possible Newbe ... question

[DebbieMH]

I asked this on another forum and was told that "the nicest thing one could say was it was just silly" to purchase a RV for this.

So ... here goes, thought I'd try it here as y'all all actually have Solera's! My husband and I have two houses - one where we work in lower Alabama, and one where we "play" and will retire in New Orleans. We make the 3 hour (one way) trip every weekend .. thus 6 hours in the car over a couple of day period - again EVERY weekend.

We are looking at purchasing a Solera and trading in our commuting SUV. How is driving one compared to a SUV for any distance? We think it would be much more "fun" to be able to get up and walk around, make coffee, etc. and possibly take a nap (passenger, of course) ... than it is to just sit in the passager seat.

We would also use it for tailgating, possibly trips to Texas to visit our kids and hopefully, use to see the country when we retire in about 2 years. We also have 3 dogs that travel with us, I would think they would prefer the room, vs our SUV.

So ... your thoughts?

[TURBS]

Welcome to the forum!
Only real difference would be fuel mileage and I say go for it !
I think you may find you'll use a lot more than your thinking !

Have fun !

Turbs

[crasher]

I say that yes, it may be more comfortable for you as a passenger, and the dogs. But it's probably harder on the driver and more costly to make your weekly trip than an SUV.

I think most folks would think it's kinda wasteful. Also, if you have been going 70+mph in your SUV, then you are going to be spending a bit more time on your weekly trip in a Solera - doubt you'd drive it as fast.

A good compromise may be along the lines of some kind of custom van that you can also camp in. That may be something that gives you some of the stuff you are looking for, but also the dimensions and economy closer to the SUV.

[Triguy]

Originally Posted by DebbieMH

I asked this on another forum and was told that "the nicest thing one could say was it was just silly" to purchase a RV for this.

You will always find naysayers. That's fine, but its your life and not theirs.

• We think it would be much more "fun" to be able to get up and walk around, make coffee, etc. and possibly take a nap (passenger, of course)
• tailgating
• trips to Texas to visit our kids
• see the country when we retire in about 2 years.
• 3 dogs that travel with us

I think those are five great reasons right there!!

[Poppy Bill]

You may need more room than the solera has. I think the van idea is great

[crasher]

There is what they call a B-class RV. It's more than just a custom van, as they have some facilities you find in a bigger RV.

Check these out:

http://www.leisurevans.com/

[DebbieMH]

We looked at B's and B+ (not sure, some places call a Solera a B+ others a C) ... but anyway, we really felt that they were more of a van and liked the Solera quite a bit more. I think if we went the B way, then we would want to trade it in fairly soon for something a little bit bigger. And .. especially, if we buy new - trading it in quickly, is NOT a good idea.

I do appreciate everyone's responses. As far as driving a Solera, do you feel it is that much different than a big SUV or truck? We drove one last weekend, and it seemed to be fairly comfortable. I do know that we would have to drive slower, break sooner and take curves with more care, but is it really that hard on the driver?

BTW - I would be driving it most of the time!

[MtnGuy]

if had the money, I would do something like that in a heartbeat. Travel with some room to move around....at least for the passengers. Go to the bathroom when you want, and not have to worry about dirty travel plaza rest rooms. Take a nap on a real bed instead of just a seat leaning back. Not too sure about making coffee in transit, though.

[socalron]

I find the Solera to be very easy to drive ... actually it is easier than the 21' Airstream Avenue I had. (The Airstream was built on the Chevy 3500 Express extended chasis.)

The reasons I find the Solera easy to drive is that 1) the steering and suspension are firm and predictable, 2) it has rear disk brakes that are responsive considering the vehicle's weight and 3) the double rear tires provide a solid footprint that resists sid-toside sway. It feels to me that the center of gravity to be lower than my Chevy van when making turns.

On my last trip between San Diego and Phoenix I drove the Solera at the speed limit (75MPH) and was not stressed about it at all.

[Phil57]

It's your money spend it how you want. Traveling in a MH is great and doing 70 on a good road is not out of line. The down side might be not having a car when you get to your destination. I'm sure you could work around that. I looked at the Road Trec and it would be to small for me but they are worth looking at. The Solera is much nicer and would give you more options on your use.

[ittle dew]

Unless the "other people" are paying for it, don't pay them any attention. It's your money and your enjoyment. Go for it, if it doesn't work out, trade it back for another SUV

A lot of people in this word think we're all crazy for wasting money on luxuries like campers just to go somewhere and sit outside, but it sure is fun!

[DeeRV]

I'm in the "camp" that says "Go For It!

I have a Sunseeker 2300 that has approx. the same dimensions as the Solera (but without the slide). To me it handles very much like my SUV except it is so much more comfortable and it makes trips so much more enjoyable.

I've driven 9000 miles in my RV in 2 years and I had never even driven a rental truck before purchase. For the most part, it has been easy to drive.

A little disclaimer....I found the right side mirror hard to use (I really miss looking over my right shoulder to see if the path is clear, as you can in an SUV or car.) But practice and a 1000 mile highway trip helped me with that. You definitely have to be aware of your surroundings and anticipate/prepare for a potential problem (2 lanes shifting to 1 etc.) but overall it hasn't caused me any stress.

You are already aware of some differences of driving slower, braking sooner, and taking curves with care. I'd like to add that you sometimes do get pulled over a bit when a big rig goes by but that's something that only surprises you the first time it happens and might not even occur with the Solera.

Two years later, I find that I do now drive at a lower speed to save some gas but also to just enjoy the ride.

BTW, I would never be one to say it was a silly purchase for the reasons you listed. To me, any one of those reasons sounds like the right reason!

[GaryTucker]

Sounds as if you are a perfect candidate for the solera. It is easy to drive, will do 75 mph all day long if you really want to, it handles well, can take a light vehicle if you want, and sure is a nice overall rig. We put over 4,000 miles on ours in about 6 weeks of ownership and we are looking forward to the next trip.

I'll admit I'm jealous of your Nola home. I keep saying "someday"...,

[DebbieMH]

Originally Posted by GaryTucker

Sounds as if you are a perfect candidate for the solera. It is easy to drive, will do 75 mph all day long if you really want to, it handles well, can take a light vehicle if you want, and sure is a nice overall rig. We put over 4,000 miles on ours in about 6 weeks of ownership and we are looking forward to the next trip.

I'll admit I'm jealous of your Nola home. I keep saying "someday"...,

We do love New Orleans, even though sometimes I think i'm in a third world country with the politics there! We actually have two cars we keep in Nola for driving there, a jeep and a little Smart car. We use the smart for parking in the quarter. Parking a Solera in Nola wont be a problem because we live on a side street and there is a unused warehouse across the street. i'm thinking when we do get around to taking a real trip, we can probably tow the jeep.

Well, my husband just called the dealership and put a "hold" on it So, I guess we are going to become RV owners by the weekend!

[GaryTucker]

Congrats!!

I'm having Nola withdrawals-hoping to get back down at thanksgiving hopefully. If not, I'm booked in for St. Pat's week!

[DebbieMH]

Originally Posted by GaryTucker

Congrats!!

I'm having Nola withdrawals-hoping to get back down at thanksgiving hopefully. If not, I'm booked in for St. Pat's week!

If you havent been to Nola during Thanksgiving, then I would suggest come before or after. Not that week, it is the Bayou Classic and it can get pretty rough in the quarter. Locals stay out of the area then, and several resturants close "to get ready for Christmas holidays". Just an fyi

[Phil57]

Congrats you will love hitting the open road. We might head that way in the spring. We haven't been there for a long time. Great place.

[crasher]

The Sprinter van sounds like an excellent platform, especially considering the diesel engine. I wonder how one would do as a tow vehicle for a big travel trailer.

[GaryTucker]

I've been to Nola that week twice. We just exercise more common sense than other weeks. We are in Nola at least once a year. Record was four times one year. We used to always come the last week of August every year to celebrate our anniversary-now my schedule doesn't let that timeframe work.

Congrats on your solera. You'll love it.

[DebbieMH]

Thanks. I really do think we will enjoy it. A new chapter in our lives is about to begin