We have been reading this forum for a couple of months now and getting lots of great info from all the members. I thought it was time to say 'hello' and join in the discussions. We are hoping to buy our first motor home sometime this year, if we can find our perfect fit, or as near to perfect as we can get in our budget
Jay is retired AF, 23 yrs active duty, mostly as a wing historian. He now works as a civilian doing the same job, he loves it and is coming up on 6 years. We are stationed at Charleston AFB in SC. I am currently not working, so I am doing most of the research and reading a lot of full-timers blogs.
Our oldest Son is in the Navy and stationed in HI, he is married (no kids) so we don't see him often. Our youngest Son left home in August last year to go to college, unfortunately, he passed away in November in his dorm room from Ketoacidosis, a condition caused by his juvenile diabetes. His passing came as a shock to all of us as he had very good control of his disease.
I don't mention our loss to make anyone reading this uncomfortable or to gain sympathy, but to explain why we have decided to 'follow our dream' of full timing in an RV, we had always planned on doing this after Jay had retired (for the 2nd time) from his civilian job in another 14 years, but we realised that we just never know what will happen from one day to the next, we want to spend our days, however many we have, doing what we will be happy doing together. Right now, Jay is deployed in Afghanistan until early May, he volunteered to go because it will enable us to pay off most of our debt much sooner than we were doing, We will have a set income after he leaves his current position and we are aware that we will probably have to do some work-camping to save money, or try and come up with some other way to increase income, but we are looking forward to the freedom and independence we will have on the road
For now, we will keep up on the research and try to be as informed as we can in preparation of the 'big day'. I can't wait and would be happy to start the day he gets home, but 'the sensible one' has to know that our finances are in order first
Thank you to everyone that contributes to this Forum, you help so many people just like us, to know that we are not crazy or that we can come here if things get a little overwhelming and ask the same questions that I am sure have been asked 100's of times before! Also, A big thank you to Howard and Linda! You have been so kind to us, we really appreciate you
Take care all and drive safe, huggs Kim x
Jim01 said
02:58 PM Feb 1, 2012
Welcome to the forum!
Hope all your plans go well. Keep following that dream.
And, No, you're not crazy
Jim
Terry and Jo said
03:14 PM Feb 1, 2012
Allow me to welcome both of you to the forums. Also, I'd like to offer thanks to Jay for his service to our country, and thanks to you for being in support of a serviceman.
Have fun researching and looking. Take your time and you will be surprised at how much there is to learn.
Terry
Yonnie said
04:30 PM Feb 1, 2012
Welcome aboard. You have picked to right place to come for information.
Thank you and Jay for your service to our country. And to thank your son for his service. Many veterans are part of this forum. Sometimes we forget the wives who run the family and pay the bills while husbands and sons sit on the wall protecting all of us.
Hope we see you folks on the road.
Yonnie
USMC 67-73
JayKim-no regrets said
06:34 AM Feb 2, 2012
Thank you for the welcomes! Ok, here's my first question (I know, allready huh?) As retired military, are there any particular memberships that offer more benefits? for example RV camps/State parks etc? Also, which memberships (eg: America the beautiful) would you recommend as worth the yearly subscription? Thank you, Jay and Kim x
Yonnie said
04:20 PM Feb 2, 2012
I haven't come across anything specific. If you google military campgrounds you can join their forum but in general this forum seems to be one of the most informative. If you are 62 or older, you can get a 50%off camping fees at national parks.
There are probably folks on this forum more familiar with the question than I am.
Good luck
PIEERE said
04:27 PM Feb 2, 2012
First of all: Welcome! I heard some retired vets speak of: Famcamps on military installation. And Thank You Jay for your Service! There is also: Passport America and Camp Club USA; For a rate of about $40.00 YR., they offer up to 50% off campground fees. You can also look into: Allstays.com, Free Campgrounds.com and Free Campsites.net. Just do a search and browse can come up with a lot of info on campgrounds and employ there. Workamper News has a bunch of info. Escapees.com is a Texas based site that has much info. Hope this helps! Happy Planning! Pieere
JayKim-no regrets said
10:53 PM Feb 2, 2012
Thank you guys:) Appreciate the thanx for service, but honestly, it was a duty of love! Woouldn't have missed it for the World
Won't be eligible for the age benefits for some time, I am still a young 'un I guess for retirement, (Jay is 48 this year!) But ready to have some freedom and enjoy life
We have been making a few notes on different makes/models of motorhomes, so will be back with questions on those...Should probably think of posting those in an older thread huh. Thanx again, Jay and Kim
FT Dreamin said
02:45 AM Feb 3, 2012
Welcome! We are fairly new at this ourselves but already loving it! You couldn't have picked a better time to purchase a MH as there are great deals out there to be had. Start emptying the S&B now as time will fly!
JayKim-no regrets said
06:27 AM Feb 3, 2012
Thanx FT Dreamin
I am making lists!! I am actually in California at the moment (this is kim) I'm helping Jays folks get their house ready and packed, they are moving into a 55+ community next month. After I am done here, I am off to Canada to stay with some good friends. Trying to stay busy and with company, until Jay gets home in May:) Once Jay gets home, We will be 'downsizing' at home and sorting through all the 'stuff'. I really don't want to pay for storage! Kim x
Waggin Tails said
05:01 AM Feb 7, 2012
JayKim, Welcome to the forum. As you already know, the folks here are friendly and very knowledgeable about the lifestyle. It all starts with a dream, then a plan. As your start date gets closer, the clock will tick faster then you can imagine.
JayKim-no regrets said
02:50 AM Feb 8, 2012
Thanx guys:) I am making a list (hubby laughs at my lists, but we would be lost without them!) We are cutting down the makes/model of DP we want to purchase, top of the list is an Allegro bus:) I have found a few used ones reasonably priced, but we do intend on having an 'expert' check them over before any handover of the green stuff! From my research, the tiffin has a great reputation and so tends to have a higher re-sale price than a lot of other DP's, of the same year/length etc. Is it worth the extra cost to buy the Tiffin? Also, i'm looking at the options on several DP's, for example, Cummins Chassis, is 300 or above a good idea for minimum? Generator, min 550? Fresh water tank 100+? We also would like solar panels, is it better to go for one with them allready fitted, is that a big expense to add them? Other question is, average yearly mileage, I realise this differs a lot depending on previous owners travel habits, but is there an average that would be too high say a 2000 built, that has over 70,000 miles on it? Or because it's a tiffin would you accept a higher mileage?
Any comments would be appreciated:) We have decided now that when hubby gets back from his deployment in May, we will start getting rid of our 'stuff' and after we find our perfect home on wheels, we are going to move onto the base famcamp, until we have paid off all our debts, then we will be off on our travels! We can stay on base for up to two years, so we have plenty of time to get used to the new living space and also take a few trips for hubby to get used to handling it:)
grobpilot said
03:57 AM Feb 24, 2012
Good afternoon everyone,
I introduced myself on another thread recently and see a couple of familiar names. My name is Martin and my wife is Tracy. Thanks all, for the warm welcome.
A little bit about the two of us: I grew up in California and went into the Coast Guard in 1977 at 18, stayed for 24 years and retired as a Chief Petty Officer. Saw a good bit of the country and liked most of what I saw. Tracy was a military brat whose dad was in the Air Force in the '60's and '70's. She lived overseas a lot, in England and France and has seen a lot more of the world than I have. So, both of have a little bit of an itch to move around and see things. We both have children from previous marriages but none together and that suits us fine.
Tracy and I are really taking stock of what we want to do with our future. I think one of the most difficult things to do will be to pare down our belongings. We have grown children to whom most of it will go and much of what remains will either be donated or sold. No matter how we do it, it's going to be a challenge.
I have found, however, that once I start getting rid of stuff, I can go overboard very quickly and dispose of stuff I maybe shouldn't have. But I haven't replaced any of it, either. So, I guess I really didn't need it.
I did some basic figuring based on some of the information that Howard has posted on what it will cost to support this endeavour and just plugging in my own numbers. As I'd mentioned before on the other thread, it will be about three years before we buy the vehicles (5th and TV) but several more years before we really start motoring around. We'll remain in SoCal, working full time and getting them paid off. But, we'll be living in the RV, occasionally traveling and getting the bugs worked out.
So, at first glance, it is workable and that's encouraging. I have numerous scraps of paper, cardboard and envelopes scattered around the house (and at work) covered with notes I make on all the information I find as I read through different forums and websites. Maybe I'll organize it one day......
Anyway, I look forward to talking with all of you over the next few years as we ramp up for this. It should be interesting.
Yonnie said
06:12 AM Feb 24, 2012
Greetings. Welcome aboard. I think shedding our past collection of STUFF seems to be one of the biggest issues. We decided to start downsizing but have no clue where to start. We plan on a condo and extended travel so we can have some solid base because of being close to grand kids. We will probably look to sell some of our furniture along with the house. Only about three or four pieces have sentimental value. Dresser where diapers were changed on our girls ( now 38 and 41) and an old rocking chair that was used to sqeek and helped them fall asleep. But can't figure out what to do with 100 lbs of photos. Current thought is move them to CD.
Let us know how you handle the downsizing.
Welcome
Hi there
We have been reading this forum for a couple of months now and getting lots of great info from all the members. I thought it was time to say 'hello' and join in the discussions. We are hoping to buy our first motor home sometime this year, if we can find our perfect fit, or as near to perfect as we can get in our budget
Jay is retired AF, 23 yrs active duty, mostly as a wing historian. He now works as a civilian doing the same job, he loves it and is coming up on 6 years. We are stationed at Charleston AFB in SC. I am currently not working, so I am doing most of the research and reading a lot of full-timers blogs.
Our oldest Son is in the Navy and stationed in HI, he is married (no kids) so we don't see him often. Our youngest Son left home in August last year to go to college, unfortunately, he passed away in November in his dorm room from Ketoacidosis, a condition caused by his juvenile diabetes. His passing came as a shock to all of us as he had very good control of his disease.
I don't mention our loss to make anyone reading this uncomfortable or to gain sympathy, but to explain why we have decided to 'follow our dream' of full timing in an RV, we had always planned on doing this after Jay had retired (for the 2nd time) from his civilian job in another 14 years, but we realised that we just never know what will happen from one day to the next, we want to spend our days, however many we have, doing what we will be happy doing together. Right now, Jay is deployed in Afghanistan until early May, he volunteered to go because it will enable us to pay off most of our debt much sooner than we were doing, We will have a set income after he leaves his current position and we are aware that we will probably have to do some work-camping to save money, or try and come up with some other way to increase income, but we are looking forward to the freedom and independence we will have on the road
For now, we will keep up on the research and try to be as informed as we can in preparation of the 'big day'. I can't wait and would be happy to start the day he gets home, but 'the sensible one' has to know that our finances are in order first
Thank you to everyone that contributes to this Forum, you help so many people just like us, to know that we are not crazy or that we can come here if things get a little overwhelming and ask the same questions that I am sure have been asked 100's of times before! Also, A big thank you to Howard and Linda! You have been so kind to us, we really appreciate you
Take care all and drive safe, huggs Kim x
Welcome to the forum!
Hope all your plans go well. Keep following that dream.
And, No, you're not crazy
Jim
Allow me to welcome both of you to the forums. Also, I'd like to offer thanks to Jay for his service to our country, and thanks to you for being in support of a serviceman.
Have fun researching and looking. Take your time and you will be surprised at how much there is to learn.
Terry
Ok, here's my first question (I know, allready huh?) As retired military, are there any particular memberships that offer more benefits? for example RV camps/State parks etc? Also, which memberships (eg: America the beautiful) would you recommend as worth the yearly subscription?
Thank you, Jay and Kim x
Hope this helps! Happy Planning! Pieere
Appreciate the thanx for service, but honestly, it was a duty of love! Woouldn't have missed it for the World
Won't be eligible for the age benefits for some time, I am still a young 'un I guess for retirement, (Jay is 48 this year!) But ready to have some freedom and enjoy life
We have been making a few notes on different makes/models of motorhomes, so will be back with questions on those...Should probably think of posting those in an older thread huh.
Thanx again, Jay and Kim
I am making lists!! I am actually in California at the moment (this is kim) I'm helping Jays folks get their house ready and packed, they are moving into a 55+ community next month. After I am done here, I am off to Canada to stay with some good friends. Trying to stay busy and with company, until Jay gets home in May:) Once Jay gets home, We will be 'downsizing' at home and sorting through all the 'stuff'. I really don't want to pay for storage!
Kim x
Welcome to the forum. As you already know, the folks here are friendly and very knowledgeable about the lifestyle. It all starts with a dream, then a plan. As your start date gets closer, the clock will tick faster then you can imagine.
I am making a list (hubby laughs at my lists, but we would be lost without them!) We are cutting down the makes/model of DP we want to purchase, top of the list is an Allegro bus:) I have found a few used ones reasonably priced, but we do intend on having an 'expert' check them over before any handover of the green stuff! From my research, the tiffin has a great reputation and so tends to have a higher re-sale price than a lot of other DP's, of the same year/length etc. Is it worth the extra cost to buy the Tiffin?
Also, i'm looking at the options on several DP's, for example, Cummins Chassis, is 300 or above a good idea for minimum? Generator, min 550? Fresh water tank 100+? We also would like solar panels, is it better to go for one with them allready fitted, is that a big expense to add them? Other question is, average yearly mileage, I realise this differs a lot depending on previous owners travel habits, but is there an average that would be too high say a 2000 built, that has over 70,000 miles on it? Or because it's a tiffin would you accept a higher mileage?
Any comments would be appreciated:)
We have decided now that when hubby gets back from his deployment in May, we will start getting rid of our 'stuff' and after we find our perfect home on wheels, we are going to move onto the base famcamp, until we have paid off all our debts, then we will be off on our travels! We can stay on base for up to two years, so we have plenty of time to get used to the new living space and also take a few trips for hubby to get used to handling it:)
Good afternoon everyone,
I introduced myself on another thread recently and see a couple of familiar names. My name is Martin and my wife is Tracy. Thanks all, for the warm welcome.
A little bit about the two of us: I grew up in California and went into the Coast Guard in 1977 at 18, stayed for 24 years and retired as a Chief Petty Officer. Saw a good bit of the country and liked most of what I saw. Tracy was a military brat whose dad was in the Air Force in the '60's and '70's. She lived overseas a lot, in England and France and has seen a lot more of the world than I have. So, both of have a little bit of an itch to move around and see things. We both have children from previous marriages but none together and that suits us fine.
Tracy and I are really taking stock of what we want to do with our future. I think one of the most difficult things to do will be to pare down our belongings. We have grown children to whom most of it will go and much of what remains will either be donated or sold. No matter how we do it, it's going to be a challenge.
I have found, however, that once I start getting rid of stuff, I can go overboard very quickly and dispose of stuff I maybe shouldn't have. But I haven't replaced any of it, either. So, I guess I really didn't need it.
I did some basic figuring based on some of the information that Howard has posted on what it will cost to support this endeavour and just plugging in my own numbers. As I'd mentioned before on the other thread, it will be about three years before we buy the vehicles (5th and TV) but several more years before we really start motoring around. We'll remain in SoCal, working full time and getting them paid off. But, we'll be living in the RV, occasionally traveling and getting the bugs worked out.
So, at first glance, it is workable and that's encouraging. I have numerous scraps of paper, cardboard and envelopes scattered around the house (and at work) covered with notes I make on all the information I find as I read through different forums and websites. Maybe I'll organize it one day......
Anyway, I look forward to talking with all of you over the next few years as we ramp up for this. It should be interesting.