Full Time RV'ing Questions

[robbecky]

Hi everyone. My wife and I are giving some very early thought to selling our big house in the SF Bay Area, buying a small condo in maybe Nevada as a home base (no state income tax and low property taxes), and then buying a much larger RV (and truck if not a motor home) and then spending a lot of time on the road traveling the country.

I know there are a million factors to actually getting to the point of doing this but I have some questions I would love some initial feedback on from those doing it:

1. How many of you who consider yourselves full time RV'ers actually have some form of home base somewhere that you occasionally go back to?

2. Are you mostly stationary somewhere in your RV or do you move around a lot over time?

3. What kind of home are you full timing in? Class A motorhome, Class C motorhome, large 5th wheel?

4. What do you like most about full time RV'ing and what do you not like about it?

5. How do you handle mail if you're on the road for long periods of time?

Any other considerations you're willing to share with me are very welcome. We're not doing anything yet but we're talking more and more about getting out of owning properly in California and since we're already RV'ing and liking it a lot, we are thinking maybe we should do something different than just buying another house somewhere else.

All comments welcome. This is a learning expedition :-)

Rob

[ependydad]

1. we kept our house and rented it out as a way of having an emergency fallback plan if things didn't go well. We sold it after being on the road for 2 years. I wish we would have sold it sooner as it costed us money each month it was a rental. We had no intention of going back to Maryland after fulltiming was done.

2. We travel. We move on average every 8 nights. I tend to say we stay 1-3 weeks at each location. Only twice in almost 4 years have we stayed a month somewhere. And less than a week are when we're driving to "make time" from one long distance destination to another.

3. It's my wife, I, and 2 kids. We started in a 42' bunkhouse fifth wheel and switched to a 44' toy hauler. For me, the choice of rig all comes down to the cargo carrying capacity. Being everything we own, we run HEAVY. I weigh often and am constantly battling to stay under the trailer's GVWR. I buckled the frame on the 42' bunkhouse and don't want to experience that again!

4. The best: friends made on the road, the travel, and experiencing new things. The worst: without a proper budget, it's very easy to overindulge and overspend. There's always touristy things to do at each location and there's always great local food fare to try. Due to my stupidity, I'm now staying in Florida until August to pay off some of that overindulging! Otherwise, I don't like loud HVAC systems and the constant feeling of "bottle necks" in the rig with 4 people: "oh, you want in the bedroom? let me step into the bathroom to let you pass."

5. Mail is handled by a mail service. We opted for Florida to establish residency as it has no state income tax, lax residency requirements, and no vehicle inspections. Plus, it has Disney discounts.

See if this article helps you any:
Camping is fun! Why not go fulltime? | Learn To RV

And lastly, this lifestyle isn't for everyone. I was just talking to good friends of mine yesterday. They spend Nov-Apr in Arizona and summers in Pennsylvania. Each time they make the drive, it's a fairly quick drive from one place to the other. I was telling my friend that I think she and her husband need to slow down and enjoy the travel more.

She laughed and said her husband hates RV travel. He doesn't like driving the rig, towing the car, setting up camp, handling sewer, breaking camp, etc. They love snowbirding but would be happy without the rest of the work.

She'd like to explore a bit more but knows that he wouldn't be happy.

[JohnD10]

I did it with my four cats for six months...

Didn't like it...

Bought a place in Arizona and now thinking about selling the 5'ver and going back to a smaller bumper pull TT.

Finding that I like to boondock more than spend time in RV parks.

[RET.LEO]

Selling a asset that appreciates for a tax machine that depreciates the moment you title it doesn't make financial or common sense unless you are very well off.
What happens after you sell your home and 6 or 12 months later you decide you don't like full timing? Then you get to sell that depreciated machine to pay a higher price for what you had before? Many like the allure of full timing just to find out they don't like it after awhile.

What if a health issue comes up? It happens (stroke at 57)

If you want to try it........rent your house, buy a popular model RV that you can easily sell easily. Set a time frame to evaluate it all, maybe a year? If you love it.........then sell your house.

The fact that you're asking about it indicates that you have doubts which means that you're probably not made to become a nomad.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by RET.LEO

If you want to try it........rent your house, buy a popular model RV that you can easily sell easily. Set a time frame to evaluate it all, maybe a year? If you love it.........then sell your house.

I did just that. Rented for 2 years. The problem was:

1- we had to deal with the tax implications of making the house a rental

2- we didn't want to leave the west coast to deal with a house on the east coast

3- since we didn't go back, having contractors prep the house for sale was expensive

4- and not being there, when it came time for the home inspection, we had to throw more money at dealing with the report that came back

NOT selling the house is an expensive proposition and one that I wished we had just sold right out of the gate.

[PSUFan1]

Tons of YouTube channels from full time Rving people. You me and the RV, Keep Your Daydream, RV Love are a few I enjoy watching.

[AntonJ]

Hi:
Good Luck in your new adventure! Here is kind of a commentary on our transition and experience full timing. We had lived in our 28' 1996 class C for 8mo per year +/- 1 month for 7 years. We traveled loops in the fall that moved us from Eastern Washington to Arizona by winter. We did volunteer projects for 3 weeks at a time. We hit National Parks during the beautiful early fall time. We wintered in Arizona in a trailer park with mostly other snowbirds.

We sold the big house last summer and used part of the proceeds to update to a 38' Cardinal 5ver with a bath and a half as well as a 2009 F450 DRW.

We set up a graveled "home base" at our adult kids place with hookups and bought a storage building that we had placed there to store the stuff we couldn't take with us or part with yet. We traveled south at a rate of about 250 miles per day. We did 2 three week volunteer projects, stored our rig over Christmas to fly back to Washington for Christmas with the family. We flew back to Arizona and settled in with our winter friends for a couple of months. We made the transition back north (a month too early...I think) to help out with grandkids. We have some things to do and kind of staycations here during the spring. We are doing the Alaska trip this summer and back to some volunteer work in the fall. Other than the transition trips, we like to spend lots of time in nice places to spread out our grilling set up and enjoy the area.

A budget has been very important for us to keep track of our expenses.

We like the social aspects of our volunteer and snowbirding times the best. We also like that we have our "home" with us wherever we are. The last week or so, we are parked in a uhaul lot in an out of the way town with no hook ups, but we can enjoy "all the comforts of home" including satellite TV and nice glass of wine in our recliners. for me finding ways to use our flexibility to live inexpensively has been entertaining.

For me fixing things that break are still a pain. I'm getting better as I go. This forum has been a big help there. But, it was much same repairing and maintaining a home. Maintaining comfort in the RV in extreme temperatures is more of an issue to deal with. Trying to always chase highs from the mid 60's to the mid 80's with lows from the mid 40's to mid 60's helps a lot in that regard. Anytime we try and get in a hurry it creates problems, so slowing down and being methodical with all the logistics of hooking up, filling / dumping tanks etc helps a lot.

We have used a mail service, but have eliminated most mail because of online access. WiFi on the road is whole 'nother thread.

Good luck and enjoy the adventure!

[eaglecrest]

We are full time and have a base home. Over the years we have had almost every type of camper, tent, pop-up, trailer, motorhome and 5th wheel. We enjoy the 5th wheel unit the most because of our style and it's flexability. The new units have computerized leveling systems with automatic hitch height return which makes hooking up a snap. You will hear from many people who really like what they have, just as us and our 5th wheel. A must have is a washer/dryer in the unit. Most of the time the digital TV antenna works just fine, but there are those campgrounds that are too far away. They may or may not have a cable hookup. If TV is a "Gotta Have" item you may want to invest in a dish system.

When it comes to mail. the only mail we now get at our home base is junk mail. We do everything on-line. We stay on the move most of the time except when we find something we really like and then spend a week or less. We usually return to base every month or two depending on how far we go. We live in Arizona and just about ready to head to the east coast for a couple of months. When school let's out the availability of campgrounds decrease a lot so you have to plan ahead a little for high traveled areas.

One thing you might want to consider is a good phone / data service provider. We use Verizon and have unlimited data as my wife still does CPA work on the road with our daughters CPA firm. I setup a work station in the rear seat of our truck and she is connected to the firms servers while we travel and I listen to audio books when driving.

Hope this helps.

[Scheinin]

Originally Posted by robbecky

1. How many of you who consider yourselves full time RV'ers actually have some form of home base somewhere that you occasionally go back to?

I kept my house, my son lives in it. Go back to Maryland for family events.

2. Are you mostly stationary somewhere in your RV or do you move around a lot over time?

In the 4 years we have been full time RVing, we have been to 37 States and Alaska. We move around a lot to see the Country, which was the reason we started RVing.

3. What kind of home are you full timing in? Class A motorhome, Class C motorhome, large 5th wheel?

40 foot Cedar Creek Fifth Wheel.

4. What do you like most about full time RV'ing and what do you not like about it?

Love the traveling, seeing sights, meeting people. Don't like the fact that RV's are notorious for not being well constructed, and the fact that no real documentation come with them. Maintenance is a headache. It is not like a car where you can go to the dealer and say do the 20,000 mile maintenance.

5. How do you handle mail if you're on the road for long periods of time?

90% of all mail is electronic. Bank statements, credit card notices, and bills. The only thing we cannot do electronically is vote, renew truck and driver licenses.

Any other considerations you're willing to share with me are very welcome. We're not doing anything yet but we're talking more and more about getting out of owning properly in California and since we're already RV'ing and liking it a lot, we are thinking maybe we should do something different than just buying another house somewhere else.

All comments welcome. This is a learning expedition :-)

RVing is not for everyone. You must have a sense of adventure, and be ready to adapt to the challenges that pop up. Attitude is everything. We are having the time of our lives.

Rob

Have fun.

[groomn]

I am finding this very interesting as we too are considering becoming Full Time RVers. We hope we are closer though! .

Our plan is to sell our house, save that money in case we need to have a home some day. It will definitely be in a different part of the country so no need to keep the current one.

We have already done some research on domiciles and mail delivery. Look at Escapees Escapees RV Club (Home) · Freedom Driven. We plan on choosing Florida, We looked at Texas but they have some different laws on drivers license for driving an RV.

We currently have a 40' fifth wheel toy-hauler that we are hoping will do the trick.
We have been camping for many years with everything from tents to what we have now. We have camped with dogs and now our two cats. I am pretty sure we are going to love it. Our plan is to move around, especially the summer months because we want to see as much of this country as we can. We do plan on working after our first year but we haven't fully figured out that part yet. We still have time!

Good luck with your plan!!

[RET.LEO]

Originally Posted by PSUFan1

Tons of YouTube channels from full time Rving people. You me and the RV, Keep Your Daydream, RV Love are a few I enjoy watching.

Keep your Daydream bought a house. Still traveling, now overseas.

[RET.LEO]

Originally Posted by ependydad

I did just that. Rented for 2 years. The problem was:

1- we had to deal with the tax implications of making the house a rental

2- we didn't want to leave the west coast to deal with a house on the east coast

3- since we didn't go back, having contractors prep the house for sale was expensive

4- and not being there, when it came time for the home inspection, we had to throw more money at dealing with the report that came back

NOT selling the house is an expensive proposition and one that I wished we had just sold right out of the gate.

#1 you probably earned enough in rent to offset any tax implications. If it is going to cause a large tax problem.....don't rent it.......decide to sell it after 3/6/12 months on the road full time.
#3 you might of had to pay a contractor anyway to have it ready to sell
#4 If it had a bad inspection report you probably would of had to "pony up" to correct deficiencies.

Things to remember living on the road every time you move it takes fuel. Announced today that OPEC wants to get to $80.00 a barrel. There goes fuel prices again.
Everything you need takes money. Staying in CG's cost money unless you're willing to boondock and then make a investment in solar.
The more you use it......the more maintenance it will need.
Class A tires are not a cheap proposition.
Food can cost more as you don't know the cheapest/best place to shop.
Laundromats expensive and not much fun.
Check with your insurance carrier to see if they will cover full time travel and living in it.
Mentally and emotionally able to leave family and friends behind. We still need a Grandkid fix on a very regular basis.
Big decision to go full time. If you have deep pockets it makes it much easier.
Just make sure you are 100% ready to do it and have a exit plan for the day you decide to change back. Eventually it has to be done.
Good luck.

[LannyCox]

I currently live in Texas and have a 37 ft Class A. Texas does not require a special drivers license (like a CDL) to drive our rig.

[wvyankee2]

Wife and I are seriously considering this when we retire in a few years. Plan is to sell house and take about 2 years to just tour and discover this great country. Then settle down somewhere permanent. Recently bought a new smaller camper to test the waters and see how we like the camping experience first. We have camped years ago with the kids, but it's been about 30 years. Plans are for a 5iver and diesel truck.


Several years ago while on a offroad/tourism trip, I met a couple in Buena Vista, CO. They retired from Florida and went full time in a Motorhome for 5 years. Found Buena Vista along the way and said that's where they wanted to make their residence when the RV experience was up. I may end up doing something similar.

[SunseekerFunseekers]

That's not fair to state, "If they are asking about it, they're having doubts" as hubby & I are SERIOUSLY considering the same exact thing - we are only starting to compile info (other's inputs, how much it will cost, should we rent or sell our home, etc) & I greatly appreciate reading others' inputs - NO, we won't be spending everything we have on an RV (in case we don't like it) & I wouldn't expect ANYONE to put all their eggs in one basket, as they say - meaning, SAVE some $$ to re-buy another home if need be, or for whatever might come up!

[CincyGus]

I'm 57, My wife is 59. We have camped our whole lives, mostly in state parks and in fields for events (races, concerts, gatherings of friends). We have been researching and looking for our retirement RV for over 7 years. This past fall, we bought it and a used diesel 2500HD Denali along with a matching golf cart.

I retired from a 60-65 hour a week career, took 5 months off to do some projects on the house that I hadn't had time for in the 65 hr a week, 30 year career and then went and found a 40-45 hr a week job that normally is Monday-Friday with flexible days off. So now I can work Sun-Thursday one week and Tuesday-Saturday the next and have a 4 day weekend every other week if I want to. We plan to get some use out of our retirement rig before I finally do hang it up in a few years.

Much of the advice you have in the above posts is exactly how I have researched FT RV life. Here are a few more items:

Forums - Escapees Discussion Forum
Escapee's forum is a great place to learn almost everything you may have questions about and a real nice and opinionated group, just like most forums ;-) You will get plenty of perspective there.

A few more Youtube channels to check out:
Enjoy the Journey
I'm not lost, I'm RVing
RV Love
Drivin' and Vibin'
Creativity RV
To Wander Freely

For Tech solutions while RVing, there is no better channel IMHO than Technomadia. Very factual, unbiased reviews of gear and data options for wireless and cellular solutions along with other tech issues.

There are a ton of great YouTube channels with opinions and walkthroughs on maintaining, repairing or replacing just about everything that can pop up as an issue on a RV.

A few other Forums I frequent are:

The RV Forum Community - Index

iRV2 Forums

http://www.forestriverforums.com/forums/
(Manufacture specific forum for my RV) Most Manufactures have their own.

1) For every person that sold their home, there is at least one that kept it. Some paid storage fees for a year or two and then sold nearly everything in storage.

2) Some sit for weeks to entire seasons, some move every other day. Sitting saves fuel costs, moving a lot means you better plan your budget for fuel carefully.

3) Some like trucks and trailers, some like class A, B or C. Some like a pull behind vehicle to drive when they camp so they don't have to pack up the camper to go to the store. Some plan extensively and don't have a car to drive once stopped and just use their RV to get around in.

4) One thing I hear from most that have been doing it awhile and decided it is their lifestyle is the freedom to do as you please, go where you want and to see so many places and do so many things they had only dreamed of. That and meeting new folks of the same free spirit having the time of their lives. The dislikes, roll the dice, everyone has their own pet peeves.

5) Electronic or Mail forwarders. Escapees has one, there are many others also.

Our plan is to give whatever we don't want to take with us to our daughter to pick through, then auction it off. Part of the reason of traveling the country is to find a community we want to spend our eldest years in. We will know what that is when we find it but visiting, getting a taste of places, finding ones we really like and looking for some to spend time in as we narrow down the list is going to be half the fun.

Best of luck in making the decisions you face. There are no single right answers for questions concerning RVing. Just the ones that suit you and your family.

[CampingGator]

My DH and I always say if you had a house in California you could sell it, are a good profit, and retire in an area with a much more reasonable cost of living. If you are from the San Francisco Bay Area, you should be able to make extra retirement money off of the house, even if you purchase your condo in another state. I think your plan makes a lot of sense. You probably would downsize anyway. If you don’t like full timing after you try it you can still RV part time and live in your condo and new community. I don’t think you can go too wrong with that plan. That is what we considering as an alternative to full timing. We think there may be times we want to stay home and reconnect with our friends, family, and community. If you can afford it, you don’t have to give up everything.

[AudiDudi]

You don't say how old you are but if you are on Medicare, make sure your plan is covered everywhere. Personally, I would consider either SD, FL or TX as a residence state. Be sure to check out what sales tax and registration/license fees are if you buy an RV. We're not full time, but spent over 240 days last year in either the 5th wheel in Arizona for the winter or traveling around in the motor home in the summer. Still have the stix n brix in Montana but thinking about changing to SD to get rid of the State income tax.