We're Going Full-Time In An RV
For what has felt like forever of shopping and researching RVs and living full-time on the road, Bailey and I have finally made our purchase for our new home!
Summary Of Our Shopping
It was roughly, late July of 2021 that Bailey and I began shopping for RVs and decided that we wanted to make an attempt at living on the road full-time. We had seen multiple YouTubers living this lifestyle and knew that it was something we would love and had to try. When we began shopping for rigs, we thought that a Class B or Van was the route we needed to take.
We began our shopping online, which is pretty common these days. It didn’t take long for my desire to see it in person take hold. In the Omaha, Nebraska area, we have a couple RV dealers, but at the time I was only aware of Camping World in Council Bluffs. Our first couple visits were spent strictly looking at vans. Prior to our third trip to Camping World, we visited a dealer in Lincoln and decided to look at C Class for the hell of it.
After seeing the space and price difference of a C Class over a B, we decided to switch our focus to C Class. From that point to the end of January, 2022 we shopped and researched C Class units to death. Our salesman at Camping World had to put up with Bailey and I going in pretty close to every other week just to look. He says he didn’t mind, but I’m not so sure.
At the end of January, 2022, Bailey and I put a deposit down on a Thor Motor Coach Freedom Elite at the Camping World in Kansas City. We had all intentions to attempt to buy from our salesman in Council Bluffs, but this location didn’t have a unit we could pull the trigger on. As it turns out, our lack of credit debt history means banks wouldn’t loan us the money needed for a C Class RV, because it’s a luxury purchase.
Now that we were frustrated and flustered, we had to scrap the majority of the research we had done over the past 9 months or so and switch gears. A bank just simply wasn’t going to give us the loan we needed for a C Class, but they will give us a loan for a truck that cost just a few thousand less because it’s function rather than luxury. Keep in mind, Bailey and I have excellent credit scores and have never missed a payment.
So, now our focus shifted once again, this time from C Class to trailer. Once we had the trailer, getting a truck would be easy and we would be all set! We found the perfect trailer at a dealer in Omaha named AC Nelson. The rig is insulated all around (under carriage and all) for winter. The price was right, layout would work perfectly, and the fact that it was built for winter months just fit out preferences.
So What Did We Get?
The Truck
For years now, I’ve wanted to get a truck as my vehicle. Don’t get me wrong, my car has done me well and been very reliable, but it was a small sedan (Chrysler Sebring). Prior to deciding to attempt full-time RV life, Bailey and I had our sites set on moving up to Canada and becoming dual citizens, but thanks to a global pandemic, those plans changed. When we were told that a C Class wasn’t an option, my dream of getting a truck returned! Bailey and I did tons of research on what truck we should get, but first we wanted to find a trailer and know the specs for towing capacity. After our research, we realized pretty quickly that both Ford and Chevy didn’t have the capabilities needed, but Toyota, Nissan, and Ram did. The Toyota inventory is just very low, we couldn’t even find new or used in Omaha that would workout. Ram had one or two, but the price was just higher than we were comfortable with. Nissan ended up being the perfect fit for us, so say hello to the Littles & Bigs 2021 Nissan Titan.
The Trailer/RV
Like I mentioned above, we wanted to get approved for our trailer prior to purchasing the truck, so we knew what the towing specs would need to be. This trailer just fit our needs the best. I think we all know that there is no such thing as perfect, this trailer is what came the closest. I think the biggest selling point was the insulation all the way around the rig. Bailey and I are winter people, so having a rig that is capable of handling the cold is a must. In the end, we chose a 2022 Coachmen Freedom Express Select 20SE. Say hello to the new Littles & Bigs home on the road!
