Tour our new RV

I can’t believe I finally get to say this: Here’s a video tour of OUR NEW RV!

We actually shot this video back on a cold and rainy day in early January, but for some reason it wouldn’t upload onto my computer. A few days ago, when I uploaded our newest video, the tour video suddenly and mysteriously uploaded as well!

Now, to learn more about our new RV and why we chose it, read on!

Our motorhome is a 2004 Fleetwood Southwind 37A, with just under 7,000 miles. Yes, I typed that correctly—2004 and 7,000 miles. The former owners expected to do a lot of traveling but ended up using it more like their house “down the shore.” In other words, they drove it to their favorite campground and parked it there, spent time in it when they could, and returned it to the shop for service and storage every winter. They must have taken a trip or two, but not many and not terribly far.

Our floor plan

Our 2004 Fleetwood Southwind 37A is built on a Workhorse chassis with a General Motors engine, has automatic leveling, two air conditioners, and 30 amp service. Of course it has many design features that we love and made it feel like the one for us when we first toured it, including decent kitchen counter space, a large bathroom and shower (for an RV), oak cabinetry and rim, a queen-size bed, a large convection microwave oven as well as a regular oven, and even a washer/dryer combo. The rig can carry 100 gallons of fresh water, 58 gallons of grey water (drainage from sinks and shower), and 42 gallons of black water (sewage). It’s 12’2” tall, 102” wide, and 37’ 4” long, with a 75-gallon gas tank. It’s going to take some practice learning how to drive (and park) this thing!

The upside for us is that we paid MUCH less than we’d originally budgeted for a new vehicle. The downside is that the parts that deteriorate with age (gaskets, seals, etc.) have had 13 years to harden up and wear out—and perhaps get a bit salty and sandy. So we fully expect to have to replace some parts and do some repairs in the first couple of years (and beyond), especially to systems such as plumbing and heating. We’ll see. Right now we are researching service contracts, so if you have some experience or insight, please let us know in the comments section below.

The original owners, as part of the sale, paid to have six new tires installed and two “slide covers” replaced. (Slide covers are little awnings that protect the slides when they’re extended for more living space.) We’re waiting for that and other work to be completed before we pick up the RV and move it to our back yard (at least that’s our hope). So far we know it will fit through the gate across our driveway and under the trees after we do a little trimming. Maneuvering it into the yard (and parking it on top of four stone slabs) will be the bigger challenge!

Once it’s accessible, we’ll begin to set it up with kitchen supplies, linens, RV GPS unit, etc., and figure out what will go where. Do you have any suggestions or questions as we outfit the RV for travel? Or any ideas on how we can improve our videos? Please leave them in the comments section below or on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9TlRzyfPDMpJZJdmAszIjg.