10-15 years to plan for full-time RVing - where do I even start?

Sorry for the vague question. If you could go back in time 10 years before buying your RV to tell yourself anything to prepare yourself for full-time RVing, what would it be?

I've been researching for the past month and these are a few topics I've been going back and forth on:

• Picking the right RV - comfort vs. ease of travel vs. expense.
• What to budget for a year or more of travel?
• Where I can and can't drive/park a Class A diesel.
• Should I tow our full-sized sedan, get something smaller, get something more capable of driving off pavement, or skip a vehicle all together?
• What kind of vehicle maintenance should I learn (we don't know any at all).
• Buy a new "mid-range" Class A or a used "higher end" Class A?
• Am I even picking the right things to worry about so early in the planning process?

So you can see I'm really just starting out! Any words of wisdom?

If I could go back 10 years, I would have gone RV-ing  SOONER not LATER.  Get an old used RV and enjoy your weekends now. See if you even like the lifestyle.

There are tons of cheap bargains to be had on RV's in the 10-15 year range that still run great but are dirt cheap because the market is over saturated with newer RV's and desperate sellers.

Pay cash.  You will NEVER regret that.

Payments and financing just bust up your dreams. 

Pay cash for an old used one now and have some weekend fun.  Over the next 10 years you could easily save up cash to get the RV of your dreams without financing.

Too many folks get trapped into payments then can't have any fun.

Don't wait 10-15 years. Life is short. Get going on that happiness factor NOW.

So you can see I'm really just starting out! Any words of wisdom?

For what is worth we planned on full time RVing since 1992 and we are (still) getting close. Here are some of things we did.  Some were mistakes and others good.  We didn?t plan on full timing in retirement but sort of fell into it.  We got our first small trailer just for vacations. This purchase only happened because 1 year we got rained on so bad we came back from camping soaking wet.  Dropped off camping gear (tent, sleeping bags.. still wet) and went to a RV dealer and bought what was the smallest self contained trailer we saw.  Finished up rest of vacation and parked trailer in back yard.  And used when we could because when I got off work at 11:30 Friday night there are not very many places to go to that were close, say within a 2 hour drive, away from  the city and some piece and quite. And arriving at 1 or 2 AM is not a popular thing to do.  A co-worker that I worked with and same hours talked about his weekend camping and I asked him where does he camp when we get off work.  He told me about what is called a private camping club.  I said no thanks; sounds like a place that has signs that say ?No Camping Off Pavement?.  Well after several months he invited me again up to his lot.  Well,  OK I?ll check it out.  The place wasn?t like I suspected and I could keep the trailer there and be with in 1 hour from home.  That was the start. We could get away to a campground whenever we wanted nobody cared when I got there and dues were $600.00 a year, which was about what I was paying for storage if I added up the per month charge.  So we said OK we?ll buy it. Check them out if you want to at
http://gbntone.org/  There is a lot good and some bad.  At this park we were around full timers 6 months of the year.  And learned a lot.  It opened up a different world for us. 

? Picking the right RV - comfort vs. ease of travel vs. expense.
You?ll go back and forth of what you fall in love with.  The more you are around them the more you?ll see things you like or dislike.  But remember most likely your purchase will be a compromise of something.  Either design or the motor or something.  But you will get something that suites you the most.

? What to budget for a year or more of travel?
Everytime someone hear posts something look at their signature line, if they have a blog or web page book mark it and read it later.  Several people have their budget up where anybody can look at it.  And there are ways to make budgets work.  Check out ?workcamping? not only do you get a place to stay you aren?t spending $$ on fuel.  At the park we are at one couple are quite well off and eat out just about every meal and do all the exspensive things.  Another couple live off from SS and that is it.  They do a  lot of boondocking, wall mart overnights and travel only about 50 -75 miles a day.  And since fuel shot up they spend more time at each place.    They have a list of which casinos have the senior deals of the day and know where to spend the night free.    Does his  own maintenance and she plans meals very carefully.
We  respect both couple very much.  What is funny about this is at the end of the month both couples ahave the same amount of money.  And both have joyied themselves very much.

? Am I even picking the right things to worry about so early in the planning process?
We were told about Escappees RV club and joined and got on their waiting  list for becoming a ?lease holder?.  When we got on their list it took us 9 years to finially get to the top and get one of their lots lot.  Now we have a summer lot in Yuma.  I?m bringing this up because it comes in handy.  I can?t tell you how many people say they wished they known about a 9 year waiting list and would of sign up if they had only known. (I don't think it is as long now.)

ETC
Over the years people ?hanging up the keys? have given us various campground memberships.  How could we say NO?  This is where we messed up.  Don?t accept any memberships if you have 5 years or more to go.  Even if they are ?free?.  After you pay the transfer fees and then pay (like us) for over 8 years dues we could of bought our own for less.  We have only used one of them 2 times in 8 years.  Every year we say this is the year, but hasn?t panned out yet. Yes, learn about memberships because to me when they were first explained and what to watch out for I thought the people were joking with me about some of the rules and type of memberships, but they are true.
I?ll stop for now.

With 15 years you should start by talking to a good investment person... With a decent rater of return you can start depositing some money each month into an account and take out a much larger chunk of change than you put in 15 years later.  As little as 5% "Interest" will double your money in less than 15 years.

Buster Blues said:

If I could go back 10 years, I would have gone RV-ing  SOONER not LATER.  Get an old used RV and enjoy your weekends now. See if you even like the lifestyle.

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Very, very good advice.  Get out there and do it!    There are a lot of good, used rigs on the market these days.  That's how you will learn most about likes/dislikes with floorplans and features, expected camping costs, RV maintenance, and all the other ups and downs of the lifestyle.  It's really one of those things you have to learn by experience.

If I could go back 10 years, I would have gone RV-ing SOONER not LATER.

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This is excellent advice!  Many of us here on the RV Forum have learned that you never know what is in store tomorrow and what if you're not able to go RVing in 10 years??  You will have missed out on doing something you really want to do.  We started RVing during the 1960s with two VW Westphalias.  We eventually moved up to an 18' C, a 22' C, a 30' C, a 34' A, and a 40' A.  About the time we got the 34 we retired.  We're not fulltimers but longtimers, just like many other retirees.  The point is, we've been enjoying the RV lifestyle for most of our married life and while we were both still working.  Why are you waiting?  There's no rule that says you have to be a fulltimer to enjoy RVing, nor is there a rule that says you can't enjoy RVing until you retire.  So what are you waiting for?

Let me tell you a brief story.  On our first cruise we met a lady who was traveling with her niece.  She told us we were smart to do things like cruises while we were young.  Then she told us she and her husband had saved for years and planned to take a cruise after her husband retired.  He retired, they bought their cruise tickets, and then one day he dropped dead.  So her niece joined her on the cruise.  But she regretted that she and her husband hadn't gone cruising years before.  And most of all she missed taking that cruise with the man she loved.

So, get out there and enjoy life.  Get an RV you can afford (good advice about not going into debt for it) and start seeing our wonderful country.  Don't wait for retirement that may never happen!

ArdraF

I'll second Ardra's comments.  Some of the happiest times I had were RVing with the wife and family in the 70s.  We decided then to go fulltime when I retired.  Unfortunately, my wife died 3 years before I could retire so that could not happen but we had good times RVing as the kids grew up.  We do RV now when we can but lately have been slowed down by health issues.

Hopefully we will be  back on the road this fall and winter.

Go for it now not later!!!!

ArdraF said:

We eventually moved up to an 18' C, a 22' C, a 30' C, a 34' A, and a 40' A.

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This to me is inspirational.  I recently purchased a 19' C.  I am maybe 20 years from retiring, but I really love this little C.  It's my only vehicle, where ever I am, I am home. 

A lot can be said for getting something small, just to see if you like the lifestyle.  Then upgrading as needed. 

arj2012 said:

• Am I even picking the right things to worry about so early in the planning process?

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Probably not! It's good that you're considering all the different aspects but since you've never been RVing you're getting a little bit ahead of yourself. The advice to buy an older RV and start now is excellent. Start with a smaller one so that you'll be comfortable driving and parking but if your ultimate goal is to fulltime in a large class A keep that in mind as you camp. Will you fit in the parks that you like to visit? Some people prefer public parks which won't easily accommodate  large motorhomes. Some prefer private parks with fullhookups -no problem for big RVs. Will you stay put for long periods of time or will you get restless? Would you rather drive slower on the backroads  or will you want a fast direct route on the interstates? Try everything out and by the time you're ready to buy your fulltiming RV you'll have a better idea of what will fit your RVing style.

arj2012 said:

...
I've been researching for the past month and these are a few topics I've been going back and forth on:

• Picking the right RV - comfort vs. ease of travel vs. expense.
• Where I can and can't drive/park a Class A diesel.
• Should I tow our full-sized sedan, get something smaller, get something more capable of driving off pavement, or skip a vehicle all together?
• Buy a new "mid-range" Class A or a used "higher end" Class A?
• Am I even picking the right things to worry about so early in the planning process?

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Though you're in the early planning stages, you seem to be restricting yourself to a Type A diesel.  Though we aren't fulltimers, we are a member of Escapees and meet up with a lot of fulltime folks.  Many of those have chosen a fifth wheel as their home of choice.  Newer fifth wheels can have hydraulic leveling systems, on-board generators, multiple slides, and other amenities that folks used to associate with Type A rigs.

Not trying to start a MH vs fiver debate, but be sure to look at the pros and cons of all types of rigs before jumping in.

Don't buy too much crap because you will have to unload it later LOL. I am currently overwhelmed with all the stuff we have to get rid of in a 3200 square foot house (this includes the house). So keep it slim or start unloading long before you plan to put the house on the market. If the house sells fast I am considering a very large bonfire in the back yard  ;D .

Wow thank you, I didn't expect so many replies!

I really wish we could buy an RV right now, but we're not in that income bracket haha! We have some medical debt to pay off and we want to work on paying off our condo, as well as have plenty of time to save up as much cash as possible to buy whatever we pick without financing. I'm looking for a good financial planner now. We'll be young when we start - I'll be 40, husband will be 50 - but I do wish we could just go tomorrow or even just get something for the weekends. However we can't afford it and we have no place to keep it, so I'll just have to be patient!

I've seen some fifth wheels that are really nice but ever since I was a little kid I've been fascinated with motorhomes! I also hate the idea of towing something, though it looks like we'll have to tow a car to be able to get around.

I think as far as travel style, it will probably be mostly sticking to the highway to get to planned destinations and a mix of dry camping and staying in RV parks with hook ups. I know that the Class A limits us on our camping locations but I will be telecommuting either full-time or a lot of part-time hours, so I would like to live in something comfortable since I'll be spending more time in the RV. I would love to be able to park in a place like this (I might have even found the link to this person's blog on this site, so hello if that's the case!) http://fulltimeusa.com/2012/04/27/hoh-rain-forest-sidetrip-2-day-12-on-our-roadtrip-to-alaska-2/home-for-a-few-days-hoh-rain-forest-olympic-national-park/ but would a 35ft - 37ft motorhome fit in places like that?

arj2012 said:

I really wish we could buy an RV right now, but we're not in that income bracket haha!

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RV's come in all styles, sizes, and prices.  Don't limit yourself to your "retirement dream RV" being the only one you ever buy.  That said, I certainly won't argue with your desire to pay off debt before buying a large item.  That's always a good idea.

arj2012 said:

We'll be young when we start - I'll be 40, husband will be 50 -

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Wife and I are 36 and 34 respectively, and we've been RV owners since 2007.  I was 29 when we bought our 35' Class A, and the rig was 17 years old at the time (now 22) but exactly what we wanted and what we could afford.  We are a single income family (just mine, which is average) with 2 kids when we started and 3 now.  Just to give you a little perspective on "starting young" as you mentioned it. 

Class A's won't really limit you on camping locations.  A large majority of RV'ers camp in good-sized motorhomes and trailers, both of which require a bit of space for maneuvering.  As a result, most campgrounds are built for those units.  And I'm sure that will continue to be the case in the next 10-15 years.

Well at 30 I feel younger than most people looking to travel by RV full time but I haven't done a huge amount of socializing in the forums so that may be incorrect! My husband pokes fun at my idea of being "adventurous" - I think planning 10 years in advance is smart adventuring!!

Scottydl how do you feel driving around a 35' Class A? Did you have any experience prior to driving it? Do you ever do any camping "off road" or in national park spots or are you limited to RV camp sites? That's about the size we're considering.

Trust me, everyone here will attest that no matter how much "planning"  you do for the RV... something will still take you by surprise.    It's all part of the lifestyle, and driving/maintaining these houses-on-wheels.

arj2012 said:

Scottydl how do you feel driving around a 35' Class A? Did you have any experience prior to driving it? Do you ever do any camping "off road" or in national park spots or are you limited to RV camp sites? That's about the size we're considering.

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I had a little bit of experience driving a 28' Class C to/from work sites, but that was about it.  But I was (always am) really excited about driving the Class A, before and since we've owned it.  So I wasn't too intimidated, and had read up on plenty of helpful hints here (like you are doing) on getting around in a large vehicle.

We haven't really camped off-road or boondocked, but have been in every variety of campground (state parks, national/Army Corps parks, private parks/clubs) and haven't really had any problems getting in or out.  Most of them are built for larger rigs these days.

Like Scott, we are a young family.  I'm 37, my beautiful young bride of a decade is 34 and our boy is nearly 4 now.  we paid cash (around 12k) for a 1993 30' class A in excellent condition.  We really needed to see first hand if the whole RV thing was going to work for us.  We had planned to keep the first rig for 5 years to see if we actually used it.  (We did move up faster than planned...)

Getting that motor home and taking it out instead of waiting and talking about it until we could afford something big and fancy was a one of the best decisions we've ever made. 

Jeff

jeffbrown said:

Getting that motor home and taking it out instead of waiting and talking about it until we could afford something big and fancy was a one of the best decisions we've ever made. 

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Absolutely.

We started RVing in 1992 in our then late 20's with a $1600 1978 travel trailer...which was all of 16'.  Dragged that thing everywhere.....the bug bit, and we eventually sold it and bought a 10 year old (at the time)  1993 fifth wheel.  Kept that until 2 months ago, and used it every chance we got.  Just bought our first brand new unit....30' Palomino travel trailer.  If we had waited until we could afford this one, we'd have missed a ton of fun over the last 20 years.  NOW is the time to get out and start enjoying the RV lifestyle.  And when you're ready to go full timing down the road, you'll already have a ton of experience.  GO FOR IT!