18yrs full time rv. fresh out of high school good idea?

Any tips I plan ongoing on the road in January in Washington. It all started my sophomore year when I went to Mount St Helen to a field trip for three days. Waking up early and going outside while drinking my coffee and breathing all that fresh air. Early in the morning seeing that your surrounded by fog. Getting the chills all over your body while walking in the fog & breathing that fresh moist air makes you feel like your blowing in the chilly fog one of the best feelings I've ever experience. I've never seen myself planning ongoing on the road full time, but just 2 weeks ago I got the idea & now im 100% into it. Money wise I think I have it plans out or at least some of it. I've been working since I got out of high school so im saving some money up. I also plan on bringing 2 dogs with me on the road is that a good idea? Any tips on how to make money while on the road? I want to know everything there is to know about RV living 8) 8)

Well this is a good place to start looking Chris.  Browse the forums and look in the library (button above).  I understand your fascination, that's the reason many of us do.  You will get opinions all over the spectrum, so be prepared for lots of advice.

Full timing in an RV, being able to move on to greener(warmer) pasturez on a whim is a lofty dream.  However living on the road is not cheap.  Vehicle and health insurance can eat a huge hole in anyones budget.  I think you really need to put the idea on hold for a while.  Learn a marketable trade.  Preferably one you can do on the phone or via computer.  Save a bunch of money, pay cash for everything up front, figure out your insurance needs and then go.  5 years from now you will still be young and be in a better place idea wise.  In the mean time figure a budget, needs, etc.

Hi Chris,

Due to a set of unfortunate circumstances, I found myself on my own at the age of 19. I found a job and was able to make it into college a couple of years later. Things worked out for me and you might be okay. It would help if you have a support group to fall back on (your parents mostly), you might find it will be a wonderful experience.

One thing I would caution you about though. You will be under 21 and in most states (I believe) not able to make any legal contractions on your own. That could put you in a bind if you need to take out a loan to get something fixed, or any other emergency that might come up on the road.

Hi Cris and welcome  to  the  forum!  Keep reading the  posts here and you will learn a lot about RV life.

I suggest the first thing you do us create a budget and see what you are likely to spend on normal things like food, clothes, phone etc. Fuel will depend on what you end up buying and how far you travel.

You may consider workamping, ie working as a campground host and getting  a free campsite and maybe paid, however I am from the UK so unsure if there are any limitations regarding this, but check it out.

You will need to consider maintenance for your vehicle  and vet fees if you are taking your dogs.

Insurance will probably be fairly high as you are so young. 

Lots to consider - search on the forum for finances whilst travelling, I've  seen a few posts with good info which will give you a guide. And if you find you can't  do it now then at least it will be a future goal for you. Good luck!  ;D

  I agree with Donn,, it reminds me of the old saying,,,YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW..>>>Dan (Go slow and learn, it will be invaluable)

YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL DREAM!

However, reality is unless you are related to the Kennedy family, I can not see how you can possibly afford this endeavor.  A 7 figure inheritance may help, but only 6 figures will not be enough for very long.

Make a careful budget, including food for the 3 of you, fuel for both travel and RV (propane, genny fuel) camp site fees, RV and health ins, cell phone bill, REPAIRS TO CAMPER, TOW VEHICLE, maintenance to both, activities, sightseeing, then add 15% for what you forgot.  You have no guaranteed job on the road.  How long will your savings last?

I would love to see you succeed with this dream.  Please go in with eyes open wide, understanding the financial risks.

henkelphoto said:

Hi Chris,

Due to a set of unfortunate circumstances, I found myself on my own at the age of 19. I found a job and was able to make it into college a couple of years later. Things worked out for me and you might be okay. It would help if you have a support group to fall back on (your parents mostly), you might find it will be a wonderful experience.

One thing I would caution you about though. You will be under 21 and in most states (I believe) not able to make any legal contractions on your own. That could put you in a bind if you need to take out a loan to get something fixed, or any other emergency that might come up on the road.

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You also might have problems renting a place to stay since most RV parks require you to be at least 21 years of age to move in.

Then again,,,,if you look over your age,,,,who's askin..>>>Dan

Hi Chris;

I bought a trailer and headed for the hills of Oregon when I was about your age.  I ended up in a trailer park, working a regular job, and realizing I could have rented a nice house for about the same money.

Get a job, get a skill, and pay your dues first.  Otherwise you will end up living in Walmart parking lots on the Interstate 5 corridor, along with the panhandlers and petty criminals that are rapidly becoming a problem in the pacific northwest. 

Sorry to sound so harsh.  It didn't work 40 years ago and it won't work now.

Doug

It can be done, YES!

Lots of hard work.

I caution you on the 2 dogs, since you may be gone a lot working. Two dogs in a small RV with you gone working most of day is less than ideal.

Check out CoolWorks.Com for fun interesting jobs for energetic folks. Many include housing and are seasonal. Learn to save every penny you can NEVER go into debt. That is the REAL ticket to being young and following your dreams. Once you are saddled with debt, you can forget many dreams. Learn to deal with old and used. Then learn how to repair and maintain it. Numerous books on the subject, if you don't have a library card, then you aren't going to get far fast.

Read, read, read, all you can about RVing, learning new skills and so on.

Cooking is a great job that travels well, any where you go, they always needs cooks.

Keep to a minimalist lifestyle is the ticket to a low budget. I set out RVing on a budget and one of the things I gave up was changing to minimalist meat consumption in favor of dried beans. If it meant I could camp at the beach spring and fall, then I could eat beans year round. Life is a series of trade offs.

Check out Volunteer. Gov as they have many volunteer options with free RV parking. If you work fulltime and manage to volunteer for your camping spot, you can actually get ahead of the game financially.

For instance, Amazon is hiring right now for people with an RV and they provide endless overtime and free RV parking plus some perks.

GOOD LUCK.

Your dreams can work out if you are willing to work HARD and learn numerous new skills by reading lots of books.

People thought I was nuts when I ran off to the Caribbean to work on yachts, but it turned out to be a wonderful hard working career I enjoyed. I had to work from the ground up at it and soon I was in a beautiful position as a well paid crew member.

What you want to do is hard work and dedication but it can be done. You don't have to be a wealthy retiree to enter the wonderful world of RVing but slick money management skills are a must.

While some campgrounds require someone over 21, I've seen plenty that only require over 18.

A friend of mine who was young and loved camping and unconventional lifestyles, ended up in the Peace Corps for awhile, something else to consider.

There are also organic farms that are often looking for campers to work the farm and I know of two alpaca farmers who look for campers to work.

Also, find people that are impressed by you and get written character reference letters. These can be a huge help especially at your young age.

This is an excellent free workamping site:
http://www.work-for-rvers-and-campers.com/

GOOD LUCK and stick to the positive! Just because other think you can't doesn't make it true. If you think you CAN, then find a way to make it happen. Lots of wonderful opportunities come out of hard work and a willingness to lead an unconventional lifestyle.

If I was 18 years old with some money saved up and no obligations, I would spend 5 months hiking the Appalachian Trail.  Not counting equipment, you could do it easily for about $3,000.  If you like fresh air and scenery, that's a good way to get it.  Most start the trail in Georgia in April and end up in Maine sometime in August/September.  It's 2,200 miles of trail and would be a great adventure.