calling all RV'rs

[Martha]

I blab about our 23.5' lazydaze here fairly frequently. We have spent up to a month traveling in it, last winter it was Big Bend park in west Texas. Last fall we went to Teddy Roosevelt State park and Yellowstone. After about a month we are generally ready to come home. We have enjoyed it a lot.

 

[JDARNELL]

For years we thought that one day we would buy a big diesel pusher and travel when we retired. So we bought a used 34ft Class A a few years ago to try it out. We used it a few times but with working all the time it was not very conducive to our life at that time. It seemed that there was always something to tinker on when we used it due to it setting the majority of the time. Sold it for minimal difference than what we paid for it.
Overall it was a good learning experience and probably saved us big bucks in the long run.

I often think of getting a slide in camper for when I retire in a few years to get out and play with the boys as I doubt wife will want to go on weekends. I think it would be god for skiing, fishing, race weekends, etc. But the weight of these things drives you to a fairly large vehicle and they want your first born for them. Any ideas?

I have also thought about building a slide in module that fits into the minivan as a camping option.

Tomcat98

 

[Sarah in SC]

We love our old coach! It is a bit of work to keep it going, but well worth the trouble. Ours is a 1976 Argosy Airstream 28'. She rocks!

We go to a great music festival every July in Floyd, Virginia www.floydfest.com and have a blast! It is a pretty long hike from Charleston, SC but well worth the trip. We also go around in SC on weekend trips, with bikes and kayaks.

I have a dream of heading out to Texas for a month and catch as much live music as I can stand--and some music festivals as well. Oh, and yeah, if I can talk DH into it, the Pan American Highway south from there through Mexico!

Sarah

 

[ex_CFO_now_RVer]

We have a '05 Newmar Dutch Star 40', pulling a Chevy Blazer which are currently parked in the Keys. Just love it but looking to order an Allegro Bus (need that 32" flat panel tv). Having an RV has allowed us to explore our great land without staying in hotels, which we dislike and eating a little healthier along the way, but was never meant to save $$$. IMHO

While not fulltimers, both 52 and retired, we spend 185 nights away from our stick built house. (house in one state, residents of another)


Dave

 

[USK Coastie]

DW and I have been RVers for 20 yrs. Before that tent camping. Current rig, 26" Prowler TT with slideout pulled by a 2500 HD Chevy. Planning on a couple of short 2 week trips this summer after I FIRE. After that probably go south for the winter to AZ NM and TX. Come back to USK late March. Then leave May 15 or so for Alaska getting back Sept 15 or so. Thats the plan for now.

 

[Billy]

arc

Have never RV'd but plan to this summer. Have been doing research and ran into this "Coachshare Program." www.coachshare.com - Has anyone every heard of it?

What did you think of this idea? Would it suit you? I'll have to check into it and see if they offer anything reasonable... thanks for the link!

winger

We are planning our 2007 travels. looks like Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon. Vegas, Seattle, Yellowstone and Custer, SD are on the short list.

First time I saw most of these places was on the back of a motorcycle in 1972. What a trip! and how simple life was while on the road. When it was hot I was hot. When it was cold, I was cold. When it rained, I was wet! 'course I was so young then and pretty resilient...

Now I like the idea of an RV - more comfort!

Be well,
Akaisha
Author, The Adventurer's Guide to Early Retirement

 

[kz5bw5]

IBig Bend park in west Texas.

Ah, Big Bend... Be sure to check out www.bigbendchat.com and www.virtualbigbend.com for more fascinating information on the area.

 

[Jeb-NY]

I often think of getting a slide in camper for when I retire in a few years to get out and play with the boys as I doubt wife will want to go on weekends. I think it would be god for skiing, fishing, race weekends, etc. But the weight of these things drives you to a fairly large vehicle and they want your first born for them. Any ideas?

I have also thought about building a slide in module that fits into the minivan as a camping option.

Tomcat98

You don't have to go big and heavy for a slide in campers. I have had 3 over the years and none of them were over 1200#, and rides well in a standard 1/2 ton pickup. The popup style like I have now, have less sway going down the road.

Jeb

 

[audreyh1]

We're fulltimer RVer's - getting close to 2 years now. Love the lifestyle! We are true gypsies at heart and have come to embrace and cherish the "less is more" point of view. Getting rid of most of our stuff and being free to wander unscripted has been perfect for us.

We've been ER'd for over 7 years, and it took a while to discover that fulltime RVing would suit us. After a couple of years of parttime traveling with a Casita and just loving it, we realized that we didn't need a house at all. We really disliked returning to the house and dealing with the demands of home ownership.

Of course owning a motorhome is also demanding, but at least you get to travel while you maintain it!

Here is our home on wheels:

It's a 2006 Alpine Coach diesel pusher (400ISL Cummins engine) 36ft with 2 slides. We pull a Jeep Liberty.

Not everyone is suited to this lifestyle - not by a long shot. Some have hobbies that are not portable. Some like having a lot of stuff. Some feel a strong need for a fixed community/family or a piece of land/house that they can take care of and call their own.

Many folks do both - they have their house/community/stuff but also enjoy the RVing lifestyle for several months a year. This is almost twice as expensive to do, but it does offer the benefit of the best of both worlds. If you can afford it, nothing wrong with this approach.

Audrey

 

[audreyh1]

DW and I have been doing some self-education and preliminary shopping for RV's now that we're RE'd. We think we can buy a well-equipped fifth wheel and appropriate tow vehicle (expanded cab one ton p/u) for $100K. Does this pass the common sense test?

Yes

Shop carefully (including used), and you should be able to get something pretty excellent for that price.

Whatever fifth-wheel you buy, you must have an adequate towing vehicle. People often buy an inadequate towing vehicle - bad mistake.

Audrey

 

[setab]

How much upkeep/maintenance is involved? I am not handy at all and have seen many RV's stopped along the road. Thanks. It's something I've always wanted to explore buy stayed away from because of my total mechanical ineptness.

setab

 

[audreyh1]

How much upkeep/maintenance is involved? I am not handy at all and have seen many RV's stopped along the road. Thanks. It's something I've always wanted to explore buy stayed away from because of my total mechanical ineptness.

setab

It really depends. A small well-built fiberglass trailer like a Casita is almost 0 maintenance (although I have heard lots of horror stories about less well designed trailers).

A fancy high-tech diesel pusher with all the latest bells and whistles like what we own now - too many things can go wrong. There seems to be always something. What we see appears to be about the same as people experience with other brands in our class. Also, the fact is that fulltimers will see higher maintenance due to the much heavier use.

Maybe the story is - the more expensive the RV, the higher maintenance it is?!?! Overall that seems to be true. Certainly the simpler something is, the less maintenance.

Some people describe RVs (especially motorhomes) as "earthquakes on wheels".

If you are not mechanically inclined, owning an RV - especially a motorhome - can be a frustrating experience.

I suspect RVs that are stopped on the side of the road are due to a) tire failure (a very scary experience if it's a blowout) or b) not doing adequate inspections and preventive maintenance. You really have to keep your drive train in top condition if you don't want to get caught overheating on a climb or experiencing a engine/transmission failure. Many RV owners appear to be very casual about this. We constantly inspect things - especially for leaks, our RV is heavily instrumented to warn of any drive train problems. We usually find issues well ahead of time.

In other words - we treat our RV more like a pilot would treat his airplane, with pre-trip checklists and inspections - rather than how we treat our automobile.

By the way - piece-of-mind insurance for help if stopped by the side of the road - Coach Net (like the AAA for motorhomes).

Audrey

 

[SteveR]

We have several trips planned for this year and have reservations made.

The MH has an appointment for some additions and maintenance before we go out on our first trip this year (March 15-18).

We have trips lined up for April 23-30 in west-central California to visit family and then to Paso Robles for a rally.

May will take us to Lake Powell for a week of fun, sun, and lake cruises.

July we will be back in California.

August is still open but we may go up to Oregon-WA for a couple of weeks.

September--east to TN for a rally and to visit family.

October-December we are planning on scoping out AZ and NM to see where we may want to snowbird next year if we really get into the lifestyle.

Hope to see you on the road sometime.

 

[Martha]

We've had our LazyDaze for 2.5 years. Greg does the regular maintenance. Two problems occured. Our bathroom faucet was defective and leaked. The factory sent us a new faucet and Greg put it in. The first winter we winterized using the recommended high pressure blow out of the system, we even took the pump apart. Well despite following instructions, ice damaged our water pump and we had to get a new one. Now Greg winterizes with RV antifreeze.


Otherwise, all has been great.

 

[Cut-Throat]

We've had our LazyDaze for 2.5 years. Greg does the regular maintenance. Two problems occured. Our bathroom faucet was defective and leaked. The factory sent us a new faucet and Greg put it in. The first winter we winterized using the recommended high pressure blow out of the system, we even took the pump apart. Well despite following instructions, ice damaged our water pump and we had to get a new one. Now Greg winterizes with RV antifreeze.


Otherwise, all has been great.

What did Greg do for a living? - Plumber?

 

[Martha]

What did Greg do for a living? - Plumber?

Every landlord is a plumber.

 

[youbet]

Every landlord is a plumber.

 

[Arc]

arc
What did you think of this idea? Would it suit you? I'll have to check into it and see if they offer anything reasonable... thanks for the link!

[

Be well,
Akaisha
Author, The Adventurer's Guide to Early Retirement

For me it is very attractive - I'm not interested in (and probably not capable) of maintaining a motorhome. The idea of someone storing it, maintaining it and delivering it to me in good condition is right up my alley. Additionnally it would feel terrible to pay 100K for a motorhome and only use it a couple of weeks per year. I also like the fact that it's a 3 year deal - fairly low risk if not working out.

 

[Billy]

ARC:

For me it is very attractive - I'm not interested in (and probably not capable) of maintaining a motorhome. The idea of someone storing it, maintaining it and delivering it to me in good condition is right up my alley.

I completely understand. I am not mechanical in any serviceable way - other than using a key or pressing a button, I have no clue as to how things actually work. My interests lie elsewhere.

I loved the RV life - or most of it - everything but the repairs - none of which I understood. If I were by myself I would simply call a repair person... duh..

Additionnally it would feel terrible to pay 100K for a motorhome and only use it a couple of weeks per year. I also like the fact that it's a 3 year deal - fairly low risk if not working out.

I believe I quoted a really good deal earlier in this thread - a late 90's early 2000 5th wheel with slide outs, leather interior, washer dryer, new carpets etc. etc. fully furnished for $30k. I'm sure he would take $25k cash. The towing vehicles we have seen for sale here also follow similar pricing. Read: reasonable.

There is no reason to have one's first RV cost that much money. How do you know you will like the lifestyle? Try it out first. Then decide. Buy used and stay simple. The more gadgets you have, the more things break.

The more 'stuff' in it (i.e. washer /dryers, real (heavy) wood instead of 'look alike', real marble countertops instead of something more simple, real glass shower doors instead of a shower curtain or plexiglass, etc.) = more weight = more fuel usage. All this stuff starts to add up.

At least,... that's my opinion...

Good luck! Hope you find something you like..
Akaisha
Author, The Adventurer's Guide to Early Retirement

 

[Shredder]

Not ready to full time yet, DW has 6 more years to work. Kinda doubt it then anyway. We are looking at buying a ten ft box pop up this year though, for weekends and short trips. Plus I'll use on fishing trips. First will have to upgrade the vehicle. We like our house but it is nice to have getaways once in a while. Had a pop up years ago and got lots of use out of it.........shredder

 

[donheff]

Not ready to full time yet, DW has 6 more years to work. Kinda doubt it then anyway. We are looking at buying a ten ft box pop up this year though, for weekends and short trips. Plus I'll use on fishing trips. First will have to upgrade the vehicle. We like our house but it is nice to have getaways once in a while. Had a pop up years ago and got lots of use out of it.........shredder

I was in Phoenix visiting my sister last weekend. Her five boys and their families live in the area (Phoenix and Tucson). They are all fanatic hikers, campers, climbers, rafters, etc. Her oldest just bought a pop-up trailer and a new truck to pull it. The thing looks great - even has an AC. He was as happy as a clam.

 

[Bayfield40]

We've been fulltiming for about a year. Started out on a sailboat and moved due to a health issue. We sold everything originally and are really happy with the lifestyle. Our biggest issue is affordable health insurance. Other than that, it's great! We may buy some property to use as a part time base, but really like being able to go wherever we want, whenever we want! 8)

 

[Billy]

Bayfield40

Our biggest issue is affordable health insurance. Other than that, it's great! We may buy some property to use as a part time base, but really like being able to go wherever we want, whenever we want!

What do you do about your healthcare? Have you found a way to get what you need affordably? What do you recommend as a solution?

I really dislike this HCare issue controlling so much of people's retirement plans..

What do you think?

Congratulations on enjoying the 'footloose' lifestyle of RVing!

Be well,
Akaisha
Author, The Adventurer's Guide to Early Retirement

 

[Bram]

We're 3/4-timers. I'm retired for 3.5 years & DH is still working. He's a journeyman power lineman & can travel with his work. We have a 38' travel trailer w/ one slide, pulled with a heavy duty box truck. The "box" holds the small SUV & his Harley, as well as other assorted "stuff". We're able to claim all the travel expenses & trailer depreciation as work related.

We stayed in LasVegas last Jan-May, then went to Indiana June-Oct, then have been in our "stick" home in Ohio since. He's getting "hitch-itch" to leave, but the weather hasn't been too conducive to getting out of Dodge.

 

[Bayfield40]

Bayfield40

What do you do about your healthcare? Have you found a way to get what you need affordably? What do you recommend as a solution?

I really dislike this HCare issue controlling so much of people's retirement plans..

What do you think?

Congratulations on enjoying the 'footloose' lifestyle of RVing!

Be well,
Akaisha
Author, The Adventurer's Guide to Early Retirement

Akaisha,

Thanks! We love Rving! Well, our situation has changed a few times since we began. We used our cobra from our jobs originally. I then worked for a while while we waited out hurricane season on the boat and I again took cobra. At that point, we weren't sure what we would do when it ran out, but I figured I'd probably have to go to work again.

In the meantime, my husband had a heart attack and we found out his heart was in pretty bad shape. Thus, the sale of the boat and acquisition of the RV. We are still on cobra until July. In the meantime, I plan on submitting an application to the VA for him. I will look for an individual plan that has high deductible for myself, but if I'm unable to find one, I'll be back on the payroll somewhere I suppose. That makes it not really "retirement", but thats our option for now.

As for a solution, I don't see one. Either you have millions to retire on and can afford it or you are desitute and qualify for some kind of assistance. Those of us in the middle just do the best we can.