My wife and I are hoping to be on the road in the next 12 months. But life has a way of getting in the way sometimes. Our initial plan was to go full time for a year and then at the end of that time, examine our experiences and thoughts to decide where to go from there. We have also considered a new sticks and bricks house on a lake and just snow birding for the winter in our RV to nice areas of the country.
I know lots of people have done both and everyone's circumstances are different..ie Grand Kids, Kids locations, etc... It would be nice to hear peoples thoughts, experience, decision processes and advice anyone would have on these thoughts. Everyone's story is different and it would be nice to hear about everyone's adventures on this topic.
Barbaraok said
10:16 AM Jun 17, 2016
We now spend our winters in Mesa, AZ in a Park Model and travel in the motorhome in the summer, following 9+ yrs of fulltiming. As long as we can still manage our coach, we will do this and at some future time when the body doesn't want to handle waste holes, electrical cords, water hoses, etc., just spend all year in AZ.
ToddandHeather said
01:07 PM Jun 17, 2016
Heather and I have had many discussions about this very thing during our time on the road.
Right now, we enjoy the journey just as much as we enjoy arriving at our many destinations. We can't imagine a time where we wouldn't have the desire to go explore "whatever is over that next hill." However, we know (be it 10, 20 or 30 years down the road) we may decide to rotate through our favorite places - changing latitudes when the seasons do their thing. To that end, we have started to develop a list of locations (both geographic and campground specific) where we would simply love to spend 5 months out of the year. Currently on our list, we have two northern locations (for summer - The Black Hills of South Dakota and The Eastern Shores of Lake Michigan) and two southern locations (for the winter months - Key West, Florida and Tucson, Arizona). Of course, all this could change in a heartbeat if we stumbled onto the perfect location located somewhere we have yet to discover.
So, while we do have a plan (for when Father Time finally does catch up with us), that plan could change - tomorrow, next week, next month or and hour from now. And that is exactly what we love about this lifestyle.
Pick exactly the life you want. Then, Go out and live it!
Neil and Connie said
03:25 PM Jun 18, 2016
We chose not to have a S&B any more…we snowbird in the rig in North Fort Myers for 5 months then travel the rest of the year. Our long term plan was to eventually get a condo/apartment in Fort Myers area and a smaller rig for some 2-3 month travel sessions. With Connie's recent detached retina and the likelihood that it will never be as good as it was before the detachment…combined with her only having visibility in 1 eye even before the detachment…then we may have to reevaluate.
At this point we're just getting rid of our car and will just have the truck and the New Horizons…will probably get a junker to use in Fort Myers and just store it at the park there while we travel. We'll travel as per our normal routine for summer 2017…and see how her vision holds up on traveling. Not really planning to stop our current travel style at this point…just realizing that it might have to change depending on her ability to see things. She can see to get around the rig and things like that…but can't drive, can't (currently but she hasn't gotten new glasses post detachment yet) read menus in restaurants and can't see much of the view from gorges/waterfalls/whatever at this point.
We're hoping things improve and we'll be able to continue…and won't make any knee jerk permanent changes…but this detachment thing has shown us that (even though we already knew it) health may be fleeting and the ability to do what we do might get affected by circumstances beyond our control.
On the 'home base or not' question…it really comes down to whether you want to do it and can afford it…it's more expensive to maintain a home you only use in the nice weather seasons and travel in the RV during winter…but then as H&L always see…there ain't any wrong way to do this full timer thing (or part time full timer thing or whatever you want to call it). Do what makes sense, what you want to do, and what you can afford. What we like most about it is the ability to go places, see things, drink different beers, and meet different people. Whether that will still be fully possible…or need to be modified…well, we'll figure that out and do what we need to do when we need to do that.
-- Edited by Neil and Connie on Saturday 18th of June 2016 03:26:57 PM
Barbaraok said
12:11 AM Jun 19, 2016
This spring we had to have the hydraulic pump replaced on our motorhome. Sounds simple, except it comes from England so it was overall a month to get it shipped, installed, etc. Instead of spending time in a repair facility back lot, we were able to stay in our park model and enjoy our extra month in the sun.
bjoyce said
09:43 AM Jun 19, 2016
Neil: Sorry to hear about Connie. Eyesight is precious.
For many years we did not "Winter", not settling in one location for more than one month in winter. That has changed.
After many years we have settled on two locations for the winter, the same park as Barbaraok in Mesa and the same park as Neil and Connie in North Fort Myers, since they are good campgrounds and these people are our friends. We find 3 months works well for us, leaving 9 months for travel.
Be careful, our plan was to fulltime for 2 to 5 years and that was in 2003. We are still fulltiming.
Big Mike said
10:03 AM Jun 20, 2016
Thanks for all the responses. I have a friend that has a boat and uses that to winter on and other people I know that go abroad and rent for three months in places like Ecuador and Panama. Seems like there are so many different ways to do it. What I am hearing from most people is to just get going and hang loose, relax and enjoy the day. Things will be come much clearer as you spend the time on the road.
Right now we are just focusing on getting the hell out of here and getting rid of this house, stuff, and hitting the road. One step at a time as they say but its tough being patient. Today we RV every other weekend with last week being in Door County WI. Wow !. Just makes us want to forget the house, jump in and go. But, there is a time for everything.
Terry and Jo said
11:28 PM Jun 20, 2016
Jo and I are different from most everyone else here. We moved into our RV back in 2011 and have lived in it full time since then. In 2014, we both retired and moved from Oklahoma City to Colorado, partly to be near her sisters, and partly to be in Colorado in the winter. 20 months there, and now we've moved to Oregon and will be here for at least a year, perhaps longer. By staying in one place for a longer period of time, two things are happening that helps us financially. We aren't spending a lot of money for travel expenses with the RV, and we are able to see more of the attractions in the area where we are.
We planned it this way, to spend longer periods of time and once we feel we've seen all we want in a particular area, then we move on to another area and start exploring.
When the time comes that we can't do this, we'll likely just rent something, somewhere...who knows where. No rush on that part.
Terry
Neil and Connie said
01:18 PM Jun 21, 2016
Thanks Bill…we're just happy that it still sort works and she has some sight to get around with…it coulda been a lot worse and we're still hopeful that new glasses might help some more; she's got more appointments for that and we'll get to the Bascomb Eye Institute once we get back to Fort Myers on Sep 1.
Camper Chronicles said
06:41 PM Jun 21, 2016
Big Mike wrote:
Right now we are just focusing on getting the hell out of here and getting rid of this house, stuff, and hitting the road. One step at a time as they say but its tough being patient. Today we RV every other weekend with last week being in Door County WI. Wow !. Just makes us want to forget the house, jump in and go. But, there is a time for everything.
Those last few months were totally brutal. To be 100% committed, as prepared as you can be, and still wait because you are at the mercy of other people is super tough. I will recommend though that you try to find something to do with the time that you might not want to do later. I spent our last winter making everything electronic for example, or you could research routes, make a detailed list of places to visit..something that you might not have time for later when you are out doing stuff all the time :) Wish you well and the waiting will come to an end eventually :)
My wife and I are hoping to be on the road in the next 12 months. But life has a way of getting in the way sometimes. Our initial plan was to go full time for a year and then at the end of that time, examine our experiences and thoughts to decide where to go from there. We have also considered a new sticks and bricks house on a lake and just snow birding for the winter in our RV to nice areas of the country.
I know lots of people have done both and everyone's circumstances are different..ie Grand Kids, Kids locations, etc... It would be nice to hear peoples thoughts, experience, decision processes and advice anyone would have on these thoughts. Everyone's story is different and it would be nice to hear about everyone's adventures on this topic.
Heather and I have had many discussions about this very thing during our time on the road.
Right now, we enjoy the journey just as much as we enjoy arriving at our many destinations. We can't imagine a time where we wouldn't have the desire to go explore "whatever is over that next hill." However, we know (be it 10, 20 or 30 years down the road) we may decide to rotate through our favorite places - changing latitudes when the seasons do their thing. To that end, we have started to develop a list of locations (both geographic and campground specific) where we would simply love to spend 5 months out of the year. Currently on our list, we have two northern locations (for summer - The Black Hills of South Dakota and The Eastern Shores of Lake Michigan) and two southern locations (for the winter months - Key West, Florida and Tucson, Arizona). Of course, all this could change in a heartbeat if we stumbled onto the perfect location located somewhere we have yet to discover.
So, while we do have a plan (for when Father Time finally does catch up with us), that plan could change - tomorrow, next week, next month or and hour from now. And that is exactly what we love about this lifestyle.
Pick exactly the life you want. Then, Go out and live it!
We chose not to have a S&B any more…we snowbird in the rig in North Fort Myers for 5 months then travel the rest of the year. Our long term plan was to eventually get a condo/apartment in Fort Myers area and a smaller rig for some 2-3 month travel sessions. With Connie's recent detached retina and the likelihood that it will never be as good as it was before the detachment…combined with her only having visibility in 1 eye even before the detachment…then we may have to reevaluate.
At this point we're just getting rid of our car and will just have the truck and the New Horizons…will probably get a junker to use in Fort Myers and just store it at the park there while we travel. We'll travel as per our normal routine for summer 2017…and see how her vision holds up on traveling. Not really planning to stop our current travel style at this point…just realizing that it might have to change depending on her ability to see things. She can see to get around the rig and things like that…but can't drive, can't (currently but she hasn't gotten new glasses post detachment yet) read menus in restaurants and can't see much of the view from gorges/waterfalls/whatever at this point.
We're hoping things improve and we'll be able to continue…and won't make any knee jerk permanent changes…but this detachment thing has shown us that (even though we already knew it) health may be fleeting and the ability to do what we do might get affected by circumstances beyond our control.
On the 'home base or not' question…it really comes down to whether you want to do it and can afford it…it's more expensive to maintain a home you only use in the nice weather seasons and travel in the RV during winter…but then as H&L always see…there ain't any wrong way to do this full timer thing (or part time full timer thing or whatever you want to call it). Do what makes sense, what you want to do, and what you can afford. What we like most about it is the ability to go places, see things, drink different beers, and meet different people. Whether that will still be fully possible…or need to be modified…well, we'll figure that out and do what we need to do when we need to do that.
-- Edited by Neil and Connie on Saturday 18th of June 2016 03:26:57 PM
This spring we had to have the hydraulic pump replaced on our motorhome. Sounds simple, except it comes from England so it was overall a month to get it shipped, installed, etc. Instead of spending time in a repair facility back lot, we were able to stay in our park model and enjoy our extra month in the sun.
For many years we did not "Winter", not settling in one location for more than one month in winter. That has changed.
After many years we have settled on two locations for the winter, the same park as Barbaraok in Mesa and the same park as Neil and Connie in North Fort Myers, since they are good campgrounds and these people are our friends. We find 3 months works well for us, leaving 9 months for travel.
Be careful, our plan was to fulltime for 2 to 5 years and that was in 2003. We are still fulltiming.
Thanks for all the responses. I have a friend that has a boat and uses that to winter on and other people I know that go abroad and rent for three months in places like Ecuador and Panama. Seems like there are so many different ways to do it. What I am hearing from most people is to just get going and hang loose, relax and enjoy the day. Things will be come much clearer as you spend the time on the road.
Right now we are just focusing on getting the hell out of here and getting rid of this house, stuff, and hitting the road. One step at a time as they say but its tough being patient. Today we RV every other weekend with last week being in Door County WI. Wow !. Just makes us want to forget the house, jump in and go. But, there is a time for everything.
Jo and I are different from most everyone else here. We moved into our RV back in 2011 and have lived in it full time since then. In 2014, we both retired and moved from Oklahoma City to Colorado, partly to be near her sisters, and partly to be in Colorado in the winter. 20 months there, and now we've moved to Oregon and will be here for at least a year, perhaps longer. By staying in one place for a longer period of time, two things are happening that helps us financially. We aren't spending a lot of money for travel expenses with the RV, and we are able to see more of the attractions in the area where we are.
We planned it this way, to spend longer periods of time and once we feel we've seen all we want in a particular area, then we move on to another area and start exploring.
When the time comes that we can't do this, we'll likely just rent something, somewhere...who knows where. No rush on that part.
Terry
Thanks Bill…we're just happy that it still sort works and she has some sight to get around with…it coulda been a lot worse and we're still hopeful that new glasses might help some more; she's got more appointments for that and we'll get to the Bascomb Eye Institute once we get back to Fort Myers on Sep 1.
Those last few months were totally brutal. To be 100% committed, as prepared as you can be, and still wait because you are at the mercy of other people is super tough. I will recommend though that you try to find something to do with the time that you might not want to do later. I spent our last winter making everything electronic for example, or you could research routes, make a detailed list of places to visit..something that you might not have time for later when you are out doing stuff all the time :) Wish you well and the waiting will come to an end eventually :)
Take Care,
Trace