Information resources?

[jcollins62]

I can see already that the RV/MH community is a wealth of information and populated by some very nice people willing to help and give advice. My wife and I are starting our long term planning for the switch to F/T upon my retirement in four years. (We like to get our ducks in a row well in advance of taking action. It's a nod to our indecisiveness that gives us more time to change our minds a million times. 😉 )
So, we have been researching purchasing a plot in a RV Community as a home base. Can you point me to some resources that will spell out the ins and outs of buying into a community? Some folks seem to think it's ideal because you can rent out your space when on the road. Will it be worth it? Will the rental income offset costs somewhat?
Is there some decent books or websites out there that explore these topics objectively and in detail?
Thanks folks! I look forward to reading more and more of the info and advice posted here.
Joe

[jcollins62]

Jim-Linda wrote:
FWIW, when we began in '96, our goal was to find "the" place we wanted to pull up at when we "finished". It, of course, is '13 and we have not found THE place.

I love that. I envision that for us. Thanks all for the great responses!

[Jim-Linda]

FWIW, when we began in '96, our goal was to find "the" place we wanted to pull up at when we "finished". It, of course, is '13 and we have not found THE place. We have been from the far NW to FL to NE to CA plus Canada. During this journey, we have decided that our current rig, 38' HH and FL60, parked in a mild climate in a nice park that has reasonable rates, is fairly close to shopping, medical and equal distance from kids, will work for us.

However, our legal address is about 100+ miles away (Livingston, TX) but since everything we do banking, bills, ins., etc is by 'puter, its no big deal. Good luck on your research.

Jim

[RoadLife]

I met quite a few folks this summer that bought an rv lot as home base. I'd say about half of them or more are trying to sell their lot.

Before you invest in such a purchase, I'd recommend you travel and try out all the different RV lifestyles and see the different parts of the country before making any decision on a home base. It really is cheaper and oh so much more flexible to rent a place for your "home base months". Then if you get tired of it, simply rent a different place in a different part of the country next time.

[BarbaraOK]

the bear II wrote:
Go to www.rv-dreams.com

This couple left the corporate world sold everything and wnet fulltime over 6 years ago. His journal on the website shows what they went through and he provides a great view of the costs month by month. Everything you want to know about fulltiming can be found on that site.

I'm sorry, but everything you need to know about fulltiming can't be found on their website. What you can find out about is how THEY fulltime. And they don't fulltime like we fulltime. And their 'costs' aren't their true expenditures because some of their costs are covered by the business side of their fulltiming.

Best way is to read several forums, including the ESCAPEES forum which probably has more fulltimers than any other forum around, and then read the blogs of different posters - there are as many ways to fulltime as there are fulltimers.

I agree, don't even think about buying a lot until you've figured out your style and what you want to get out of fulltiming. One thing is to realize that we haven't seen whether the same % of boomers will take to the RV lifestyle as previous generations have - - if they don't then the 'investment' of having a lot that can be rented out might not be a good one after all.

Barb

[jdocter7]

We prefer to rent the lot somebody else bought and let them have the issues with taxes and HOA fees, etc. if we like it there, we can almost certainly return. If not, we roll on. We've met several people who bought a place only to discover a dream location on the other coast...

[hitchup]

We kept our home base for annual Dr visits, near our kids and former home.

Finally after nearly 8 years, we decided to buy an RV Lot in the mountains within 2 hrs of them. We only bought it because it was at a good price. Otherwise, I'd be content to keep looking for a semi-permanent spot to park the RV long term.

[aslakson]

Second the idea of roaming for a while to see where you might want to settle when the roaming gets old. We've been on the road for 7 years now, and there are just too many places we like to pick one or two just yet. We seldom stay one place for more than 2-3 weeks.

For us, it made sense to join 1000 Trails, which has parks in many parts of the country. The upside is that once you pay your dues, the park usage is free. Downside is the upfront cost (always buy a "used" membership and save big bucks) and the tendency to go where the 1000 Trails parks are because they're free, thus missing out on some other great places.

As far as picking a "home base", we opted for a legal residence in South Dakota, so all our paperwork and mail has a place to go. And with about 80 1000 Trails parks around the country, we always have "someplace to go". Kids and grandkids will probably tug on your choice of places to settle once you get to that point.

Since you have a few years, you might consider renting a coach or two for some vacations to get a real life feel for what you like and are comfortable living in.

And one last suggestion - don't wait too long to start your new life. We now wish we'd known then how much fun FT is. We'd have planned a little better and started sooner.

al

[jcollins62]

Thanks for the quick replies. We have started our shopping for an RV now. We have pages of check lists that we bring with us and since we have time on our side we don't feel any pressure of jumping on one particular coach.
I don't think we will be parked for a considerable amount of time. Maybe at first, just to adjust to the new post-career life. Our ambition is to get on the road and see the country. My thoughts on buying are having a home base address and a guaranteed place to always return to.
I like the idea of travelling around before deciding on a particular spot. I'm wondering if it is even worth it over all to buy into one of those communities or should we wait to see if we want to park in one spot for a while?
Such is my research project. Thanks again folks.

[the_bear_II]

Go to www.rv-dreams.com

This couple left the corporate world sold everything and wnet fulltime over 6 years ago. His journal on the website shows what they went through and he provides a great view of the costs month by month. Everything you want to know about fulltiming can be found on that site.

[Mandalay_Parr]

My suggestion is to travel around for a while before making such a decision.

Sure as you get one now you will probably wish you hadn't or wish it was in a different location. Don't be too hasty.

BTY, I have been full time for 7 years and do not have a home base.

[klm]

I was a bit like you, planning in advance - visiting the rv forums, asking questions, and attending rv shows/seminars - all great resources.

Do you already have a rv? Or, will you be shopping for one?

I can't help you with any lot info, but I gather you think you'll be parked in one location for extended time? Before you purchase anything (rv, lot) you need to figure out the fulltime travel style that suits you. Some folks move every week or 2, to the other end where they have 2 locations - one for summer and one for winter. A bunch of us are somewhere in the middle of that. What appeals to you? Traveling and seeing new sights, wheels rolling? Or, parking for extended time on your lot?

Good luck, and I bet your 4 years will fly by quickly - keep your dreams