Full Timing was a thought, but we chose not to.
I kicked the idea around of Full Timing as we sold our House that we lived in for almost 11 years in San Antonio back during the summer of 2019. At that time we lived in Stone Oak, North San Antonio. I quit working, so I knew cheaper, less gasoline, less miles required for daily living was a must. My little town we currently live in is around 100K so 1 HD, 1 Lowes and couple HEB, Walmart x3 rule the Grocer monopolies down in these parts.
In San Antonio, I had way too Much Gas, Tax, daily miles and HOA ever to think I could comfortably retire there. I also decided to pull the plug on my GS 12 Step 7 Career and celebrate my Quit-ment also 3 weeks shy of my 57th Birthday. Shoe string budgets were my self inflicted reality. I went into it, eyes wide open. I have Military Retirement and TRICARE health insurance for me and my better half, so am able to walk away from it all. I am very fortunate.
BTW, I love been poor and broke!
We had Texas as a possible landing areas when we planned the move full timers was on the table also. I was looking at Phetons and even a Tiffen 34PA when we were really considering that route. Once we decided house and RV it was Class C all the way.
The, “What if I wrecked this”, and I have 2 dogs and a wife, not a lot of Hotel Cash Saved up made me say…Naaaw. Going to have to pass on that idea shortly after it entered my mind.
Being somewhat near a Military installation was really the only must have we had on the board when planning the move for us. Ultimately, I returned to the place where I spent the first 26 years of life. Right here near the Geographic center of Texas (Eden), town I have renamed as Bad Water, at least unofficially in my mind.
Knowing what I know now. BTW, we opted for (Simple Home with custom Concrete Launch Pad, Hail, Sun Protection / RV Steel Port Covered area, No HOA, Small Town, Lower Taxes, and Bad Water) that was the wise choice for me us, carcinogens and all other factors duly noted.
I over plan 100% of everything. I drive me and all the people I love crazy over thinking everything.
A view from my Perch, on the Tree of life. I am just Monday morning QBn here...
This past year of COVID uncertainty... Had I been a Full Timer,
My situation (Unlike-Florida Tom) would have been I would have kicked off the Pandemic with no long term place secured. Right there I would have had the blood pressure up.
The uncertainty of where I would have been staying would have been too much for my mind to deal with. Undoubtedly I would have drove myself crazier than I am.
I would have had the Broken Record playing,.. the constant questions of,
Where can I book and how much is it?
How much gas will I have to burn to get there?
It would have drove me insane. If you are forced to traverse wide open spaces driving a V10 at 7 MPG-ish you need to have somewhat large budget for Gas and ready to pay more for the foreseeable future.
Unless you are prepared to go off grid, I am not, I got 100 watt panel on the roof and two House Batteries currently, without an adequate battery bank and roof top input you are will be forced into somewhat Primitive living.
You better have some power management skills or you going to be killing batteries too, LOL.
Shoe String Budgeters need to think out that reality of working on the road with Borrowed or Leased WIFI floating around in your neck of the woods, so to speak also. Cell phone service is not a Given too.
Because we opted Class C set up, purchased going in we knew were not Full Timing.
Our Class C Tanks are way to small to be Full Timing. 2 Dogs so RV is pretty Full. The walls start closing in at 3 weeks for me and I got to get out of the thing.
I can say 1115 ft house on a 6500 ft city lot feels huge when returning to our spot at the edge of the Desert.
Just like anything giving up the Sticks and Bricks, the situation is different once you are really there. I could not have imagined living in a RV this past week during this cold spell we had either.
The outside Temp in a Class C is almost the inside temp as the roofs are thin. The More Slides you have, I have three (3) the more air draft you are going to have. Slides can be a double edge sword especially if you got one that is inop.
To all those Full Timers or just RVrs out here in Internet land who rode out that cold snap down here in Unprepared for Texas, hope ya’LL rode out the storm unscathed and are doing well.
JD