Made the Move: Diesel Pusher to LM Savannah

[CrossWay]

For many years my wife and I have been trying to get out of our DP motorhome. We have been in it, full time, since 2007. At first, we traveled extensively, but then, in 2008, our 401k became a 201k. So, our travel days came to an end. But we remained in the MH full time, while I returned to work. Even though we really liked the MH, we realized we no longer had the resources to support it comfortably. But, we had a problem. We couldn't sell or trade it. We tried consignment with no success. We felt trapped. But we stayed at it, and after 3 years we have paid the MH loan down to the point that, finally, we were able to work a successful deal with a Heartland dealer to make the transition. We are over joyed...to say the least! Free at last! On 3/31/14 we ordered a brand new 2015 LM Savannah and are anxiously awaiting it's arrival. It will be a long couple of months...but still time full of relief. We have cut our loan and monthly payments in half and have a beautiful 2015 5th wheel on the way. How great is that! I look forward to seeking advice, ideas and recommendations on this forum....that should help the weeks go by as we await our new home. Thanks for being here to share this time with us. Gene

 

[jimtoo]

Hi Gene,


Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and to the family. We have a great bunch of folks here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge when needed.

I'm sure you will love the Landmark Savannah. You will find a lot more room and easier all the way around I think.

The waiting will be hard, but jump on the forum and you will see lots of information and meet lots of great folks.

Jim M

 

[Snow]

now you need to buy something to pull it with hopefully you will go with the only truck out there a FORD OF COURSE , lol ,just kidding caint wait to see it post some pics ,have a great day

 

[jbeletti]

Hi Gene,

Congrats on your new Landmark on order and getting out from your MH. Time for a new season of life. Not sure where you are in CA but we have 3 chapters of the Heartland Owners Club there plus nearby in OR, WA, NV, UT and more.

Attending Heartland rallies is one of the best ways to learn more about operating your coach.

 

[ziggy]

Hi Crossway,

We are the OR chapter leaders and want to welcome you to the forum and hopefully to the club. Be sure to take advantage of the introductory membership and get to a rally. We would love to have you at ours in July.

Kristy and Mark

 

[TandT]

Hello Gene,
Congratulations on your new Landmark and welcome to the Heartland Forum. There are a great bunch of folks here and a wealth of information.

One of my friends in the Heartland Owners Club lives in San Dimas. Hopefully you can hook up with us for a rally or campout and see how much fun we have. Trace

 

[CrossWay]

Thanks to all for the warm welcome. We would really look forward to going to rallies and traveling, but that will have to wait another year, or two. We are still tied down to a job, so will have the new 5th wheel delivered to our current RV space. Which happens to be, TandT, in San Dimas. Hopefully the financial relief we are getting with the 5th wheel will allow us to get back to traveling sooner. In the mean time I will be looking for that big ol' Super Duty to pull this rig....yep Snow, I'm a Ford Tough fan too! And will continue to enjoy the fine fellowship I am experiencing on this forum. Thanks, Gene

 

[For20hunter]

Welcome Gene, hopefully we could get you to come a little farther north and join us at our rally up here in Washington two weeks after the Oregon rally. We would love to have you. As Kristy said, be sure to take advantage of the introductory membership by getting to a rally or two.

We tow ours with a F350 Superduty and absolutely love it!!


Rod Ditrich

 

[scottyb]

Hello Crossway and congratulations on your new Landmark. If you get a Ford, make sure it has the factory 5th wheel prep. Best option ever.

I am curious about your decision to go from a Class A to a 5th wheel, since I see myself doing the opposite in the future. I assume you had a pretty high-end Class A based on lower payments with your new Landmark and presumably new truck. Other than the payments, what other expenses do you expect to be lower? OIL and filters? Anything else?

 

[Tallyrver]

now you need to buy something to pull it with hopefully you will go with the only truck out there a FORD OF COURSE , lol ,just kidding caint wait to see it post some pics ,have a great day

I also just made the switch from a 2011 Winne Journey ,got tired of the huge monthly payments. I lucked out and found a 08 F350 DRW with 31,000 miles and full fifth wheel tow setup on it.

Wayne

 

[CrossWay]

Scotty, as to your question:

Our decision to trade the MH was based, primarily, on two factors: lifestyle and economic.

First lifestyle: Because we are still working, the MH has sat in the same space for a couple years and will for a couple more. Even though I try to start it on a regular basis, these coaches are made for the road. Sitting for long periods of time dries seals, oil gets water in it and is generally hard on all of the mechanical systems. I've seen this deterioration in our coach. At least with a 5th wheel this concern is limited to four $150 (compare below) tires and four hubs.

The second, economics, a large diesel pusher (ours is a 2005 43' HR Navigator) is expensive to run and maintain. An engine/transmission/hydraulic system preventative maintenance session at the diesel shop will cost over $1500. Tires run $700 to $1000 each, and our coach has eight. We also have $1000 worth of deep cycle house batteries that were recently replaced. All this in addition to the higher cost of the coach itself=higher loan="huge" (as attested to by Wayne) monthly payments. And, at 6 MPG the cost of running down the road for a couple of days is significant, too. This is the reality of it, but I have to confess the 1-1/2 years we traveled in the coach were wonderful. I'm glad we did it.

One other factor in our decision to trade now lies in the fact our coach was coming up on ten years old. Coaches over ten years old are very hard to finance, especially if they are still worth over $100k. At least with a 5th wheel/truck combination you can split them apart if you need to sell or trade them.
This last factor is helping us now. We can buy the 5th wheel and hire to have it delivered to our space. During the next couple of work years we can sock away for a truck later. This phasing the RV and the TV will really help us.

I know many people dream of "moving up" to a motorhome. Just consider, carefully, the full cost of ownership. Especially if you want that diesel engine to push, rather than pull, you.

Hope this helps, Gene.

 

[TXBobcat]

Just a thought. While you are waiting check out a company "Classy Chassis" for a tow vehicle. They can get you a good used one or even a new one set up to tow your new 5er. Many here on the forum have purchased from them. I will check with them if I need to replace my TV.

BC

 

[dave10a]

I also went from a DP, Phaeton, to a LM. My reasons were economic as well as practical. DP Motor homes are designed to travel and trailers are designed to sit in one spot longer. Diesel engine do not like to sit and need to run while requiring a lot more service maintenance. I never worried about tires and running gear on my MH. My trailer is more worrisome while traveling. My truck requires a lot less expense to operate and has a significantly lower cost of ownership than my DP.