Fulltime and Grandchildren.

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skirk55

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 15, 2010
Posts
381
Location
Newtown Pa. 18940
My wife and I are RV people. We have been around rv's for 35 years. A close friend of ours just went full time. Years ago I talked to him about it and he told me I was nuts. Now he has been gone for a year now and they are very happy. Kids not so happy but they are now on there own and have moved away.
We have been talking about it more and more. The house is big and taxes are high. Out 5th wheel is just right. Then came Grandchildren. We have two now. Both of my kids around the same time gave us the best thing ever.
Now what about the grandchildren? How do we hit the road? We have to work this out. I told my wife lets see what happens in a few years. I know there are people out there that worked it out.
 
My parents started full-timing in the early 1970s when their grandkids were under 7. They wandered around the country but always went back to southern California to see the grandkids and take care of doctor's appointments. They would send postcards to the grandkds from the places they visited. One of my sister's kids had a U.S. map on the wall on his bedroom and he used pushpins to mark where Grandma and Grandpa had been. I think they enjoyed traveling vicariously with G&G at such a young age.

If you want to go, go. You can always return to visit the kids and grands.

Wendy
 
    Although we are not fulltimers, we have spent upwards of 8 month a year in the coach in each of the past 3 years.  First thing we did was download Skype, which allows us to see and speak to the grandkids quite often.  Our kids all live in Canada, with all of the grandkids in Ottawa, hence they are ready to fly down for a few day visit mid winter while we are snowbirding in the south.  POlus, we schedule a trip to see them in the spring on our way back to Atlantic Canada.
    All in all, I'd say we see them more now than when I was working and not spending the time in the motor home.

Ed
 
My wife is high tech so that thing she has the is a phone and the web. We can still see them. We would stay in Va. in the summer and Florida in the winter.  They live in Pa. it is about 4hrs away from Va. We told them we will take them to Disney when we are in Florida and they liked that.
 
The great thing about having an RV is that you can come and go as you like. That thing has wheels so if you miss the grandkids, stick the key in the ignition and off you go.

Wendy
 
All great advice.  We come back to Az frequently to see the 2 grandbabies and use Skype video while we're on the road. 
go do it.

Rick
 
Wendy said:
The great thing about having an RV is that you can come and go as you like. That thing has wheels so if you miss the grandkids, stick the key in the ignition and off you go.

Wendy

..............and even better, when the little monsters are as spoiled as mine are, we can just drive away.  ;D
Dave
 
The first 3 or 4 years we are going to work. This will help offset the cost of living and I can not sit in a chair or watch TV. We do not like the cold so they will have to come visit us in the winter. The computer will be a big help. We were talking last week we had to purchase a larger RV because they visit us now. What would change? We are 1 hr away now and 4 hrs when in Va.
 
The only mistake I made was not buying stock in Southwest and Hawaiian. ::)
 
We go visit the grands whenever this Grammy has missed them a lot.  We just spent three weeks in Lewiston, ID.  We were parked about 4 miles from their place.  We had then over for day visits and night visits.  They love when Grammy and Grandpa come.  They get to go swimming.  While traveling or working we use Skype to keep in touch.  I also send packages about once a month.  And of course call on the phone.  Living in our motor home has not been a problem when it comes to the grands.
 
My kids used to go with their grandparents for a week or so every summer, I've met several people that rv to be closer to the grand kids.
 
Diane and I started full timing in May, well Diane decided that its not her life so we built a house in Hilton Head for the winter and will do 6 and 6. Just told the grandkids and kids we would not be around for Christmas. Frankly it was much worse than I expected. Hopefully that will calm down and just visit this winter, actually visit Diane I am staying in Boston to finish a Gas Turbine installation. Should head south late January. Maybe the kids will be on speaking terms by then.
Jim
 
Just to add our 2 cents to this thread, we are heading to Portland OR and Olympia WA to see grand kids and daughters for Thanksgiving.  We are kind of forced to do so to keep piece and quiet in the family as we are off in the spring to see great grand kids, grand kids and and a daughter in the south and east.  Seems we must see them all once in a while and going by RV is the most comfortable way to do so.

Of course the driving force for the trip south and east is 2 new great grand kids, one in VA and the other in IL.  Must keep grandmother happy.
 
    It is a free service, but it needs to be downloaded off the internet, and you need for the other side to also download and set up.  Then it is as simple as locating those people, adding them to your contacts, and setting you skype to advise/show who is on line.  After over 50 years having a "pen pall" in Oz, Donna has been able to speak with her & hubby regularly on Skype.  Strangely enough, they frequently RV in their "caravan", what we call a TT.

Ed
 
terowe99 said:
Skype? Is there a link.

Thanks

dick

It's really fun to use.  If you have a reasonably good internet connection you can conduct two way video calls with the grandbabies.  Real Dick Tracy stuff.  ;)

Rick
 
We used Skype to talk to our grandsons last winter & it worked well.  I installed my Verizon air card in my laptop & walked around showing them the campground. 

One question about Skype:  does anyone know why the screen image is reversed? 
 
      Mike, that has to be a setting in your program, we have it set up on 3 laptops and each shows the correct image.

Ed
 

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