Interesting Time Lines on Taking the full time plunge... - RV-Dreams Community Forum

cheryls-other-half · RV-Dreams Family Member

Interesting Time Lines on Taking the full time plunge...

BiggarView · RV-Dreams Family Member

minus two hurdle: Wake up from previous coma(what you were dreaming/living before you discovered the RV way.) biggrin biggrin biggrin

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

I have to give you my utmost respect!!......to start out your dream and at the most in-oppertune time have to pass thru the RV valley of darkness on Mayhem highway......let no-one ever say you dont have to go thru a little bit of hell to get to RV heaven!!!!.............

your COW should have to file a flite plan , you 2 must be floating 2 miles high on relief!!!!!!!

cherylbrv · RV-Dreams Family Member

I'm actually real scared now - about learning how to drive the thing, especially making tight turns!!!

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

If you think your scared while driving........ask Mitch how he REALLY feels with you behind the wheel!!!!! biggrin biggrin confuse biggrin biggrin ...LOL

BiggarView · RV-Dreams Family Member

Lucky Mike wrote:
If you think your scared while driving........ask Mitch how he REALLY feels with you behind the wheel!!!!!...LOL

I don't think Mitch is alone in that department.... just sayin' biggrin

WestWardHo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Mitch,

Hope in all this turmoil you've managed to score some orange rubber cones and scouted a very large nearly empty parking lot very near your current location so you can have sellers drive your rig there so you can spend hours & hours practicing.

A tip for a 5th wheel, don't start your right turn until your right shoulder is equal to the curb on that side. Then turn hard. Second tip, do only right turns! 😄

Remember, forget all the other people, take it as slow as you need to. Not meaning to ignore other objects or cars, just don't let anyone push you and if you need to stop and get out and look, do it.

Sherry

el Rojo and Pam · RV-Dreams Family Member

Rule #2. I don't back up unless Pam is behind the rig watching.

Red

cherylbrv · RV-Dreams Family Member

el Rojo and Pam wrote:
Rule #2. I don't back up unless Pam is behind the rig watching.

Red

Pam - are you going to travel with us now? confuse blankstare

RickandJanice · RV-Dreams Family Member

Mitch and Cheryl, great advice already given by others. Also remember that 5th wheels turn tighter than bumper pull (tag along) trailers. So always cut as wide a possible when making a turn and watch the inside trailer wheels in the mirror. I can also assure you that a longer trailer like yours will be much easier to back since you can see where the wheels and tail end of the trailer are going much easier than on short trailers but do not back up unless you can see each other in one of the mirrors. Practice, practice, practice.... You will do fine!

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

All good advice so far, so let me add a bit more. Begin to practice now in doing a walk-around inside the coach, insuring that things are stowed where they should be and no stepladders (ask me how I know) are between the kitchen slide and the kitchen counter. Insure that no obstructions are between the foot of the bed and the dresser.

Also, practice a walk around outside, getting to know the proper appearance of where things are. Then, when you get ready to travel, after hooking up do a walk-around looking under the coach and on top (antenna up?) as well as all the windows to insure that they are closed. Believe it or not, I've seen an RV traveling down the road with his electrical cord dragging behind. (Personally, considering that guy's driving, I wonder if alcohol was involved.)

Jo will first do her thing inside the coach and do her walk-around and then I'll go inside and do my own. I'll also do a walk-around on the outside at least twice, which will also involve MAKING SURE that the fifth wheel hitch has latched around the pin and the pin box is flat on the fifth wheel hitch. Then the two of us will check to see that the tail, brake, and turn signal lights work.

Terry

BiggarView · RV-Dreams Family Member

cherylbrv wrote:
el Rojo and Pam wrote:
Rule #2. I don't back up unless Pam is behind the rig watching.

Red
Pam - are you going to travel with us now?

Red, you are apparently now only allowed to use pull thru sites. Cheryl & Mitch seem to have plans for Pam. No backing for you!!!! biggrin biggrin biggrin

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

LOL, learning to drive the rig was something I never factored into our timeline, didn't do that until we had been gone for about 9 months and then Sherry (WestwardHo) inspired me to get my act together and help Dale with the driving.

Another example of a timeline:
August 2011 - decided to downsize, never thought that would mean full time RV'ing
March 2012 - started full time RV research
September 2012 -RV Dreams Rally
December 2012 - bought the 5th wheel
Jan 2013 - Ordered the truck
Jan 2013 - started the house updates / purging
Feb 2013 - Purging, repairing, painting, etc. etc.
Mar 2013 - Plan B, Plan C on the truck
Mar 2013 - first online estate sale
Apr 2013 - home inspection, repairs made
Apr 2013 - Finally got our truck, Dale picked up the truck then the 5th wheel
Apr 2013 - brought the rig home, finally, after a 7 day delay due to issues with the 7 pin hitch, then the hydraulic landing gear and finally having to take the southern route back to WA due to snow in the Rockies.
April 2013 - moving sale
May 2013 - House finally on the market, 5 days, 5 offers, sold 5% higher than listing price
June 28, 2013 - first closing date, came and went due to issues with buyer
July 14, left our driveway for the last time, thinking we were closing on the 15th
July 2013 - 3 different closing dates, finally closed July 18th, funds not available until the 19th
July 19, 2013 - DEBT FREE, truck and 5'ver paid off, finally FREE!!

We are almost at the one year point of our freedom and absolutely loving life on the road despite taking Dale's business and my full time job with us, logistics planning has taken on a whole new meaning, but LIFE IS GOOD!!!

BiggarView · RV-Dreams Family Member

Cheryl & Mitch, Dale & Ruth, love it. Puts your whole experience into an interesting nutshell. Gonna start one of our own.

step one... let me think biggrin I'll get back to you on it.

mylittledogs · RV-Dreams Family Member

Make sure all your outside compartment doors are shut an locked. When cars pass you blowing the horn an giving hand signal they are not always happy for you! (Camp fire story ).

Kenny & Frances

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Brian - just keep in mind that as you start thinking about your timeline, there is no right way to full time and there is no one "right" path to getting there. One of the couples we met at the Rally in Sept 2012 sold their house immediately after the Rally, purged in record time and were on the road before we even ordered our truck. Obviously it takes most of us a bit more time than that. However, for those with a longer time line, all I can say is it is never to early to purge, purge early, purge often, you won't believe how much stuff you have.

BiggarView · RV-Dreams Family Member

Already doing that. All my model trains will be the hardest to let go of. Cindi is already transferring our music to the hard drive, the garage is more spacious than it once was but we have a long way to go. We also have a lot of time to right size our stuff. When we look at replacement items in the S&B we have an eye to how they fit or be used in the RV we decide to get. It's kind of fun, this "dance". The tempo will pick up, if the real estate market here in IL picks up significantly, that being said I can definitely see signs that it is. Most of the foreclosed homes in our neighborhood have been sold and Trulia, Zillow and eAppraisal have all raised our estimated market value by over 20% in the last 18 months, so we are hopeful there as well. Juggling the IRAs and 401k's with the future pension income will ultimately determine our start date. Fingers crossed it will be sooner than 2019 but then when we first started down this path our initial projection was 2022, so the yardsticks have already moved forward 3 years.... Go team! smile

-- Edited by biggaRView on Wednesday 25th of June 2014 11:00:38 AM

spadiva · RV-Dreams Community Member

Definitely different timelines for different people - ours is below

April 10, 2014 - had the first serious conversation about not waiting for retirement to hit the road - and pretty much decided to go for it.
April 12, 2014 - got the buy in from 15year old to home school for a year
April 2014 - started purging the STUFF!
May 14, 2014 - put the house on the market
May 15, 2014 - Got a contract above asking price
May 2014 - Hubby built Storage building at our rent house (where my parents live)
May 25, 2014 - Found and Bought the perfect RV for us (Teenager has his own bathroom - yeah!!!) - no truck to pull it - so it is 3 hours away at brothers house
June 28-July 2 - Moved stuff to long term storage, RV pile, the dump or goodwill
July 2, 2014 - closed on the house
July 3, 2014 - Money funded - Truck purchased
July 7-10, 2014 - Concrete for RV put down at Rent house
July 11, 2014 - Pick up RV and hit the road for the first of a few small trips - wrapping up some medical stuff for hubby and then.....

August 15 - Date for planned departure of first long trip - plan is to be out full timing for 2 and 3 month stints with 2 week breaks in between at home base.

The Junkman · RV-Dreams Family Member

spadiva wrote:
Definitely different timelines for different people - ours is below

April 10, 2014 - had the first serious conversation about not waiting for retirement to hit the road - and pretty much decided to go for it.
April 12, 2014 - got the buy in from 15year old to home school for a year
April 2014 - started purging the STUFF!
May 14, 2014 - put the house on the market
May 15, 2014 - Got a contract above asking price
May 2014 - Hubby built Storage building at our rent house (where my parents live)
May 25, 2014 - Found and Bought the perfect RV for us (Teenager has his own bathroom - yeah!!!) - no truck to pull it - so it is 3 hours away at brothers house
June 28-July 2 - Moved stuff to long term storage, RV pile, the dump or goodwill
July 2, 2014 - closed on the house
July 3, 2014 - Money funded - Truck purchased
July 7-10, 2014 - Concrete for RV put down at Rent house
July 11, 2014 - Pick up RV and hit the road for the first of a few small trips - wrapping up some medical stuff for hubby and then.....

August 15 - Date for planned departure of first long trip - plan is to be out full timing for 2 and 3 month stints with 2 week breaks in between at home base.

Lol.. I thought I made a fast decision..Have Fun!

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

January 5, 2003 we were driving north in Oregon, heading home in Washington from a one month RV trip to Southern California and decided to go fulltime.
July 9, 2003 we completely moved out of the house and spent our first night as fulltimers.
September 20, 2003 we were in Henderson Harbor NY when we got the call the house sale had closed.

It has been too long to fill in the rest of the details, but tomorrow will be our 11 year anniversary as fulltimers.

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Bill & Diane - congrats on 11 years of FT'ing! People like you inspire the rest of us that this really can be a fantastic long term nomadic life!!!!!

Neil and Connie · RV-Dreams Family Member

el Rojo and Pam wrote:
Rule #2. I don't back up unless Pam is behind the rig watching.

Red

With a Radio…

And I can see her in the mirror…

And she's talking into the radio…if I can no longer hear her talking then I couldn't hear her yell STOP so I stop.

At this point, after 2 years of practice…she mostly talks and keeps me from running into something. I've gotten reasonably good with backing into spaces without "start turning now" or "straighten out" as I can see most of that.

Rule #3. GOAL. Get Out And Look. I never back into a space until I've done that just so I have a better feel for where the picnic table, fire ring, utility pedestal, and trees are.

Rule #4. Always park straight in the site even if you have to go back and forth a couple times more to do it…keeps you from looking like a rookie (at least in theory).

Neil and Connie · RV-Dreams Family Member

The Junkman wrote:
spadiva wrote:
Definitely different timelines for different people - ours is below

April 10, 2014 - had the first serious conversation about not waiting for retirement to hit the road - and pretty much decided to go for it.
April 12, 2014 - got the buy in from 15year old to home school for a year
April 2014 - started purging the STUFF!
May 14, 2014 - put the house on the market
May 15, 2014 - Got a contract above asking price
May 2014 - Hubby built Storage building at our rent house (where my parents live)
May 25, 2014 - Found and Bought the perfect RV for us (Teenager has his own bathroom - yeah!!!) - no truck to pull it - so it is 3 hours away at brothers house
June 28-July 2 - Moved stuff to long term storage, RV pile, the dump or goodwill
July 2, 2014 - closed on the house
July 3, 2014 - Money funded - Truck purchased
July 7-10, 2014 - Concrete for RV put down at Rent house
July 11, 2014 - Pick up RV and hit the road for the first of a few small trips - wrapping up some medical stuff for hubby and then.....

August 15 - Date for planned departure of first long trip - plan is to be out full timing for 2 and 3 month stints with 2 week breaks in between at home base.

Lol.. I thought I made a fast decision..Have Fun!

First thought about doing it in Feb of 11 and went to H&L's rally in TN to check it out. Went on a 1 month rental class C trip Oct 11. Decision made in Oct 11. House on market and rig on order Feb 12. On the road July 12. Total for us was 18 months from original thought to on the road but really it was only about 9 months of serious git er done time.

Dog Folks · RV-Dreams Family Member

Try this time line on:

May 15--Place the house of the market

June 02,--Offer accepted, full price, cash, with one caveat: 1. Possession shall take place in 13 days.

At this point we only know that we want to full time. NO RV at all.

Have garage sale. Only one weekend to do so. Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry,. Give away what is left.

Buy truck for tow vehicle. Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry,.

Buy Travel trailer. Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry,.

Take delivery on both, place items we are going to take inside. Equip truck for towing. Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry,.

Close on house June 15. Pray,Pray, Pray.

We made it through it all. What an experience! Especially when you consider that, when we started, we planned a full year to make the transition.

In a way, the rush did not allow us to get sentimental over "stuff." All our stuff quickly went to one of four places: 1. A little went with us. 2.A lot went to our son. 3. Some went to the garage sale. 4. The rest was given away.

30 days from placing the house on the market to full time living!!

.

cherylbrv · RV-Dreams Family Member

Awesome, Joe and Debbie!!!

Would you consider a long term hotel or short term apartment while you continue your research for the perfect home on wheels? That shouldn't have to be a decision rushed into.

BiggarView · RV-Dreams Family Member

Dog Folks wrote:
Try this time line on:

May 15--Place the house of the market

June 02,--Offer accepted, full price, cash, with one caveat: 1. Possession shall take place in 13 days....

...Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry,....

Close on house June 15....

...30 days from placing the house on the market to full time living!!

.

Not going to happen for me. I take too long to make decisions, Cindi will attest to that confuse ... (must be the Taurus in me... if you believe that stuff, I don't)

I'd be a basket case if I went that fast. biggrin biggrin biggrin biggrin

Brian

-- Edited by biggaRView on Saturday 12th of July 2014 08:08:35 AM

Dog Folks · RV-Dreams Family Member

cherylbrv wrote:
Awesome, Joe and Debbie!!!

Would you consider a long term hotel or short term apartment while you continue your research for the perfect home on wheels? That shouldn't have to be a decision rushed into.

Actually, never thought of that. Probably would not have worked as we had three large dogs at the time.

We have been weekend and vacation campers for over 30 years, so like teenagers, we thought we knew everything!

Looking back at that time, my wife and I both laugh hysterically at our naivete.

We were more than just lucky. The trailer I researched, at the last minute, turned out to be un-workable. (We have an special needs adult with us to consider.)

The trailer we did buy, we have lived in for eight years now, so I guess, it suits us well. It is not perfect, but it is comfortable.

That time was nothing but a "blur," but we made it. Probably would not change it if I had the chance. We have never been so excited and exhausted at the same time!

-- Edited by Dog Folks on Saturday 12th of July 2014 09:11:18 AM