Cha-cha-changes...

We have been looking for a different RV.  Today was the day.

Well, we pretty much put the deal together when we were in Tucson last week.  They needed time to prep the new motorhome, we needed time to off-load a bunch of stuff from the HitchHiker.

Here they are, side-by-side...

We drove down from Phoenix this morning.  Traffic was heavy, but we planned for that; we were an hour early for our appointment with the RV dealer... time for us to have some lunch (on them), then do our "walk-through" at 1:00.  As expected, the tech who was instructing us learned a bunch during the walk-through... we have been doing our homework.

As you can tell from the photo above, the new motorhome is smaller than the HitchHiker - in height, length, and square footage.  We were trying to find the smallest motorized coach that would give us the nice amenities we wanted.  This is a Winnebago Aspect; Winnebago calls it a Class C, but it does not have a cab-over bunk.  It is lower profile, only 10' 5" in height (compared to 13' 5" on the HitchHiker).

We looked at a bunch of RVs over the last year - I really wanted to like the Sprinter chassis motorhomes, like the Winnebago View... but, at 24', it was just a bit tight for us (mostly in the sleeping accommodations).  We test drove some Class C motorhomes (like the Minnie-Winnie and the Jamboree), but they felt a bit lumbery.  We strongly considered Class A motorhomes in the 30' range... but found most of those were considered "entry level" models and didn't have the ride or details we liked.  And then we checked out the Aspect.

Other manufacturers make similar style motorhomes, but we really liked the way the Winnebago was built and detailed.  I would consider this more like a cross between a Class B campervan and a Class C.  Some call it a "B+"... we both felt it hit the high-points for what we want.

After the walk-through, they had to fix a couple items we found... and I'm sure that there will be more as we spend more time in it.  It's the nature of the beast - lots of systems.  Then, it was time to start moving our stuff.  As I mentioned above, we off-loaded a bunch of stuff from the HitchHiker.  HitchHikers are wonderful 5th wheels, truly designed for extended living.  After 6 years with ours, we still had storage space that wasn't full.  This new motorhome doesn't have near that much storage... it will take us several days to get things sorted and stowed, but a bunch of stuff went into the truck...

Temporarily.  We will, out of necessity, be getting rid of some stuff.

What we are hoping to gain with this new rig is some ease.  The HitchHiker wasn't hard to set up, but it didn't have levelers.  It takes more time to hook up the truck.  The Winnebago has automatic levelers - push one button, and it levels and stabilizes the coach.  We didn't have a built-in generator in the HitchHiker; this does.  And an inverter to be able to run some things from the house batteries.  Full body paint.  No idea how the road manners will be when the wind pipes up or semis roar past (the truck and 5th wheel were more solid feeling than our previous diesel pusher motorhomes), but the ride seems to be a bit more cushy than the truck.  A monitor in the dash shows the view behind and to either side of the coach.  A nice "info-tainment" center, with a built-in GPS, SeriusXM satellite radio, blue-tooth for connecting to the phones or iPad.  In-dash DVD.  Satellite ready for our Tailgater (VuQube).

And the really big plus: we can use all the amenities while going down the road.  Yes, I am aware of the seat-belt laws in every state.  I also know how we used our previous motorhomes, and the convenience of being able to get something out of the fridge or use the potty.  Little Izzy will not have to "be moved" to and from the truck.

We really had to move quick to get stuff out of the HitchHiker and mostly into the Winnebago so we could get to the nearby RV park (where we stayed last week) before dark...

Set up was easy, but we have stuff piled all over inside.  Joan has been working hard at finding "the place" for everything, but I have no doubt that there will be some switching and mind-changing.  The Aspect is smartly laid-out, but it is about half the square footage.

Little Izzy is confused: she recognized some of our stuff, but this "moving house" looks different and that stuff isn't in the same place.  She was very content in the HitchHiker, with several good vantage points to look out the windows.  She will find new vantage points.  We have only been in our site for a couple hours, but she has already gotten comfortable enough to eat and use her litter box.

We plan to do more traveling, less staying in one place for extended time... well, after we get past the time we have already scheduled for the next two months in Phoenix.  If we decide to pull into a Wal-Mart parking lot or a truck stop for a quick over-night, I feel more secure with a motorhome - you don't have to get out of the rig you are sleeping in to get to the driver's compartment.  No, we have never had an issue, but that type of overnight boondocking will be better for us with this rig.

Plus, we were ready for something new, and wanted a change.  We have had motorhomes before, but this will be a change.  Size-wise, this gives us a lot more space than we had in Wild Blue.  For my boater buds, it has more cabin space than a Ranger Tug 29... doesn't float worth a darn, though.  Well, I'm assuming that, and have no intention of finding out.  ;-)

Not much time for photos today, but here are a few views I took when we looked it over last week...

 More to come, after we've had a chance to catch our breath.