Community Forums

Charles Tole · 08-01-2019, 11:36 PM

prepare to do evwrything yourself-and i mean every thing -if u own a house and are gona full time ,dont-unless theres someone looking out for your house and careing for it-my wife will not even learn how to put the fresh water into the motorhome-it aint no vacation !

Barbaraok · 08-01-2019, 11:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charles Tole

prepare to do evwrything yourself-and i mean every thing -if u own a house and are gona full time ,dont-unless theres someone looking out for your house and careing for it-my wife will not even learn how to put the fresh water into the motorhome-it aint no vacation !

She's telling you she doesn't enjoy it - so why torture yourselves? I have never understood why someone would do this. I can do every job necessary to get us up and out, move, fuel, and into a new site. I do this because I can't be certain that Dave's back won't go out, or that he won't hurt and ankle, etc., plus it just makes sense that we each know all of the jobs. I usually drive 1/2 the time, though sometimes if it is under 100 miles, I'll drive the whole way. When we fuel, I'm inside getting the pump turned out while he's getting it setup, then when we are done fueling, I'm getting the receipt while he's pulling I the generator slide (which is where we fuel) and pulling up to let the next truck in behind us.

rjoney55 · 08-02-2019, 04:38 AM

The only one that can determine if she will like to "full time" is your wife. The only way to find that out is to go on an extended trip in your rv. Plain and simple

Mc5Cents7 · 08-02-2019, 05:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snufy1

My wife is unsure about going fulltime. She says she has read on Facebook a lot of post from women who have gone fulltime and don't like it.
I was hoping to get some feedback from some of the wives.

Hi there,
My husband and I sold our house, a car and most of our worldly possessions in December last year and have been on the road since February in our Dutchstar 4002. Best decision we ever made to retire early, spend more time enjoying each other and get to travel across the country. The freedom we experience without the burden of “stuff” and house maintenance and instead can go with the flow is priceless. Our plan is to full time 3-5 years while we decide where to put down roots in our forever home. It seems many comments assume that you will be full time forever, but perhaps you could compromise and consider doing it for several years?

I’m more than happy to talk wife to wife if it helps!

Michele

AndyT1183 · 08-02-2019, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snufy1

My wife is unsure about going fulltime. She says she has read on Facebook a lot of post from women who have gone fulltime and don't like it.
I was hoping to get some feedback from some of the wives.

Her first mistake is listening to folks on facebook. There not even sure how to live on their own without consulting someone else. Tell her to give it a trial period. You will need to make sure that she is enjoying and having fun.

akeagle · 08-02-2019, 07:31 AM

While I browse Facebook quite a bit (probably too much) it is indeed inhabited by an awful lot of unhappy, uninformed, opinionated people, and professional complainers. One has to take their opinions with a grain of sand as they are often based on no credible information, a scrap of information, or something else completely out of context. Its best to do at least a little research from different sources so you can form your own EDUCATED opinion.

Yes, there is a little of that negativity on this site, but it pales in comparison to the vast majority who genuinely need help with a problem and the others who genuinely want to help.

Suzze · 08-02-2019, 08:39 AM

Be very diligent about your research into Encore and Thousand Trails. We have had a hard time getting into their campgrounds because they don’t have many 50 amp hookups or they’ve (both 30 amp & 50 amp) been reserved a year in advance. Additional charges for amenities such as WiFi are high and often available in certain places throughout the campground. We also found dilapidated full-time or seasonal residents that made us uncomfortable. IMHO the accommodations are not acceptable.

Barbaraok · 08-02-2019, 09:30 AM

Then don't patronize TT or Encore and leave the rest of us some room. It is a membership program, and people who use it extensively (like us) save thousands of dollars a year. We've saved over $2500/year for the past 14 years. Yes, you can't get in reserving 3 days in advance unless it is really 'off' season. We know that and book accordingly. Never had a problem getting into them 60 days out - - 50 days out, yes it starts to fill up especially San Francisco RV Resort so I set reminders to go book at 60 days. Not hard to do if I want a spot there.

Sorry the conditions aren't up to your standards - sometimes people have trouble making ends meet.

Suzze · 08-02-2019, 09:40 AM

Well are you just the sweetest little thing? I’m sorry my opinion is of no value to you. We’ve Fulltimed for 13 years and I called a handful of Encore resorts 3/1/19 to try and reserve for April and May of 2020. They have no 50 amp sites available. Most have less than 10 total 50 amp sites. Here’s hoping you’re friendlier to the next person that tries to help.

megthered · 08-02-2019, 10:20 AM

I am a wife and I couldn't wait to sell the house and begin fulltiming. We have now been doing it for almost 2 years and we still love it. I would not ever go back to owning a home. We retired early and planned for our RV experience. Our children were grown and gone and the house was just a place to sleep. We would be traveling anyway, and we wanted to do it in a motorhome. I had to convince my husband to sell the house. After our 7 month trip out west, he decided it was a great idea. No more worrying about the house, paying the insurance, taxes, gas, electric, security system, lawn care and just worry about what was happening at the house. I love it and we have seen some amazing things.

grindstone01 · 08-02-2019, 10:37 AM

Everybody has different needs, wants and desires. It's like asking somebody if they like coconut (yuk,

) Why doesn't everybody hate coconut?? Because they ain't all like me! (Thank Goodness)

Mike_Cathi · 08-02-2019, 11:15 AM

i am the wife that LOVES full time RVing. We sold our stick and bricks in 2016 and have been on the road and MOVING since then. Yes - it was hard to go thru STUFF and get rid of it. I think it was a bit easier for us because we have moved from CA (near family) to WA in 2010 for my job. We made good friends in WA and connected with good doctors so we go back at least twice a year. We spend 3 months in one park between Jan - Mar. The rest of the time we travel. I love it and hope we can continue for many more years. At some point we will probably get a permant place (own or rent). Each year we/I plan a different trip area. Last year it was Utah and Colorado. This year is WA and OR coast and I have been able to plan an end of season trip into Glacier, Yellowstone and Tetons. Next year it will be Texas and ?? and Probably Alaska in 2021. We spend the holidays in Sacramento with the family and I can visit my Dad in OR when I want. Life on the road is fun for us.

apk · 08-02-2019, 12:03 PM

We sold our house, put all our stuff into storage I told my husband that I would try it for 6 months.... 7 years later we sold our rv and bought a condo. AND we did miss it. We had just retired and we met so many people and had so many good experiences. But I agree the more space the better. I would do it again in a heartbeat if we were younger and in good health.

stuccosteve · 08-02-2019, 12:08 PM

For sharing a personal look into the dynamics of living with a spouse while trying to respect each other’s desires.

“.But back to the points I want to make: There we were, 2 hours into our trip, right there... crossing the Golden Gate... I looked at my wife with glee and pronounced "Isn't this great! We're homeless and what a beautiful day it is!"

...To which I looked over at my wife and she just started crying. (I felt so insensitive.

Here's the thing: If you (both) consider touring the USA in an RV is a a "step-up" or an "opportunity of a lifetime," then you both will share some wonderful memories”

In my humble opinion if someone is that committed to pursuing a life of full- time living on the road with the express intent of crisscrossing our magnificent continent part of that large plan would include the idea of a home base. Much like so many other travel-centric endeavors there has to be a place that offers amenities similar to what you find on the road but with a hometown connection.

Be it a family member who graciously offers a long term parking area for your coach all the way up to ownership of a small home/RV docking property in a location that facilitates down time from the extensive travel. A place that allows a couple to regroup and prepare for the next foray. With something like that in place many of the fears of living on the road become much less threatening.

Maybe I missed something in the full timers handbook That mandated full timers had to divest themselves of privately owned real estate. For my wife and I we have an agreement that loosely follows like this,
1. Family is always first, if we are needed somewhere by family that’s were we go, be it home or anywhere across this country where family lives.
2. We maintain a small rural home with docking facilities for the RV, a place to regroup and take care of RV maintenance. This is not a fancy big house, it’s a practical property that can be rented out or kept expressly for our use. With the docking facilities it works either way.
3. Every expedition (as I like to call them) starts with us sitting down and discussing what part of the country at whatever time of the year it may be to focus our next trip on. I am 64 and still an avid big mountain skier so we naturally have a winter itinerary every year that includes beach and mountain time.
4. We have a”escape clause” that essentially says if one or both of us is weary or sick of travel or encounter a situation, we either immediately terminate the travel plan together or one of us jumps a flight to travel to the point of concern.

I think flexibility is of paramount importance when “full timing” no two people will always agree on the same things day in and day out, there are certain personality types that can make it difficult to find this kind of harmony especially when living together in such an intimate way. If you have that type of relationship I would say it is extremely important that you listen closely and make your plans accordingly, sometimes we have to compromise in order to move forward with our lives.