Why did you stop fulltiming?

[GR "Scott" Cundiff]

Just for discussion - if you spent more than 5 years fulltime and have now "landed" why did you stop?

[Bill Joyce]

What do you mean by "landed"?  We fulltimed for 15 years and bought an 800 sqft winter place in Arizona because we decided to stay more than 3 months and wanted a bit more room if we did that.  We could also afford to make that change.  We still have the RV and use it the rest of the year.   Winter campground reservations were also getting harder and harder to get in south Florida, which we liked to visit about every other winter.  Most places wanted you do stay through March and come back every year to even have a reservation.  We already figured out where we wanted to be in Arizona since it has a very active quilting setup my wife likes, so we bought a park model with an addition (Arizona room) in the same campground.  

[Mark and Dale Bruss]

When Mama said "I been thinking" and 13 years came to an end.

[mrfrank]

We fulltimed from 2007 until 2017, had to stop because of health issues. (Arthritis, neuropathy in legs, and fun stuff like that) Sold the RV and bought a small (1600 sq ft) house in a nice subdivision. We ( I )miss the travel and the ease with which we could visit family in California and New Mexico. Don't like flying these days!

Edited May 20, 2020 by mrfrank

[Kirk W]

We were fulltimeers for the years 2000 through most of 2011. In 2009 Pam had major surgery on her ankle and the 6 weeks that she was not to put any weight on that ankle taught us just how difficult it is in an RV if one must use a walker and have assistance in using the bathroom. For that reason we started to shop around to see what we could find and moved into a home-base in 2011. In 2012 we sold the motorhome and replaced it with a small travel trailer, which we still own and use (or will when covid19 is controlled) and probably will for several more years. To put it simply, health issues increasing with rising age was the reason we left the fulltime lifestyle. 

[davida]

Fulltimers 1999 til 2012. Health issues caused us to slow down, trade out 40' for a 25' and a 399 sq ft park model. Summer traveling but then we found out what real health issues were. Sadly, the end came for David (who's picture shows) last year from pancreatic cancer. We had talked about how and when to hang up the keys. Not a lot of our brillant plans came true; it works out how it's gonna work out. Enjoy your travels, stay in the moment, maybe you'll have one day or hundreds of days...may you enjoy them half as much as I did. hugs,

 

[sandsys]

We only fulltimed from 2008 to 2011 then Dave needed to settle back in his community. I was a snowbird for at least part of each of the next thee winters but I missed having him along so I stopped traveling and settled back in with him. The things we do for love.

Linda

[jeanhoyle]

  When we were in a location and a position which would not be availed at a later date, we decided to put down roots. After 15 years of living full time in a 36’ fifth wheel with thee slides, and the great outdoors for our yard. Last November became the right time for us.  We now have about an acre of wooded lot in a single wide mobile home with a woodworking shop for DH. We are enjoying life.

[soos]

We fulltimed for 7 years, but hubby is project oriented and pretty much started breaking things in the RV so he could fix them. He wanted his “stuff” (tools) back. So, we built a house with 3 full hook up spots for friends, and spend winters entertaining. In the summer we take off, either in our 5th wheel or our truck camper, depending on our destination. 
if it was just my choice I would still be a fulltiming but both people have to want it, to make it work. So, we travel whenever we want. Our biggest stipulation when we built the house was that we agreed that we wouldn’t be tied to it, but would feel free to travel and leave it as much as we wanted. And we do.

[travelinbob]

We FT'ed from 2006 to 2009 and thought we wanted another house, so we bought and were snowbirds until 2013 went we sold that home  and hit the road again until the fall of 2019 ( 9 months ago).

I have 30% lung function due to COPD and getting worse as time goes on. It  was getting more difficult to do the tasks of daily life in an RV. 

Up until last winter we would spend our winters near Palm Springs and have plans to spend 3 months there starting in December. We do miss the freedom of fulltiming but at least now my wife has a home when she needs it.

[kb0zke]

We haven't stopped yet, but are pausing for a time. I've accepted a part-time, temporary position for up to two years. We'll be able to travel some during the summer, so will so some exploring in the general area. Last year we got a lot at The Ranch (Escapees co-op in SE NM), which stood us in good stead this spring. About the time we were scheduled to head out was when everything shut down.

This is a discussion that every family needs to have. Sometimes the health of one person dictates a change. Sometimes it is just not as much fun anymore. Whatever the reason, all of us need to have at least some sort of plan for the day when it becomes necessary to slow down our activities. We may not get to follow our plan, but at least some discussion ought to be held prior to the day when a decision must be made.

[BrianT]

Fulltime for somewhere around a decade. Bought a house about 2.5 years ago and the RV has been parked beside the barn ever since. Cumberland Plateau, Tennessee.

We did OK in the RV but wanted more. We're country people and wanted a garden, a yard, ---space--- around us, and not having to worry about who we would torque off if we actually wanted to wash our RV or our cars. No worries about annoying neighbors anymore, and I mean that in both directions, us annoying them as well as them annoying us.

It was good for a time. But we had our fill of fulltiming. Could we go back? I suppose. Neither of us want to. We like our place in the country.

We have a son in the Phoenix area that would love to have us move in with him and his wife right now, just live there. We've talked about that being what might happen when we approach decrepitude. But we're not there yet. It's possible we may move a little closer at some point, still in our own place, probably more remote than they'd ever want to be, and that be a stepping stone for us.

We still have the last RV we lived in. (Glendale Titanium 34E39QS)  We had thought we might do one more stint at Amazon but that never materialized. It's entirely too big for us to want to take it on a weekend camping trip. We've toyed with trading it in on a much smaller one that would be more appropriate for a short vacation. Hasn't happened yet but still might.

[GR "Scott" Cundiff]

I sure appreciate all the interesting responses to this question.  Our hope is to someday exit gracefully - but as we all know, life has a way of changing the rules on us. 

[sandsys]

4 hours ago, BrianT said:

We have a son in the Phoenix area that would love to have us move in with him and his wife right now, just live there. We've talked about that being what might happen when we approach decrepitude. But we're not there yet. It's possible we may move a little closer at some point, still in our own place, probably more remote than they'd ever want to be, and that be a stepping stone for us.

Dave's father chose to move halfway between where he was and where we were. Then he did it again until he finally wound up in a suburb near us. Having time to adjust to each new place helped him make the transition from his remote acreage facing Lake Superior to 2.5 acres on a huge lake to a large lot in a small town to a city-sized lot in a suburb.

Linda Sand

[Barbaraok]

Our health dictated that we spend more time getting physical checkups, etc., plus at our age, we decided we needed more recharge  time in the winter.   And this year, with Dave's surgery and ongoing problems, it has meant we will be here the entire summer.  

[Kirk W]

4 hours ago, GR "Scott" Cundiff said:

Our hope is to someday exit gracefully - but as we all know, life has a way of changing the rules on us. 

That is so very true. We began with the goal of staying out for 10 years and made nearly 12 years, but if the choice had been mine alone, I would probably still be on the road but my wants are not always the top priority because life has gotten in the way. After all of the years that we have been married, our lives are so intertwined that I can't imagine going on without Pam beside me. We have reached the age where one begins to realize that one day, one of us will have to continue on alone, but I'll not do so by choice, even though I miss our life moving from one volunteer position to the next. Fortunately, we began with an exit plan and although we modified that plan considerable as time passed, the fact that we had a plan and the finances set aside to make it work proved to be invaluable when Pam's medical issues increased. 

[RV_]

Scott,

We did 7 years FT traveling back in 1997-2003, My ages 45-52. We bought 5 acres of land to come off the road.  We stopped FT because Lynda wanted to, using the excuse that since her parents were aging and our only surviving parents, we should be there to help as needed. Oh well, I wanted to FT until I had to hang them up, but we'd done enough to relieve some hitch itch. It worked out quite well as we were able to easily help more bit by bit as time went by.

We first lived on their country property where we built a full hookup RV space for winters there until we found a nice 5 acre property in the semi rural full utilities area just a few miles from Barksdale AFB and their place. Best of fast 5 minute city access, and 5 acre lots of country living with broadband and all the other utilities. We had a new house put up there in 2015 just before losing her mom after a long illness. We lost her dad the year following in 2016 just after my cervical and lumbar surgeries.

We spent 2017/2018 doing the succession and getting properties to sell except our house, and looking for a nice house in Colorado. Found and bought a house in Colorado Feb/Mar and moved here 2019.  I stayed back there until our house sold and got here late 2019.

Looking back we did get to do everything we wanted to see and do west of the Mississippi and from Mexico up to and including Alaska for a season, in the RV. We skipped the East coast because her military father was assigned from Florida to South Carolina then Barksdale AFB LA where he retired.  As were my folks in the USAF assigned first to Denver where I was born, to Miami Beach to West Virginia and Steubenville OH, then Colombia S.A. and settled down in Stamford CT in 1959 until the draft interrupted me there with the draft in 1970 for drafting in 1971. I ran from there to Texas with a warrant out for me for evading the draft when they sent the "Greetings" letter drafting me in January because of my low draft number.

We both loved it on the road and then Lynn started missing her family there. She still has an aunt in Carthage TX and I have one in Florida. My only full brother died at 56 in 2010 when I was 58. So she has one full brother and I have three much younger half brothers left younger than us, and have two aunts. We'd already lived on three continents each for years not a few week's vacation from ages birth to 18. So RVing came very comfortably for us. And getting back here with toddler Gkids is great, as is the countryside. Our first real tour with our Tesla was to Cripple Creek and back, just a windshield tour, no social or getting out of the car. Talk about some fun roads and big drops. Made for regenerative braking and with low COG  and AWD makes for superb handling on mountain roads. Now we do Colorado again retired where we were active duty when I taught here before and had little time for driving around too far from base. We didn't even ski back then. Now we get to do the rest of touring Colorado. After the COVID gets beaten and we are clear to run around without masks it will be better as we can go with and to visit others. I did work building a steel building company with a friend for four years ages 54 until about age 58 which gave me the capital to invest in Tesla and to keep from boredom.  I have been fully retired from 45-54 and then from age 58 to now at 68 and retired since age 58. Life doesn't get fantastic because we RV, nor get terrible if we come off the road. Because no matter where you go no matter how far, we always bring ourselves with us. Although we were much younger at 45-52 full time RVing than most we were and are a very open minded optimistic couple who have just loved every minute of our adventures. If you are the same, you will be able to handle all your lane changes in life. 

Safe travels!

[GR "Scott" Cundiff]

We can't help but wonder if we'll "accidentally" stop fulltiming!  The virus makes travel less attractive to us right now.  I keep getting invitations from churches to help them out during pastoral transition.  Meanwhile, Doctors keep "inviting" us to come back for followup appointments.

All the above keeps us kicking the can down the road.  It isn't that anything I mentioned can't be accommodated in a traveling lifestyle (well, the interim pastor deal might) but it all adds up in a way that makes travel less attractive to us right now.

It is kind of funny that we used to plan a 2 week vacation trip and look forward to it.  These days, after years of fulltiming, a 2 week trip hardly seems worth the trouble.

[docj]

22 hours ago, GR "Scott" Cundiff said:

It is kind of funny that we used to plan a 2 week vacation trip and look forward to it.  These days, after years of fulltiming, a 2 week trip hardly seems worth the trouble.

I'm glad you said that; I feel much the same way.  Even with a MH there is fair amount of effort associated with putting stuff away and getting ready to travel.  Somehow, doing that for just a week or two jaunt hardly seems worth it.  Last summer we traveled from south TX to Atlantic Canada and spent nearly 4 months on the road.

[Barbaraok]

31 minutes ago, docj said:

I'm glad you said that; I feel much the same way.  Even with a MH there is fair amount of effort associated with putting stuff away and getting ready to travel.  Somehow, doing that for just a week or two jaunt hardly seems worth it.  Last summer we traveled from south TX to Atlantic Canada and spent nearly 4 months on the road.

We feel the same way.  Dave has been undergoing treatment for his heart problems.  Before surgery they said we would be able to travel by the end of May.   So, ok, that would still give us a lot of time.  But now, maybe we would have a few weeks in August, but the though of getting the MH out in this heat, trying to load up and all for just 2-3 weeks just doesn't appeal to us.   Of course in this heat, by the end of the day (even though we have Air Conditioning in the park model) we feel exhausted without doing anything in particular.  It is just oppressive and at our age is not easy.  Funny how when we lived here in the '70s, I really didn't think much about it - - we went to work, etc., in a car without air and just rolled the windows down.  Of course when you are in your 20s you can do a lot of things we can't do now!😎

[Jim & Alice]

2 hours ago, Barbaraok said:

Of course in this heat, by the end of the day (even though we have Air Conditioning in the park model) we feel exhausted without doing anything in particular.  

Interesting, Barb.   My wife and I are 'staying in place' over by Yuma... motorhome covered and A/C handling things well... but when we go out to do things, we find it very tiring after just a short period of time.   When we were in our 20's, we lived in Louisiana for a few years and routinely worked outside in the heat/humidity - no problem.   Things change, I guess!   

[Kirk W]

36 minutes ago, Jim & Alice said:

When we were in our 20's, we lived in Louisiana for a few years and routinely worked outside in the heat/humidity - no problem.   Things change, I guess!   

We are still in the Dallas area and experience much the same. I used to think little of going out to take care of the yard and do other projects with little difficulty and none if there was shade and perhaps a fan blowing. Now it seems to tire me out just to pull a few weeds from the flowerbeds or take a short walk. You don't suppose that it could be our age? 

I do think though that once you have lived in an RV fulltime you get pretty spoiled as compared to we part-timers. We traveled for 12 years with everything along with us, and no special packing for a trip. Now, we do not bother unless we will be gone at least a week and a month or more is much more to our liking. 

[sandsys]

Back when we were part-timers in a VW camper we kept enough gear in it that we could just grab a few clothes and whatever fresh food we had on hand and head out. Nowadays we'd have to grab all the electronic gear as well but it would still be pretty easy to go even for weekends.

Linda

[WeBeFulltimers]

We made it from 9/1/2010 until 1/16/2020 and had to give it up for health reasons (macular degeneration). Just didn't feel safe towing fiver anymore because of depth perception issues. Life happens.

[mrfrank]

Health issues made us need to be near our doctors and family!😥