What do full timers do when too old to drive the rig?

Some full timers have planned for the day they need to come off the road, so to speak. While others are clueless as to what they will do when the time comes and it does come.
My wife and I did the full time thing for 2 1/2 years and found we didn't care for it so bought a stick house here in Florida. During the time we were full timers, we met many people that were doing the same thing. There are about as many definitions of full timing as there are people doing it. To some, just living in an RV was what they meant. Their rig had lost it's recreational value to them, a long time back. At a campground near Homosassa Florida, we met people that hadn't had their RVs out of the campground in over 3 years. They had given up on traveling and were just living in their rigs. Health problems, financial problems, age related problems, death of a spouse, etc. had killed their dreams.

A few years back either Trailer Life or Motorhome Magazines had an article about the needed three stages of full timing. 1st was to plan how you are going to full time, sell the house, rent out the house, buy an RV or use the current one, etc. 2nd was to consider what you planned to do while full timing and could you afford it, where you planned to stay etc. and 3rd was how do you plan to end the experience when the time arrives. The writer of the article felt most people did the first two planning stages and stopped before getting to the 3rd.

Often times the death of a spouse, usually the man first, put the surviving spouse in a major problem of what to do now? Often the woman hadn't participated in the driving, the maintenance, etc of the RV. They may have spent most of the money they had, the loss of the man's pension was often a problem, etc.

My wife's parents did the full time routine for about 6 years and ran out of money. They had a worn out 5th wheel and pickup truck. A major lack of planning on their part as they had sold their home and spent that money on their rig and travels. They ended up with just their social security as income and that was no where near enough. So my wife and her three siblings ended up having to support them and still do, 25 years later, her dad died but her mom is still having to be supported financially. I asked her one time, what she thought was going to happen when they ran out of money? Her answer was "we thought that God would take care of us". So it is good to know that the four children of theirs, and their spouses are now "gods".

The answer to your question is the same as "how long should a man's legs be", answer, long enough to touch the ground!!!!!! This america, land of freedom and choice:) or what ever floats YOUR boat!!!!!!

X2

OR, another way to answer the question is: There is no right or wrong answer to the question of " full timing V.S. stick house"! at any age:) The answer is that it is all a matter of "choice". Each of us will make our own decision about when it is time to stop driving the RV relative to our own capabilities and comfort levels. At that point each of will choose from any number of options:
1. buy a stick house
2. buy a park model in some RV Resort
3. decide how close we want to live near our family or how far away we want to be from our family members:)
4. buy a RV site in some RV Resort/Park and just put your RV there permanently, buy a golf cart to get you around in the Park. In some areas in Ariz. you can actually drive the golf carts around town to do your shopping or go to the golf course.
5. Buy a stick house in an area you like and a Park model in some RV Resort, allowing you to fly back and forth when ever you choose. Most RVers make this choice based on the season and weather.
This is America where we all get to choose our own options:):)

djgarcia wrote:
The answer to your question is the same as "how long should a man's legs be", answer, long enough to touch the ground!!!!!! This america, land of freedom and choice:) or what ever floats YOUR boat!!!!!!

X2

lar5camping wrote:
If you sell your stick house and full time, what happens when
you are too old to drive the rig? Rent an apartment?
Move into an old folks home?
This is why we are keeping our stick house and taking trips
in our 5er when we feel like it. Don't want to give up our house.
We love where we live in Colorado. We wish to live out our lives in
our beautiful home, not cash in, live like gypsies traveling full time in a trailer that will depreciate and become a burden later.
I know some are not in a financial state to keep both home and
trailer, but if you can afford to keep your house in your retirement, why sell it and full time?
What are your thoughts?

What will happen when your are to old to maintain your house?
What if your get old and sick and get put into a seniors living residence?
Same questions that Fulltimer ask! Each to their own. There is no single right/best way. You like what you have and we like what we have.
Don't know if I'm reading it right but sounds like your looking down your nose at us gypsies. Sorry if I'm wrong.

lar5camping wrote:
If you sell your stick house and full time, what happens when
you are too old to drive the rig? Rent an apartment?
Move into an old folks home?
This is why we are keeping our stick house and taking trips
in our 5er when we feel like it. Don't want to give up our house.
We love where we live in Colorado. We wish to live out our lives in
our beautiful home, not cash in, live like gypsies traveling full time in a trailer that will depreciate and become a burden later.
I know some are not in a financial state to keep both home and
trailer, but if you can afford to keep your house in your retirement, why sell it and full time?
What are your thoughts?

Your a camper then and not a FT!
As for the wife and I,we enjoy the lifestyle better than owning both which we already did.
Here is our exit strategy.
Have two areas/campground you love, 1 in the north(summer) and 1 in the south (winter) and split time in both. You have either a park model in both or your last 5'ver and a park model.
Rent and apartment near one of the kids.
Die on the road.

RV'ing is not a lifestyle for us, but a means to see our wonderful country. When we are on the road, we can't get fresh vegetables and fruits from our gardens and orchards that we like to tend, nor would my woodworking and welding toys fit even into a big toyhauler, let alone the wife's sewing and quilting machines. A months worth of complete togetherness is more than enough, in spite of how much we love each other.

If that happens, it will be because of health and not age. There is a 17 year difference between Dutch and I-yes I am the younger one:W!!
Since we share the driving, there should be no reason to get off the road if Dutch feels driving is not his cup of tea any more.
If the time comes that we both can no longer drive, we would probable just buy a lot and set up our Carriage there OR buy/rent several lots in different parts of the country and have someone move our Carriage as we feel the need.
I have learned to Never Say Never but neither of us can imagine us in a Stix & Bricks home and our Carriage is big enough, wide enough,has every convenience we need, looks great inside and out & easy to take care of. Di

We will sell our house. We need to move regardless - its not an appropriate place to retire so it only makes sense. Use some of that to buy the trailer/truck. Invest the rest. When we are done with the full-timing, we can move further suburb and build a small house that we want.

It feels so good to know that I no longer have that big baggage called a house when you full-time. We have so much junk right now. I really want to get rid of all of them and start fresh when we are ready for a house again.

tomkaren13 wrote:

gmcsmoke wrote:
What's this have to do with fifth wheels?

5 ers are used for full timing!

.... but *not* Motor Homes or Travel Trailers??..:h..:?

(IMO) a better location would be in - "General RVing Issues" -
(or "Full timing RVing") forums.

Good insight on this subject also on Escapees forums.
BTW - LOTS of full timers there - not limited to "5 ers"..:W

~

there is always CARE in Livingston , Tx. It is kind of assisted living for RV people.

till then

Happy Camping