Anyone A Full-time RVer?

[RetiredAt49]

Would love to hear any experiences for those of you who owned/rented house but then either part time (6+ months) or full-time decided to switch to RV’ing.

If you could include things like what RV you purchased (e.g. 5th wheel), whether or not you towed another vehicle, did you miss your pre-RV life.

I searched for this topic here but got no search results here but the mobile app is a little flaky.

 

[Fermion]

We tried it for a year. We actually built our own custom RV (engineers, what can I say) and still have it although we sold the underpowered truck the pods were mounted on.

I like parts of it, but we like to build stuff and even with the workshop pod we had on the truck, it really was not enough room to do big projects. If you don't really like building stuff or have very compact hobbies, I think it is a nice lifestyle. Healthcare is a bitch though with the various limited networks, unless you just park your RV in your home state...but then why are you in a RV then?

Now that we have a pretty decent size van, I rather enjoy tossing the queen size mattress in the van, loading up the 3000 watt goal zero yeti and going on road trips, alternating between hotels, camping, or even short term vrbo rentals in areas we want to really explore.

COVID really put a crimp in traveling. It just was not safe or fun to go to areas where all the stuff was closed/locked down.

 

[RetiredAt49]

If you don't really like building stuff or have very compact hobbies, I think it is a nice lifestyle. Healthcare is a bitch though with the various limited networks.

Great point… forgot about healthcare issues as we are on ACA [emoji848]

The only other drawback is we like to hit the gym (weights) and that might prove challenging.

 

[Fermion]

Great point… forgot about healthcare issues as we are on ACA [emoji848]

The only other drawback is we like to hit the gym (weights) and that might prove challenging.

Yeah, we were in Texas in the RV with our health plan in Washington state and had a bit of a health scare which panicked me a little back then. It would be SO much easier if we had some sort of nationwide healthcare.

 

[old medic]

We have been living in a 36 Ft 5th wheel, September started year 5. We plan on traveling once the DW retires. We bought this to live in but then bought a house that needed tons of work so we are parked there and still in it. We have a smaller camper that we use for travel and do many long weekends, and a few couple week trips each year. The motorhome v/s camper debate is a long one, and both have advantages, disadvantages.
I love this place, but would suggest you check out some camping forums. We have been camping for years, still enjoy a tent in a kayak and a few days on the river. Our travel camper is hooked up, waiting on the DW to get done at work, and we headed out for the weekend.

 

[Morgan22]

We're trying it out now. Have an itinerary planned through Oct. We've been on the road since February. We purchased a 20 foot Travel Trailer with an off-road package end of last year that we tow with a Tundra. (We've owned one before.) We like to camp either on BLM or forest lands, or go to state and county parks were a lot of the sites have 21 foot limits on trailers. Things sort of fell into place. The house we were living in was sold, so we sold all of our furniture and gave away a bunch of extra kitchen equipment, clothing etc.

Regarding health insurance we have an ACA plan, but when on the road will only use for emergencies. (I hope we don't have any). We do plan to go back to our "home state" for some of the winter months. We'll use it then for preventative visits.

You could join a nationwide gym like Planet Fitness so you can visit the gym when on the road.

We are enjoying being on the road and seeing sites and hiking around the national and state parks. But we do plan on eventually settling back down one of these days and buying a house. I'm thinking maybe in 2 to 5 years. But we'll play it by ear and see how this first year goes.

 

[RetiredAt49]

I love this place, but would suggest you check out some camping forums.

Duly noted and aware of a lot of camping forums but many here are FIRE and curious to hear RV experiences from that perspective

 

[old medic]

Duly noted and aware of a lot of camping forums but many here are FIRE and curious to hear RV experiences from that perspective

Most of the FT folks we have met are retired, some can remote work. There 2 guys that we met several years back that work as camp hosts and stay for free. They travel back and forth, 3 months at a time, winter on a SC beach, hot of summer in the mountains, and pic a place between each spring and fall. The have a motorhome, pull an enclosed trailer with it and other drives there little SUV. been doing it over 10 years

 

[SnowballCamper]

We got a small travel trailer a few years ago, and get out as much as we can with DD still in school. I'd only consider full time if we were going to rent out the house, so that we had a sure place to come back to at a reasonable price. If you don't want to be on the move all the time, the camp host job is definitely an option to consider. When I look at the private RV park with lots of long term tenants, it's not appealing to me. Being on the road all the time would be fun for a while, but I'm sure it gets old (and expensive) after a year or so.

 

[38Chevy454]

As mentioned, try the sister site to this one, www.irv2.com

There are many subforums, one being for full timers.

 

[rk911]

Would love to hear any experiences for those of you who owned/rented house but then either part time (6+ months) or full-time decided to switch to RV’ing.

If you could include things like what RV you purchased (e.g. 5th wheel), whether or not you towed another vehicle, did you miss your pre-RV life.

I searched for this topic here but got no search results here but the mobile app is a little flaky.

not fulltiming but we typcally head to AZ in early January and don't usually return home until early-to-mid May. we usually spend just Feb and March in AZ. the balance of the time is planned wandereing. 4-weeks to get to AZ and about the same amount of time to get home.

been RVing since 1986 in motor homes. first was a used '85 26' Winnebago (86-00), then a new '00 35' double-slide Itasca (00-15) and then, finally, a new '16 40' triple-slide Itasca. the 40'-er was intended to be our final MH so we highly customized it. we tow our 2010 Jeep Liberty. the longest we've been out is 5-months and neither of us has any desire to go full time.

best advice? move slowly if you have no RV experience. consider renting a MH for a few weeks to get your feet wet. RV sales have been thru the roof for the last several years and competition for camping and RV park spaces is fierce.

if you do decide to give it a go attend one, preferably more, RV shows and carefully look at the 4-major types of RV...motor home, 5th wheel, travel trailer and camping van. each has advantages and disadvantages.

there are a couple of forums you should subscribe to...http://www.irv.com and http://www.rv.net.

if you do buy and hit the road suggest you do that for a year or so before deciding whether or not to go full time. if you make that jump understand that there will come a time when you'll need to get off the road. be sure you have the financial wherewithall to do that.

 

[RetiredAt49]

if you do buy and hit the road suggest you do that for a year or so before deciding whether or not to go full time. if you make that jump understand that there will come a time when you'll need to get off the road. be sure you have the financial wherewithall to do that.

Appreciate the advice. I owned an RV and the ex-spouse, kids, and I would go a week at a time camping, etc. and had a blast

My current spouse RV'd a little when young but not as an adult so I do wonder if she'd really like it or not.

We have a primary home, a cabin, and some rental properties so we have a place to land if/when we want too.

 

[punkinhead]

My parents sold their house and lived full time in an RV for 20 years. It's not something I would try with a spouse who doesn't have significant RV experience. My parents camped a ton before going full time so they both had some idea what they were getting into but living in a small space with a limited ability to carry "stuff" is very different from camping a week at a time.

 

[Bamaman]

We bought into a large member owned campground in 1995, and have a 36' fifth wheel with 4 slides that stays in storage in the NE Georgia Mountains about an hour from the edge of Atlanta. We have to pay $450 a year and $1 a day to camp--including Wifi and satellite television.

I have always been envious of those that have the courage to pull up stakes and hit the road in a RV. We've had family issues, including raising a 10 year old, that doesn't allow us more than long weekends in the mountains.

Travel trailers and fifth wheels are more what you'd want to take to Florida and live in through the winter. Class C and Class A motorhomes are what you'd want to travel from place to place--on the road.

Some think present high fuel prices will slow down RVing. But we have friends that only put one tank of gas per year in their motorhome. We're fortunate to have at least 10 great RV parks and state parks within an hour of home and another 4-5 within 2 hours. We just don't have to go far.

 

[folivier]

We did that for a couple years about a year after we both retired. My MIL started to decline in health and my DW wanted to have a house again so we sold the large motorhome and bought a house in a retirement community nearby MIL. We continued traveling in a 36’ motorhome for half the year.
Started in a 39’ Newell motorhome with no slides and quickly decided to upgrade in size. Bought a 45’ 2 slide Newell, a 1998, in great condition. Loved it. At first we’d stay a few days or maybe a week somewhere then move on mostly through the western states. After a while of meeting other fulltimers and them telling us to slow down we did. Started spending 1-2 weeks then a month in an area and using our “toad” (towed vehicle) to explore that area. I had a 4x4 Silverado truck and loaded a Polaris RZR in the bed to explore. When we’d get to a new campground I’d go to a small local barber shop for a trim and get great suggestions on places to see in that area.
When we started we were in our mid 50’s and did lots of hiking. As we’ve aged we don’t do nearly as much hiking. Actually sold the motorhome last year and bought a cabin in Colorado in one of our favorite areas. Now we have a 22’ Roadtrek for traveling and short camping trips.
I was fortunate to have health insurance from my former employer until medicare for both my DW and I. It was a conventional plan and we have just as good coverage as if we were home. Now our medicare + plan G gives us coverage anywhere in the USA.
We enjoy looking for local family owned cafes and restaurants when we eat out.
For mail delivery look at Escapees, and there are others in Florida and S. Dakota. You might need a permanent address for some things so look at one of your kids or trusted friend for that.
One important thing is the length of whatever you buy. Our 45’ motorhome was wonderful to live in, like a small luxury condo. But the length limited us to larger campgrounds.
I also like to buy an older quality unit that doesn’t have all of the electronic components. I’m handy and do a lot of my own work. With an older unit it’s much easier than having to find a dealer to work on proprietary things. And things do break whether it’s a new unit or older.
It’s a fun lifestyle, planning your stays is a bit harder now but still doable. But understand that things change that will affect your ability to travel.

 

[Out of Steam]

My parents sold their house and lived full time in an RV for 20 years. It's not something I would try with a spouse who doesn't have significant RV experience. My parents camped a ton before going full time so they both had some idea what they were getting into but living in a small space with a limited ability to carry "stuff" is very different from camping a week at a time.

I've been a tent camper since my early 20s, both campground and backpacking, but don't think that experience would carry over to long-term RV living at all.

Also consider your comfort level with driving large vehicles. I struggle with anything larger than a full-size pickup truck or van, and have occasional issues with clipping curbs with the rear wheel on right turns in those.

My wife would like to RV, but I think I'd be too prone to mishaps.

 

[Koolau]

Daughter not strictly full time, she, husband and 4 kids are living in an RV (full time) while their house is finished (total time - maybe 8 months.) I would have found some other way, but they had the RV already and use it a fair amount. YMMV