Fulltiming

[Tha_Rooster]

Just wondering if you are full timing you have now where else to live or I guess it would still be part timing so for the people that sell everything and full time for that day that will come and your to old to drive what's next.

[stepside454]

????

[scenic route]

I hope you get lots of feedback on this question because I had a major panic attack 2500 miles from our home in Florida. We were in Glacier NP when I started playing 'what if' in my head, thinking if our rolling home was our ONLY home. I was thinking of this because of all the exciting and incredible places we had been to and seen on this trip, I just didn't want it to ever stop.

We were on the 'Road to the Sun' in GNP and while waiting in a construction line at Logan Pass it hit me. What would we do if we were full timing and we got too old to do it anymore? How would an average person with an average income keep up with all that comes with full time RVing? I thought, because I do as much of maintenance as I can on the RV myself, what would we do after I can no longer do that? We do OK, but we're not wealthy by any stretch and to be honest, those thoughts (and being 2500 miles from home), were a little scary to me.

I'm not sure that full timing is the same as when one departs on a 10k, 5 month trek living in an RV. With all the traveling we did, I have a hard time believing that the pace we were traveling at(sometimes hectic) would be sustainable if we were full timing and with no home base to go to. Be very interesting to see how the full timers spend their time and where, and how much time they actually spend on the road.

The last part of your question about their plans after they become too old to do the FTing thing, will be most interesting, if there are a lot of comments from those who are doing it!

Be very interesting to see what/how folks are doing it and what their plans are after their FTing adventure is over. Good luck, could be a very interesting thread...Bob

[two gone rvn]

63 years old, sitting in Glacier last summer, no house, no bills, Jeep Wrangler for a toad and driving a 2000 Serengeti. To me and my wife, life is great. Now where do we go honey. Why not seattle? Then where? Why not try Quartzsite? Get the picture. Not a worry except where we can find room enough at night to park. I've talked to so many folks out here that have the same experience. We are living for today as there may not be a tomorrow. Lots of our friends have passed away right before or right after they retired and we do not want this to happen to us. We are not going to be saying I wish I had done that! And never did it. Yes, we do miss our kids and grand kids but we see them once a year or so. I'm sure that some day we will buy a stick house and settle down but until then, home is were we park..........I really love saying that. Just my 2 cents worth.

[Vegasdan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by two gone rvn 63 years old, sitting in Glacier last summer, no house, no bills, Jeep Wrangler for a toad and driving a 2000 Serengeti. To me and my wife, life is great. Now where do we go honey. Why not seattle? Then where? Why not try Quartzsite? Get the picture. Not a worry except where we can find room enough at night to park. I've talked to so many folks out here that have the same experience. We are living for today as there may not be a tomorrow. Lots of our friends have passed away right before or right after they retired and we do not want this to happen to us. We are not going to be saying I wish I had done that! And never did it. Yes, we do miss our kids and grand kids but we see them once a year or so. I'm sure that some day we will buy a stick house and settle down but until then, home is were we park..........I really love saying that. Just my 2 cents worth.

Same here for the most part. We have been "out there" now for 7 months. We sold everything except what we have with us, we do not have a house to go back to. That's what I call fulltiming. If you have a house and are in your RV even most of the time you are just a part timer. We have no plans on giving up this wonderful life style.

[WheelingIt]

We got rid of everything except a small storage. No debt, no house maintenance and a view that changes anytime we want it to. Our motorhome IS our home and I'm very happy with the choice.

[Downsizer]

We sold everything and travel where we want when we want with NO pressure to be anywhere. We love the freedom and ability to see so much we never would've otherwise. We still work when we can but not a stress job! Can't see going "back"

[Wanabee FTer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tha_Rooster Just wondering if you are full timing you have now where else to live or I guess it would still be part timing so for the people that sell everything and full time for that day that will come and your to old to drive what's next.

When that day comes, and I'm too old to drive...
I will park it in the weeds and go out to pasture

[grundon7]

I retired from the Fire Department in April of 09 we sold our house in June of 09. We started in our 2000 35U Suncruiser now have "our new home" a 2002 39 Journey DL. We are lovin fulltimin. Many of our friends and family that are living in a fixed location that are getting up in their years are now trying to downsize or even just rent because they can't or don't want to care for their brick and sticks. Kinda the same problem? We will deal with that problem when that time comes. We are living for today and living each day to the fullest! Family and friends are only a drive away, no packing just put the slides in, jacks up, check the tires and we are there LOVE IT. So does Grandma(navigator/chef) and all our 8 grandkids! Have fun, life is to short to worry about what is around the next corner ENJOY driving around each corner!

[RickO]

We retired in 2005. Tried living in Maui... lasted 7 months but was too far from the grandbabies... bought our first RV (40DP) in 2007... traveled half time for two years... sold the stick house in 2009... full time for 18 months.

We arrived in Arizona just before Christmas with no intention of buying another stick house but found prices to be so depressed we couldn't resist. The grandbabies are here and the townhouse on the golf course makes a great base for us. We'll still travel about half time and I think it's going to make our travel even more enjoyable. We'll see.

Rick

[Its Paid For]

I'm disabled in a 5th wheel with DW and 2 year old son. I can't drive and don't own a tow vehicle. We sold everything, bought a clean used RV that works well for us, and I have enjoyed making upgrades within my abilities and hire out what I can't do.

I have paid to be relocated each time we move. So far $175-$400 to relocate, but I dont have to deal with a tow. Wife drives her own car.

I plan to buy land as a base, build a sustainable green home myself for cash, but that is a few years down the road as wife has two more years of school for nursing.

My other thought is to just full time and she could be a travel nurse. Age wouldn't change my plans much since I have been unable to drive for years.

[Bob and Inga]

For a lot of us the choice was easy, it was one or the other but not both. No way we could afford the $5,000+ property tax on the sticks n bricks (now $8k+) plus all the other related expenses and travel the country. Our plan started out as 3 - 5 years and then maybe a condo so something in a low cost state. That has changed, we are not stopping until the good Lord tells us to. In 4+ years we still have not seen half of this great country yet. And then the do over process starts. No more sticks n bricks for this guy.

Bob

[mactom]

Previously my wife and I put all of our belongings into storage, then hit the road full time for 3 1/2 years. I could have gone on forever, but Kay got a longing to teach again, and wanted "her stuff" and a yard. So here we are, about 3 1/2 years in our house with her stuff and a yard that does not get nearly enough attention and she is getting tired of teaching, "I'm too old for this!"

So: we are making plans for selling the house, all of our belongings, and hitting the road again at the earliest possible moment (probably two years from now). We are both nomads by nature. We have owned several houses between us, and never made a penny because we never stay long enough. Very silly for us to ever buy a house again, UNLESS we can take that house with us.

We expect to stay on the road for as long as we are physically able. Being in our early 60's that should be a long time (er, we hope). We will take it slow: 3-6 months in one place before moving on. When even that is too trying, we will find a senior community of some sort, park it, and wait to die

It's all personal preference. We found having a storage unit with a house full of stuff to be a bothersome anchor, a drag. This time, no anchor (or only a teeny tiny one). I loved the feeling that our RV was our one and only house. We had our bed; our kitchen; our kitties; our computers. But we could change the yard and climate pretty much at will.

For us, being stuck with a house is depressing. The "American Dream" of home ownership is a nightmare for some of us. It's great for Kay's sister who cannot understand why we would ever want to travel at all. Might be good for politicians who don't want folks to vote with their feet, but rather accept the choices given to us. Might be good for realtors, mortgage brokers, and banks. Has not been so good for us.

We are SO much looking forward to Oregon drivers licenses with a street address of "Continuous Traveler"!

[Tha_Rooster]

I believe full timing would be great the reason I started this thread was just info for me to here how others do it I don't think we could sell everything and just go because I would want a place to fall back on if something happen to me what would my wife do with a motorhome she can't drive or want to keep there are just to many things that could go wrong I'm not that big of a gambler maybe I'll give our house to my kids that way I can take it back.