Prioritizing (aka: where should the money go)?

[JimK]

6 hours ago, Barbaraok said:

You misunderstood the comment about doing laundry every other day.   No one said you had to, just that the on board w/d are smaller so it is easy if you figure on doing a load every other day.   Yes, you can do them all in one day if you want.  Also, ppl with onboard w/d often carry less clothes with them because they have access and do a load (can set ours to come on at 5:00 am so that we have clean, warm, dry towels for morning shower) more frequently.    And lots of people manage to balance doing both things.   

I marvel at all of the people who never seem to get mud, grease, oil,  etc on their jeans while doing the routine maintenance jobs.  Make sure that you also 'practice' doing that with any rig you are serious about - - how easy/difficult is it to hook up,  to check fluids, to add fluids,  to dump, to refill batteries.  The battery maintenance mess is one of the reasons that we opted to install AGM batteries.  Yes, more expensive, but not having to grub around getting filthy has made life on the road as we age much more enjoyable.    No one ever takes about aging, but what you can do at 62 (when we retired)  and what you can do at 75 are MILES apart!   While we can still get everything done, it isn't as quick as it use to be - - we don't 'bound' up and down anymore.   So anything that makes it easier as you age is something to really consider going forward.    

I rarely have access to lots of water.  In fact for my last 4 month trip, I never even used a hose.  I got small amounts in a 5 gallon jug and filled the tank from the jug using a funnel.  So no laundry and not even hand washing of clothing.  

I do manage to keep pretty clean when traveling, hiking and doing chores.  I have AGM batteries.  I never check or change any fluids on the RV.  It goes to a shop for maintenance when the oil and fluid changes are needed.  Anyone who gets soiled at the dump station needs to reconsider their procedures.  The dirtiest job I have had to do on the road is caulking.  On one occasion I managed to get caulk on a T shirt.

Edited May 31, 2019 by JimK

[TherapyBound]

Weight may be an issue, but storage shouldn't be when it comes to a few weeks worth of clothing. I can easily get two weeks worth of clothing into a medium suitcase. Doesn't anyone else use a "smart folding" method?

[Carlos]

1 minute ago, Bigthinkers said:

Doesn't anyone else use a "smart folding" method?

I'm a man, so I assume that means shoving t-shirts into a backpack as hard as possible.

[Zulu]

12 minutes ago, Carlos said:

I'm a man, so I assume that means shoving t-shirts into a backpack as hard as possible.

Apparently you're not familiar with Marie Kondo: Basic Folding

[Carlos]

And apparently you're not familiar with the ways of a Real Man(tm).  For example, I only need one cleaning product in my RV or the tow vehicle.

 

 

[Zulu]

48 minutes ago, Carlos said:

And apparently you're not familiar with the ways of a Real Man(tm).

🦕

[Barbaraok]

1 hour ago, Bigthinkers said:

Weight may be an issue, but storage shouldn't be when it comes to a few weeks worth of clothing. I can easily get two weeks worth of clothing into a medium suitcase. Doesn't anyone else use a "smart folding" method?

SHOES!  Even though we travel only for 6 months now (other 6 months in Mesa, AZ for the winter) I take at least 6 pairs of shoes (loafers, all purpose walking shoes (2), , slip-ons, 3 pair of sandals, plus 3 pair of flip-flops (some for outdoor, some indoor) plus slippers.   And for me, that is a minimum!   Dave almost fainted after we were married when my Dad was helping him carry all of my clothes out to our car - 24 pairs of shoes (in their boxes) which included 1/2 dozen pairs of 4" heels!    I LOVE shoes.  

Plus, we have a DP, I don't have to worry about CCC, and why should I deprive myself of what I want in my retirement?   

 

[Carlos]

Quote

The closet in my van was 24" wide. I had two weeks worth of clothing hanging or on the single shelf in it. And that included the layers required for cold weather. If you wash yourself and change your underwear daily then wear a shirt two days in a row and your pants four days before changing them it doesn't really take that many clothes. And, if you put a long sleeve shirt over a t-shirt then add a polar fleece and a windbreaker you only need to add a hat, gloves and wool socks to be ready for pretty much any cold weather. It's just part of learning to live with little to make boondocking easy.

 Linda Sand

 

 

 

Well said, Linda. With a little thought it’s just not that hard. We also have to make small compromises compared to being home. 

Edited June 1, 2019 by Carlos

[FL-JOE]

39 minutes ago, Carlos said:

 

Well said, Linda. With a little thought it’s just not that hard. We also have to make small compromises compared to being home. 

I guess that is where I differ from most folks maybe.  I don't really compromise the way I live just because we are full time traveling in an RV.  

We spend many days on our motorcycle.  This adds a whole array of additional clothing and other items that have to be on board.  In addition, we kayak and that adds a few other things.  Also, I do carry a dark sport coat and pant, dress shirt with tie. Just because you are full timing in your RV that certainly doesn't stop friends and family from dying which requires certain attire on my part.  Now if I add 14 pair of underwear, 14 pair of socks.....etc....etc....that get to be a little too much.  Therefore, it really isn't really much different for us than it was in the sticknbrick.  We do a few small loads of laundry every week, it just isn't a big deal when you are doing it in your down time inside your own RV.

[JimK]

11 hours ago, Zulu said:

Apparently you're not familiar with Marie Kondo: Basic Folding

This woman plays with her clothing.  I learned how to fold a T shirt in about 5 seconds.  It is called the 2 second fold, but it actually takes longer especially for polo shirts with collars.   

  I then roll and keep the roll tight with a couple of rubber bands.  30 rolled T shirts easily fits in a small cabinet above my bed.  

[Carlos]

12 hours ago, FL-JOE said:

We spend many days on our motorcycle.  This adds a whole array of additional clothing and other items that have to be on board.  In addition, we kayak and that adds a few other things.

Fair point, and street riding in summer makes me and all my clothing have a horrible road smell.  I don't know what that's about, but road stink is awful.  Doesn't happen even spending a whole day riding in dirt, just on roads in summer.  Weird.  Packing our dirt bike gear in the RV has always eaten up a lot of space.

[Al F]

1 hour ago, Carlos said:

Fair point, and street riding in summer makes me and all my clothing have a horrible road smell.  I don't know what that's about, but road stink is awful.  Doesn't happen even spending a whole day riding in dirt, just on roads in summer.  Weird.  Packing our dirt bike gear in the RV has always eaten up a lot of space.

Road stink may be a mixture of tire rubber along with whatever drops on the hwy.  

When we travel cross country, such as the 2300 miles from Texas to Portland, OR, towing our truck, when we start it up we can smell burning rubber.  On another topic a year or so ago someone mentioned the same thing with their generator, rubber burning smell after a long trip.  

[hemsteadc]

On 5/28/2019 at 8:12 AM, Bigthinkers said:

 All of this assumes things like insurance, new tires, memberships, etc are a given.

Make sure fuel is a given.  Traveling can easily eat $100 a day.  Boondocking, or camping real cheap like Quartzsite can save you a ton of money over the long haul.  Yes, the initial investment like solar, inverter and Lithium (I recommend) will hit the wallet hard, but you can recoup that just by avoiding RV parks.  It's pretty sweet to be in a beautiful location paying next to nothing, knowing the RV park isn't getting their $60 a day.

It's a long thread so I haven't read if anyone's talked about internet.

Edited June 5, 2019 by hemsteadc

[PODebbie]

We buy quick dry underwear and socks.  We bring about 10 days worth.  If we don't get into town, we use a Folgers coffee can and wash underwear and socks and hang to dry.  You don't have to wash your regular clothes that often. 3 pair of shorts, 2 capris, 1 pair of jeans, 1 fleece pants and 1 pair of jogging pants, 5 short sleeve or sleeveless shirts, 2 long sleeved shirts, Fleece jacket, rain jacket.  Maybe a sundress and casual dress outfit for husband for dinners and museums.  

You don't mention why you need a washer and dryer, but if it has anything to do with being inside a laundry mat, many campgrounds have a single washer and dryer located outside the building.

[TherapyBound]

Just back from 5 days at the big US travel trade convention and had to laugh as I was packing 10 outfits for the trip (convention clothing each day, plus "party" outfits for each evening, plus theme park-appropriate items). With proper folding, I used about half of a medium suitcase and had half left for all the paraphernalia we brought back from the convention. Marie Kondo would have been proud! 
That said, I didn't "put love" into each item as I folded it, and didn't necessarily notice any particular item that "sparked joy."

[sandsys]

35 minutes ago, Bigthinkers said:

 With proper folding, I used about half of a medium suitcase and had half left for all the paraphernalia we brought back from the convention.

You should do VERY well in an RV.

Linda

[Zulu]

56 minutes ago, Bigthinkers said:

That said, I didn't "put love" into each item as I folded it, and didn't necessarily notice any particular item that "sparked joy."

Good one

[Vladimir]

I would spend as little money right now.  Once you get on the road then decide on what to spend money on....your thoughts will probably change.

I wouldn't get a washer/dryer.  On extended trips, I just made a point of pulling into a full-service park with laundromat.  Timed it so I could dump my tanks, do the laundry, watch cable TV,  and all those other city things.  Then back out again, until the black tank was full again. It is a nice break from boondocking.

Likewise, with the water filter. Like other I don't trust the RV water system to stay clean. BTW....in campgrounds it is the threads on the water bib that will get you a bad water test in most cases. Clean off the bib treads before hooking up. In parts of the desert southwest, the water is just awful anyway. So drinking water and coffee water comes from Wal-Mart, the shower and sink water I use the campground system water.

Solar....that I would probably get now. You need solar to keep the batteries up and run the fans, computers and TV's without starting up the generator.  How to lose friends you never met......start your generator in a quiet, scenic spot.

I bought one of these for solar. Expensive, but works great...simple to store and travel.

https://gpelectric.com/products/90-watt-portable-solar-kit/

I would do this ASAP.....

https://www.escapees.com/education/smartweigh/

Good luck

 

[TherapyBound]

41 minutes ago, Vladimir said:

I would spend as little money right now.  Once you get on the road then decide on what to spend money on....your thoughts will probably change.

Yup, we'll wait on a few things we're not certain about. Others we'll go ahead with straight away.

42 minutes ago, Vladimir said:

I wouldn't get a washer/dryer.  On extended trips, I just made a point of pulling into a full-service park with laundromat.  Timed it so I could dump my tanks, do the laundry, watch cable TV,  and all those other city things.  Then back out again, until the black tank was full again. It is a nice break from boondocking.

The washer/dryer is non-negotiable.

[sandsys]

57 minutes ago, Bigthinkers said:

The washer/dryer is non-negotiable.

I wonder how many times you'll have to say that before everyone reads it?

Linda

[Carlos]

Has anyone discussed the need for a washer and dryer?  You should give it some thought.

 

[Vladimir]

I started thinking about all the issues I had to address when I started.......

Telecommunications. Out west, you are probably going to need a amplifier for your phone if your going to boondock. You might even need to change your cellular company.  Phone amplifiers are not cheap and there are lots of choices. Not to get into a long winded discussion, but Sprint and T-Mobile will not work as a cellular company once you leave the interstates.

Given the size of your rig.....you might want to START looking at places that you want to stay at and visit.  I had all that in my mind, and had ALL the maps I needed and information. Even so, it did take awhile to organize and set priorities. That could take two years in itself.

Here is a application worth exploring BEFORE you leave:

https://www.avenzamaps.com

They also have Forest Service travel plan maps for free, as well as USGS topo maps, etc. etc. They also see electronic copies of Forest Service at a considerable discount from the paper copies. You really want to have the app set up and be using it BEFORE you start traveling.  There are LOTS of maps and it takes a bit to find everything.  If you want off the beaten track, you definitely want access to this site.

Hobbies and interests. OK...I have LOTS of hobbies and interests.....fly fishing, astronomy, bird hunting, bird watching, hiking, photography, kayaks, rafts, float tubes, bicycles and on and on.....

I needed to pare down the "stuff" so it would fit in the RV!!  I did need to purchase "new" stuff in some cases to make it useable while traveling.  The RV stuff, the clothes,  shoes and all that other stuff has pretty much settled out, but even now I am constantly making adjustments to the hobby stuff I drag along.

One regret when I started I never wrote down the must visit or see stuff.  That way you have a focus to your travels, and it sets you up for "new" opportunities as you travel down the road.  It gets you out of the mode of repeating your travels.

 

[TherapyBound]

7 hours ago, sandsys said:

I wonder how many times you'll have to say that before everyone reads it?

I'm thinking 15 or 20.  

 

4 hours ago, Vladimir said:

One regret when I started I never wrote down the must visit or see stuff.  That way you have a focus to your travels, and it sets you up for "new" opportunities as you travel down the road.  It gets you out of the mode of repeating your travels.

We've got a long list of destinations and their must-see attractions, as well as the lesser-known places we'd like to visit, and our next move is to consider how long, roughly, we'd like to spend in each area. Some places (like Alaska) we're already sure about (2 months, July/August). Then we'll start plotting out our rough travel route. In fact, we've started already (Orlando to Fairbanks). I'm sure I'll have some questions as that process gets underway!

Already bookmarked the various maps, apps, etc we'll need. I'm a serious researcher, so it's really the issues you can't know until you're in an RV and traveling that I'm uncertain about. This forum has been a huge help.

[sandsys]

6 minutes ago, Bigthinkers said:

Already bookmarked the various maps, apps, etc we'll need. I'm a serious researcher, 

That means you get to enjoy the experience three times: once as you research it, second as you experience it, and third when you remember it. That's a good way to get the most bang for your buck.

Do you plan to blog about your travels? Many of us do/did that as a way of keeping those memories available. Unfortunately my first blog disappeared but I sometimes go back and read entries in my current one to enjoy those experiences again.

Linda

[TherapyBound]

6 minutes ago, sandsys said:

Do you plan to blog about your travels? Many of us do/did that as a way of keeping those memories available. Unfortunately my first blog disappeared but I sometimes go back and read entries in my current one to enjoy those experiences again.

Absolutely. We're travel writers, so that's going to be a big part of what we're doing on the road (blog, YouTube, writing for our current outlets, and more). Not so much about RV-ing specifically. We're more storytelling-oriented. And we've developed a fun twist that, we hope, will be as enjoyable for our readers as it will be for us. More on that as the time draws near!

We always enjoy reading about other people's travels, so we've already started reading some of the sites mentioned here, as well as the established RV-related bloggers and YouTubers.