Fulltiming as a family of 3

We have a class C and love it. We tow a CRV. I liked the idea of dd having her own space that a class A couldn't give. We wanted to be able to have to freedom to sit in various seats during the trip and dd loves to do work/crafts at the table. The bathroom right there is a big help too. We also will overnight in truck stops while making big pushes and I like that my dh could just climb into the drivers seat if we needed to get out without getting out of the rv. I felt safer that way. Don't discount looking at the C class. I think you will find more personal space for your son and his things with the overhead bunk.

Having a dd that would love to do that I say go for it. We spend the summer traveling and she doesn't miss her friends with all the technology. Our travels have helped her excel at school and if I could afford it we would do it for a year. Do it now before they get too old and school and friends become more challenging.

Go for it!!!!

For us, we only fit in a toy hauler with custom bunks! LOL!
It seems people either love the ability to get up and move around (sleep, eat...) while driving that a Class A offers, or they love the ability to have a vehicle without pulling a toad (towed) and the extra storage that a 5er gives. The # of families that I know are pretty evenly split. :)

Thank you for taking your time to respond. I loved everyone's input. We still have a few months before school gets out and are starting to shop for our home. Any Pros or Cons to 5th Wheel over a Class A?

I will definitely check out the blog- thank you so much!

We fullltime with 9 of our 12 - we've been on the road for over 4 years, and all of our kids have fulltimed with us (they just keep growing up! :( ).
We keep a blog at:

http://TicknorTribe.com/

There are lots of families out here doing just what you are thinking about - several that I know of with singletons in tow! Fulltime kids tend to make friends fast because their time together is limited, and they make the most of the time they have! :)

There are many families doing just what you are thinking about.

http://www.familiesontheroad.com/

I had a client years ago who took a year off and took their two boys on the road for a year of road schooling. They said it was the best thing they ever did. Hearing about the battle at Gettysburg in a classroom cannot compare to actually being at the battle ground and hearing how the battle went is the example they would tell people who asked about it. I would say go for it!

I've never had the chance to do road-schooling, but I did homeschool my kids for 12 years so I am familiar with the concept of spending lots of hours with my kids. For the most part, we all loved homeschooling but there were times when I thought I would go a little crazy if I had to look at their little faces or hear their stupid long drawn-out stories for one minute more. And I wasnt' living full-time in an RV either.

Have you thought about doing a trial run? About 6 years ago we took our two youngest, then 12 & 14, on a cross-country trip. It didn't start out that way. We found ourselves with 2 months off and a brand new camper, so we decided to go see the grandparents. From there we decided to go see New Orleans. From there we decided to cross over to Texas. At each juncture we had a family meeting--do we keep going or go home? Is there something particular we want to see or do? Everyone had an equal voice.

When we got to San Antonio we were almost exactly halfway between home and the Pacific coast. We took about 3-4 days to just rest and decide what to do next. The overwhelming vote was to keep going. Each person listed 2 things that they really wanted to get out of the trip and off we went.

Now, I have to tell you, it was the trip of a lifetime. But I think 2 months was just about right. A camper gets smaller and smaller the longer to go. We all get along great, but seriously, we got to know parts of each other that well, I just didn't want to know that well...By the time we got done 60 days had passed and we were glad to be home, out of the camper and off to do some normal things. That lasted for about 4 days, LOL, then we wished we were back on the road.

DS-then 12, is severely mentally handicapped and autistic. He does not talk or do any self care and he wears diapers. Thankfully, he is a wonderful traveler and all he wants is to be with his family. He's the only kid in his class who has watched the bats leave Carlsbad Cavern, seen a bison herd, eaten lunch by the Grand Canyon, visited Disneyland, and ridden a ferry across the Puget Sound. He can't tell you anything about it, but I know it enriched his life.

DD-then 14, was the real trouper through it all. She agreed to leave all the friends behind to follow our dream for the summer. She never complained once. In the end, she has decided she wants to retrace that trip when she gets out of college in a couple years. :W That's when you know you did things right!

Wow, I can't imagine doing anything with 12 children, much less in a Fifth Wheel!

jennyg wrote:
He prefers to be alone and spends most of his time building legos or playing computer games with friends online. He is never "bored", does not often play with other children outside of school. If he was a "high energy" child I would not even consider this.

Based upon what you say here about his personality, I say go for it!

It would be such a valuable and unique adventure for him, besides the learning experience.

Check out this blog. A Mom,Dad and ten of their 12 children traveling around the country in a fifth wheel!

The Ticknor Tribe