Fulltimers: On the average how many times do you move in a year?

[GR "Scott" Cundiff]

There's no right or wrong answer to the poll.  Some people are pretty much touring all the time.  Others are basically point to point with one place for winter and another for summer.  Others are workcamping and change gigs every 3 or 4 months.

So, fulltimers, how often do you relocate?

[hdrider]

1st year =48 different campgrounds

2nd year = 34

3rd year= 49

4th year = 42

[gjhunter01]

We have been full timing for 4+ years and travel the country looking for volunteer assignments. Our average stay is for 2 months, first month to learn the gig and second month to apply and enjoy. We have found the third month gets to be to much like a job. I voted 3-6 moves/year and counted moves between volunteer assignments as 1 move even though it might take 1-10 days travel.

Greg

[Second Chance]

Last year we moved 49 times. Many of those were one- or two-nighters while on the move. Others we stayed up to 59 days (birth of a new grandbaby).

Rob

[Mark and Dale Bruss]

Around 40 stops

[dzwiss]

Four 2 to 3 month destinations with travel in between.  Close to 20,000 miles per year.  Stop and visit friends and relatives frequently in our travels.

[GR "Scott" Cundiff]

We do a 4 month volunteering position over the winter each year but then make up for it by touring the rest of the year.  Even with 4 stationary months we'll end up with 30+ moves through the year.

Last year, though, everything got changed.  I took an interim position that lasted 6 months.  By the time that was over we decided to head back to our volunteering gig.  So in 2016 we moved just 4 times.  It sure feels good to be back on the road again.

[LindaH]

Quote

 

Although we are no longer fulltimers, we rarely stayed any one place more than a week, often less...except for the winter when we'd hunker down for a few months.

[Kirk W]

Since are are back to seasonal travels but were fulltimers for 12 years, I based my response mostly on the 12 years but we do sometimes go out for the entire summer and return to pretty much that previous pattern. Do we consider it to be a move when we travel between two points with several nights on the road? If I am moving from a location where we spent several months, directly to a new resident volunteer location but we spend three nights on the road, is that 4 moves, one for each place that we spend a night, or is that one move from volunteer position #1 to volunteer position #2?

When we were fulltime we typically booked at least two volunteer tours per year and sometimes 3 or occasionally 4 if they were of only a month or less In between we typically took at least a month and often two months and traveled slowly, by a circuitous route to see whatever we might find between stops or to visit RV friends or family along our travels. In such cases we would move every day or two, but occasionally stop for longer if we found some reason, then arriving at our next volunteer site we might sit for anywhere from on to three months and a few times for four months.  I chose the 7-14 moves because I didn't count multiple nights on the road as part of the question, but ............................................

[Bill Joyce]

We rarely have long stays except in the winter and that was not true our first seven fulltimer years.  Occasionally we will do a one month stay outside of winter, mostly for family or medical reasons.  Otherwise our stays are 2 weeks or less.  I did count overnight stays.  We have been fulltimers since July 2003. 

[Onthego]

We have fulltimed for 5 years and 4 months and have stayed in 261 places. We slow down during the winter months and only three times have we stayed longer than a month somewhere.  My RV doesn't have wheels on it to sit in one place for long periods. LOL!

Jeff    

[sandsys]

We fulltimed for three years then I was a snowbird for three more years. We rarely stayed any place more than two weeks except the summer we stayed near home all summer where Dave decided he was done living in a home on wheels.

Linda Sand

[remoandiris]

I'm surprised that so many move almost weekly.

[The Quiet Assassin]

Houstom to Cabo san Lucas on the Baja.

Up to Alsaka via the ALCAN after visiting most of the West coast National Parks and some skiing at Mt Hood and Squaw.

Back down the other side of the Rockies and across to Florida.

We fitted in The Ranch [ unforgettable ] Quartzite [amazing] Carlsbad Caverns [deeply impressive] a day watching the Slough Creek wolf pack on a kill [ we did not know how lucky we were ], the fishing bears at Hyder [smelly] The Mayan ruins on the Yucatan peninsula and so much more.

All of this with a geriatric GSD.

We rarely stayed anywhere more than 3 days except Jan/Feb when we stayed put.

21/2 fantastic years.

[gjhunter01]

7 hours ago, remoandiris said:

I'm surprised that so many move almost weekly.

I agree, that sounds more like the vacations we took when we were working and vacation time was limited. I like the slower pace to stay a month or longer and get to see and know the area. But then I figure we are on a 15 year adventure, so no rush.

Greg

[Big Greg]

I imagine lots of moving is just overnights as we travel from one area to another to spend a week or more.     Greg 

[GR "Scott" Cundiff]

10 minutes ago, Big Greg said:

I imagine lots of moving is just overnights as we travel from one area to another to spend a week or more.     Greg 

I think that's about right.  Once in a while we're in what we call "relocation mode."  Those are times when we pick up the pace to get to a different area before we slow down again.  

But, really, I don't think there's any right or wrong way to do this.  The right way is "your way" whatever that might be.

[hdrider]

 For us we figure the 1 week stays IS a slower pace LOL!! We do 4 or 5 days of touring the area, a couple down days to relax and then move except now we have enjoyed a longer stay for the first time during the winter months. As mentioned, there is no wrong way.  

[2gypsies]

There were many times we moved weekly but it sometimes was only 100 miles or so. That's really not 'vacation' mode. It just gave us the chance to explore the immediate area more.  I saved a paper atlas of our travels and honestly, just about every secondary road is highlighted as roads we traveled. We explored states very thoroughly.

[sfischer]

We just completed our 4th year of FTing.

Different moves by year:

1st year:   36

2nd year:  34

3rd year:  37

4th year:  34

[GR "Scott" Cundiff]

Thanks for all the replies to the poll.  Honestly, I'm a little bit surprised that more frequent moves has received the most votes.  Had I suspected that I would have added a higher level rather than topping off at 36+.

One of the most common bits of advice I see here is "slow down and enjoy the lifestyle" - because of that I expected the poll to reflect Escapees taking it easy, moving every 2 or 3 weeks at the most.  Apparently, the majority like moving.

By the way, this is no criticism on my part.  Aside from a 4 month volunteering position over the winter, we move more often - although this year we've intentionally included a couple of 1 month stays.

Again, thanks for the responses!

[Bill Joyce]

You asked how many moves, but didn't define that you were not really thinking about overnights and short stays.  Interesting.  Personally I find many places uninteresting after a few days.  Interesting places we can stay for longer, weeks or even months. Expecting fulltimers to be uniform and consistent is not my experience, they are very diverse. 

[GR "Scott" Cundiff]

7 minutes ago, Bill Joyce said:

You asked how many moves, but didn't define that you were not really thinking about overnights and short stays.  Interesting.  Personally I find many places uninteresting after a few days.  Interesting places we can stay for longer, weeks or even months. Expecting fulltimers to be uniform and consistent is not my experience, they are very diverse. 

Ha - I wasn't thinking about overnights or short stays being anything other than a move.  In my mind a move is a move.  If I hook up and drive 250 miles and stop for the night - in my opinion, that's a move.  I think it was Kirk who suggested something different - and I'm fine with that, but I was surprised that anyone would see it that way.

And, I don't think I made any suggestion that I thought fulltimers would be uniform.  In fact, I said "There's no right or wrong answer to the poll."  Strange that you, or anyone, would somehow read my comment that I'm surprised that the number one response is that people move often to mean I expect everyone to do the same thing. Think about it - guessing the outcome of a poll isn't the same thing as wanting that outcome.  (We just came through a presidential election in which a lot of people expected one outcome and were surprised when it was different.)

[Bill Joyce]

1 hour ago, GR "Scott" Cundiff said:

Ha - I wasn't thinking about overnights or short stays being anything other than a move.  In my mind a move is a move.  If I hook up and drive 250 miles and stop for the night - in my opinion, that's a move.  I think it was Kirk who suggested something different - and I'm fine with that, but I was surprised that anyone would see it that way.

And, I don't think I made any suggestion that I thought fulltimers would be uniform.  In fact, I said "There's no right or wrong answer to the poll."  Strange that you, or anyone, would somehow read my comment that I'm surprised that the number one response is that people move often to mean I expect everyone to do the same thing. Think about it - guessing the outcome of a poll isn't the same thing as wanting that outcome.  (We just came through a presidential election in which a lot of people expected one outcome and were surprised when it was different.)

I do meet many with expectations that everyone will be just like them and are surprised and sometimes upset when it is not true.  Glad you are not one of them. 

[hdrider]

15 hours ago, 2gypsies said:

There were many times we moved weekly but it sometimes was only 100 miles or so. That's really not 'vacation' mode. It just gave us the chance to explore the immediate area more.  I saved a paper atlas of our travels and honestly, just about every secondary road is highlighted as roads we traveled. We explored states very thoroughly.

 I agree, a move day of over 150 miles is a LONG travel day for us. Then we stick around a week.