My Fulltiming Plan...Need Advice

[billyk]

Hello

Like many of you I have become sick of work and being tied down.  I have done alright for my self in the last 6 year, and am ready to sell my house, get an rv(diesel 34-37 footer).  I've been thinking about this for some time, but I am now 25 and my insurance will be much more manageable.  I would like to live full time on the road.  I plan on taking a friend with me and we will split the costs.  For a small income I had a few ideas...the main one being video editing on the road.  I assume many others like yourself take photos or video of where you've been...I would like to take your video/photographs, edit it, and place them on DVD/VHS so you can send back to the family or just keep for yourself.  I also have an extensive music collection to which we can put over your videos if you like.  We could also duplicate your videos if you like to make copes for yourself as well as your family(you may not want to send your originals as they can get lost of damaged).

You may be thinking that is the most useless and silly idea(and i really do want to hear anything you have to say about it) but I haven't been able to find anyone else that does this, and I would really enjoy it.  You may also be wondering how I'm going to have this equipment in the RV....that's already taken care of.  The time it would take to just convert one hour of video to DVD would only be an hour, and editing wouldn't take long either.  I also understand not everyone on the road is going to have bread to throw to us, so the services will be VERY reasonable(10$ an hour for duplication...camcorder tapes-->DVD including media, 20$ and hour for editing, etc.).  I have a DVD/CD duplicator which can make 10 copies in no time at all.  I also am going to make a dynamic website with information not only about what we do, but our adventures. 

I have already gone into more detail then I anticipated, but I'm really excited about this and would like some feedback from some RVers. 

I have a few other ideas if this is way out in left field, but this is exciting for me.

also...seeing as how I am rather young...can you see any problems I could run into.  I understand a huge problem will be life experience, but  I hope to think I've picked up a few things along the way...and how do you imagine other RVers will take to us?  Please keep in mind we are not a bunch of wild kids...

have fun everyone and take care

bk

if anyone out there could take a few minutes to answer some questions for me as well...I would be greatful


Thanks again

 

[Steve CDN]

Billy,

Your plan is fascinating!? As long as you can figure out a way to suppport yourself in your full time plan,? then do it while RVing is still within reasonable grasp.? Costs of RV's and fuel are climbing while the pressure on existing RV parks is increasing.

There is nothing about this lifestyle that cannot be learned in a reltively short period of time, and you have made the first important step which is to ask experienced RVers for input.?

A resourceful person can easily make an income while travelling and there are many ways it can be done.? Many of our Forum members should have some interesting suggestions.

I recall one young couple in their late twenties/early thirties who were fulltiming, attending every RV rally they could schedule and did window tinting on people's RV's and cars during the day.? ?In the evening they put on a fantastic musical performance using Kareoke equipment...but on professional level.? I always admired their ingenuity and talent.

One of our Forum members, Bob Howen whose business is PVP TRAVEL VIDEOS, travels with his wife and produces professional quality, informative and beautiful RV travel videos, intended as a primer for anyone planning a trip to that particular area.

 

[billyk]

That is great!

Thank you for pointing me to his site.  I'm currently a video editor at washington university, so I do have experience in editing as well as computer repair, programming(html, flash, director, sql, php, c, perl), and I do enjoy working.

I will be selling my house so I am not worried about the cost of the RV, I also have some very large photovoltaic cells which I will use as power as well as a windmill which I plan to mount on the roof...and a gererator obviously, but I'd rather not use it.  For fuel I plan to use diesel, but also am looking into biodiesel(which I am still looking into).  I believe I could save a lot of money with just what I mentioned above, and obviously I plan to talk to others and hear what they have done.


Thaks
bk

 

[NTXFLTMR]

Sounds like you have a good plan for a business and having a good hard work ethic won't hurt you.  I will advise you on the type of RV you purchase.  I personally started out with a motorhome and a tow vehicle, and decided within a few months that I didn't have enough room and the motorhome got terrible fuel mileage.  I then traded for a Sunnybrook fifth wheel trailer and a Dodge Ram 6.0L diesel truck.  Much better mileage in the truck and much more room in the trailer.  There's many good manufacturers of 5vr's with a lot more floor plans to choose from.  For what you are wanting to do, you might even want to consider a toy hauler design that has a garage type area in the rear that you could work from.

    I'm taking a trip to British Columbia and Alaska in the summer and I might be interested in your product.  Contact me at [email protected].

David C.

 

[billyk]

Thank you!!!

I've looked at 5th wheels(and still am) but I think I'd rather have a motorhome.  I am definately going to have a toy hauler for(toys) 2 scooter/motorcycles for local transportation, but I do like your idea...almost a second home away home type place...or workshop.  That is a great idea, but If I did do that I don't know that I would have room in the trailer for the scooters/extra storage.  I am a bit worried about the cost of dinodiesel.  If I were to switch to biodiesel(which is basically a small mount of lye, diesel fuel and veggie oil) it would be much cheaper(about 60$ a gallon), but I would have to either produce it on my own or buy it...which could be a pain....BUT one can use one or the other...or a mixture...so if i can find it/make it on the road I could easy save some money....though I hope not to be in the situation where I am that hurt for money...this would just be for saving both money and the enviroment.

My plan for the next year is as follows--->Around nov-dec. finally buy a new home.  At that time I will slowly start moving from my current home to my new home.  I will continue to work and sell my home.  I will be ale to save a fair amount of money.  I will not need to finance my new home nor any of the accessories and will pay any recurring(insurance, park memberships, cell phone, etc) cost I have in one or two year blocks.  I plan on starting our maiden voyage about this time next year, heading out west to see the grand canyon again, visit california, then north to canada? 

more questions....

How did you transition from brick and mortar to wheels?

Banking?  What do you do with cash you have on the road?  Keep it on your person?  I don't expect to have much cash, but what do you do with it?  I know Bank of America has the most branches....also JP Morgan, but other ideas?

Have you had problems with people bothering you while in the RV(i.e. trying to break in)?  Security system?

What about a gun?  I have read many reports that RVers have guns.  I am very against guns would not like to carry one.  I would much prefer to have a stun gun/taser or mace. 

I plan to use my phone for internet access, what are others experience with this?  Reception, Cingular/T-Mobile/Sprint?

Also...are younger people as welcome in RV parks?  I've found a few reports where younger folks are not as welcome.  I understand if we are respectful others should be as well, but I also know different groups can be a bit clichish(not that any of you have been!!)


Thanks again everyone!

bk

 

[NTXFLTMR]

First of all --- I was very surprised that my wife went for fulltiming.  Her usual response to my ideas is quick  in many different forms of no way!!!!  This time she was very quite and peaceful and it was scary because I knew she was thinking about it.  Within days she told me that she liked the idea and after I kept myself from passing out it was full steam ahead with the planning.  About 9 months later we had sold one home and listing the home we was living in and we had purchased the motorhome. We both retired from our jobs and went for it.  It hasn't been a hard transition at all.  Just a matter of getting used to a lot less room. The plus sides of course is less housekeeping an no yard work.  We definitely use bank of america and a debit card - online banking etc. and no more cash on hand than necessary.  We have had no problems at all living in RV parks and getting along with people. No security worries at all. Not even having to watch very many people with a close eye. I'm sure you will hear some different stories, but that's my experience from fulltiming a little more than a year and in about 30 to 40 different towns and RV parks.

David C.

 

[quasi]

BillyK,
Shoot me an E-mail address and I'll send you a spreadsheet with our budget calculations. Let me say that everyone told me that you can't base your budget on someone else's lifestyle and to a certain extent, that's true. What I did was take several budgets from different fulltimers around the country and compare what they did with what I planned to do and made adjustments as necessary. I was amazed at how many full timers would send you their personal expenses just by asking. Some have gone so far as placing the info on their web sites. By looking at their data and giving it a good solid WAG accounting adjustment, we decided that we could do this. As soon as the house sells, we're in the wind. We'll have to work semi-occasionally to keep body and soul together and have done a lot or research? to determine what we'll do. What we found is that there's a ton of ways to make a living on the road. Check out www.workamper.com ? and http://www.webworker.com/rv/rv.home.html
Anyway, my vote is to go for it. Life has a way of working itself out if you're willing to work for it.
quasi

 

[Lorna]

As our friend, Joe Lacey, uses as one of his by-lines, 'Live your dream, life is not a dress rehearsal'.

 

[Tom]

Lorna, that's definitely a great byline that Joe uses. I'd forgotten about in until I read your message.

 

[Ron]

Joe is also the one that says "Eat desert first Life is not predictable" ?;D

 

[deber]

a windmill which I plan to mount on the roof...and a gererator obviously, but I'd rather not use it.  For fuel I plan to use diesel, but also am looking into biodiesel

BillyK, we are looking into biodiesel as well.  NBB (National Biodiesel Board) shows a few new processing plants cropping up (no pun intended) this summer.  It looks promising to me....and if we are really lucky, the price of diesel trucks will go down this summer due to the cost of petroleum.

I'm also fascinated with the windmill idea, although I think solar will work fine for us.  Has a windmill ever been put on an RV before?
deb

 

[Alaskansnowbirds]

I'm also fascinated with the windmill idea, although I think solar will work fine for us.? Has a windmill ever been put on an RV before?
deb

Deb,

I've seen windmills (wind generators) used in conjunction with solar panels a lot at Quartzsite, AZ.

The company I used to work for used a wind generator to supplement solar panels to operate a very remote radio repeater. It worked very well.