Motorhome - 2016
- Thread starter UtahSkier
- Start date
Bamaman
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
I've always been envious of those that have the courage to sell the S&B place, buy a RV and hit the road. We have a year old fifth wheel, but still keep the houses since our grandchildren need us so much.
Funny thing is I've never seen any fulltimer on any RV website say they're sorry they sold their belongings and house to hit the road. They all seem to have an adventurous spirit and glad to see a new place every week or two.
My hat's off to you.
Funny thing is I've never seen any fulltimer on any RV website say they're sorry they sold their belongings and house to hit the road. They all seem to have an adventurous spirit and glad to see a new place every week or two.
My hat's off to you.
Major Tom
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
I think it's for the same reason that we rarely hear back from people who come in here touting "adventurous" investment schemes. The ones for whom things didn't work out tend to be less vocal about it.
Congratulations UtahSkier. Enjoy your travels!
UtahSkier
Recycles dryer sheets
Just an FYI... we still have our Utah home as we need a home during ski season. We will be using the RV for 5 to 6 months each year. Spring and fall. We will travel to Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona starting after labor day.
NW-Bound
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2008
- Messages
- 35,712
When the idea of RV'ing first crossed my mind around 2008-2009, I did not know anything about it, and in fact had never camped in my life. So, I searched the Web for info, found some blogs of RV full-timers, and have been reading theirs on and off till now.
I knew full-timing was not for us. But as a mode of travel, RV'ing allows us to take the back road and visit places that we did not do when still doing the fly-and-drive routine. There's more to the US than visiting large cities such as NYC, Chicago, Boston, Seattle, SF, etc..., which we had already done over the years while working.
About the RV full-timers, I have seen many couples suddenly dropped out and moved back into a fixed home after being on the road for more than 5 years. Some even sold their motorhome and were done with it. This itself is not bad; you have had many years of mobility, seen many locales, experienced different things on the road that you will recall with fondness when you look back at the photos taken.
As for us, we will keep doing the RV treks until I get tired of driving. We have done up to 2-month long trips, where at the end we started to miss home. We had a 25' class C towing a car for excursions, but even a larger class A would not be enough for us as a permanent home. I have different hobbies (hence a lot of "stuff"), and my wife likes to do gardening. When I get older and even this class C becomes too much, I may get a class B so my wife can help with the driving.
Keep on RV'in'.
I knew full-timing was not for us. But as a mode of travel, RV'ing allows us to take the back road and visit places that we did not do when still doing the fly-and-drive routine. There's more to the US than visiting large cities such as NYC, Chicago, Boston, Seattle, SF, etc..., which we had already done over the years while working.
About the RV full-timers, I have seen many couples suddenly dropped out and moved back into a fixed home after being on the road for more than 5 years. Some even sold their motorhome and were done with it. This itself is not bad; you have had many years of mobility, seen many locales, experienced different things on the road that you will recall with fondness when you look back at the photos taken.
As for us, we will keep doing the RV treks until I get tired of driving. We have done up to 2-month long trips, where at the end we started to miss home. We had a 25' class C towing a car for excursions, but even a larger class A would not be enough for us as a permanent home. I have different hobbies (hence a lot of "stuff"), and my wife likes to do gardening. When I get older and even this class C becomes too much, I may get a class B so my wife can help with the driving.
Keep on RV'in'.
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Dawg52
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Same here. It does look like a fun life, but I'm too conservative to give it a go. Buying a vacation condo on the coast shocked a lot of my family and friends.
Senator
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
I am in the process of purchasing a 5th wheel. Perhaps a year away yet. Similar to your deal, leave for 3-6 weeks at a time and explore.
It would be great to chat if you are interested.
Sunset
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Ok, couldn't figure it out, what is: S&B place (can't be Stay & Bitch place) ?
Major Tom
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
S&B = Sticks n' Bricks
Bamaman
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
We keep our year old fifth wheel trailer in a deeded camping resort in the North GA mountains. It costs us $425 per year to camp 14 days per month for free. They store our fifth wheel and move it on and off a campsite for us. It works out perfect for our needs, and our daughter and now grandchildren have grown up spending time camping there. See UnicoiSprings.com. Our campground is very well managed, very financially stable and self supporting.
It's the best deal going in the RV world as far as we're concerned.
It's the best deal going in the RV world as far as we're concerned.
There is so much to consider when choosing to take to the road. While we never had a larger motor home, we owned a high-top camper for some ten years, and camped in many campgrounds in 15 states.. mostly on weekends, or weeklong vacations. We were totally self contained and very comfortable with the camping schtick. We went alone, or with camping groups that we joined along the way. A great life with great people, who all have the same mindset.
Eventually, we settled on a park model in our own campground, but before that were members of one of the larger Camping associations, that is affiliated with our owned property.
Here is a listing of some memberships that are for sale, for home parks in different locations.
http://www.rvproperty.com/memberships/
Our campground is associated with"Coast to Coast"... some of the basic info here:
https://woodhavenassociation.com/coast-coast/
Home base campgrounds vary with regard to the facilities available and membership costs... some, on the outskirts of major tourism areas, used as base camps, while others are apart and more self contained as resort destinations in, of, and by themselves.
I'm not into giving advice, but my thinking is that before making the decision to take to the open road in a motorhome, that a trial period of actual camping for at least several weeks would be in order. Renting or traveling with a friend, and in more than one or two campgrounds. Long distance camping can be fairly expensive especially with a larger unit, and all campgrounds are not cheap.
The call of the open road is inviting, but this kind of adventure is not for everyone.
Eventually, we settled on a park model in our own campground, but before that were members of one of the larger Camping associations, that is affiliated with our owned property.
Here is a listing of some memberships that are for sale, for home parks in different locations.
http://www.rvproperty.com/memberships/
Our campground is associated with"Coast to Coast"... some of the basic info here:
https://woodhavenassociation.com/coast-coast/
Home base campgrounds vary with regard to the facilities available and membership costs... some, on the outskirts of major tourism areas, used as base camps, while others are apart and more self contained as resort destinations in, of, and by themselves.
I'm not into giving advice, but my thinking is that before making the decision to take to the open road in a motorhome, that a trial period of actual camping for at least several weeks would be in order. Renting or traveling with a friend, and in more than one or two campgrounds. Long distance camping can be fairly expensive especially with a larger unit, and all campgrounds are not cheap.
The call of the open road is inviting, but this kind of adventure is not for everyone.
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ElizabethT
Full time employment: Posting here.
I recognize that rv site . . . Chula Vista Marina, yes? Lovely RV park if so.
We are giving serious thought to spending a year on the road, though we will likely hang on to our brick and mortar. Hope you'll continue to share your journey here as inspiration.
Congrats! We sold our house in San Diego last September and bought a fifth wheel. We have been hanging at a San Diego RV resort since then and have enjoyed our more simplified lifestyle. In less than two weeks we launch on our adventures wandering around the US. One of our stops will be a rally with other fulltime families on the road...should be fun.
Indulge me... please....
Such great memories. From the earliest days with DW and our sons there were hundreds and hundreds of days of camping... wherever we lived. The early days were tent camping, in MA, NH, and ME, back in the '60's. When we moved to NY, in the early 70's our camping was mostly long canoe treks in the Adirondaks, staying in Adirondak shelters, tents, or under the stars.
In the mid 70's we graduated to small RV camping in our 1972 Volkswagen Westphalia pop-top... a marvel of engineering. From the 1980's to 1989, when we retired, we camped in our 1978 Ford High-top.
In a way, this kind of entertainment kept our costs low, and helped later, in being able to retire.
Mixed in with this was camping with Cub and Boy Scouts... 25 years in my adult years with different groups, which changed whenever we moved.
So, maybe this doesn't fit in with "Motorhome" as it's used today, but the "freedom" lifestyle is the same.
As I see it, there are two kinds of "campers"... Those who do it for the joy of spending time outside, in active campgrounds... interacting with other campers and camping families. Hikes, nature walks, swimming, campfires, and other group activities. The other side is using the motorhome for travel... to get from place to place as in tourism, while being able to enjoy the comfort of one's own "home". I suppose as we age, that is more likely.
Either way, people who go to campgrounds are kindred spirits in a kind of "on the road" community.
As it turned out, after retirement, we felt the travel lust had been satisfied, and we put down an anchor in 1990... buying into our campground and with a permanent Park Model, an add-a-room, and a large deck, on the waterfront one of the campground's 7 small lakes. Now, 26 years later, our second home. No "Motor" of course, but side by side with hundreds of other campers, in a mix of tents, motor homes, fifth wheels and park models. The intangible is that special feeling of freedom and happiness that isn't quite the same in a regular stable neighborhood.
Our motorhomes...
Such great memories. From the earliest days with DW and our sons there were hundreds and hundreds of days of camping... wherever we lived. The early days were tent camping, in MA, NH, and ME, back in the '60's. When we moved to NY, in the early 70's our camping was mostly long canoe treks in the Adirondaks, staying in Adirondak shelters, tents, or under the stars.
In the mid 70's we graduated to small RV camping in our 1972 Volkswagen Westphalia pop-top... a marvel of engineering. From the 1980's to 1989, when we retired, we camped in our 1978 Ford High-top.
In a way, this kind of entertainment kept our costs low, and helped later, in being able to retire.
Mixed in with this was camping with Cub and Boy Scouts... 25 years in my adult years with different groups, which changed whenever we moved.
So, maybe this doesn't fit in with "Motorhome" as it's used today, but the "freedom" lifestyle is the same.
As I see it, there are two kinds of "campers"... Those who do it for the joy of spending time outside, in active campgrounds... interacting with other campers and camping families. Hikes, nature walks, swimming, campfires, and other group activities. The other side is using the motorhome for travel... to get from place to place as in tourism, while being able to enjoy the comfort of one's own "home". I suppose as we age, that is more likely.
Either way, people who go to campgrounds are kindred spirits in a kind of "on the road" community.
As it turned out, after retirement, we felt the travel lust had been satisfied, and we put down an anchor in 1990... buying into our campground and with a permanent Park Model, an add-a-room, and a large deck, on the waterfront one of the campground's 7 small lakes. Now, 26 years later, our second home. No "Motor" of course, but side by side with hundreds of other campers, in a mix of tents, motor homes, fifth wheels and park models. The intangible is that special feeling of freedom and happiness that isn't quite the same in a regular stable neighborhood.
Our motorhomes...
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Christine
Full time employment: Posting here.
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2014
- Messages
- 670
Congratulations! The site looks nice - I would love to bring my RV to the US some time...where is the bridge? 
I have heard some stories here in Europe of people mismanaging their money and after becoming old and frail living in their motorhome on a 3rd rate camp site in the sun somewhere - not beeing able to buy back into their old life. All of their money gone.
I guess they had never heard about any 4% rule of thumb or anything else about how to FIRE.
I have heard some stories here in Europe of people mismanaging their money and after becoming old and frail living in their motorhome on a 3rd rate camp site in the sun somewhere - not beeing able to buy back into their old life. All of their money gone.
I guess they had never heard about any 4% rule of thumb or anything else about how to FIRE.
UtahSkier
Recycles dryer sheets
I recognize that rv site . . . Chula Vista Marina, yes? Lovely RV park if so.
We are giving serious thought to spending a year on the road, though we will likely hang on to our brick and mortar. Hope you'll continue to share your journey here as inspiration.
Good eye! That park was the Chula Vista RV Resort. Spent a week there and a week at Mission Bay RV park.
The Chula Vista Resort itself was very nice, but I prefer the Mission Beach area.
My picture shows the glamor of RV travel. The flip side, the picture I didn't take, is the break down and repairs. While traveling back to SLC, I had a check engine light go on. $2000 later, I was back on the road.
folivier
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2009
- Messages
- 2,020
If you plan to downsize your current house then consider buying an RV and full timing for a few years. You might find a place you prefer and buy a house there.
