Define "Full time"

[Stargazer]

Owl started a thread, asking who is full time. Bob replied that he didn't think living in an RV in a park counted. It started me thinking about that. Just what IS full time? My friend, whose every possession is in her E-150 van, has no other dwelling anywhere nor a storage unit, is parked in someone's driveway for the winter, plugged into electricity. Is she a full timer? Most would say, "yes". But if she moved to an RV park, in the same van, then not? and the folks who live in the 40' luxury motorhome, sometimes on the road, sometimes not, are they full timers? Do you define it by the size (cost?) of the rig, what stuff they still own, the mileage they drive, where they park and/or how long they park there? How much they suffer to have this freedom?

So how DO you define "full time"? Does it matter? And why or why not?

 

[Blue]

well your going to get a lot of different answers on that... I guess for me full timing it means just living in a van or RV and not having any intention to move into an apartment or house. I guess staying in a park would count... I dont know if theres a specific word for it but I have the most respect for people who live in vans, and dont ever park in an RV park or who evern spend months in one area or state... I guess that would be a "hardcore full timer" to me..

 

[rvwandering]

My definition - someone who does not have a stationary dwelling but lives in a van, RV, car, tent etc. all of the time and is mobile at least part of the time. Whether they boondock or stay in a luxury resort, they're still fultimers. This covers a huge amount of very different lifestyles. Even breaking it down into categories such as retired people who drive class A and are always in RV parks or van dwellers who always stay on government land you'll find a lot of variations so I mostly go with this - if you define yourself as a fulltimer that's good enough for me.

 

[akrvbob]

First, let me say that I was only speaking for myself, I don't get to make definitions for anyone but me.

Second, there is more to the story. I didn't own a truck to pull it with. I had my box van I had been stealth living in for 6 years but it didn't have a hitch to tow anything with, the frame was so poorly designed one couldn't be added.

When my 16 y/o son decided he wanted to live with me instead of his mom I needed a place for the two of us to live so I bought a 24 foot travel trailer and had a friend tow it to the RV park. we lived in it for a year then I had another friend tow it to a storage yard and we moved in with my girlfriend. So I wasn't living mobile at all. I don't think of that as vandwelling or full-timing.

So that was unique to me, not a generalization.

But I think Karen had it right, mobility is the key. I think you have to be mobile some of the time to call yourself a full-time vandweller or RVer. of course what the time frame is has to be decided by everyone for themselves.

My philosophy is you are a vandweller if you call yourself a vandweller because it is an attitude and not a choice of residence. But to be a full-timer has to include some movement.
Bob

 

[billybob200138]

I agree Bob it might even be possible to never leave the city limits and be a full-timer if your attitude says so. A legend In your own mind kinda thing.... HJ

 

[Patd4u2]

If you have been a full time van dweller for a few years and take a job as a camp host for a few months do you have to go back to zero and start over again on your start date of becoming a "full timer"?
I guess it is important to some people if your classified as a full time van dweller or a part time van dweller...lol
serious does it really matter?

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

I'd say if there are tires underneath your home instead of a foundation you're a full timer. And then if you wanted to get technical you could further break that down into varying degrees of how hardcore you're willing to go. Living in a 40' class A with 4 slideouts and full hook ups is certainly different than an off the grid van dweller.

 

[Patd4u2]

Like I said, who cares what you are, full timer or what ever. What is this fascination of classifying everything?
Just enjoy yourself if your living this lifestyle either full or part time. Stop worrying about things that do not serve any purpose.

 

[rvpopeye]

I've lived on wheels for 35 years and have seen the term fulltimer debated many many times...
There are more definitions out there than can be counted!
Why bother ?
I'll just have to go with my namesake....

"I yam what I yam !"
And so are you !

 

[ascii_man]

I don't think that it matters where you park, just that you spend a significant portion of your nights in it and/or you spend at least a week more than 6 months a year. Something like that.

The main thing is distinguishing from the intended purpose of most commercial RV's, which seems to be "less than 3 weeks a year in nice weather".

 

[MrNoodly]

It depends. Full-time what?

 

[akrvbob]

It depends. Full-time what?

Great point (as usual Mr. Noodly!). 

To me it's full-time NOMAD--and if you don't move, you can't call yourself a NOMAD.
Bob

 

[highdesertranger]

good point Bob. highdesertranger

 

[Cheli]

I consider a full timer anyone who lives and sleeps full time in a van or RV, it's that simple to me. It doesn't matter whether it's in an RV park or boon docking on government land, if you aren't sleep in a house or apartment then you are full time.

Now to Bob's point, to be a Nomad then yes you have to be moving. But nomad and full timer are different questions to me.