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Topic: Thoughts about full-timing in a Lazy Daze (warning this is long) (Read 504 times) previous topic - next topic
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Thoughts about full-timing in a Lazy Daze (warning this is long)
Hi Group,

My friend Chris Horst has prodded me into sharing my thoughts about full-timing in a LD. So here it goes.

A bit of background so you can understand our perspective. In 2000, my wife and I bought our first Rv,  a 26' travel trailer without slides. It had a queen sized bed in the rear, a small and uncomfortable sofa, uncomfortable dinette, but a wonderful front kitchen. We mostly enjoyed the experience but the hitching up process (this was before backup cameras!) was stressful, the small aisles around the queen bed were confining. We started looking for something better suited to our needs.

We ordered a Mid-bath LD which we picked up in June 2003.  We had determined that one wide aisle between the sofas would solve problems, the sofas were very comfortable, the dinette cushions were much better, and NO hitching up stresses.  We are mostly travelers meaning we tend to not stay in one place for an extended time. Most trips covered a lot of miles but the longest was only around 8 weeks when we drove from Ohio to Alaska. We do not tow a vehicle, never have.

Our Lazy Daze has been a great touring vehicle! We have enjoyed it more than we thought possible, but we have kept looking at alternatives. The thought of going south for the winter or taking a year to tour North America is as close to full-time living in an Rv as we would probably get. Neither of us could imagine doing that in our Mid-bath. And we briefly considered a 31TB; we quickly determined that would not ork out for us. But that could develope into another long post!  In my opinion, if you want something in the 30' + range, there are better choices.

Why would we not want to live in a LD for an extended time? Where does a LD come up short? It really comes down to comfort and convenience. Comfort wise, when we travel, we really miss our recliners and big screen tv. The lack of a recliner is the biggest deal breaker. Also, the LD is not a well insulated vehicle; heat is a bigger problem for us and the air conditioner is noisy and is either running constantly or off. The furnace is adequate at best. Regarding convenience,  having space for hobbies, room for fishing equipment, golf clubs, bikes, etc would be a real challenge. I know some folks prefer to sit outside, but where would you even keep a *comfortable*  reclining lounge chair? I realize we could tow a utility trailer, install a catalytic heater, etc.

In my opinion, Lazy Daze has designed and engineered a great touring vehicle. Quality, durability, short term comfort, all first rate. Long term home? 15 years and over 134,000 miles of LD travels have illustrated to us that a Lazy Daze is not a home.

I have seen two Rvs that I would consider extended living in. One was a Newmar Bay Star, a short Class A that we toured in Grand Teton NP a few years ago. The owner stated that Newmar was willing to address changes so he could have many extra batteries, plenty of solar panels, and comfortable furnishings. We saw him the following year and he had done some remodeling to make it even better. Yes, I know how many of us want to avoid slide outs, and there are concerns about driving short wheelbase Class A's. But livability and quality as far as I could see were top notch.

The other rig is a fairly short Arctic Fox 5th wheel. Arctic Fox is a 4 season rig and again, quality seems quite high.

I don't mean to offend or criticize anyone who full-times in a LD. In fact, I admire those than can find a way to make it work for themselves. We know ourselves well enough to realize, particularly as we get older, those recliners and comfort are even more important to us. And we still love our Lazy Daze too!

I hope helps explain our reasoning,

Steve K.
Steve K

2003 Mid-bath
Re: Thoughts about full-timing in a Lazy Daze (warning this is long)
Reply #1 –
Thanks for your honest assessment of full-timing in a Lazy Daze, Steve!  I know there are those that do it so I'm sure we'll be hearing some counter-points. This should be an interesting thread and am looking forward to it!  :)
Greg & Victoria
2017 Mid-Bath  “Nocona” towing a manual 2015 Forester
Previously a 1985 TK
SKP #61264
Re: Thoughts about full-timing in a Lazy Daze (warning this is long)
Reply #2 –
Excellent perspective, Steve. As Joan says, YMMV.
The rig and the people have to be compatible.   We took two two-month trips before Mary's diagnosis.   We found that was about long enough, and didn't think we had the attitude and perspectives to full time.  That was us, not the rig. A week at the nearby favorites, or longer trips to accommodate that travel barrier called Nevada worked for us.  Now that Mary is gone,  I'll have to see how I fare on a longer trip - planning starts after the election.

The election is 6 weeks away; Google says it's National Voter Registration Day.  Absentee ballots are convenient and you can take time to research things.  At least in California, you can drop them in the mail,  drop off at the local elections office, or drop off at any polling place election day.
 
Joel & Terry Wiley
dog Zeke
2013  31 IB   Orwan   / 2011 CRV Tow'd LWEROVE
Re: Thoughts about full-timing in a Lazy Daze (warning this is long)
Reply #3 –
"Now that Mary is gone,  I'll have to see how I fare..."

My condolences! I was in that very spot in May of 2005, a new rig but what to do? I went for it and have not had the first regret!  Probably the biggest transition I've ever made in my lifetime.   ::)
Steve S.
Lazy Bones & Cedar
2004 30'IB (Island Bed)
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery
Live for the day!
Re: Thoughts about full-timing in a Lazy Daze (warning this is long)
Reply #4 –
Thanks for sharing, Steve.  We're new to RVing, having picked up our 27'MB in June of 2017.  We've been on the road 7 of the last 14 months, covering 19,000 miles, mostly to see family and friends in two big swings.  The first "trip" covered 4 months and the last one we took was going to be a 5-month trip, but we cut the western portion of the trip (Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona) short when we circled back to Minnesota to meet Marie's latest granddaughter who was born in August.  After hanging out with the baby for a week, we decided to go home instead of going west to finish the trip (I cancelled 6 weeks of reservations).  We have come to the conclusion that we are "travelers", not "campers".  We don't hang out at campgrounds, we visit friends and family; we don't do a lot of campfire cooking, we eat at the dinette.  We've already decided that next year, we'll be holding the trip to 10 weeks, with the bulk of that time with our families in N.C., Cape Cod, Detroit and Minneapolis.   A lot of the things we like to do (For me: golf, practicing my music, working out at the gym. For Marie: quilting, working out and the grandkids) are tough to do in the LD, or probably any RV.   We love our Bossa Nova, but I can't imagine living in it full-time; I'm not even sure I could handle another four to five month trip.  
David and Marie Philbrick
Proud former 2017 27' MB Owners
Re: Thoughts about full-timing in a Lazy Daze (warning this is long)
Reply #5 –
Hey David and Marie,

Remember us? We met at Devil's Tower. We had the other Lazy Daze in the campground. We, too, cut our trip short by about three weeks. We got to California, and the fires in and around Yosemite scared us off. Living in Pennsylvania, I never really understood the magnitude of a fire until we traveled to California.

Glad your trip went well.

Kathy
2002 RB
Re: Thoughts about full-timing in a Lazy Daze (warning this is long)
Reply #6 –
I like the distinction you make between travelers/tourers and full timers.  We travel a lot- 6-11 months a year. We use hotels, b&bs, RVs and the van I converted to a camper van. Rare,y do we stay in relatives homes, though we do boondock on their property. We do a lot of drive-overnight-driving, until we hit a place we like, such as theFlotida panhandle, where we spend a month or more in the state parks. 

We discuss full timing frequently, but always like having the home, which is situated in a place that is paradise in the summer, and is where we can garden, build, repair, and generally experience a different side of life. When we get home after months on the road, we are giddy with the room and rediscovering our treasures.

While we can go months living out of carry-on luggage, the LD, or the van, we would not full time in any of them. We would need more cargo room for hobbies, tools, etc.  Even so, after a few months living in the van, when we move to the Lazy Daze, we feel like it’s is a palace. The one barrier for us is the lack of a toad.
Paul
'92 Mid Bath
Re: Thoughts about full-timing in a Lazy Daze (warning this is long)
Reply #7 –
Quote from: KathyD  - 
Hey David and Marie,

Remember us? We met at Devil's Tower. We had the other Lazy Daze in the campground. We, too, cut our trip short by about three weeks. We got to California, and the fires in and around Yosemite scared us off. Living in Pennsylvania, I never really understood the magnitude of a fire until we traveled to California.

Glad your trip went well.

Kathy
Hi Kathy
We were so happy to meet you and talk about your experiences on the road.  Glad you made it back to Pennsylvania safely.  We are happy to be home.  Marie just finished a beautiful quilt for her newest granddaughter and I've been working on the garden around the house.  We're happy to be back and looking forward to next year's trip, too.
David and Marie Philbrick
Proud former 2017 27' MB Owners
Re: Thoughts about full-timing in a Lazy Daze (warning this is long)
Reply #8 –
Our longest duration trip was 8 months. Now, we are usually out for 4 to 6 months. Since we are only interested in the western states and four hours a day is our max drive time and the fact that we live in the south makes getting west is an ordeal for us, so we will only cross the country once a year. Sorry about that sentence.

We could never FT in an LD, we both like our recliners. It's always a kick to be traveling, but it's good to be home for a few months too.
Don & Dorothy
Sold our LD in June of 2023

Our boring always non-PC travel blog
Traveling Dorothy
Re: Thoughts about full-timing in a Lazy Daze (warning this is long)
Reply #9 –
Quote from: Don Malpas  - 
Our longest duration trip was 8 months. Now, we are usually out for 4 to 6 months. Since we are only interested in the western states, four hours a day is our max drive time and the fact that we live in the south makes getting west is an ordeal for us, so we will only cross the country once a year. Sorry about that sentence.

We could never FT in an LD, we both like our recliners. It's always a kick to be traveling, but it's good to be home for a few months too.

For some reason, Don, I got the idea you were full-timers. Thanks for clearing that up.
Greg & Victoria
2017 Mid-Bath  “Nocona” towing a manual 2015 Forester
Previously a 1985 TK
SKP #61264
Re: Thoughts about full-timing in a Lazy Daze (warning this is long)
Reply #10 –
I bought my Lazy Daze 11 years ago today.
I have been full timing and boon docking since then.

I came from living on a motorcycle for 7 years, so living in the LD seemed like living in a castle.
11 years later, I am still enjoying this nomadic lifestyle.
I would like to get a newer RV, just to change things up. Too hard to rearrange the furniture in this one.

I have not owned a sticks and brick home now since 1999 and have no desire to do so again.
Jota
96 23.5 FL
 
Re: Thoughts about full-timing in a Lazy Daze (warning this is long)
Reply #11 –
My husband has had 11 back surgeries so a recliner is important. We carry an outdoor lounge chair in the cabover bed. If the weather is super nasty he puts it up between the rear sofas of our MB. We also carry a foam wedge for a backrest on one sofa.
2004 MB