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Moving from a cushy home and a Lexus to an RV pulled by an F-450 will be a shock to your system, lol. I bought a towable RV an 2020 F-350 SCLB SRW 6.7L XL and sold my home. Yup, crazy.
It would be a nightmare parking an F-450 CCLB DRW at my work. I bought a Nissan Versa to commute to work with until I retire. I much prefer nice weather and my motorcycles though. If your Superduty is going to assume the role of primary vehicle, then consider where it will fit and will not. If traveling alone then you don't really need a crew cab.
I replaced the 2020 with an 2022 F-350 SCLB 6.7 Lariat and I feel pampered. I grew up with a column shift, 2/60 air, manual windows and the dimmer switch on the floor. All this fancy stuff is prone to failure, but it's nice while you have it. Safe travels!
I have a friend that did what you are planning except he did his traveling on a motorcycle. He was traveling the US visiting national parks and sports venues. If he had a cell signal, he had an office. It worked well for him until he finally had enough of corporate life and asked to be laid off. He's currently in New Zealand exploring there. Go for it!
So a little background on me. I am a professional in my late 40's. Have a grown child (not in the house), a long-term girlfriend, and a dog. I am tired of the corporate crap. Fortunately I do have a job that is supposed to be "fully remote". I would like to try to take advantage of that. Currently I am driving a Lexus RX 350, so I am considering the Platinum trim to try to stay somewhat close to the "creature comforts" the RX has. Prior to the RX I had a 5-series BMW.
I have been considering getting a fifth wheel, outfitting it with a mobile office and starlink (or something like it) and hitting the road for extended periods, like months at a time. I have never owned a diesel-powered vehicle before, but am pretty handy with tools and don't mind learning. Is wanting to get an F-450 Platinum a crazy idea? There doesn't seem to be a lot of difference in price at the Platinum trim level between a 250 and a 450, so why not go for the truck that has bigger brakes and tighter turning radius. I understand the negatives of the rougher suspension and the 19.5 inch wheels. I would likely opt for the standard output engine instead of the HO.
I greatly appreciate your thoughts and opinions on this matter.
OS
Are you crazy? Probably, welcome to the club.
We were thinking about going mostly on the road after retirement. Then started thinkin I work virtual and you knows what health or other issues may come up, so lets do it now.
I am "only" going with a 350 Lariat ultimate but this is a step up in luxury for us so I understand wanting the platinum,
We have been camping for awhile now so at least we are familiar with that. Being handy with tools is good for the camper even more then the truck. The all will have issues and most aren't hard to fix and you can get guidance from the camping forums as needed
So a little background on me. I am a professional in my late 40's. Have a grown child (not in the house), a long-term girlfriend, and a dog. I am tired of the corporate crap. Fortunately I do have a job that is supposed to be "fully remote". I would like to try to take advantage of that. Currently I am driving a Lexus RX 350, so I am considering the Platinum trim to try to stay somewhat close to the "creature comforts" the RX has. Prior to the RX I had a 5-series BMW.
I have been considering getting a fifth wheel, outfitting it with a mobile office and starlink (or something like it) and hitting the road for extended periods, like months at a time. I have never owned a diesel-powered vehicle before, but am pretty handy with tools and don't mind learning. Is wanting to get an F-450 Platinum a crazy idea? There doesn't seem to be a lot of difference in price at the Platinum trim level between a 250 and a 450, so why not go for the truck that has bigger brakes and tighter turning radius. I understand the negatives of the rougher suspension and the 19.5 inch wheels. I would likely opt for the standard output engine instead of the HO.
I greatly appreciate your thoughts and opinions on this matter.
OS
I have a slightly different take on the idea. I would buy a smaller travel trailer. That would allow you to keep the bed of the truck for all of the tools and accessories you will need for maintaining the RV. A smaller TT will allow you to get into more parks. If you are by yourself you will have plenty of room with a decent TT. A smaller TT will pull fine with a F-350. A smaller TT lets you pick between the diesel and the gas trucks.
Like many others, I don't think your idea is 'crazy' and I'm a firm believer in following your heart. Having said that...
"Try before you buy."
I've watched dozens of people decide in to 'get into something' - camping, RVing, motorcycling, flying - and enter into the new hobby in grand fashion, only to liquidate it when the reality didn't meet expectations. I recommend that you rent a setup as close to the one that your thinking of buying, or at least take a trip with friends with a similar rig, to get a feel for the actual experience - living in the camper, dealing with the unexpected, managing water and electricity - before you spend a couple of hundred thousand on what could be a very expensive lesson.
But, however you decide to approach it, good luck!
You might consider a truck camper. You can go to a lot more remote places. We have a small pop up slide in and it is me, my wife and our 20 year old special needs son. We are tight in there but we have a blast!
Good luck on your roll of the dice finding a 5th wheel to full time in. A lot of the manufacturers will not warranty full-time living in their RV. The ones that will don't build them out of any better materials or craftsmanship than the manufacturers that won't. They all use the same parts and the difference between parts on a $150k msrp 5th wheel are the same as the $75k 5th wheel that isn't for full time.
Since Lippert (LCI) owns everything the quality is garbage and the product is going to have problems. They also make the replacement parts so they made their money on the sale and then out the back end for repairs. The warranties are basically useless if you're full-time because you have to empty it to take it to a dealer for service and then they will sit on it for however long they want and you will have to find an alternative living arrangement until they're done.
If your F450 needs serviced you will be in a similar boat. Depending on the issue the dealer could have it for weeks and you will not get a loaner that can tow your 5th wheel if they give you one at all. Keep in mind that warranty work on the truck or trailer is going to be a massive inconvenience when you're full-time and on the road.
Like many others, I don't think your idea is 'crazy' and I'm a firm believer in following your heart. Having said that...
"Try before you buy."
I've watched dozens of people decide in to 'get into something' - camping, RVing, motorcycling, flying - and enter into the new hobby in grand fashion, only to liquidate it when the reality didn't meet expectations. I recommend that you rent a setup as close to the one that your thinking of buying, or at least take a trip with friends with a similar rig, to get a feel for the actual experience - living in the camper, dealing with the unexpected, managing water and electricity - before you spend a couple of hundred thousand on what could be a very expensive lesson.
But, however you decide to approach it, good luck!
Good advice. I once “had to” have a 5th wheel camper. Used it 2 times in 2 years. Fortunately I bought it used and was able to sell without a loss.
I live in the small town where I grew up on Lake Ontario. So boats were also a thing. Then they weren’t. Then they were again. I’ve had 3 over the years and am now out of that hobby.
Harleys are the only thing that have remained a long term pastime for me. So to the OP, you’ve gotten some good advice from some old hands here to not go all in right off the hop. Do some lower cost experimenting first and then move up the ladder if you find something that’s working for you.
The only feedback I have is rent an RV and use it for a few weeks and see if you enjoy being in it full time. I'd love to be in a position to do as you planned but have two kids and my wife is self employed so it won't work for us. I plan to do what you're doing when we retire though. Good luck and your plan sounds solid if RVing is something you enjoy, or find yourself enjoying. People daily drive DRW trucks all the time, like everything else it just takes getting used to. I wouldn't opt for a SRW if you're looking at 5ers and traveling as much as you state you plan to, the pin weight on a 5er that I'm envisioning you being happy with would likely put you over the pin weight of most any SRW truck SHOULD be using, it can be done but 6 wheels will do it better 100% of the time.
Well I agree having prior camping experience would be a good idea, I have not seen a smaller camper I would want to work full time in. I did work from both of my prior campers but only 3-5 days at a time and never comfortably.
I am currently converting the bunk room of the new camper to office/hobby space to be on the road most of the time. I think this will be fine for regular working.
Just need to get the mods done and the truck built
I use the RV Life app on my phone to find good campgrounds and book reservations. I recommend it.
Also, connectivity can be an issue, even with satellite based services. I was parked next to a couple last October that were complaining about the trees at that campground blocking their TV and Starlink signals. My point here is that you need to have a backup plan if this is how you intend on making a living. Having 2 backup plans might be better. The RV Life app will tell you which campground has good WiFi or cell phone connectivity. The campground reviews will usually expand on this if it is a problem.
The only thing that’s makes you crazy is the fact you’re asking other people their opinion on what you should do. Nobody learns anything from being told what to do. Be a man and make mistakes and get it wrong on your own 🤣
I agree with signal, wifi, etc being an issue. Maybe its due to living rural but the usual campgrounds we visit locally on weekends have pretty garbage signal for data when using my hot spot, I can't say for sure about Starlink, but I agree that's something you'll need to consider as well. You could probably research each place you plan to stay beforehand and find someone that's given feedback whether XYZ works for internet as well.
Does Starlink need to be open without interference from trees or anything else? If so some campgrounds may be an issue as far as signal with Starlink.
Good luck on your roll of the dice finding a 5th wheel to full time in. A lot of the manufacturers will not warranty full-time living in their RV. The ones that will don't build them out of any better materials or craftsmanship than the manufacturers that won't. They all use the same parts and the difference between parts on a $150k msrp 5th wheel are the same as the $75k 5th wheel that isn't for full time.
Since Lippert (LCI) owns everything the quality is garbage and the product is going to have problems. They also make the replacement parts so they made their money on the sale and then out the back end for repairs. The warranties are basically useless if you're full-time because you have to empty it to take it to a dealer for service and then they will sit on it for however long they want and you will have to find an alternative living arrangement until they're done.
If your F450 needs serviced you will be in a similar boat. Depending on the issue the dealer could have it for weeks and you will not get a loaner that can tow your 5th wheel if they give you one at all. Keep in mind that warranty work on the truck or trailer is going to be a massive inconvenience when you're full-time and on the road.
Even I know the more modern RVs are junk…built with cardboard and plastic bags, but are Streamline’s still considered good quality? Maybe the OP would be better off with one of those?
Having lived in a 5'ver, and dd my F350 4x/DRW I say yep, yer crazy, and GO FOR IT!
Sure the drw might be a pain for some folks, but as stated previously, I back in every spot and walk a lil bit more, yes, the 450 will be a tad larger than your RX, but IMHO, if you're going to tow full time, you can't beat having the 2 extra pieces of rubber, sure, you have to buy 6 instead of 4, yadda, yadda, but the pay-off is way worth it in my humble opinion, I've had my dually since 2011 I think and won't go back to a srw for towing.
Best of luck!
