Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
RV Trip Planning Discussions

Go Back   iRV2 Forums > RV LIFE STYLES FORUMS > Full-Timers
Click Here to Login
Join iRV2 Today

Mission Statement: Supporting thoughtful exchange of knowledge, values and experience among RV enthusiasts.
Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on iRV2
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 05-18-2018, 08:32 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 164
Holes in our Plan?

We will be retiring in 12-15 years. I will be 67 or 70 DW will be a bit younger (not supposed to broadcast women's ages). We have a tentative plan or possibility that involves full time RVing. I want to know what experienced full timers think of the plan. Our only related experience is a lot of tent camping (plus I lived in my parents pop up in the back yard for a year ages and ages ago).

We are uncertain whether we want a 5th wheel or a MH. It seems like 5th wheel give you more and better living space for the money. RV makes the traveling part way nicer. I am nearly convinced 5th wheel is the way to go, but we want to try a MH and see if we find the advantages outweight the better living space. So in about 4 years we will buy an old cheap MH for maybe $10K. Use it for a while for some trips, even stay for a month in our driveway just to see how it is to live in 400 s.f. for a month at a time.

Then if we like the conditions, we will sell or scrap the MH, sell our house, buy a very small house with a big lot and buy a very nice large MH or 5th wheel.

I am an extrovert. I get energy from being around people. My wife is an introvert. Being around people exhausts her. She likes to sit in bed and read for hours on end. She likes people ok and as a librarian is good with dealing with people, it just exhausts her. RV life seems ideal for our mix. I can go visit people and hang out, she can visit for a while and then go sit in or out and read.

We are very different in another way as well. My wife thinks roughing it is hotels that do not have room service. My idea of camping to to bring a piece of rope, a knife three matches and wing it. I used to enjoy extreme hiking (before it had a name) now I cannot do it anymore. Our compromise has been car camping. We bring along a ton of luxuries like a gas stove, tent air mattresses and lanterns and such. We both get enjoyment out of it despite the bi-directional compromise. Icky showers or no showers are her biggest dislike. RV can solve that issue.


My absolute favorite past times are exploring and community service. Both seem suited to RV living

We have 5 kids. It appears they are going to scatter all over the USA. We can take turns living by each of them at different times.

Two of our five kids are not ever going to be well off. We will buy the small house where one of those two settles in (most likely in our home town in Michigan). They can live there for minimal rent and take care of it for us. The small house will be where we stay if we get really sick or need to recover from surgery. Also we could go there if I need to fix major things on the RV. (Plus to visit whichever kid is there). Also we will store seasonal clothing and gear there and stop twice a year to switch.

In addition to staying near the kids, we will travel to visit friends and relatives (Florida, California Tennessee, Oregon, North Carolina and Texas) and visit cool places like Alaska. We lived in California for 18 years and have a lot of good friends there, so we will spend quite a bit of time there (Orange County).

We will probably clear $350,000 - $400,000 from selling the house. The small house may cost $80,000 to $130,000 at least right now. The rest will go to an RV, tow or towed vehicle, supplies and extra savings. We might buy an RV lot in a warm state so we can be assured we have a spot during the winters. We will just rent it out most of the time. We will have Social security and a medium 401K for income as well.

If I get bored, I might work a little while we travel (I am a lawyer). Mostly I will write and explore. My wife will mostly read (she is a librarian). She will handle our accounting and gush over any grandchildren who happen.

I might like to stay a Meramac Caverns and work as a guide or something for a summer if that is possible. I love that place. I am also writing a series of novels. I will work on finishing them, maybe they will bring us some income one day.

Currently we live in a 182 year old rather large waterfront house on 1 acre surrounded by several acres of woods. We are in the Detroit River. We live in a place that is very camp like already. It will be sad to leave this beautiful place and a huge change, but it is time to see and experience more. Plus we want to spend time with our kids and grandkids (if any ever appear). Advantage of this old house is we are used to having things break constantly. Consistent with RV living it appears. At least i am reasonably good at fixing things, especially wiring.

When it comes time to die, and we can no longer travel, we can give the RV to one of the kids and go die in the little house.

Of course things can happen. The kids who will always be broke might marry; or our kids might miraculously decide to come back to Michigan to live. (In which case we might buy a small RV and keep the big house). One of us could get seriously ill before we retire. But these things are unlikely. One daughter and her SO just bought a house in Aurora, one is becoming a college professor. One will be a rowing coach and one likely a musician. None of those are likely to end up here.

So there is our tentative plan. The big hole is we know nothing about RVing. We will have five to ten years to try it out before we commit, but full time is a very different lifestyle I think. What do you experience people have to say? What are we missing>?

Sorry this is so long. Thank you to anyone who bothered to read all of it.
Coldjensens is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 05-18-2018, 09:08 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 304
We had no previous RV experience either. We were tent campers for several decades. About 15 years ago I gave up on tenting due to a back injury and would just use a blow up mattress in the back of our mini van and DH slept in the tent. But in October 2016 we bought a new Ford truck, then April 2017 we bought a 30' travel trailer. The next month in May we closed on the sale of our house, June 2nd we both retired (we are young 60s) and the next day we hit the road.

We've been traveling almost a year now and love it. We both agreed at the beginning that when either one of us gets tired of living in the travel trailer and or of traveling, we'll buy a house again and settle down. We lived in Colorado when we retired and knew we didn't want to stay there after we retired. We were both tired of the winters, living at 7200' elevation we usually got our first snow in September and our last snow of the season in May. Winter lasted just too darn long for our taste!

We are still hunting for the perfect retirement place in our travels. But we're not ready to settle down yet.

We are so glad we retired early. We saved wisely, invested wisely, all during our lives and it afforded us the ability to retire in our very early 60s. We've never regretted early retirement. Not...one...day!!!
__________________
2017 Heartland North Trail Calibur Edition
Dmrad is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-18-2018, 09:24 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 3,059
We are not fulltimers but have been on several trips that lasted 6 weeks or longer. Being in the MH for that period of time together did not bother us at all, and we were never really ready to go home at the end of the trip. We've had some really great trips and are looking forward to many more. We have 5 grandsons and due to that there is no way I'll ever be able to convince my wife to even temporarily go full time.

I think your basic plan is good as you are not putting all your eggs in one basket(ie the MH). You have an exit plan if you need it, or like you said have some temporary medical issues or surgeries where you need to be in a house recuperating. But only you know what you are comfortable with, and what you need in place as a backup plan for peace of mind.

12-15 years out is a long time and a lot can happen between then and now. One thing that may have an affect on your plan, is that you said you were going to buy and old MH for around 10K to see if you really like it, and then sell it or scrap it to buy what you really want when you retire. The only problem with that is for 10K, it will be an older MH with not all the newer amenities or comforts. That could affect whether or not you really enjoy traveling in a MH. Especially if your wife thinks that staying in a hotel is roughing it, and you guys have no experience in RV'ing right now. You may get a gem that does you well, or one that has a lot of issues and you are always having to do repairs, or is uncomfortable.

You may want to consider renting a nicer MH to see if you even like it, or like driving it. You can also rent 5th wheels where they put the 5th wheel in a CG and you just show up and use it. It doesn't give you the experience of what it's like to tow it but, you can see if you like the living experience. That way you can experience the lifestyle and see if you really do enjoy it. You have a lot of time to figure it out, so I would go and experience all that you can before making any decisions.

We have had RV's and boats for years, but even with that experience we still spent about two years looking for this one. I wish I would have started earlier as there are so many different brands, models and floorplans to choose from. It takes time to figure out what you really want and what will work best for both of you.

Good luck and take your time deciding what really works best for you, that's half the fun.
__________________
Mike & Charlotte
2014 Newmar Canyon Star 3610
Orange County, California
Mike and Cha is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-18-2018, 09:45 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
okmunky's Avatar
 
Solo Rvers Club
iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Yuma County, AZ
Posts: 10,868
Today is my 7 year anniversary of being a full time RVer. There are some truths I've learned.

1) there is no perfect place to live.
2) it's wise to have lots of options about where and when to go. That's why I put solar panels on my roof and I boondock most of the year.
3) full time should not be pursued like a vacation. Spend time in one place long enough to discover and enjoy what it has to offer.
4) if you're bored it's time to move.
5) If the weather isn’t pleasant it's time to move.
__________________
Barb (RVM18) with Morkies Lily & Bebe RIP Sena FMCA#F466348
"Homer" ‘11 Shasta Cynara, pulling "Ranger" '97 Ford Ranger toad
The Journey is Our Destination. Full-timer May 2011 - July 2021
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
okmunky is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-18-2018, 10:09 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Enjoying the Western States!
Posts: 19,637
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike and Cha View Post
12-15 years out is a long time and a lot can happen between then and now. One thing that may have an affect on your plan, is that you said you were going to buy and old MH for around 10K to see if you really like it, and then sell it or scrap it to buy what you really want when you retire. The only problem with that is for 10K, it will be an older MH with not all the newer amenities or comforts. That could affect whether or not you really enjoy traveling in a MH. Especially if your wife thinks that staying in a hotel is roughing it, and you guys have no experience in RV'ing right now. You may get a gem that does you well, or one that has a lot of issues and you are always having to do repairs, or is uncomfortable.

You may want to consider renting a nicer MH to see if you even like it, or like driving it. You can also rent 5th wheels where they put the 5th wheel in a CG and you just show up and use it. It doesn't give you the experience of what it's like to tow it but, you can see if you like the living experience. That way you can experience the lifestyle and see if you really do enjoy it. You have a lot of time to figure it out, so I would go and experience all that you can before making any decisions.
This was my first thought. You're not going to get the real experience of a motorhome by buying an old one for $10,000. It won't even ride the same as a newer one so you can't judge on even the ride much less the livability of it.

My other thought was that you're already thinking of buying another house so your kids could live in it because they'll need you to help them out. How can you tell now how your children will turn out in 15 years or whether they'll even be in the same state? Can you guarantee that you'll want to return to the same state.... especially if the kids/grandkids live elsewhere? We sure didn't want to spend our last years in frigid temperatures. Instead, plan on investing the money from the sale of your present house so you'll have it available if and when you want to settle down again. The kids should know that you're not going to fund them.

If you're still thinking the same way 3 yr before retirement, then buy your full-timing RV and use it. Years from now you may change your mind altogether. I think 15 years prior is too early to make all these plans. We decided in 3m time, sold everything and took off.
__________________
Full-timed for 16 Years . . .
Traveled 8 yr in a 2004 Newmar Dutch Star 40' Diesel
& 8 yr in a 33' Travel Supreme 5th wheel
twogypsies is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-18-2018, 10:35 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 164
Thank you for your suggestions and comments.

We do like to plan ahead. It will take at least a year to sell our house, probably two or three. we will need to do a lot of sprucing up, then market it forever. Big houses sell slowly here. It will take a long time just to clear it out and get rid of excess stored stuff. We also have to finish restoring it, or at least get it closer to finished. IN part because I want to accomplish as much as I can, in part because we would be hard pressed to sell ti without fishing the restoration more.

We do not know for sure any of our kids will stay here, but one is pretty likely to. Two are very likely to be broke. If they both move away, we would probably buy the little house wherever one of them settles. we are not going to support them, but we will need someone to watch the house If we can give them super heap rent rather than them living in some apartment, great we both win.

two have already moved away (one to Denver, one to Ohio, but she will end up going wherever a college hires her, could be Alaska for all we know. Very unlikely to be Michigan. the career choices of two others is highly unlikely to land them in Michigan. We are pretty sure they are going to be scattered all over the place. Our friends and family are already scattered all over.

We have some really nice antiques and family heirloom type furniture we would like to keep until the kids are more settled. Also we will need a place to store kayaks in winter and skis and coats in summer. That is the added plus to having a little house someplace. Perhaps the biggest issue is where do you go if you get really sick like pnumonia or have a knee replacement and need a months of PT to recover? Someone pointed out an exit option is a good idea.

I have seen some pretty nice looking Class A MHs with 40 - 100K miles on them in the $10K range. They are from 1998 - 2005. Usually 28 - 32 feet. Most have no slides, that is a big difference and probably what makes them so cheap. We might borrow to get a nicer one and then sell it after we decide definitively what we want. I doubt it would have much residiual value.

Several people have said do not try this with no Rv experience at all. a small MH is probably better than not testing the waters.

I looked into renting. It is crazy expensive. For about $1K a week you can get a class C motorhome. For a nice big 5th wheel or class A it is $3k a week or more. this was in Denver.. Maybe they are cheaper to rent elsewhere?

People told us we should try to spend weeks at a time if not a month or longer in an RV to get an idea whether we would like full timing. It is impractical to rent one for that long. I do not want to invest a hundred or two or three in a nice fancy one until we know we are definitely going to make it our home. thus, the idea of buying a cheap old one for testing. I do see the concern that it might not be comparable.

While I find a lot of what appear to be pretty nice MHs that are old and cheap, I do nto find that with 5th wheels, especially when you add a tow vehicle I expect an older cheap MH will need work, but I am good with engines and suspensions and brakes, plus house stuff like leaks and wiring and plumbing, so I can likely keep it limping on for a time (I hope). I really do not know what types of problems to expect with a MH that is 13 - 20 years old. Rebuilding the engine or transmission would be a bit much for me. replace the toilet or brake calipers would be no big deal.

15 years is the outside window for retirement. I do not want to work to 70.. 12 is more likely I think. that is when I can get the full Social security amount. 10 would be nice, but I am not sure we will have enough saved in ten years to be comfortable with retiring, especially since that would mean reduced SS payments forever. One option for me might be to continue part time with my present employer from the road. Much of the work I do can be done anywhere there is a computer and a phone. In my experience, 12 years goes by surprisingly fast.

Of course we may have to change our plan, but I need to have a goal to work towards, something to look forward to. I am not that way short term, but I find I need long term goals. So while I prefer vacations where we just point the car and go in some random direction with no plan, I need to have some long term goal to work towards, something to be excited about
Coldjensens is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-18-2018, 11:05 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
Barbaraok's Avatar
 
Alpine Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Traveling in North America
Posts: 2,248
Only advice is don't wait a day longer than necessary. We took early retirement and I'm so glad we did. Yes, we may have less money, but we had our health and were able to do so much before we turned 70. Now we have slowed way down because of health reasons. Do everything you can to retire early - you won't regret it.
__________________
Barbara & David O'Keeffe
Figment II (Alpine 2002 36 MDDS)
On The Road since 2006
Blog
Barbaraok is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-18-2018, 11:05 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Enjoying the Western States!
Posts: 19,637
... just something to think about.... you can easily recoup from illness or surgery in a RV. That's what full-timers do. We had multiple joint replacements and other surgeries, including cancer. In fact, it's easier to recoup in a small space... less walking. Plus, you can go to the best medical facilities in the country. It really is no issue. Best of luck with your plans!!
__________________
Full-timed for 16 Years . . .
Traveled 8 yr in a 2004 Newmar Dutch Star 40' Diesel
& 8 yr in a 33' Travel Supreme 5th wheel
twogypsies is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-18-2018, 11:24 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
okmunky's Avatar
 
Solo Rvers Club
iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Yuma County, AZ
Posts: 10,868
I had both my knees replaced in the same surgery and was thankful that I was in my RV. Everything was near the bed and there is a lot of things to hold onto. No walker for this old lady!

Also many hospitals have RV electric hookups in a parking lot.

I met some foreign travelers that rented an RV that they picked up from the factory and delivered to the rental agency in California. They said it was much cheaper and they had plenty of time to enjoy the travel.
__________________
Barb (RVM18) with Morkies Lily & Bebe RIP Sena FMCA#F466348
"Homer" ‘11 Shasta Cynara, pulling "Ranger" '97 Ford Ranger toad
The Journey is Our Destination. Full-timer May 2011 - July 2021
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
okmunky is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2018, 04:33 AM   #10
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 472
There are things you can kinda think and plan 12-15 yrs ahead and there are tons you can not.

Will your home sell well in that future ahead?
The kids, who knows what goes down with them in 15 yrs?

To plan the retirement in an rv full time isn't really doable til closer and you know how your next 12-15 yrs does treat you and will you both be alive?


What you can do is learn RV'ing Get out and rent one now. You don't need top of the line expensive big old MH to get started. Rent a larger Class C and hit the road. Real fast you say I can live with that and not that. Learn the 'rv lifestyle' itself and learn about the vehicles out there. If a Class C suits you then put some bucks into renting a smaller MH for a trip. Plus you need to learn to drive a MH. You just don't get a big boy, jump in and all is easy MH is a bit of learning to drive, handle, function with your rv etc.

I am a planner also but you are kinda way far out to lock in any plans now. It is good to throw it all around in your mind in a way but what will the future hold 15 yrs from now is just not guessable really.

best of luck
Whirrlly is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2018, 05:36 AM   #11
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 374
The big hole in your plan... is waiting till your 70.
__________________
2014 Dodge Ram DRW Cummins - 2013 Montana Big Sky FB
McRod is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2018, 06:04 AM   #12
Senior Member
 
Hit_the_Rhod's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Port Orchard, WA
Posts: 4,215
The way that you can validate (or invalidate) your plan now is to pursue a MH NOW! This is obviously dependent upon having the time now to use it though. An RV is, or can be a life choice. If you don't have/use one in next 10 to 15 years, I don't see you suddenly using one after. If you get one now, and MAKE the time to use it, and LIKE it, you will be much more likely to get a better one, and enjoy using it later in life. We purchased a TT 6 years ago that we use in conjunction with our business. Upgraded to a Dutch Star 3+ years ago. We can easily see using if for the same amount of time, or more, but without the "business" end there. More time to explore.

As stated prior, finding a usable 40 foot or so (you DID mention 400 square feet), which a 40 footer with slides will approach, in your budget range of $10k is likely a fantasy though. Anything you can find in that range, of that size, will require either a LOT of time, or a LOT of money, probably both to make usable. If you interest is about the experience of using it, and NOT the experience of WORKING/rebuilding it in every waking moment, I would suggest you raise your budget to at least $40k in today's dollars. You can find a nice, well maintained, quality rig with a reasonable amount of searching. Use it, see if the lifestyle is of interest to you, and if it is, great, if not, you should be able to recoup most of your expenditures back out of it when you sell it.

Good luck in whatever you decide.
__________________
Scot & Laura Kellersberger, U.S. Army (ret)
Newmar 4 wheel drive Dutch Star 3891, SOLD
Now RV'ing on the water in a Trawler!
Hit_the_Rhod is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2018, 06:10 AM   #13
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 1,513
Buying an old, cheap RV will probably be a big turn off and nothing at all like the experience of a nice one. Rent, or take the plunge. I'll risk ticking off the trailer group and say that most couples with the means will enjoy a MH more, simply because you have easier setup, choice of toads, and the panoramic windshield as you travel. Drivers who prefer a pickup as a daily driver may prefer the fiver.

We've had fifth wheels, TT, and motorhomes.
__________________
Newmar Ventana 4037, 2023.
Finance is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2018, 06:16 AM   #14
Senior Member
 
Winemaker2's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Western NY
Posts: 6,113
We are Class A folks... have had 3 and would not consider a 5er but don't mean to say my likes are best for anyone else.
Do make sure to include the cost of a capable tow vehicle when comparing the 2 options. Also are you & DW the type that prefers a HD pickup for a daily driver.
I agree w others the plan to buy cheap as a test could be a problem. Would you buy a $1000 car to see if you'd like a new or newer BWW or Caddy? Don't know how you compare.
I would think looking at dealers and shows at many models of each could help if you could imagine how you would use the space.
Renting set up units also a good idea but won't give you the experience driving both.
I second the " don't wait too long" sentiment. Buy used (not necessarily el cheapo) and start to get onto the life style. Either way you decide a good used rig still has value and can be sold or traded if you decide to stay w it.
__________________
Don & Marge
'13 Newmar Ventana 3433 - '14 CR-V TOAD
'03 Winnebago Adventurer 31Y - SOLD
Winemaker2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply



Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Total Noob. The best plan is no plan. rallysman New Member Check-In 12 10-23-2017 04:42 PM
To Plan or Not to Plan 7mtn iRV2.com General Discussion 21 04-27-2016 08:48 AM
To plan or not to plan wadders MH-General Discussions & Problems 15 07-05-2013 07:04 PM
Plan or no plan when you travel? CampDaven iRV2.com General Discussion 51 03-20-2013 07:54 PM
Dealer plan or Good Sam service plan? Roll Forest River Owners Forum 13 07-27-2011 10:12 PM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 12:38 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.