L&JSteinmetz

On 6/27/2019 at 3:42 PM, Exile said:

And neighbors- not easy, i have to sneak it in and out to prevent any issues

Appreciated all of your reply but got kind of a chuckle out of this line!

On 6/27/2019 at 7:23 PM, Jack Mayer said:

Larry,

 

Nice to see you back.

It is basically the same as it has always been. It you domicile in TX then you need the Class A license (you would need a class B for most motorhomes). 

Insurance is not a problem to get, but it is limited in the places you can get it, and just like in the past, they will typically want both the truck and the trailer. There are exceptions, but that is the norm. 

Finding and converting the truck is far easier than it was in the mid 2000's. We do it, as well as a couple of other companies. And the types of trucks that are available are far, FAR better than what was available then. This is the biggest change IMO - the quality of the trucks for RV use.

Thanks for the welcome back, Jack! Being Texans already should make it much easier for us, even more so given that Escapees is only 100 miles north of us. That said, it doesn’t seem like those that become Texans have too much of an issue either.

Would love to keep USAA (have had it since 1991) but haven’t read of too many people (if any) being able to insure their HDT through them...will still ask when the time comes.

I would love to convert a new Volvo. I will certainly investigate this as we get closer but it all is dependent upon what our final budget ends up being. I will also be looking at “newish” truck conversions as well as fifth wheels.

34 minutes ago, NDBirdman said:

This is true, IF you domicile in a state that will let you title an HDT as a motorhome.  My state won't (that I know of, my state like many like to have poop loads of confusing laws/regulations, etc).  I have no clue about where he is, TX(?).  Good luck to the OP, I hope you get it figured out and live your dream!

Thanks...fortunately we are living one of our dreams right now living out in the country on property...full timing though has been on our radar for a long time and may finally happen in the next couple of years.

45 minutes ago, Randyretired said:

Most states don't require a CDL.  Our home state doesn't have a noncommercial heavy vehicle drivers license and all that is required is a drivers license, not a CDL.  I carry the regulations stating that.  Insurance has not been a problem and is reasonable.  We have National General.  I think owning a HDT is a little more complicated than a MH.  We have owned one for about 14 years and we get along OK.

Thanks for the info Randy! A "little" complication doesn't bother me to much as long as it doesn't escalate to being a constant, yearly insurance hassle.

55 minutes ago, rickeieio said:

Looking at your profile, I see you're in the Houston, TX area.  Exile just got his HDT registered there, and Big 5er knows a bit about this as well. 

This was discussed at length just a couple weeks ago. A quick search might yeild some answers.

Thanks...I remember having a few conversations with Big 5er 3-4 years ago when I was much more active on the forum.

1 hour ago, NDBirdman said:

I think it's dependent on the state you use as your domicile, or licensed in.  My home state does not have Non-Professional CDLs, meaning no motor home license (like Texas for an example).  If you have an HDT, not a farmer driving from field to elevator, you better have a full CDL.  And with this goes registration/insurance.  Unless you are planning on buying an oversized/very heavy 5th wheel, stick with a won-ton dual rear wheel truck.  Not all of those are equal, figure out what brand you like then start looking at max weights and where your desired RV falls.  Try to stay at/less then 80% of the truck you purchase on weight, you'll be happier in the end.  IMHO  Or try to talk your better half into a motor-home and tow a vehicle behind you.  IMHO

If we go the fifth wheel route, it will most likely be a 36'-40' New Horizon or similar so am really only interested in towing with an HDT. If problematic, our fall back position is a Class A although I really like the looks of the Renegade Super Cs with Volvo drivetrains.

20 minutes ago, rickeieio said:

Looking at your profile, I see you're in the Houston, TX area.  Exile just got his HDT registered there, and Big 5er knows a bit about this as well. 

This was discussed at length just a couple weeks ago. A quick search might yeild some answers.

I am normally pretty good at searching forums but sometimes I just don't hit the right keywords...thanks for pointing out...I'll try another search.

1 hour ago, Darryl&Rita said:

Where are you thinking of registering it? Degree of difficulty is variable, depending on jurisdiction. 

Sorry...should have mentioned that...I live and will register the rig in Texas.

Hello,

BLUF: Has owning an HDT gotten any easier than it was 5/10 years ago as far as registering, insurance, etc.?

I have been away from the forum for some time due to health (no major issues) and for professional reasons. (BTW...at some point during my absence they must have reset the post count because I was in the mid-to-high hundreds...sad to not be able to find some of my old posts). My wife and I had originally intended to retire early in 2016 and buy an HDT and a fifth wheel. This slipped to 2019 and now looks like it will be January 2023 (which will no longer be considered an early retirement ).

We started researching our full timing plans back in 2004 and, for most of the time, have thought the HDT/Fiver was the way to go. I would research it to death and then get a little discouraged when I read about the problems with registration and, probably more concerning to me, finding/keeping insurance on the HDT. This would typically cause me to start researching Class As as a more conventional, easier process to navigate but I would still have the nagging desire to own an HDT (plus, my wife likes fifth wheels better than MHs).

Sooo, is the process still difficult? Is pretty much no longer an issue? Has gotten better but still a bit of a PITA?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciate. Thanks.

Hello,

My husband and I are preparing to go full-time in 2016, when I can retire. We have started the process of getting rid of stuff and becoming debt free! Can't wait to start our adventure! We currently have a TT and go on weekend trips. We plan on buying a Grand Design Momentum toy hauler when we go full-time.

Hope to learn a lot from here!

Hi,

Congrats on your decision to go full-timing and your choice of rig. We have debated a toy hauler to act as a workshop and storage area for our recumbents but have decided (for now) that we don't want to give up that much living space. Look forward to hearing how it and your new lifestyle works out. Good luck!

Just sold house yesterday. Ordered new one ton dually. Now only obstical is retirement age. Only 767 days.

Congrats on the sale. We are going to keep a close eye on the Houston market (currently on an upswing) and put our house on the market when we feel it is the right time. Regardless, I won't be retiring before summer 2018 but will be full-timing either late 2015, early 2016.

My wife and I have March 22, 2016 as the day we retire and hit the road in our home, a 2005 Fleetwood Bounder 35E, which we have started living in for the pass month. We have one of our stick houses for sale to pay off the RV and some other bills. So far we are managing to life style of living in an rv, conserving water and getting by on really less stuff. Who never thought it would be cheap, hasn't owned an RV. Its cost us $2800 for new tires, $2000 to repair dash ac, and they say another $2000 to change another part to get dash ac working, man I hope it all it cost for a long while. We're both still working fulltime, and scheduling trips as we get time off. Fixing rv up like we both want it, really can't wait to hit Route 66, and travel out west, catching trout with my fly rods and metal detecting for gold in them hills, while driving my Jeep Wrangler in them hills.

Know we will enjoy traveling fulltime, wish it was tomorrow.

Welcome to Escapees and good luck with your planned retirement...sounds like your getting things figured out and in order.

Hello everyone,

I have been following this forum since 2004. Although never a huge poster, I had over 400 at one time. For a few years while stationed in the DC area I quit posting on Escapees and evidently, due to software upgrades, all my posts were deleted but not my account. Most of my posts back then were newbie questions as I was just beginning my research into the full-timing lifestyle. Even back then folks like Kirk, Jack, Stan and others were a wealth of information and helped give my wife and I a much better appreciation for the lifestyle.

So, here we are 10 years later and I think my wife and I have finally decided that 2016 will be our year. Although I have been posting again in other threads, I thought it was important to introduce myself to the Class of 2016. I plan to retire in 2018 but we think we will be money ahead by selling our house in 2016 and using the money savings to either pay down the balance of the fifth wheel loan we plan to take out or to apply it towards our truck.

I am an ex-Navy/retired Coast Guard active duty member (retired in 2008 w/ 34 yrs. total service) and now work for the Coast Guard as a civilian. My current (and last) duty station is in Houston, TX, and we live in Friendswood, TX. We are avid bike riders but due to four back surgeries since 2009, I now ride recumbent bikes and trikes. I also am an amateur wheel builder and bike mechanic. I was a homebrewer (beer/cider/mead) for 20+ years but sold all of my equipment several years ago when we finally decided that we were definitely going full-timing. I still am a lover of craft beers with IPAs being my go-to. My wife, Jan, has worked all her adult life but since moving to Houston in 2012 has been a stay-at-home grandmother (son and grandson live only a few miles from us). In all honesty, she probably wants to full-time more than me and I REALLY WANT TO GO FULL-TIMING!

Since we first started talking about full-timing in 2004, hitting the road in a fifth wheel pulled by an HDT has held a high appeal for us. Back then we dreamed of owning a Teton fiver but, with them out of business now, we have looked at other fivers and are leaning heavily towards a New Horizons. As far as the HDT, I have corresponded back-and-forth with Gregg at RV Haulers and hope to have him do a custom Volvo 780 for us.

I didn't mean to run on so long but that's our story...