Thinking of Full Time would love some advice

[Abledturtle]

My husband works remote, and we're discussing full time RVing. I have a few questions about this topic.

What type of insurance is the best?
Should we buy new or used? We've never owned an RV before
Are there any books we should read?
Is a mobile hotspot the best way to maintain internet while at campgrounds?
Are there places to get solar panels installed or are they easy to install?

Thank you for any and all help.

[Jimmary22]

We also are looking to join the full timers. Have been part timing since 2002 and love it. Plan to retire in 3.5 years. I have a question that may have already been answered and I missed it. What is the best way you experienced full timers have handled your mail?

[GoPackGo]

I would suggest going to as many RV shows as you can find. Walk through all the various rigs and look at the floor plans. At some point you will begin to figure out which ones you like. Then you can start shopping for a rig with the floor plan you want.

I am not at all advising that you buy new, but knowledge is power. It's just about time for for all the Spring shows. Go to them and look at everything, even the rigs that are not in your price range - the used versions will be cheaper.

[sarahm]

I choose 5th wheel. I believe the floor style is better suited for full time living. I bought used so I could get the "most bang-for-the buck". I got my at Online auction. If you can do repairs. You can get good deals on higher end units. I would steer clear of lower end brands. Higher end units have better construction, and can handle full time living better. I did a lot of research online before buying my Montana. Just my 2 cents. Hope this helps.

[BarbaraOK]

We've never had a problem getting into parks - except for a couple in New England where the sites where 25' long.

Fulltiming is whatever you want it to be. There is no right or wrong way to fulltime, no right or wrong amount to budget for it, and no right or wrong to decide what one needs to be comfortable doing it.

We don't camp, we RV - we have a mobile, comfortable 1 bed apartment for traveling the country in comfort, enabling us to enjoy our retirement. This works for US - including having room to store the bottles of neat wines we find along our way each year.

Barb

[carl2591]

one thing to think about is, if you are considering staying in a lot of national parks large is NOT your friend. I follow one couple that travels with a 2 yr old, "less junk-more journey", https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2IENUorXc6kRtIiAGPRKZA and they are going from a class A to a 30 ft airstream due to that reason.

They started with a 40? ft 5th wheel and "downsized" to a 33? ft class A, now to a 30 AS due to not being able to get in a lot of NP or other places a large trailer or MH can not go.

Bigger is not always better if you ask around.. now i am sure there are LOT of you out there with the 45 tiffians? have a great time for sure. New they, TT 5er class a and c, cost a bunch are are expensive to upkeep and fuel.

Full timing should be about spending less and seeing more.. hence the less junk more journey guys keep touting.

good luck and see you out there in 4 yrs..

[4Kellys]

A great resource to look at if you decide on a Trailer or Fifth Wheel is the 'Travel Trailer & Fifth Wheel Comparison Guide' by Randall Eaton. He rates nearly all of them made since 2006. Well worth the $69.95 price, it's a lifetime resource everyone looking should have. There are also great books on all types of Motorhomes as well. As others have suggested, once you have decided on the type of rig you want rent one.

Good luck and Happy Holidays to you!

[tinner12002]

You might also check out the Boat Sport and Travel show in Indy Feb 17th-26th. They always have tons of RVs and financing possibilities.

[ppine]

There are some really superior RV parks made for long term living that are very comfortable and afford privacy. Arizona is full of them. They are popular and you don't just show up in peak season and expect to be able to find a space. It takes some planning but there is plenty of information out there.

Having boondock capability is what the open road is all about for me. Our most memorable nights have always been out there, not in a campground somewhere. After awhile it is a treat to have hookups, showers and laundry. That is what makes it fun is going out there and coming back to the comforts.

[ppine]

Good advice.
Two kinds of people take on big adventures. Those with knowledge and experience, and those that know nothing about what they are doing.

I have known two couples with little experience that decided to full time and both bought big expensive Class A rigs. After 2-3 years they are all still on the road and having a great time.

Living in a motor home or on a boat is a very fast paced way to get to know your rig.

[2gypsies1]

Abledturtle wrote:

My concern is the water/sewer, is that even in RV parks down south? Like if we make our way down to Arizona or Florida will we run into those issues then?

You'll have no problems getting water and sewer in the winter in the southern states. That's where all the snowbirders go!

[Abledturtle]

Fishhunter wrote:
One thing I never see discussed on this topic is parking at RV parks. We are currently on a two month long road trip and had at one time discussed full timing but after staying in RV parks we've decided it's not for us, no privacy and they just jam everyone in there together. One or two nights in one is OK but after that it's time for me to move on. I like my space. Also your going to be limited on where to park come winter as they shutoff the water and sewer in most places that have winter. We are fortunate to have some kinfolk in the south that own farms and ranches so we don't have to stay in a cramped up snowbird park. Just some thoughts.

We've talked about RV parks since we would like to stay in one area for a month or so, privacy might not be a big deal for us as long as we have good curtains.

My concern is the water/sewer, is that even in RV parks down south? Like if we make our way down to Arizona or Florida will we run into those issues then?

[Abledturtle]

PghBob wrote:
OP, I see from your post that you are from the Indianapolis area. Next July, the Family Motor Coach Assoc. (FMCA) is having a large gathering in the Indianapolis area. In addition to educational content, there will be a number of RVs on display. Note, however, they will be mostly motorhomes, not fivers or TTs. You might want to drop by and check it out for ideas.

If we haven't set out in an RV by then, we will of course come by!! That sounds awesome. Thank you for letting me know.

[Abledturtle]

2gypsies wrote:
You asked where else you could look other than Camping World. Naturally, if you can find a private party ad near you that would be a good start. By visiting the person and hopefully, at his home, you can tell how the RV might have been cared for. The private party should have all the repair/maintenance receipts for you to make sure the maintenance intervals were followed.

RVTrader is another place to look as is Craigs List (although there are scams on that site so beware).

Go around to RV dealers near you and test drive some RVs. Take you time with them. Walk through various day-to-day things like both of you trying to walk the aisle at the same time - some folks would have a hard time with the small passages; envision cooking a meal - is the kitchen convenient and roomy enough; does the toilet area have enough leg room and stand in the shower - is it roomy enough? Tall people have an issue with this. Is the bed easy to use - is it a walk-around or against a wall? Is the seating comfortable?

Buying used definitely doesn't mean that something is wrong with it. Some folks find out that RVing is not for them; some just get tired of RVing or medical reasons force them to quit. Some folks buy and realize they need something bigger. You can get a higher quality RV if you buy used.

To give you an idea of used prices, look over this site. Also note that they not only carry Class C's like you mentioned you might want for towing the car but look at smaller Class A's. Class A's will give you a lot more storage space for full-timing.

http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/classc/class-c-motorhomes.php

I have recently just heard of ppl, and checked them out, much better deals for what look like much better rigs then I've seen elsewhere.

If we go the private seller route, how do we go about getting financing? My husband just got his job last July, and while we do have a small savings that's for the downpayment and for emergencies and such, and it's no where near the amount of $20,000, so we would need to finance.

I have looked into a few class A's and I'm not saying no to them at all. They do provide a LOT of storage, which I love.

[PghBob]

OP, I see from your post that you are from the Indianapolis area. Next July, the Family Motor Coach Assoc. (FMCA) is having a large gathering in the Indianapolis area. In addition to educational content, there will be a number of RVs on display. Note, however, they will be mostly motorhomes, not fivers or TTs. You might want to drop by and check it out for ideas.