Bryan Appleby's Amazing Full Time Truck Camping Story

jefe 4x4 wrote:
Bryan told me he tries to hold his diesel fuel consumption down to $400 a month.(..or is it 400 gallons a month?). His 30 day travels take this into account. So at say, 10 mpg, he can only drive, on average, what?, 1600 miles a month? YMMV.
For all you propane users out there, we have found the lowest price is typically found in July. We have a 525 gallon propane tank to run Rancho de Jefe and it will go two years on a fill up.
jefe

Hey Jefe! Always a treat when someone stop by that has pushed the limits of their TC and to the highest heights, as well.

Starting this chapter in my life, I wanted to live a simple and modest life of adventure. One of the challenges for anyone choosing to go on long trips, or full timing in their Truck Campers is the income question. How long and how far can I go on the funds I have available. While I live very modestly, I have very little costs and keep to the budget I have set for myself. Tracking these expenditures and costs, allows me more insight on what my needs are and what my budget is and should be.

When I sold my house, I moved into an apartment while I took the time to put my project together. The rent on that apartment, excluding utilities is a figure I choose to use for my monthly budget. That way I can rationalize being on the road, otherwise I can take those same funds and just rent a house or an apartment. That number is; $750. I have lived on this monthly amount for the last 5 years.

My truck MPG is 7 to 8 MPG. I chuckle a bit when I read those of you TC owners talking about their terrible fuel mileage of 12 to 14 MPG. Oh, if you only knew. My fuel budget is take from that arbitrary number of $750. It is; $550. When Diesel goes up, I travel less. When Diesel goes down, I save that money and apply it to a time I need to travel farther. To travel a longer distance, I might linger more one month, to save those funds for the following month. My typical travel is less 400 miles, in my truck, for a 30 day period. Making choices and discovering more with less. It might work for you, or it might not.

The remaining amount, of that arbitrary number; $750, I use for groceries and miscellaneous spending. Miscellaneous spending could be saving for my recently purchased Rickson Wheels/Tires, Solar and admission to various museums or Girl Scout cookies from my granddaughter. My funds are fixed. I live within those Parameters. Keeping track of these expenditures is easier when done on a spreadsheet.

I had an interesting conversation with Sabconsulting, a few years back on groceries and budgets. I shared that I live on $150 a month and he shared; “$250 to $360, a week.” Sabconsulting added that that includes his wife Dunes, as well as they like to purchase 1 to 2 bottles of wine each week too. I have used this example often to show what my retirement is, might not be what your retirement is. That is why you should plan for yourself, not what I might be doing. I eat a lot of fish and chicken, as well as vegetables and try to buy in bulk whenever I can, like at Costco. That is where having the Service Body and Trailer really is a plus.

Now I do have health care that is subsidized by my retirement, but I pay more because I travel and am not in a preferred area. I also have costs such as Insurance (life, car, motorcycles, personal property), cell/internet, storage and satellite tv. These costs are taken before that $750 figure is made, so I do live on more than $750 a month, but those are not fluid costs like fuel, food and entertainment. I have not vehicle payments or debt, so my monthly costs are very minimal, which is a big plus when considering Fulltiming. I don’t have an ATM or Debit card and only 2 credit cards that have a small credit limit set, and easy to pay off each month. I do have an account set up, in case I do have a catastrophic event occur. In 5 years I have not touched this account.

Not staying in towns or campgrounds saves lots of money and temptation. Seeking out things like hiking, paddling and free or minimal costs museums and like locations is available and often used. I have a lifetime pass to the fee areas of the USA, as well as reduced costs for things like tours or camping, of which the National Parks is one of them. When one doesn’t have that “Golden Parachute” available, you would be surprised what you can come up with to do and enjoy.

Do your homework, planning and executing before you depart on your own great Adventure! You’ll be glad that you did.

b