Looking toward Fulltiming

[Singerroad]

Hello to all, this is my first post here. The wife and I are seriously considering full timing. We have previously camped in pop ups or tents. We have owned 2 pop ups over the years. Recently have been researching Class A's both gas and diesel. We saw the Georgetown 328TS which we really liked. Also looked at the Berkshire 360QL and the Sportscoach Cross Country 360 DL. We liked the DP's but the price difference is probably gonna put us in the gas coach. I am interested in who full times in the Georgetown and any other information related to full timing in a Georgetown. We think that we would probably move around every month or two, although occasionally more often than that. We have plans to see the entire country over time, so it would involve driving all elevations and conditions. I have looked at used DP's but about 80 percent or more are 40 plus feet. We are looking at 36 ft. and under. As far as gas coaches, so far the Georgetown 328 TS is our first choice. We are not looking to buy until Feb. or Mar. so I have time. thanks

[Lostdog]

We fulltime in ours, for close to a year now. Could not ask for a better lifestyle! We workkamp at state parks for 3 month stints and have formed some great friendships along the way. You can really enjoy the life. Don't get too rapped up in a diesel though...look for the floor plan that fits because you really will not put that many miles on your rig. For us the motorhome is not a vehicle, but a house so the interior is all important. But, as the "bus driver" I can find no fault in the Ford's V10 performance. As they say in Duck Dynasty "Happy, Happy, Happy".

[Singerroad]

Thanks for the info. We are also considering workkamping/park hosting. Hope to get started next summer or fall if all goes well.

[Iggy]

Welcome
I have a 2012 Georgetown XL 378TS and just hit 23,000 miles. (Purchased April 12, 2012) on it but we are not full timers. Yes the V10 is a more economical version of a Class A and the price is reasonable.
The one thing you must understand you will have many things go wrong the first year and you must have a dealer close by that does great warranty work because you only have a year to catch most of the issues on the parts above the frame. Forest River has turned around and is now more customer orientated and has even repaired thinks outside the 1 year mark for many of us.
Ford warranty is 3 years/36,000 miles like a car so that isn't a big problem but a Ford dealer close by is also important.

Buying a 2013 model in 2014 you should be able to get a good deal on your model. NEVER pay what they post. My model was posted as $149,990 and I actually purchased it out the door with tax, lic and prep for $110,000. So don't be fooled by any salesman.
Your model is a little lighter than mine and you should get about 8 mpg which is average.

Make sure you come here and find your inspection list here before you take it home. Expect a few hours for the dealer to show, explain and test ALL systems. Anything you find have them take care of immediately.

Also make sure they send Forest River the registration of all the appliances as well as the Ford registration for the chassis warranty. Many forget this part and don't find out until they have a Ford problem and Ford shows it still owned by Forest River.

This is just a few things and hope you find the perfect match for your travels.
Good luck and don't forget to come back and ask any questions you may have before you buy.

John

[Cornelius]

We have been fulltiming in our 2010 Georgetown 373 for a year and a half since we sold the house. Prior to that we had a Roadtrek van camper for trips since 1997. Being fulltime is in many ways different from our Roadtrek camping. There is some good advice mentioned above.

While a Diesel may be nice, the costs (both initial purchase and ongoing maintenance) are much higher than for a gas motorhome. When you are parked, they are both the same, and they can both take you to the same places. The Ford V10 has had plenty of power when we were in the Western mountains this past year, and I never felt that I should have bought a Diesel.

Many will agree (and so do I) that the floorplan is the most important consideration when choosing an RV. Make a shopping list of the features you both want. Things on our list included: Ford F-53 chassis, fiberglass roof, an oven for baking, all vinyl flooring (no carpet), Onan brand generator, two roof air conditioners, double pane windows, king size bed, washer/dryer, dinette table with chairs (not a booth), etc. There were more things on our list, but those are the ones I can recall offhand.

When we started looking, the Georgetown brand was not specifically what we were looking at, as we also looked at Fleetwood, Winnebago, and others. They all have their advantages and disadvantages, but for what we wanted the Georgetown came out on top.

I should probably make a list of the things we learned in a year of full time travel. A couple of weeks ago, I removed a bunch of stuff that we never used and donated some things and left others with a relative. You will probably need less "stuff" than you think. If you find you need something after you get on the road, there's always Walmart.

We have been very happy living fulltime in our Georgetown, and don't miss the house at all. We also don't miss property taxes, utility bills, yard work, and the one weird neighbor. It is so nice having a house in the mountains, at the beach, at Las Vegas, wherever...

You will have some additional planing to do before you start fulltime, such as deciding on a state for residency, choosing a tow vehicle, selecting a mail forwarding service, and a few more details of that sort. There is a tremendous amount of information on the internet to help you, and this forum is a great resource.

[clancythecamper]

Sounds amazing...... Someday......

[Iggy]

Originally Posted by Cornelius

We have been fulltiming in our 2010 Georgetown 373 for a year and a half since we sold the house. Prior to that we had a Roadtrek van camper for trips since 1997. Being fulltime is in many ways different from our Roadtrek camping. There is some good advice mentioned above.

While a Diesel may be nice, the costs (both initial purchase and ongoing maintenance) are much higher than for a gas motorhome. When you are parked, they are both the same, and they can both take you to the same places. The Ford V10 has had plenty of power when we were in the Western mountains this past year, and I never felt that I should have bought a Diesel.

Many will agree (and so do I) that the floorplan is the most important consideration when choosing an RV. Make a shopping list of the features you both want. Things on our list included: Ford F-53 chassis, fiberglass roof, an oven for baking, all vinyl flooring (no carpet), Onan brand generator, two roof air conditioners, double pane windows, king size bed, washer/dryer, dinette table with chairs (not a booth), etc. There were more things on our list, but those are the ones I can recall offhand.

When we started looking, the Georgetown brand was not specifically what we were looking at, as we also looked at Fleetwood, Winnebago, and others. They all have their advantages and disadvantages, but for what we wanted the Georgetown came out on top.

I should probably make a list of the things we learned in a year of full time travel. A couple of weeks ago, I removed a bunch of stuff that we never used and donated some things and left others with a relative. You will probably need less "stuff" than you think. If you find you need something after you get on the road, there's always Walmart.

We have been very happy living fulltime in our Georgetown, and don't miss the house at all. We also don't miss property taxes, utility bills, yard work, and the one weird neighbor. It is so nice having a house in the mountains, at the beach, at Las Vegas, wherever...

You will have some additional planing to do before you start fulltime, such as deciding on a state for residency, choosing a tow vehicle, selecting a mail forwarding service, and a few more details of that sort. There is a tremendous amount of information on the internet to help you, and this forum is a great resource.

Great information.
I wish I had a king size bed in my 2012 378. Love to see your pictures of the King size how it was made to fit. We have short Queen with radius. I'm guessing no side compartments next to the bed.

[Cornelius]

Hi Iggy,
The king size bed in our 2010 Georgetown 373 was factory installed by Forest River. We do have the small compartments/bedside tables on each side. The extra width is in the slide-out which also includes a wardrobe closet and dining room table area. It looks very similar to the photo you posted, except the slide-out is on the curb side, and there is no window beside the bed. We removed the original mattress and replaced it with a much better memory foam one.

The manufacturers play a little loose with the actual bed sizes in RVs. The king size bed in our Georgetown is 73" wide x 72" long, 3" narrower and 8" shorter than the residential king size of 76" wide x 80" long. Like your queen size bed, ours also has the radius corners.