Hi,
I'm new to this forum, but it looks like a great source of info with a lot of great folks!
I have a consulting job which requires me to travel most weeks. I usually fly out Monday and home Thursday nights. The clients really don't care where I'm coming from, so I'm thinking this could work with a mobile lifestyle, pre-retirement.
I could either stay near an airport in the RV, or even drive to a location near my current client if it's somewhere my wife and I would like to go.
Any thoughts on why this would or wouldn't work?
Technomadia said
12:34 AM Mar 21, 2012
I think that's an awesome idea :) A former sweetie of mine had a job similar to that, and we seriously contemplated RVing as a result - as my job is location independent (software developer).
One of the nomads to check out would be Ben & Karen - http://www.digitalmastery.com . They've been full timing for many years, and Ben is a Photoshop instructor who flies out regularly for his seminars. They find a safe place to park their RV for Karen to stay in near the airport he's booked out of. And sometimes they happen to be nearby and just drive there.
The only difficulty they face is knowing far enough in advance where they're headed to know which airports to book out of.
I don't have to do site visits as often in my business, but sometimes we'll just include our clients on our route, or sometimes I'll fly out as needed.
- Cherie
Bill Adams said
01:51 AM Mar 21, 2012
We have been running our business from our RV since 2002 once a full time internet connection (satellite internet) became available to the RVer. Today you should be able to get by with great success with an air card and a bit of planning to ensure you don't have to park where a signal does not exist. With as little information as you have provided I am guessing that this would work just as well for you as it has for us over the last 10 years. We love being on the road and we love getting to our new location just as much as we look forward to where we are going to land next!
Spiderman said
01:57 AM Mar 21, 2012
Cherie, thanks for the encouragement!; Bill, I agree, it sounds workable. As you guessed, I am either at a client site or working from home, so as long as I have a phone and an Internet connection I'm good.
rclvnv said
12:24 AM Mar 22, 2012
Hi & Welcome. Our situation may be of interest to you and provide some answers. I am a forensic expert witness, which means I provide opinions, give depositions & testify in court,all over the US, although I base in Las Vegas, where we had a house which we sold last year, to go F/T. My new cases come from past clients, but also increasingly from web listings of experts and published directories. We are in a nice park close to the airport here for much of the year, but each summer we are on the road for three months. We use a Verizon Mi-Fi card, and have Verizon Android phones. As I get lots of legal documents electronically, the air card does the trick. If something must be faxed the RV park has a fax,also the UPS Store we use for mail & as our address, has a fax, which number I use on my letterhead. When I get anything of a package or thick envelope nature, the UPS Stroe sends me a txt message. When we are away I call them and they fwd whatever I want to the nearest UPS Store to where I am, or to the campground, if they accept mail or overnite. For example, last July when in D.C.,I got a lot of documents,which they sent to the campground in Maryland. Later on in the trip, when we were in Texas, I got a call from an attorney telling me I needed to testify in court in Los Angeles, earlier than expected. Found a great place to stay outside of San Antonio, flew to L.A., testified, came back, and we continued our trip. My clients all know we full-time, and we now expect to end our other business based here so we will be free to get on the road. I have a trial in Philadelphia in Oct. Plan (always subject to change) is to be in Maryland near daughter in D.C. at that time. Client will actually benefit, as a ticket on the Metroliner from D.C to Phila, will cost them less that airfare from Vegas & back would have been. I have cases in Fla, right now too, and if possible and if they go to trial, I'll try to be near,visiting another daughter on the West Coast of Fla. If not I'll fly from where I am. Clients don't mind at all.They get what they want from me. instant and constant contact and service when they need it. The key is the "subject to change" aspect. You can make the technology and logistics work, you just have to be able to deal with the "subject to change" aspect. At least that is how it has worked so far....... Hope this helps.
Richard
Spiderman said
12:35 AM Mar 22, 2012
Richard, That sounds great, and is very similar as you suggested to how I see this working for us. I have a phone that can "tether" to my computer for wireless internet if there is no wifi around, and the other services are readily available as long as I'm not Boondocking it or something.
Thanks!
-Doug
TXRVr said
04:01 PM Mar 23, 2012
About a year before I retired, my job in the organziation changed to where travel was required a couple times a month for a week at a time. For locations that were within a couple days drive, I took the RV. It was about half the cost of flying/hotel/resturant/car rental. Since my employer was footing the expense bill, and saving about 50% when I used my rig, they didn't mind me taking an extra day of travel. I was also a much happier employee because I didn't have to hassle with commercial transportation modes and I got to come home every night to my own food and bed.
Over55 said
03:23 AM Mar 24, 2012
I think you are being smart to continue to keep a revenue flow coming in while going F/T. My wife and I were out of debt (good idea too) but I continue to teach online for various universities. All I really need is to have a good Internet connection for a few hours each day. It has taken all the pressure of adapting to this new life. Good luck with your journey.
I think that's an awesome idea :) A former sweetie of mine had a job similar to that, and we seriously contemplated RVing as a result - as my job is location independent (software developer).
One of the nomads to check out would be Ben & Karen - http://www.digitalmastery.com . They've been full timing for many years, and Ben is a Photoshop instructor who flies out regularly for his seminars. They find a safe place to park their RV for Karen to stay in near the airport he's booked out of. And sometimes they happen to be nearby and just drive there.
The only difficulty they face is knowing far enough in advance where they're headed to know which airports to book out of.
I don't have to do site visits as often in my business, but sometimes we'll just include our clients on our route, or sometimes I'll fly out as needed.
- Cherie
With as little information as you have provided I am guessing that this would work just as well for you as it has for us over the last 10 years. We love being on the road and we love getting to our new location just as much as we look forward to where we are going to land next!
Hi & Welcome. Our situation may be of interest to you and provide some answers. I am a forensic expert witness, which means I provide opinions, give depositions & testify in court,all over the US, although I base in Las Vegas, where we had a house which we sold last year, to go F/T. My new cases come from past clients, but also increasingly from web listings of experts and published directories. We are in a nice park close to the airport here for much of the year, but each summer we are on the road for three months. We use a Verizon Mi-Fi card, and have Verizon Android phones. As I get lots of legal documents electronically, the air card does the trick. If something must be faxed the RV park has a fax,also the UPS Store we use for mail & as our address, has a fax, which number I use on my letterhead. When I get anything of a package or thick envelope nature, the UPS Stroe sends me a txt message. When we are away I call them and they fwd whatever I want to the nearest UPS Store to where I am, or to the campground, if they accept mail or overnite. For example, last July when in D.C.,I got a lot of documents,which they sent to the campground in Maryland. Later on in the trip, when we were in Texas, I got a call from an attorney telling me I needed to testify in court in Los Angeles, earlier than expected. Found a great place to stay outside of San Antonio, flew to L.A., testified, came back, and we continued our trip. My clients all know we full-time, and we now expect to end our other business based here so we will be free to get on the road. I have a trial in Philadelphia in Oct. Plan (always subject to change) is to be in Maryland near daughter in D.C. at that time. Client will actually benefit, as a ticket on the Metroliner from D.C to Phila, will cost them less that airfare from Vegas & back would have been. I have cases in Fla, right now too, and if possible and if they go to trial, I'll try to be near,visiting another daughter on the West Coast of Fla. If not I'll fly from where I am. Clients don't mind at all.They get what they want from me. instant and constant contact and service when they need it. The key is the "subject to change" aspect. You can make the technology and logistics work, you just have to be able to deal with the "subject to change" aspect. At least that is how it has worked so far....... Hope this helps.
Richard
Thanks!
-Doug
About a year before I retired, my job in the organziation changed to where travel was required a couple times a month for a week at a time. For locations that were within a couple days drive, I took the RV. It was about half the cost of flying/hotel/resturant/car rental. Since my employer was footing the expense bill, and saving about 50% when I used my rig, they didn't mind me taking an extra day of travel. I was also a much happier employee because I didn't have to hassle with commercial transportation modes and I got to come home every night to my own food and bed.