Our First Motorcoach -REVA

 

Our First Motorcoach- REVA

For several years I was practical- buying a motorcoach for recreational use makes no sense financially. Adding up the cost of the unit, gas at 5 miles per gallon, insurance, maintenance, and campground fees you could go to a resort twice a year and probably still be ahead financially. But you do not really buy a motor coach as a practical matter. Our purchase was related to perfect storm. I got a large bonus from work, our daughters each lived over 1000 miles away and we found the type of unit we were looking for- it just all came together.

We decided on a motor coach primarily because I did not enjoy long trips in a car or truck. Being the mom, I always seemed to have important items at my feet and there was never enough room to really spread out. In addition, we always tend to travel with our dog. When the animal takes up much of the back seat and their head is at your shoulder, it leaves one feeling anxious. I liked the idea that in a motorcoach, I could stand up or go to the back if I needed something.

When it came to style and layout, we had a few definite ideas. Having gone to many RV shows over the years, we knew the difference between a class A motor coach that was a large bus like vehicle that ran on diesel or gas and a class C that was more like a large van. My husband had a diesel driven pick up previously and wanted gas due to the lower purchase price, noise and the easy of finding fuel. Class C models are generally smaller and more truck like up front leaving little room for maneuverability. Campers and fifth wheels offer lots of space. They are less expensive than vehicles containing engines but have none of the advantages of riding in a motor coach.  

We spent much of our shopping focus on the layout. Did we want a captain’s chair up front? Where was the best location for the bathroom? I really liked the unit we found. It had a pull-out sofa and futon style love seat facing each other that made for good conversation when travelling with guests. The unit had three tv’s. The kitchen area was across from the table. There was one large slide that increased the space for the kitchen and living area. The bathroom was further back and opposite a large closet. The bed was in the back. Although the unit was used, it had only 30,000 miles and did not smell bad when you walked through the door. My mother always contended that smells in campers were from cooking indoors. She may have been right, but I knew that an off putting smell in a used camper was a deal breaker for me.

 While we were selling ourselves on this great option, we were mostly unaware of a major consideration when buying a motorcoarch- driving the darn thing. They are big, boxy, and noisy. Gas units, in particular, have the engine up front and insulation from the noise is not idea. Roads in many parts of the country are rough, which was different from our original test drive. So, with little experience in the area, we took our new RV home. We named her REVA because we knew we would be talking about the new purchase often.  Motorcoach was too long and RV too impersonal. My husband jokes I wouldn’t let him name it REBA because I would get jealous.

REVA inspired all kinds of new thoughts and ideas. We thought of at least 20 places we would like to visit including many of the larger state fairs. There were trip ideas about autumn leaves in New England, trips to the beach and a tour of Texas. We kept a journal account of our early trips and it was fun writing about what we saw and did.  I do remember that one of our early trips to a nearby state park took us on a route through winding back roads to reach the freeway. More than once, we hit low lying branches and the mailboxes seemed very close, particularly from the passenger side.  I can drive the RV and found it easier to drive than a truck with a large trailer,  but I limit myself to freeway driving with minimal turns. We bought a dolly to tow our small jeep behind REVA. It really is nice to have a tow vehicle with you to accommodate a quick trip to town or area sightseeing. The dolly was sometimes very low to the ground. Our new set up is with a tow bar that we much prefer.

After getting our feet wet on a few local trips we were ready for our first cross county drive. Our daughter in Colorado was engaged and this trip was to make wedding plans and shop for “the dress.” It would take about three days to travel. We did not plan to do much on the way but once we arrived there would be a good campground close to her location.

We were all set for the big day having scouted out several bridal salons in the Denver area. My husband was the designated driver with the bride, two bride’s maids and mother- in- law on board. We had champaign and a variety of brunch like snacks. It was going to be great. Looking back, I don’t know how my husband managed to take us where we wanted to go. The first location was not too bad- he dropped us off and found a large school parking lot further up the road. Location two was in a very trendy area- lots of lovely plants, narrow streets and plenty of traffic. Somehow, we got to and from the location. As we might have guessed the dress was in the last store we visited. The parking lot was the first one of reasonable size and we made quite an impact when we pulled up out front. The dress was just what our daughter had been looking for made all the more special by her Dad’s gift of driving the RV through Denver that day.

We returned to Colorado several months later for the wedding in the mountains near Estes Park. Flooding meant most guests had to travel an hour out of the way to get to the venue, but we were able to find a spot close by for REVA giving us a base camp for the day’s events. One of the nice things about having a motor coach is lots of people being able to travel in one vehicle. We used this feature when initially visiting the wedding venue. It has also been great for tailgating and trips to the beach.  I also love the big front window with its wide views and sitting high above traffic with the dog at my feet.

REVA is now retired from the road having found a new home at our campground as an accommodation for longer term guests. As a used unit she has needed certain major and minor repairs during her years of service. Air conditioners and leveling mechanics have been the major expenses. It also turns out she needed a major engine repair. We have been told this may have been from lack of regular time on the road since sitting unused for a long period of time is not easy on engines. At one point we even repainted the swooshes on the sides of the unit since they had faded with time. We had to tape off each area and spray paint each space. It took several days to complete the project, but we did a good job at staying in the lines.  I also must admit, it was hard not to have motorcoach envy when shiny newer units would be parked alongside us at the campground. I coped by remembering the cost of our unit and how much I liked the floor plan.   

For us REVA was much more than a major purchase. The coach inspired us to pursue owning a campground and building remarkable family memories. Thanks to our early experience, we now  own a new motorcoach that has been great for long distance trips and weekend getaways. Camping with grandkids has worked out very well. I have my modern conveniences; they have new places to explore and Mom and Dad get some good down time.   So, if you are up for a new adventure where getting there is part of the fun, a motorcoach could be your ticket to the open road. Enjoy.

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