Full Timers (w/ House)

[Clay L]

The last three years that we full timed, we owned a house but did not live in it. We lived in the motor home full time, therefore we were full timers. That is how I define it and since there are no rules on the subject, just personal opinions my definition is as valid as anyone's.

We had always planned to have a house at some point.

We believed that health, age or just tiring of the lifestyle would at some point mean we would leave the road. A little of each started to develop and looking ahead we decided to buy a place and get it ready to live in. It is a good thing we bought it when we did because having all the stored stuff stuff moved out here to CO from NH, getting it unpacked and put away would have been extremely difficult three years later when because of health issues we felt it was time to settle down.

 

It was a grand 12 years and we wouldn't trade the experience for anything.

[richfaa]

Burst water pipes no problem we winterize the S&B same as we winterized the RV. Turn off the water at the meter, open all the faucets let everything drain out. Empty the john tanks. We pour a bit of pink stuff in all the drain traps as added protection just in case. We set the heat at 45 degrees even if we should lose heat in the dead of winter there is nothing that will be damaged due to freezing. there are apps that will allow you or others to monitor in house conditions Friends or family can do the monitoring or do a walk around every once in awhile, Mail person knows when we are there or away, Police also know .The neighbors know and we all look out for one another. We live on a cul de sac so not much traffic. we also shut down all power except for what is required.

 

The best method for full timing or extensive travel is to sell the S&B and sell or store everything you have but you can do everything and go everywhere any full-timer goes or does. We been doing it for 10 years. We did go the rent the S&B out route but decided we did not care for that.

 

Things do pile up and when we are home we are busy. In 2015 we built another building for the wife's wood working equipment repaired the roof on another out building and had to repair fence gates that blew down in a winter windstorm.

 

When we are no longer able to travel and that time is drawing near we just stay home since we have one.

 

Were there is a will there is a way.

[freestoneangler]

My first advice is not to worry about how others may define or label your version of fulltiming. The only mistake you can make is doing something because that's the way others did it, rather than doing what makes you happy and meets your priorities & preferences.

 

Although I sold all my homes before starting fulltiming, I've always owned 3 or 4 homes and quickly learned that the headaches of renting them wasn't worth it to me. So I frequently had part time homes sitting empty half the year. Whether your budget should use a factor of 60% or 50% or 70% varies by type of house, size of house, type of utilities, location, etc. Also, I found that when I was living in any of the houses I tended to spend much more on new furnishings and upgrades. The costs of those improvements were usually much more than the fixed costs of ownership, so each situation is somewhat different.

After my 4 yrs of fulltiming I began to develop 3 of the raw land parcels I owned into RV home bases and then eventually built homes on 2 of those parcels. I still RV year round, but I use my home bases for extended stays during seasonal transitions from one area to another. So I no longer consider myself a fulltimer, but never really cared if I was or wasn't.

Some see property ownership as a burden while traveling. Its only a burden if you let it be one. I never saw owning 2, 3, or 4 homes as a burden, pre-fulltiming or post-fulltiming. But then I never had a problem shutting the utilities off, locking the doors and not coming back for 6, 9, 12 months. I just bought a 40 ft ocean going live aboard sailboat, and if things go as planned I may not see any of my homes or RV's for the next 2 yrs.

Wow, you have covered some ground! The idea of buying a small parcel that can be developed into an RV site has crossed my mind. Our friends did that down in Yuma where they winter. Good luck living on the water... that's a type of RV right?

[Yarome]

The best method for full timing or extensive travel is to sell the S&B

 

That's one opinion. I would disagree (in most situations), but would be interested to learn the thinking behind that if you care to expound.

 

On edit: At least in the OP's case where the home is paid for.

[Dutch_12078]

To my mind, if you consider your RV "home" all year, then you're a full timer. I don't believe just owning an S&B changes that.

[richfaa]

I should have said...in MY Opinion. If you are going to full time you may as well go all the way. IMO it is a financial consideration. No S&B no expenses such as Home owners Insurance taxes, upkeep and Mortgage if you have one. Figure all of the expenses you have in owning your S&B. Even tho our S&B is paid for the annual expense. Taxes, Insurance, utilities maint would be 7 k or more. yes you would have some of those expenses full timing in your RV but IMO they are less and better controlled. Our utilities in the RV are way less than the S&B .Our insurance is way less. We can control fuel cost and lot cost.

 

Again in my Opinion there are two major considerations for Full timing. 1.. are you cut out for that Lifestyle. We found that we were not.

 

2, Do you have the financial ability to keep the S &B and do extensive travel. We live way up in Northern Ohio were the winters are usually brutal much of our expense is off set by spending the winter in warm areas. Keeping a 2200 SF S&B warm in Northern Ohio winters is a huge expense .Yes real dual pane windows and excellent insulation. Normally our winter Ohio Gas bill averages 50.00 while in Florida set at 45 degrees and the electric bill $ 15/20 $$ only running the furnace and a few security lights. We do not pay water, sewer , trash pickup since we do not use them.

 

Every ones circumstances are different and everyone's lifestyle choice is correct.

[2gypsies]

When we began full-timing we didn't put any stopping time on it. All we knew was that we wanted to travel. To us, it made no sense to keep our paid for, big 2500 sq ft house. We knew we definitely did not want to live in Michigan as we got older because of the harsh winters and we had no use for a large house. It also had a large yard to keep up. We didn't want to pay storage fees for our stuff so we sold everything and invested the house sale.

 

We full-timed for 16 years and we settled in a place that we would never have thought of living. We paid cash for a 1100 sq ft townhouse with a small yard and with no upkeep. It came completely furnished with excellent furnishings that went with the Southwest area. Our old furniture wouldn't even had looked good had we kept it and appliances would have been outdated. We're in a awesome area with unlimited things to do and many, many medical facilities of all kinds. We feel very comfortable in our final spot. It was a good decision for us.

[Kirk W]

That's one opinion. I would disagree (in most situations), but would be interested to learn the thinking behind that if you care to expound.

I must agree with Rich. If you are not certain that the RV life is for you, then it might make sense to keep it for a period just to make sure but we were in a position much like 2gypsies in that we knew we would not stay in the house we lived in at retirement for the long term, but for very different reasons. We didn't want to stay in the city even if we had not gone on the road. To keep a house in a large city would mean not only expenses and the headaches associated with owning it, but it also meant that we had an anchor which could pull us back for emergencies or problems at any time. By selling that house we went on the road debt free and with a reserve set aside to buy a home once more when the time to stop traveling came. We did not spend all of the proceeds from the house and furniture but invested much of it for the next step. We went on the road considering that to be a permanent move, just as we had moved each time our lives brought changes before retirement. A permanent change doesn't mean that will never change again, only that you won't be going back to the place that you just left. Very few of us live our entire lives in one home and most consider each change to be permanent. When we drove away from our Ft. Worth house we never looked back, only forward.

 

The end of our freedom of the road period came rather sooner than expected, after less than 12 years. Because we saw that coming we actually began to look around after about 10 years and bought at just past 11 years but didn't actually land for another 5 months after that purchase. It is important to keep in mind that no amount of planning or positive attitude can prevent the march of time and the vagaries of age, or health issues. As wonderful as our fulltime experience was, there was a down side as when you are as busy and active as most fulltimers are, it makes the time seem to speed up and your birthday number begins to spin like the meter on a gas pump back when prices were at the highest! It is true what they say that "time flies when you are having fun!" Retiring at 57, I thought of myself as a young retired person, but somehow that seems to have changed and I find myself right in the middle of the retired age group and what is alarming is that I seem to continue to get older at an accelerating rate!

[dewilso]

Ok, to continue this....are the folks who live full-time, in a POS crapped out "RV" in a "RV Park" to match, full-timers?

[richfaa]

The sale of the S&B if there is high equity in the property can finance the full time experience and it is a good idea if it fits your circumstance many who choose to full time have no choice but to sell the S&B to finance their adventure. We have many friends who did just that and we learned by observing all of their experiences.

 

Kirk went 10 years full time and we are in our 11th year of "long time" and can see that the end of our adventure is not far away. We also do not intend if we can help it to live full time in the brutal winters of Northern Ohio. In the 10 years we have been on the road our S&B has increased in value significantly so the funds to move wherever we wish will be there. We see a small condo in Ohio as we like it there for the summer and a small condo in Florida for the winter.

 

Many jump into the full time life style without knowing that they are ready for it. Take you time. Do the homework ask questions. Plan ahead IMO the full time lifestyle is a great adventure.

 

Also Dave .W the answer is yes they are full timers just a different kind we have seen that for years around the country and there are more of them than we may think.

 

There are a large group of people who follow construction jobs around the country and the Rv is their only home. There are folks who have lost near everything and the RV is all they can afford they also follow the work across the country. We once stayed in a campground in Alabama for a few days populated by many of these folks and they were good hard working folks doing the best they could.

[Jim & Alice]

We figured to sell our house when 'the time' came for retirement... but then a daughter & hubby stepped up and thought they would like to buy it. We have worked that out, and kept an 'Apartment' in the walk-out basement (nice view of woods) that we use as our home while not on the road. Quite comfortable. There are tax consequence in the state of Michigan that are pro and con, but overall, worth it to us and family.

 

Oddly enough, we are quite sure that we will not ever bring the Motorhome here to Michigan... instead, whenever we come back here (2 - 4 times annually), we will store the motorhome in a convenient place like East Texas (lots of family) and drive the toad back here. We are enamored of the Western States, and anything east of the Mississippi River we have either "been there, done that", or, are just not interested.

 

Works for us.

Jim

[GlennWest]

When we started full time rving we still had our S&B. When we went there we would stay in rv and work on house. Everything we cared about was in the rv so we stayed in it. When my nephew called and wanted to buy it we were very relieved. I have not been back there since. I would call that full time.

[Dutch&Di]

When we went fulltiming it was with the intention that we would always be in our home so didn't see the need to keep a sticks & bricks. Hugs, Di