Wheel Estate, Part 2

In a previous post I discussed the fifth wheel we planned on getting: a Keystone Mountaineer (click for floor plan). For a while, it seemed like a great choice, but we started having second thoughts. As much as Elias loves the loft, we can't really get up there with him. We won't be able to snuggle, get him down if he's sick (or defiant...), or even make the bed with any sort of ease. And inevitably, he will, at some point, choose to jump down from the top.

We also wondered if it was too long, at about 38 feet. I worry about maneuverability and merging into traffic. Steve worries about being turned away from campgrounds with length restrictions.

So we zeroed in on a Cougar High Country. It's shorter, at about 32 feet. The reduction in length comes with a reduction in overall space, of course. Most important, there's not a lot of room for kids to play. We have pretty much decided that this one is too small for full-timing. (It also had some incredibly gaudy wood trim that we just couldn't get past.)

Then someone on my car seat message board posted a link to a Cedar Creek fifth wheel. Steve and I were both intrigued and couldn't wait to see one. The only snag: The model we want does not exist west of the Rockies. The closest unit is in Texas.

We did, however, find a dealer in San Diego that has other models in the same line. We figured we'd go look just to get an idea of the quality of the materials and construction, check the fabric options, see the storage space, etc.

Verdict: We LOVE it! Granted, we haven't seen the model we want in person, but based on the models we did see, coupled with numerous photos other dealers have posted online, it seems perfect. It has everything we want and more--including several things I had crossed off my wish list in defeat.

It has a desk! The TV sits across from the couch! There's counter space! There's a stainless steel sink with a pull-out nozzle! Joy!

It even has things I didn't know I wanted, like a fireplace (fake, but it does emit heat, supposedly) and retractable dog bowls under the fridge.

It has an outdoor kitchen (little sink, little stove, mini-fridge, some counter space) which could come in very handy for snacking/cooking while outdoors. If we decide we don't want the outdoor kitchen, we might be able to get a larger wardrobe for the kids instead.

There is only one pull-down bunk over a couch, but that's actually a good thing. We would ditch the couch and put in a toddler bed for Anna. I bought an extremely comfortable (and rather expensive) crib mattress before she was born, and I'd love to get some use out of it. By doing that, we might even create enough room to bring along the play kitchen.

Possibly best of all: There's room for a stackable washer-dryer. Some of the other units we've seen have room for a combination washer/dryer, but they take forever to do one load. I had resigned myself to making regular trips to laundry rooms/laundromats, but I'd like to avoid that as much as possible, especially since Anna is in cloth diapers, which I refuse to give up.

The only drawback: It's 41 feet long--three feet longer than the one I already thought was too long. It also has a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of 15,500, and in California if you have a fifth wheel over 15,000 pounds, you need a Class A license. That requires Steve to go take a test similar to what big-rig operators take. He has to maneuver the trailer into a parking space, go over safety inspections, etc. I'm sure he'll have no problem passing, but it's one more thing to do.

We are still going back and forth about whether this is really the one we should get. If the size weren't so intimidating, it would be a no-brainer. We need to make up our minds soon, though: The house goes on the market in a month!

Wheel Estate

Several people have asked me (for real this time) about the type of RV we're getting. Since we will be living in this thing--not just vacationing--we need to take extra care in choosing our wheel estate (a term I wish I could take credit for, but cannot).

A few months ago, I knew everything I wanted to know about RVs: absolutely nothing. Clearly, though, if we were going to make this lifestyle change, I would have to show some interest. The process has been overwhelming and yet surprisingly enjoyable for me.

Initially I figured I would worry about the floorplans and fabric options, and I'd leave the technical stuff (Gross Vehicle Weight Ratings, holding tank capacities, etc.) up to Steve. He has owned RVs in the past and understands those things. Somehow, though, even those details started to interest me, and I'm now more concerned with carrying capacity than curtain style.

We have spent the past few months researching different types and models of RVs. We have read books, scoured websites, driven to the Inland Empire countless times to look at more dealerships than I knew existed, and even toured an RV factory (no free samples, though Elias did get to keep his safety goggles):

We still have some more looking to do, but an early favorite has emerged. I took a camera along last time we looked, so I even have photos to share!

This is a Keystone Mountaineer. (As I typed "Mountaineer," my mind suddenly flashed to the "Canyonero." Not so much because of the vehicle type, but because that would be a great name for an RV. But I digress.) It's a fifth-wheel trailer, meaning it puzzles over the back of a pickup and is towed by the bed rather than the bumper. So yes, we're getting a pickup, too. More on that in another post.

This is Elias's room:

No, not really. Elias gets so angry every time we joke about that. He's no fun.

That's the "basement" storage (yes, it's really called that). I refer to it as the "underground storage," because it sounds more interesting and no less ridiculous than having a basement on a moving vehicle.

This would be Elias's real room:

That's a loft bed/small play area. Yeah, the sucker is TALL (the trailer that is--though Elias is, too). Directly across is the bunk that would be Anna's if/when she ever sleeps on her own:

That's a fold-down bunk above it, too, but we would probably remove it. That would free up some weight and would ease my thoughts of the bed crashing down on little fingers. That bottom bunk is pretty low to the ground, by the way. It's not a loft like the other one.

The kids would even have their own half-bathroom:

At first I was concerned about Anna having access to a bathroom unsupervised. The toilet is a drowning hazard, after all. Then Steve pointed out that RV toilets don't have standing water, so I guess we're good. The really nice thing about this bathroom is that you can access it from outside. If the kids are super-filthy we can rinse them off right there. It's also nice if you're outside and don't want to traipse through the rest of the "house" to go to the bathroom.

Here is the kitchen:

See all the counter space??? Ok, it's not much, but it is the most spacious we've found so far. I also like how the counter divides the kitchen from the rest of the living area. I could even set up a baby gate if we need to (and probably will).

I didn't get very good photos of the master bedroom, but here's the bed:

The bed is on a slide-out. For the RV-illiterate, that means that when you're parked, you push a button and parts of the trailer slide out to create more room. When you're ready to move, you just slide them back in. The loft in the kids' room is also a slide, as are the kitchen and living/dining room.

For some reason I didn't take pictures of the master bath, the living room, and the dinette. There's not much to say about them, except that the shower in the bathroom includes a very deep floor that is sort of like a mini-bathtub. It's way too small for me to lounge in with a book, but is the perfect size for bathing a toddler. The couch folds out to accommodate an air mattress, and there is a flat-screen TV, plus enough room that we can probably still play Wii Bowling.

You'll notice there are a few other things missing. Like the washing machine. That's a whole post in itself, for another day...

What amazes me most is that, with the slides out, it actually feels pretty spacious. It confounds me that it can all fold up small enough to fit in a lane. I have spent the past few days staring at cars and trucks in front of me and trying to imagine how an entire home can fit in that same width. It hurts my brain trying to make sense of it, so I just accept that somehow it works.