new - still in the planning stages

[Maelys]

We're a couple in our 30's. Small savings account of around 20,000 right now, small car, largish car, an older motorcycle, plus a small house worth of possessions to sell, we're on a month-to-month lease now so we can give a 30 day notice whenever. We've been together 10 years and we're looking forward to spending a year or two traveling while we are still young enough and I still have enough good days to enjoy it.

Still looking at RV's. Actually still debating class A, towing our smaller car vs truck with a 5th wheel. I used to travel with my grandparents in a class c and think those are easier to drive. Plus, I'm scared of driving something towing something. He has a class A cdl so nothing scares him to drive. And chances of him letting me drive or me even wanting to drive any distance are pretty low. So mostly we're just ting to decide based on layout factors, prices, and potential fuel mileage.

He's still working full time; I'm on disability. We're trying to figure out a budget to live on my disability once we're on the road but ideally, we would like to stay somewhere exploring slowly for a season or more and hopefully he would be able to get at least a part time job in that time. I have some health considerations and physical limitations but I'm only going to get worse so we figure better now than later.

There's a part time child, my daughter, who is with us all summer and 2 weeks/season the rest of the school year. She is 13 and in cyber charter school. We don't live close to her home now; she flies to us with her school stuff when it's visit time so I don't see why she couldn't still do that if we were somewhere other than here.

We also have a full time dog but he does great on road trips in the car and tent camping so I think he'll be fine in an rv.

I have been reading the boards here for a while so I thought it was time to register and introduce myself.

 

[Lucky mike]

Welcome!!!!.....I also travel in a Small class A and am Disabled...the budget part seems easy to me and doable , medical is a pain sometimes , and there are millions of ways to supplement an income out here.

I almost always boondock out here , it keeps campground fees at a minimum , you can also workamp for your sites if you want to travel slow and see different areas. lots of info out here to get started

 

[Patrick46]

Hello Maelys, and Welcome to the board!

Sounds like you've already got the ball rolling, and that's always very exciting. Take your time though, as this is a buyer's market for RV's. No need to jump at the first one you see.

Seeing that you're going to have your daughter along for a chunk of the time, I'd think that a Class 'C' would be ideal for you, as they are alot less intimidating to drive (which is why my wife wanted one...and she drove it a fair ammount of the time, so that was cool), plus your daughter can claim the overhead bunk as her own private domain. This sounds perfect!! You can find them in all sorts of sizes, and different budget levels. Since many of them end up being sold because the owners move up into bigger Class 'A's, you can find nice one's with very low mileage too. Take your time, and be choozy about the layouts...as this makes a big difference in your comfort level.

What part of the country do you hail from??

Welcome to the asylum, and glad to have you here.


Patrick from Oregon

 

[rvwandering]

Welcome! Tony and I have been fulltiming for many years. Most of that time I've been in a wheelchair due to an accident that happened in the first year of our fulltime RVing life. I believe that being out in nature, having new experiences and meeting new people is healthier, mentally and physically, as opposed to being stuck inside of house day after day. I hope that your plans work out.

Kids do wonderfully traveling in RVs so I think that your daughter will enjoy spending the summer with you no matter where you end up. When you're looking at RVs go through the motions of living for a better idea of whether or not it will work for you. We have a pretty small RV but the layout makes it feel very roomy inside. We wouldn't want anything larger because we don't tow a car and with the little RV we can go just about anywhere. Parking in cities isn't a problem and neither is fitting into the smallest campground.

Working camping, like Lucky Mike suggested is a good option for free camping and sometimes a small salary. You can also boondock all over in the western states. Because of your disability you'll get 50% off most federal campgrounds and free admission to national parks and other federal sites. If you want to stay in a commercial park with full hookups check the monthly rates which can be much lower averaged out per day than the daily rates.

Good luck with your RV search!

 

[decodancer]

Welcome! Another vote for Workamping. I'm on my third year and love it. Even if you just worked the summer you could save a bit and travel south in the Winter. It would work out good for your daughter too. She could take advantage of the campground acrivities and have lots of kids to hang out with. I can recommend KOA as an employer, very family friendly and pay better than many of the smaller campgrounds. Once you go on their site ($35 a year fee) you can kind of pick and choose from jobs all over the country. With his license, your hubby should have no problem landing a position, I know we keep our guys busy bringing in gravel and toting out fill.

 

[blkjak]

welcome....blkjak

 

[Maelys]

We'll look into work-camping. Thanks for the suggestion. I guess I got the impression that both parts of a couple are required to work. While I might be able to handle light part time work on good days, working would screw up my disability stuff.

I'm starting a mental timeline:
1) get rid of stuff and downsize while searching for an RV.
2) buy RV
3) 30 days notice on our lease
4) pack RV and probably get rid of more stuff
6) 2 weeks notice at his job
7) move into RV & get moving.
8) how difficult will it be to get my prescriptions on the go?

And an OMG I need to research more list:
-dog license & vaccines rules? (He's current where we are)
-how do we pick a domicile state?
-set up mail receiving/forwarding?
-where are we going to go first?

---

We'll look into work-camping. Thanks for the suggestion. I guess I got the impression that both parts of a couple are required to work. While I might be able to handle light part time work on good days, working would screw up my disability stuff.

I'm starting a mental timeline:
1) get rid of stuff and downsize while searching for an RV.
2) buy RV
3) 30 days notice on our lease
4) pack RV and probably get rid of more stuff
6) 2 weeks notice at his job
7) move into RV & get moving.
8) how difficult will it be to get my prescriptions on the go?

And an OMG I need to research more list:
-dog license & vaccines rules? (He's current where we are)
-how do we pick a domicile state?
-set up mail receiving/forwarding?
-where are we going to go first?

 

[akrvbob]

I also second a Class c, but I strongly encourage you to tow an economy car. Having a daily driver that's cheap and easy will just dramatically improve your lives. It'll be childs play for your husband to tow it.

Get your prescriptions at walmart and you can get them anywhere, they will just call and transfer them. Or buy a years supply in Mexico (no prescription required) and maybe for less than what you pay with insurance.

Unless you have specific needs, you can't go wrong with South Dakota as a residence. Everything about it works well and they make it super easy. You will get a mail forwarder there who will make mail also super easy. It sounds intimidating, but it's no big deal.

I've always had a dog and you don't need anything special for him as an RVer unless you leave the country. If you go to Canada or Mexico you have to jump through some hoops--still no big deal. Otherwise, treat him just like you would at home.

You are right on the verge of the best times of your life!!! Don't let the little details scare you off!!
Bob

 

[Maelys]

6 weeks!

Over the weekend I noticed that we seem stuck in the research and planning stage. If...if...if... Maybe paralyzed by too many options. As soon as I noticed, I posted all of the furniture in our guest room up for sale (and a few pieces free) on craigslist. Packed up the smaller items and dropped at goodwill. Yesterday, that whole room was empty.

Today, I took a step to force us to get serious. I mailed a certified letter to our landlord naming our move out date as August 12. They'like expect us to be gone. So we HAVE to start doing stuff. Getting rid of things is harder than expected but also feels good, freeing.

 

[akrvbob]

It's so easy to fall into the "What if" game and do nothing. You are very brave!!

I really do think that one day you will look back and think it was the best thing you've ever done; at least I know it was for me!
Bob