We're new and excited!

[CharlesandKate]

Hi everyone,
My husband and I have decided to be full-timers and wanted to take a minute to introduce ourselves. We don't have any particular questions, just wanted to say hi!

We've talked about Rv'ing full-time for a few years now, and we've finally committed to buying a rig and getting out on the open road. The house is on the market, all of our possessions are either in storage or gone, and we're in rig shopping mode; we couldn't be more excited!

We are young, 35 and 34, and while we've heard there are people out there that are our age, it seems that we are the minority. Even if there aren't many in our age group, it's people of like mind that we're after! I hope we find that in abundance!

Thanks for reading, and thanks for being so welcoming! We can't wait!!

[doxiemom11]

The quick fix/easy fix is changing the bolts on the factory sway bar both front and rear to the 2nd hole that is there. It improves the handling of the coach for less sway and constant steering correction needed which is very tiring. Don't get pushed around by all the semi's as they pass you either. You should be able to do a search and find step by step instruction or u-tube videos. It's for the Ford F53 chassis which many coaches have.

[CharlesandKate]

Magua,
So nice to meet you! We haven't bought a rig yet, we're still looking.
What a fun adventure you have planned! How exciting! Are you planning to blog too? Homeschooling is a huge undertaking! You're vrave! We don't have kids, so that does make it slightly easier for us.
Can't wait to hear about your adventures! ?

[Magua]

Hi C&K!
We're planning a similar adventure! I'm 39 and DH is 40 and we have two sons 6 and 7. We'll sell our S&B house, I'll road-school the kids and DH, who is in electrical engineering, will be looking for contract work. At least that's the current plan. It tends to morph over time.

We just bought a 2009 Forest River Georgetown 379 that has a separate bunk room for the boys with a door that closes (woohoo!). It's been too cold to get in it and start modding it out to our liking, but we had quite a shakedown trip driving it home to MD from FL. I'd LOVE to leave fall of 2015, but we might be looking at spring of 2016 so we can get the house sale-ready, get the rig road ready and do the myriad of other things needed to get the heck outta here.

So, nice to meet you!!! Love those blogs folks posted. I've found a bunch of blogs of FTers with kids too.

[CharlesandKate]

Geocritter, DH is the same height!! I'm sure he knows how you feel! When we got married, I had no idea what "tall people problems" are! 🙂
Most of the bathrooms we've looked at are fine with the skylight as long as the bathroom isn't on the step up in the back. We're narrowing down our options, but still haven't decided yet.

[Geocritter]

I'm 6'5" and have a Class A with a skylight over the shower which gives me the headroom I need.

[CharlesandKate]

Awesome! I've been reading some of those blogs, and love their perspective. Heard the new mobile internet book is out also! 🙂

[Vacay_Wheels]

In fact... Technomadia, WheelingIt, and ToSimplify.net are all caravanning out west now 🙂 Maybe you'll run into them on the road!

http://www.technomadia.com/2014/11/continuing-down-hwy-395-mammoth-lakes-and-bishop/

[CharlesandKate]

That's great to know CA, thanks! We'll have to develop some basic hand signals and such before we set out, but I'm sure you learn a lot along the way too. I'm sure we'll look like the frantic, waving, screaming people at first! 🙂
Team work is key!

[CA_Traveler]

CharlesandKate wrote:
I was concerned more with being make to make it down the paths to the camp grounds. How do you know if you'll fit into a certain park? Do you scope it out in the toad?

We use prior experience, guides and phone calls. We've checked out CGs for immediate and future reference with the toad.

We've also driven in blind and hoped for the best. Worst case scenario is to unhook the toad and back out.

We use radios and hand signals for maneuvering. When backing DW is behind the rig watching the back, up/down and to the side. She directs the back while I'm responsible for the front. She is to keep in sight and if not my foot is on the brake - and there is no blame when this happens.

We see partners that don't help, walking behind a backing rig or standing in the front yelling or waving their arms at random. We don't get it but to each his own...

We're polite when someone wants to help but prefer our own know help. Plus we're responsible not them if something happens. We have gotten good help from hosts.

[CharlesandKate]

davidaf wrote:
We've met people of all ages but certainly more folks older than us than younger. Age really hasn't mattered. Like you said like minded means we instantly have things in common. Certainly more than I ever had with my neighbors in the stick house

Love, love, love! I'm so glad it is like that out there, because, you're right, we sure don't get that here!

Ramair wrote:
Make sure the MH you get has the storage you want/need. 38' would be the smallest I would go and insure it has slide outs, they make a world of difference

Slide outs are a must, I totally agree! We're having a hard time right now, finding a floor plan that will work for us in our price range. We've eliminated all back bathrooms because the shower is located in the step up, and that won't work for DH. Poor guy can't fit in the darn thing.
Does the 38' allow you into state / national parks? Have you been limited anywhere because of your size?

CA Traveler wrote:
We look for ways around any restrictions such as some place nearby or using the rear overhang onto grass, etc.

Oh! Good call! Never thought about this. I was concerned more with being make to make it down the paths to the camp grounds. How do you know if you'll fit into a certain park? Do you scope it out in the toad?


Thanks to everyone for your feedback and making me feel welcome! We're very excited!

[CA_Traveler]

CharlesandKate wrote:
CA traveler, I know how you feel. DH and I find ourselves justifying the larger rig every time we look. He's 6'6" and that does limit us in certain areas (shower and bed). The ones we like the best are in the 40-42' range. I didn't even think about the limits on what roads we would be able to travel! Another thing to think about, glad you mentioned it! Do you find with some pre-planning, you're not too restricted?

I believe our interior height is 7'. Part of the plan to make it look bigger by lowering the rig to the ground vs our 04 Endeavor.

We look for ways around any restrictions such as some place nearby or using the rear overhang onto grass, etc.

[C-Bears]

CharlesandKate wrote:
Thanks guys!
It's ok that there isn't anyone our age, we figured that would be the case. In fact, we find this in most of the things we like to do, and we rather prefer it. I just hope we'll be welcomed.
We feel very fortunate that our jobs are both "commutable" and allow us to be anywhere on the globe. It helps us to quell our insatiable appetite for adventure!
I know this is a very general, open ended question, but for those of you that have rigs in the 36-42ft range, is there anything you wish you knew ahead of time?

We have been full time in a 39'2" FW for almost 2 years now. We average between 6,000 and 10,000 miles a year traveling.

The only thing we learned was about pre-planning some of our campground stays. We have kept track during some of our trips and we feel we can get our average cost-per-night down.

Other than that, we have figured out general maintenance issues with our FW and love this lifestyle.

[Ramair]

There are FT out there in your age bracket, we started full timing when DW was 48 and I was 45. 5yrs later we are still enjoy the way of life. Can travel where are kids and grandkids are and stay as long as we want. Visit friends and what have you. No time tables to contend with and one thing to remember is you will be living in what some say is a small apt. Make sure the MH you get has the storage you want/need. 38' would be the smallest I would go and insure it has slide outs, they make a world of difference. Enjoy and happy travels.

[davidaf]

We sold the stick house last year at ages 43 and 51 and still work full-time. I'm usually in the office half the month then out roaming around the other half. It's worked out well. We've met people of all ages but certainly more folks older than us than younger. Age really hasn't mattered. Like you said like minded means we instantly have things in common. Certainly more than I ever had with my neighbors in the stick house.