Am I completely crazy?

[LimaVictor]

Looking for some advice...

But first, a little background information.

My wife and I have been married 10 years, are in our early 30's, and just had our first baby in August. We have 3 medium sized dogs, are all relatively active, and we have SOME experience living on boats/MH's/small spaces for short periods of time (usually two weeks or less) at a time.

We currently live in Texas, where I work a 7 day on/7 day off schedule as a pilot. My wife has always worked full time as well, but has taken her full maternity leave with the baby, and it's got us thinking...

We have some equity in our house, or could reasonably expect to rent it at or above our current cost (mortgage/insurance) and have started bouncing around the idea of living on the road for a while until our boy is old enough for school.

We're thinking, with my income, and maybe some supplemental income if she works part time during the days I'm on shift, we could utilize the week on/week off schedule to travel during my off weeks and live in a MH full time (maybe for a year at first, then see how things are going after that).

We fell in love with the Forest River Forester (25 ft on the Mercedes Sprinter chasis) at a recent show, but have been looking at other class C MH's (and a few sub 35 ft class A's) due to the fact that we have 3 dogs and a baby.

The real question, I guess, is are we completely crazy for considering living full time in a sub 35ft MH with 3 dogs and a baby (assuming we didn't actually set off until he's closer to a year old).

I estimate we'd be looking at covering 30,000 miles or so in a year, given that we'd have to start and end each week long trip in Texas for my work schedule, and working with a budget around $3,500 a month.

I figure we could finance (or pay cash if we sell the house rather than rent) a reasonable MH for $500 - $600 a month, and our living expenses are relatively minimal (food, personal, etc). But to get anywhere we'd want to go (Colorado, New Mexico, Arkansas) without blowing our budget on fuel alone, we'd need something with decent fuel efficiency, and while we'd like to stay self sufficient a large part of the time, I realize we'd probably want the amenities of some nicer parks along the way as well.

Long question, I know, and I'm sorry, but I want to know if the reality of our dreaming is unrealistic, or if we could reasonably expect to afford, and more importantly enjoy, a year of life in a 35ft (or less) MH (minnie winnie/via) with 3 dogs and a baby on a $3500 a month budget?

Remember, we'd be in Texas every other week for my work, which would mean we'd basically be going on week long outings every other week, usually to places 300-800 miles away. There is potential for more income beyond $3500, but I'm using that budget to allow for some extra $ left over for unexpected expenses, etc.

Appreciate any advice or input you can throw our way, and don't hold back from the hard truths and realities.

Thanks in advance,

Crazy(?)

[JAC1982]

OK, I'm a younger female in your age range, so just my thoughts from my perspective:

-What would be the plan when your baby gets a bit bigger and starts moving around? It's all fun and games when the baby is little, because you set them down and they don't go anywhere. Once they are able to start moving around, they want to MOVE, and that's not that possible in a motorhome of the size you mention, especially if half your off time is spent driving (during which time your baby should be in a carseat).

-Old Biscuit asked this same question but, what will your wife do when you're off working? Just hang out in the same 240 sq ft you're travelling in? I know I wouldn't like that too much.

-What would the plan be if you had bad weather? You, your wife, the now mobile baby, and 3 dogs would be cooped up in that motorhome and you would probably be hating life.

-What would be your plan if you rented your house out, and the tenants quit paying rent and you had to go through the eviction process?

-What about your wife's job? Say she quits the job to do this (which sounds like your dream), and then has difficulty finding a new job when you come back to regular life?

-I can't remember if someone asked this or not, but where do you plan on parking this motorhome while you're working? I'd assume you'd want full hookups, and those places, especially in populated areas, don't come cheap.

-We have 3 dogs that I love to death. I don't even like camping with them that much, so I can't imagine having to LIVE with them in our trailer.

[westend]

-As much as I'd like to have something that we could use for weekend/holiday trips, the reality is that if we stay in the house, then my wife will continue to work, and my weeks off are spent piddling around the house, and now, taking care of the baby.

Someone had to straighten me out when my kids were babies---If you're their Dad, it's not babysitting. 😉

If that week off is getting to you, maybe finding an RV project would be right up your alley. While the baby is still small and is sleeping most of the time, you will have some free time.

I wouldn't make any drastic lifestyle changes with a newborn. The baby will be doing that for you.

[Walaby]

Sounds like a great job, but the homelife will be stressful (I believe). Big difference between spending a couple of weeks a year, in small confines, and doing it every day for the rest of your life (or the foreseeable future). As someone pointed out, where is the 'break' for your wife? You will also be coming home every day to cramped living quarters etc...

Add to the equation the fact you will have to do more maintenance (way more in actuality) than you have to do for a stick and brick house. And you don't have the opportunity to decide to put it off til next week. And if something does break just before your week off, then you're not going anywhere.. you're staying put to fix whatever 'it is'.

If something breaks that is beyond your capability, there goes your living quarters.. off to the dealer or repair shop, and now you'll be looking for a hotel that allows three dogs.

Recipe for some unhappiness. But, if you can accommodate all that, and a bunch more unforeseen circumstances, then more power to you.

Sounds like you guys are a relatively young married couple, still establishing your lives, and your relationships, and bringing a new infant into the world. Don't add the additional stress that this will no doubt bring, to the situation. If you can't afford the house you have, downsize to a smaller, more affordable one, but don't head down this road.

Of course, in the end, only you can make the decision, but since you asked for opinions, yes you are crazy to do it.

Mike

[2012Coleman]

I'm sorry, but your plan is goofy. no way would I want to have an infant in an RV - a new one at that with all the off-gassing.

Stay home, get a rig and do short trips plus a long vacation.

Awesome sounding job BTW!

[MarkTwain]

7 days work, 7 days RVing,
Old Mark Twain axiom "All RVers are different in their life on the RV road and so what works for some RVers, will not work for other RVers" or Mark Twain said " there is no right or wrong answer to your question, in the end only you and more importantly, your whole family can determine the level of sanity or insanity of your RV dream."
Thoughts you might consider:
1. The size and type of your RV should be considered in terms of, various types of weather conditions you will located at. i.e. rain and cold weather conditions will mean that you, the family will tend to be restricted to inside your RV. The family and 3 dogs couped up indoors for days could be stressful and testy(:. Who takes the dog out to poop when it is cold and raining?
I would suggest you look at the largest size of an RV your budget will allow.
2. At the raising the hair on the necks of animal lovers, tending to the needs of animals requires more accommodations and time on the RVing family. Each RV park has it's own set of rules/limitations allowing dogs i.e. most RV parks do not permit dogs to left alone in the RV so that the RVer can go out and visit or explore. Some parks require that the dog be on a leash at all times when outside of the RV. Some RV parks only the dog to "poop" in a area segregated just for that purpose. IMHO, I am not sure that restricting dogs to life in an RV does not
necessary meet the needs of dogs but rather tends to meet the needs of people.
3. The cost of maintenance of an RV should be evaluated and projected carefully. i.e. to replace 4 tires on my 5th. wheel cost $2000. Class A rigs cost more. Do you want Diesel or Gas? Cost of insurance, Emergency road side service, Extended warranty. Without a warranty to repair your rig, how much can you afford to put away in an emergency piggy bank in an emergency when you are on the road and you can't fix it your self. i.e. a water leak in the basement of my 5th. wheel cost me $3000. The leak was a small leak in the plumbing lines in the basement but had been leaking for a long period of time but visually did not show until the whole basement was water logged and had to be totally replaced. My rig is 2 years old.
4. I would really try to get a actual/realistic and not just conceptual or ideal dream picture of what your 7 day work and 7 day RV schedule will look like and feel like on a week to week and month to month and year to year basis. While giving you and your family a real opportunity to see the country and collect positive experiences, the 7 off and 7 on schedule feels stressful and work like for any length of period of time, IMHO. Setting up and tearing down an RV every 7 days could become more of a job. I might suggest that you find a home base RV park near your work (assuming you are going to rent out your home) even if you decide to sell your home. This would allow you a little flexibility in your life schedule of choosing or not choosing to hit the RV road every 7 days. Suggest you visit all the surrounding RV parks in your area to compare and contrast the costs , amities and location.
5. Have you given thought to how you will take care of medical needs for the family while on the road? Are you ok with having to use "Quack in the Boxes" AKA Emergency Care centers when you are traveling.
6. Keep us informed on what your dream ultimately looks like:)

[Old-Biscuit]

LimaVictor wrote:
Thank you to everyone who has already replied...I'm hearing a lot of what I suspected (and some of what my wife has already told me), and I appreciate all the input.

THAT says a LOT!

I did want to clarify a couple of things based on the responses:

-I'm a medical helicopter pilot, so when I'm working, it's 12 hour shifts (much like a fireman) and it's all local, so I'd still be close by and home every day (or night) during the work week, and we could even park the MH close by to work.

Worked 12Hr Rotating Shifts for 25 yrs with a 7 day off stretch.
Great time off but limited on just how far one can GO and ENJOY before having to come back

-Renting the house would be the preferred option over selling. We would really only be looking at a year and would like to come back to the same area when we're done.

Unless you hire a 'Management Company' you may be spending you days off dealing with 'problems' that you didn't resolve while working.
Renters can be a PAIN

-As much as I'd like to have something that we could use for weekend/holiday trips, the reality is that if we stay in the house, then my wife will continue to work, and my weeks off are spent piddling around the house, and now, taking care of the baby. If we chose to rent the house and live on the road, we would be single income and that would allow us to make use of the week off every other week.

Except it is no longer just you and wife.....new born baby and they require LOTS of time/effort.
MOM stuck in 240 sq/ft RV regardless if you are on days off or working........where is HER time off?

-As far as renting something to see how we like spending extended time in a MH, we have lived together on a 70ft motorboat with 2-4 other people (and a dog) for at least a week, sometimes 2, every year since we've met, so the idea of being confined to small living quarters and maintaining a fully self sufficient home is not completely foreign to us.

As pointed out.....70ft motorboat vs 24' tight quarters RV and a new born baby. Apples to oranges.
No comparison

-Admittedly, 30k+ miles a year is a bit of an overestimate. I got that total by picking the "dream" destinations, when in reality, we'd most likely choose more realistic destinations that don't require such a long travel time and subsequent high fuel costs, regardless of the MH's MPG.

-I realize as I'm typing out this response that I'm answering a lot of my own questions...but the input has been very much appreciated.

I guess a lot of this comes down to the fact that we've really enjoyed the past couple of months that my wife has been on maternity leave, but realistically she will have to go back to work in order for us to stay where we are, so the thought of packing it up for a year and spending more time together, doing more of the things we enjoy (hiking, mostly), in places we'd like to spend more time in (not Dallas in July, August, and September) just sounds nice.

And it IS nice...we (2 adults 1 dog....Full Timed for 7 yrs traveling. Great lifestyle.
But we didn't have a new born baby at the time and we BOTH were 'on-board' with the idea AND we didn't have a job that tied us to one place/time

I'm going to keep crunching numbers and window shopping, and I'm still open to advice from those of you who have some more experience in these matters,

Thanks again,


-Crazy

Give it some time.......

[mgirardo]

LimaVictor wrote:
we have lived together on a 70ft motorboat with 2-4 other people (and a dog) for at least a week, sometimes 2, every year since we've met, so the idea of being confined to small living quarters and maintaining a fully self sufficient home is not completely foreign to us.

I do not think you are crazy, however, there is a big difference between living on a 70ft boat vs a 25ft Motorhome built on a Sprinter chassis. With 3 medium size, active dogs, I don't think it would be comfortable at all. As has been mentioned, a lot of campgrounds that allow pets (that we have been to) have a 2 pet limit.

Sprinter chassis based motorhomes do not offer a lot of empty space. Where would 3 medium size dogs sleep? Where would the baby sleep? You are talking about living in it for a year. If you plan to let the baby sleep with you, plan to have the baby sleep with you for the next 10 years. It is a tough habit to break.

We are a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 teens) with a 32' Class C that has 2 slides and a bunk house. We live in it 4 - 5 months in the summer and it is too small for us. A week long camping trip, no problem. When we live in it long term, it is just too small. If you went without the dogs, I think it would be much more doable.

-Michael

[wa8yxm]

Well first, There is Crazy, Crazy and Crazy.. One of them is a good thing and it sounds like you might fall into that category. (the other two.. well I don't want to go there and likely would get slapped if I did).

Now: Some thoughts:
I have rented a house, turned out to be a nighmare, As did my Father before me. (same result) Though some tenants will take care of the house. many seem to feel "it's not our property so why not trash it".. So make sure you get a good security deposit and have a manager check on teh hosue from time to time.

Second: Consider home schooling your child(ren).. Recently in a political thread elsewhere where they are allowed I mentioned "Even a 10 year old child could figure it out" I will admit I had a specific 10 year old in mind, She is a resident of this RV park I'm stuck in and yes, She figured it out (NO I'm not going to say WHAT it is, the point is that she is one sharp 10 year old).

With companies like k-12 dot com (not sure of the exact url) you get most of the benefits of a classroom/formal education along with the benefits of HOME schooling. And you have some limited freedom of movement during the school year.

(Abby (the 10 year old) does have to go to a specific school once or twice a year for testing, She also does well on the test... But then she has a good Mother and Grandmother she lives with.. as I said, She is a very sharp young lady)

[DallasSteve]

I lived within my budget for 50 years and now I'm glad that I did. I see other people struggling to make ends meet and I'm so glad that's not me.

There may be an answer in there. Maybe not.

[JWRoberts]

YES!!!!

[LimaVictor]

Thank you to everyone who has already replied...I'm hearing a lot of what I suspected (and some of what my wife has already told me), and I appreciate all the input.

I did want to clarify a couple of things based on the responses:

-I'm a medical helicopter pilot, so when I'm working, it's 12 hour shifts (much like a fireman) and it's all local, so I'd still be close by and home every day (or night) during the work week, and we could even park the MH close by to work.

-Renting the house would be the preferred option over selling. We would really only be looking at a year and would like to come back to the same area when we're done.

-As much as I'd like to have something that we could use for weekend/holiday trips, the reality is that if we stay in the house, then my wife will continue to work, and my weeks off are spent piddling around the house, and now, taking care of the baby. If we chose to rent the house and live on the road, we would be single income and that would allow us to make use of the week off every other week.

-As far as renting something to see how we like spending extended time in a MH, we have lived together on a 70ft motorboat with 2-4 other people (and a dog) for at least a week, sometimes 2, every year since we've met, so the idea of being confined to small living quarters and maintaining a fully self sufficient home is not completely foreign to us.

-Admittedly, 30k+ miles a year is a bit of an overestimate. I got that total by picking the "dream" destinations, when in reality, we'd most likely choose more realistic destinations that don't require such a long travel time and subsequent high fuel costs, regardless of the MH's MPG.

-I realize as I'm typing out this response that I'm answering a lot of my own questions...but the input has been very much appreciated.

I guess a lot of this comes down to the fact that we've really enjoyed the past couple of months that my wife has been on maternity leave, but realistically she will have to go back to work in order for us to stay where we are, so the thought of packing it up for a year and spending more time together, doing more of the things we enjoy (hiking, mostly), in places we'd like to spend more time in (not Dallas in July, August, and September) just sounds nice.

I'm going to keep crunching numbers and window shopping, and I'm still open to advice from those of you who have some more experience in these matters,

Thanks again,


-Crazy

[sdianel_-acct_c]

What Boon Docker said. Fuel and Campgrounds are expensive. Insurance on the Class C might be expensive. Will you have a vehicle that you tow to get around when you are on the road to go sightseeing in, the grocery store, run errands, etc? What do you do when it rains for days? You can't drive an RV as fast as a car so you won't be able to get very far in a half a week. What if your house sits empty or renters trash it and you have to pay someone to clean it? Maybe a used RV? Is your health insurance paid? Is it accepted in other states? It might be doable if you sold the house and paid cash for an RV. Then you would only have fuel, campgrounds, insurance, food. Then the question would be what if you don't like the lifestyle? Maybe wait awhile and save more money and plan on home schooling when the baby gets older??

[2gypsies1]

Personally, I think this would get real old if you had to come back to Texas every 7 days. It will wear you out along with your wife. It really wouldn't be a relaxing trip with all the driving.

Instead, stay in the house, get a truck and used trailer or 5th wheel to save on costs vs. a motorhome and just take shorter trips or a longer one with vacation time. You don't have to go out every week you have off. Your son will start preschool sooner than you think or get into sports or other activities. Going away every other week will disrupt routines and children do better with routines. That's what most young families do.

Don't go into debt to do this. You're still young - take it easy with your plans.

[Old-Biscuit]

Where do you think you are going to go and come back in 7 days AND enjoy it.....


New baby......3 dogs


Ah heck why not........not by problem. GO for it.

[doxiemom11]

Purchase a used motorhome. The higher the quality the better. Opt to visit places within 500 miles to cut expenses for fuel and give you more time to relax. I personally would not want to be traveling all the time, either by air or on land. It will get old fast.