Welcome all your comments on living in an RV

[ChrisHubner]

I am new to this RV forum and at the moment a very long standing caravanner. Looking to escape the Rat Race, sell the house and live in an RV. I would appreciate any thoughts, ideas, considerations. Currently have class 1 heavy goods so licensing or size isn't an issue. Many thanks  Chris Hubner, Tamworth.UK

 

[donn]

Is this plan for living in the UK or the USA?  Wll make a great deal of difference.  Not many RV's are designed or capable of staying warm in northern climate winters.  This does include the UK.  Unless you have an unlimited supply of heating fuel of some sort it can be very expensive to keep warm.  There are many many people who full time on this side of the ocean.  But probably 99% of those people travel to warm climates during the cold months.  Basically following the sun all year.  Those people find that living can be fragile or extragavant depending on how much money they want to spend.  Staying for a month or so I one place is a wonderful way to explore an area, see the sites and still have your own bed to sleep in.  Staying for a year or more in one place trying to save money?  Not sure it is possible.

 

[Marsha/CA]

Chris I'm moving this discussion to the "Fulltiming" section where you will probably get more responses and information.

Marsha Lassen
Staff

 

[Kim (skyking4ar2) Bertram]

We have been fulltiming in a Class A motorhome for over two years, and that makes us youngsters compared to many.

Our winters have gone to as low as 10 degrees Fahrenheit, but that is not comfortable for us for extended periods and consumes a great deal of energy, both electricity and propane.

Like many, we try to find moderate weather and move to accommodate that, going north and west from our native South in the summers and reversing for colder weather.

As far as "living" in an RV, it's just a small space. My apartment in Germany when I was in the military was not much larger. But where you are makes a difference, and I would think that is even more so in Europe. But we have all the comforts of home and we get to move it wherever and whenever we like.

Help us a bit and tell us whether your intentions are to be on your side of the pond or ours. I think it makes some difference.

 

[bertnspike]

If UK, you can't depend on the weather being tolerable even in Cornwall in January.  Keeping warm and reasonably dry may be difficult.  I've been there in December when it was sunny and lovely, only to have it turn into a hard winter within 24 hours.  Southwestern Ireland is more likely to have higher temperatures in the winter, but not much better I would think.

If the pocketbook is able, you may want to look at some high end German coaches.......  JMHO

Susan

 

[Jim Dick]

Hi Chris,

We have been full timing for almost 16 years. We even still talk to each other, mostly in civility.  ;D ;D ;D

We do move from location to location during the year to stay in warm climates. We are in a 40' motor coach with one slide that provides, for us, a very pleasant living condition. I hardly ever think about moving to a "real" home and only do when I think I'd like to hang some of my photographs to enjoy.

One must buy into the lifestyle in order to feel comfortable in a full timing situation. If you like to move about visiting various locations and learning about the history, or just enjoying the sights, then full timing can be very rewarding. One of the best parts is if you get tired of your backyard view or your neighbors are not pleasant, which is very rare, then you can move. 

As of this point in time, I don't think either of us would want to give it up. We own a lot in Florida where we spend most of our winters. For 13 years, I had a part time job in Connecticut working for an RV dealership. It was a fun job and i learned a lot about RVs. Now, for the past three summers, we have worked at Yellowstone National Park. Another very rewarding job which, if I had known about it years ago, I might have started sooner!

I'm not sure what opportunities are available to you in the UK but I'll bet you can find a way to enjoy the RV lifestyle.