Advice: Considering Hitting The Road

New to the forum but want to thank you all in advance for the blunt honest truth.

I'm sure you heard it before and have given great advice in other threads but figured I'd layout my scenario and see what response I get.

GF and I (+ a 40b dog) are considering hitting the road.

We currently rent an apt but aren't attached to a 9-5 or our location. When we look at how much it costs to be stuck in 1 place it seems pretty sad. Truth is, as long as we have a lil`electricity, a place to poop and an internet connection, we can be anywhere : )

One of our biggest concerns (in conversation) is traveling outside of our "spot" - as we do like to go out.

Type of RV?

Class-A would be my preference but how difficult is getting around after you park? How many locations have Uber? : ) Of course there's pulling a toad but to me that would defeat the Class-A option .. of course one with a garage would be fantastic, unfortunately we don't have the $ for that. I've peeked around and at the top of the list (so far) I like a Safari Trek.

Trailer/5th Wheels - I just started looking at them and some are pretty nice. In fact may get more for the $ than a Class-A. I've had trucks and boats so not afraid of towing. I do like the idea of disconnecting and driving the truck off but damn, them Class-A's sure are pretty. : /

Our dog?

We read on other posts that there are challenges w/ some larger dogs on the road. Ours isn't huge (about 40lbs - Bassett/Terrier mix) but he does get a little nutty now and then. Not really sure how he would adapt to living in a small space. Especially on those occasions when we live him alone.

Costs (realistically) ?

Our basic living expenses (rent/car/elec/cable etc) are about $3k a month. We blow a decent amount of $ on food/entertainment already, so I'm calling that a push. We've been trying to ballpark $'s for gas / water (in/out) / propane / park fees etc. - all of which looks pretty good (btw currently have Verizon, so know about that). It's them hidden expenses that scare me.

Is there anything else we should be aware of?

THANKS FOR INPUT!

8)

I'm also looking at going FT in the next 6-9 months.  Am looking at a Class A for the convenience.  Don't have to get out of the truck to go fix lunch.  And my wife can rest in back while we are driving.  Haven't figured the costs yet, so will be interested to watch this string.

Good luck.

Fitz

Just out of curiosity-- why would a toad defeat the class A option?

MMW said:

Just out of curiosity-- why would a toad defeat the class A option?

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Not defeat I suppose (bad choice of words) but the simplisty of it. Ya know, just having the 1 vehicle. - As a hippie I did have VW camper - Class-A is a grown up version : )

pchicken said:

Not defeat I suppose (bad choice of words) but the simplisty of it. Ya know, just having the 1 vehicle. - As a hippie I did have VW camper - Class-A is a grown up version : )

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Ah, gotcha.

That's the big plus for a FW or TT in my view:  you only need to buy and maintain one power train. (and that vehicle can be worked on in pretty much any shop)  The big minus is that you will end up dragging a big, heavy, expensive powertrain for everything you do when the RV is parked.

I reckon you could do full time in class A without a toad but you'd sacrifice a lot of mobility and independence for that: they don't always put RV parks on mass transit routes.  If you want to camp for a while 20 miles from the nearest grocery store and you only have a couple of bicycles...

Or maybe a small scooter? Put it on a rack on the back of the Class A.

Got sidelined with a gout attack    On a positive note, it gave me time to really hit the net. Wow, there seems to be a lot of full timers enjoying the journey of life. Makes me jealous & excited at the same time. Definitely all lot to consider, including the toad option. Did find a Trek to look at and a soon as the pain subsides, I'm gonna go check her out 

Just remember that a lot of campgrounds have restrictions against larger dogs especially ones that are 40lbs - Bassett/Terrier mix but he does get a little nutty now and then. Most people in the private campgrounds have no qualms about calling the managers and complaining about noisy rambunctious dogs (if that is what  "getting a little nutty now and then" means).
Just something to take into consideration.




The information is out there, all you have to do is let it in.

http://www.rv-dreams.com/

Once on the page, left hand side, click "financial info"  I used this as a place to start to get an idea of costs and cut from there.  The folks who own the site have 3 vehicles.

One point to be clear on, living in an RV is not necessarily "cheap". Many of life's requirements still exist. The ones you can control are fuel, by how often and how far you move, the kind of campground you like to stay in since they are all over the map cost wise. There will be maintenance issues with any RV and can be greatly mitigated by how handy you are.  The tow vehicle, or Class A or C will have maintenance requirements. Plus your health issues if any still require looking after. 

I am not trying to dissuade you from full timing. We did it for 5 years, and still part time for 8-9 months a year and love  it.  Just want you to be aware of some of the real life expenses. You can RV on the cheap if you want to stay for months  on BLM land, over night at Walmarts and road side stops, and look for seedy RV parks.  Not my choice, but some do.

I agree that full-timing is not as cheap as many people think it is.  I spend at least as much as I did in my condo.  So, do not do this because you think it is cheaper than an apartment.

Also, does getting a little nutty mean barking?  That will probably be your biggest problem with the dog. Many campgrounds do not let you leave your pet unattended, even in an RV because of barking. 

I full time without a towed vehicle, but I also do not hesitate to take my 32' motorhome out shopping or sightseeing for a day.  If I had a dog or other pet, that would mean leaving it in a hot vehicle or running a noisy generator to run the AC. The problem is that this is not allowed in most public parking lots.

I think most of us would rather warn you of problems than have you jump in and discover these issues later.

Must just be me, but I never really understood the problem with having "more than one drivetrain to maintain." I have a 454 V8 in the RV that moves everything from site to site, then sits waiting patiently till I move the RV again. Then there is the 2.0L in the VW that gets me to/from work every weekday, and out to the grocery or off to a scenic vista. Then there is the 200cc in my motorcycle that, well, is just so FUN to ride.

When I go camping now, and when I finally do retire, I can't see leaving ANY of my three drivetrains behind. And neither the VW nor the TW are difficult to load up.

JudyJB said:

I agree that full-timing is not as cheap as many people think it is.  I spend at least as much as I did in my condo.  So, do not do this because you think it is cheaper than an apartment.

Also, does getting a little nutty mean barking?  That will probably be your biggest problem with the dog. Many campgrounds do not let you leave your pet unattended, even in an RV because of barking. 

I full time without a towed vehicle, but I also do not hesitate to take my 32' motorhome out shopping or sightseeing for a day.  If I had a dog or other pet, that would mean leaving it in a hot vehicle or running a noisy generator to run the AC. The problem is that this is not allowed in most public parking lots.

I think most of us would rather warn you of problems than have you jump in and discover these issues later.

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Not necessarily to save money (though that would be nice) but at least to think our cash is being well used. Currently its feels like we're paying to be stuck in one spot, when we could be paying to be anywhere today, then somewhere else tomorrow.

No he's not a barker, thank god and great in public too, we take him with us a lot. It's in the apt that sometimes he gets wonky. We're hoping it's a puppy thing (about 1 1/2 now) and it may be he's been getting better.

Y'all have sold me on the Toad .. I'm really diggin` the Class A's, so seems like the way to go.

THANKS!!