Pulling off the road - looking at S&Bs - Challenges?

[mrgrayaz]

We've done about 50k miles over the last 2.5 years criss crossing the country and done 29 states, not a bad haul I don't think.
We also spend 3 months living in Sydney, Australia, which was so awesome.

However, the lady has gotten herself a real job (she is a Engineer) and looks like we're going to settle down in Salt Lake City, UT. Im pleased with the choice. Its a city of relatively cheap housing, uncrowded freeways, a 2% unemployment rate, very close mountain access, though some really stupid alcohol laws.

We've been parked in long term RV parking for the last 3-4 months and frankly I am going a bit nuts being stuck in the RV all day (I work from home) so we are looking at houses.

We sold mostly everything when we started this adventure and sunk everything into RVing. Looking back on it, I'm not sure that was wise. It may have made more sense for a older couple with no plans on ever moving back into a big house...
I am really not a stuff guy (except for tools and maybe cars...) so I am worried about the influx of STUFF In my life as we transition from "can't have it, weighs to much" to "hell we have a whole empty basement!!!"

We'll essentially be starting from scratch, moving into a house with essentially no possessions or furniture - what challenges have you all faced doing this? Reverse culture shock is a thing.....to be honest I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed.
Do we keep the trailer(paid for)?
Do we keep the truck(pricey monthly payment)?
How is coping with the same backyard every week without it ever changing?
Using a 5th wheel seems like a lot of work and expense for just weekend out for example... Or Do we clean cut, sell it all, and enjoy the memories/photos and move on?

[mrgrayaz]

Here is our map....

[docj]

One option you might want to consider is to purchase a site at an "ownership RV park" if there is an affordable one in your area. We have a ~3,000 sq ft lot in coastal TX on which we have built a structure which is both a storage shed and a "casita" with heat and A/C. The casita serves as my wife's sewing room and as a TV/entertaining area. This approach avoided the need to buy much furniture (just for the casita) and it takes advantage of the fact that our MH is already paid for as is your 5th wheel.

Having both the MH, the casita and a lot of outdoor living area gives us the extra space we needed so we didn't feel so cooped-up in the MH.

I don't know if this appeals to you or if there even is an ownership park in your area, but I wanted to make you aware of this alternative.

Joel (AKA docj)

[Dmrad]

Only you and your wife can make the decision to keep the 5th w or sell it. If you sold it would you keep or sell your truck?
Since it sounds like you really didn't plan for an exit plan when you started full timing do you need the money from the sale of the 5er and truck to start over again to minimize financial strain? Sit down with your wife and decide if in the future you will use the 5er for vacations and get aways or will it just sit in the back yard? What type of vacations do you enjoy? Answers to those questions should give you a clue whether you should sell or keep it.

We started full timing 17 months ago, knowing at some point we will settle down again into a sticks n bricks. But we saved our money from the sale of our house and belongings to put into the next house we buy, when ever that may be. By the time we retired and hit the road everything was paid off, no loans to concern ourselves with while full timing. I think full timing has taught us to be a little more minimalistic in our living life style than before. I hope to carry that over into our sticks and bricks when ever the time comes to settle down again. But who knows if we will slip back into our "collective" ways???? LOL

I think that is an important point for future full timers to think about is do you have an exit plan from full timing. Most likely at some point you will quit and want or need to get off the road. Are you prepared and do you have a plan?

[Old-Biscuit]

Personally I think you folks FLEW thru the traveling portion .....50K/29 states/2.5 yrs


We traveled weekly but only went 250 miles max.
Took us 7 yrs to traverse the USA 12 times.....42 states
And if life hadn't thrown us a vurve ball we would still be traveling


When we were planning on our FT adventure we put together an 'Exit Plan' cause we knew sooner or later we would come back off the road


5 yrs ago we had to execute that 'Exit Plan'......bought a S&B with RV FHU parking on property so we could park 5vr at home.
It is stocked/ready to go on a whim....used as guest housing for visitors.....Man Cave when I need a break from working in the yard etc.


Truck is our daily driver...we are truck folks. I don't fold up for small cars and we both like having a truck.


Bought some of the furniture that was in house from owners....separate negotiations not tied to S&B. 2nd bedroom & living room
Purchased New Master bedroom set, TV room furniture and dining room



To this day we miss the FTng......but extremely grateful we got to do it when we did
Now S&B is the next phase in our life adventure


"Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero"


Best wishes on YOUR new adventure!

[twogypsies]

It sounds like you're young. Selling your house and sinking it all into RVing was not the wise thing to do. The best would have been to sell it an invest that money. I always recommend that going into full-timing should be debt-free. So now if you have to sell the 5th wheel to get back into a house then so be it. Keeping the RV can't be judged by us. That's a personal decision and only you will know if it's wise and if you'll use it enough.

You traveled too fast so it seems you did this all on a whim of excitement. Full-timing is not a vacation. It's a new lifestyle. Personally, I think you should get into a house no matter how you do it so you can putter around and get some outside activities to keep you busy. You sound bored. Good luck!

[TonyMac]

This morning, it was 23*F in SLC. We'll see temps below freezing for a week sometimes, in the SL valley. Living in a 5er would be tough, but doable.

[l1v3fr33ord1]

Originally Posted by mrgrayaz

Here is our map....Attachment 226745

How did you get to Maine without going through New Hampshire?

I believe NH has the shortest coastline of any Atlantic state, but really!

Unless you came through Canada, or by sea...

Living in the Granite State (NH), as we do, we have a vested interest in finding out how people avoid going through the state- especially as the state owns the liquor stores, and they are on all the major highways. Gotta make up for the no sales tax, no income tax somehow.

Enough levity, already.

Best wishes on your transition, I'd live a "small life" for as long as possible, so you can put away funds for getting back on the road again.

[docj]

Originally Posted by l1v3fr33ord1

How did you get to Maine without going through New Hampshire?

I believe NH has the shortest coastline of any Atlantic state, but really!

Unless you came through Canada, or by sea...

Actually several times we have gone to Canada through Montreal and Quebec without ever going through New Hampshire (or Maine). But we could honestly say that we got to Maine without going through NH!

[powerboatr]

only you can make that decision.
i would go over and visit kindigit.




seriously we sold everything, but wanted a place to use as home base and a port of call to unwind or call home for maintenance or LIFE.


so we built a RV port with an apartment on the back, this past year we closed in the rv port,

because winters SUCK and we have for the last few been stuck here dealing with AGED parents.
which now leads me to having a HUGE man cave.
plus a nice place to live and remodel at the behest of my wife.
i say this, in asking, can you build something like i did and still have your rv and still be able to get away and you have a place to nuture while your wife is working?




and the BIG PLUS is we can LEAVE, shut off water and leave ac or heat on auto and be gone and the rv is safe and sound.
the current jobs market is also enticing me to hmm go back for a few years to old job, if we do I can rent a place and know the bus and gear are safe .

[mrgrayaz]

Originally Posted by twogypsies

It sounds like you're young. Selling your house and sinking it all into RVing was not the wise thing to do.

Thank you for the thoughts. The question is not financial - we are both engineers and kept our old house as rental Its more just...adjusting back.

Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit

Personally I think you folks FLEW thru the traveling portion .....50K/29 states/2.5 yrs

Would you believe we thought we could do it for in a year!? HAH! how soon we learned. NO it wasn't enough time. But it was enough time for the DW to get her masters and now she wants to dive back into her career, which is not RV compatible unlike mine.. Its hard to argue with somebody who wants to work and earn money. It also gave us a taste of what it was like back east, and many states. We now have a long list of "we could totally go back there"

Originally Posted by TonyMac

This morning, it was 23*F in SLC. We'll see temps below freezing for a week sometimes, in the SL valley. Living in a 5er would be tough, but doable.

I know! we've been here for the last 5 months at the KOA. Our Alfa is not having any issue keeping warm - we are using about 5lbs of propane a night, but the heat-pumps do well during the day. I have been surprised how warm we've been, no moisture issues either. There is a reason this 30' 5th wheel grosses over 16k lbs I guess.

Originally Posted by l1v3fr33ord1

How did you get to Maine without going through New Hampshire?


Best wishes on your transition, I'd live a "small life" for as long as possible, so you can put away funds for getting back on the road again.

Thank you! We only put stickers on when we stayed (at least one night) and explored the state. We merely drove through NH. a Mistake, but I had been before. Should have gone to Mystic again though....I do enjoy the small life - but the other side of me wants a HUGE SHOWER and the ability to easily walk around the master bed again. A bigger kitchen would be nice. The minor inconveniences of the RV were easy to stomach when moving and being always outside, but stationary especially in winter? they start to grate I've found.

Originally Posted by powerboatr

only you can make that decision.
i would go over and visit kindigit.

seriously we sold everything, but wanted a place to use as home base and a port of call to unwind or call home for maintenance or LIFE.

so we built a RV port with an apartment on the back, this past year we closed in the rv port,

This is very interesting, and really my dream. I really want a 5 car garage with an apartment, but then there is the lady's desires . We are currently looking at a house on .33 acres of land. Not a huge amount of land, but its right in the City, and its nicely laid out with room for a big shop. Its on my wish list

I think the trick is most full timers are retired. We are young (30/31) and have the rest of our life in front of us.... There are careers to chase, relationships to build, kids (who knows!?) all those things....I really would love to do the RV thing forever, but again, she wants to pursue her career too, and thats fair. So here we are

Thanks guys for the groundings. My current thought is buy the big lot, park the 5th right on it, and like Old-Biscuit and powerbtr mentioned - keep it primed and ready to go to meet the need....or walk away entirely and have fond memories. I just have this feeling if we sold it all we'd be back in the travel trailer section soon enough asking about how big of a TT we could tow with our new 1/2 ton truck we bought off Craigslist though

[ThomB]

I think living so sparsely for the past 2.5 years will help for the transition back into a non-moving home. All the "stuff" that you're saying you need you can ask "do we really need all that crap"



We have been in the RV for nearly 2 years now and still have a house to go back to (renting to one of our kids right now) but have been downsizing for the past 10 years anyway. The house is just over 1000 SqFt and plenty big for the 2 of us.



I too work from home and I know what you mean about the RV being small. I work full time and my wife is retired??? (Can you be retired with no income?) We've talked about going back into the house but always find a reason that we should not. We have 6 more states that we haven't visited (including Alaska and Hawaii) so we do have a little more travel to do.


Good luck with your decision. We really enjoyed SLC while we were out there and I agree that's a nice place to think of settling.