Any of regret going fulltime Rving

Great thread with even better feedback!:)

At one time I thought I wouldn't like being a fulltimer, but my wife and I are starting to rethink things a bit. After spending a few nights at a Palm Springs RV resort we couldn't help but relish in the friendliness of the residence (mostly snowbirds) as well as enjoying an endless list of activities. It was like being on a cruise ship on land (without $10 beers or getting sea sick).

Anyway, we've been discussing selling our California home upon retirement, establishing residency in Oregon with our current 5th wheel, and then purchasing a rig to enjoy the country during our 60's. After a year in Oregon (for obvious reasons) we'll establish residency in a retirement friendly state like South Dakota or Texas.

This should give us an opportunity to "test drive" several states and communities before we settle down in our more "slow go" years.

Thanks for the insight everyone!

Big Redneck wrote:
When one sell there home to buy a big Motor Home to go full time could have made a mistake. I love my RV but never ever wanted to go full time. I need a home base. Maybe for some that ok but I don't think my wife would go for that. Now I want to travel out west this summer again for a month or so and that about it.

Last summer we were given a price on our summer place that we couldn't say no to. Sold it, bought truck/5'th wheel, outfitted it (we were PT'ers) and were ready to FT for 1-3 years.

DW simply could not stand the idea of not having a "real" house. She needed all of her "stuff." So we became the worlds shortest FT'ers, ten full days.

Freedom is a state of mind, if you have options, you have freedom. To be stuck in a RV park with a blown engine waiting on funds to rebuild is not freedom. To have to work camp because the budget doesn't allow choices isn't freedom. Of course to own a house that requires a job to pay for a mortgage, well that isn't freedom either. It's all about your perspective and what you want in life I guess.

noplace2 wrote:

C-Bears wrote:


For us it was just simple math. In the past two winter seasons we have spend over $14,000 dollars in traveling and RV rent expenses to be in Florida for the winter. If we can purchase a pool home and lock in annual expenses of around $10,000 a year, then it is only costing us another $3,000 a year to own a home down here.

So, you are no longer full time RV'ers. Nothing wrong with that except that you are now once again stuck in one place. The entire point of fulltiming for us this past 14 years has been FREEDOM. We can't imagine ever going to sit in another sticks and bricks ANYWHERE. Best of luck to you.

It was not an easy decision to go back into a stick and brick. Since going full time we have never saved so much money! We were taking our time and only covered a little over half of the U.S. However, the fact remained that we knew we would always be stationary in SW Florida between December and May in order to enjoy warm winter weather. Those 5 months of being at one RV resort, plus the expense of getting there, compared to purchasing down in Florida, was just the right financial decision for us right now.

We plan on continuing our FW traveling lifestyle between May and December until we have visited all, or most, of the U.S. I hope we don't miss the entire FREEDOM of being full time.....

Not sure what you would call us? We have a 2br condo in Thailand, and live there October to April and then travel the US April through October. We lock the door, fly the dog with us and enjoy. We have no residence in the US so we claim ourselves as full timers. We feel this is the best of both worlds.

this is an interesting thread as my wife and i plan to go fulltime in 5-6 yrs. we have two daughters, one a jr in college and another a jr in HS to get mostly through school before we bolt.

We own three rental properties of which one we will sell to buy or pay for the airstream we are going to be looking for in a year or two.

Right now working on paying off the 2003 ford f-250 SD with 7.3L diesel and doing some performance enhancing mods which will be mine by this time next year..

One property will be sold at some point as its a joint deal with my brother and sister from my fathers inheritances.

The other one we will keep as it will be paid off and bringing in appx 400 a month free cash and the primary residence can be rented, and be paid off, bring in some 1200 free cash.

I guess my question is how many have used main home for rental property using a property manager or family member and how did that work out..

I plan to start doing upgrades to stuff like heat/ac system, and appliances.. water heater is less than 3 yrs old and there is a spare elec one under the house.

C-Bears wrote:


For us it was just simple math. In the past two winter seasons we have spend over $14,000 dollars in traveling and RV rent expenses to be in Florida for the winter. If we can purchase a pool home and lock in annual expenses of around $10,000 a year, then it is only costing us another $3,000 a year to own a home down here.

So, you are no longer full time RV'ers. Nothing wrong with that except that you are now once again stuck in one place. The entire point of fulltiming for us this past 14 years has been FREEDOM. We can't imagine ever going to sit in another sticks and bricks ANYWHERE. Best of luck to you.

I would not have a house but wife wants one. We spend 2/3 weeks there twice a year spring and fall

Bumpyroad wrote:

C-Bears wrote:

The results of that search convinced us that purchasing a stick and brick in SW Florida was just slightly more than getting a double-wide or manufactured home.

I watched a couple of shows on TV on beachfront bargains, etc., and was surprised that lots of "stuff" was available in Florida for under $200,000.
bumpy

One of the reasons we started a serious search instead of waiting was the prices are starting to go up an average of 5 - 7% per year on homes in SW Florida.

In general what we found during our recent search: If you want a 3/2/2 (3 bedroom/2 bath/2 car garage) newer home between 1300 - 1600 square feet you would be in the $125,000 to $140,000 range.

If you want a 3/2/2 with a pool then you are in the $140,000 to $170,000 range.

For us it was just simple math. In the past two winter seasons we have spend over $14,000 dollars in traveling and RV rent expenses to be in Florida for the winter. If we can purchase a pool home and lock in annual expenses of around $10,000 a year, then it is only costing us another $3,000 a year to own a home down here.

The way prices are going up down here again, if we waited 3 or 4 years, that $140,000 home would cost us well over $160,000! If we get tired of coming to Florida every winter some day, then at least we will have a property to sell and something to show for it. I would hate to think that in 10 years I would have laid out $70,000 to $80,000 in RV rental fees for winters in SW Florida.

Our only responsibility is the motorhome. We love our life. We stay where it is warm and visit our kids and grandkids when we want or when they need us. We see the country = West Coast. Great life so far = hope it last another 10 years

Wish I had gotten rid of the American Nightmare (AKA House) a long time ago. Bad neighbors are a forgotten. See family much more now. Saving more than we ever earned before. Don't have JUNK tying us down. Even the dog has a better view now, and that changes often. Bad weather is States away. No more high realtor fees. Free water, free trash pickup, free gas cutting, no snow to shovel, it goes on and on....