Community Forums

tcg · 02-27-2019, 05:23 PM

We're 55, if I could convince my wife to sell the house we could retire now and full time. She wants to keep the house so it's just long weekends and some winter trips but I'm wearing her down.

We have never experienced the stuff described. Sure we've been at parks with lots of kids or dogs on leashes but that's the fun of getting out there.

I can think of only one time where a family was whooping it up with loud music way after dark. I walked over and asked politely if they could tone it down and they apologized and turned it all way down.

I can't wait to do it full time.

Nothing beats getting to a state park, plugging in and taking a nap until it's time for dinner.

We love staying at parks Friday til Tuesday or Wednesday. We get all the excitement of the weekenders and then the peace and quiet on Sunday night when the park empties out.

Now I want to go de-winterize and take a trip.

grindstone01 · 02-27-2019, 06:19 PM

If you do go full time, make sure you have a plan that works for you long term. If you approach full timing as a long extended wandering vacation, then you risk getting burned out in 1-2 years.
I'm not sure what your plan would look like but our's is to keep busy by trying to volunteer in each state for a month or longer.
We have met full timers that seek out family history, have a goal to visit each US National Park, attend a major league game in state, or whatever your interest is.
Everyone needs a road map or they risk going nowhere.
My other advice is both spouses have to be onboard with full timing. If one spouse is reluctant to go full time, you may have a rough road ahead.

pduggs · 02-27-2019, 06:38 PM

We started full timing late last year and love it. We have been to big and small private RV parks, state parks, county parks, and BLM. Enjoyed them all and have met many nice people.

Currently on BLM land west of Quartzsite. So darn quiet and peaceful, we love it. Closest neighbor is about 100 yards away. Plus it’s FREE! What a country.

Dmrad · 02-27-2019, 06:44 PM

We've been full timing for almost 2 years and can count on one hand the number of times we've run into noisy neighbors. And no rude kids. We research ahead of time the campgrounds we stay at. If they don't have good ratings we don't stay there. A number of campgrounds with poor ratings usually are in the cheaper price range and that attracts the people who live in run down RVs that are parked there full time.

It doesn't sound like you did "dry runs" to test out if you'd like full timing, going out for months at a time to get a taste of being on the road for long periods of time. I suggest people do this before they bite the bullet and go full time.

It's not for everyone. But we've enjoyed the last 2 years full timing. We stay in a mix of RV parks, resorts, and state parks. We've boon docked a couple of times but we don't enjoy that. Our budget allows us full hookups, (or at least water and electric) so that is what we are comfortable with.

ThePowells · 02-27-2019, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dmrad

We've been full timing for almost 2 years and can count on one hand the number of times we've run into noisy neighbors. And no rude kids. We research ahead of time the campgrounds we stay at. If they don't have good ratings we don't stay there. A number of campgrounds with poor ratings usually are in the cheaper price range and that attracts the people who live in run down RVs that are parked there full time.

It doesn't sound like you did "dry runs" to test out if you'd like full timing, going out for months at a time to get a taste of being on the road for long periods of time. I suggest people do this before they bite the bullet and go full time.

It's not for everyone. But we've enjoyed the last 2 years full timing. We stay in a mix of RV parks, resorts, and state parks. We've boon docked a couple of times but we don't enjoy that. Our budget allows us full hookups, (or at least water and electric) so that is what we are comfortable with.

I agree about the "dry run" mentality. I'm often amazed by the stories of somebody retiring, selling the house and then buying a decades old coach and sailing off into the sunset (or sunrise depending on the coast) with no support system (other than the forum) and especially no experience with RVs or the systems that run it.

stepside454 · 02-28-2019, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThePowells

I agree about the "dry run" mentality. I'm often amazed by the stories of somebody retiring, selling the house and then buying a decades old coach and sailing off into the sunset (or sunrise depending on the coast) with no support system (other than the forum) and especially no experience with RVs or the systems that run it.

That’s sort of what we did . We had planned & researched it for several years. We already had a 20 year old class A that we weekend camped in . We quit our jobs sold the house we’ve been fulltiming/workampers for slmost2 years .

hohenwald48 · 02-28-2019, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tcg

We're 55, if I could convince my wife to sell the house we could retire now and full time. She wants to keep the house so it's just long weekends and some winter trips but I'm wearing her down.

Just keep the house and hit the road. We traveled about 10 month/year for around 10 years. Never sold the house. You can keep your house and still full time or at least "most time".

We left home just after Christmas and don't plan to go back until May. Then it's just for a couple of months then back on the road until Thanksgiving but we have no intention of ever selling the house.

redhooker · 02-28-2019, 10:41 AM

I have to agree with the OP‘s assessment, and I believe it IS in fact related to full timing. We full-timed for over three years. We now just vacation.

On the East Coast, the issues he describes are common place. Why is this related to full timing? Because when you’re full timing, you tend to stay at parks that have monthly rates under $1200. Some of you may not need such a budget, but I would venture to guess the vast majority of full timers do. The closer that monthly rate gets to $600 the more crowded and ratty the campground will become. In those types of parks, we tend to see the police there on a regular basis arresting someone.

When we travel now, before we ever set a reservation we will call the campground and ask them about monthly rates. If they have an affordable monthly rate, we generally will not stay there. The best parks offer zero discount for a monthly stay. The nightly rate is the nightly rate. If you try this when traveling into new areas you will find your park selection will get much better. Unfortunately, this is a difficult option for people who are full timing. You folks out west need to remember we have very little BLM land over here. Staying on a budget is important when you’re doing it every day.

The reservation hogging is real. Luckily, at many state parks they only reserve about 2/3 of their sites. As long as we plan our trip to show up in the middle of the week we have never had an issue rolling right into a great site.
Even at Fort wilderness, people reserve an entire month (like December) and only cancel out the three weeks they won’t be there when the time gets really close. That’s why making reservations there is a cat and mouse game.

dix39 · 02-28-2019, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hohenwald48

Just keep the house and hit the road. We traveled about 10 month/year for around 10 years. Never sold the house. You can keep your house and still full time or at least "most time".

We left home just after Christmas and don't plan to go back until May. Then it's just for a couple of months then back on the road until Thanksgiving but we have no intention of ever selling the house.

I agree wholeheartedly!!

While we were working I had 5 weeks of vacation time which we used traveling. Actually, I generally used one week of vacation hunting about 160 miles from home and stayed in the RV. My wife was a teacher so we traveled during summer.

I retired at 55 in '94 and the wife a few years later. After that we could go when we wanted to and stay as long as desired, but we still went mostly during summer.

If there are a few weeks available a lot of ground can be covered and areas visited. We normally covered 7-9k miles while I was working and a bit more later.

Steve

rjsupersonic · 02-28-2019, 03:26 PM

To each there own, after 8 years on the road we still love it. We enjoy moving from the mountains in the summer to the beaches of Florida in the winter. Typically we winter in Arizona or Tropical Texas this year it's Florida. The West is better than the East and there are a few states we have yet to see. Heading to Nova Scotia this summer. We have had a few bad neighbors but those are few and far in between. We never stay in one park for more than 30 days and rarely travel more than 300 miles in one travel day.

robisinwa · 02-28-2019, 03:30 PM

My regular house has noisy and rude neighbors, dogs that poo in my yard, kids that are not managed, loud cars or trucks that drive by.

I use the RV to get away from that

Mhcorrigan · 02-28-2019, 04:00 PM

Most of your described problems probably are a result of the campgrounds you have stayed in. Those in the lower spectrum iof cost attract the least desirable campers you have to put up with. I have seen campgrounds that should be named “Redneck Village” which I would refuse to stay in if they were free. You get what you pay for especially in campgrounds that let people stay forever in delapidated campers/Motorhomes. Do your homework prior to taking off.

Neisman · 02-28-2019, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bahamaniac

we just can't beat that feeling at the end of an adventure that we are finally HOME!

Truer words were never spoken! IMHO, of course.

JJtravel · 02-28-2019, 04:09 PM

The west is NOT a great to winter and even worse with all the heat and all of the summer. Do not bring east coast camping values here. Mid west and West coasters have been doing this for a very long time and do not have the big city mentality of East coasters. So stay away!!!! Lol... We like our space and quiet!