Newbie here

[StarliteRambler]

I've been lurking here for a while soaking up some good intel. Figured it was time to make it official...

I'm planning on going full-time when I turn 62 in 4 years. Currently living in North Carolina but I grew up in Texas and Oklahoma and the West is in my blood. With a little luck I should be able to get a decent rig with a little nest egg left over. I should get around $1k/month SS and I want to save a couple hundred of that and not touch the nest egg. Eggs are such fragile things...

I'm a musician and singer and will be bringing a handful of instruments with me regardless. Will have an iPad-based recording setup and I'm looking forward to getting way out there in the peace and quiet and see what happens. Looking at playing the winery circuit if it turns out to be fun and worth the hassle. Also into spin and fly fishing. NM has pretty reasonable out-of-state license. Colorado not so much. 

Not at all sure what rig to get. The first couple of years I want to move around a lot. Get the Senior Pass and see the NPs. I also want to explore parts of this country that aren't necessarily tourist destinations. Need to be mobile enough to get back East and see my daughter. All this points to a van and no dog to start out. Ford Transit is getting some nice upgrades for 2020 including AWD, more economical engine/trans and swivel seats. One way to go would be to get the high roof/extended and build it out as a permanent dwelling. But...I'm thinking when I am a couple years in having a dog and a TT would be nice. At that point I'll probably know spots I like that are do-able with a trailer. Really like the looks of the Rockwood Mini Lite 2109s.

Looking forward to getting to know you all here and, eventually, on the road!

 

[highdesertranger]

Welcome StarliteRambler to the CRVL forums! To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started. We look forward to hearing more from you. highdesertranger

 

[maki2]

Be sure you sort out the medical insurance because you will have some years to go before you can get medicare. What state you choose for residency is not ALL about taxes or license plate fees. What someone on medicare can do and what you can do without it is going to be a high priority item to settle so that you know what your actual amount of income left will amount to. Do not choose a state of residency without investigating the medical insurance situation.

Of course the newer your vehicle the higher the insurance cost will be. Be sure you get a quote for the insurance coverage before you finalize the purchase of the vehicle.

 

[StarliteRambler]

Good advice maki2, thanks. I haven't looked at medical insurance much yet. Seems like once retired my income will be low enough to get subsidized Obamacare but the problem is going into it I'd be showing income from my last year of work. Sure would be nice if it were possible to buy into Medicare affordably at 62.

On the vehicle starting with a used Chevy or Nissan NV, doing a simple conversion and dealing with the size for a while then using it as a tow vehicle would be a way to go.

 

[maki2]

There might be a lot of changes to the medical insurance programs in the next 4 years. So no point in doing too much about it until a year before you pull the plug on the job. Just don't wait until only a few months before. The medical insurance stuff can be difficult to understand and there are a lot of options and variations. Plus you want to avoid lapses in coverage as that can potentially create cost increases.

But I can tell you even with medicare it is still a sizeable hit on a small budget. I was very glad I opted for the supplemental insurance. I ended up having 5 surgeries and other several expensive procedures within the first 6 months of turning 65. I had signed up for the supplemental United Health Care plan thru AARP because it offers nationwide coverage. It has worked out well. You can dial up or down on the supplemental coverage as needed. Because I knew more than a month in advance I was going to be having a lot of those surgeries as well as appointments associated with them I did a temporary upgrade to no deductibles with the most benefits. Then when I was past that I dropped it down to a co-pay situation. So keep them in mind later on when you do get medicare or even before that. Get bids when you insurance shop and try for nationwide coverage if you can get it.

 

[maki2]

But in the meantime have fun making your plans and finding your rig.

 

[StarliteRambler]

I'm sure things will be slightly different when I'm ready to head out. Probably wouldn't hurt if I started living right between now and then.
At least I have the out-of-state fishing license situation mapped out

 

[StarliteRambler]

maki- were you on the road when all that health stuff happened?