Am I crazy? Full Timing as a single young man

[Jtyson]

First post, and will be a long one. Hope I can get most of my info and questions out in one post. Anyone willing to dig through it all, I GREATLY appreciate your input. I'll start with my back story.

 

I'm 27, well, actually 28 in a couple weeks. I'm self employed currently, living in Albuquerque, NM. I do metal fabrication and handyman work primarily. I also toy around with blogging, affiliate marketing and in the past network marketing/MLM. I'm single. I've got a 7 year old French Bulldog who would definitely come with me and may have a 12 year old Basset Hound and possibly a cat (If my family can't keep them I'd bring them with me. They are my grandmother's pets - read on to the next paragraph to understand)

 

For the past few years, I've been responsible for caring for my elderly grandparents. I have been staying with them because they've needed someone around 24 hours a day and the night time has been my responsibility primarily. My grandfather had advanced dementia and a couple weeks back he had a fall and didn't recover. He passed away. My grandmother now wants to go live with my aunt. I think that is a great idea from her, and honestly, I'm glad that I'm going to be free of my obligation to them and I can go on and do some living for myself. Their house still has a hefty mortgage and will most likely be sold off at cost just to get rid of it within the next 3-6 months. Or possibly sooner. So basically, I need to decide what I am doing, and fast.

 

The reason I'm considering RVing, is because I love to travel, and honestly, I have no idea where I would like to spend the rest of my life. I've traveled to 34/50 states, but only for a few days in each place with the exception of the time I've lived in NM and UT. This idea was spurred this afternoon when I saw an Class A pop up on craigslist looking to trade for a motorcycle - which I happen to have for sale.

 

I am familiar with RVing, as the family I grew up with had a late 90s dolphin and then later on a 40' Holiday Rambler. We spent tons of weekends in them, and a couple month long jaunts as well during summers. I've also pulled 5ers around and stayed in them in the recent past for a few days at a time. I currently don't own any camper, nor have I actually owned my own. I'm familiar with basic maintenance and I'm mechanically inclined, though all of my actual mechanical experience is on cars/trucks/bikes. I've toyed with fixing water storage and electrical in the campers, but not much beyond that.

 

I know this probably sounds insane, and ultimately, that is why I'm here. I want to know if it is completely ridiculous for me to even consider this as a viable option.

 

My hypothetical plan would be...

 

Trade motorcycle for the camper. It is a 1995 Allegro Bay 34' with 80k on it. Seems to be in nice condition, but I haven't actually seen it in person yet. I am sure it is a gasser, which I'm aware are pigs, get worse MPG and don't last as long as diesel pushers. But, it is also affordable and ultimately, mostly temporary. Probably no more than a year or two. Of course this is only a viable option assuming it is in the condition it looks like in the pictures and that the owner states it is in.

 

Sell my truck - 08 Silverado 2500HD Duramax. This would only be if I settled on a Class A, because otherwise I could tow a 5er.

 

Sell off my fabrication equipment, other tools, excess housing items, etc.

 

Buy a car hauler and take my touring bike and a small passenger car or sports car for traveling from place to place while parked. Trailer would most likely be enclosed and preferably aluminum. OR I've been eyeballing a mid 70s g10 short van. It would fit my bike in the back of it and I could use it as a tow vehicle.

 

That's the hardware portion of the plan. For money, I'd basically be living off my cash until I could get my internet business flowing again, or pick up odd jobs any place I decided to stop.

 

Here are my concerns.

 

Gas motorhome - how bad is it towing a car or car hauler?

Old motorhome - how likely is it that I'll be blacklisted from places because it isn't a new 6 figure coach? How often do these things break down randomly in the middle of the desert where there is no cell service and I can't fix the issue myself?

 

Tow vehicles - I know it may seem excessive to want to have a car and a motorcycle, but I plan to be places in the winter where I wouldn't want to be on the bike. I know that is the opposite of the typical RVers wanting to chase the warmth, but I love snow. Fall and winter are my favorite time of year.

 

Urban camping - I'm young and I'm not exactly ready to escape the bustle of city life entirely. I want to experience urban areas that could be potential homes for me after my RV expedition would be over. Is it feasible to drive a rig into a city and find some place to put it? Or at least within a half hour or so drive from the metro areas in most places?

 

Internet - How reliable is it? I've got a large data plan through Verizon because I have all of my family on my phone plan currently, so I could always increase that package to 100gb to handle things if needed. If I'm going to be paying for things by blogging, building websites, etc I've got to be able to connect every day. I know that if I were in a populated area I would be fine with service or could use internet cafes, but I'm talking more about the times when I'm out in the sticks.

 

Cost - I know this is hugely variable, but it is a major concern of mine. I'm not well off by any means, just in a position where I can unload my possessions to generate the capital to make this possible. But realistically, I can't afford to get stuck in small town Iowa because I ran out of cash and before you know it I'm doing road construction and I'm 55 and have 4 kids with a wife that works at a local diner. May sound ridiculous, but things can snowball pretty fast. I'm curious how expensive it really is if one is to go the thrifty route as much as possible. I don't need a number but on a scale of NOT SO BAD to Drowning in small town American life wishing I had never done this, where would you say full timing falls? Keep in mind that I will have no monthly payments for vehicles, RVs, homes, land, etc. Just living expenses, operating costs and whatever extra I want along the way.

 

Human interaction - This may come across offensive but it is not in any way intended to be so. I don't think I'd fit the typical full time RVer demographic. I've spent the last 7 years listening to old time stories over and over again, campfire style and I don't know that I care to do that on a daily basis again. How many young people full time? People that I could relate to. Especially being that I'm single and would be traveling alone. I'm not really on the hunt for a woman as I'm not ready to settle down, but I'd like to find people to interact with along the way beyond a waitress at the restaurant or a cashier at walmart.

 

I think these are the basics. I know there is a ton that I can research myself, but honestly, I'm hoping for someone to either tell me to suck it up and do it, or tell me that it is an absurd idea that I should forget immediately. Once that is cleared, if it sounds like a good idea, I'll do some more research myself on things like domiciles, where to change my business licensing to, mail forwarding, insurance, boondocking, club memberships, etc. If not, then I'll drop it and won't bother you fine people any further.

 

Anyone who reads through this entirely, I really owe you. Your knowledge could very well help shape my future and I greatly appreciate whatever you have to offer me.

 

 

[wildmandmc]

DP is really way to go. towing.mpg, ect. there are plenty of places to set up camp that don't mind what yr your camper is. as long as your wallet has green in it. or plastic. you should also consider yearly / monthly spending. income ratio to outcome. Snail mail deliver to where?

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

Since you have the truck and the bike, a smaller toyhauler could work for you also. It would also give you some space for the smaller metal fab tools.

[NJTroy]

Ok. Your plan isn't absurd, but it's going to take some serious work to make it achievable.

 

My first and strongest suggestion is to hold off buying anything until you have worked on a budget for expenses and figured out how to do this and not end up broke. Many people publish various versions of their budgets, but I'd suggest start by looking at the following:

 

http://www.rv-dreams.com/financial-information.html

http://www.gonewiththewynns.com/rv-living-cost

http://www.rvnetwork.com/index.php?showforum=9

 

The first link is to a couple who teach others how to fulltime on the road and are very generous with with their knowledge. The second is a young couple living on the road fulltime and making a living doing it. And the third is our friendly escapees forum on RVing on a budget. There are many others, but these will get you started.

 

Once you have an idea what the costs and opportunities for earning a living are like, then you will be ready to start looking at RVs to live in while traveling.

 

I think you are going to want to look into the Xscapers, a subgroup within Escapees which is specifically designed for the younger RVer living fulltime on the road. Honestly, many of us on the traditional Escapees group are retirees and will have different concerns than you will. This group is tailored to your needs. The traditional forum is generous with their knowledge and more than willing to help you get going, but adding the Xscapers to your research will really help you.

 

https://www.xscapers.com/images/pdfs/XscapersInfoKit.pdf

[Kirk W]

First let me welcome you to the Escapee forums. There are many very experienced and knowledgeable folks who take part in these forums, so feel free to ask questions and offer comments any time and on any thread or forum. Helping others is the reason that Escapee's RV Club exists.

 

Let me comment on the age factors. I believe that your timing probably as good as that of anyone to move into the RV lifestyle, and in many ways your timing is better. The very fact that you are old enough to have some maturity but yet young enough to be very adaptable is in my view, a bit plus. Being single you have no major responsibilities to others and that simplifies many aspects of such a move, and it also means that you could more easily change your mind and return to a fixed lifestyle and could most of us. Even in the unlikely event that this were to turn into a financial disaster, you are young enough to be able to deal with such things more easily than later in life and you would have plenty of time to recover before you reach retirement age. After reading your circumstances I think that this is probably the very best time to make such a move that you will have for many years.

 

As to the "typical RVer," in my opinion that term is a misnomer any way as retired people may well be the most visible part of the RV market but they are not the majority of RV owners. Because we do not usually have a need to generate an income, it does mean that there are things that we can do more easily, but it also means that we have some types of problems that you do not have. Believe me that there are younger folks in the lifestyle and you can find them if you look carefully. Of course, because we don't have regular jobs we also have more time to spend posting to places like this and that makes us more visible! And remember that you really can't tell the age of a person from the things that they post. Back when I was only a little older than you, I made a discovery that has served me well for many years now. That is the fact that age is only a barrier to friendships if the two people involved make it so. Friendship should be founded on common interests and personalities which fit well. We tend to make age a barrier far beyond what it should be. I believe that the RV community has far less age stratification than most of society, but even we need to work on keeping that false barrier from creating divisions. There are many of us out here who would welcome you to our social groups, so just keep an open mind and if you meet one of the "old crab" types, just remember that age has little to do with that and you wouldn't have liked them even if you had met them when they were the same age as you!

 

Escapee's are currently actively seeking to expand the membership into the younger age groups as we once were. The club began as a group of working folks who lived in RVs, mostly following the construction trades but over the years they slowly became a group of mostly retired folk. We have always had some families among the membership but the average age has crept up and now the effort is to make the club attractive to every age that has an RV and to support all of them. Your timing from the standpoint of the club could probably not be better.

 

I really see no problems with the ideas that you are sharing and while I may have thoughts on the best choice of RV for you, I really think that issue might be best delayed, unless that "too good to ignore" opportunity should come along. There are several things that will need to be considered in the process and the best way that I know of to be sure that you cover all of your bases is to read a book or two on the lifestyle, and the best place to get one or two is from either Amazon or to check your local library. One of the issues is that of where to call your home as you will need an address somewhere in order to maintain your driver's license and to register & insure your vehicles, as well as for mail and other personal issues. My suggestion there is that you read this article published by Escapee's Magazine about that subject, as well as the fact that it will be addressed in most of the books about RV life. In your spare time you may want to visit as many of the personal websites and blogs of those who post here as time allows, as you will find a great deal of useful information in many of them. Most of us with active sites will have a link to them in our signature lines for each post.

 

Gas motorhome - how bad is it towing a car or car hauler?

If you tow 4 down, the maxim allowable weight is the only issue, while with a trailer carrying both a car and bike the tongue weight will probably exceed the hitch rating. Diesels usually have more towing capacity, but not in all cases so weight ratings must be considered.

 

Old motorhome - how likely is it that I'll be blacklisted from places because it isn't a new 6 figure coach? How often do these things break down randomly in the middle of the desert where there is no cell service and I can't fix the issue myself?

There are some parks that restrict older RVs but most will accept older ones if they look good as many folks now restore older RVs. But the parks which do this are also usually more expensive than those which do not and many of them only apply that age rule to the monthly sites and accept most any RV that looks reasonably good into the short term sites. Older ones will have more maintenance needs both on the chassis as well as the structure and appliances. How much you can repair depends more upon you than the RV. There can be an issue of where to do the repair work as most commercial parks do not allow major work on the RV while in the park, if it is something that shows from the outside.

 

Or at least within a half hour or so drive from the metro areas in most places?

This should not be a significant problem. Most cities do have at least some commercial RV parks and not far away there is often a lake that has a state of Army Corps of Engineer's park where you can stay. Most of the public parks do have a limit on the length of time that you are allowed to stay, usually two weeks.

 

Internet - How reliable is it? I've got a large data plan through Verizon because I have all of my family on my phone plan currently, so I could always increase that package to 100gb to handle things if needed.

Verizon and other cellular internet are very viable when you spend time near any city of significant size. In addition the majority of commercial RV parks offer some form of WiFi free or at a nominal cost. In addition, there are literally dozens of stores and restaurants that have free WiFi. We travel using cellular internet from AT&T and just us the hot-spot from it for the computers.

 

Cost - I know this is hugely variable, but it is a major concern of mine.

The cost is a very personal thing and varies widely. If you check the signature links, many of us have posted our expenses while traveling or in some other way addressed the issue. Basically, the cost will probably be similar to the cost of living you have now, if you figure in housing and everything spend by or on you.

 

Human interaction - This may come across offensive but it is not in any way intended to be so. I don't think I'd fit the typical full time RVer demographic. I've spent the last 7 years listening to old time stories over and over again, campfire style and I don't know that I care to do that on a daily basis again. How many young people full time?

This is not offensive, but is something that would be a mistake to not address. Our group does have some younger folks and is gaining more, but even though most of us are very friendly to younger folks, the dating pool is probably not a good fit in most cases, at least not yet and everyone wants at least some social interaction with people of their own age group. While we do have singles groups, even those tend to be mostly folks significantly older than you. But you could find ways to reach out to others, partly via the new X-Scapers site from Escapees but you will probably want to look to social contacts in communities that you visit. If you attend a church, that can be a good means to have those contacts. Whatever you use now for social outreach is probably going to be found in the places that you indicate an interest in visiting. I believe that it can be managed, but you are very wise to be thinking about those contacts now and to have a plan for extending beyond the RV community.

 

I hope that at least some of this has been helpful to you. It has turned into a rather long epistle, but I wanted to reassure you to keep working on this, and not to just give it up as impossible at your age. It may not be all easy, but you can do this if you wish to do so badly enough! Remember that the only limit to ways of living in an RV is the amount of imagination possessed by the owner ~ ~

 

Welcome to the road!

[Jimalberta]

From a hardware point of view....I think you would be wiser in keeping your truck and getting a trailer . Either a travel trailer which would allow you to put your bike in the back of the truck or a fifth wheel toy hauler.....not too big as it can quickly become too much for your truck. An old class A motorhome like you are looking at can quickly become a money pit.

[Technomadia]

First of all.. a big welcome to you!

 

My partner and I hit the road when we were in our early 30s, and have now been on the road for over 9 years.

 

And there's a BUNCH of us working-aged RVers out here that you'd be joining!

 

Highly recommend checking out the Escapee's new lifestyle group aimed specifically at our demographic - Xscapers.com. There we aim to bring together resources aimed at those needing health insurance, earning incomes on the road, socializing, technology and more.

 

I'll also try to answer some of your specific questions:

 

>Old motorhome

 

Even a new motorhome can break down. But yes, and older one has greater odds of doing so. We have a 1961 vintage bus conversion that we keep well maintained. So far, it's only broken down once in the middle of nowhere with no cell signal. That's when having an alternate form of transportation comes in quite handy to go call your emergency roadside service.

 

We've so far not had any problems finding places to park. Yes, there are RV parks with rules & regulations - but generally, those aren't the kind of places we want to be anyway.

 

>Urban camping

 

We love mixing it up with urban stays too. There are some cities with great options (Austin, Chicago, San Francisco, San Diego, St. Louis, Portland come to mind) and others that are more difficult. You can usually find options either right in the midst of things, or within a decent drive or public transit away. Just be prepared that big city RV Parks can have a higher price tag - but oh so worth it!

 

>Internet

 

Mobile internet has certainly gotten better and better over the years. Between Verizon & AT&T you'll find plenty of places to be out in the boonies while still keeping connected. And if you really want to go away from civilization, satellite internet is an option too.

 

We actually answer so many questions about keeping connected while RVing, that we started a website dedicated to this topic (see our signature for a link). Feel free to explore around, we have a lot of free content there to get you started (check the Overview article to start).

 

>Cost

 

This is a big variable, and one that is highly dependent upon your own preferences. We've shared our RVing costs for the past few years at www.technomadia.com/costlog - you're welcome to check it out, as well as our video posted there on how the costs vary for each category (fuel, campgrounds, insurance, etc.).

 

We also have links to other RVing bloggers who have shared their costs.

 

>Human interaction

 

This too has gotten much easier! There's a whole bunch of us out here on the road.

 

​Recommend getting involved with Xscapers if you choose to join Escapees (the group this forum is hosted by). We're actually having our very first convergence at the ABQ Balloon Fiesta in early Oct. Since you're around, recommend looking into it and stopping by for one of our socials (you don't need to be a member to stop by) - come out and meet some of the younger full timers.

 

Also, get involved with RVillage.com - the social network for RVers. When you check into a location, you can see who else is around you - and meet up with folks who share common interests. You can also join a variety of special interest groups to connect with like minds.

 

I also recommend NuRVers.com - which is a social group of younger minded RVers that has been around for quite a while. You may find some like minds there too.

 

We also have a list of younger RVers at www.technomadia.com/links that you might find interesting. And we have a video out on meeting like minded RVers - www.technomadia.com/rvpeers using social media like Facebook, Instagram, RVillage and more.

 

Best wishes to you.. and hope you'll stop by the Xscapers meet-up in ABQ in just over a month!

 

- Cherie

[kb0zke]

Another welcome! Glad to see more younger people interested in full-timing. I'm going to suggest another line of questioning for you to consider.

 

First, how long will you be staying in one place? Yes, I know that there will be variations, but if you are looking for work in an area you probably will want to stay at least a month there. On the other hand, if you are working your Internet business you may not be interested in staying more than a week or so before you move on. Generally, the longer you tend to stay put makes a towable a better choice than a driveable RV.

 

The second point concerns people and pets. You've already answered that.

 

The third point is one that you are already researching. Will you be staying in commercial campgrounds, Federal/State/County/City parks, or boondocking? So far we've found that the government campgrounds offer nicer settings and better prices, but at the cost of amenities. We generally prefer COE-type campgrounds, but then we can go a week or more before we need to fill the water tank and dump the holding tanks. We could go longer if we used the campground facilities, but I'd rather use our own bathroom. Many commercial parks offer monthly rates that can be attractive, though, so if we plan to be on our own for a month or so we'd seek out such a place.

 

Costs are something that you are also already researching. You have already figured out that you will have one vehicle towing another. Since you've had your truck for some time now you should have a good idea of what it uses for fuel. Your truck may be able to be towed four-down. See http://www.remcoindustries.com/Towing/Store.php to find out. Take a good guess as to how many miles you will be moving the RV and how many miles you will drive your daily driver. Use the fuel prices in your area and figure your total fuel costs for a year. My guess is that you probably won't have a huge difference between a MH/toad and truck/trailer. When we were researching we used 5000 miles with the RV and 10,000 without. Actual numbers for our first year were closer to 3000 with and 15000 without.

 

Once you figure out what sort of RV will be best for you, it is time to start looking at floor plans. Consider that slides add space inside, but also add weight and reduce storage space. They are also one of the largest maintenance issues. If you decide that you can live without them you will be looking at older DPs, really old 5'ers, or Airstreams. When you start looking at floor plans remember that there are only so many ways to arrange the interior of a box to make a living space. If you see a plan that you like in a new Newell, but the $1,500,000 price is a bit out of reach, remember that you may well see the same thing in that old Winnebago in the back row. It won't take you long to figure out what you like and don't like. Then look for the highest quality coach you can afford that has that floor plan.

 

Towing: your truck will be able to tow any Airstream travel trailer made. I suspect that it would also tow any Airstream 5'er ever made (yes, they did make some). It will tow the smaller full-time-capable 5'ers of today. It will NOT tow the largest DRV offerings! Go get your truck weighed (full fuel, normal tools and other stuff, etc.) and compare that to the GRVR sticker on the door. The difference is what you can put ON the truck (hitch, pin/tongue weight). Compare that weight you got to the GCWR. The difference is the weight of the trailer you can tow.

 

I mentioned quality above. Trailers that are called "lite" are just that. They are fine for weekend use, but won't stand up to full-time use. They are lower priced because they use lower quality materials.

 

Good luck in your research. See you on the road.

[sandsys]

I recommend you "suck it up and do it." Otherwise you will spend the rest of your life wondering what if? This is the perfect time in your life to see how well this lifestyle fits you. And the lifestyle gets easier every year as long as your health stays good.

 

Minneapolis/St Paul is another area where you can camp close to a big city but summer is easier than winter here.

 

Linda Sand

[Kinsa]

While not in the situation you are in (that of being young and single), we decided to "suck it up and just do it" when we realized that our time was running out if we wanted to do this while we still had all our kids in our nest. So we pretty much threw caution to the wind, sold our "dream home", bought one beast of an RV and a truck, and hit the road while we still could before our eldest children left us.

 

It was a completely crazy thing to do (as all of our extended family made no hesitation to tell us), but we have absolutely NO REGRETS and only wish we had done it sooner.

 

But goodness, how much easier it would have been if we were married with no children, or even single as you are! We managed to put it together with six kids in tow, so I'm sure you will be able to make it work for you. You might not realize it at age 28 (listen to me, talking as if I'm an old sage - LOL), but life is VERY SHORT, and if you don't take chances once in a while, you will eventually reach a ripe age being full of regrets.

 

Just do it.

[Jtyson]

Wow I really appreciate everyone responding! I will read through all of them and respond accordingly as soon as I've got a little more time. I appreciate all of your thoughts.

 

I did go and take a look at that Class A, and it was trashed. So that part of the idea is gone.

 

I'll check out all the links and suggestions everyone has and take them into consideration.

[gypsydan]

From a hardware point of view....I think you would be wiser in keeping your truck and getting a trailer . Either a travel trailer which would allow you to put your bike in the back of the truck or a fifth wheel toy hauler.....not too big as it can quickly become too much for your truck. An old class A motorhome like you are looking at can quickly become a money pit.

Since you are starting out new, keeping the truck seems the best alternative.

(1) 5th's and trailers are much cheaper than A's.

(2) using your own truck will save a lot of money in the beginning,

(3) you will have a vehicle to drive around when you park,

(4) You can carry some tools in the back of your truck, since metal fabrication is something you can do on the road.

(5) starting out cheaper will give you a chance to "discover" what kind of rig you eventually want.

(7) talking to others at the ABQ Balloon Festival will give you confidence in your choice,

[R. Walter]

As a contrarian, I'd like to encourage you to stay in the rat race and keep working hard for the next 40 years or so. Consume as much as you can for the economy's sake, and, above all.... keep paying in to social security!

[Solo18]

At this point in your life, you do NOT have a mortgage on a house, a wife and three kids, and a job that you hate to quit. As I told my sons right after they graduated college, this is the best time in your life to go somewhere and do something you want to do without all the "holds" life will soon get on you.

 

A small trailer will cost you less and so be less of a risk than an older motorhome that could become a money pit. If you can mount your motorcycle in the truck bed, fantastic. You might have to leave it at home for a year, however, or get a slightly larger toy hauler.

 

The only thing I would encourage you to do is to think through the options of what you will do if your internet business does not work out. It is always a good idea to have a Plan B and an exit strategy if you end up really hating living small.

 

Also, you might be surprised at the conversations many of us older folks can participate in. Most campground chat that I overhear is about where to go next and where to stay once you get there. Hardly any "back in the good ole days" talk because most of us think these are our good ole days.

[GuyGene]

Okay, you've come to one of the right places! And, by doing your research, you're doing the right thing. Here's another vote for ye olde Just Suck It Up and go for it!! After researching, thinking, etc., then, go for it. Do some youtube searches for young people who full time. There's even a young woman who lives full time in her Class B in ... NYC! Find her on youtube, and others, that'll give you confidence for sure!

[beyerjf]

I like R Walter's tongue in cheek comment. That being said, I am full timing and have a more or less full time job(trucking). The two are by no means mutually exclusive. Your age is simply not a factor. I like the cost/idea of a 5th wheel toyhauler and a heavy enough pickup to pull it. Very versatile and many good used options out there...Good luck.

[lg61820]

I say "go for it" At 18 I had a similar idea, but I had already married and my husband liked home too much. I'm planning to do it now that I'm an old, but the money fears are greater today, likely because I would have less time to recover financially if things go wrong.

 

One young woman I follow is at http://www.interstellarorchard.com/ She has a lot of info on her site about costs of getting started and maintaining a life on the road. http://www.nomadswithavan.com/ this is a younger couple traveling and living in their mini-van. http://www.exploringalternatives.ca/ is a young Canadian couple living similar to the nomads.

 

YouTube also has a wealth of younger people posting about the full time life. You can check out videos from Pippi Peterson, Chris Travels or Chris & G Travels, Nomadic Fanatic and more. One blog or YT channel will likely lead you to more. Just don't spend all your time that way. . . I got caught up in that for awhile and got nothing else done for watching other people live the life I wanted.

 

In addition, YT has several videos on what to look for when buying a used RV or travel trailer - worthwhile to watch. A travel trailer would likely be your least expensive way to get into the life if your truck will tow it. There are smaller toyhaulers that would carry your motorcycle. .

[kinseypw]

Hi Jtyson, I had many of the same questions a year ago when we decided to start fulltiming. So first - are you crazy? I would say no, you want to travel and explore and experience the great outdoors - more power to you. If you are thinking of doing this for the next 30 years or so then you have to consider a family and how your lifestyle might affect them. I personally believe that kids are probably better off in one place but I know that there are families that have successfully raised kids on the road. If this is for the next 10 years you probably dont have much to lose. We have met awesome people of all ages on our journey and some fulltimers even younger than you.

 

Now for some of the more technical aspects. IF you want to live cheaply you are probably going to boondock and our experiences have suggested that is easier in a truck/trailer than in an RV. With a truck you get 4 wheel drive that can get you out of sticky situations when you are off the beaten path. You typically have higher clearance that means you can get into more places. All that being said it is a personal thing so go to an RV dealer and look at what they have to offer. If you can, rent a unit you might want and take it for a test week to get a feel for it.

 

We have Verizon internet and a Wilson booster and were able to get online pretty much everywhere during out travels down to Arizona and back up to Canada. I do a lot of stuff online and used to design websites commercially so I know the need to be connected. My only problem was the 20Gb a month on my plan - not much when you are used to DL about 300Gb/month on cable internet.

 

You know there are 1.3 million people fulltiming in the US, I think they know something the stay-at-homes dont know!!

[gypsydan]

You know there are 1.3 million people fulltiming in the US, I think they know something the stay-at-homes dont know!!

it is fantastic that there are so many people full-timing in the US. Can you say where you got the statistics for this, as maybe there are other kinds of stats which we would enjoy.

happy trails,

Dan

[RV_]

Hey guy,

We started fulltiming right out of the military career at age 45-52. You can recover from any financial mistakes you make now. As a matter of clarification all types of RV (recreational vehicles) not just motorhomes. My 5th wheel is an RV as well as the travel trailers out there, as well as Motorhomes.

 

It was 1997 and I agonized over my bike too. I had a one year old 1996 Harley Electra Glide Classic in States Blue. I could not justify anything for full time with a wife and a dog than a fifth wheel. Now that was a personal and financial decision then. My fiver could not hold a big bike on a rack so I sold it. After all, they made millions of them, I could get another. I don't regret that decision. But single you could make do with a travel trailer and the bike in the back of a truck, as long as you have your weights in line.

 

I just did not want to get a motorhome as all those in my price range looked like refugees from the hippies decorated them with shag, and smoked in them, had twenty dogs in them, and cats, all who used the carpet when it suited them. See I already had a five year old 1992 1 ton diesel dually Dodge with the Cummins diesel. I got a great deal on a used HitchHiker and we took off when gas was only 50 cents less a gallon than now. Just remember that if the rig has a "rubber roof" (EPDM) that is ore than ten years old count on a $5000-7000.00 replacement now if you see any signs of leaks anywhere, or in the near future is it is not leaking now. The roll on aftermarket roof sealants only give a year or two protection in many cases. And do nothing about inspecting and repairing structural damage to wood under the roof from leaks. The only sure way is to peel it off, inspect and repair/replace and structural or rot damage under the roof and put on the new one. Or use some of the aftermarket really snazzy looking Urethane type roof coatings. Just be sure to get a good weight on the roof as it could weigh in at more than you need added if you are close to max tow and frame capacities.

 

Just read read read here, and elsewhere. And start doing many of the great suggestions you got above.

 

Remember you can always make more money and out of debt. You can't make more life.

[theeyres]

Not much I can add but to reiterate thinking about a pull trailer or fiver toy hauler. With a fiver you have a nice large living space and a space for your bike. You have the truck so you would be into the deal with a lot less money and assuming your truck is in good shape you can certainly haul a fiver up to 34' or so. I say "Go for it!" You have little too loose and a lot to gain. If it doesn't work out, so what?

[kinseypw]

Hey Gypsydan, I'm not sure where I got that number - in 2000 US census came up with 260,000 people living in non-standard housing which included boats, RV etc. 15 years later I'm sure that number has grown significantly. One book apparently gave the number of people "living the RV lifestyle" as 30 million - which I take to mean people who use and RV sometimes. Number of fulltimers is probably in between

[Coleen]

Consider a used class B. You won't have the room for nearly as much stuff. But, you will gain immense freedom. You'll be able to park places you can't park a huge motorhome or a fifth wheel. The shorter your rig, the easier it is to find parking. Easier parking means you can save on parking costs. It means you can more easily get closer to city life. It means it is easier to find good wifi.

 

Keep some of your tools. Keep those you use for your handiman jobs. You should be able to support yourself doing handiman stuff anywhere in the USA. When you've picked up more experience about doing RV handiman stuff, you'll probably be able to keep busy doing it at campgrounds. Young and presumeably healthy, you'll find a lot of older RVers willing to rent your back -- in other words, when they want someone to climb on their roof, or look at something under the RV, or move boxes into storage, or writher into a space aging bodies won't go, they will pay you to help them.

 

We started full-timing when we were both 32 years old, not that much older than you. You'll find more than a few people think you are crazy. You'll get all sorts of advice from people who haven't done it, but are somehow experts. You'll face age discrimination from those who seriously think you haven't suffered long enough at a job you don't like to be entitled to enjoy full-time RVing -- try to understand their jealously is based on their regret that they didn't do what you are doing.

 

Full-time RVing can be life changing. But it is not a life-time committment. Go for it! If you love it, you'll be so glad you started as yound as you did. If you find it isn't for you, you've at least gained some experience, had an adventure, and can move on to trying something else.

 

Welcome aboard!

Coleen

[RV_]

As already said, you can come off the road at any time, and go back to being a stationary like I have, as well as the founders and the HQ folks who run SKPs. Stan and Kirk both are no longer full timing, nor is Mark Nemath. Kirk has a little travel trailer, and I have a little 28.5' 5th wheel with a big slide and basement. We just spent the last two months living in it while my house gets finished.

 

The point is not that everyone will come off the road, or would want to. I didn't but we came her to help our two remaining elderly parents, and we buried mom a week ago last Monday. I sincerely hope we are here for another 12 years as we love our Dad. He's been more of a Dad to me for 43 years than my own was. But the point is that there will always be corporate jobs, buildings built, service industries needing help for a while yet before the machines take over. There is life after full timing even if that is the Care center or other assisted living arrangement. Remember that vehicles depreciate not appreciate, and we can't control the expenses like cost of fuels and campgrounds, unexpected repairs and maintenance can be planned for but any catastrophic illness of injury is the same as living off the road.

 

If you jump in with a decent RV, have planned funding for initial maintenance and programmed repairs like new tires every 5 miles-7, batteries every two to five years, appliance repairs and the motor/s. It ain't rocket science Bud!

 

You can always make more money now to get ready to your satisfaction, and more later if you decide to come off the road.

 

Life on the road will quickly edumacate you as to whether it is right for you for now and forever, or just a few years. Or not at all. Not everyone can make it to full time RVing as a lifestyle. Those of who have and do are really grateful we could. You might be one of us!

[gypsydan]

We haven't heard anything about your experience with the Xscapers group. Since they are a group of people more your age, I would be interested in knowing what have you been able to discover through them?