I have been dreaming about RVing full time for twenty-five years. Now, I am 68, widowed, active, and find myself hundreds of miles away from my five children and eight grandchildren-- in a condo I hate. I want to sell the condo and buy (as in pay cash) for a Class B RV, and begin RVing full-time. Currently, I am considering a nearly-new Airstream, Pleasure Way, or Winnebago because of high quality in craftsmanship and automotive engineering. Dependability is important. I would prefer not to add the fear of breaking down to my other concerns, although I am perfectly capable of handling myself in an emergency situation. With my fixed income, RVing full time is the only way I can possibly afford to visit my family and, at this stage in my life, I need to see my grandchildren more than once every three or four years. My problem is a lot like that of others thinking about full timing. How much will it cost? I realize RVing will not be cheaper than living in this condo, but I will have the advantage of being able to travel when I feel like it, staying put when I want to rest, visiting Civil War sites (another dream of mine), and visiting my family without it being a big deal. I have tried to look at costs of full timing like gasoline, propane, RV park daily rates, RV park monthly rates associated with RVing full time, but it is impossible to set up a monthly budget based on unknowns. I end up plugging in the highest estimates in every category, making the cost prohibitive.
Most people think I am insane at my age to consider selling all my possessions and moving into an RV that will also serve as my car. Am I crazy? I prefer smaller living spaces, and I don't need "stuff," so I have no qualms about sizing down to the bare minimum. And I like my own company so spending time alone doesn't concern me. Most RV's are the same size as the "tiny homes" that are so popular right now, and I love those. What terrifies me is not staying overnight in a Wal-mart parking lot, but waking up one morning to find I have made a horrible mistake, that I can't possibly afford the RV life, and am broke homeless. Are there others out there who are my age, share my limited financial resources, and are making single full-time RVing work? I am an English tutor and writing coach with skills I can take with me on the road to bring in additional income. I would also like to do some volunteer work when the opportunities present themselves. I need solid, honest, advice from someone who has been where I am and successfully, or unsuccessfully, made the transition. This is one of the biggest decisions I will ever made in my life with dozens of people waiting for me to fail so they can say, "I told you so." Many thank you's in advance for reading my post.
UPDATE: NOVEMBER 11, 2015
Last night, I shared my idea of RVing full time with my 13-year-old grandson, and he thought it was "wicked." (Which means I have his overwhelmingly enthusiastic approval.) Still haven't discussed it with his parents. But I am "amped" (another of his words), and can't wait to get this ball rolling. I have revised a lot of my original plans, thanks to your kind comments and suggestions. I've been looking at Class C motorhomes, as well as, B plus RVs. I cannot imagine being able to handle anything more than 30 ft long. Pleasure Way makes B plus XL that has a Murphy Bed, but I think it is only 22 ft. long. I also like the layout of the Leisure Way Unity with the corner bed because it is permanent.
I thought if I described in more detail how I intend to use my RV, I could get some additional suggestions from the forum. My children and grandchildren live in Los Angeles, CA, Mission Beach, CA, Boston, MA, New York City, Woodstock, NY, and Westminster/Broomfield, CO. I have additional family/friends in Naples, FL, Chapel Hill, NC, and Bisbee, AZ. with the exception of Bisbee and Woodstock, boondocking would be impossible because of parking restrictions. Usually, you can park an RV on the street legally for three nights or 72 hours (if the person you are visiting buys the permit for around $3 a day.) My daughter, who lives in Mission Beach, says there are vans without permits that simply change parking spots and seem manage not to get a citation. Buts street parking is a problem that I need to take into consideration since my goal is to visit family for a week or ten days (sometimes longer). In beachfront areas like Mission Beach, large urban areas, and even in suburbs like Westminster/Broomfield, I will need to park my RV on the street, if possible, and use it as my vehicle. That is the reason I thought that a low-profile Class B would be a better choice. But then I have to consider the long distance travel from one destination to the next, and I intend to take my time between coasts, stopping for a week or month at a time in one place if it suits my fancy. For that reason a larger motorhome makes sense. After all, the journey is what I look forward to, almost as much as seeing my grandchildren. To be more clear, I don't plan to put lots of miles per month on the RV, or drive straight through to a destination. There may be periods of many weeks when I stay in an RV park. But there also may be periods of many weeks when I live with family members. However, I most definitely want to be able to camp or boondock in the state and national parks whenever possible, and that is not possible in a large motorhome. So choice of RV size is a conundrum.
Fuel, propane, and water capacity are also things I had never considered before posting on this forum. What are the minimum capacities you would recommend for full time RVing? Constantly refueling and/or dumping does not sound like much fun. And what kind of amperage or battery life might you recommend? How long should I consider running a generator to heat or cool if, for example, I am parking at Walmart overnight? I've heard people say it is cheaper to stay overnight in an RV park than run a generator for eight hours.
Living in Oklahoma, I can tell you that the future of the oil business is looking bleak. The daily earthquakes here (3.2 just this morning less than 30 miles from me) are not helping. The federal government is, after three years, finally taking notice. It could be payback time for oil companies in terms of fines and the costs of litigation. How all this will affect fuel prices, I can't say. But cost of gasoline and diesel is always a concern. That said, are solar panels a good investment? Sorry for asking so many questions. There should be an RV college.
Most people think I am insane at my age to consider selling all my possessions and moving into an RV that will also serve as my car. Am I crazy? I prefer smaller living spaces, and I don't need "stuff," so I have no qualms about sizing down to the bare minimum. And I like my own company so spending time alone doesn't concern me. Most RV's are the same size as the "tiny homes" that are so popular right now, and I love those. What terrifies me is not staying overnight in a Wal-mart parking lot, but waking up one morning to find I have made a horrible mistake, that I can't possibly afford the RV life, and am broke homeless. Are there others out there who are my age, share my limited financial resources, and are making single full-time RVing work? I am an English tutor and writing coach with skills I can take with me on the road to bring in additional income. I would also like to do some volunteer work when the opportunities present themselves. I need solid, honest, advice from someone who has been where I am and successfully, or unsuccessfully, made the transition. This is one of the biggest decisions I will ever made in my life with dozens of people waiting for me to fail so they can say, "I told you so." Many thank you's in advance for reading my post.
UPDATE: NOVEMBER 11, 2015
Last night, I shared my idea of RVing full time with my 13-year-old grandson, and he thought it was "wicked." (Which means I have his overwhelmingly enthusiastic approval.) Still haven't discussed it with his parents. But I am "amped" (another of his words), and can't wait to get this ball rolling. I have revised a lot of my original plans, thanks to your kind comments and suggestions. I've been looking at Class C motorhomes, as well as, B plus RVs. I cannot imagine being able to handle anything more than 30 ft long. Pleasure Way makes B plus XL that has a Murphy Bed, but I think it is only 22 ft. long. I also like the layout of the Leisure Way Unity with the corner bed because it is permanent.
I thought if I described in more detail how I intend to use my RV, I could get some additional suggestions from the forum. My children and grandchildren live in Los Angeles, CA, Mission Beach, CA, Boston, MA, New York City, Woodstock, NY, and Westminster/Broomfield, CO. I have additional family/friends in Naples, FL, Chapel Hill, NC, and Bisbee, AZ. with the exception of Bisbee and Woodstock, boondocking would be impossible because of parking restrictions. Usually, you can park an RV on the street legally for three nights or 72 hours (if the person you are visiting buys the permit for around $3 a day.) My daughter, who lives in Mission Beach, says there are vans without permits that simply change parking spots and seem manage not to get a citation. Buts street parking is a problem that I need to take into consideration since my goal is to visit family for a week or ten days (sometimes longer). In beachfront areas like Mission Beach, large urban areas, and even in suburbs like Westminster/Broomfield, I will need to park my RV on the street, if possible, and use it as my vehicle. That is the reason I thought that a low-profile Class B would be a better choice. But then I have to consider the long distance travel from one destination to the next, and I intend to take my time between coasts, stopping for a week or month at a time in one place if it suits my fancy. For that reason a larger motorhome makes sense. After all, the journey is what I look forward to, almost as much as seeing my grandchildren. To be more clear, I don't plan to put lots of miles per month on the RV, or drive straight through to a destination. There may be periods of many weeks when I stay in an RV park. But there also may be periods of many weeks when I live with family members. However, I most definitely want to be able to camp or boondock in the state and national parks whenever possible, and that is not possible in a large motorhome. So choice of RV size is a conundrum.
Fuel, propane, and water capacity are also things I had never considered before posting on this forum. What are the minimum capacities you would recommend for full time RVing? Constantly refueling and/or dumping does not sound like much fun. And what kind of amperage or battery life might you recommend? How long should I consider running a generator to heat or cool if, for example, I am parking at Walmart overnight? I've heard people say it is cheaper to stay overnight in an RV park than run a generator for eight hours.
Living in Oklahoma, I can tell you that the future of the oil business is looking bleak. The daily earthquakes here (3.2 just this morning less than 30 miles from me) are not helping. The federal government is, after three years, finally taking notice. It could be payback time for oil companies in terms of fines and the costs of litigation. How all this will affect fuel prices, I can't say. But cost of gasoline and diesel is always a concern. That said, are solar panels a good investment? Sorry for asking so many questions. There should be an RV college.