The Reality of Full-Time?

[kwalk8]

Hi everyone, I've been reading and appreciating all the helpful comments and conversation here on the subject of living the RV life. My boyfriend and I, both in our mid-30s, are considering a hard left turn away from 'regular life' and into adventure. We're tired of paying rent and have no real desire to own land or a house. We have a savings and are looking into joining the full-time lifestyle, at least for a few years. We both have many varied skills that could lead us to part time work in all kinds of places. One thing we're discussing now is the reality of living in an RV full time. We have no debt and no children, and are not at all afraid of working hard and/or full time hours. We're not looking for a vacation per se, but just the freedom to roam around and explore. Does anyone have thoughts on 'hidden' expenses, per se? Or the not-so-lovely side of this lifestyle? I'm factoring in close living quarters, cell phone bills, gas, groceries, and propane... assuming we're working in exchange for a site, what else am I missing? Just trying to balance the romantic concept with the realities of daily living... thanks in advance for any input you care to offer!

[nsprowso]

My husband and I are around ur age and are also debt and kid free sans student loans. Look for jobs with site included and all hours paid. Honestly some parks will take advantage of you with that 20 hours per week for site. They are making money off of you! Winter is tough to find such a place, so we go to sun n fun and are offsetting site fee by waiting tables with tips! Summer is easy to find a place with site included! If you have restaurant experience you are golden as many workampers can't handle the pace, nor do they want to! Also, check out cool works for jobs and working couples. And get a space heater so you don't use your own propane. And re: alaska, it is awesome, but it costs a small fortune getting there and back and groceries are outrageous! Also if you work in the kitchen, you get some if not all meals paid! And if you are in the middle of nowhere that rocks! Are you are good without wifi and cable? Get to a park with 5 million people on the wifi and you will have to make a decision. Get your own or deal with it. Good luck!

[Gypsy_Soul1]

I'd rather be doing what I love getting by than stuck in a job I hate making big money. I know to many people who do, they are miserable people. On the bubble going full-time to show our kids the US rather than read about it in a book. Not forever but a few years

[2oldman]

2freelife wrote:
It's not a bad thing to work all your life.

It isn't, provided you remain healthy enough to work "all your life." But the reality is (to address the title of this post) that isn't how it usually works.

You don't have to read very far on this board to find examples of your fellow RVers with some pretty nasty health issues. It's not uncommon for people in their 70s to start having trouble keeping up with the demands of RV life. Is that going to be you? No one knows for sure, but the odds are not in your favor. People who continue working into their late life stages are often those who have worked their entire lives and have a pension to fall back on. They work because they want to, not because they have to. Big difference.

So for now, sure, go ahead and live your dream. You're young and healthy and full of ambition, and who wants to think about that far into the future? But remember, when you're too fat, or sick, or your knees don't work, and the 'live for today' is over, you can thank us, the taxpayers, for footing the Medicaid bills for the nursing home you can't afford.

Unless you're one of the lucky few who save money for your later life, the chances are good this is how things will end up for you. Being able to work until your last day on earth is a pipe dream.

[emaav]

I too will agree with noplace2 and BeckyIO Enjoy it live your life. only you can make yourself happy.

We are starting our adventure in the middle of Sept and we have been told by more than a few people on this site that it is not doable.

Do you know why the present is called the present? Because it is a "present" Life can be wonderful...Take lots of pictures and write a journal. Look back on it later and put a smile on your faces from what you have experienced, good and bad...

[2freelife]

I think you should follow your dreams. It's not a bad thing to work all your life. I personally think people who continue working are happier, & healthier. As a fulltimer you won't have to accept the stress of a regular job, & you can look forward to the next fork in the road. I think it is important to own your rig & truck. It's easy to adjust money going out if you aren't encumbered by debt.

[noplace2]

Again, refer to my post a few above. We've been doing this happily and successfully for many years. Please do not let the naysayers get you down. There are always people who will denigrate the concept, largely because they never figured out how to do it correctly. You don't need "good luck". You need good planning. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to be debt free. If you don't owe anyone anything, everything else will fall comfortably in place.

[2oldman]

kwalk8 wrote:
. As for the rat race and my 401k... well... I opted out of that lifestyle 7 or 8 years ago, and my boyfriend never entered it to begin with.

Then you can expect to work your entire life.

Good luck.

[HappyKayakers]

trailertraveler wrote:
... Volunteers for state and federal agencies are generally covered for liability and by workmen's comp for injuries, but not loss of future wages...

Excellent point. I found this out by accident when I was injured during the sugar beet harvest. Fortunately, I was earning a very good paycheck there and that's what my 'lost wages' were based on. If it had been a 'work for site' arrangement, I would've been in deep do-do until my injury healed.

[B_O__Plenty]

kcmoedoe wrote:
Everyone is missing the biggest cost which is the impact a decision like this will make on their ability to earn in the future and their ability to save for retirement. Most people have a career track. The idea is you start at a low level and eventually you climb the career ladder and earn more as your skills grow. Take a 5 or 10 year hiatus from that career track and all your future earnings will likely be reduced. Also, if you take a 5 or 10 year break from contributing from IRAs and 401Ks the impact is enormous. Traveling while also continuing your career could be a wonderful decision. Dropping out of the 'ratrace", working odd jobs and generally just drifting along is going to have lifetime implications that most likely cannot be reversed should you later decide you made a bad decision.

100% Correct!! I have known a few people that thought they were beating the system by working for cash...Then something happened and they had to go on disability or Social Security. They are barely getting by. If you don't pay anything in...you don't get anything back...Boo-Hoo for them.

B.O.

[trailertraveler]

rag-ftw wrote:
Just out of curiosity, where do you see your lifestyle when you are 70 or 75 and not physically capable of supporting yourself through your daily labor?

This statement made me think of something that is rarely mentioned when discussing workamping and volunteering. If you work camp only for a site with no paycheck, make sure that you are covered by workman's compensation if injured on the job and protected by the campground's liability insure. Volunteers for state and federal agencies are generally covered for liability and by workmen's comp for injuries, but not loss of future wages.

Something I forgot to mention in my previous post is that if your boyfriend is going to run his own repair type business, he would be wise to have a good liability insurance policy.

Hopefully these insurances would never be needed, but if they are, I think you would be very happy to have had them.

[noplace2]

We have been fulltime RV travelers (not sitting somewhere in one place in an RV for more than a month, and even that's rare) for over 13 years. My DW and I were sitting around a dwindling campfire 15 years ago, contemplating a return to the workaday life (me at 48, she at 44) and asking, "Why aren't we doing this all the time?" We started planning that day and were unencumbered by debt (never were), "stuff", or sentiment a bit over a year later. We were of modest means then and still are.

Notice the lack of debt. That is absolutely key. And no, we aren't "want" for anything. Excepting caviar and lobster (we STILL do those occasionally) I defy you to name something that you have in your sticks and bricks that we don't have on board, AND can use in many places that most will never see.

Don't let the naysayers get you down. We've traveled from Alaska to Central America and back again a few times on a budget that a few people have called me a liar about. And no, we don't live/travel in trailer trash. Live your dream. You're not getting any younger and you are definitely not getting out of this alive.

[rag-ftw]

kwalk8 wrote:
As for the rat race and my 401k... well... I opted out of that lifestyle 7 or 8 years ago, and my boyfriend never entered it to begin with.

Just out of curiosity, where do you see your lifestyle when you are 70 or 75 and not physically capable of supporting yourself through your daily labor?

[kwalk8]

WOW! Wow. What a surprising and so very appreciated response from this awesome group. Thank you to all! Somehow these notification started going to my spam folder, so I didn't realize there were so many new responses. Thank you folks for taking the time to send such thoughtful advice to a total stranger!

We are still thinking very hard about this decision. I appreciate the insight on vehicle repairs, insurance, etc... those were costs I was overlooking. As for the rat race and my 401k... well... I opted out of that lifestyle 7 or 8 years ago, and my boyfriend never entered it to begin with. I have a 4-year degree and participated in my field for several years, but quickly decided that it wasn't the way I wanted to live my life. I've been piecing things together and absolutely loving my adventures ever since! I do appreciate the comments on this subject though - it's always good to have a reality check and to consider the other options/lifestyles out there. But I am certain that the ladder climb is not for me.

I also really appreciate the insight on site rental fees, fuel/utilities, and maintenance emergency fund.

2lazy4U - thanks for the book recommendation, I will definitely check it out. And BeckyIO -- wow! You are great. Thanks so much for your in depth response! It's really great to hear from someone who's more or less in my shoes, so to speak. I'll be contacting you privately as well.

Again, I just want to say a big thank you to this community as a whole. I wasn't sure what kind of a response to expect, if any at all... you're thoughtful advice and comments have far surpassed my expectations. I have a feeling I'll be checking back in soon with more questions and thoughts. If not right now, this is definitely something we will be doing sooner rather than later!

[BeckyIO]

Kwalk,

I'm 30 and have been a full-timer for 2 years now, I love it.

I work camp to fund my travels, and it's worked out just fine for me. I spend the spring and summer at national parks, the falls working at Amazon until just before Christmas, and then Jan-March I generally don't work and have "vacation" time.

For those who'll tell you it's an irresponsible thing to do at a young age: it depends on how you do it. Starting (and staying) debt free is a good start. I graduated from college with an Associate's degree in applied sciences, I'm a licensed Veterinary Technician and I worked hard in my field for 5 years before "quitting the rat race" as a previous poster put it and hitting the road. At that point, my wage had only gone up by a dollar since I'd entered the work force as an educated adult. The recession has made it so steady upward mobility in a job is no longer a sure thing, gone are the days of sticking with one company for decades in exchange for a good pension. And I'm one of those who's not convinced Social Security will be around by the time I'm retirement age.

So what's a young nomad to do? Full-timing doesn't have to be a gamble. In addition to work camping, I started searching for other ways to bring in income to bring my earnings back to where they were before I hit the road, and I'm almost there. The online business I started has made it so if not all my eggs are in one basket so to say in case a disaster should hit. I have my own IRA that I pay into independently of any job, and I have a high deductible health insurance plan that will cover me in the event of a medical emergency - all smaller stuff I pay out of pocket.

I respectfully disagree with those who say that once you get started full-timing you can't go back to a "real" life. Keep an emergency fund set aside for mechanical disasters on the rig, or as a down payment to go back to apartment living if you like. I left on good terms and keep in touch with my previous bosses from my two vet tech jobs, if I ever wanted to go back either would be glad to have me. If I wanted to get back to my vet tech career somewhere new they'd be happy to give me a recommendation. I don't have any considerable gaps in my employment with the work camping gigs and to be honest interviewers I've talked to have been curious about my unique lifestyle, it's all about how you present it. ("I took the initiative to fulfill one of my life's dreams while I had the chance" instead of "I went traveling") The first sounds like you're a go-getter with a good deal of determination, which employers like, the second sounds like your a drifter which won't be received as well.

Cost wise, other posters are more or less correct. Yes I spend less now than I did living in my last apartment, but let me stress that full-timing can be cheap or expensive and unless you change your spending habits once you hit the road it'll probably work out about even unless your current apartment is really pricey. Fuel and campground costs replace rent costs and you'll have to pay maintenance on the RV unlike in a rented apartment where someone does it for you.

When I'm working at a place where my site and utilities are included and I'm being frugal, my monthly living costs (single, no debt or pets) are about $700 a month. In months where I'm traveling and campground costs aren't included, it can jump to $1,400 or more. That's a huge range, but it's also more controllable than stationary living at least. When my travel fund runs low, I drive less, stay at less scenic places at a lower monthly rate, and hunt down my next job (and keep growing my other business so that eventually I won't need to rely on work camping at all).

Good luck you two, and if you want more advice I've written extensively about full-timing for pre- retirement folks on a budget at my blog and can give you links to other useful websites. I'm going to message this to you as well as post it here since I'm not sure you're following this thread anymore.

Safe travels and happy trails.