As with many decisions in our lives, we did this backward. We shopped for and bought our tow vehicle before we selected our towable RV. However, we did a much better job when we chose our Grand Design RV.
Our adventure almost started five years earlier when the Harley Davidson phase had run its course and our children all established families of their own. We always wanted to tour the United States and we committed to RVing before we did any homework. Leah and I just knew we wanted a travel trailer. We were only making payments on Leah’s 2 door sports car. I had an old economy pickup.
So, we had one monthly payment and were willing to have two, but not three. We needed a camper and tow vehicle and something for each of us to drive. How could we make that happen?
“A piece of cake!” we thought. The scenario was going to work out like this- trade the sports car in for a new pickup to use as a tow vehicle. Leah will drive it temporarily. Finance a new camper. Pay off the new pickup in a few months, and then trade the old economy pickup in for a car for Leah. I would use the towing pickup as my daily driver, and everything would go perfectly.
Phase I
We bought a half-ton F150 Super Crew. The process was uncomplicated and straightforward.
First, I called my friend who sold new Fords. We met, we discussed. I knew I wanted the 3.6L V-6 with the tow package because he told me that is what I wanted.
I personally knew I also wanted a Super Crew SLT- a blue one with a short bed, and 2 wheel drive. We negotiated and agreed to trade the sports car for the pickup.
Phase I was complete. We were going to find and buy the camper for Phase II. Life happened instead.
A Pause in the Plan
Immediately after getting the pickup and before we made any progress on a trailer, the phone rang and one of our kids and family became displaced and needed to move in with us.
Family life is more important than anything, even if it means sharing the living room with our kids and their kids until they could find their own home. We were thrilled to have grandkids in our family home and forgot all about the plan, the trailer, and everything. We didn’t think about it again for a while, even after they got their own home.
Five years down the road Leah is still driving the F150 and I am still in the beater pickup. We like that arrangement; it works for us. Our nest is empty once again. Last year we revived our aspirations of RV travel.
Phase II, 2.0
The new plan looked similar to 1.0, but we slowed the entire process down significantly. Leah retired in the meantime and we decided we need only one monthly payment instead of two. We started with baby steps. Mind you, we had zero experience with camping, campers, or the RV lifestyle. Nevertheless, I began looking for used campers on Facebook Market Place, Craigslist, and other forums.
Shopping the Internet
I saw trends in the listings. First, individuals were more likely to list their rig for sale on Fridays than other days of the week. I started monitoring the “Towable campers” category every Saturday and organized a spreadsheet with the ones that appealed to me in all sizes, styles, and price ranges.
Next, I learned the weight load our pickup would comfortably and safely pull, so I narrowed my search to only units in that range. I didn’t want to buy a fixer-upper, so that ruled out a lot of the listings. Also, I watched for trends with price points. (I was not fully aware of the differences between hybrids, toy haulers, park models, trailers with or without slide-outs, or anything else.)
Sorting Makes and Features
I knew the silver ones were Airstreams.
I noticed some were taken off the market almost as soon as they showed up. Those were the 24 foot, dual axle, 2004-2011 year range in the $5,000-$9,000 price category. Without knowing more, I figured those would be safe buys, I mean, if we didn’t like it we could turn around and sell it. One came along in my geographic area and I jumped on it and got it!
We brought it home and backed it into the driveway. The one night right there in the driveway with some grandkids is the only time we spent a night in it. It was a memorable and fun adventure for sure.
We started to educate ourselves by using this ownership experience. The first trailer was 24 feet long and through a nerve-wracking trailer backing ordeal, we decided we couldn’t fit one much longer inside our fence. There was room in the backyard, but it wouldn’t work logistically.
We learned most places we would consider going to don’t allow campers as old as ours. Additionally, we learned we don’t like the convertible sleeping space feature.
We learned our propane bottles were empty and they were old enough to need reinspection before anyone would legally refill them. We learned we don’t have any use for a toy hauler.
Luckily, we learned my hunch about ease of reselling was correct. I put it back on Market Place since it didn’t fit our preferences. We made 20% profit when we sold it.
Narrowing our Preferences
At this point, we decided we needed to focus on a few specific aspects. Quality construction and resale potential were high on the list. Airstream was a candidate.
Part of our self-education happened through YouTube. We discovered several channels curated by full-time RVers. We were attentive to what people said about their rigs.
Owners of all types of RVs warned their viewers to be prepared for when things break. Things always break in every brand, but the overall quality varies among the brands. So realistically, we would like a rig that breaks less frequently and when they do break, it is often less severe than others.
We spotted another trend. Most channels we enjoyed owned a Grand Design RV. Some were younger couples and they swore by Grand Design. Others were middle-aged, and fairly recently retired who had been through several different brands but settled with and were very pleased with their Grand Design RV. Some were older couples and they swore by the brand too.
They liked the brand’s quality and they got good service from the company when things did come up. Grand Design was a candidate too.
Months of Shopping and Comparisons
Since we had two brands in mind, we tuned out most of the “noise” in the market. We weren’t exclusively committed to these two brands but they were the top candidates. The list of non-negotiables grew a little. We wanted 30 feet or under, used (for price considerations), newer than ten years, dual axle, and it had to have a fewer than 8,000 pound GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) because we didn’t want to get a bigger pickup.
Our dream house would have some of our favorite features. The floor plans we preferred the most had walk-around beds for easier access and lots of counter space for food prep.
Deciding on a Grand Design RV
Airstream’s many years of experience in the industry help them stand out as the epitome of class, even if they look like something out of Star Trek. One negative, however, is just how much more expensive they are. And while they are very new-age in appearance, they don’t have all of the design components that we eventually decided we preferred.
On the other hand, Grand Design’s interior designer incorporated an electronic fireplace, slideouts, front and rear doors, and mid-cabin bathrooms. and lots of storage. We narrowed the list to one brand.
From there, we decided on an Imagine 2250, more specifically, RK with Four Season Protection Package. The really wide back window with the larger kitchen were elements we really loved.
Amazingly, we found one in nearly new condition and only a couple of years old. (It still has that new-RV smell, even.) All of our research and patience (probably the hardest part!) had paid off. On top of that, the RV was located just a little off of our route to visit family for Thanksgiving, making it even more convenient.
We have only had our Grand Design RV a few months but have been able to use it a few times already. It has been just what we had hoped and was wanting. Now we are just looking forward to more opportunities to take it on our travels!
Want to know more about who the Rambling Russells are? Are you interested in a Grand Design? Check out their website HERE.
Great content! Keep up the good work!