RE: Ready for this? I m ClassA hunting!

[MommaMia]

 
Believe it or not.... it s true.  Now don t go and get all worried about the poor old Skamper.  It s not going anywhere!  I love the gal as much as I always have.  We are definitely keeping it for all our family camping trips!
 
 DH put the bug in my ear about the ClassA.  You see, I am planning on showing our dog (and the others that I see in our not-so-distant future) and going state to state, and finding hotels that take dogs is really hard.  Also there is the cost.  Hotels run around $100 a night (for the decent ones).  Add to that the cost of meals out and a weekend show trip really adds up.  So it seems to make sense to pick up an older RV and take the hotel with us.  Most dog shows are held in places where there are accomodations for RVs right at the show site.  I think it would be fun to kinda camp and show all at once!
 
 What do you think?

[mike4947]

 MommaMia
Cindy, lot s of " doggie people"  running the show curcuit RV it.
 But, if you re doing it just to save money, first set down and figure it both ways. I know it gets expensive with hotels and meals out. On the other hand when using a class A you ve got a large monthly payment, much higher fuel costs, maintenance costs, repairs, storage for the beast when you re not on the road and even though those class A s look big, add 3-4 doggie cages and you re packed in like sardines if you re not careful. A nice used class A can still hit you for 5-6 hundred a month in payments,plus insurance and the fuel costs can pay hotels and meals out and the months you don t go you don t have to make payments if you hotel it.

[MommaMia]

 MommaMia
Hey there Mike...
 
 I am the one with the 67 Skamper.  So when you say " nice used" , it may mean something completely different for you than what it means for me. []  Our Skamper was a Giant Mouse-house Freebie!!!
 We are planning to pick something up very inexpensively (cheap) with no monthly payment.  As long as it is in good running condition, interior is not real a matter of worry for me.   I love doing fix-up projects and home interior design on a dime is a specialty.  As far as ins. goes... Dh check out insuring something for part of the year and it really is quite reasonable.  We have a place to park it with no neighbor complaints.  As for the dogs, we have a toy breed and crates are small and 2 will generally fit easily in a crate!
 
 Generally, I think if we have a place of our own, I d make a lot more road trips.  
 
 Thanks for the input and you have given us stuff to think about (not that we haven t thought about some of these issues already)!
 
 My best~

[never2poopd2pop]

 MommaMia
We showed dogs for several years and having an RV of some sort is a definite plus.  I think someone on the old board took a popup on the dog show circuit but I don t remember who.  
 
 Very important out this way is that you have a GOOD awning.  Most dog shows are held in places totally devoid of trees.  Same holds true for A/C.
 
 Good luck.

[mike4947]

 MommaMia
Momma sounds like you ve got your act together and have though it out really nicely. I get worried about folks after a breeder we know went the class A route for showing and couldn t understand why she didn t save money as she wasn t paying for hotels anymore (PS she showed Newfies so room was really a problem for her) when we did her taxes. Seems her monthly minimum for showing with the class A (used but only 2 years old) was running just over a $1000 a month not including any show expenses.

[bearbait]

 MommaMia
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[Jo Ann]

 MommaMia
great idea Cindy and no one will care if your dogs bark either []
 
 you can get a nice old winnie or something for a real reasonable price...just look areound reallyl good first!!!

[Camperroo]

 MommaMia
good for you!  I think Class As are great, I would love to have one someday myself!!  Hubby and I love to travel and when we are ready to retire our trusty popup will probably be on loan to the kids so they can meet up with us on our travels!!