Home Base for Winter or Summer

[korbe]

I have been having a discussion with a co-worker regarding retirement and RVing (Camping). My thoughts are to have a home base(sticks and Bricks) located in the north for use in the summer months and traveling south to warmer climates for some of the colder months. My co-worker believes the opposite, live in the warmer south and travel northerly during the warmer months.

Curious as to what other forum members think regarding the pros and cons of each scenario. The home base necessity has already been determined.

[rk911]

korbe wrote:
I have been having a discussion with a co-worker regarding retirement and RVing (Camping). My thoughts are to have a home base(sticks and Bricks) located in the north for use in the summer months and traveling south to warmer climates for some of the colder months. My co-worker believes the opposite, live in the warmer south and travel northerly during the warmer months.

Curious as to what other forum members think regarding the pros and cons of each scenario. The home base necessity has already been determined.

sunbirds vs snowbirds...my wife and I have had this same conversation. we're still yaking about it but I see it this way. if something should happen that would require us to stay off the road either permanently or temporarily where would we want to call home? sure, you can always move but I'm looking at it as a sudden onset of illness. we're both sick and tired of snow and hope to never see it again.

[2BNOT2B]

Things to consider; Tax's, cost of living, health care, vehicle registration. I moved from the north to the south because of the above mentioned things. Family has an important roll in your decision making process, this is one subject only you and family can make.

I have enough land to have a garage for my MH and no HOA. City water and trash pick up once a week. We travel the coast from FL to TX during the winter we go north or west during the summer.

Just some thing to consider, the above may not be for everyone.

Safe travels, Bill.

[John_Joey]

I'll throw in one more thing that isn't so obvious when you're working. Most want to travel when they retire. RV'ing is just one form of that.

A mobile RV sunbird has a much larger area to explore during their summer travel time. A mobile RV snowbird needs to stay below I10 (roughly) during a large amount of their travel months. Fun for the first few winters (it's great) but you run out of places to explore unless you're into really deeply exploring a state.

[donn0128]

Home base has to be near family. But as we get older ready access to afordable health care also becomes a top priority.

[Alabama_Jim]

IMMHO you are right and your co-worker has it backwards.

[John_Joey]

IMO, your co-worker has it right. The rub comes from where your family is located. If you don't have family then all you need are friends and neighbors and you can build that wherever you land.

For us home is north because that is where the kids and grandkids are. They are the support network that we'll need when we get to that age where we depend on others.

If it wasn't for that, I would buy south in a low tax/cost of living/crime state and be a sunbird.

[TrailerTravele1]

Since we already have a home base in central Illinois, we travel south in the winter (currently Winter Texans) and return home when the weather warms up. Enjoy!