Early Retiree RVers?

[Stripe34]

Wondering how many RVers are here who are early retirees? People under the 65-ish age, perhaps who associate a bit more with modern generations vs the first of the baby boomers and the "great war" generations?

There are TONS of working RVers of all ages, including families, as we all know. Wondering more about the empty-nester types?

Its just one of the boxes we tick :-)

[chindog]

We're in that group, and we are full timers. Our biggest issue is health insurance coverage.

[MikeO58]

We are in this group. I’m 58 partner just turned 50. June we are planning on being done with work and going full time.

[okcnewbie]

Weekend warriors here.
Wife is 55 and has been retired for 4 years. I'll be retired in 2.5 years and I'll be 56. Tentative plan is to FT for 5 or so years. As more and more baby boomers are retiring my plans of FT'ing may change if the campgrounds are too hard to get into because of high demand.

[nothermark]

I wonder how much longer the private sector workers of the country will continue to support early retirement for most government workers...we have achieved or exceeded parity with more folks working for the government than in private industry in some states.

Between health care costs and low investment yields it has gotten a lot harder for private sector folks to retire early. If you dig a bit something like half the population has no significant retirement savings and another large fraction is underfunded. Those folks cannot afford to retire so they will work to or past the 66/67 Social Security full benefit point because they cannot afford not to. Might be why you see so many working full timers.

[okcnewbie]

Originally Posted by nothermark

I wonder how much longer the private sector workers of the country will continue to support early retirement for most government workers....

Not much longer. Many of the larger cities have pension plans that are not sustainable IMO.
Right now it looks like my wife and I could lose the FERS supplement that we've been planning on. It would decrease our monthly retirement by about 2,500 dollars until we reach SS age. We will still be better off than most because of rental properties and savings. I'm all for gov't cuts if I thought the money wouldn't just end up going to others that aren't even working.......
I think there's a real chance that the financial bubble could start collapsing when cities start being able to pay the pensions.

[Searching_Ut]

The wife and I both decided to retire earlier this year at 58. We are keeping the house, but plan to travel extensively for the next several years. So far since our memorial day weekend retirement we've spent half the time on the road. Part of our income is a military retirement, with most of our money coming from savings, which we have to manage fairly closely right now until we hit 59.5 as the bulk of our savings are in 401/IRA type accounts.

So far it's been really interesting how the age of most of the folks we've met camping jumped up so much after Labor day. Went from seeing lots of younger folks to mostly retirees.

[okcnewbie]

Originally Posted by Searching_Ut

So far it's been really interesting how the age of most of the folks we've met camping jumped up so much after Labor day. Went from seeing lots of younger folks to mostly retirees.

I was travelling I-40 heading east and couldn't believe home many MH's were heading West (last week). I bet most of those folks are retired or at least self-employed.

[Mr_D]

Well, I retired at 51, but went back to work till the DW could retire. I'm now almost 71 and finally retired fully in 2016. Unfortunately the late DW died in Aug 2016 without ever getting to enjoy what she worked all her life for.

[powerboatr]

yes retired at 42... back in 2006.
been full time or at least in the bus or the fithwheel at our rv port ever since.
Got sick a few years (surgeries) so we we pretty much stayed at the port, and did long weekend trips.

now MIL is overly needy so we travel within a 8 hour drive back in the toad if an emergency comes up. still puts us on the road alot, just not to alaska yet

[wagonmaster2]

Originally Posted by okcnewbie

Weekend warriors here.
Wife is 55 and has been retired for 4 years. I'll be retired in 2.5 years and I'll be 56. Tentative plan is to FT for 5 or so years. As more and more baby boomers are retiring my plans of FT'ing may change if the campgrounds are too hard to get into because of high demand.

I'm afraid that time is already here as baby boomers are already filling up campgrounds. I'm well past the age OP is asking about, have been retired 24 years, RVing for 30 years and am amazed at how campgrounds have started filling up the last several years. We vacation 6-8 weeks in May-June and again in September-October. 5-8 years ago we never ever made reservations since we like to travel with no specific itenerary. But now all that has changed, we had to start having reservations at every site we wanted to stop at or we couldn't stop. And if you happen to have a favorite camp site in any of your favorite visiting areas reservations anywhere from 6 months to a year in advance are advised.
Things sure are changing.

[les.warden]

I’m very sorry to hear about those that lost their spouse without getting to experience their dreams.

I retired 3 years ago at 60 and DW retired a year later. Don’t know if this qualifies as early, but doesn’t seem early. Wanted to retire and have health/time left in life to enjoy. We are traveling the US, but not full time. We planned this for many years before retirement. Trying to now enjoy the fruits of our work-life labor. [emoji631][emoji590][emoji592][emoji106]

[okcnewbie]

Originally Posted by wagonmaster2

... RVing for 30 years and am amazed at how campgrounds have started filling up the last several years......

I'm starting to think you were able to RV during the best years. There will still be options but I'm afraid that just heading out without a plan and reservations may be a thing of the past. Oh well. ....

[THenman]

Wife and I are 60 and 59 and retired in 2016. I sold my business then and she wanted to retire also so she did. We are now snow birds and part timers. We have been trying to travel at somewhat off times for most trips. Early spring and late summer while staying home in summer and then taking off Jan-Mar.

We went this route in part because while I had the business we could not travel for longer time periods even a week was very hard to come by and very seldom so we wanted to catch up plus had no idea where to get a second home. Thus our second home has a motor and wheels.

Tom