Are we rv'ing the wrong way? - RV-Dreams Community Forum

The Junkman · RV-Dreams Family Member

Are we rv'ing the wrong way?

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

I think you are getting the impression there is a right or wrong way. There are people who stay in high elevation Arizona (Showlow for example) during summer and low elevation during winter (Yuma for example). That is it, they travel under 1,000 miles a year. Others travel 20,000 or more following a sales circuit. Many part-timers put on the most miles, they zoom out to destinations, back home, then zoom again, thousands of miles a trip with multiple trips a year The fulltimer "averages" I hear are more like 7,000 to 11,000 miles per year. Our low year over 11 years was about 8,000 miles and our high was almost 20,000, but included Alaska. There is no right, wrong, normal, or even common way that I can see.

One of the biggest pluses of fulltiming is the freedom. The freedom to do it your way and not care or worry what others do.

-- Edited by bjoyce on Saturday 20th of September 2014 08:25:43 PM

The Schweitzers on the road · RV-Dreams Family Member

The right way to RV is the way you like it best.

You will find your right way once you are on the road.

Bernd

manycats · RV-Dreams Family Member

When we were full-timers we did it the same way. We would stay for a period of time in one location and either worked or went sightseeing on the areas around us. Then we would move (usually to a different state) and do it all over again. For us, traveling all the time with just short stays was too expensive and we would have missed a lot of things we found by leaving the RV parked while we drove our truck or car around. There's no "best" way, whatever suits you is your right way and yours alone.

pkhalin · RV-Dreams Family Member

Bill,

I think you kinda sorta nailed it, in that you can't really nail it. The truly extraordinary part of this is you can make it work however you want to. I know when we take off next year we have a proposed 'plan', to Winter it out in AZ and then take off from there. Where? No idea at this point. But the other part of the 'plan' was to go and stay some place for about 2 weeks to conserve fuel and then move on. That's based on a lot of input found on these forums. But it may change! To me, it's a pretty crazy concept, to go where ever and whenever you want. But, I'm sure I'll get over it in time. Great anticipation?

soos · RV-Dreams Family Member

Steve,
You should only consider doing it differently if you don't like how you are doing it now.
Did you arbitrarily decide to stay places a month and are getting bored? If so....move.
if you are enjoying yourself.....stay!
We are unusual in that we still average about 25,000 miles a year, which a lot.... but thats the way we like it :)
If we didn't want to move so much.... we wouldn't!

It does take some getting used to the freedom of it, but just pay attention to what YOU want to do.

Sue

Camper Chronicles · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hey Steve,

We are planning on going to a place and staying for awhile to fully explore it then moveon. Plus we will be working and that will impact our moves as well.

It's interesting because there are tons of variation in how often people move. I think budget drives this to a certain extent , plus some people seem to have itchier feet than others.

Trace

SnowGypsy · RV-Dreams Family Member

Of course there is no wrong way but sometimes, when you do it your way, you will get others that might try to convince you that you are doing it the wrong way. Some people, we'll call them less creative, follow the path of others and cannot imagine doing it any other way. Boring!

The Junkman · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks folks.

I'm only 3 weeks in, and am sitting in a spot for a total of 2 mo.. unloading my cargo trailer from vegas.. sorting, and setting up the trailer for our needs.

I guess I ask, cause of the money side maybe, but also ask , for the guys that have been around the country .. Is there really that much to see and do at these places , That justify a month?

Now, I'm sure, if we stick with it, we will become the snow bird type, and nest warm in the winter, and try to be cool in the summer.. That is the easy part to me. I think. I'm sure I will find a bunch of places I will prefer to be.

but for now, it's travel.. see what I can see. See what there is to see.

I'm not sure it's cheaper to stay monthly.. I think it would be more expensive in the long run.. As your food , enertainment, expenses in general for that "leg" has increased.. And the entire adventure time to see it all.. could double or even triple the cost. Hitting a area for a week .. and pulling out.. while the rent is more expensive, unless you are on a program.. which you can be..and not monthly. Every other except fuel remains constant.. so you see more faster, so it should be less expensive.. and then you are done sooner.

It's also hard to define a timeline for a specific area, if I have not been there.. I think That is why I chose the 1 mo timeframe to stay to begin with. Example.. Tampa is next for us .. November. Is a month too long for tampa, too short? I just don't know.. And I think you folks are saying no one can really help with this . . I need to figure it out myself. Makes sense.

I guess the system of travel will have to work it self out in time, as we experience it.

Thanks folks , it's a big help , and lets me know that it's a learn as I go, do what I want to do, change what I want to change... plan. We will continue the Month to month plan.. and see how that goes.

Steve

PIEERE · RV-Dreams Family Member

It's just a matter of testing the waters to see what "Floats Your Boat"! Really; Try the month in Tampa; if you never been there you'll find plenty to do! Try the real boondocking bit when it's not so hard to find available spaces in the Spring and Summer. Join Passport America or a discount RV club that others have tried and tested. I liked State Parks and watched the prices as some are more than commercial rates. AllStays.com and FreeCampsites.Net I frequented a lot when I was actively traveling. Man; there is so much to see and do in this vast land you will never run out of things to do even if the budget is limited. Many will attest to it.

Sushidog · RV-Dreams Family Member

Junkman, I am planning on a similar FT lifestyle as you are, staying about 1/2 the time in inexpensive RV parks with monthly rates (usually at peak temperature times, both hot and cold). However between monthy moves I plan on spending quite a bit of time "off grid" away from the herd, in as remote and beautiful area as possible, moving weekly or bi-weekly as the mood strikes us and weather cooperates with our plans.

That said, if I was single I would get a Mercedes Sprinter van based class B (something that gets 22-25 mpg) with as much solar as will fit on the roof and as much batteries as will fit in the belly, with a small, dual sport motorbike strapped on the back. I would then eliminate CGs almost entirely and boondock nearly full-time, moving weekly or bi-weekly as dictated by whim and weather. One could also choose a similar, highly mobile rig as my current full featured Aliner towed by a high mpg VW diesel car, getting around 30 mpg towing, as one fellow I met uses to tow his Aliner with, while traveling extensively with his DW.

When I was younger, I toured the country on a highly modified 1974 CB750 Honda motorcycle with my EX DW. We carried full camping gear on board and would move either daily or weekly - truly a minimalist lifestyle without even a small trailer to help carry our sleeping bags, tent, campstove and fuel, clothes, tools and spare parts, etc.. That type of lifestyle is pretty tough in foul weather, but we were young, hardy and foolish (some would say reckless) at the time.

Chip

Glenn West · RV-Dreams Family Member

DW and I don't get that option a lot. Some. I still work full time but we also rv full time. So my work dictates where I stay. But I work mostly short jobs. So we do have some time to explore. We have been to Denver CO area. Skied on Aspen. We have went Kite Flying there. Keep looking for more work there. Loved it and want to return. Worked in Northern CA. Loved it. Went Southern CO, couldn't get out of there fast enough. Worked in Virginia. Loved the Blue Ridge Parkway. Ohio area. Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia.

Bill and Jodee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Because we are "gonna-be's" we only think we know what we want to do. We see ourselves staying a minimum of two weeks in any given spot and leaving ourselves the flexibility to stay longer or go earlier. Reservations will likely be necessary in peak areas during peak seasons, and we are hoping to avoid as many as possible. Still, experience may tell a different story.

I catch myself second-guessing every plan we make, researching so many options that it becomes overwhelming. Fortunately I can come to this Forum, read for awhile, comment occasionally, and remember that "no right way" is the mantra of the sane :D

Jodee

soos · RV-Dreams Family Member

Steve,
also, for what its worth, my data says you are wrong about it being more expensive to stay in one place longer.

Our biggest two expenses, by FAR, are diesel and site costs. those both go up hugely when we travel frequently, and decrease when we don't. "sightseeing" gets old after a while for us, so after a week, we aren't paying for as many outings and museums. We don't eat out much but when we move to a new place, we are more tempted to try local restaurants, so our entertainment costs go up.
Pulling out in a week, as you say, doesn't decrease your costs. you are not going "home" from a vacation, you are moving on to another spot, just like the one you left, with the same type of costs associated with it, except you are paying more for site and diesel.

Anyway, thats our experience :)

Sue

The Junkman · RV-Dreams Family Member

soos wrote:
Steve,
also, for what its worth, my data says you are wrong about it being more expensive to stay in one place longer.

Our biggest two expenses, by FAR, are diesel and site costs. those both go up hugely when we travel frequently, and decrease when we don't. "sightseeing" gets old after a while for us, so after a week, we aren't paying for as many outings and museums. We don't eat out much but when we move to a new place, we are more tempted to try local restaurants, so our entertainment costs go up.
Pulling out in a week, as you say, doesn't decrease your costs. you are not going "home" from a vacation, you are moving on to another spot, just like the one you left, with the same type of costs associated with it, except you are paying more for site and diesel.

Anyway, thats our experience :)

Sue

Month to month.. I agree. But in the big picture..I'm not so sure ?

look at it this way.. If you had 100 places to see or do, in 100 different places.. And stopped 1 month at a time.. it would be 100 months before completed, correct..( 8.33 years of rv'ing ) Figure that expense..

Now if you moved everyweek.. while your fuel expenses go up, living expenses per stop, go down.. at 100 stops.. you are complete in 1.92 years. Less than 25% of the original.

I have not ran any real numbers.. I expect once we are up and running.. after florida, we will fall somewhere in the middle. Month in some spots.. Less in others.

Glenn West · RV-Dreams Family Member

some places you want to stay a while. some you can't wait it get out of there. It will all work out. Don't be in a hurry.

The Junkman · RV-Dreams Family Member

Glenn West wrote:
some places you want to stay a while. some you can't wait it get out of there. It will all work out. Don't be in a hurry.

My biggest problem.. is I don't know where to stay a month.. and where not too, I think.

Just need to do more research on the locations, I think..

Florida's kinda easy.. How can you go wrong with a Month on the beach , or tiki bar, fishing or golfing, or what ever, in good weather. lol

TRAILERKING · RV-Dreams Family Member

The Junkman wrote:
My biggest problem.. is I don't know where to stay a month.. and where not too, I think.

Yeah a month is a little bit long and boring in a Wally World parking lot......Hahahaha

soos · RV-Dreams Family Member

Ahhhh, Ok, I see the differences.
In your case, you are talking about "going full time" to see the country, and once you are done, you may stop Fulltiming. You are thinking there is an "end date" for you, however far in the future that is.
I was looking at it more as a permanent lifestyle, with no end date once you've seen everything you want to see.
Looking at it your way, then yes, you would "finish" faster if you move faster. Whether thats a good way for you to do it, time will tell you. As I said- if you get bored- move. Its just that simple.
We move pretty fast, even after 5 years. The perk for you moving faster is that if you decide you don't like living in the 5th wheel after a year or so, you will at least have seen a lot of the country. If you move really slow and decide you don't like the life, you will have seen far fewer awesome sights.
So yeah, as someone said, don't be in a rush to "figure it all out", just take it a step at a time and adjust as needed.

Sue

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

As Howard has frequently said, there is no right way to full time. I think for us each year will be a bit different, our first year included the trip to SD to set up our Domicile, a change in plans to go to Colorado to get an upgrade on our truck done that we hadn't anticipated, then an unexpected long stay in Texas due to a death in the family. Now, as we're in our second year, we're moving less, exploring more in each area we get to and finding we're enjoying that a lot more.

We're also finding that even when we leave an area, there are things we haven't had time to do, so we're saying that's on next year's plans when we come back through an area. For example, last year we spent 3.5 months in AZ, everyone kept saying you've got to see Sedona. Guess what, it didn't happen so this year, our first stop in AZ is in Cottonwood to see Jesse & Sherry (WestWardHo) and yes, we're going to visit Sedona and whatever else captures our attention. We're finding new things to do even if it's an area we've been in before, for that matter, we went back to an area we used to live and visited a museum we never once went to in the 11 years we lived there.

Since June, our rate of travel has varied from 2 days to 40 days in one location, we've moved 9 times in 2 months and then plopped down for 4 weeks in one spot, moved 3 times in 8 days and stopped for 3 weeks at the next location. For us it varies based on work, family schedules, etc. It may take us years to see the entire country, or that may never happen. We've yet to even think about going to the East Coast, right now it's just not entering into our thought process, the West has a good, strong hold on our hearts!!