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I went up to Pennsylvania shopping for my new van on Tuesday (Thank you Mike, at Fretz RV). It was a fun and productive trip. My friend Kent drove up with me and we spent several hours poring over different makes, models and floor plans. The one I’d picked out online as meeting my needs the best was the Roadtrek Zion, pictured above. When we got there, Mike took us straight to it and I started in with the questions. I immediately fell in love with it. The inside had a layout that made it feel spacious to me (if “spacious” can be applied to approximately 100 square feet!). The driver’s seat and passenger seats both swivel around 180 degrees to face the back of the van, and there is a nice little module on the floor where you can “plug in” a table. So the driver’s and passenger’s seats both cozy up to a table, perfect for dining, or using my laptop, or playing cards. From that vantage point you can see the entire space (as shown above).
The kitchen is on the passenger side, just behind the sliding entrance door. It is small, but has a covered sink and covered two-burner propane stove. When the covers are down, they make a usable counter top. The bathroom is directly behind the driver’s seat. It is a tiny “wet bath” meaning it is basically a shower stall with a toilet and sink in it. Just enough room to be functional. In the back, across the back double doors is a sofa that has another plug in on the floor if you prefer to move the table back there. It functions as a living room/dining room and at night, you press a button and the sofa opens up into a double bed. With a few adjustments the bed extends between the other two seats back there to become a king-sized bed if needed.
The van has plenty of solar power, a built-in, under hood generator that kicks on automatically when needed to keep the massive battery bank fully charged. It has a 4,000 watt inverter, that will run the TV, microwave, air conditioner, and anything else you would normally plug into AC power. It had more than adequate storage space and a very cool little pull out pantry.
We looked at several other units which I also liked and any of the ones we saw would be fine for me and Cosmo to live in. I really did like the Zion the most though. The best part of the adventure was that at one point the three of us were in there, sitting comfortably having our Q & A session. Mike was in the passenger seat facing the back and I was on the sofa facing the front. Kent was going through kitchen cupboards checking out the space. It hit me suddenly that this is what it would be like living in it. And the three of us were quite comfortable in it, having a great conversation and I wasn’t feeling the least bit claustrophobic. I loved the van. I put the bed down and got in (I am short enough to fit comfortably lying crosswise in the back). I could imagine myself cooking in the tiny kitchen area, and could easily see myself and whatever friends I am visiting sitting at the table at either end of the van, sharing a meal, having coffee or just sitting and chatting.
The only downside was that I have to wait. I’ve thought (for just about a millisecond) about just buying it. I could make payments until I sell my building and then pay it off. Good judgment won out and I decided that going $90,000 in debt and HOPING that everything goes smoothly with the sale of my building was not in my best interest. So I’ll be patient. A big part of my new adventure is learning not to rush. Waiting for the building to sell is good practice. I’ll wait. It will all come together. And I’m just at the beginning of this process. I still want to read more, watch more online videos, hear what others have to say about the pros and cons of different amenities and make a very informed decision. Summer is not the best time to buy an RV. Demand is high and supply is low. In the fall, the new 2020 models will be out. The 2019’s will be old news and go on sale. And if someone(s) buys a 2019 and takes it out for the summer and decides it’s not for them, then it will sell in the fall at a used price, which is about $20,000 less than new! I can wait.
So all in all, it was a very productive trip. I’m very close to knowing exactly what I want and where to get it. I’ll put the building on the market very soon and once it sells, I’ll be on my way!