Full time RV living for older folks.

[Old Willie]

I turned 82 last November and we were staying in Arizona for the winter. We spent almost seven months in our TT. We were at Picacho Peak RV Park. My wife really liked it. So after a few months we decided to buy a park model and down size. We are back in Indiana getting rid of our stuff and planning on selling our home.

After we sell the house and all our stuff that will be our home. No grass to mow, no leaves to rake, no snow to shovel and no tornados. Just hot, dusty and windy. LOL

This location is in the desert and we have been there enough that we are sure we will be OK. Not everyone likes the desert, we do!

Mowing two acres and keeping up the house is getting too much for me and travelling in the RV is also a stress. You make your choices and hope for the best.

Willie & Bev

[fenton04]

My dear old mom told (she passed at 84) me "getting old isn't for sissies".
Will be 70 this September and she wasn't lying!!!

[Jcape]

Originally Posted by timfromma

Let me preface this by saying I'm NOT old. I am, however considering going full time once I retire which made me wonder how older people who full time in their camper manage the camper life when the aches and pains of getting older creep in.



Do you give up the camper in favor of a more traditional abode?


Do you hire help to do the chores you simply can't manage anymore?


Something else?

I'm 76, and still pulling a travel trailer around, my dad's 2nd cousin was95 when he quit. The limiter is your health and ability to get around. Aches and pains are part of life when you get old, if you can't take it, time to sell the RV and find an apartment.

[Bhrava]

I'm 57 this year, or am I already, crap getting old sucks. Anyway, I am planning ahead for my retirement @ 62 or 65, whichever age I feel I have worked enough and can afford to retire.

My wife is 10 years younger than me, which means unless we win the lottery, she will she be working to pad her 401K.

My mother is 81 this year, still going strong, still working a few days a week, still driving. Age is starting to creep up, she doesn't have the stamina she used to, and her feet are in bad shape, so walking distances is no more, but aside from that, still chugging along. It gives me hope that I will live that long, but previous jobs have taken their toll on me. I used to be a mechanic, ASE certified and good at what I did, but the stress of being on concrete 9 hours a day and bending over fenders, or lifting heavy components has not been good for my back. Was a carpenter for a few years too, always wanted to build houses, and I was good at that too, but one wrong move slinging a 5/8 sheet of ply up a roof turned my already not so good back into jelly.

Now being in IT for 24 years, sitting on the glutes day in and out, plus the onset of arthritis, has further taken it's toll. I am currently on a crash low carb diet to shed some of the VID weight accumulated over the past year, and hoping to get back into some sort of shape and get my joints fluid again.

With the way I feel today, aches, pains, bad hips and knees, I wonder will I be able to full time in 10 years like we planned. If I do, should I still have a home base to return to in the event that the full timing no longer works?

This is one of those things going through my mind today, and seeing this thread here, have to ask pretty much what the OP is asking.

IOW Subscribed.

[LaLaLisa]

I own a home care agency caring for seniors in their homes and I cannot imagine even one of my clients I’ve ever had living full-time in a RV That being said, it would be great to do between retirement and getting truly old. It depends on the individual though as some could absolutely handle all the responsibilities on the road into their 80s.

[RedRoverComeOver]

I'm not old or a full time camper and don't expect to be either. What I have noticed are people that start living in RVs or boats full time and do the youtube thing, age ungracefully and quickly.

It doesn't appear to be a glamorous life full-time and the multitude of problems that come up often can easily become compounded to contribute to that stress.

It's not as easy as they make it to be on the tube.

[Dakota 1120]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

Unless you have high blood pressure

I have high blood pressure - take pills for it and also take Aleve as have had two back surgeries. Aleve works better than 800mg Ibuprofen tabs.

I am slightly past the 3/4 century mark.

Yesterday had my annual physical and BP was 173/77.

[Electra glide]

I'm 43, obviously on the much younger side of this discussion, but we've thought about full timing a lot when we retire. Our goal is 55 and hit the road to where it doesn't snow. Our plan is to retire when I turn 55. We've been over the numbers and unless the world falls apart we should be just fine.
As far as full timing it, we plan to go and see stuff that we can't see now because we have work and raise kids. My hope is that in our travels we will find a place we really like and buy a small house. I plan to do everything in the camper myself but I also realize at some point I will have to hire some work out. I won't always be able to get on the roof or wash and wax the camper myself. Try to find a good mobile rv guy and let them do the work when I can't. No family history that I know of so no idea how long I could potentially make it but hope I get a lot of years doing it when I reach that point.

[AustinS]

Down graded our 2500 RV and Hitchiker but along came the Pandemic...so sold both getting a 1500 RAM with intent to get smaller 5th. Not wanting to loose our money in bank we build a small home... After a couple years we really miss our Hitchhiker and off those great friends out there but in last tw years at 87 health slipped and price of RVs went up. So we tried to stay on road with just our truck and motel/hotel it. Price on those has also gone..cheapest night went to over $120 Cost down to our favorite spots from WashingtonState on last two trips cost several thousand for hotels.. Ever tried Rt. 66 and slow trip down through Idaho, Nevada to Az. Staying in hotel we miss all the fun friends we met over years in our RV....Now even a small RV costs more then we can afford. We loved our past travel with Adventure Caravan but even that cost went up...so..now trying to find possible train or bus tours for seniors. Not having much luck.. Annie and I, even at 88 can still drive, still get excited out there on the road meeting people and hearing their stories. Thankfully we still get forest River to hear from those of you still traveling... Love to you all from Ann and Austin

[SmilinBeard]

I guess DW and I are full timers. We've not slept in our sticks and bricks since Jan 2020. Before that we were 50-50's,
Camping 7.5 months out of the year.

One thing I have not seen on this thread is mention of an exit plan.

One full time couple sold most all of their stuff, but have a storage unit large enough to hold enough furniture for a two bedroom apartment/condo.

Another plans to hire a driver to move them north and south, while friends have a home they are returning to in the fall, to make repairs, but ultimately hope to move onto a brother's property, where the brother has already installed full hookups for them.

Our exit plan is tentative, keep the house for now (we have reasons), and see if we tire of travelling and if our reasons for keeping the house disappear, modifying our exit plan.

The scary thing to us, are those we see on the road, who have sold everything, put it in a depreciating RV, and now can't afford to exit the full time lifestyle despite failing abilities.

[Bhrava]

Originally Posted by SmilinBeard

The scary thing to us, are those we see on the road, who have sold everything, put it in a depreciating RV, and now can't afford to exit the full time lifestyle despite failing abilities.

This is what we had thought of doing, but then what do we do when we are done? Find a permanent full time non seasonal and park it?

I am at a tipping point right now, current mortgage will be paid in 12 years. However, the house is in serious need of repairs due to water damage, and "improvements" made by previous owners, along with just age. Septic needs a full replacement, trees need to be removed, and I can no longer do it alone, which means a refinance with an equity withdrawal.

I need to decide, do I take out the loan, do the repairs and then sell it, but then need to find some place else closer to my work. There are advantages to moving closer to my work, and disadvantages too. So many difficult decisions to make now, before I can plan for later.

On the flip side, with the current influx of new RVr's, will we still enjoy camping if the parks are all crowded and such, so Guess Time Will Tell.

[tjwdj]

Define "older" Hmmmm??? I have a lady friend over in New Hampshire...she's 79. Has a 'older' C-class. She travels from NH to VA to FL and back again. :>}

[timfromma]

Originally Posted by tjwdj

Define "older" Hmmmm??? I have a lady friend over in New Hampshire...she's 79. Has a 'older' C-class. She travels from NH to VA to FL and back again. :>}

Perhaps "older" was the correct word.


I am referring to anyone who lives full time in their camper who finds themselves physically limited regardless of age.

[DougW]

We sold the house and went full time for a while. DW did not like the nomad life style, she wanted a nest so we bought a park model in an RV park in FL. We are now thinking of selling the motor home and going with a travel trailer for our summer travels. It did not work out as well for us as I hoped it would but then again, everything in life involves a gamble of some sort.

[NJKris]

I imagine the nomad life is not for the vast majority of the population.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA0YDVXO7Pw

[RedRoverComeOver]

Originally Posted by NJKris

I imagine the nomad life is not for the vast majority of the population.

That was great and others should probably look at their significant other and have them look at them when they ask...may be surprised.

[aceinspp]

Well I belong with some of the group here that have lost there spouses. Mine 2 1/2 years ago. She had lined up the whole year trips for 2019 and when she passed I had a choice to continue camping or quit. Well in memory of her and she would have wanted me to do I completed all those trips plus did the rally I do every year. i also bought a new camper but now my days are getting numbered due to some issues and I see that next year I maybe done camping and move on to the next faze of my life. I will enjoy the time I am still able to travel. At my age of 78 Later RJD

[NJKris]

Originally Posted by RedRoverComeOver

That was great and others should probably look at their significant other and have them look at them when they ask...may be surprised.

I just asked my wife. She made it very clear she would murder me if we full-timed. And I believe her!

[NJKris]

Originally Posted by aceinspp

Well I belong with some of the group here that have lost there spouses. Mine 2 1/2 years ago. She had lined up the whole year trips for 2019 and when she passed I had a choice to continue camping or quit. Well in memory of her and she would have wanted me to do I completed all those trips plus did the rally I do every year. i also bought a new camper but now my days are getting numbered due to some issues and I see that next year I maybe done camping and move on to the next faze of my life. I will enjoy the time I am still able to travel. At my age of 78 Later RJD

I saw the pics from your rally, impressed that you were running it at age 78. Fellow from the Brass Ring Rally I just attended in PA had just come from your rally and was proudly wearing your shirt!

[Volvodriver]

Been reading this whole post about aging and have had some tears this afternoon. DW retired in June of 2011 after almost a quarter century with the State of Texas. She had had enough and rule of 80 was a good thing. I pulled the pin in August of 2012 from my last driving job. Researched full timing since 2010 and in 2013 sold our last house and have full timed ever since.

We have been places and seen things and have really enjoyed our times with northern states in summer and back to Texas or other states in winter. Even did some workamping five out of the last six summers just to stay kinda busy. Regretfully we have not been to some places we wanted to see but overall it's been great.

This summer we have been camp hosting for a great private park in northern Iowa with wonderful owners that are a joy to work with. Couldn't find nicer people and their family but once in a lifetime. But here's the but. We have started discussing and debating if this will be it and to maybe settle back down in central Texas. No underlying big issues but age is becoming a factor. So there you have my addition to this topic. Thank you.

Dave