The Real Reason Many Retirees Are Choosing to Live in RVs Isn’t What You Think

[Gardenias]

is the title of this article:
https://www.cheatsheet.com/money-career/real-reason-retirees-are-choosing-live-rvs.html/1/
Your thoughts?

 

[mkitchen]

Well covered article.  Unfortunately the article is more accurate than we would all like to think.  At this time in a person's life (64 in my case and fully retired) we should be prepared for a life of leisure and casual travel.  There is certainly nothing wroing with living a van dwelling style, but it should be by choice and not as a necessity.   Work camping can only work for those who still have a good level of health so that still leaves many scrambling for additional funds at the end of the month or not eating or living as they should be.  

I am curious about how others feel about their financial state in their latter years.  One day at a time with fingers crossed or comfortable regardless of circumstances?  Are you living your lifestyle by choice, principle or tight finances?  I guess that Mo and I are a bit of both.  We have a home that is paid for but the monthly expences are still high, esspecially medical costs, and we have little funds to do anything extra.  We are working very hard to get our bills down so we can have more to travel with.  We are even considering renting out our home so we can travel.  I would love to hear your suggestions.
Mikey

 

[Riverman]

I sure don't see myself climbing in and out of a van at 75-years old. I bought a travel trailer instead.

 

[mpruet]

Based on the conversations that I had with a lot of the folks at the RTR, I suspect that a large percentage of the retirees living full-time are out of necessity.  The basic truth is that very few folks have a defined benefit pension and it takes a large retirement nest egg to provide the income needed to have a comfortable traditional lifestyle.  Realistically a million only provides about $40,000 per year safely.  If you pull out more than that, then you risk eating too much into the principle which means you risk outliving your money.  And truthfully only a small percentage of folks make the million dollar mark. 

Even those with a defined benefits pension are at risk due to inflation.  Also there is always the possibility that a company pension will go bankrupt.  There are simply too many people entering retirement with debt or a mortgage and little in retirement savings. 

That said - I get a bit angry any time I hear someone claim that the they lost everything because of the 2008 recession.  There are several ways to protect your nest egg - I use a bucket system so that I could go four years without having to withdraw additional funds from the invested portion of my nest egg.  Anyone who remained invested through 2008 would have seen a full recovery within three years.   So what if your house is under water.  Way too many people think of their home as an investment and not a place to live.  Just because it is under water does not mean that you have to sell at a loss.

 

[frater secessus]

I am curious about how others feel about their financial state in their latter years.  One day at a time with fingers crossed or comfortable regardless of circumstances? 

I am currently living off less than what my pension (or social security for that matter), will be.  Socking away savings so I can move my launch date up.

 

[frater secessus]

I sure don't see myself climbing in and out of a van at 75-years old. I bought a travel trailer instead.

I bought a high-roof van.  It's like a studio apartment in there...

 

[Bast]

I worry about my retirement and I will have a secure defined benefit plan. I am also burning out at work and am beginning to have health problems. I am going to retire early with a hope and a prayer.
Bast

 

[lenny flank]

I am vandwelling completely by choice. I want to see the country, and this is the most interesting and most flexible way to do that.

I *could* have an apartment by this afternoon if I wanted. I don't want. (shrug)

I am fortunate however in that I have a job I can do on the road.

 

[SoulRaven]

I am not a fan of such articles.  Having spent 2 year stretches in RV parks in 4 states, one of which was in the Tucson area, I believe there is no more a "stereotype" for a full-time RVers than for anyone in any other lifestyle.  My SS check is less than $700 a month, but I currently have additional income that I will have to give up in order to get out of the state.  We spent a lot of money moving around the country, because we could and enjoyed the moves, although it was expensive, it was well worth the memories as no one knows how much time they have.  I also homeschooled my son with Down syndrome most of his school years, so was unable to work full-time and do that.  So, did I not plan properly for my retirement?  Yep, this was kind of my plan from age 35.  

I never believed in investing, so I didn't lose a fortune like some did or believe they did.  I'm a "bird in the hand is worth two in a bush" type.  

I think with some older people like myself (63), we see the loss of freedom that has happened over the past 3 or 4 decades.  "Hamster in a wheel" - I'm getting off!  Society did not used to be so "possessions" dependent to judge "success or not".  

I have a choice.  Anyone that follows the blogs know many are making an informed choice, and some that didn't once the choice was made for them, could not be happier.

 

[lenny flank]

I am not a fan of such articles.  

I agree. Van-dwellers and RVers are not a monolithic group, but have a wide range of people, all the way from flat-out homeless people who live in their cars, to well-off permanent vacationers in million-dollar Class A motorhomes.

All of these "poor RVers are victims of our shit economy" stories simply encourage everyone everywhere to lump us all together as "homeless people", which provokes resentment and laws against us.

It doesn't help us any.

 

[lenny flank]

PS--if we were a civilized country, like other civilized countries we would have adequate old-age pensions and health-care systems to provide for our people--for the cost of three or four F-35 fighter-bombers..

Sadly, we are not a civilized country.

 

[Stymie]

PS--if we were a civilized country, like other civilized countries we would have adequate old-age pensions and health-care systems to provide for our people--for the cost of three or four F-35 fighter-bombers..

Sadly, we are not a civilized country.

 

[lenny flank]

Sadly, the civilized countries all tend to be effing cold.

 

[mkitchen]

I hope I didn't over step with my prior comments.  Being new to the concept of van dwelling (at least in this century) I was wondering if some of the people are living the life style due financial need.  I know that when we moved out of our rental and into our step van back in the 70's it was by choice but we could not have done both an apartment/home and built up the van up.  

I really don't want to be classed with RV'ers though.  The people that I met that I would classify as RV'ers are nothing like my lifestyle.   They look for power, sewer and cable etc. when they camp.  They also tend to stay inside once hooked up.  Not a style that I want to emulate.  Titles, we are so wrapped up in what we call each other.  I guess it helps up in determining responses, eh?
Mikey

 

[Cammalu]

Mikey, I'm camped at an LTVA in Quartzsite where there are thousands of RVer who prefer the desert over the RV parks. You'd be surprised how many people living in RVs are boondocking by choice. The RTR seemed to have as many rvers at least as people in vans.