Just 1 thing holding us back

November 15^th., Our launch date is going to be a BUST. Well to be honest it was only an approximation. In order to set up a countdown calendar you needed a end date. I'm still hoping it happens before the end of the year.

We've done just about everything we can do at this point. The house is as empty as it can get short of sleeping on the floor and watching television in camp chairs. We have sold everything we own except for what we believe we will be taking on the road. I keep saying we have only gone through the first of several purges. The last one will be everything we have crammed into the walk in closet downstairs. You people already fulltiming know what I'm talking about.

All the stuff you look at and decide well, I can't live without this or that will make our lives so much easier once we're living in a RV. I can see it now, the house is sold, we buy the 5^th. wheel, we carry box after box into our new home. After stepping over boxes and digging through each and every one just to find the new flexible light weight silicone muffin pan. We sit down exhausted and decide, its time we purged some of this junk so we can store what's really important. 11 seasons of MASH, plus the movie.

Well one thing that is decided and put to rest is the great debate of which 5^th. Wheel do we want? I can say we both have chosen the Keystone Sprinter front living #333FL. We keep going back and looking at RV's but always come back to the Sprinter. The living room has 2 couches that fold out to beds for the grand kids if we ever get back to see them. I like the fact that there is a large basement below and more storage in the back below the bedroom.

Well today we just about did it. We went to yet another RV show to look around and see what was available. Plenty of motor homes and travel trailers with only a handful of 5^th. Wheels. One of the first ones we saw was the Sprinter 333 Front living. The exact one we've been looking at only 5 miles from home only one model year newer. Of course we're stopped by a salesman and a caught in a conversation almost immediately.

After all the get to know you and I'm your buddy (I'm not trying to sell you an RV) talk, we got down to brass tacks as my Dad use to say. Our salesman Mark F. from Alabama, still not sure why they needed to recruit salespeople from out of state. There seemed to be more than enough salespeople running around. I mean you couldn't stop and drink a cup of coffee without being asked if we needed help. Anyway, I informed Mark I had been researching this for about two years now and there were certain things I was not going to pay for or put up with. Once he understood this we had a good conversation.

Show price started out at 38,900.00 being generous he got down to 36,900.00. Sorry no deal. When I explained we had a quote for 32,900.00 on a 2014 exact same model Mark got on board a little better. He wanted to talk to his boss and asked me if the 32,900 offer included a Reese Hitch. I was honest and told him no but it did include a $300.00 gift card from the Camping World store and tossing in the hitch might sway my decision to buy. Well after another cup of coffee and playing around in a really big Class A Motor Home which had the keys in it. And I wonder why Barb looked nervous, Mark came back with the offer. $34,700.00 out the door price. (Tax, Tag, and Title included) a new Reese Hitch to be installed after we buy a truck and a $300.00 gift card.

Well I was a whole lot surprised. I didn't know what to do or say. I was ready to sign right then, Barb was ready to sign. But, you know that little devil that sits on your shoulder and says Now wait a minute, lets think this through. Barbs about to retire, we would have to store the 5^th. Wheel somewhere and The house hasn't sold yet. I just couldn't do it.

I had to past, just couldn't see taking on that financial nightmare right now. Anyway when the house sells we'll hopefully find another good deal we can live with.


                                   Safe Travels And I Hope To See You On The Road Soon 

Saint Joseph, Sell my house. Please

For those of you that don't know Barb and I are trying to become fulltime RV'ers. We are now at the last piece of the puzzle. Selling the house. Its been on the market for 3 months now and still not sold. We fired our agent last week and hired a new agent on Oct. 1^st.

Already we've had three showings. But I'm already thinking about getting a new agent. Why after just five days, you ask? Well, a few weeks ago I was on one of the many RV forum clubs I belong to on Facebook complaining about my house not selling. 
Several people suggested we bury a Saint Joseph statue in the yard. Not sure how to respond I simply said Huh? Everybody said just goggle it. So I did.

Seems if you bury a statue of Saint Joseph in your yard your house will sell very quickly. I did a little research and I mean very little research and sure enough you can get these Saint Joseph selling your house kits on line. Not only can you get them on line but, Hold on to your hat, you can buy them at Christian Book stores. Really, now I'm willing to try just about anything to get on with my life and get this house sold but I'm not to sure about burying Saint Joseph in my yard.

Especially after I told my mom about it. This is the lady that goes to church on Wednesday and twice on Sunday. She came about as close as you can get to saying if you do this you aren’t my son. Not to mention all the rules you need to follow when putting Joe in the ground. And who knows what the right rules are.

I took these from several sites.

Upside down, near the 'For Sale' sign in the front yard. (An upside down St. Joseph is said to work extra hard to get out of the ground and onto someone's mantel.)

Right side up

In the rear yard, possibly in a flower bed

Lying on its back and pointing towards the house “like an arrow”

Three feet from the back of the house

Facing the house

Facing away from the house

Exactly 12 inches deep

So, my question to you fulltimer's that did bury Saint Joseph in your yard. How quickly did your house sell? Now I haven't run out and bought my Saint Joseph yet, and by the way you can actually buy one from Amazon. Prices range from $6.69 to $24.88. I guess if you buy the $24.88 kit your house will sell faster then if you only spend $6.69.

So if I come back here in a couple of weeks and tell everybody we're moving into a new RV because the house sold please don't say anything to my mom, she doesn't need to know how we did it and I still need to be able to get a nice dinner on Thanksgiving day.

T.T.F.N.               Watch this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6LTyJe3C_c&feature=player_embedded

Safe Travels And I Hope To See You On The Road Soon

Another offer falls through

    Seems another offer on the house fell through this past week. And I had a really good feeling about these folks. Very Disappointing. So what to do? Well we've taken a step back and looked at a few things and got the opinion of a outsider. Seems one of the recurring negative comments about our house has been, there's to much work that needs to be done on the inside.

   We just kept scratching our heads trying to figure out what everybody was talking about. That's where the opinion of an outsider comes in to play. This person does home remodeling for a different realtor than we are listed with. Looks like everybody just wants to turn the key and say We're Home. Nobody wants to pick up a paintbrush and make the house their home and personalize the walls.

   So we will invest a few dollars and make the house as neutral as possible hoping anybody that looks at it will be able to see themselves living here. So far I've completed one bedroom, one bathroom, the living room, and almost got the laundry room finished. I'm going to hire out the outside changes we have in mind, that's just a little more then I can handle by myself.

   Until then we will continue to have our yard sales and downsize what we will keep in the RV and what will go to charity. Speaking of yard sales, seems if the temperature gets above 95 degrees nobody wants to come outside. Oh well, Lesson Learned. I'll just keep telling myself “Better Times Are Ahead” Keep your fingers crossed for us. T.T.F.N. 

             Safe Travels and I Hope To See You Down The Road

One step Forward and Two steps back

 

Well as I stated last week “We have a contract on the house”, Oh boy lots to do and little time to do it. Where to begin? We found a 5^th. Wheel we could agree on at a price we both liked. Put down a deposit so they could start checking it out for us. Of course this was all dependent on the sale of the house. Started looking for an Extended stay hotel that would accept pets. We also took Maggie to the Vet's for her shots. We began looking for a campground that we could live at until Barb retires in November. OK, plans are starting to fall into place.

BUT WAIT, hold the phone. Not so fast there mister. It seems as if the soon to be home owner of our current residence has gotten cold feet and decided to pull the rug out from under us and our planning. How dare he. So much for making a plan. To brighten my day my Mom likes to say “It will happen when it happens”. Well that's great, just when is that suppose to take place? I mean I'm ready to go now. I've heard the expression Patience is a Virtue. My dad used to like telling me that one. But I can stand here and openly admit, I HAVE NO PATIENCE. This house needs to sell now.

Oh well. There really is no rush, at least we aren’t in the position a lot of people are finding themselves in. We don't have to sell. We could stay right here for a long time. It's just I DON'T WANT TOO. I'm ready to hit the open road and see some sites and enjoy myself. But if it's not my time what choice do I have but to wait. At least we can continue having our moving sales and get rid of even more treasures so we can pad our emergency fund when we finally do get on the road. I guess I'll continue being a RV Dreamer for a little while longer. Until next time keep your fingers crossed for us.

              Safe Travels And I Hope To See You Down The Road

How much does it take?

OK, so we have a offer on the house. We're moving forward as if we will close the deal on August 22^nd. As planned. Because the glass is half full as my wife Barb tells me. But isn't it half empty also? Oh well, not starting that discussion again.

Barb retires in November and I stop working about that same time so we will be staying where we are until then. We need to sell the house before buying a 5^th. Wheel to live in. Our plan is to stay in a Extended Stay Hotel for about one month so we can buy and have it moved to a campsite (no we don't have a truck yet). So this past week we started looking for one to stay in. SHOCKED at the prices is all I can say, but still cheaper then paying a mortgage, water, sewer, and electric. Oh but don't forget the $150.00 per week for our little 8 pound dog. $150.00, are you kidding me? That is if they even allow pets to begin with.

Let me say a little about monthly campsite fees. Holy Cow. Full hookup back in site with sewer, water, and electric $640.00 a month. But get this, you can only stay one month. Why? Because it sits on a lake controlled by the Corp of Engineers and they say one month in and at least one month out of the site. Also all campgrounds around the lake are the same because the Corp controls the lake.

Camping World has a book with just about everywhere to camp with cost. If you're old like me you remember the huge phone books that got dropped on your front porch. The ones that you could use as a booster seat. That's how big this camping book is. Hopefully we can find a spot a little less expensive. 

I've read hundreds of RV blogs and looked at about the same number of budgets on RV'ing. I'm not doing it yet but I believe the RV lifestyle is a lot less expensive then living in a non-moving house. I'm beginning to think getting there is a whole other story. Oh well, just one more hurdle to jump over on our way to a new lifestyle.

             Safe Travels And I hope To See You Down The Road

Don't get your hopes up

As you know Barb and I are planning to become fulltimers sometime this year. The house is on the market and we keep selling everything we think we won't or don't need. Well we made a trip to Florida to see family over the 4^th. Of July weekend and of course stopped at a Camping World in Ocala to look around. 

We found a 2009 Heartland Big Country 5^th Wheel on the lot that we really liked that seemed to be in really good shape for a five year old RV. We left there and looked at a few other RV lots. Nothing compared to the Big Country in cost and condition so we headed back to Camping World to take a more in-depth look and ask some questions.

Turns out this unit was there on consignment and had been there 60 days already. The original asking price was 37,999.00 marked down to 24,999.00. We offered 20,000.00 and told the salesperson not a penny more. Of course the owner could not be reached that weekend, and I can understand that. So we left town and told the sales guy to give us a call Monday.

The owner said he would take 21,000.00. I agreed as long as the owner agreed to repair or replace anything that was not working after a Camping World tech checked out the rig from top to bottom and front to back. I also emailed our sales guy Sunday afternoon telling him if there was any water damage at all the deal was off since we found some water staining right at the base of one of the slide-outs.  

Monday another guy from CW calls me and says CW or nobody for that matter would ever guarantee there was no water damage. I explained he needed to talk to my sales guy and have him explain to you what I said about water damage. He told me he was just trying to help. He said he would have a tech take a look at it and call me back.

About three hours later I get the call. Seems the entire slide out is water damaged and they estimate it will would cost about 8,000.00 to repair with no guarantee it would be right. Well long story short I said thanks but no thanks. I guess we will just keep looking.

As my mom likes to say “If its meant to be it will be”. I guess it wasn't meant to be, at least not on this Big Country. So we keep looking till we find the one that is right for us. And not get our hopes up again.

On a good note, We have a contract on the house.

       Safe Travels And I Hope To See You Down The Road

Our American Dream/Independence Day

 

What is the American Dream? Since we are only a few days past

July 4^th. (Independence Day) I thought I would talk a little bit about the preconceived American Dream. You know the one where you go to college, get a good job that you will be able to retire from. Find your partner and get married, buy a house, have a couple of kids. And Live Happily Ever After.

If that's the dream you have go for it, don't let anything stand in your way. I believe that was the dream we all had at one time in our lives. That's just not the dream I see for Barb and myself anymore. We've had the house, raised the kids, all of which are doing great by the way. We have decided there is a better way and we intend to find out.

In just a short time we will become fulltime RV'ers. We have been downsizing and getting rid of everything we don't think we will need so that we can live in a RV and travel this great country. You see I was downsized back in 2008 when the economy went down the tubes. Which I think was a blessing in disguise because it got us thinking there has to be a better way.

After quite a bit of research we feel fulltime RV living is the way to go, at least for us. We intend to buy a camper and travel, seeing the sights all across the country while working for our campsite and a little wage. A little different yes but doable all the same.  

We intend to work a season in one place and move on to another, moving 2 or 3 times a year or as the jobs present themselves.

As of now the house is up for sale and the downsizing continues. We are hopefully only about 131 days away from our launch date. Its getting exciting and a little scary at the same time. They say “If Your Dreams Don't Scare You... They're Not Big Enough” We are looking for our Independence Day. I hope you find your Independence Day soon.

               Safe Travels And I Hope To See You Down The Road    

Being RV Frugal or just Cheap

  What's the difference between Frugal and Cheap? Some people say there is no difference,while others will say there is a world of difference. I tend to agree with the world of difference people. You can be cheap just for the sake of being cheap or you can spend wisely so you have the funds you might need for something special you've been wanting or for that breakdown we all know is just around the next curve in the road.

  I like to think along the lines of being Thrifty. Do we really need to eat out four times    a month? Maybe not. Could the money we spend eating out be put to better use? I'm sure it could be. I'm not saying we should deprive ourselves of something fun like eating out now and then, I'm saying we don't need to make it a habit. Make it special and really enjoy the times that you do eat out or whatever it is you do.

  Ways to save or be frugal when we become fulltime RV'ers are plentiful. Discount Camping Clubs are one of many ways people can save money while living on the road. Passport America will save you 50% on camping fees. You do need to check with each campground because there is a limit to how many nights they will honor. Currently at a cost of I believe $44.00 a year you can earn that back by the discount only a few times.

  Most privately owned campgrounds will give nice discounts if you plan on staying monthly instead of nightly and bigger discounts if you stay seasonally. Of course this is not always the case but all you need to do is ask. Campgrounds in high tourist ares may not give discounts.

  If you are a Boondocker there are many ways to save a buck. The biggest way is to not pay for camping. I mean you can stay on Bureau of Land Management property. Or BLM land. Mostly you will find these areas out west. The latest information I found says you can stay on BLM land for 14 days before you have to move at least 25 miles away. Of course you will not have water, electric, or sewer while camping here, so your rig needs to be self-contained. Casinos are now starting to allow campers to stay in their parking lots. Obviously they want you to come in and part with some of your money. If you are strong willed you might be able to leave there with more than the shirt on your back. If you are traveling cross country and just need a place to lay your head for the night you might try pulling into a Walmart for the night. Check with the manager first because in some towns they have a no overnight parking ban.

  Another way to save or be frugal is to workamp.  There are several different ways to do this. You can work at a campground and get your site and hookups free plus a small salary. Or you can work some hours and stay for free while site seeing around the area. You could also volunteer a few hours a week and get your site and hookups free while filling a service to state or national parks that are understaffed.

  This is just the tip of the iceberg as far as ways to be frugal and still enjoy your life on the road. There are plenty of blogs and facebook articles on the subject, just goggle what you want to know and you'll have tons of reading material.

               Safe Travels And I Hope To See You Down The Road

Tools

Two weeks ago I wrote about my tools and what needed to go on the road with us and what could be purged along with tons of other things. I'm struggling with what to take and how much it all weighs. Well last week I took the scales down to the garage and weighed everything. It seems I'm already at 260 pounds and I'm still not done. Guess I need to take another look at what all I'm taking.

From the many internet sites I've looked at here is a list of tools you might find helpful when traveling in your RV. This is by no means a complete list and you might want to delete or add some other tools.

Screwdrivers, Phillips and slotted several sizes of each.
A good selection of Robertson and Torx Bits
Cordless Drill/Driver
Nut Drivers
Adjustable Wrenches a 6”, 8”, and 10” should do
A set of Open End/ Box Wrenches
Vise Grips small and large
Pliers regular and needle nose small and large
Socket Set
Soldering Iron
Assorted Connectors
Fuses
Multi Meter
Several 120 Ext. Cords
Replacement Bulbs, think about switching to LED
Water Heater Element and Deep Socket
Teflon Tape
Plumbers Putty
Utility Knife
Hack Saw
Small Hand Saw
Small Pruning Saw
Wire Brushes assorted sizes
Wire Strippers, some spools of 12v and 120v wire
Ty Wraps
Duct Tape
Gorilla Tape
Elect. Tape
A/C Duct Tape
Silicone for sealing leaks
Caulking Gun
Rivet Gun and assorted rivets
Flash Light
Level 6” and 2'
Shovel
Axe
Rake
Assorted Nuts, Bolts, and Screws

Remember only you know what you'll feel comfortable traveling with and if you'll really need some of these things. I like to follow the Boy Scout Motto “Be Prepared” but you also have to be aware of weight. That's where I'm at now. Like I said earlier, my tools weight 260 pounds at this time so I'm not sure to purge some or just go with what I've got. Anyway I've added two really good videos I think will help anybody make up their mind.

I will say two very good videos I've watched about tools on the road is Tools and Maintenance Items for the Full Time RV Life by Ray at Love your RV  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmAJXK8Gwt8
and An RV technicians guide to the Best Tools for an RV by Chris Dougherty.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wy9ozNqG6m


                        Safe Travels and I Hope To See You Down The Road

God made Life a Gamble

This past weekend Barb and I went to a concert in the park to see Joe Diffie. If you're not a country music fan then this might be lost on you. He played all of his greatest hits and then some. Everybody there had a great time in spite of the rain.



Joe Diffie

Anyway, (an this might be a stretch) one of his songs is called “Ships that don't come in”. It's about the struggles service men and women can have when they return from duty. Drinking, drugs, not able to find work, mental health issues.

A line in the song goes “God made life a gamble, and we're still in the game.” Barb and I are still RV Dreamers but we plan to make it to Fulltime RV'ers before the end of the year. Now I'm not trying to compare our struggles with any service person. No struggle could come close to what they might have gone through.

We all struggle in one way or another, plenty of unanswered questions still ring in my head every day. The biggest of course is can we do this financially? All RV Dreamers have unanswered questions and worry about making the right choice when faced with one of a hundred problems that we all know is going to pop up as we try our luck in exploring this country or whatever your idea of fulltiming will be.

I've read hundreds of blogs and forum entry's about RV'ing to know there is NO right answer for everybody. Some folks say they need $5000.00 a month to live this lifestyle, while others post they live quite comfortably on $1500.00 to $2000.00 a month. So who's to say which ones are right and wrong. God sure did make life a gamble.

But isn't life suppose to be a gamble? Who can say staying in a house that never moves is the right choice in life. We've played that game, and honestly. I'm tired of it. I'm ready for something new, something to inspire me, something to make me want to get out of bed in the morning. Every Morning. We're still in the Game. We just want a different game to play.

I'm not so naive to think life will become a bed of roses when we get on the road, even roses have thorns. Just because we will be living in a recreational vehicle doesn't mean we won't have struggles, of course we will. I'll still need to work somewhere, just not as much as I am right now. And as long as I'm able to be in the game, I feel the gamble is worth it.

As a kid growing up my dad seemed to have a saying for everything about life. Yes I remember most of them. Especially, “Can't never did do anything.”
Well I CAN and I Will some way, some how. And I hope you Stay In The Game and take your Gamble along with us on the road.

Safe Travels and I Hope To See You Down The Road

One big step forward.

Its OFFICAL, the house is up for sale.

  One more step forward in our quest to get on the road fulltiming before the year is gone. It has been a wild ride just getting to this point. So many decisions still to make but I'm thinking most of them will take care of themselves when the time comes.

I think my brain may turn to mush before we get there. We're still discussing (debating) actually what type of RV we want to get. Looks like it will be a 5^th. Wheel, at least we can agree on that. 

Anyway, we continue to purge and sell off everything we own. It seems like a juggling act trying to figure out when is the right time to sell the dining room set. We've already sold the kitchen table so do we keep it till the very end or eat in front of the television. Then there's the living room furniture, I guess we could set on the camping chairs the kids got us last year. That could be a little uncomfortable for who knows how long as we wait for the house to sell.

I won't sell our bedroom set or at least the bed until the very end because I WILL NOT sleep on the floor if at all possible. Of course we do have a air mattress (from our tent camping days) so maybe it could go after all.

Talking about stuff I won't sell, let's talk about tools. Now I don't claim to be a master mechanic but going on the road means taking care of a lot of fixes and repairs to save a little money. I've read a bunch of articles about what some guys refuse to leave behind. The main concern seems to be how much all those tools weigh. I've not weighed my tools yet but I think I might be a little overweight. Actually I think they are way over weight. That's a purge I'll have to deal with at a later date. I hope I'm not trying to hang on to them for no reason. After all I'm not Tim the ToolMan Taylor.

                          Safe Travels and I Hope to See You Down the Road.

Random Thoughts

Random Thoughts on getting on the Road Fulltime

So the purge continues. We had another garage sale this past Saturday. I know our neighbors must be thinking “Just how much junk do these people have?”

Well evidently, quite a lot. Well to be honest we've been married now for I think 18 years and we were both married before. So yes we do have a whole bunch of stuff to get rid of. Funny thing is even while we seem to be selling lots of stuff, we still seem to have a lot left. The garage doesn’t look like its getting empty at all. Could we be growing more junk some how?

I don't think we are over pricing our stuff, as a matter of fact I think we might be under pricing on lots of things. But my thought is we want to get rid of this stuff not haul it off to Goodwill or some other thrift store. Barb has had the hardest time. She has a lot of collectables as in Longaberger Baskets, as in they were very expensive. Of course nobody wants to give you what they are worth so there's haggling going on and Barb HATES to haggle. Especially when she's on the wrong end of the haggle. I will say she seems to be adjusting pretty well and understands we are moving from 2000 square feet of house to about 250 square feet of house and we can only take so many baskets with us. I wont even start with her Precious Moments figurines. Enough on garage sales.

We're going to become fulltime RV'ers. As a matter of fact, if you look on the left side of what you are reading right now I have a countdown timer that shows 202 days before we leave on our new lifestyle. That was as of Sunday 4/27/14. That's only about 7 months from now. Wow, less than a year from now and I'm going to be homeless and unemployed. You know that little devil that sat on your shoulder and tried to get you in trouble and told you you can't do this or that. Well he seems to be holding a party on my shoulders because I'm having all kinds of doubt about this whole thing. I'm trying to not listen to him because I've crunched all the numbers in the budget, I've looked at so many budgets and blogs from other fulltimers that I think I might need to see my eye doctor again real soon. The bottom line is I just can't find any reason why we can't do this. We will still need to work some to enjoy this new lifestyle but again I can't see any reason not to do it.

We're still up in the air about which type of camper will work best for us and now I'm starting to take a hard look at fiberglass campers. Yes I'm talking about Casita's and a whole line of other brands. I've found one 25 footer by Bigfoot that looks pretty good. The main thing about fiberglass campers are they are two piece construction. A bottom half and a top half. Meaning there are no seams to leak up on the roof. They don't seem to be four season campers but I don't plan on spending any time up north during the winter either. One big advantage is a smaller tow vehicle which can be used for storage also. This could be a uphill battle because Barb is still dead set against anything that looks like a Casita. Stay tuned the war rages on.

         Safe Travels and I Hope to See You Down the Road.

 

Which Brand for Us?

We took a little road trip this past weekend so I didn't get to put a lot of thought into my blog this week until we got home. What I did do was think a whole bunch about our weekend road trip. Now keep in mind this was the last weekend of March and a lot of spring breakers were heading back to school from Florida beaches and other points of interest of young people. Also the famous Snow Birds were heading home somewhere up north. So needless to say the interstate was quite crowed.

  Thinking about all the traffic Barb and I saw, we spent a lot of time looking at the different brands of RV's we were passing as we headed the other way. We didn't keep track of the different rigs flying down the road so nothing in this blog entry is scientific research. Not that I do a lot of scientific research, at least not anymore.  OK, I never did.

  We saw Crusaders, Open Range, Denali, Forest River and just about every other brand of RV that has ever been built, even quite a few Air Streams. We saw a wide range of Motor Homes, Class C's and B's and 5^th. Wheels. We saw Travel Trailers of all ages. We also saw our fair share of Casita trailers that all Barb would say was “No, I will not live in one of those”.

  I will say this, Montana Cougar was the most seen recreational vehicle on the road this weekend. Does this mean Cougar is the most popular of all RV's out there. I don't think so. OK I don't want to start an argument. Just saying that's the rig we saw the most of. Again not a lot scientific research went into any of this.

  There's just to many options and floor plans available for anybody to say what's the best rig out there. There's to much personal preference involved for anybody and I mean anybody to say what's the best RV for you. Only YOU can say what's best for you.

  We are still RV Dreamers, hoping to be on the road by the end of this year. Seeing all those RV'ers heading somewhere only fortified me even more that I will do this just as soon as possible.

  And just so you know Barb has narrowed down the choices to Crusader, Wildcat 327, Heritage Glen 327, and yes the Cougar front living. You know the list might change again by next week. I just never know.

                    Safe Travels and I Hope to See You Down the Road.

Check it Twice

Check it Twice

We haven’t even got on the road yet and I already have countless checklists. What to look for when you pull into a campground, what to do when you pull out of a campground, what steps to take before emptying your storage tanks. Not to mention the PDI checklist.

This is the pre-delievery inspection walk through with somebody from the dealership. The most important part of this walk through is this (Don't Let Them Rush You Through This). This is the inspection of the soon to be your RV. Also don't sign anything until you are satisfied that any and ALL problems are fixed or if they are minor can be fixed at a later time.

You will want to have them show you how everything works and I do mean everything. Some people take lots of notes, some people will video the PDI and refer to it later. You will want to make sure they put water in the tank so you can test the system, making sure the water pump works. You will want to look under the sinks for any leaks. As a matter of fact check in all cabinets, the manufacturer could run water lines through any and all cabinets.

You will need to bring a few things with you to make your walk through as smooth as possible. A small electrical tester to check the outlets throughout the RV, a flashlight will come in handy when checking for leaks inside those cabinets, coveralls if you plan on crawling under the rig. Make sure the dealership has installed a fully charged battery so you can check the 12v lights.

This is by no means a complete list of things to look for, you can find all kinds of checklist on the internet. Look at a lot of them. Most will be repeats of what you have already seen, but you might find something different on the next one you see. Of course the very most important thing not to forget is your traveling companion. Forget them and You're in for a long trip.

Safe Travels and I Hope To See You Down The Road.

TAKE ONLY PICTURES

TAKE ONLY PICTURES, LEAVE ONLY MEMORIES

Years ago when I was Scoutmaster of Troop 412 in Largo, Florida the Scouts had a motto. Not the one “Be Prepared”. Of course we could all live a better life if we were prepared. I'm talking about a program the National office rolled out. It was called

No Trace Camping.

In a nut shell it said If you Pack it in, Pack it out. Or leave no trace you were ever there to begin with. This is a bigger concern when boondocking than when camping in a private campground or any established campground. But then you have to ask why are workampers in high demand to clean campsites. 

When pulling into a campsite the first step should be to walk the site you have chosen before pulling or backing in. Pick up any trash you find beforehand. It will make your clean up at the end of your stay that much faster. Besides, who wants to set up camp at a trashy site and live with it. 

Our scouts were taught to prepare a proper fire ring whenever we went camping. We always ringed our fire site with rocks so everybody knew right where the fire ring was. We also had a bucket of sand a bucket of water and a shovel next to the fire ring in case the fire got out of hand. 

The only firewood to use should be found on the ground, brought with you or purchased from the campground if available. You should never place anything into a fire that won't burn completely. Hence the saying pack it in, pack it out. Always clean your fire ring before leaving.

I think the point I'm really wanting to make is, We all have this great big country to explore and see. Wouldn’t it be a lot nicer and enjoyable if we could enjoy sitting next to a little stream up in the mountains without a lot of trash around us. How about hiking a trail in the Smokey Mountains without seeing cigarette butts or candy wrappers everywhere you look

I think we can all take a few lessons from the boy scouts. We should all try to leave our campsites as clean or cleaner than we found them. Remember somebody else will be pulling into this site pretty soon.

So try to remember, Take only Pictures, leave only Memories.

Safe Travels and I'll See You Down the Road.

The $164.00 question

Health Insurance for the Road

Do you understand the Affordable Care Act? If you do PLEASE explain it to me and the millions of others that seem to be lost, dazed, and confused.

Of course I'm referring to how all this change is going to affect those on the road and us dreamers that will be joining you out there soon. Right now we are covered by Barb's health plan at work but she retires this November and I'll be leaving my work shortly after that.

We are both to young for Medicare so we are looking at ObamaCare or buying on the open market after the first of the year. Neither option looks very promising but it looks like we will at least qualify for a subsidy to help lower our monthly premiums. With preexisting conditions no longer a concern it looks like we will be paying $463.00 per month for a Silver plan. I know, no great shakes there.  We could go with a Bronze plan and pay $138.00 per month but that just keeps the IRS off our backs and doesn't pay for much else.  I'll just have to remember to keep a rabbits foot in my pocket so we don't need to see a doctor.

I've been reading everything I can get my hands on for some easy to understand information but that's like asking for the winning lottery numbers, which would solve a lot of the problem right there. I'm still not sure what the right move will be for us so will continue to look. I'm thinking no matter what the answer is it will be difficult to live with it. I guess the most logical step for us and others is to really start living life better by the choices we make and the foods we eat. Vitamins are becoming a large part of my life. By taking better care of ourselves hopefully we won't need to see a doctor as much as we have been. Not to mention less cost of prescription meds will add a few more coins to my pocket.

I'm trying to research prescription medicine from Mexico but haven’t gotten very far yet.

This past week I was at the doctor for a bacterial infection and was prescribed a nasal spray to help reduce the pressure. My insurance company would not approve the medicine and there was no generic for it. I asked the pharmacy what the price was in case I could pay for it myself. The answer $164.00. NO WAY. Well I was reading a blog the other day about another fulltimer that went to Mexico for dental work. He happened to take a picture of a sign outside the pharmacy where he went for his prescription.

Right there on the sign was the same medicine I would have had to pay $164.00 for listed for $25.99. Really makes me wonder what in the world is going on. So now I'm wondering what blood pressure medicine would cost down there. No matter how you look at it Health Insurance in this country will never be the way it was. I'm not saying this as good or bad, but our choices will never be the same. I have found out you can cross the border to buy your meds. but you MUST have a  prescription from an American doctor and can only get 50 pills at a time. Of course you could take your chance's with the Border Patrol and try to sneak more across, but a full body cavity search is not my idea of a fun time. 

 

As far as your domicile goes, Texas and Florida seems like they will be the front runners for fulltimers as it looks like you won't have to stay in the state any length of time to get insurance. Although how big your network will be is another matter altogether. South Dakota looks like they are going to be out of the race as far as domicile goes because they are making you stay in state a minimum of 6 months to get insurance.  Not much of an option for fulltime travelers.  Yet this could change as it looks like nothing is set in stone as of this time.

I'm going to research private insurance companies next and see if they might be any better than ObamaCare.  I sure hope so.  So until next time.

 

 

Safe Travels and I Hope to See You Down the Road.

 

P.S.

It looks like South Dakota insurance companies are dropping the 6 month residence requirement as of this time.  Stay tuned, this could change again.  Who Knows.

Confused

When planning a road trip its a pretty simple task. You know where your starting point is and you can find your ending point. Simply draw a line from point A to point B and you are done. If you plan on any side trips of course you just add these new destinations to your map. But what if you're not talking about a simple road trip. What if the road trip you are planning is the trip to getting on the road as a fulltime RV'er. What Then? 

I've done a years worth of research and forum reading. I've started the planning. We've even begun the purging of the house phase. We had several yard sales last year and plan more this year. But then winter came and everything kind of came to a dead stop. I know you can't do a lot of selling and purging when its freezing outside and snow is falling. I just feel like we have hit a brick wall and can't get started again. I guess its a state of mind. With spring just 21 days away I'm hoping we can jump start our progress again and be on the road before the end of the year.

I'm meeting with a realtor in about 3 weeks to see what's next as far as getting the house ready for the market. Hopefully it won't take much to get it in condition to sell. If the weather will warm up we might be able to work on the curb appeal soon. My plan for this spring and summer is to work on the house every other weekend and have yard sales on the off weekends to hopefully get rid of as much stuff as possible.

You know when you have a road map out and you try to fold it back the way it should be and it never works out so you just start to fold it any old way you can so you can shove in the glove box just to hide it. Well that's the way I'm feeling right now. I'm trying to work myself into a mindset that this will all come together in the end and work out the way I have planned. Right now I'm really confused and befuddled about the whole thing. I just hope its all a mind fog that will clear as the weather improves.

Here's hoping you don't find yourself fighting with your road map.

Safe Travels and I'll See You Down the Road

RV Lifestyles

 

 

What type of RV'er are you likely to be? Full time, Part time, Snowbird, Frugal, or Minimalistic. What you choose to become is totally up to you and there is no right way or wrong way to do any of these. You could choose to be a Fulltimer which is probably the most popular. With all the options out there its pretty divided as to sell the house or keep the house. Again NO Wrong Answer. A lot of folks sell the house and everything in it to begin funding their fulltime adventure. Some people want a home base just in case things don't work out.

Snowbirders (Is that even a word, I don't know, but I'm using it) will live half their time up north and the other half down south. Not a bad plan if you ask me, since we are expecting ½ to ¾ inches of ice over night. You get the best of both worlds. Warm weather up north during the summer and warm weather down south during the winter.

Frugal RV'ers are people that watch what they bring in and payout each and every week. Unless you have a really good retirement income you will probably be one of the frugal travelers. We will be in this group since I won't be retirement age for six more years. If you come up with a workable budget and stick to it this type of lifestyle should work for you. Of course I plan to carry a rabbit's foot with me at all times. Frugal RV'ers might even be part of another category in the RV lifestyle by boondocking to save more money. You don't pay for a camping site when boondocking. Of course you don't have electrical power or city water either, even more ways to be frugal.

People can be minimalistic in a regular house without being a RV'er. One definition of a minimalist is (It’s simply getting rid of things you do not use or need, leaving an uncluttered, simple environment and an uncluttered, simple life. It’s living without an obsession with material things or an obsession with doing everything and doing too much. It’s using simple tools, having a simple wardrobe, carrying little and living lightly.) I guess you don't have to worry too much about weight limits.

A lot of RV'ers live a combination of all of these lifestyles in some form or another. I've heard some people say they have a rule in their rig, If something new comes in then something old has to leave. Just assuming here but I'm guessing that does not include your spouse. Most RV'ers aren't collecters. They have all the souvenirs and tee shirts they need. About everybody takes photos to reminisce over years later. Although some people collect small key chains from their travels along the way. Most will also have an outline of the United States on the door of their RV and fill in each state after they have camped there.

The bottom line here is, there is NO one way to travel in your RV. However you travel is the right way for you, as long as you are happy.

Safe Travels and I'll see you down the road.

Insurance needs and Choices Part II

Insurance needs and Choices Part II

So I've started to look into insurance for our soon to buy 5^th. Wheel. All I want are some quotes so I can compare to see who has the best rates and best coverage. Fat chance this is going to be easy. Tried searching the forums, of course everybody has an opinion and no two of them can agree on which company has the best deal. I guess it really is a personal decision. I did find out the big players in the insurance business isn't always the way to go. 

I started my search on Sunday night, knowing nobody would give me what I wanted right then. I filled out all of their forms and hit submit. I was expecting a full in box when I got home Monday thinking with today's economy the insurance companies would be crawling over each other for new business. How wrong I was. Not one of them responded to my request for information.

I did get a phone call Monday from one company wanting to discuss my needs, but I was in a meeting and didn't take the call. I have a problem with a company that doesn't listen to what I'm saying. I was very clear on how I wanted to be contacted and by phone was not the accepted way. That's why I included my e-mail address with instructions stating to send the information to that address.

Maybe its just me but if you can't or won't follow my instructions I guess we will not be doing business together. My research in the forums found that Good Sam seems to be the best at rates and coverage. No Good Sam doesn't really sell RV insurance, they out source to another company. But with the Good Sam name on it they want to make sure RV'ers are happy with the product. So my search continues and I'll let you know WHEN and IF I can put this little piece of the puzzle to rest.

Last weeks blog post had a sentence in the last paragraph that said.

Anyway, we have narrowed our choices down to just a few and still have time to refine the list or change it completely by the time we are ready to get on the road.

I put that in there to let people know I'm Done looking. I've seen enough RV's to make an intelligent decision on what I'm willing to live in. Well guess what, seems there is another 5^th. Wheel out there that needs a look or two. While reading the forum at IRV2 somebody brought up the Forest River Heritage Glen 327RES. Of course I had to look it up. Seems it is just about the same as the Wildcat 327CK. There are some differences good and bad. But the bad aren't that bad and the good are a lot better than I can pass on.

They are both built by Forest River. The Heritage Glen is classified as a Lite while the Wildcat is not. The quality seems to be the same, and the Heritage Glen will carry 905 more pounds than the Wildcat. Just what I need, to tell Barb she doesn't have to sell or donate as much stuff as I thought. I guess the hunt continues.

 

Safe Travels and I'll See You Down The Road. 

Choices, What's Important To You

   We went to our last RV show this past weekend in Atlanta. I say last because I really don't think I can take one more. They say RVing is supposed to be relaxing, what they don't tell you is all the hassle you have to deal with to get to the relaxing part. The parking, the crowds and the salespeople you have to put up with.

    We at least narrowed our choice down to three that we really like, I mean I could live in any of these three when the time comes so if one is not available when we are ready hopefully another will be. Or we could be right back at square one. Who knows? Don't get me wrong, all of the RV's we've looked at have their good points and not so good points. I'm beginning to see the RV lifestyle is made up of trade offs. Bigger bedrooms mean more clothes storage which is important. But on the other hand large living rooms mean you can spread out more. After all that's where you will be spending most of your awake time, unless you are outside.

   Of course the kitchen has been discussed more than I want to admit here but I guess I should. Barb is all about needing more counter space, I keep asking why and she keeps trying to explain. I still don't see it. But since some strange woman at the show felt she needed to voice her opinion about OUR kitchen needs and why the ovens in these things are never big enough, (what does oven size have to do with counter space?) I guess I just give up, My dad told me always pick your battles. Kitchen counters don't seem that important to me.

    Now if you're talking cabinet space in the kitchen, well that's a whole other story. I don't want to be running out to the basement every time Barb wants to make chilli or stew to get the big pot that has to live in the basement because there is no room inside to keep it. So listen up here, cabinet space is or should be a high priority for storing pots and pans. Don't forget about the pantry. You don't want to go loading up the pantry with six months worth of can goods. Here's a FYI for you, The average weight of a can of lets say green beans or corn is 16oz. So for every four cans in your pantry you've added one pound. Weight in a RV can be a dangerous thing so shop accordingly. Just so you know keep heavy items (like can goods) low so your weight distribution is as good as possible.

    Another important choice I see is space and storage in the bathroom. First, let's talk about the shower. I do not want to spend my time in the shower banging my elbows in a too tiny shower stall. Now storage, every RV we have been in had a medicine cabinet large enough to handle the needed items like toothpaste, deodorant, medicine and other common bathroom cabinet items. Not true for other storage. You still need space for towels, wash cloth's, toilet paper and cleaning supplies. Now a lot of these things can find a home in the bedroom closet but now where do you keep your clothes. You can try under the bed but that's where you keep your winter clothes and a host of other things you need to have on hand.

    Now don't get me wrong, there is space in your RV. You just need to learn how to utilize it to best suit your lifestyle. Also don't forget you have a basement storage area underneath. Most basements are about 160 cu. ft. of storage and can hold a bunch of things. So keep that in mind.

    Anyway, we have narrowed our choices down to just a few and still have time to refine the list or change it completely by the time we are ready to get on the road. Just keep in mind you have a lot of choices in RV's and what kind of storage they have. I guess I'd say just think about how you live now and try to use that as a gauge or how you will live on the road.

Safe travels and I'll see you down the road.

Home, Home on the Road

Home is where you hang your Hat

They say home is where your heart is, or where you hang your hat. I guess both of those sayings can be true. But what about your DOMICILE? My what? Domicile.

 As per my trusty Merriam Webster,

( Place where an individual has a fixed and permanent home for legal purposes. The domicile of an individual or organization determines the proper jurisdiction and venue for legal process, including taxation.)

Fixed and permanent home for legal purposes, kind of has a pretty legal ring to. And for good reason. When you are fulltiming and are foot loose and fancy free to travel the country just about anyplace can be called home. But, hold your horses. You can run but you can't hide from Uncle Sam or the states that he has control over, which at last count was ALL OF THEM.

You must declare one state as your domicile. This is the state you will register your RV in, register your tow or towed vehicle in, buy insurance for said vehicles in, don't forget to renew your driver's license every 4 to 8 years. And a whole bunch of other things that we all have to do from time to time.

But wait! Not all states are the same. No siree. There are three states that seem to be a little better than all the rest. South Dakota, Texas, and Florida. I don't want to start a fight here, So what I mean by better is. These three states have no income tax, low registration fees for vehicles and RV's, lower insurance, depending on what part of the state you register,

Of course you will want to research each of these three states to see which one best fits your individual needs. One might have lower fees than the others, or longer times before you need to renew tags, or licenses. One might excuse you from jury duty while anther says you need to get here no matter what. All of this is discussed every day on the many different RV Forums that are out there. Just goggle Domicile Forums and sit back and prepare yourself for information overload. You can even buy a book that has all of the information laid out for you so all you need to do is pick which state you like.

Of course one thing that you don't find much discussion about is convenience. South Dakota, Texas and Florida are all pretty much the same when it comes to the things I've talked about already. The cost of doing business will be pretty much the same across these three states. Prices will differ a little here and there but I don't believe they play that much into the total picture. Let's say you spend most of your time traveling the south and southwest. Does it make much sense to drive all the way to South Dakota just to renew your driver's license? What I mean is, try to make the best decision that works for you. Barb and I have family in Ohio and Florida. Which means we will most likely make our domicile Florida not just because of the cost of different services that we will be needing but for the convenience of seeing family while there to do business. And its just a short run up I-75 to visit family in Ohio. I think we will be spending most of our time in the south and southwest so this seems like it will work best for us.

Most of this domicile stuff can be kind of confusing. There are plenty of things you as an individual must decide for yourself. Nobody can make these kinds of decisions for you. My best advice to you, and remember you get what you paid for. Take your time and weigh all the information and then make the best financial and convenient decision that works for you. Until next time.

Safe Travels and I'll see You down the Road.

It's gett'in real now

It's gett'in real now. Not that it wasn’t before but now it seems like its all starting to come together. For instance, I'm a member of Workamper News. An organization I think everybody thinking about becoming a fulltimer should join especially if you are going to be working on the road.

One of the many benefits of belonging to Workamper News is being able to make and post your Awesome Applicant Resume on line at Workamper.com. Barb and I don't plan on leaving until the end of the year but I had some time last week and decided to get started working on our resume.

After signing in the first part was pretty much fill in the blanks. Workamper really made it easy for anybody to place a resume out there. They asked for Preferred U.S. Work locations, Preferred Work Schedule, Preferred Salary & Benefits, Preferred Work Settings and Availability and Seasonal Preference. You can look at these headings and see fairly easily what they mean. The last one, Availability simply means when are you available to work. Well I put we are available to begin work after 01/01/2015. This is important to know. I found out each time you update or make a change to your resume that sends a note to every employer that uses Workamper News that there is a resume they might like to look at. I reviewed our resume and was felling pretty good about how it looked so I submitted it about 11:00am. By 3:00pm I had received 4 e-mails letting me know that our resume had been looked at by prospective employers.

Barb got home about 3:30pm and I was explaining what had happened today and that 4 employers had looked us up. As I was explaining this my phone rang, I didn't recognize the number it just said Texas. I thought there's NO WAY somebody was calling us already. Needless to say I almost fell out of my chair, here was somebody calling to offer us a job this summer. I explained our availability date was January, 2015. She said I'm sorry I didn't see that until just now.

Needless to say we exchanged information and I promised to stay in touch throughout the year. She gave me her name, number, e-mail, and website. To say the least we will at least be in touch with her. I guess what I'm trying to say is if working is going to be a part of your fulltime lifestyle Workamper News is definitely worth the cost to join.

Workamper News has a forum that is helpful. It seems the people on this forum has BEEN THERE, DONE THAT and can help with any type of question or problem you are having. I've not spoke to anybody at Workamper News but I have sent 2 e-mails to Jody Anderson Duquette who is the Designer/Editor and she has responded back to me within a days time both times.

There are all kinds of groups and clubs out there you can join to enhance your RV'ing life, but I have to say Worker News should be one of the first.

I have to say I don't get paid from Workamper News or receive any benefit from them. I'm just a very satisfied customer.

Safe Travels and I'll see ya down the road.

Get Busy

So its winter time here in North Georgia and everywhere else, even Florida is having a touch of the cold. It has been about two months since our last garage sale. I'm feeling a little lost right now. Seems like I should be purging a closet or some corner of the house right about now.

I'm not in full blown getting prepared to go full time RV'ing but I NEED to be doing something. There's still all kinds of things that need to be done. Repairs to the house seems to be at the top of the list. Now I'm not talking about anything major, just some small things like replace the storm door, paint a few rooms, you know things that will help sell the house. Of course Curb Appeal will have to wait till spring gets here.

I'm still researching different types of RV's we might want to buy. I need to start looking at used rigs and trucks. We still can't seem to find a floor plan we like. All I know at this time is a Casita camper is out of the question, that is if I want Barb with me, and yes she will be with me. If we can ever agree on what she is willing to live in and I can find one in our price range. That's a battle for another day.

But getting back to getting prepared, It's really tough to stay motivated when the temperature dips down into the low 30's. We've already given away all the stuff to the kids this past month so at least that's done. Still a lot of stuff to be thrown out. I have come across a few sites on Facebook that seem to be interesting. They are community yard/garage sales. You place a picture of the item you want to sell along with a price and short description on the wall and wait till somebody see's it and says I want to buy this or will you negotiate on the price. I've had a little luck with this type of selling so at least I'm back in the game of trying to lighten the load a little around here.

Another thing to think about (LIKE I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TO THINK ABOUT ALREADY). How will I make a living while on the road to who knows where? Of course we can park the rig someplace and work regular jobs, but that's not what Barb or I have in mind about this lifestyle. I also don't think MLM's are my cup of tea. I don't like having to convince 6 or 12 other people to sell and get 6 or 12 others to do the same. I'd rather not have to depend on others to earn my paycheck. Starting a business either on line or out of the rig has a few possibilities that I'm liking. At least you have some deductions at tax time if needed. We might possibly find ourself at a flea market or craft shows earning a living. Remember, this lifestyle is about change not becoming a millionaire. For most of us that ship has sailed long ago. Now, for me it's about enjoying the rest of my life seeing the sights and meeting others with the same goals as Barb and I have

I believe changing our lifestyle IS what this lifestyle is about. Living greener, leaving a smaller footprint on our planet, just becoming more frugal is what I'm looking for. Eating better and cheaper not only will lower our cost but hopefully will make us healthier in the long run. So I guess it's about time to get back to purging this house and selling a few things on line so we can get on the road soon.

Until later.

T.T.F.N.

P.S. If you happen to find yourself on ebay, take a look at some of my auctions. Better yet bid on some of them so We can get on the road as soon as possible.

What do fulltimers do?

[Ed Note: This piece is preserved not only for its timeless value, but also because we consider it the quintessential presentation on Full Time RVing ever offered in a classroom situation. Gaylord Mawell will always be remembered for his enthusiastic championing of the RV lifestyle; and for his literally "writing the book" on the essence of Full Tim RVing.]

What do fulltimers do? This depends on individual interests. Everyone does it differently. You can be completely structured (if this is Tuesday, this must be Phoenix) or completely loose (which direction shall we go today?) Fulltimers go to campgrounds or they boondock.. They visit relatives. They visit National parks, historical cities and "fun" cities, (Las Vegas or Anaheim). They join RV clubs, or take tours (e.g. Baja California). You make the choices, it's a free lifestyle.

The lifestyle is not for everyone, Everyone CAN fulltime, but not everyone is suited for it. If you decide to go fulltiming, do it while you are young enough to enjoy it.

Can you hack it as a full timer? It is a major life change. It is equivalent to a major life event such as marriage. It requires a great deal of thought to ensure this is a lifestyle which will be successful for you. Too many people fail to consider the characteristics which comprise the profile of full timers who really enjoy that status:

Dissatisfied: If you like your life the way it is, it's not likely that you'll find full-timing your bag.

Adventurous: Do you like maps? Do you like to go new places? Or do you tend to find comfort in a fixed routine?

Daring: Are you afraid to drive through New York City or Los Angeles? Do winding or steep mountain roads bother you? You can't be a wimp!

Curious-Active: You need to be curious about places and people, and be willing to do something to follow up on that curiosity. Full timing is perfectly suitable for persons with disabilities.

Patient: A very important ingredient for RVers. RV life will be full of glitches. It's not like being at home in a much more "controlled" environment.

Tolerant: Goes along with "patient", and is the quality of dealing with unexpected -- and sometimes even unwanted -- situations.

Gregarious: The quality of enjoying talking to new people. In cities, people walk by and never even look at each other. At an RV park, people RVers tend to strike up conversations with other RVers they've never met.

Practical: Can you do some basic fix-em-up things? You'll find you'll become a plumber, a mechanic, a carpenter, and whatever. The first thing you'll tend to pack is a substantial tool box.

Likes Spouse: Love is okay, but "like" is really important too... 24 hours per day, 365 days a year, you're within shouting distance -- even striking distance! You'd better get along.

Resources for Full Timers: Bill & Jan Moeller's book on Full Timing is a very detailed book, covering all the basics of RVing. The Instructor has also has a small book called "An Introduction to Full Timing". It's about an hour's worth of reading, intended to help persons consider whether full-timing is for them. Trailer Life, Motorhome, and Highways magazines are good sources. Talk to other full timers. If possible, attend a seminar with a panel of full timers.

What do you need to give up to become a full timer?

Fixed Place: Most of us are used to having an address. Where are you from? 123 Elm Street. But ask a full timer, and the response will be "which week". Call home and the first question will be, "Hi Mom -- Where are you?". You give up familiar places, familiar faces, and familiar things.

Routine: No more bridge with the familiar group on Wednesday night.

Boredom: If you enjoy it, forget RVing.

Chores: No more mowing the lawn. If there's grass, someone else mows it. Housekeeping? Sure, there's some. But you can vacuum the whole place in five minutes.

Some Expenses: They can change. There are options for living a rewarding RV life on almost any budget.

The benefits of being a fulltimer are many:

The most important is Freedom. There are fewer responsibilities and restraints.

New people and places. You will find these are additions to your life, not replacements, as you will also keep your family and old friends.

Excitement to replace boredom. If it doesn't, rethink this lifestyle. Many snowbirds with limited home lives "bloom" when confronted with the many opportunities at some of the larger RV parks, which can include, dancing, painting, carpentry, rock hounding, etc.

Travel equals education. There is nothing quite like being there to learn about geography, history, archaeology etc.

Security -- Crime rarely occurs in RV parks and campgrounds.


There are basic questions which must be answered before attempting this life change:

What to do with the house? If you feel you cannot give it up the options are to rent or lease it, or to let it stand vacant. You will still have the bills and problems, but if you change your mind, you can still get it back.

Where to "home base"? Even as fulltimers, you will need an address. You will need a driver's and vehicle license; and these require a state residence. Taxes: it will make a big difference in which state you choose to "live". You may need a physical address instead of a P.O.Box. There are potential problems when your rig is licensed in one state and you claim residency in another. And some states, Washington being a prime example, are beginning to crack down on this.

What about the kids? You will have to be able to leave your family, although in this day & age, many children no longer live close to home anyway. Now you can go visit them!

What to do with your "things"? We all have a lot of "stuff" we no longer use. Throw it out. You will need to take some things. and the rule for packing is:

If you haven't used it for a year, you don't need it

Each partner has a veto over what the other takes.

Don't pack your RV more than 3/4 full. You'll quickly collect new "stuff"

Give the rest to your kids, or have a garage sale.