We've been looking at 55 plus communities and will be selling both our houses within the next year or two, the other day we got into a discussion about going on the road for a while before we make any decisions.
We're both retired and now do arts and craft festivals to supplement our income and as something we both love to do.
Currently we go out for a few weeks at a time in a 31 foot travel trailer then return to "home base". This last weekend at a show we ran into two different couples that full time AND do arts and craft festivals. Now we're seriously looking at full timing, it seems like the perfect situation.
My approach is going to just go out for longer periods at first, see how we enjoy it and if we want to continue, see what our needs are then go for a larger rv (5th wheel).
We have family and others to watch the houses until they are sold so its not a major plunge, just more of a slide!
Has anyone else approached full timing this way?
TRAILERKING said
01:25 PM Jun 25, 2014
Well at least you're slidin'............
pheasantplucker said
01:39 PM Jun 25, 2014
I had it in the back of my mind for years, now I think she's more onboard with it than I am!
Terry and Jo said
06:08 PM Jun 25, 2014
Joe,
I can't specifically say that I know anyone in particular that has done this. However, on at least two different forums, I have heard comments from others that there are folks that do a "part-time/full-time" lifestyle to try things out. In those cases, it varies as to the viability of the lifestyle for everyone. If you're not fully on-board with the full-timing idea, at least it is a start to see what you like.
We used to have a member here (bubbadan) that had initially sold his camper because his wife always complained about RV'ing when they went camping. Then, while planning to go on a church mission trip to south Texas for building/rebuilding homes, his wife brought it up that "maybe another trailer would be OK so that she wouldn't be sleeping in strange beds all the time on linens that she didn't know how well they were cleaned."
After the went and got another trailer, she began to start planning on new campgrounds, state parks and other places to go check out.
Whatever you do, enjoy it. If it doesn't work out for you, at least she had a little time at the lifestyle. Who knows, in the end, she may decide against it as well. The RV/camper could still be used for weekly or monthly outings or traveling to "outlying places" for other "shows."
Terry
The Junkman said
06:17 PM Jun 25, 2014
I plan to pick stuff to sell on ebay... and sell handmade and china made stuff at events nationwide..Including craft shows..
I know its doable.. Though I am not doing it yet..
Im sure many , many people do it.. all over.
NWescapee said
09:47 PM Jun 25, 2014
My husband is an artist, we were traveling up to 25% of the year for his art shows in our 29 ft TT. We got tired of missing the best part of the year in Seattle (summer) to travel, having to come home and deal with the yard, etc. So we at first decided to downsize so we could more easily travel.
Well, that lead to not being able to decide on the right location for our next home which eventually lead to FT RV'ing. Been on the road almost a year, up until 2 weekends ago every art show we did between Oct of 2013 and May of 2014 were new to us, and it worked out. It was actually a little strange to return to a location where the patrons knew us 2 weeks ago. It's so nice to be able to follow the nice weather and to try to avoid the worst weather for shows, we managed to go just over a year without a show in the rain until 2 weeks ago, figured our drought would end some time and it did, with a very soggy, Western WA weekend.
WestWardHo said
05:58 AM Jun 26, 2014
Pheasant plucker,
We went full time with no exit plan. We sold our home because we wanted to be truly free and not worry. We thought we might find somewhere along the way that we would want to put down roots.
Lucky Mike can give you all the advice you might need about working craft shows.
You have the best of all worlds and great options so go for it!
Sherry
pheasantplucker said
05:03 PM Jun 30, 2014
Thanks for all the input everyone! I'm looking forward to the adventure.
Sherry, no problem with the craft show side of things, I've made a living at them for the past 18 years, its the rving side of things that I'm still pretty green on.
Ruth I'm sure we will meet up sometime when we do the same shows.
NWescapee said
10:14 PM Jun 30, 2014
Pheasant Plucker - do you have a show schedule or a website with your show schedule? Will have to see if we can find each other at a show, if you winter in AZ we'll probably be in both Tempe and Tucson, waiting for those shows notifications now.
pheasantplucker said
10:35 AM Jul 1, 2014
NWescapee
We plan on doing Jan, Feb, and March in Az, I have decided just to do smaller shows while down there. Over the years I have done Tempe, Tucson 4th ave, and Fountain Hills a number of times. I got tired of the high fees, high stress, etc of the big shows.
My website is www.jwatkins-art.com. I have my show schedule there.
Do you ave a show schedule published online?
NWescapee said
09:21 PM Jul 1, 2014
Joe - just PM'd you our website. LOL, aren't you also on artfairinsiders.com? I think we've discussed a few things on line in yet a different venue. Small world.
pheasantplucker said
02:24 PM Jul 2, 2014
Yes, I frequent that site also, we run in the same circles!
We've been looking at 55 plus communities and will be selling both our houses within the next year or two, the other day we got into a discussion about going on the road for a while before we make any decisions.
We're both retired and now do arts and craft festivals to supplement our income and as something we both love to do.
Currently we go out for a few weeks at a time in a 31 foot travel trailer then return to "home base". This last weekend at a show we ran into two different couples that full time AND do arts and craft festivals. Now we're seriously looking at full timing, it seems like the perfect situation.
My approach is going to just go out for longer periods at first, see how we enjoy it and if we want to continue, see what our needs are then go for a larger rv (5th wheel).
We have family and others to watch the houses until they are sold so its not a major plunge, just more of a slide!
Has anyone else approached full timing this way?
Joe,
I can't specifically say that I know anyone in particular that has done this. However, on at least two different forums, I have heard comments from others that there are folks that do a "part-time/full-time" lifestyle to try things out. In those cases, it varies as to the viability of the lifestyle for everyone. If you're not fully on-board with the full-timing idea, at least it is a start to see what you like.
We used to have a member here (bubbadan) that had initially sold his camper because his wife always complained about RV'ing when they went camping. Then, while planning to go on a church mission trip to south Texas for building/rebuilding homes, his wife brought it up that "maybe another trailer would be OK so that she wouldn't be sleeping in strange beds all the time on linens that she didn't know how well they were cleaned."
After the went and got another trailer, she began to start planning on new campgrounds, state parks and other places to go check out.
Whatever you do, enjoy it. If it doesn't work out for you, at least she had a little time at the lifestyle. Who knows, in the end, she may decide against it as well. The RV/camper could still be used for weekly or monthly outings or traveling to "outlying places" for other "shows."
Terry
I know its doable.. Though I am not doing it yet..
Im sure many , many people do it.. all over.
Well, that lead to not being able to decide on the right location for our next home which eventually lead to FT RV'ing. Been on the road almost a year, up until 2 weekends ago every art show we did between Oct of 2013 and May of 2014 were new to us, and it worked out. It was actually a little strange to return to a location where the patrons knew us 2 weeks ago. It's so nice to be able to follow the nice weather and to try to avoid the worst weather for shows, we managed to go just over a year without a show in the rain until 2 weeks ago, figured our drought would end some time and it did, with a very soggy, Western WA weekend.
We went full time with no exit plan. We sold our home because we wanted to be truly free and not worry. We thought we might find somewhere along the way that we would want to put down roots.
Lucky Mike can give you all the advice you might need about working craft shows.
You have the best of all worlds and great options so go for it!
Sherry
Sherry, no problem with the craft show side of things, I've made a living at them for the past 18 years, its the rving side of things that I'm still pretty green on.
Ruth I'm sure we will meet up sometime when we do the same shows.
We plan on doing Jan, Feb, and March in Az, I have decided just to do smaller shows while down there. Over the years I have done Tempe, Tucson 4th ave, and Fountain Hills a number of times. I got tired of the high fees, high stress, etc of the big shows.
My website is www.jwatkins-art.com. I have my show schedule there.
Do you ave a show schedule published online?