What advice do you wish someone told you before you went full time?

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Peggyy said:
Full timing dont you miss having a big bedroom and a big kitchen and a place to call home?

I am one of those folks that doesn't need a ton of junk to be happy, so I happily call my little old motorhome my wheel estate!

You would be shocked at the gourmet dishes that come out of my tiny galley.

My teensy bedroom has windows on 3 sides with a view that changes often.

The main reason I love my wheel estate is that I can park in million dollar places without having to own them.

I love nature and don't care for big crowded towns, so a little old motorhome suits me fine.
 
Gods Country said:
I often wonder how your rigs hold up to everyday living.  Are RV's built more robust?  Just can't imagine anything not being trashed after 5 years or more of continuous living.

I've seen trashed rigs after continuous living. Some folks can trash theirs in just a few months.

Fortunately, mine is not trashed. It was 15 years old when I bought it 7 years ago.

I clean it often. I maintain, repair, and upgrade (to suit my lifestyle) as needed.

I even redecorate this and that from time to time,  to keep from getting bored with the look. Last year it was new towels in a bright color I enjoy. This year I am painting the cabinet and drawer faces to enjoy a new clean look.

When things are wearing out or breaking, I do research for the best replacement or upgrade. Once procured then I figure out if I am installing it or if I am going to hire someone to do it.

Since I don't own a car, I am home pretty much 24/7 though I venture out on my bicycle almost daily. My rig does get a lot of heavy duty use but I take care of it and keep all systems working. Sometimes I do a ton of studying so I can make the repair myself.

A place for everything and everything in its place. Careful attention to the equipment that takes up the least amount of room yet provides multi-functionality. My compact galley is well outfitted and I turn out some amazing meals that rival fine restaurants.

Sure, I miss having an expansive wardrobe, but I made room for a compact washer. The wardrobe I do own is clean and fresh.

I love it that I am able to rent gorgeous lots in beautiful places where I can soak up nature and enjoy the outdoors.

I am sitting outside barefoot typing this up from my rocking chair and folding card table.

Will I own a house again?

Probably not.

I love this life of owning my home, but being able to change out the real estate often.
 
DearMissMermaid said:
I love this life of owning my home, but being able to change out the real estate often.
Amen Cynthia. I visited all 48 states in a ten year period of time and visited 46 National Parks. We live in a beautiful country and I am glad I am not spending my retirement years in one spot in a rocking chair.
 
Peggyy said:
Full timing dont you miss having a big bedroom and a big kitchen and a place to call home?

We have a place to call home.  It just happens that it rolls with us!  I was fortunate to learn early on in life (during the 3+ years I was stationed in Germany while in the Army) - that my home is wherever I happen to be - and  that it's not directly tied to house somewhere.  That lesson has made my life much easier over the years .... my DW is slowly learning that same lesson.  Her idea of what constitutes home was upended roughly a year ago, when my oldest son relocated to Phoenix AZ (from Michigan) for his career.  My DW had to do some soul searching as a result of his decision.  She's slowly but steadily coming around to the realization that home involves family and friends .... and not necessarily a specific sticks and bricks.

As far as having BIG bedrooms and kitchens go - we've found that we've got enough space in our coach to be very comfortable.  The BIG rooms were nice when we were younger .... but now, a BIG room simply means more space to stick "stuff" that I'm likely not using often (if at all!) and more area that I have to clean regularly and occasionally paint. 
 
spacenorman said:
We have a place to call home.  It just happens that it rolls with us!  I was fortunate to learn early on in life (during the 3+ years I was stationed in Germany while in the Army) - that my home is wherever I happen to be - and  that it's not directly tied to house somewhere.   


SO TRUE. Your RV becomes your home. When I travel away to my childhood home to see my parents or my friends houses to visit I can't wait to get back to my own bed, my own kitchen etc.

I think if you're employed and still working, an exit strategy is of less importance. If your job changes you can always rent an apartment or something. The one thing to keep in mind is that if you're going to rent a house or buy one, you will now have that payment and expense PLUS the RV. I did this for a brief period but opted to park it at a really cute RV park about 2 hours from my apartment and use it as a weekend house. It was less expensive than storage but it was still an added cost that I didn't really consider all the way. 

Also try not to overthink the entire thing or you will talk yourself out of it. There is something very solid behind the idea of (responsibly) going with the flow. You may find your preferences and ideas change along the way. 
 
We have an exit strategy!  Get rid of the country home on 20 acres (four under clear water in a 12 acre pond, and about four in hardwoods), plus the accumulated "stuff" of 30 years. We have found home at an rv park in paradise after five plus years of full timing. We KNOW that we are comfortable living in 350 square feet of mh and intend to stay here.

It's been a slow transition,  but now we are comfortable with our decision, even though we are slowing down and probably won't travel as much now. As for durability, the mh has held up well and still looks like new (when we're diligent about clean up/maintenance). Stuff wears out and has to be replaced; there just isn't as much stuff!

In summary, if either of you think a house is necessary to live comfortably then you probably shouldn't be full time in the first place!!

Ernie
 
Peggyy said:
Full timing dont you miss having a big bedroom and a big kitchen and a place to call home?

Our home is our motorhome, and the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, dining, and living areas, are plenty big enough for us. We visit our cottage in upstate NY from time to time, but we've never called it "home" in the 50+ years we've owned it. Just because our home has wheels on it doesn't mean it can't be "home." Our home just moves around from time to time...
 
Peggyy said:
Full timing dont you miss having a big bedroom and a big kitchen and a place to call home?

Seems like you are a little unclear on the concept of full timing.  If you think home is a "big" bedroom and a "big" kitchen, than you are missing the whole point of the freedom involved in choosing "home" to be wherever you decide it can be.  If you truly feel this way, I suggest that you never considering full timing.  There are many on this forum who retain their stick and bricks home, still travel extensively, and that's OK.  Different strokes for different folks.
 
Yes i dont think full timing is for us.  But i am curious about it all and happy for those that choose that path.  I mean no disrespect to anyone with my questions.
 
If there are two of you makes sure both are ready to FT. We have owned motorhomes since 1975 or so and love RVing but 5 years was enough time without a nest for my wife. We have reached a great compromise living in an active RV community here in AZ in the winter and spending 5-6 months in the summer on the road plus two or three short trips in the winter.


I had originally thought it would be great to RV until age 75 but with my 74th birthday coming up the new target is more like 80.  ::)
 
Been thinking about this here and there as this thread keeps popping up. Here's my 2 cents.

Start sooner.

 
We are going back FT soon. We have been part timing for the last 5 or so years, and staying in the stick house 3-5 months a year.  We have grown tired of coming back to spend so much time catching up on deferred maintenance, problems, and new projects. 

The stick house has it's benefits.  Big rooms to wander in, lots of room to stretch out. Lots of room for occasional company. But that all comes at a price, and it's not cheap. When weighed together, we would rather travel and pick places and climates to stop in. We spend more time enjoying each others company and a lot less time sweating over some new project. 

But we will save the funds we save, and somewhere down the road we will find somewhere else to land. Maybe in 5+ years or so.  Cycle of life, just keep pedaling and don't look back.
 
Peggyy said:
Our jayco TT has a sign inside that says it contains formaldehyde and is not suitable for full timers.
That is crazy. I have owned two Jaycos and full timed in both of them. One was a B and one was a C. If the smell of formaldehyde is so bad why would it only be bad for full timers and not for weekend campers?
 
I think the couple of posts that mentioned having an "exit strategy" touched on an important issue.  Neither my DW or I have any intention of spending our final days stuck in a bus.  We view our traveling as a wonderful opportunity that we're fortunate to be in a position to take advantage of.  When the day comes - either because of a life alter health event (we've all seen the Lion King and know about the "circle of life" and know that it's a matter of when not if for every one of us!) - or that morning we both wake up, look at each other, and say "I don't want to do this any more!".    We've set aside resources to ensure we can put roots back down again as we "enter the homestretch" of our lives.    It's a helluva kick at this stage in life - and we're enjoying the heck out of it.  BUT, when the time comes - we've got a plan for an orderly exit from the lifestyle.
 
Best advice? ..... Calm down,  ....... only plan loosely - they're lot's of stuff you'll want to do and see as you travel.

dcb in VT
 
My best advice--if you don't have a sense of adventure and are flexible when things don't go right, you probably should NOT start out in this lifestyle! 

Things break, campgrounds aren't what you expected, it rains for four days in a row and you are stuck inside, the neighbors like to talk loudly and slam doors late at night, traffic is horrible, etc.  If you aren't willing to let things go and call it an "adventure," then stay home in your sticks and bricks.

By the way, I worked two jobs for 23 years before I bought my RV and put most of my second job income into savings the last 10 years, after my kids were gone.  I also waited until I was 69 to retire so I could have a decent savings fund for my "exit strategy."  I also am still working part-time teaching online, so I don't have to spend that savings in case I get really sick and need to quit. And the only way I could afford to travel was to have only one residence, so I sold my condo and went full-time.  It would have been too expensive to keep empty, and I did not want to deal with renters.  I am VERY glad I don't have to worry about it. 

Oh, and to add to Miss Mermaid's list:  Chocolate always goes in the refrigerator, even chocolate chips.  Makes a messy puddle otherwise.
 
SeilerBird said:
That is crazy. I have owned two Jaycos and full timed in both of them. One was a B and one was a C. If the smell of formaldehyde is so bad why would it only be bad for full timers and not for weekend campers?

I guess they are implying a little wont hurt you, but a lot might?  I dont think every jayco has that warning sign.  I wish mine did not.
 
Add to my reply #34.  It's just my dog, my ferret and me. I'm on my second round of full-timing with several years in between. In my first cycle I rented my house and went on for 8 years. Then I got rid of most of my stuff, kept what was precious to me including every tool known to man - sold my house -  and bought a condo. Kept the condo. Bought a new MH, old one was a larger class A, and took off again. My kids watch the condo, and I circle back several/many times a year for a day or two. The condo is also my escape plan.

Am I a full timer? Maybe mostly, I consider myself one. This may be a solution for some.

dcb in VT
 

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