I will be 65 this October: Thinking of RVing!

[Morgan7600]

Hi guys, This is my first post on the site and here's my story. I'm a semi retired Contractor in the San Diego area and my business has really dropped in recent years. My business involves a service vehicle and fuel is just way too costly for the amount of work I get. My health has become very bad in recent years & I'm fed up with the way my life is going. I am a heart attack survivor and my cardiologist says I must remove all stress. (like financial stress!)

Here's the hook: I own my family home and a wonderful piece of property but made some mistakes on mortgages and I am caught up in what seems an endless financial struggle. (The doctors tell me this is a big factor in my stress level and my health.) Now I find myself balancing the whole idea of the fight to keep my property and the lure of finding some way to live on my meager pensions. (I have 2 of them going!) I have a way to go to liquidate everything and leave here but while the idea of RVing does have a certain romance to it, I wonder how safe the "open road" really is these days. (it's not the 70's out there any more is it!)
In conclusion, I have 2 sisters: one in Oregon and the other in Washington state and have thought about just traveling up to visit them and seeing what can be found on a little adventure. I know nothing of camp site fee's or RV parks or RV's for that matter. I'd like to retire in 2014.

[REWahoo]

I know several folks who are full-time RVers and they don't appear to have any safety concerns beyond what I consider to be normal. None of them have ever had any problem that I'm aware of.

Best place to learn about full-timing are these three online forums:

iRV2.com
RV.Net
Escapees Discussion Forum

[Jack_Pine]

I would explore rvnet.com. Lots of good folks and info there. Lot's of full timers post there as well.

I understand what you are saying about your situation but if you can find a way to got out, it may be best. That is an expensive place to live. My brother lives there (worked and retired there). He loves it but says the cost is very high.

Just my .02.

[RetiringAt55]

I do have safety concerns regarding RV-ing. If you are a woman alone, I would make sure that your RV has a bathroom. I will not use the campground showers unless DH waits outside. If I were traveling alone, I would not use the campground bathrooms at all since they often prevent you from locking the doors.

I think otherwise common sense safety protections should cover a lot. For example, I would also not park overnight at public rest areas or in Walmarts that are in shady areas.

[Brat]

Actually I-5 rest areas in Oregon & Washington are quite safe.

We looked at purchasing an RV and concluded that, for us, it was not cost effective. There is a consumer's reports for RV's publisher, rv.org, that will help you evaluate the quality and safety of the products. I have a copy their "How to Select, Inspect, and Buy and RV" that I should donate to the Multnomah County Public Library - it is fantastic.

I agree with the earlier writer, you need an RV or TT with it's own toilet & shower for reasons of safety and comfort.

[obgyn65]

Welcome to the forum. It does seem indeed that some of your stress levels are due to financial concerns. You will find some good advice here. Good luck to you and take care.

[seraphim]

There are two ways of looking at full time RVing, depending on what you're trying to get out of it.

If you're looking at parking in pay campgrounds, it won't be cheap. A lot of full timers agree you need an income of about $60,000 a year. Unless you have property to park on, or friends and relatives who can offer a full time place to park.

The other way of approaching the problem is often referred to as vandwelling. Vandwellers often use BLM land out west, which permits free camping. You pretty much want a camper set up for boondocking: which would most likely include a good set of storage batteries and a solar charging system which keeps the batteries topped up for long stays without electrical hookups. A good reference site is:

Cheaprvliving.com

Vandwellers aim to live on the cheap, for various reasons - sometimes in converted bands, trailers, box trucks, whatever. This sounds like it may be what you are aiming for, since you are working with a couple of 'meager' pensions. The above site has a lot of good and experienced people to offer information. They're also a tight group who help each other out. Some of them will do a solar install for you if you buy the components.

There are quite a few women solo vandwellers, as well - several in their 60s. They can discuss safety issues. Do you NEED an RV with a shower and toilet? Not really. Depends on how comfortable or proud you are. Can you go potty at night in a bucket of cat litter? Can you get a $30 dollar a month gym membership to use the showers and other amenities? Assuming you're staying in one area. If you're travelling, Walmarts (most) and Truck stops permit overnight parking.

Check out the site. Talk to people who live the lifestyle. Decide if it's for you or not.

I'm a long time member of RV.net as well, but you're not going to find a lot about inexpensive full timing there. That's not what that site is geared for. You will get a lot of good information on RVs.

We're leaving next week for a 3 month tour of Alaska and the Yukon. We avoid campgrounds unless necessary. Good luck with your endeavor.

[Morgan7600]

Seraphim, Thanks for all the great info and the link to Cheaprvliving.com .
This is the site and the information for which I have been searching. Morgan