397th

Step 1 of moving into an RV full-time? Buy an RV. We toured quite a few models during our last US road trip, mainly focusing on 5th wheel bunkhouse and toy haulers.

The main reason for looking at 5th wheels was for safety during travel. We have two little ones, and it seems very few motorhomes (Class A/B/C) are well-equipped for safely holding a car seat in the direction of travel, secured to the frame. With a 5th wheel, the tow vehicle has standard auto safety features, so car seats are no problem.

A second reason for a 5th wheel is that we then have a separate vehicle for moving around when camped, without the RV part. Having that as a single vehicle for both purposes makes things simpler, especially when it comes to making it comfortable for the children.

A third reason is space: 5th wheel RVs have a ton of it! Eric is relatively tall at 194cm (6’4”), and most 5th wheels have tall ceilings that avoid the closed-in feeling, especially in the master bedroom. And the living room ceiling is easily in excess of 2.4m, generally taller than most ceilings in Switzerland. And let’s not forget that 18cu-ft refrigerator! The size of our refrigerator in Switzerland? 10cu-ft. That’s standard.

So it came down to bunkhouse models versus toy-hauler models. The bunkhouses are cute, but we liked the versatility of the toy-hauler garage for being able to use it for a bunkhouse, office and/or playroom. The rear patio options are icing on the cake!

The final point that sold us on a toy-hauler was carrying capacity. So many of the RVs being sold barely have carrying capacity for actual full-time living for a family of four. The toy-haulers, especially 3-axle variants, have in excess of 3,000lbs of carrying capacity. That’ll do, without having to make too many compromises.

So, we ended up choosing the 2022 Grand Design Momentum 397TH, a 43-foot triple-axle 5th-wheel toy-hauler with a 13-foot garage and a raised rear patio option. It has enough space for the four of us to live comfortably, and it looks like a luxury hotel room on wheels!

It’s on order, and we hope to receive it by the end of the year. Next up: a tow vehicle.