We’ve taken the first big step in becoming Full Time RVers. We’ve put our house on the market and moved into our 40-foot Alpine Coach. I must admit, I won’t feel like a true Full Timer until our house is sold and we no longer have a base.
But for now, we’re pretty doggone close!
We’ve been talking about doing this for years and finally put things into motion and we’re excited.
You may be asking why I have two blogs on this website. Well, there’s an easy answer. Since most of my family and friends are not RVers, they are only interested in where we are and what we’re doing. Although they may be curious about some of the RVing issues, they won’t be interested in the details.
So this blog is for them. I will cover our journey and talk about where we’ve been, where we’re going, and what we do along the way. I’ll also be sharing lots of pictures. Of course everyone is welcome to read this blog. But if you are more interested in the RVing aspect of our trip, then feel free to move along to the RVers blog. That’s where we’ll get into some of how to do things and how not to do them.
Thanks for joining us on our trip. We’re happy to have you aboard.
Hi, we used to own an rv and sold it, miss it so. we are actively looking for our perfect rv again.. kinda suck between the Tiffin Allegro 36 LA adn the Winnebago 38Q Adventurer… Still looking for the best deal as well.. We often think daily of full timing… is it normal in the beginning to go back and forth with your decision? Should we rent out our house before we sell it and what if we dont like it. so many questions and I cant seem to make a definite decision! We follow a few blogs, you and Mike and Cat from LIFEREBOOTED.COM It seems that we are missing the part where they are making ends meet..Everyone seems to have fun, and it seems like a awesome way to see the country, almost like room service day to day, I want so bad to try this, but I am scared… Are these normal feelings? Did you ever feel you made a mistake? Do you ever have the want to go back to a house? Would love to hear your take on it…thanks for the oportunity!
Hi Rory and Steve,
Yes, it is a difficult decision. We have friends that have been doing it for 10 and 12 years and are loving it. Never looked back. They sold everything. One couple has now made the decision to settle down due to health reasons and are in the process of deciding where and what they should buy. They’ll have to buy all new furniture.
If you have doubts, want to eventually come back to the area where you live now, and really like the house you’re in for the longer term, then you might consider renting or leasing it out. The question then becomes, do you want to store your furniture or leave it for the renters. More for you to thing about…sorry.
From a financial standpoint, what we found was staying in one place longer when discounts are offered was less expensive than traveling a lot and only staying in a place for a few nights at a time. Some parks offer weekly or monthly rates. Fuel has come down a little, especially since summer is over, but it’s still high. When we first bought our rig 12 years ago, I believe diesel was $1.50. Quite the contrast to the near $4.00 now. We have a 100 gallon tank so you can imagine the feeling every time we fill it up.
Unfortunately, RVing is not cheap and it’s good that you are looking at that before you make the leap. As I mention in another post, we wanted to downsize houses anyway and this was a good time for us to sell and travel, so that was the basis for our decision. We stored the furniture we wanted to keep but got rid of a lot too. We knew the next house would be smaller. I didn’t want to start all over again with purchasing furniture. I felt the cost of storing it was better than buying everything new. Besides, we like what we have.
Everyone’s situation is different, so the best I can do is share what worked for us. It may not work for you. If you can try it for a few months before you go full time, maybe you’d get a feel for how comfortable you are with it. Good luck!
Good for you and congrats!
Were actually doing the same thing, bought a new Thor Tuscanny 40 ft Class A and will go traveling for a year. (my retirement gift to us). We really want to keep our home so we decided to lease it out and have it managed while were away. This way, it will be there when we decide to settle down again, the lease will pay for the new Class A as well as traveling expenses and the house will increase in value while were away.
We will be starting our adventure in early November….WooHoo!!!
Congrats on your retirement Roger. Best wishes for you and your wife on your journey. We wanted to downsize anyway, so decided to sell the house before hitting the road. If you can hang on to yours and have it pay your way…good for you! Keep me posted on your travels. What are your plans so far?