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New Member
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: NB, Canada
Posts: 13
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Hello narrowsparrow,
First of all, let me start by saying: YOU GO GIRL !!!
Now let me tell you a little bit about my experience. Like you, I'm a single woman (I just turned 50). I always loved camping and always dreamed of owning a Westfalia. For years I waited for Mr Right to come around and sweep me off my feet so that we could ride into the sunset in our VW. Alas, all I was able to find was a bunch of Mr Wrongs and Mr Right is still nowhere to be found. Ah well...
A few years ago I decided that enough was enough, I wasn't going to wait anymore. Like you, I started doing research and asking questions. In about two weeks, I knew that I would probably never buy a Westfalia. A few friends who own them explained to me that they can be mechanically challenging and that parts are often hard to find (because they don't make them anymore). I was even told that sometimes when you are broken down on the side of the road and call for a towing they don't know where to take you because they don't know who works on them. So right there and then I decided that I would get something dependable and easily fixable like a Ford, a Chevy or a Dodge. I then started looking at EVERYTHING that fitted in my price range (around 10K) and like you, I got a serious sticker shock. These things aren't cheap!
On my brother's advice I looked a lot more at the truck part than the RV part (very annoying to have mechanical issues when you're on the road) and geeez, I saw a lot of sad looking rigs. Up here in Canada, rust is a big issue but I also saw a lot of vans that has been rode hard and put away wet. After a while I started loosing faith and decided to raise my budget to 15k-20k but I still couldn't find something mechanically sound that didn't look like it had been to war. Then one day, completely unexpectedly, I found Cocotte (See picture below).
I first saw her for sale on a local website and immediately dismissed her because she was a 1978 and I felt she was too old and would be more trouble than I wanted/needed. For weeks I kept searching and she kept showing up, still for sale. As you can imagine, her price was VERY good. The owner stated that she had NEVER been winter driven, still had the original paint and that EVERTHING on the RV side worked. Plus, she had crazy low original mileage. Still, I felt she was too old and kept looking at other beat up crappy vans. Then one day, I decided to go look at her. Vacation time was fast approaching and I was getting desperate, I had been seriously looking for a van for over a year.
When I finally saw her I was absolutely flabbergasted. That van was as good as new. Of course the colors on the inside where horrible (think 1978 colors) but the rest was perfect. The truck part was perfect and the RV part was mint. The previous owner had ALL his receipts from every maintenance and repairs he had done over the years and when it started it purred like a kitten. I had to have it. While out for a test drive I stopped at the banking machine to get money for a deposit. The rest is history!
Of course, I got lucky. I wanted a newer van but I just couldn't pass this one up, it was in too good a shape. Yes sometimes I still look at my friends with Westfalias and think it would be cool to own one but seriously, what they have in cool factor, I have in square footage, my van is about twice the size of a Westy. That being said, if I could change one thing about it, I'd like her to be better on gas. I guess fuel economy wasn't a big concern in 1978. But even then, when taking in consideration the price of hotel rooms, I still come out ahead.
So from one single gal to another, here's what I would look for if I were you :
1- The very first thing I would do is find someone you trust (friend/relative) who knows something about mechanics and who wouldn't mind shopping with you. Experience as an RV owner would also be ideal. If he/she can't physically accompany you when you are out shopping, he/she can at least answer questions.
2- Start looking at ALL possible dealerships and websites (graigslist, ebay etc.) in your area. Know what's out there, even the ones you don't want to buy and how much they cost. That way, when you find THE ONE, you'll know if it's well priced or not.
3- Determine what would work best for you. I chose a Class B because I wanted something easy to maneuver in a parking lot and easy to back up with a low enough clearance to go under overpasses and such. Class Cs are roomier and typically cheaper to buy (there's a lot more of them out there, supply and demand = cheaper) but they are much harder on gas and bigger therefore can be harder to park and back up and won't fit everywhere. What's more important to you? A bigger RV or gas prices? Are you comfortable driving a bigger vehicle?
4- Try to determine how you will use your RV. Easier said than done before you've used one but think about how you like doing things. Personally, I prefer to cook outside (weather permitting). There's a lot more elbow room on a picnic table but also mostly because when you cook inside the van, smells linger. I don't have a shower in the van and the toilet is a chemical toilet. I shower in campgrounds or truckstops when in transit. As far as the toilet is concerned, if you use the proper chemicals and empty it regularly it won't smell and it's not very heavy to lift even when it's full. I only use mine when no other option is available. My white & grey water tanks are also fairly small and also easy to lift, and again, since I hardly ever cook inside, they don't require a lot of work. Think about whether or now you'll want to cook inside often and whether or not you need/want a full bathroom. Also, my fridge is the smallest RV size fridge out there so not a lot of space for perishables. I bought a soft collapsible plug in cooler that I leave of the front passenger side seat (or driver's seat when parked), it makes for great additional fridge space and can also be used when out hiking or visiting. Try to determine how big of a fridge you might need.
5- Travelling with a dog : I also travel with a dog. My van doesn't have AC so she can't be left inside on hot summer days. So far, I've always managed to find an easy solution for her when I have to go buy food or something similar. I've also found that many tourist attractions offer dog kennels for a very reasonable fee while you visit their establishment. That's something to look into.
6- Boondocking : Do you plan on always being in a campground/close to an electrical source or do you see yourself going off grid often? If you do, your needs will be different. Some RVs are better than others at being self-sufficient. Generators are great but they are noisy and they require gas or propane... will you have enough space to carry enough of it to stay off grid? Solar panels don't make any noise but they require batteries and inverters, that too takes up space.
7- Renting before : Renting can be a great learning opportunity but when I looked into it, it was crazy expensive. Also rental units are always newer models and that wasn't what I was looking for but if you feel you'd benefit from it, go for it. The more you know about RVs, the better prepared you'll be when the time comes to buy your own!
Have fun shopping!!!
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