Seeking advice for full time rv living

Been full timing for 11 years and over 100,000 miles - less than 10k of that on the interstates - rest is all back roads. You'll love the freedom and lifestyle. It can get lonesome sometimes if you don't have human company but your dog will suffice for much of it. Depending on your health, look into service dogs or at least a therapy dog. That way your dog can explore with you. Select your state of residency carefully. We chose South Dakota because of no income tax, no luxury tax, 4% sales tax, no inspections and cheap license plate renewals. We use a mail box drop for our addy. Socking away some cash on a regular basis is a good idea for repairs, since it sounds like you aren't too handy with a screwdriver. Read books on RV repair. Many 'fixes' are easy and knowledge is a great thing. Don't plan your trips. Simply drive til you feel like stopping. If you get stuck there's always a WalMart or Home Depot you can crash in for the night. Casinos are great spots too. Look at Passport America for discount campgrounds. Join Thousand Trails, RPI etc. Lots of discounts. If you're a vet there's tons of military campgrounds too. Keep looking and asking questions....Dennis

Brittrain333 wrote:
Hello! I am posting here because I am interested in becoming a full-time rver. I myself do not have a lot of experience with rv's. My grandparents had a really nice Class A Motorhome (which is what I would be buying) that I camped in a couple of times . . .

You sound like you're under 65 years old, right?

If so, then you'll probably have to buy own individual health insurance. If this is the case, then prepare to pay a lot.

Also, I don't think I'd buy a used vehicle from a relative.

First off don’t overthink it. With cell phones, gps, and the internet it is a lot easier then you would think.

Best part of full timing you are always welcome and meet great people. Another family. Plus you get to see this beautiful Country

Brittrain333 wrote:
Hello! I am posting here because I am interested in becoming a full-time rver.

I'm looking for some advice from some seasoned rvers. What is your favorite part about the lifestyle? What are the ugly parts? What are some useful tips for being on the road? What is it actually like at those rv campgrounds? I have been reading (and will continue to read) some of the posts on here offering various bits of advice, but I'd like to get more in depth.

Thank you all in advance for any advice you can offer!!

Been doing this full time since 2011.

There are no two similar RV campgrounds. Each campground can/will change daily depending on the weather, the guests, the location, etc. RVer's are transient people and you probably will be too. That's a good thing, and, a bad thing, all at the same time.

Be VERY conscious of the weather. It is in charge of you, not the other way around. In general hot/cold, windy weather is NOT your friend. Check the weather daily. Try to plan your trip/location based on favorable weather conditions. DO NOT DRIVE IN ADVERSE WEATHER! Know your limits.

Pay attention to your rig. Inspect it daily if you plan to travel significant distances that day. (over +- 100 miles) RV's break. Be prepared for that. If you are handy, have at least some basic tools with you. If not, have a roadside assistance plan. Learn how the systems on your specific RV work. Read the owners manuals.

You will meet some interesting people, and probably a few you don't like much. Don't hesitate to pack up and leave at the earliest sign of adversity with your neighbor(s). RV's are really good for that.

Plan your trips. You CAN'T just drive anywhere and/or park anywhere like you can in a car. Some people and municipalities really HATE RV's. Accept that and move on.

Have a good time!

Chum lee

Everything you ever wanted to know about full timing
https://www.rv-dreams.com/ourhome.html

Lots of good advice here. Trying to buy your last RV first is almost impossible. Until you've had any kind of RV for any length of time, you don't know what you don't know. It takes quite a while to figure out exactly what you want and need out of an RV. I researched for 5 years before we bought our first MH and I traded it a year after buying it once I started figuring out what I really wanted. My advice would be buy something low end to start, and part time for a while until you figure out what you really want and need. I would say above all that floor plan is the most critical decision in your choice and once you find a floor plan that works, then find a unit that meets your quality and drivability criteria. This will be where you live, you'd better love the layout.

There are a ton of variables unique to your situation that only you can figure out what's going to work for you. What type of camping, how much you travel, where you want to go, what size you need etc, will all drive what type of RV you eventually end up with.

As far budgetary items, this forum will be of great help as far as where to camp, what clubs to belong to, what apps to have, routes, how to stock etc, and of course how to handle the unpleasant stuff like when things break, or break down - because they will. Good luck in your adventure. We are looking to FT in the next year or so and going through some of the motions mentioned here. That said, we've owned several different MH's over the past decade and I feel pretty good about what we want in an RV. Aside from floor plan, quality and reliability are equally my number one criteria, and if I have to go older in our budget to get it, I am prepared to that. I can tell you I will not buy new. The quality I want can't be found brand new in my budget.

Most seem to want/buy a different RV after a year or so. Nothing compares to real world experience. So you might want to consider a more basic RV for a starter. And - gasp Heaven forbid you might later want a TT or 5er. All RVs have pros and cons.

And your resident state, registration, DL, insurance, medical, fed/state/property taxes, etc all need to be considered. Changeable in the future of course but they don't go away.

I think it takes a year to work out all the bugs and small details when purchasing a (new to you) camper. (New or used). My advise would be to purchase the RV but do not give up your sticks-n-bricks home just yet. You'll appreciate somewhere to return "home" to to regroup, make repairs (which will be many), and make adjustments in your lifestyle. Unless you are already a "minimalist" adapting to the lifestyle takes some time. And the more personal effects you have, the harder it is.

We've seriously been preparing for full timing for the last year, although we've talked about it for the last 15 years. The first step was getting out of debt. Except for our house payment, that happened this year.

The second year our financial adjustment year, living on just one income and still maintaining a house payment, which we are being successful at right now.

The third "step" is to finally reach 66 and 2 months so I will be able to draw full Social Security benefits. The wife will work for a few more years, but has a 100% work-from-home job. If after this second year of planning, our son gets the house, and we're "out of here." Meanwhile, we are sleeping in the camper every night at home, using it full time at home, and taking off every week-end to a campground somewhere, as I have to be in-office Monday through Friday.

I guess, where this is leading, it takes planning. It's more than just getting an RV and hitting the road. The list above is a good one, lots to think about. Don't brush it off. And expect plans to change. That's why I always say, AFTER you purchase the RV, use it a year before hitting the road full time. And after hitting the road, it's a daily strategy process if you actually travel instead of parking seasonally somewhere. Even seasonally, there are costs involved that you have to work through.

Don't get me wrong here, you can do it and be very successful. But you do ...really... need to think it through before jumping in. It takes a commitment and it's not always glamorous.

Brittrain333 wrote:
Hello! I am posting here because I am interested in becoming a full-time rver. I myself do not have a lot of experience with rv's. My grandparents had a really nice Class A Motorhome (which is what I would be buying) that I camped in a couple of times, but I don't have the knowledge necessary at this point to make it a permanent lifestyle. I would be looking to live full time in a Class A, and it's just me and my dog. I do have a passenger vehicle I would be keeping also.

I am really attracted to the idea of living full time in an rv. I love the travel possibilities, and I feel like the small space would be perfect for me.

I'm looking for some advice from some seasoned rvers. What is your favorite part about the lifestyle? What are the ugly parts? What are some useful tips for being on the road? What is it actually like at those rv campgrounds? I have been reading (and will continue to read) some of the posts on here offering various bits of advice, but I'd like to get more in depth.

Thank you all in advance for any advice you can offer!!

Not a full timer, but with our extended summer trips, I can tell you that I would recommend buying your last one first and will be better served with getting the largest one possible. As time goes by, you'll be taking less and less to the road everyday and will be sitting for longer periods of time. Also as you get more and more used to driving the rig, you'll feel more and more comfortable with driving something larger.
As for a gasser or DP, depends on how much you plan on actually traveling over the years and for how much you can comfortably pay for any major repairs, that will certainly be much higher for a DP.
Lastly, buy the best quality possible that fits your budget, rather than tend towards newness. You haven't said what you budget is, so that makes it difficult to advise on any particular Brand, Model or year.
As for the lifestyle, campgrounds, Walmart, rest areas and such for what works best for you, you'll learn that pretty quick like.