the most expensive to maintain. They are also the least flexible when it comes to winter storing, finding parking in cities and going on off road adventures. Due to these facts we removed class A motorhomes from our shopping adventures.
Class B description:
Class B motorhomes can sometimes be confused as camper vans. In our case we are looking for a Class B motorhome with a high roof. True Class B motorhomes have all the options we desire (see above checklist) but crammed into an extended Van chassis. They usually have a bed area, lounge area (that can be transformed into one or the other), a designated toilet area that is private, with a functional kitchen area as well. Showers with hot water are available on most newer class B models but this was not always the case with older models. Class Bs are often more expensive than people realise, due to that fact.
A campervan can be a low roof van, with or without a pop-up roof. It will have an area to cook, but may not have a complete water system. Toilets are often portable or cassette type toilets. The toilet area does not always have its own area. In essence a campervan often replaces a tent unit during camping, hence the name campervan.
Due to the fact that class B motorhome manufacturers have to build within a predetermined van chassis, these motor homes often need to have specialized cabinets and fixtures. This leads to more handmade items within the unit, increasing the labour and production costs. This is why a class B motorhome is often more expensive than people first anticipate. The convenience of having everything you want in a small package comes with a higher price tag.
Class C description:
Class C are built on either a pickup truck chassis or van chassis. They often have an overhead cab, with extra storage or an extra sleeping space. The primary difference. Is the fact that the living area is prebuilt in a box type method. Things are prefabricated and it is wider than a regular van. This fact helps manufacturers build them in a more assembly line method, helping to keep manufacturing costs down. The living area is also much taller than most class Bs. There are advantages and disadvantages to the extra height and width.
These motorhomes are usually less expensive than both the class A and B units. Making them one of the more popular types of motorhomes on the market with a large variety of floor plans. They range from 19 feet in length to approximately 30 feet in length. They can have slide outs, private bedroom areas, large lounge ares and many luxuries that a class A has, with a lower price tag. There is a different feel to driving of a truck or van versus a bus, so research your options thoroughly.