Beginning RVer

I am a 61 retired school teacher. My husband is 62 and retired from the Air Force. We live in San Antonio, TX.About 4 years ago, before I retired, we decided to sell our home which we lived in for 27 years. We bought a garden home in an "active lifestyle" community for adults 55+.
We moved in October 2012. Don't get me wrong; we love our house and community, but we are house poor. Either I substitute teach or my husband does landscaping.
Our house has increased in value to about 25,000 to 30,000 dollars. However we really do not have any savings. This is not what we envisioned our retirement to be. My husband and I have been happily married for almost 44 years. I know that although we have varied interests, it has never been a problem (golf for him; learning about new places for me, among other things.)

We have a 40 year old daughter who was married at the age of 38 to a great guy. She is currently living in San Antonio after being in Dallas for 10 years. She has a great job (Topgolf) after all her hard work since graduating from Texas A&M about 18 years ago.
My daughter and her husband were told they would never have kids. Low and behold she is 3 months pregnant and the doctor says her pregnancy is low risk. In addition she just got a great a promotion and is moving to Portland, Oregon. My husband and I want to be a part of our granddaughter's life. However, with my daughter's career, we know she will be moving a lot. My husband and I have friends in our community; in fact, my best friend whom I taught with for 20 years lives here. My friend though has more income than we do. She and her husband just bought a Class A Motorhome and travel a lot. They can afford to keep their house and RV. We have to do one or the other.
This morning my husband and I decided to sell our house and by a Class C Motorhome. We have 3 little dogs. I do have some health issues-chronic, but manageable, the doctors say. We have great insurance through the military so I can go to any hospital civilian or military when we travel.
The only time we have been in an rv was an old yucky travel trailer we rented for the 3 months our house was being built. Those were some fun memories and we were happy.
So this is not the exact same thing. We are not outdoor campers; but we do not want to live here waiting for one of us to die. If one us gets sick, then we would park our Class C and live at a park near a military base.
So that is our beginning rv story. I have read a lot online about living in a Class C and from what I get from it is that you have to downsize. When we moved here we did that and we are starting to do that again. So I am done, for now. Any thoughts, advice will be appreciated. BTW, we will probably get something like a CRV to pull, but not on a trailer. Thanks in advance.

crhope
Explorer
Apr 13, 2016
Thank you. Still mulling it over. We only have one daughter, she is 3 months pregnant, and her job will cause her to travel a lot. My husband will be able to do the work camping. Where should I go to find out about that? Right now he is mowing lawns and landscaping homes in our Del Webb" retired community but I never see him. I have chronic, but, they tell me, manageable. However, we have great healthcare because my husband is retired military and we can go to military or civilian hospitals.
Thanks again and just let me know where to go for Workkamping. Also what other websites should I join for info on full timing, especially for seniors? I have joined good sams and escapees. Any others that you can suggest would be truly appreciated.
Claudia (CRHope)
teacherofhope@aol.com
Jebby14
Explorer
Apr 13, 2016
the workcamping forum on here is a good start. good luck to the both of you. sorry I cant offer more advice
catkins
Explorer II
Apr 13, 2016
www.workcamping.com is one place to look. Do a search for workcamping and you should see blogs and websites with information. National Parks and Forest Service campgrounds hire lots of folks as well as privately owned campgrounds. I have a friend returning for year # 2 at Adventureland (Amusement park) in Iowa as a workcamper.

Please carefully research the financial requirements to purchase, maintain, travel in and to stay in your chosen RV. It is agreat lifestyle but sometimes it is not cheaper.

Good luck!!
DSDP_Don
Explorer
Apr 14, 2016
I'll give you another perspective you won't like, but it's one you should probably hear. I think you're making a huge mistake. You're trying to solve your financial issues by selling the only thing you have of value and buying something that is going to go down in value or maybe worth nothing at all. You don't say if you're buying new or used. A used Class C doesn't command or hold much value.

Chances are, your daughter could move again and you'll be chasing your daughter around the country, versus just saving for visits wherever she might be living, probably not a good plan.

Most importantly you talk about your health and in an emergency you'll park the RV next to a military facility. So your back up plan is to live in a trailer park in a rotting RV for the rest of your life.

Personally, I think you're looking for folks on here to give credence to your plan, which I think you know is a bad idea.

Again, not to hurt your feelings, but you should REALLY think this through. Maybe stay in your home and do odd jobs to make money for trips to visit your daughter or the outdoors. You could even meet up with your friends while they camp by staying at an inexpensive nearby hotel.

If you do find this is your only alternative, your best bang for the buck will be a truck and a fifth wheel as others have mentioned. Break downs or repairs don't involve your house and you can switch out one or the other if necessary.
2gypsies1
Explorer III
Apr 14, 2016
crhope wrote:
We only have one daughter, she is 3 months pregnant, and her job will cause her to travel a lot.

If all this is to be close to your daughter it's going to be very difficult to follow her around when she works.

I'd recommend that you buy into a mobile home park near her and enjoy her when she's home. Don't get into a Del Webb-type community where the cost is high and you'll have additional monthly/yearly fees.

You could also stay where you are and fly to your daughter's town every other month or so for a long visit. However, it might mean too much 'togetherness' for your daughter and hubby.

I'd guess she'd be home more than traveling for work. Does your daughter have any suggestions on what you want to do?
aerbus32
Explorer II
Apr 16, 2016
I'd recommend that you buy into a mobile home park near her and enjoy her when she's home. Don't get into a Del Webb-type community where the cost is high and you'll have additional monthly/yearly fees.

My parents currently live in a very nice DW community. We looked at a lot of them in our travels because that's where we thought we'd end up. We found new construction to be ridiculously overpriced. Resales in the same development were much more reasonable. In our area, we found it way, way cheaper to buy a lot with an old mobile on it, haul it & have a new one built. We previously built a custom home in arguably the two most prestigious areas in the Temecula area. Let me assure you, so far, construction quality of our new mobile is at least on par with our stick builts. Interestingly enough most of our new neighbors have similar stories. Once you have it, you find that it isn't that big house on the hill that makes you happy.
bsinmich
Explorer
Apr 17, 2016
I agree with the suggestion to both work a couple more years and save from it. I have been a financial planner for 48 years and my greatest dread was when someone who was 60 called and asked about setting up a plan for retirement. You should have started 40 years ago planning for retirement. You aren't the first in your predicament and you won't be the last. I remember one case where they were both 61 and when I asked about their assets I started an argument over if they had $300. or $400. in the savings. It made no difference at that time.
wbwood
Explorer
Apr 17, 2016
Why did you pick a Class C and are you stuck on it?

Not knocking a Class C as that is what we have. But there is value in all types. Due to your financial state, I would look at everything from TT's on up.

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