Community Forums

motojavaphil · 02-17-2009, 07:50 PM

What a crazy life to embrace. Sell the house, sell all of your worldly possessions and pay more for a vehicle on wheels than you ever have and then watch it depreciate wildly and then be happy. There is something that draws us to this lifestyle which we share commonly and certainly personally. Years ago I'd come up behind a droning RV and I could swear it had the words "Gottcha" on the back. They became the sworn enemy of vehicles I was driving and I swore I would never own such a thing. My Brother showed up with an RV and they were heading to points all over and it really made me rethink. Had 5rs to a Moho eventually selling the house and going F/T. We had a dream and I know much energy goes into keeping the dream alive even today. What is this passion? Why do sensible people do this? It would be interesting hearing some comments.

RV Wizard · 02-17-2009, 11:46 PM

I feel your pain!

I want to think it is the adventurer in all of us. Some of us get it worse than others. We sold the house, business and went working on the road in the RV industry living in our coach for almost 7 years. Just last October we bought a brick house but we are not selling our coach for when I retire, We will sell the house and go back to full time in the motorhome! We love the lifestyle and seeing new folks and places.

BookIIRoadtrash · 02-18-2009, 12:45 AM

Mines simple, I have to work and don’t want to live in hotels…. Book2

beaverjim · 02-18-2009, 12:51 AM

phil, dw and i did the fultime thing for over 4 yrs. went back to the stick house and back in business. been over three yrs now and both of talk about nothing else except the day when the right person comes along who can't live without our business and home. we would be back in a heartbeat! we miss it terribly! jim

paz · 02-18-2009, 02:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by motojavaphil:
What is this passion? Why do sensible people do this? It would be interesting hearing some comments.

There are lots of reasons people full-time; but for us, it all comes down to one thing - freedom. Freedom to go where we want, when we want. There is so much to see, do, and learn in this beautiful country of ours. Every day there is something new.

Full-timing is not without its trials. It's not like being on vacation. Full-timers have to contend with most of the same problems that exist in a stick house, plus a few more. But with the entire country as a back yard, we love the lifestyle. We have met some great people, had a lot of great experiences, and have seen many beautiful sights.

StevePav · 02-18-2009, 03:12 AM

For me, embracing the RV lifestlye was simple, it was a transition. For over twenty years I had been sailing around the Caribbean on my 40' cutter. I sold the boat last year and picked up an RV on eBay. The RV has taken the place of my boat and my gypsy lifestyle remains similar (except I don't have to worry about the RV sinking).

Steve

chasfm11 · 02-18-2009, 03:24 AM

There are other aspects of the RV Lifestyle besides full timing. I don't see us ever doing that but we have and will continue to spend a lot of time in our RV. Almost on a lark, we rented a Class C in the mid-90s and were hooked. We rented a second time, just to make sure we really liked the atmosphere Making the purchase was difficult for me because I was afraid that we really won't use it enough to justify the expense - as if there is ever any way to "justify" RV living. I've been amazed at how much we have used and and the many things we've done.

And this was all before DW was diagnosed as a diabetic. Being able to go places and continue to prepare our own food is, by itself, a reason to RV. She would have a much more difficult time trying to duplicate the 22 day trip that we took last year using a hotel and eating out all of the time.

While it clearly is not for everyone, traveling in an RV is a terrific experience and I'm glad that we made the decision to be part of it.

read & learn · 02-18-2009, 04:25 AM

All the above reasons are right on he money.
We started out with a plan that it would be 8-10 weeks on the road spending about 1 week somewhere and then move about 250 miles to a new location and than back home for the about 8-10 weeks.
Part 2 of the plan would be to drive the toad or fly home as we got farther and farther from our home.
Well, we did this little 8-10 weeks once and decided to go on the road till the DW missed the grandkids that trip was about 7 months.
Went home for about 4 months with a small trips every couple of weeks. Went back on the road September 2007 and have been back home 2 times once for 3 weeks and last Thanksgiving for 5 days.
We don't really know what this illness is

, but we both are glad that we caught it.
Have been to 36 States and Mexico [Rocky Point] and have decided that we will go back East in June and pick up 2 Grandkids for about 2 weeks than another 2 for 2 weeks until all 7 have had a small trip now that they all are big enough to enjoy traveling. We had 2 of them for 6 weeks last year.
Yes, we still own a stick home.

Zimectrin · 02-18-2009, 02:52 PM

Clint Eastwood sang the answer in 'Paint Your Wagon".

"I was born under a wanderin' star"

Northern-Canadian · 02-19-2009, 09:01 AM

I have to agree with what so many people have said. We are not full timing yet but you can count on us to start full timing when we are able. The RV lifestyle allows my young family to travel comfortably around this great continent and visit so many interesting places and people. I like the fact that I do not have to hope that there are rooms available at hotels, or worry about where to eat and what to eat. Add in the price of airfare and the cost of rental vehicles in any trip and the RV was a logical choice. I know that the coach is a depreciating asset but who cares other than the banks. I certainly do not care. The coach’s value to my family is priceless. It allows me to spend time with my wife and two young daughters while they still think dad is cool and want to be around us. (I hope that never ends) The memories that my family will have for each of our lives are irreplaceable.

becks · 02-19-2009, 02:45 PM

Blake.....You hit the nail on the head. I could not have said it any better or agree more. Our kids are now grown but they still join us now and again.

motojavaphil · 02-19-2009, 08:20 PM

When I was a boy a guy came to visit a girl across the street on an Indian. I begged a ride from him and never forgot that, it was for me. There is a whole history onto itself about motorcycle. A friend asked me to go roller skating. Same thing happened, it was for me. Fit like a glove to a hand. I saw the fulltime lifestyle and toyed with it. Figured out it was for me. I took to it like a fish to water. Over the years friends have warned me away from any of the above activities for different reasons as it makes no sense. At some level you just know. Its not an intellectual process as much as an emotional choice. How did you know the RV was for you as the bulk of folks could care less about them?