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[jstar]

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[JiminDenver]

Welcome back to the land of the camping. 🙂

We took over a decade off not because of debt but rather a work schedule that killed our summers. Spent a lot of time over seas finding out that cities in others countries were a lot like cities here. We bought the trailer in 2011 when we closed that portion of the business. At the time it made more sense to take a short term loan and leave the money drawing higher interest rates liquid in case we needed it for business. ( business loan harder to get than RV loan) We were all too happy to buy the trailer back from the insurance when it got lightly hail damaged last year. Other than some dimples on the front it has no issues and will last for years.
With the trailer paid off our home is the only debt. The trucks are 8, 11 and 12 years old but all have lower miles and we have no need to replace them.

Would I like a new Expedition with the Eco-boost? Sure but they cost more than some motor homes and would only shorten our drives in the mountains by minutes. I'd like a up grade to the trailer too but after reading all of the horror stories about new rigs, I think ours with no issues will be with us for quite a while.

[Coolerman]

Love it! Best way to live in my personal opinion!

The ONLY thing I owe money on is my house and it will be paid for the year before I retire. I have a single credit card. I use the **** out of it, but at the end of the month I write the check to pay it off. Have not had any credit card debt for 27 years. Got into that trap when I was newly married, and learned the hard way...

When I first saw that threshing machine picture I was like WTF kind of pop-up is that? 😮 Then I looked closer... 😉

[rockhillmanor]

6 years on the road full time.
MH is bought and paid for, cash.
And I do NOT even own a credit card.

Proof that you CAN live and breath with out a credit card! :B

[shortbus_driver]

A few of my favorite Dave Ramsey quotes:

Why do we buy things we don't need, with money we don't have, to impress people we don't even like?

If your poor and broke friends are making fun of you, you're on the right track.

Live like no others now, so you can live like no others later.

[RVcircus]

Congrats on the new trailer and staying debt free!

[rbpru]

The DW and I are old school so the thought of going into debt for a hobby item was not going to happen. Like you indicated we saved and found the perfect unit in a two year old Dutchmen.

I hope you enjoy your TT as much as we do ours.

The debt free concept is its own reward.

[jstar]

Well I didn't mean for this to be a debt free topic but since were talking about it I will have to say that I have more money, go on more vacations and buy more stuff then I ever did when I borrowed money. I make much better and more reasonable decisions about my purchases since everything I buy I pay for with cash and in full at the time of purchase. I have gotten so against payments of any kind that I only have I think 5 payees on my online banking account and they are all ones you never pay off like electric, phone, internet and water. Other then that its the mortgage and life insurance and that's pretty much it. I even pay my home owners and car insurance in full when they come due. Why? because I pay zero interest to anyone other then my mortgage which is at 3.5 percent so I really don't pay them that much either as my house is nearing being paid off. I haven't possessed a credit card since 2006 either or had any loans of any kind in my name. Its really awesome actually. I rent cars, hotel rooms everything everyone else does all with a debit card. Don't let anyone make you think you have to have a credit card and as far as mileage, screw it I don't want their lame handouts that they steel in my opinion from the sellers by charging them for credit payments. we all pay for that stuff by paying more at the purchase as they pass the credit card fees on to us then they take their part and give us a meager percentage as a reward? Screwem I'm not playing that game with them, sorry but that's how I feel. Anyway I'm glad to be back and never really wanted to sell my other RV but I was in debt too far on it and my daughter was into soccer so it wasn't getting used enough to justify it at the time. I"m back now with bells on and ready to hit the road and camping trails!

[Graycat]

Congratulations! We did the Dave Ramsey plan several years ago and it is so worth it. We're practically neighbors too.

[FULLTIMEWANABE]

Congratulations on being debt free, and building a great emergency fund - for us there's nothing sweeter. Hubby is a "I want it now" guy and I'm a "save for it and appreciate it more" person.

To each their own but apart from mortgages to leverage for properties that built our net worth/retirement over several decades, the past 10 years we've been totally consumer debt free. Admittedly we make things last a lot longer than most do and always question "do I want it or do I need it?". Invariably 90% of the time its the former.

Kudos to you, you deserve to be very proud of your achievement and being true to your long term goals.

[xteacher]

Welcome back! I applaud your dedication to become debt free. Many of us (me included) could take a lesson.

[rockhillmanor]

Welcome Back! :C

Yup, it's a disease that gets into your blood and IMHO you never really can shake the need to get back on the road. I quit 2 times, sold everything each time and said that's it no more RV'ing.....and then was drawn right back in.

[Gdetrailer]

jstar wrote:
Well I decided to go all out Dave Ramsey at the end of 2006, sold my 2003 Excursion, 35 ft Open Road TT sold off anything I owed money on and paid down all my debt except the house in around 2.5 years. 8 years later I'm still debt free and am working on paying off the house, have 4 vehicles and a boat all bought and paid for with cash and have a nice large emergency fund in place so decided to get another TT. I bought this 2003 22V Kiwi Too in 22 ft now that the kids are all grown and going to college (debt free so far too) anyway here are some photo's of the new very clean unit. I got it for $6500 cash! Did our first shake down trip over the last weekend. Glad to be back!

Slide show

Welcome back to RVing and welcome to the "light" side of low debt living!

Folks scoff at the idea that you can live very well without the need of huge credit card debt and or loans hanging over your head..

You ARE proof that it can be done!

It sometimes takes a lot of painful decisions to dig out of a bad financial hole but it is well worth it.

Enjoy the fruits of your hard work and decisions but do guard against falling back into the plastic trap.

[Doug33]

I love Dave Ramsey. Welcome back.

[jstar]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Welcome back....RVng gets in your blood and is hard to shake.

Nice unit.

Congrats on being debt free and remaining so!!

Thanks!