A little about me.....I'm in the military, and I am eagerly looking forward to retirement in (best case scenario) six years. There are some variables that could move that to the right, but for the sake of argument, let's stick with six. :) There's no one else, just me, and I have always had a travel bug. Until now, most of my retirement plans have involved either nice, remote parts of the US southwest, or perhaps just loading up a ruck and heading out to see....whatever. Until yesterday. I'm in Indiana at the moment, supporting an exercise with a couple of coworkers and we work the morning shift. On the way back to the hotel we pass a large RV dealer and on an impulse, I shout "Let's go check it out!"I'm glad I did. The RVs of today are a far cry from the camper my mom and dad traveled in back in the 70s. LOL So, to get to the point ("FINALLY!!" you say)...I have two sort of general questions..1) I'm using $2,000/mth as a planning figure for what I will have to live on once I retire. Assuming an RV is completely paid for, and the only bills I have are RV-related (insurance, registration, etc.) is that a "livable" figure? Obviously there are a lot of variables there, but we're talking ballpark here. :)2) Frankly, the idea of driving some of these Class A behemoths frightens me. LOL Can one live 24/7/365 out of a smaller Class A or C, say under 30'?Thanks for your opinions and your patience.

There are numerous people who full time on small units. From class B to class A and even truck campers. All depends on what you can deal with.

Are you planning to stay at Military RV Campgrounds, Boondocking, staying at RV Parks, staying at Rv campgrounds that offer no amenities? If I were in your position I would be thinking of a camping trailer or 5th wheel @ truck. Gives you the opportunity to explore the local area while your camper stays at the campground. Also, a truck camper would be convenient to travel around in. Yes, the $2000.00 should be possible depending on your rig and where you land. Don't forget the kayaks and fishing gear.:B Lars

Funny you say that....while looking at the RVs yesterday (mostly Thor products....Axis, Hurricane, Four Wind) I found myself wondering where I'd stick the kayak and bike.Oh, and I'm not sure what I'd do. I prefer outdoorsy stuff, though I would certainly take advantage of whatever the military might have. "Boondocking" sounds good. :B

Hopefully you'll get lots of replies for your questions. For beginners...Lots of people (including retired military) have less than $2000 a month coming in. IMO that doesn't leave much $$$ and a tight budget is in order but very doable and many do so.Learn all you can about Tricare. Learn about RVing and "famcamps" and have fun. Even though we have a house also...learn ins and outs of Space A. And the ridiculous prices they now charge for billeting, for when you want to go somewhere for change of pace. Fuel is ongoing major expense. We know a couple that doesn't leave AZ. They go to northern part in summer and southern part in winter. Another couple we know that spend about 4 to 6 months camping all the way from Mich to AZ. They move as the weather moves, trying to stay in 70 degrees weather. Lots of "full time" info and blogs to check out. We enjoy Penfed credit card for 5 percent rebate on gas/fuel. That's 5 percent on purchase price, not 5 cent on gallon. Big difference. We don't go out of our way for famcamps anymore as their prices not like they used to be. Like anything else some are good some not so good. Lots of American legion and VFW's have rv spots. But we find most of our time is spent at out of the way campgounds and pull into a thousand trails to do wash and get batteries caught up. After about a week of being around lots of people, break out the map and see where to go to next. One of your problems will be keeping the passenger seat empty, then again I hate to cook:)

The biggest cost you will have is when you you have your A or C on the road. Figure 5 MPG then add the cost of fuel (and oil) and it all starts to add up.Periodically you have to change out fuel and oil filters and class A diesels take oil by the gallon (really a lot of litres). Figure oil changes every 10,000+ miles (depends on the diesel engine) fuel filters every 25K+/- miles. I am not sure what class A tires cost, but even if you don't wear them out you have to replace them every 3 years or less.If you are going with a class A or C you are goind to have think about a toad. That is the car you see being dragged behind the class A, C.Maintenance is another expense. Class A is really a bus. I am guessing you can get away with a few years of minimal maintenance. At some point you are going to have to have some major maintenance. I have no idea what that costs.The other maintenance is going to be the RV itself. Every year you want the roof checked, slidelouts inspected, anode rods changed every other year, awning inspected (awning will probably need to be replaced every 3-5 years)You could shop used. Depreciation is huge on any RV (A,B,C,TT,TC,5ver, hybrid). An RV (toyhauler) we bought that was 3 months old had lost a third of its value. Be aware that used are sold as is and if you discover a major problem after you sign, gues what? Also if you purchase at the end of the season you can save more money. It is rare that a trailer can be worth more than you paid for it. They aren't like houses and they do wear out.The other option is to look at travel trailer or 5ver. The advantage here are that TV (tow vehicle) and trailer are separate. If you have trouble with either you can leave it at the shop. With a class A or C the whole rig is in the shop.If you have trouble with the TV, you can always replace it. That is a little tough to do with an A or C.If you are still going to keep a home, you can always use the RV as a lifeboat. We have hurricanes around here. If the power gets knocked out we fire up the gensets and live in the RV until the power comes back on. If we are having a party or family get together, we have extra fridge space and ovens, burner space as well.

Hopefully not a complete rehash of the usual noob questions

AllenTC2
Explorer
May 03, 2017
rvshrinker wrote:
a single dude, id be thinking of a small but quality travel trailer. way under 30'. you want to be outside having fun, not hanging out in a box.

Anything you'd like to recommend, manufacturer-wise?

I'm not sure what the difference would be between the trailer and an RV though. I wouldn't 'hang out' in either. I was thinking I'd park near the trail/lake/river/whateverinterestsmeatthemoment and walk/bike as I wanted.
rvshrinker
Explorer III
May 02, 2017
a single dude, id be thinking of a small but quality travel trailer. way under 30'. you want to be outside having fun, not hanging out in a box.
ncrowley
Explorer II
Apr 28, 2017
Do not restrict yourself by size. I was also intimidated by the size of the class A motor homes, but now that I have been driving one, it is no big deal. Going full time, you will probably want more space.

If you are going to move around a lot, you will want a motorized RV. If you plan to stay in one place for long periods of time, you will want a fifth wheel.

If you have a motorized RV, you MUST have a toad. You are living in it and you cannot take it some places you want to go and you do not want to unhook everything every time you need to go shopping.

A Famcamp is an RV park on a military facility. The prices are good for nightly stays but long term stays are often much more expensive that RV parks since many do not offer discounts for longer stays.

If you go with a diesel class A, budget about $2000 per year for maintenance. You also need to carefully look at the state you will have as your residence. The costs of registering the RV varies greatly by state.

There is a full time forum. I would go there and search for threads that talk about the cost of full timing. There is a lot of good information there.

We are both retired military but are not full time but we have a lot of experience traveling with the RV. Getting health care using Tricare should not be an issue for you. You will need to know what facilities are Tricare authorized where you are staying.
NCWriter
Explorer
Apr 28, 2017
ng2951 wrote:
The other thing to do instead of checking the dealerships is to go to a RV show. You will see many more campers of all types there and then go looking for a dealer that supplies them......

...You want to make sure your spouse wants to do this as much as you do. If someone is unhappy, if you cannot find the right rig, you may want to reconsider it.

I agree with going to RV shows. Take notes on the ones you liked AND the ones/features you didn't like. Some shows are only going to have certain brands or types on display. There's a big annual show in Hershey, PA (others elsewhere, too) where you'd see a lot. With the OP's time horizon, he can see something he likes new now with all the latest goodies and probably buy that feature/model used in a few years.

I think the OP said he will be solo, so will have the luxury of just meeting his own preferences, but definitely good advice for those with spouses. If you both aren't on board with the plan, could be expensive later. I've known couples who found that out too late with big luxury boats and RVs.
ng2951
Explorer
Apr 28, 2017
The other thing to do instead of checking the dealerships is to go to a RV show. You will see many more campers of all types there and then go looking for a dealer that supplies them.

You can usually buy the camper at the show if you so desire. My suggestion though is the show is the place you can really discuss the pros and cons or your likes and dislikes on the RV.

That latter part can really cause you a problem because once the sales staff knows you like a unit the harder it is to get them to negotiate with you.

When I bring my pardette to a show, and she finds a trailer she likes, she starts telling the salesman where she wants to put the curtains. Let me tell you how hard it is to get a nickle knock off at that point!

I did manage to $6,000 knocked off this last time by playing 3 dealers against each other. Only one was withing 20 miles of me and the other two were within a 100 miles. That means about 14 gallons of diesel round trip. However, saving $6K dollars on the sale price was pretty good in my book! Not only that, I got better than I expected on the trade-in and a lot more than the dealership 20 miles away.

One other thing about RVing...be certain it is what you want to do! No matter how nice your RV is, it will never be as comfortable as your home. Most RVs do not have washer/dryer. The ones that do tend to be small. Be sure that is what you want.

More than that do all your trinkets fit? The ones that don't are you willing to part with them? Your workshop space is going to be real spartan.

I agree with the person who said to rent a Class A first. Spending a week on the road in a Class A will tell you a lot about whether this is for you.

You want to make sure your spouse wants to do this as much as you do. If someone is unhappy, if you cannot find the right rig, you may want to reconsider it.
RPreeb
Explorer
Apr 27, 2017
wanderingbob wrote:
I like a pickup and a travel trailer instead of class A,B,C.because I can unhitch and drive away . When the drive train gets old and cantankerous you can trade for another pickup . We ya get tired of RVing you sell the trailer and still have a truck . We live full time and wander all over the south never spending more than $350 a month for 'dockage '. Many nites we boondock in parking lots , police stations , cemeteries ,pastures . Tonite we are in a pasture , with owners permission . When ya ain't got to be anywhere then ya are never late !
We have been staying for a month rate somewhere and then wander for three or 4 weeks .

I'm on board with this. My parents had a class C, and I hated that thing (it was a 1990 vintage, and woefully underpowered). Maybe the newer ones are a bit better, but I just don't like the idea of having to maintain 2 drive trains. One is plenty, and like Bob says, if you decide to to go back to brick and stick after a few years, you still have the truck. If you are going to full time, you will really need something more than a scooter for exploring/sightseeing, and that means towing a car. I'd rather tow my house and just have one engine to deal with.
Ductape
Explorer
Apr 27, 2017
Rent first, buy after you know what you like. If you like cold camping, then double pane windows and insulated tanks are important.

Learn to look beneath the surface, there's a lot of cheap shoddy stuff for sale. Ok for intermittent use, not so good for full time.
2gypsies1
Explorer III
Apr 27, 2017
You mentioned ditching a car and relying on a bicycle or scooter. For weekend travelers that would work but for full-timing I wouldn't rely on it, especially if you really want to explore the country - backroads. Think, also, about inclement weather you'll encounter, possibly for days. Towing a car would be much more pleasurable.
sdianel_-acct_c
Explorer
Apr 27, 2017
http://www.interstellarorchard.com/
sdianel_-acct_c
Explorer
Apr 27, 2017
For a single person who wants remote locations I would go with a truck camper that slides in the back of a pickup. You can carry your kayak, bike, etc easily. You can drop the camper and take off in the truck. Your largest costs will be insurance, fuel and camping. The insurance costs are fixed. The fuel you can control by staying in one place longer and not moving around. The camping costs can be controlled by dry camping (boondocking), staying in military campgrounds, state parks, corps of engineers, national parks, etc. I totally think it's doable on $2000 a month. read this blog: www.interstellarorchard.com it's about a young woman who quit her job and took off in a truck and small camper.