Last updated: 07/14/2008

Jack and Danielle Mayer

Living the Fulltime RV Lifestyle

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Welcome to our website. We are Jack and Danielle Mayer.

It was always our dream to live and travel fulltime in our RV. Beginning in August of 2000 we started living that dream as fulltime RVers. It is a lifestyle that we enjoy and we do not see ourselves "coming off the road" unless medical conditions force us to.

This website is oriented towards "technical" issues related to the fulltime RV lifestyle - everything from selecting your tow vehicle, information on Heavy Duty Trucks (HDT's), electrical modifications to your RV, installation and use of solar, items to make boondocking more pleasant, to cell phone selection and improvement, etc.

This site does not provide general "lifestyle" information on fulltime RVing or determining if our lifestyle would suit you. For information on lifestyle aspects of fulltime RVing we recommend our friends Howard and Linda Payne's website, RV-Dreams and their daily blog, RV Dreams Blog. In the Links and Files section you will find references to other lifestyle-oriented RV websites.

We also do not cover general towing information - how to calculate towing capacity, the difference between GVWR, GAWR, GCWR, etc. A good resource for that information is at the website of Mark and Dale Bruss.

The information in this website consists of a mixture of our opinions, and facts. Where information is opinion, it is either apparent, or I try to specify that it is opinion. Factual information on electrical implementations, etc., follows best practices and code, where applicable. If you are not sure, do your own research.

When planning for the fulltime lifestyle we had to consider what type of RV to use. For us, a fifth wheel trailer pulled by a truck was the best choice. We thought we chose the ultimate tow vehicle when we purchased our Ford F550. We were wrong!

We now tow with a Heavy Duty Truck (HDT), otherwise known as a semi-truck and a class 8 tractor. Yes, these are the trucks you see towing freight all over the country. An HDT is truly the ultimate tow vehicle. It can tow any RV trailer on the market, stops easily with weight behind it, and is more capable in every regard than the typical RV tow vehicle. In addition, it is easier to drive than a crew cab dually pickup, is far more comfortable, and you never need be concerned with overloading it. However, an HDT is not for everyone.

For 2 ½ years our Volvo 610 tractor was our only vehicle. We are often asked how we managed daily driving in such a large vehicle. The reality is, that our Volvo tractor is not much bigger than a crew cab dually pickup (it is slightly longer, and the same width). We now have a Jeep for off-road use, which we tow behind our 5th wheel. You can read about towing doubles (also called triple towing) in the Legal Issues section.

After several years on the road (towing with our F550) we realized that if we ever wanted a heavier 5'th wheel, we were going to have to upgrade the truck first. So we started researching Medium Duty Trucks (MDT's). The typical MDT you see is a small Freightliner or International converted for RV use. These are capable trucks, with many of the features of pickups that most people are familiar with. You should carefully consider their advantages when looking for a more capable tow vehicle. Take a look in the MDT or HDT? section for our view on the tradeoffs between them.

In the process of searching for our "ultimate" RV Hauler, we realized that for us a class 8 tractor would make a better hauler than an MDT. What you see here is a result of our search - what we consider the Ultimate RV Hauler.

Our Volvo tractor is titled as a motorhome in TX. It is a 1999 Volvo 610 with a 182" wheelbase. It is pushed by a Cummins ISM with 400 hp./1450 lb/ft of torque. This is the smallest engine commonly found in an HDT! This tractor is considered a "mid-height" sleeper - it has 6' 7" of interior headroom, and is 10' 10" on the exterior. The exterior height is slightly below the trailer height, is more practical for bob-tailing around town than a full-height tractor (which is 13'+), and has the added advantage of keeping the nose of the trailer bug-free! To see more about our truck look at Selecting Your HDT and Our Truck Body.

Much of this web site documents the conversion process of taking an over-the-road tractor and turning it into a dedicated RV hauler. We added a number of items to make the truck more comfortable, allow us to take overnight trips with just the truck, and to title the truck as an RV (instead of as a truck). Specific projects we did on our Volvo are shown in some detail. We hope this helps you with your conversion project!

We purchased our tractor from Larry Zeigler, who converts Volvo 610's and 770's for RV hauling. Larry did the basic conversion from tandem rear axles to single rear, added the aluminum wheels, and had the frame cut. His true "value-add" was to select a good truck to perform the conversion on. Information on selecting an HDT and converting it yourself is in the Selecting Your HDT section.

Use of Heavy Duty Trucks for hauling RVs has increased quite a bit in recent years. There is a national rally for heavy duty haulers held in Wichita, KS in late September or early October every year. If you are thinking of using an HDT for hauling an RV, you should seriously consider attending this rally. It will provide a wealth of knowledge, the ability to see 50+ trucks in one location, talk to the owners, and drive some of the rigs. There is no better way to understand the value of the HDT for RV hauling, or to learn as much in such a concentrated timeframe. All are welcome, and prospective owners are especially encouraged to attend. There are nearby hotels if you do not have an RV. The 2006 Rally had 47 trucks in attendance. They varied widely in type: Volvo, Kenworth, Peterbuilt and Freightliner were the primary types of trucks, but there were others as well.

Probably the best resource on the web for info on HDT's is the HDT section of the Escapees RV Club forum: Escapees Forum.