Going Full Time for a while starting later this summer

TVforMyRV · June 1, 2016

Greetings everyone...

The wife and I have been RVing for years and bought our Overland Larado, 8 years ago. We've made several trips across and up and down the country, but it has always been done in a hurry. Now, our situation has changed and we're selling the sticks and bricks here in PA and going full time for a while. The plan is to make a year long trip west and back east, with some hopefully leisurely stops along the way.

We're going to be reading up on what we don't know.....

Don & Anita Sweger

2gypsies · June 1, 2016

Wanna bet you don't quit after a year? You're just going to touch the surface of places to see. If you can, don't put a time limit on it, travel slow and enjoy. Best of luck and good travels to you!

sandsys · June 1, 2016

The only people I know who quit after a year were those who had one spouse who never wanted to go in the first place. And many of those who didn't want to go enjoyed it more than they thought they would. My husband was one who didn't want to go but he gave me three good years of fulltiming before he needed to go home. Besides it takes most of a full year to slow down enough to start really experiencing what we are seeing.

Linda Sand

Kirk W · June 2, 2016

Welcome to the Escapee's forums! We are here to help and support you as much as we are able so feel free to ask questions or offer comments as much as you wish.

The first suggestion that I'd make is that you get a book or two on the subject of fulltime RV living and read up on it first. That will help you know what you need to deal with and give some ideas as to how things may be done. Your public library probably has some in their reference section or you can buy any number of them from Amazon Marketplace if you prefer to buy. One of the subjects you need to consider early is where to call you home for things like driver's license, vehicle registrations, and insurance. Since only a few states will accept the use of a mail service for those purposes, it may help you to read this article about choosing a domicile location.

TVforMyRV · June 8, 2016

Well, I fear the year will be too short, but DW is looking forward to being a full time grandma, so I think we're gonna have to settle back down sooner rather than later... Hopefully we will be able to take the grands on some extended trips too.

Wagner4745 · June 8, 2016

Sounds like you are going to take a year long vacation, which is great, but once you hit the road, start slowing down your lifestyle, and taking time to look around the area your in you may find it harder to be a grand parent nester. Your kids will persevere at their child raising and succeed and fail just like you did without too much help. We have 4 kids, 10 grandkids, an 6 g-grandkids and counting. We keep up with them on Facebook, via phone, and Email. Our location is their excuse to vacation near us. Living in cold country is a good reason to only visit that area in the summer.

2gypsies · June 8, 2016

For a year or less of travel time and leaving late summer from Pennsylvania I'd suggest perhaps a route like this: Plan where you want to spend your winter - south or west. If south then tour your immediate NE if you haven't done this before. Then perhaps work in Michigan including the Upper Peninsula by mid-Sept for tree colors. Then down into Wisconsin or Minnesota depending what you want to see. Continue further south with states of Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi to Alabama. Spend the winter in one or more places such as in Texas, Gulf Shores, Alabama or over to Florida.

For March/April slowly start you westward touring of the lower elevations of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, perhaps southern California. Then by mid-April/May get into the Colorado/Wyoming/Montana area. By July be along the coast of Washington - Olympic Peninsula and drive south on 101 along the Oregon coast. Then start heading back to Pennsylvania.

You've probably already done some of the major national parks so concentrate on less-known areas. You still won't see it all in one year. This seems so rushed to me but good travels to you!

sandsys · June 8, 2016

As we were preparing to go full-time for some unknown length of time, the late Gaylord Maxwell advised to spend our first winter traveling no further north than I-10 but driving from coast to coast. The concern was many people pick one wintering spot without ever discovering there was one they'd like a lot better somewhere else. We discovered we liked the desert southwest for winter then spent much of of the summer back in Minnesota with spring and fall being the time we explored the rest of the country. Doing that, it took us just over three years to at least drive though each of the contiguous 48 states. This is a BIG country!

Linda Sand

Kirk W · June 8, 2016

. Doing that, it took us just over three years to at least drive though each of the contiguous 48 states. This is a BIG country!

Only three years? :huh: We spent 12 years traveling fulltime and we at least passed through 47 of the states but I'd hardly say that we saw them all. We have seen most of perhaps 20 states and parts of more than 40 states, but I'd never count those we have only spend a few days in as seen. Even those we spent several months in, I doubt that we got very close to seeing everything there.

sandsys · June 9, 2016

Only three years? We spent 12 years traveling fulltime and we at least passed through 47 of the states but I'd hardly say that we saw them all. We have seen most of perhaps 20 states and parts of more than 40 states, but I'd never count those we have only spend a few days in as seen. Even those we spent several months in, I doubt that we got very close to seeing everything there.

We never came close to seeing everything. Apparently, driving through each state was Dave's goal, though, since he was ready to quit RVing by the time we did that. In fact, we drove through the last state, Arkansas, on our way to PPL to sell the Class A. If it was only my choice, we would still be out there.

Linda Sand

Kirk W · June 10, 2016

If it was only my choice, we would still be out there.

I'm with you there! But Pam's health got into the way and we do everything together so we travel now when we can fit it in between doctor demands. But we have managed several months at a time on the road and expect to be out 4 to 5 months again this year, which sure beats no travel at all.