Newb advice opinions

I owned a 3/4 ton dodge diesel for a while and while it was more expensive to both buy and own It didn't require anything crazy extra than a gas engine. If it did break though a diesel mechanic wasn't easy to find, nor cheap either.

If any of you had a chance to do it over what would you change or do differently?

Thanks for all the posts. It's going to be a learning experience for sure. We've got time this is part of our exploration prior to buying. We plan in doing at least one rented trip to see what we like and dislike.

You could probably get pages and pages of debate going on gas vs. diesel reference the costs of ownership.

If you end up with a Class A diesel it would be kind of hard to predict your exact maintenance costs.

Your engine will require $140 - $200 oil changes, fuel filter changes, on a regular basis. As your miles build there will be other maintenance that has to be done not to mention tire replacement, shock replacement, etc.

We budget/spend around $150 a month, or about $1,800 a year in maintenance costs for our TV, but we currently put a lot of tow miles on it.

Thanks for the feedback....we aren't doing for the savings so much as simply because with my work schedule we have the ability to enjoy life while working. Most cannot do all this traveling and still work full time. We actually found out accidentally. My job went away this past February and we were forced to sell our home and relocate. Luckily my youngest graduated high school this year so it was kind of good timing. My wife had to quit her job so for the past 6 months we've been living off only my pay and enjoying each other's company on short trips during my off weeks. That's when it hit us that we don't want her to go back to the 9-5 m-f work. It cuts into out fun time. So I figure we bust buts for the next 5 years to save enough to buy (don't like owing anyone. Been there done that!)

"Get busy living to get busy dying"

According to my estimates from what I've read we should live pretty good and still put plenty away to retire at a reasonable age. It helps that we don't require extravagant things, just want to have fun.

Ive read class A maintenance can be expensive. Anyone have an opinion on that?

Thanks!

Rent. Take a break for a few months, see how you and wife do with the lifestyle, before making the committment to fulltiming, since for you the financial costs are not trivial.

Many move to full time RVing with prior RV experience, some jump in with cold feet, it starts as an idea. If it is a moderate cost, and going back is easy situation financially, full timing not working out is less of any issue tanit it is for a "no going back" committment. Your situation sounds closer to the latter.

Your potential situation is a lot like other mobile professions, such as traveling nurses, contruction project engineers, managers, and well paid technicians: you can move around in your work, you can do it sticks and bricks or RV, and there may not be a lot of difference in cost, one or the other.

We started out, early retirement, with a RV. My wife's idea was that we could do road trips, with orvwithout children or grandchildren, and we could do club camping. Between, we would retreat back to our home (one child stiil local) or do other types of travel, cruises and escorted tours. My idea was we could us a RV to live together on the road permanently. Turns out she was right, we got along fine in our 1800 sq ft hiuse (first time in 34 years we are home together all day) and in a cramped cruise ship cabin or succession of tiny hotel rooms for 2-3.weeks at a time. But in the 160 sq ft living space of a RV, we would get on each others' nerves after 3-4 weeks, particularly without the distractions of our familiar outside the house environment.

So find a way to give longer term RV living a try before jumping into it as a total financial committment.

Hi,

Solar can run everything in an RV with the exception of long run time high wattage devices, such as the air conditioner.

When I was not full time, I would run out of water before I ran out of electricity. The same can be done with full time but it is best to fully populate the roof with panels. Many folks who have 600 watts of solar don't run their generators at all, assuming propane is used for the fridge. When they want air conditioning--they look for a cheap campground. It is generally cheaper to be in a campground than to run a generator for 24 hours.

With 1200 watts of panels, in perfect solar conditions, it may be possible to run a small air conditioner.

Wannabefulltime wrote:
Pianotuna how well does the solar work? Can you stay off the grid reasonably well? I've been reading but never messed with solar.

I have read a lot of information about the costs of full timing, both prior to actually doing it, and now after we have done it.

We don't dry camp or use state/fed parks much. Our annual average is running just under $800 a month for sites. We don't owe on anything.

If you continue to earn $70,000 plus, after going full time and not owing anything, you will be banking about $40,000 of that per year in my opinion.

We are staying in warm climates for 11 months out of the year, slowly seeing all of the U.S., and still saving over 30% of our annual income.

If I could have started doing this at 47 with my present retirement income, needless to say my bank account now would have been pretty stout.

I think you have an excellent plan! You probably will not need the much talked about "exit plan" when you reach your 60's because you will have so much money saved you could probably purchase about any property you desired.

We also used solar when boondocking and especially out west where you can depend on the sun, it works beautifully. We had 300w and could run everything but the air conditioner, but then we found cool place in summer so didn't need it. Solar works in the background and there's no noise but your power is ready when you are. You do have to have adequate batteries, also.

We plan one renting this spring and have a friend about to retire and go full time within the next 6 months. Figured we'll pick his brain too.

Pianotuna how well does the solar work? Can you stay off the grid reasonably well? I've been reading but never messed with solar.

Your plan sounds like a good one! There are many young full-timers out there right now. If you can work your job around it that's awesome.

Hi,

Rent a unit and see how the "real deal" works out.