By the Never-Bored RVers
When the flash of bright light hit us telling us that we were meant to become RVers, we knew next to nothing about recreational vehicles or an on-the-road lifestyle. It was, as the Classical Romans call it, a “tabla rasa,” a blank page ready to be written upon.
We did have lots of experience as tent campers, and we knew that we always looked forward to our next weekend get-away. Yet, our new direction was filled with mysteries and unknown expectations.
I’ll talk a little bit about the philosophy of being full-timers, but first, I think there may be a nugget or two of wisdom in talking about a few of the changes that we have made since first starting out in a recreational vehicle.
1) Most obvious is our rig. We took off in a 22-foot lightweight travel trailer, which we loved and actually met our needs, but after a year of jostling, it 
became a repair-project-in-progress, so we researched and bought a 28-foot all-season model with a slide. We feel it was an excellent choice for durability, comfort and we can still get into small campgrounds..
We pulled our first trailer with a Nissan Xtera. – but only twice. After that, we realized we needed something much beefier, so we upgraded to a three-quarter ton diesel. Sadly, we were forced to sell our Prius, because it is not designed to sit around waiting for our traveling days to end.
And now for the lifestyle changes:
2) Our pattern of staying one or two nights at a time in a site finally got old after a year or so. We vowed to stay a week or more in each campground in 2010 … it hasn’t worked out that way. From March 1 to October 7, we have stopped for at least one night in 80 different places (including 29 on our Alaska trip this summer). If you think that’s insane, we are inclined to agree.
3) We have come to realize that when we are driving through cities, our attitude changes as we pick our way along congested streets not designed for a 50-foot truck-trailer combination. Maps may help a bit, while the GPS often adds fuel to the fire. To overcome this, we keep saying, “Let get out of here,” and, of course, our temperatures rise more when we circle a block twice trying to find the end of the current labyrinth.
4) And speaking of the GPS, just mentioning it is a great way to get a conversation going at the campground.
5) We started RVing with a satellite dish perched on the roof that connected us to cyberspace and the Internet. We practically gave it away and now use a cellphone connection.
6) Since we have no permanent home, we changed our mailing address to a state that offers favorable financial benefits. Our car and RV registration is in that state.
7) We do all our banking and bill-paying on-line. We receive very little mail that needs to be forwarded.
8) After two incidents where bottles fell from high cabinets and broke on the floor of our trailer, we now keep them in low cabinets, not in the back of the RV, which takes the most punishment on bouncy roads.
9) We recorded all our CDs on an MP3 player the size of a cigarette pack. It works as well as the original CDs.
10) We began our travels with two 2000-watt generators. We rarely used both, so we sold one to a neighboring camper. We don’t regret the decision, except on a few days when air conditioning is needed.
11) One of Monique’s favorite benefits of our situation is that she spends more time reading fiction and non-fiction. My least favorite effect of our travels has been that I have to force myself to exercise instead of having the routine I had in my previous life.
Over the past four years, we have matured greatly in our understanding of what it means to have a different backyard every few days.
Many people we talk with – both RVers and hotel travelers — still don’t seem to understand the concept of not having a home, including the commenter to our recent rv.blog post who suggested that we should leave a lot of our stuff at home when we RV. Others can’t get over the concept that we aren’t weekenders — that when we take a journey toward a destination, we don’t necessarily have to get where we’re going, we can stay longer or leave earlier than planned. Or, we can move onward without a destination at all, just a direction.
Probably most Americans not only find that confusing, they think of it as unnatural. Despite being normal in-town residents all our lives, we took to this lifestyle immediately and haven’t had any desire yet of settling down again.
We continue to change our ways to make the most of our lifestyle, putting emphasis on comfort, finding new vistas and surrounding ourselves with nature. The magic ingredient for us — and we understand it’s not for everyone — is being open to change. That why we’re …
… the “Never-Bored RVers,” We’ll see you on down the road.
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Wilson
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Lorraine Hainsworth
It’s very interesting to hear all your views. We are in our 6th month of being full-timers and seem to have adapted quite well. There are still things we are tweeking but on the whole our life is going well. Thanks for the tip on the CD’s. I am going to start downloading more onto our MP3 this morning. Just something I hadn’t thought about but that will give me another cupboard for craft supplies, just don’t tell my husband
Joy
Wow, thank you for the encouraging words. My hubby and I are planning the same type of lifestyle. We are selling everything, and moving to the RV’ing world. We are travelers at heart. Our rig is named NPA (no permanent address).
Judie Rose
I read the blogs from RVNET daily and I usually am green with envy. Here is my story. I don’t want to scare anyone but it is true. In oct. 2005 we sold our house and got rid of all the stuff. Packed the MH and headed to TX. to spend a couple of months with our daughter and grandkids. Great holidays and watched them grow. We decided to hit the road on Wed Jan. 3 2006. On Jan 1 we wanted to go and look at some property we would use as a homebase , just 5 mins. from their house. It was in the 80’s and so we left all of the windows and doors open because we had 4 small dogs with us. When we got to the property and got out of the cars we saw a big smoke cloud on the horizon. My cell phone rang and It was our neighbor, very excited. He opening words were: Your MH is gone. I asked him if it had been stolen and he said no it is on fire and it blew up.
We went back and no one knew the dogs were in there because we usually took them with us when we left. My husband had put all of the things we were saving in a shed behind the MH and it was gone too.
We lost everything and the insurance only covered what we owed on the MH so we didn’t have anything left. The house had sold for what we owed on it so nothing there. I had an retirement fund and that was that. We had no bills except for the MH. Great right. I went into a deep depression and in order to get money from the insurance company( we had a replacement policy). To get reimbursted we had to have receipts for everything. I used our fund to buy clothes and everything we needed to live for about a month. We bought an old used MH and it took most of our fund. We hit the panic stage and put the rest down on a small house. Now we have no money and a lot of bills. My husband works fulltime. He is 71.
I know this doesn’t happen often to people but it does happen. What do you have in your future. Do you have anything planned if it happens to you. Don’t say as we did I have insurance. They sued Norcold and got their money back but we didn’t get any. Have a back-up plan to cover yourselves. We want to hit the road so bad but by the time we get back on our feet and able to afford it we will be too old. Do it now and enjoy your life but Please plan for your future. We haven’t been able to go anywhere since this wonderful economy slump. Just a word to the wise and something to think about.
Gabrielle
For RVs lovers there are two exciting day in their life: first the day when they buy the RV and second the day when they sell it.
Currently many owners are selling their motorhomes because the economical situation is getting worst every day. Selling your motorhome directly by the owner is a win-win situation, if you find a motivated buyer. I recommend this website if you want to sell or if you are looking for a used motorhome.
http://www.rvs-for-sell-by-owner.com
You can put your FREE ad for sale your rv in your State and region. This website has a friendly and easy to use. Also you can find valuable recommendation to avoid scams if you are selling your motorhome.
Good luck.
Linda Jones
My husband and I are counting down to next spring. We are having an auction and selling everything to pay off our debt and going to work as volunteers for the US Corp of Army Engineers.
They offer a free campsite in exchange for work and with our small monthly income, we should be able to live comfortably. We get our prescriptions free from the pharmacutical companies because we qualify for their income guidelines for free or reduced rates. We can afford our generics. We have our insurance through Good Sam Club and our cell phone bill is pared down to an affordable plan.
We are cancelling or letting our magazine subscriptions run out, going to on-line billing and eliminating catalogs and junk mail. We’ll use a mail forwarding service once we give up our house.
We love soup and stew and fresh veggies and fish so I’ll shop at a farmer’s market and catch our fish. What could be less expensive? Since our electricity will be furnished, we are taking an electric griddle, skillet and crock pot so we don’t have to use our expensive propane.
We bought a 3500 watt generator to get us through power failures or for when we travel and boon dock.
I sell Watkins products from my website and it takes care of itself. We can always pick up odd jobs and I can sell homemade goodies at a flea market or roadside stand on our days off.
When someone asked me what we were going to do when we gave up our home, I replied, “Anything we want to.” That felt good!!!
Simpler is better!! I can hardly wait!
paul kinyon
barry & monique
i enjoy your articles we are full time also however we usually stay 6 & 6 mn and tx for winter we were a week or so behind you on your adventure caravans trip we were also with 16 other rver’s with adventure caravans had a very good trip we were gone from mn for 68 days and put on 9400 miles
paul & cathy kinyon [email protected]
Anita Couts
We are heading into our 3rd year of full-timing and it has been great. We have children and relatives from New Jersey to Oregon, but we have never stayed directly with them but in a campground nearby. That keeps the welcome from wearing out and lets us spend quality time with them. We travel in a 5th wheel and truck. Our hobbies keep us from getting bored or “snippy” with one another. I do needlework and hubby makes quilts, so we each have our own set of “stash”.
Our stuffff went to children, yard sales and some into storage, but each time we hit the storage unit some more goes to the dumpster. Who needs it? We’ve learned to downsize the clothing needs and have learned to divert those blank looks with a smile and comment about no lawn-mowing or snow shoveling and only having minimal housework.
I use the AT&T broadband card only when the campground does not have wi-fi and find it works well enough for my casual computer needs.
Anita
Bob Lantz
We were usually 2-3 days behind you on your Alaska trip so by the time we reached a place and had internet access we enjoyed your comments and how they agreed/disagreed with our experiences. We were on our own and thoroughly enjoyed the trip. Our main quest now is finding an internet service that is affordable, travels well and is dependable. can you comment further on the pros and cons of satellite and cell phone, why did you switch? We’ve tried the ATT&T broadband card
and were less than satisfied. We’d appreciate any input.
bob
GORDON MILLER
Hello,
My name is Gordon Miller,
I loved your travels in alaska and now i am quite interested in knowing all I can about full timing. i haven’t quite sold my wife on the idea yet, but never say never.
Can you tell me if you have a dollar amount per month you budget for your travels. I get the idea that you don’t restrict yourself to RV parks but use campgrounds, state parks, and Dry Camp.
Thanks for the Blogs and i’m always interested in any information you might wish to share
Bets regards
g
Dan Rambow
We started planning our full-time lifestyle, one month after buying our first Class A motorhome. We both enjoyed camping in earlier lives apart, and found it was a wonderful common point of enjoyment as a married couple. We are the same as most folks, working, concerns about our parents, concerns about our kids and grandkids, some medical issues as we get older, just all the usual life adventures.
After three great years of ‘vacationing’ in our little 32′ diesel RV, learning the ropes on travel, maintenance, (and yes some breakdowns), we made the jump to a new 39′ model, spent a very hectic summer getting rid of stuff, and on the 1st of August, any stuff remaing, us, and the cat were aboard. We are still working full time, I work on the internet, my wife will retire in the next several months, then we will travel. (we are in a northern climate, so must spend most of this winter here) Our plan is to spend a month or more in each place we like, especially since I will need to be working.
Even though its only been two months, we still get all the questions on “‘how could you get rid of your stuff?” (you just do it) or, “are you still getting along with your spouse in such tight quarters?” (yes, better than ever)
We both seem to enjoy living in the RV, much better than the condo, it is more cozy, and requires less work to keep up. Being in a great RV park helps, but we are anxious to get out on the road too.
Yes, it has required some adjustments, but they have been good adjustments. But from our discussions with friends and family, this life is not for everyone! (but it seems to be for us) Most are encouraging and happy for us, but some are terrified at the prospect of a life without a physical home anchored to the ground. To the latter group, we say, that’s ok, we will visit next time we are in town.
We expect to meet a lot of like minded folks out on the roads of America, which is now our new neighborhood. Hope to meet many of you over the next many years.
Vickie
It appears that there are a lot of us getting ready for our journey on the road…fulltime. We started getting ready last February. The contractors will be out of the house next week and the “For Sale” sign goes in the yard. We’ve gotten rid of a lot of “stuff”, given a lot to our kids and donated the rest. Getting prepared has been a journey in itself. We are sooooo ready to be on the road and enjoying life like it was meant to be. Our friends have finally accepted that we are selling our home and moving into a new lifestyle. When others hear about it, they get starry-eyed looks and say, “I’ve always wanted to do that but….” I just smile. We figured it was time for us to get the “buts….” out of our lives and just go for it. We’re taking our business on the road with us and I can’t see us ever getting bored. See you all on the road….soon!!!
Geoffrey Pruett
We started out over 30 years ago using a borrowed RV to visit and go to events that are normally hard to find living space for. Since then we are on our fourth unit a, Class A, and talk about longer trips since we are both retired but no one has yet found a cure for the bosses extreme case of “barn sour” at somewhere around 8 to 10 days. The self contained RV is wonderful for limited trips and being only 25 ft set up often is turning off the key and taking the insulator out of the water heater to use the gas function. That said we are still looking at trailers and debating which way to go so your article helps, the 28 ft size could be pulled by something I would drive in city traffic. The limiting factor would be storage size as the wings for my model planes and the folding chairs do not coexist well in the basement storage area and even spit in the middle and off the body some of them are still too long to go under the bed. A 40 ft monster home would have the room but if you tow anything is like driving a triple trailer and pretty well makes moving locations like moving houses, an experience, not a vacation.
Teri
Some good points to consider when thinking about full timing and if it’s for you. I am in the RV industry and see both travelers and full-timers (and have been both in the past myself) and even though the mindset is a little different the love of travel and people is a commonality that makes working in this industry a joy.
Vicki Johnson
It is good to hear how much people love to RV – it seems the best way to go. I just started out by myself six weeks ago and it is great. True – I don’t know all the in and out of my class C motorhome yet. But the people I meet have been so helpful. So keep on telling us the good things you find out to do. It feels good to just be flexable. I love it when I arrive some place and there is a festival. Two weeks ago it was a wine celeration in Geneva, OH and now I am in Clinton, TN for The Homecoming weekend – lots of bluegrass music at the museum. You never know what will happen next. Have a great day.
Diane & JD
Love the fulltimer posts and anything about the subject, we were going to head out this year, but the housing market forced a lower price that prevented our leaving yet. But hope is not dead, we’re still looking forward to it, but in another year or so and love hearing all the other experiences, keep them coming, it gives us hope!!!
Bev Beymer
My husband and I are about to take off on our first trip next week and are so excited. We are expecting a wonderful time with our new traveling lifestyle. Hope to meet all of you on the way.
Chuck Sanford
I’ve enjoyed Barry and Monique’s comments about their travels this summer. My wife and I are now free to travel. We are preparing our condo for sale, ridding ourselves of all those valuable collectibles (it’s easy once you get started), and shopping for a used diesel class A. The whole process is exciting and challenging to say the least. The best part is that I know the learning curve continues once we actually get out there as full timers. Like Barry and Monique, we don’t expect to be bored by this lifestyle.
Gary Case
we have been full-timers and part-time timers and the best is full-time. The very first time our friends were astonished much as is noted above “can’t spend that much time with” my mate. It is very easy to find time and be as alone as you like. When living in a house, exactly how much time do you spend together? Different tv’s? Head phones. Make a small space very “your own”. When reading do you really care if your partner is in the next room or 3 feet away? Yes you do need space to be really relaxed, but in an RV you’ve got the whole outdoors. You are not crowded! If the weather doesn’t suit your clothes, you can move. Try that at home !! I realize that not everyone can give up all the “stuff” you feel you need, but try it. You will find that the “stuff” is really holding you back. I know !! We are in that same rut ourselves and trying to get out of it. Wish us luck.
Bob Difley
“Many people we talk with – both RVers and hotel travelers — still don’t seem to understand the concept of not having a home, including the commenter to our recent rv.blog post who suggested that we should leave a lot of our stuff at home when we RV. Others can’t get over the concept that we aren’t weekenders — that when we take a journey toward a destination, we don’t necessarily have to get where we’re going, we can stay longer or leave earlier than planned. Or, we can move onward without a destination at all, just a direction.
Probably most Americans not only find that confusing, they think of it as unnatural. ”
Doesn’t sound unnatural to me. In fact, it sounds perfectly normal. For normal people like you guys, anyway, and a bunch of others living the same life. But then, what do I know?
Harold Hansen
Have you considered buying one of the huge road atlas’s specifically made for truckers? We bought one because it has lots of info and notes about low overheads/bridges, etc. It also has nice large size city maps and easy to read print. For $20 it has been extremely helpful and we use it along with our GPS and the iphone for internet and additional maps. All truck stops have these available.
As far as diesel goes, the commment above was right on. I have never had a problem finding diesel when needed and I wouldn’t trade my diesel pickup for a gas under any circumstances.
Barry engleman
Barry & Monique:
We are at 10 months and counting to retire and go fulltime. In May, we sold two homes, got rid of a 40 year accumulation of Stufffffffff, moved into a small condo for the last year of work and traded for the motorhome we want to full-time in. The stufffffff was the worst part. How could ever get rid of that tool or that antique or that box of memorabilia? It started out tough but got easier as we got into it. And, luckily, our daughter and son in law bought a new home at the same time so a lot of stufffff went to furnish their home.
Most people we know think we are crazy. The blank stare is everywhere when we talk about our plans. The one comment we hear at lot is “I couldn’t spend that much time every day with my wife (or my husband)”. We are so glad we don’t have that problem to con rend with!!!!!
Brett Murden
Thanks for the tips. My wife and I plan to do exactly the same thing in the (not too distant) future in a class A and toad. By the way which state did you choose for your insurances if you don’t mind me asking? Keep the blogs coming.
Barry S
Full-timing is an interesting concept that has worked well for many people, but it is not for everyone. For instance, if my wife were to dive into full-timing, we would have to drop our various hobbies, such as being into sports cars, playing in our musical groups and varmint hunting. There are no ways to carry rifles, reloading equipment, hunting stuff, a drum set, etc., while traveling, then try to tow a trailer and sports car (er…two sports cars) with us.
Instead, we take long trips in the old Class A, while leaving all the “stuff” at home, except for two house cats that we drag along, but then again, the cats are no problem.
We could easily do a “partial” full-time, traveling for months at a time, but not a real honest-to-goodness full-time. It just is not possible from a logistical standpoint for us. I do applaud, however, those who have the means and willingness to “give it all up” for the complete and pure nomadic life.
George
A mention was made of Flying J’s. I do find them convenient but have not had a problem finding diesel fuel as long as I’m willing to drive a block or two out of my way. I do find many other service stations that offer diesel are noticeably cheaper than Flying J. ie” Conoco and Sinclair and they can be found at almost any interstate exit. A great book for planning your interstate stops is the Next Exit (which I have no affiliation with). It lists all services to be found at any given interstate exit. I also have a great navigator and that helps a lot.
Bob Sims
Barry & Monique,
Thanks for your post. I thought we were the only ones that got that blank stare. In the process of selling our house (could have picked a better time in history), the estate sale is scheduled for the end of December (when I retire) or sooner if the house finally sells, and still get the looks of astonishment as we talk about “our plan” to not only go, but keep our travel agency business running from “wherever”.
As we prepared this past year to get things in order, one of those things was to pare down “things” that we really didn’t need. It’s amazing!
Best of luck to you. Hopefully next year at this time, we’ll be able to look back on our first 10 months of full-timing with the same enthusiasm.
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GK
Now, there are some things I never thought of! I never really considered how much use a lighter-weight TT or 5er would actually stand. Would the same be said of certain classes/size of motorhomes as well? I would guess “yes”, but I don’t have any experience to be able to comment.
On the topic of navigation, how much help are aids meant for trucker’s? A transport truck would have similar issues, and I’ve seen discussions on other blogger’s posts on the site cover their usefulness, at least for GPS units. They are typically more expensive than the consumer version, but is the extra expense worth it? Can you still get the commercial driver version of some road atlases?
I haven’t driven a diesel (yet) in the US, so a question I would have is around availability away from the Interstates and major highways. I know in Canada it can be very much hit-or-miss, but I never paid attention to who sold diesel where outside of the Flying J’s and other major travel centers.
Some good lessons. More to keep in mind if I try to convince The Boss that we should give it a go at some point (we’re at least a decade away before we can try, though).