RV Travel

[AnIntentionalRoad]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/retire...83848302.html#

For all you wanna-be full-time RVers, this article has some good tips. It reminds me so much of the (sailboat) cruising lifestyle. Well, except RVs aren't at risk of sinking.

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[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnIntentionalRoad It reminds me so much of the (sailboat) cruising lifestyle. Well, except RVs aren't at risk of sinking.

Not so fast.

A former neighbor, now a full-time RVer, made a wrong turn at a campground and drove his truck and 5th wheel into the septic system leach field. He sunk to the axles.

[InTheSticks]

That stinks

[MichaelB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo A former neighbor, now a full-time RVer, made a wrong turn at a campground and drove his truck and 5th wheel into the septic system leach field. He sunk to the axles.

Gives new meaning to the phrase "up sh!t creek without a paddle"

[Bamaman]

It takes a special kind of person to be a full time RV'er. They're often very independent and self reliant people.

I'm part of a large member owned camp ground, and we've seen a turnover in owners in recent years. Too many times, people wait until 65 or 70 years old to retiree--only to come up with a bad back, stroke or heart condition where their life span has been shortened or their quality of life has been lessened.

My wife has a bad back, and we don't know how many years she has traveling heavily in our fifth wheel trailer.

We travel internationally every year, and are grabbing the gusto the first time around.

We leave next week for Las Vegas, Hawaii and San Francisco. We got back 11/2014 from Turks and Caicos, Aruba and Curacao on a cruise. In April, we went to Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna and Prague. That's a pretty good year.

[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.

[38Chevy454]

I could never be full timer, but I do intend to spend a lot of time on trips with my motorhome once I am retired.

[2017ish]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 38Chevy454 I could never be full timer, but I do intend to spend a lot of time on trips with my motorhome once I am retired.

Yeah, this is what we plan for stage 2 of our retirement. Roadtrek or other Class B... (Stage 1 for extensive diving and other more strenuous international tourism)

Have not yet done RV as a couple though, so we'll have to do some practice runs before we commit, particularly to a B.

[Bamaman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by winger We ordered a new RV, and agreed to at least 3 more travel years. Delivery any day. Favorite place? Stout Grove, outside of Crescent City, California. I can't describe the thoughts and emotion I have there. Truly magical, for me.

We got a new fifth wheel trailer in August to replace our 19 year old travel trailer.

Crescent City looks to be almost in Oregon--a long way north of San Francisco. Looks to be a beautiful place. We'll be in San Fran. 2/19, and it's a shame it's so far up to Crescent City. We'd like to see it. I guess we'll be going south of Carmel this trip.

Our travel is in The Smokies and the North Georgia mountains for the most part. We intend to take the grandkids down to Disney--after we save up a small fortune.

[Sojourning]

For anyone looking for a place to spend the winter in the RV, have a look at Holtville Hot Springs. BLM with no hook-ups. The big advantage, the hot springs which means unlike most 'boondocking' sites, you have hot showers and hot water to wash clothes etc.
https://www.google.ca/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=...le+hot+springs

[winger]

I'm not allowed to boondock for more than one night, and DW is grouchy about that. Minimum is electric and water. We can go about 10 days until our gray tanks are full. The black tank fills up in about 14 days. We have a stackable w/d, but can't use it without a sewer hookup.

[InTheSticks]

I won't be a full timer, but I can't wait to be a snow bird.

[Sojourning]

Winger, that reminds me of a friend of mine who has a sailboat and isn't allowed to have the boat 'heel' more than about 10 degrees. You might as well not sail the boat at all! I suggested he trade in the wife.

[Dreaming of Freedom]

We currently have a small fiberglass egg trailer that we live in 2 weeks a year, and also use on the weekend's. I love it, but I can't wait to upgrade to a 25+ ft trailer and live in it half the year. I also can't wait to be a snowbird in a year or two!

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[like2]

One of our goals when we retire is to spend time as camp hosts for a few months each year. We have been RVing in one form or another for 30 years and absolutely love it!

[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?

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sojourning A large percentage of those who retire and buy an RV follow that pattern. The question is, why not start at 4?

I think the downside to starting at #4 is the inability to hook-up and move if you don't like your neighbors. I can see the appeal once you find a location and community of people you are comfortable with.

[Sojourning]

Well, yes and no REWahoo. Four allows you to move whenever you want. You just rent wherever you want. But I think I understand what you are trying to say.

If you ask winger for example who wrote, "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.", why they moved so few times, the answer might be interesting to someone like 2017ish who is thinking about a B class and no doubt thinking about travelling around moving every few days and seeing everywhere of interest to them on the continent.

Initially people tend to envision moving a lot. Then they discover the downsides of that. Do you tow a vehicle to be able to go and get groceries or do you have to pack up your C class each time and then set up all over again when you come back from the supermarket? If you get a big enough 5th wheel, do you accept that you may find small places you just can't get to with it. Every tried to take an RV to visit Chaco Canyon? Here is what they say, "The northern and southern routes include 13, 20, and 33 miles of dirt roads, respectively. These sections of road are infrequently maintained, and they can become impassable during inclement weather. If you have an RV and are not planning on camping in the park, you may want to leave the RV and drive a car into the park." My bet is winger's wife is not going to let him go there and have her stacked washer/dryer bouncing all over the place.

Some people may be willing to put up with the inconveniences of RVing for a while because of the conveniences they see to an RV but most end up coming to a point where they move less and less. Then they park it for months or all winter, in one place. If you're gonna end up their anyway, why not start at where you're gonna end up is what I'm saying.

For that first exploratory phase, it's cheaper I believe to travel by car and stay in motels. RVs are not an asset, they're a depreciating asset much the same as a car.
For an idea of how much they actually cost you, read here.
Should I buy a new or used RV?

If you take the cost of depreciation, maintenace, fuel, insurance, campground fees, etc. and add it all up, RVing is never cheap and the more you move the more expensive it is. So I say buy a used Miata or something and drive that first year or two of retirement enjoying the 'open road' top down. http://pictures.topspeed.com/IMG/cro...a-3_600x0w.jpg

Then skip to phase 4, renting by the month in the places you liked enough to want to go back to.

That's just my opinion of course.

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sojourning That's just my opinion of course.

Styles of RVing, including how people prefer to snowbird, are as varied as are the individuals who take up that hobby/lifestyle. What works for some doesn't work for others.

We are RVers, not snowbirds, and spend 60+ nights on the road annually. There is absolutely no way you could talk my DW into renting a place rather than using our RV - she has a strong affinity for her own bed and her own 'stuff'. (I suspect all the bedbug horror stories have enhanced that affinity over the past several years.)

And while it probably isn't the case for most snowbirds, a cost analysis isn't something most 'regular' RVers pay much attention to. It's a hobby - and it ain't cheap!

[REWahoo]

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?

One more thought: I think the above steps are an example of what happens in life - we like to try new things and our tastes/abilities/been-there, done-that card gets filled after a while. By the above measure, why don't we just skip all that living we plan on doing in retirement and move directly to assisted living? We can stay in the same one or try out a new place if we wish.