RV Travel

[Sojourning]

Nothing stranger than folks REWahoo, nothing stranger than folks. I do agree we are all different and thank goodness for that.

I do however think an RV from a financial point of view is not justifiable and I think that's OK if you know you can't justify it. Unfortunately, I think many new retirees who go into it, think they can.

Don't think I don't like RVs, I think they're great. But they're a toy and as long as you can afford the toy that's fine. Some years ago, I was driving a classic car as my daily driver and someone hearing that asked me, 'How come you're driving that as a daily driver?' Before I could think of an answer, the person sitting next to me in the bar answered, 'because he can'. That's all the justification a toy needs really.

The 4 steps I outlined are just a process I have seen a lot of people go through with RVs after retirement. While step 1 and step 4 make some sense, it's the in between steps that really don't.

[2017ish]

Soujourning,

That is a good summation of cost/justification. And, if not apocryphal, the person next to you in the bar was quite quick with the reasoned quip. :-)

[EastWest Gal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by winger We have been full time RVers since 2006. I was 52 then. Have not had any big desire to settle down and grow up, although we do travel slower these days. Last year, we wintered in far south Texas, spent a month in the Texas Hill Country, almost 3 months in Gunnison, Colorado, and a month in Oregon. Back in South Texas in mid-December. Gunnison was an especially long stay for us, but everywhere around us looked stinkin hot all summer. This year was a decision year. It is time to get a new RV, rent a house, buy a house, move in with mom, something. This RV is starting to show the miles, I didn't feel good about towing the last part of the trip. We ordered a new RV, and agreed to at least 3 more travel years. Delivery any day. We have always known that life can change in a moment, and someday it will. I try to enjoy every place we go as though I will never be there again. Favorite place? Stout Grove, outside of Crescent City, California. I can't describe the thoughts and emotion I have there. Truly magical, for me.

Jedediah Smith State Park--Stout Grove. One of the few places we camped as I kid that we went back to. Even dragged DH camping there in 1988, after residency and before everything that followed.

I have a friend who was forced into retirement (vs layoff) in 2008. His pension barely covers costs. He's very smart. He's getting certified in RV repair right now. He and his wife are selling their California home and hitting the road. He'll be able to improve his lifestyle and help his fellow RVers at the same time.

I applaud his plan.😃


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[cnocmmz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by winger We have been full time RVers since 2006. I was 52 then. Have not had any big desire to settle down and grow up, although we do travel slower these days. Last year, we wintered in far south Texas, spent a month in the Texas Hill Country, almost 3 months in Gunnison, Colorado, and a month in Oregon. Back in South Texas in mid-December. Gunnison was an especially long stay for us, but everywhere around us looked stinkin hot all summer. This year was a decision year. It is time to get a new RV, rent a house, buy a house, move in with mom, something. This RV is starting to show the miles, I didn't feel good about towing the last part of the trip. We ordered a new RV, and agreed to at least 3 more travel years. Delivery any day. We have always known that life can change in a moment, and someday it will. I try to enjoy every place we go as though I will never be there again. Favorite place? Stout Grove, outside of Crescent City, California. I can't describe the thoughts and emotion I have there. Truly magical, for me.

That is near the Red Woods right?

[MBAustin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sojourning There does seem to be a pattern that a great many 'snowbird' RVers follow in retirement. I am talking about people who winter in an RV, not full-timers. 1. Retire and buy an RV, spend a few years with it, trade it for another type of RV, decide to park it somewhere more permanently because they are getting tired of driving it south every year. 2. Spend a few years wintering in their RV parked in one place. 3. Buy a Park Model single or doublewide parked in one location. 4. Stop owning and start renting a Park Model for winters which allows them to go back to the same place or try a new place if they wish. A large percentage of those who retire and buy an RV follow that pattern. The question is, why not start at 4?

My parents followed a similar but yet quite different path.
1. Buy a used pop-up tent trailer when kiddos are in middle school. Replace it with a newer used one and then a new one by the time oldest kiddo is in college.
1a. Get tired of the pop-up lifestyle and buy a small RV (motorhome). Travel a lot. Retire.
2. Decide small class C is too small for wintering down south. Buy a class A and try wintering in some different spots.
3. Decide the class A is really too small for "living" and buy a doublewide in FL. Keep the RV and still travel (all year long).
4. Decide they love FL and want to spend 9 months a year there instead of 6. Sell main house up north and buy house in FL. Keep RV down south for fun shorter trips.

As REWahoo said, everyone is different. My parents would never have bought a house much less a doublewide in FL if they hadn't gone through step 2. And my mother would never have considered step 2 without step 1 & 1a.

[Sojourning]

It's a true story 2017ish. It was a woman sitting next to me who did know me and my situation fairly well. The person asking the question did not know me. She was very quick with the answer as you say and she is someone who I respect and consider intelligent, so maybe that is part of the reason why I remember the remark and what it really meant.

It's like a school teacher I had in high school who told us, 'when you're green you're growing, when you're ripe you rot.' He was trying to get us to engage and get us to do so without fearing being wrong or looking stupid. You know how it was at that age, you don't want to look stupid in front of others so you don't want to put up your hand to answer a question. Many times when confronted with something new I've recalled that teacher and what he said.

Yeah, it's a similar pattern MBAustin that many seem to follow. I guess it's the old story of you have to go through it to get to where you are going. Like trying to tell kids they don't have to make the same mistakes as you did. I really just meant my orginal remarks as a kind of lighthearted comment on why can't we skip the intermediate steps in some things and save some time. I'm fine with everyone having to do it their own way.

They have a saying in the UK which is, 'you can't get there from here'. It refers to railway lines and someone asking for directions on what train to take. When there was no direct line, a local might say, 'you can't get there frome here', meaning you have to go through some intermediate point/s to get to your destination.

[imoldernu]

Re: "The path"
1. Age 13 to 35 Hiking, Tenting, Climbing, Canoeing, mostly with BSA as scout and leader. RI, NH, Massachusetts and Later Adirondacks.
2. Age 35 to 45... w/DW and one son in a '72 VW Westphalia. Weekends March through November
3. Age 45 to 53... Hightop Ford conversion van... WI, IL, MI, IA.
4. Age 53, retired... moved to Park model RV on the lake, Illinois (see pic)... still have that. 1st retirement home.
5. Age 54... Mfg housing in FL still have, for now. 6 and 6 w/IL.
6. Age 67... To new regular home in IL CCRC.
7. Nearing age 80... looking forward to motorized wheelchair. The "new" RV.

[Bamaman]

I was sitting here thinking how blessed we are to have fabulous campgrounds so close. We have 4 state parks within an hour, a city park campground downtown, and at least a dozen other campgrounds close by. My friend with a Class A only bought 1 tank of fuel last year in spite of being gone about 6 months from home.

Just because someone is a camper doesn't mean they have to travel far.

[Sojourning]

Looks like a nice spot imoldernu. Is that a swamp boat I see at the dock?

Speaking of paths, I recently read a hypothosis that we don't actually choose a path or 'take the road less travelled' or pick a 'fork in the road'. Instead, there is only the ONE path that we are going to take whether we think we are making choices or not.

We didn't choose to retire early, we were always going to retire early. Interesting hypothosis I think.

[winger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cnocmmz That is near the Red Woods right?

It is in the redwoods. There are redwood groves from below San Francisco to just into Oregon. 95% were cut down in the 1800s and 1900s. It's not like a national park where you drive in, pay your fee, and drive out later. Groves are up and down that part of the coast. A few that have camping have fees, but there is plenty to see free.

Stout Grove, and much of the surrounding areas, belonged to a lumberman, Frank Stout. He died and left it to his wife. She gave it to the state of California.

Anyone interested, Google "Stout Grove" or "Jed Smith". Photos are inadequate.

[38Chevy454]

Trying to justify RV'ing by pure budget is not going to work. The reason I have the motorhome is that it allows me to go places and see things that i could not otherwise. Or at least not at the same level of being in the middle of it. I enjoy the freedom of the RV, vs hotels. I did/do enough travel for work that hotels do not impress me. I do appreciate getting away from it, the motorhome allows that.

You either like RV'ing or you can like hotels. Either way you spend money.

[Helen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 38Chevy454 You either like RV'ing or you can like hotels. Either way you spend money.

There is also this, I plan to book a few of these cabins this summer:

Federal recreation, camping and tour reservation information - Recreation.gov

I stayed in one of these last weekend:
https://skimtta.com/reservations/

But, in the good weather, nothing beats backpacking, IMO.

[Trix55]

Quote:

Originally Posted by winger Favorite place? Stout Grove, outside of Crescent City, California. I can't describe the thoughts and emotion I have there. Truly magical, for me.

I'll be camphosting this summer near Crescent City. Thanks for the tip, I'll be sure to visit Stout Grove while I'm in the area.

I'm sure looking forward to camphosting at the beach!

[cnocmmz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by winger We have been full time RVers since 2006. I was 52 then. Have not had any big desire to settle down and grow up, although we do travel slower these days. Last year, we wintered in far south Texas, spent a month in the Texas Hill Country, almost 3 months in Gunnison, Colorado, and a month in Oregon. Back in South Texas in mid-December. Gunnison was an especially long stay for us, but everywhere around us looked stinkin hot all summer. This year was a decision year. It is time to get a new RV, rent a house, buy a house, move in with mom, something. This RV is starting to show the miles, I didn't feel good about towing the last part of the trip. We ordered a new RV, and agreed to at least 3 more travel years. Delivery any day. We have always known that life can change in a moment, and someday it will. I try to enjoy every place we go as though I will never be there again. Favorite place? Stout Grove, outside of Crescent City, California. I can't describe the thoughts and emotion I have there. Truly magical, for me.

Hi Winger
What year and type is your RV? Although this is not a blog for RVs, I have to say that it is part of retirement planning. I am 54-55 this year and we have an 36 ft 04 Holiday Rambler Vacationer that I bought last year. To your point, my wife and I could not live in one year round but it sure is fun with the grandkids

[youbet]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 38Chevy454 You either like RV'ing or you can like hotels. Either way you spend money.

Strongly disagree.

DW and I like BOTH.

Dry camping in National Forest campgrounds in the Big Horn Mountains followed by a deluxe suite in the Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone (with all meals in their dining room) belong on the same trip. Different experiences. Both fabulous in their own right.


Why limit yourself?

[38Chevy454]

Quote:

Originally Posted by youbet Strongly disagree. DW and I like BOTH. Dry camping in National Forest campgrounds in the Big Horn Mountains followed by a deluxe suite in the Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone (with all meals in their dining room) belong on the same trip. Different experiences. Both fabulous in their own right. Why limit yourself?

My point was that you spend money for either, not that you have one or the other. RV'ing and hotels both have positive aspects. I did not mean that you can't have both.

[AnIntentionalRoad]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MBAustin My parents followed a similar but yet quite different path. 1. Buy a used pop-up tent trailer when kiddos are in middle school. Replace it with a newer used one and then a new one by the time oldest kiddo is in college. 1a. Get tired of the pop-up lifestyle and buy a small RV (motorhome). Travel a lot. Retire. 2. Decide small class C is too small for wintering down south. Buy a class A and try wintering in some different spots. 3. Decide the class A is really too small for "living" and buy a doublewide in FL. Keep the RV and still travel (all year long). 4. Decide they love FL and want to spend 9 months a year there instead of 6. Sell main house up north and buy house in FL. Keep RV down south for fun shorter trips. As REWahoo said, everyone is different. My parents would never have bought a house much less a doublewide in FL if they hadn't gone through step 2. And my mother would never have considered step 2 without step 1 & 1a.

In other words, life's about the journey, not the destination. We'd better enjoy it and all the discoveries along the way.

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