newbie questions

[highwaymenace]

TIA to all you seasoned RVers for their patience with newbies.

I am strongly considering becoming a full time RVer, and have a few questions.

I will be able to purchase my RV outright, but beyond that will be living on a tight budget.

In general my plans are to migrate. Staying at various places in the north of the US in the summer, then migrating south to Arizona, Texas, or Florida (somewhere warm) in the winter. I don't mind moving around a bit in either of these places, 2 weeks here - 2 weeks there. But I'd like to stay in places that don't cost too much, such as national parks and camp grounds out in the boondocks.

How much can I can I expect to pay? I'm wanting to get a handle on what my budget will look like.

I'm considering a class A or C toy hauler - or a class A or C with a motorcycle lift in the back (the bike will be my entertainment and local transportation). I'll be alone so I don't need tons of space so I'm thinking something in the 30 ft range.

Gas or Diesel? Gas is cheaper, but is there any advantage to running a Diesel RV? Also, what should I expect to pay for vehicle insurance? and should I consider getting a plan for road side assistance?

I'll probably make Texas my state of residence for tax reasons. I'll get my mail there and have it forwarded to me.

Does anyone have any tips or things to consider regarding becoming a full time RVer?

TIA

[lewisedge]

harley-dave wrote:

highwaymenace wrote:
"Another question:
How does the television work? Do you usually have a satellite dish?
What about internet connections? What do you do about that?"

Regarding your question about TV, I have a Winegard RT8000T RoadTrip MiniMax White 15" In-Motion Satellite TV Antenna on the roof of my coach, but it won't receive a signal when we're parked in the shade. If you prefer shade when you park your RV a portable antenna that you can position out from under trees would be a better choice. It costs less but takes longer to set up. We also have an amplified crank-up digital TV antenna that works well for local stations when they're available. DISH-TV allows you to subscribe only when you need the service and suspend it when you don't.

For our Internet access, my wife and I both use Verizon Android smartphones, which are equipped with an app called Easytether (available from Amazon). We can use our monthly data allowance on our phones by tethering our phones to the USB port on our laptop computers, rather than having to set up another account at extra cost to use our phones as Wi-Fi hotspots. If we're staying at a campground with decent Wi-Fi included in our nightly rate, we'll use that.

[highwaymenace]

Thanks for all the responses. I'm busy doing more research now. I'll probably show back up here in awhile with more questions.
Thanks again!

[JiminDenver]

Since you are considering boondocking, I'll add that the size of the fresh water and waste tanks should be a consideration as well as room for a larger battery bank.

[harley-dave]

highwaymenace wrote:
Another question:
How does the television work? Do you usually have a satellite dish?
What about internet connections? What do you do about that?

Great answers and suggestions so far! I'm learning a lot from you guys.

We have a 31' class c and it has both a roof mount Sat dish (Winegard Traveler) and an antenna for local TV. We use both most of the time. The Sat won't give local stations without calling the sat company (Dish in our case) and updating your location so we just poke up the over-the-air (ota) antenna for locals. We also use our smart phone hotspot for WIFI. Millenicom is also a good choice if all you need is WIFI.
We also tow our Harley's on a trailer (our only transportation) because the weight of the lift was beyond the rv frames ratings. Plus the weight of the Harleys was too much.

Dave

[highwaymenace]

Another question:
How does the television work? Do you usually have a satellite dish?
What about internet connections? What do you do about that?

Great answers and suggestions so far! I'm learning a lot from you guys.

[pianotuna]

Hi highwayman,

Free and Low Cost Campsites

Bob's Cheap or Free Campsites

not necessarily boondocking

highwaymenace wrote:
Piano -
Thank you. Great advice!

[twins89]

My advice
Stay about 32'
Buy the nicest gas one you can afford - used but nice
Invest in solar to recharge
LED lights
Get a good list of boondocking or free campsites
Look into work kamping or camp hosting, as stated
Check out county and town parks- sometimes only 10-20 bucks a night
Walmart once in a while for a night here and there
Cook easy, simple meals - double what you need and freezer remaining
Take advantage of the free days at the museums and local talent for entertainment
Stay away from the casinos
Keep a journal of your fun - or not-so-fun things that happen
Breathe and enjoy

[sdianel_-acct_c]

One thing to consider is how heavy is your bike and what type of lift you will need and will the RV support that. The lifts can be very expensive. You might consider a trailer to haul the bike.
you can see prices of some campgrounds on www.recreation.gov Depending on your age, you might be able to get the America the Beautiful aka "old geezers" pass and save half price. State park prices have increased in some states and if they have hookups are running $25-$35 per night. You can also find weekly and monthly rates that are affordable in non touristy areas. We average $30 per night for camping but we like full hookups. If you can do without hookups and boondock you will save money. Insurance and fuel will be the other 2 most expensive items. Save fuel by not moving around as much. Maybe monthly rather than every 2 weeks. Use the bike for sightseeing in a radius. You can save money on food and entertainment when you full time RV. We chose diesel because the engines tend to last longer although they are a bit more costly to maintain. A walk around queen bed will be worth it if you can find it. There are also some Trek RV's that have drop down beds in the living area that work for one person. Keep us posted!

[donn0128]

To help the budget, consider camp hosting. Most state, county and local parks use volunteer hosts, where as private and NF parks use a lot of paid hosts. There is a difference. As volunteers we are only obligated for one month at a time. Most of the paid positions require you to sit for the season, no matter how bad the park might be. In addition the paid positions usually pay only 30 hours a week, even if you work more hours. Volunteers are asked for 30 hours as a single and 20 hours each as a couple per week. While some weeks we may do way more than that, it is not mandatory. And there are some weeks we do far less than that. As a volunteer your duties depend on what you want to do go a great extent. Most of the rangers understand we are there to help them maintain the park, not be their slaves. If you are comfortable pruning trees, then you might be asked if you could. If you cannot for any reason all you have to do is say that you don't feel comfortable. No big deal. We have met couples that have been doing it for a year or more at a time. Moving from park to park staying for free with full hookups. That way your only costs are propane and food.

[highwaymenace]

Wow - you guys are great. I've got some reading to do!!
Thanks again.

[AJMom]

Also, if you check out the Full-time RVing forum on here, there is a lot of great information from both new and seasoned Fulltimers. We have no plans for fulltiming, at least not for years, but love to read about it!

[AJMom]

Welcome to the Forum!!!

I'd suggest you definitely get a roadside assistance plan. They're well worth the peace of mind for the minimal cost per year when compared to the cost of towing a motorhome from a distant location to the nearest service center. If you search this site, you will find LOTS of discussions on the pros and cons of Good Sam vs. Coach Net, two of the largest providers, and each has various levels of coverage.

There are also many discussion on here of websites and tablet/smartphone apps to use to find state, national or private campgrounds and make reservations if you choose to. It takes a while to get used to the search functions, but there is a LOT of info on this site! We just got our first RV last summer, and I realized on here that I have the same "newby" questions that many people have, and a lot of what I was looking for was here already without ever having to ask!

[the_bear_II]

go here to the financials page to get an idea of costs per month and per year.
These folks have been fulltiming for 8 years and post their expenses every month.

www.rv-dreams.com

[highwaymenace]

Piano -
Thank you. Great advice!