Well, we weren’t a one vehicle family for very long. We bought a Class C RV, the Winnebago Itasca Viva, the other day. You read that correctly. WE BOUGHT AN RV! Now, this wasn’t just a random, spur of the moment decision. We have been thinking about buying an RV for over a year now. We…
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Well, we weren’t a one vehicle family for very long. We bought a Class C RV, the Winnebago Itasca Viva, the other day.
You read that correctly.
WE BOUGHT AN RV!
Now, this wasn’t just a random, spur of the moment decision. We have been thinking about buying an RV for over a year now.
We have done an insane amount of research, we have watched and read countless RV videos and websites, and more. We’ve thought about maintenance expenses, fuel costs, emergency repairs, RV parking, RV campgrounds, laundry, wifi, and so on.
We ended up buying a Winnebago Itasca Viva, which is a Class C RV. We thought about getting a Class B RV but decided on a Class C RV so that we could have a little more space.
Some of the reasons for why we decided on the Winnebago Itasca Viva include:
It’s not a huge motorhome, but it’s enough space for us at 24 feet long. We will be traveling with our dogs and there is plenty of space for the four of us.
It’s not hard to drive and it doesn’t get absolutely horrible gas mileage (it’s very similar to the Wrangler we used to own).
There’s a full bathroom with an actual shower, toilet, and sink.
There’s a bed. There’s actually enough room to sleep 6 in our RV. Who wants to join us?
There’s a kitchen with a big fridge, freezer, sink, stove, and microwave.
It has a dining table with plenty of space for me to work.
As you can see, the RV we chose is pretty amazing! We really love it and have already taken some day trips to test everything out.
Now, some of you may be wondering why we bought an RV in the first place. Below are some of the reasons we decided to buy an RV.
Class C RV’s are not cheap, I do realize that. The Winnebago Itasca Viva isn’t cheap either.
However, we spend a decent amount of money on traveling each month. I would much rather put my money towards an RV and the costs related to that. I’m all for nice hotels and resorts, but with our trips lately we have been staying at many highway hotels which are not always the greatest.
After all of the traveling and spending money on hotels lately, traveling via RV just seems like a much better option. We do still plan on staying in hotels and Airbnbs occasionally, but it won’t be as often. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely love hotels, Airbnbs and resorts! We will just be able to stay in our “second home” more often.
There are ways we can save money too such as going on longer trips where we stay in place for a longer time (so that we spend less on gas), riding our bikes or moped whenever we can (we don’t plan on towing a car), and boondocking as much as we can.
Packing and unpacking our stuff each morning after staying in a hotel gets annoying after awhile. In fact, the other day I left my favorite shirt at a hotel and I’m still upset about that!
We realized that having an RV would make traveling much more comfortable for us as well as the dogs. Plus, we would have a place to pretty much call home for when we are not actually at home.
It will also be nice to have everything we need right in the RV. We can make meals and save a ton of money on food while traveling, have our own bathroom, a bed, and so on.
We want to be able to take breaks when we want and need to.
With an RV, we can stop whenever we want (okay, not literally but you get what I mean) instead of trying to race to the next hotel.
We often log around 12-15 hours in the car each day when on road trips because we don’t want to stop as frequently for hotel stays.
With an RV, we will be able to travel at a more casual pace.
We want to visit friends and family more.
While we love Colorado and the surrounding areas, we do miss friends and family. Having an RV means that we can visit them all more and stay longer (until they get annoyed of us). Since we will have everything we need in the RV, we won’t feel the need to rush home either.
We enjoy traveling.
We enjoy traveling, being on the road, and know that there’s still a lot of North America that we would like to see. Having an RV just seems like a much better way to travel.
I know many like to say that there’s no where in the U.S. to travel to and some even make fun of RVers for that reason, but I think those who say that are crazy! There are so many different dramatic landscapes to see here and I would like to spend more time experiencing everything.
We can still work on the road.
Another great reason we decided to buy an RV is because we can work from wherever since we are location independent.
Working on the road and being able to travel wherever I want sounds like a dream to me!
Also, I’ve had a lot of you ask what I’m using for internet. I’m using a Verizon MiFi Jetpack.
Are we crazy? Does traveling in an RV interest you? Would you be interested in some RV-related posts on Making Sense of Cents?
Probably the most important question: Where should we go next in our Class C RV – the Winnebago Itasca Viva?!
Hey! I’m Michelle Schroeder-Gardner and I am the founder of Making Sense of Cents. I’m passionate about all things personal finance, side hustles, making extra money, and online businesses. I have been featured in major publications such as Forbes, CNBC, Time, and Business Insider. Learn more here.
Wow! Jealous!!! I’ve always wanted a Winnebago. I really got hooked on the idea when we visited New Zealand and every second vehicle on the road seemed to be a campervan. The idea of parking one scares the [you know what] out of me though. 🙂
Congratulations! I can see there’ll be a lot more ‘awesomeness’ in your future.
Congrats on your new purchase! I love the fact that you can work from anywhere, so that means you have total freedom over where you visit 🙂 keep us updated on your travels!
How exciting! It’s definitely a dream of mine to buy an RV once we are financially independent! I want to visit all 50 states (what kind of crazy person thinks there’s nothing to see in North America?) and take our time exploring all the lesser known places that you don’t get to see when you’re rushing through!
Buying an RV is my husband’s dream! He wants to buy an RV and visit every state in the US. I’m still not convinced, but you do make some excellent points in favor of the RV. You’ll have to do a post on some of your RV adventures!
Wow! This is the same RV we’ve been watching with similar plans…to use as a working/home base while traveling. We first saw it in candy-apple red and feel in love.
When I was a kid, my folks had a Winnebago and we did a summer trip around the states. It was nice to have a place to stay after going fishing. Since my father was retired military, we would go for the campgrounds on post. The cost can go around 15-19 dollars a night during that time in the late 80s, early 90s. One time when we went to Assateague island, the safest place was the rv when we had no clue the mosquitoes attacked in swarms. It looked like a big dust cloud. I still recall my grandmother laughing looking through the window as we ran inside. Oh the memories!
I spent a summer touring the country performing at resorts and I took an RV all over the country with me. You will love it! You are in for such an amazing experience! Congratulations.
Yay, I’ve been waiting for this post since your announcement on Twitter haha! I think this is so awesome that you went the RV route.
It’s honestly something I never even considered until this year and now my hubby and I have been talking about potentially buying one ourselves when we are empty nesters so we can travel the country together. We will probably rent one for a few trips with kids while they are young, but I think it would be so fun to just be able to go wherever in the comfort of your own “home”.
Hotels can not only get pricey to stay at a nice one, but even the nicest hotels still skeve me out with the germs and just general grossness lurking lol. I think RV traveling would be a great for me!
Good for you! We have had a travel trailer for four seasons now, and I’ve put up a fair amount of posts about how it’s saved us money, how it’s cost us money, some of the great adventures, and some of the misadventures we’ve had. I’d certainly look for posts from other bloggers to capture the experience!
We’ve been avid campers for a long time, and since 2008 we spend most of our time “on the road.” We’re on our 15th cross-country trip right now, and recently started a blog about our travels… I have about 7 years worth of stories to catch up on! I started following your blog to help me get started on ours, and have long thought you guys should look into doing what you’re doing now – congratulations! By the way, I hope you know your RV qualifies as a home for tax purposes!
There are an awful lot of spectacular places to see and fun things to do, and a class C is the ideal way to go… much more comfortable and economical than hotels. You won’t look back! Happy travels 🙂
There are many factors to consider, Shari. New vs used; how much will you really use the RV; the length of the warranty and what it covers, etc. I wouldn’t recommend buying a Class C for ‘casual’ campers, i.e. if you would only use it for a week or two every year. If you’re in a position to do a lot of traveling and don’t want to feel like you’re living our of suitcases, a Class C is a great home on wheels, much less expensive than hotels, even when you factor in gas prices. Living expenses can be kept pretty low too, since you don’t have to eat out. Maintenance and repair expenses are similar to a car or truck, as most manufacturers will offer warranties that provide good coverage. We bought a NexusRV Viper a year ago, direct from the factory, and they have been great about taking care of any issues we had. We had a Crossroads ‘fifth wheel’ trailer for 7 years and loved that too… here’s a post about our experience of becoming ‘full time RVers’ 7 years ago…
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Wow, congrats on your new RV Michelle! I would love to read more updates about your RV and your coming travels!
Thanks!
Wooow! Well done, you! Now you can combine business and pleasure. Keep us posted on your travels and adventures.
Thanks!
I think it is a good choiche, it will became your second home during your travels…
Yes!
Wow! Jealous!!! I’ve always wanted a Winnebago. I really got hooked on the idea when we visited New Zealand and every second vehicle on the road seemed to be a campervan. The idea of parking one scares the [you know what] out of me though. 🙂
Congratulations! I can see there’ll be a lot more ‘awesomeness’ in your future.
Thanks Diane!
Congrats on your new purchase! I love the fact that you can work from anywhere, so that means you have total freedom over where you visit 🙂 keep us updated on your travels!
Thanks Nicola!
How exciting! It’s definitely a dream of mine to buy an RV once we are financially independent! I want to visit all 50 states (what kind of crazy person thinks there’s nothing to see in North America?) and take our time exploring all the lesser known places that you don’t get to see when you’re rushing through!
I’ve visited 45 states. America is GORGEOUS!!! Just need to get the final 5 in.
What are your final 5?
I don’t know why people think there’s nothing to see here. There’s plenty!
Congrats on your new RV! It looks gorgeous! I’d love to read more about your traveling adventures and how you structure your work day while traveling.
Yeah, I’ll have to do another “Day In The Life” post, but for an RVer working on the road.
Buying an RV is my husband’s dream! He wants to buy an RV and visit every state in the US. I’m still not convinced, but you do make some excellent points in favor of the RV. You’ll have to do a post on some of your RV adventures!
Yes, I’ll definitely do some RV posts 🙂
Congratulations! Working on the road like that has always been a dream of mine. Enjoy seeing the country and making money while doing so!
Thanks Nikol!
Wow! This is the same RV we’ve been watching with similar plans…to use as a working/home base while traveling. We first saw it in candy-apple red and feel in love.
Are you referring to the Winnebago Travato? I don’t think the Viva comes in red but the Travato does 🙂
When I was a kid, my folks had a Winnebago and we did a summer trip around the states. It was nice to have a place to stay after going fishing. Since my father was retired military, we would go for the campgrounds on post. The cost can go around 15-19 dollars a night during that time in the late 80s, early 90s. One time when we went to Assateague island, the safest place was the rv when we had no clue the mosquitoes attacked in swarms. It looked like a big dust cloud. I still recall my grandmother laughing looking through the window as we ran inside. Oh the memories!
Aww sounds nice!
I spent a summer touring the country performing at resorts and I took an RV all over the country with me. You will love it! You are in for such an amazing experience! Congratulations.
Thanks Jesse!
Yay, I’ve been waiting for this post since your announcement on Twitter haha! I think this is so awesome that you went the RV route.
It’s honestly something I never even considered until this year and now my hubby and I have been talking about potentially buying one ourselves when we are empty nesters so we can travel the country together. We will probably rent one for a few trips with kids while they are young, but I think it would be so fun to just be able to go wherever in the comfort of your own “home”.
Hotels can not only get pricey to stay at a nice one, but even the nicest hotels still skeve me out with the germs and just general grossness lurking lol. I think RV traveling would be a great for me!
I’d love to see more posts on this 🙂
Haha I am a germaphobe too so I often get grossed out at hotels easily.
Good for you! We have had a travel trailer for four seasons now, and I’ve put up a fair amount of posts about how it’s saved us money, how it’s cost us money, some of the great adventures, and some of the misadventures we’ve had. I’d certainly look for posts from other bloggers to capture the experience!
I’ll have to check your posts out!
We’ve been avid campers for a long time, and since 2008 we spend most of our time “on the road.” We’re on our 15th cross-country trip right now, and recently started a blog about our travels… I have about 7 years worth of stories to catch up on! I started following your blog to help me get started on ours, and have long thought you guys should look into doing what you’re doing now – congratulations! By the way, I hope you know your RV qualifies as a home for tax purposes!
There are an awful lot of spectacular places to see and fun things to do, and a class C is the ideal way to go… much more comfortable and economical than hotels. You won’t look back! Happy travels 🙂
Thanks Andy!
How expensive are class c RVs to repair/maintain? That’s the reason we haven’t considered them. Also, because gas gets so expensive.
There are many factors to consider, Shari. New vs used; how much will you really use the RV; the length of the warranty and what it covers, etc. I wouldn’t recommend buying a Class C for ‘casual’ campers, i.e. if you would only use it for a week or two every year. If you’re in a position to do a lot of traveling and don’t want to feel like you’re living our of suitcases, a Class C is a great home on wheels, much less expensive than hotels, even when you factor in gas prices. Living expenses can be kept pretty low too, since you don’t have to eat out. Maintenance and repair expenses are similar to a car or truck, as most manufacturers will offer warranties that provide good coverage. We bought a NexusRV Viper a year ago, direct from the factory, and they have been great about taking care of any issues we had. We had a Crossroads ‘fifth wheel’ trailer for 7 years and loved that too… here’s a post about our experience of becoming ‘full time RVers’ 7 years ago…
http://www.travelswithcookie.com/hitting-the-road/