Thinking of full timing? Good or bad idea?

[Fla904]

I have been recently thinking of buying a nice class A RV and living in it full time instead of apartment living. I figure why pay rent when I can just make a rv payment and I can go any where I want for the most part. My question is are their places I can keep my rv at for free? Does anyone on here full time it? What is it like transitioning from a home to a rv? Do you get pulled over often (on the highways)? Does it feel some what like a apartment? By the way im in my early twenties if that makes any difference.

[BeckyIO]

Hello FLA904,

I hit the road as a full-time RVer at the age of 28. Some people thought it was a great idea, some thought it was a big mistake.

Overall, I've had a very positive experience, but I researched the lifestyle intensively and gave great thought to the logistics before I made the leap. You'll want to do that too if you decide to look into full-timing. It's not as "easy" as apartment living: picking a domicile state, mail forwarding, full-timer vehicle insurance, health insurance that'll cover you no matter what state you're in, making a living while traveling.... there's a lot of work involved.

And as others have said, it's not inherently cheaper. I was also an apartment dweller before I hit the road and my cost of living has stayed about the same - instead of paying rent I now pay campground fees and more in gas. Of course that'll vary for everyone, there is no one solid number for what full-timing costs. I will say you can't afford to treat it like a perpetual vacation like the retired folks do, or you'll go broke quick.

If you have questions, please feel free to message me or see my blog in my signature below, where I've written about all of the above concerns and more. I've been a full-timer for 2.5 years now and am still going strong - you just gotta be smart about it.

Safe travels, and happy trails.

[Tom_Diane]

I think buying home as opposed to renting an apartment vs buying RV would be a better, smarter choice for a 20ish person!
Put some equity into something you can get a return on and some profit!
The idea is a great, That is if you are getting close to an age or point in your life where you are somewhat independent in other words, a nice nest egg built up and close to retirement!
You obviously don't want to pay for an apartment and never own it so that leaves buying house or buying an RV! I say go for the house! At your age, you can always go for the RV later in life or just go with a RV on the side to practice for when you can live in an RV later in life!

[emaav]

I say go for it. Have a plan B just in-case. but it can be fun or scary, depends on how well you adapt.. It is your life, enjoy it.. 🙂

Eli

[C-Bears]

Fla904 wrote:
I have been recently thinking of buying a nice class A RV and living in it full time instead of apartment living. I figure why pay rent when I can just make a rv payment and I can go any where I want for the most part. My question is are their places I can keep my rv at for free? Does anyone on here full time it? What is it like transitioning from a home to a rv? Do you get pulled over often (on the highways)? Does it feel some what like a apartment? By the way im in my early twenties if that makes any difference.

Being in your early twenties does make a difference! If you have noticed recently the interest rate on home loans are still under 4%. You need to buy a home or condo now! Forget about buying something that is going to go down in value. Houses in SW Florida are going up at a rate of 4% to 7% a year right now.

If nothing else buy a property now, live in it for 5 years, then sell it and pay cash for a decent used Class A and try your full timing adventure.

[Bumpyroad]

westernrvparkowner wrote:
Since the OPs real name is Wazam Wazamer there is no doubt this a legit thread. Full timing for a 20 something is by far the smartest decision they could make. There will be no problems whatsoever for them getting financing on a big diesel pusher. When they apply for a job, the fact they have no permanent address will surely put them on the top of the hiring pile. Boyfriends or girlfriends will flock to the stability a house on wheels provides. Warren Buffett himself couldn't come up with a better financial plan than financing a huge depreciating asset that requires continual maintenance and an expensive rental plot of land to park it on. By golly, it is shameful that they don't start teaching this in middle school. BEST IDEA EVER!!!!

x2, go for it.
bumpy

[2oldman]

westernrvparkowner wrote:
Since the OPs real name is Wazam Wazamer there is no doubt this a legit thread.

Good catch, and good to see you back here.

[westernrvparkow]

Since the OPs real name is Wazam Wazamer there is no doubt this a legit thread. Full timing for a 20 something is by far the smartest decision they could make. There will be no problems whatsoever for them getting financing on a big diesel pusher. When they apply for a job, the fact they have no permanent address will surely put them on the top of the hiring pile. Boyfriends or girlfriends will flock to the stability a house on wheels provides. Warren Buffett himself couldn't come up with a better financial plan than financing a huge depreciating asset that requires continual maintenance and an expensive rental plot of land to park it on. By golly, it is shameful that they don't start teaching this in middle school. BEST IDEA EVER!!!!

[tatest]

A last note. If I were to full-time, or maybe even start snowbirding, I would get rid of my 30 foot motorhome (and the car I pull behind it) and get a small (16 to 22 foot) travel trailer. I have a van that can easily move that size travel trailer, and it is sufficient living space.

I say this because full timing for me, even without the need to work, would involve staying in each place I go for some time, a few weeks at least. With a motorhome I would have to pull a car to get around (I have that now) but with a trailer my tow vehicle works for getting around. It is also a less clumsy combination enroute. I've done the trailer thing in the past (RV experience goes back 55 years).

The reason I have the motorhome now is because when I retired my wife and I wanted something for road tripping. It is a 30 foot motorhome because her plan included bringing either of the two children, and their families, along on trips, and we've done that too. Now that my wife is gone, the 30 foot motorhome still works for camping trips (for those I usually need to tow a car to get around) and is a huge amount of room for one long term living. It works for road trips, but so does my subcompact car, tent, and tub of camping gear. Right now the space is a lot more than I need for camping, road trips, or snowbirding. (I have nine seats for travel, sleeping space for eight or nine as mixtures of couples and kids). But it is paid for.

What you are thinking about doing, particularly if you have to work for a living, get around every day, a motorhome is not the best RV solution. You should be thinking about something just big enough to live in (which might be as little as 85 sq ft of a 13-foot trailer) and something to move it around and use for transportation.

Finally, RV living as an economic refuge. Here in the middle of the country, I see a lot of it. Singles in small motorhomes pulling a car; singles, couples, families in travel trailers 16-28 feet, pulled by an old pickup, families having a second car to move people. There are enough low cost places to make it work. Moving with the seasons is also what makes it work. Where I am, I "camp" with these people in spring when they are working plowing and planting, in autumn for harvesting jobs, sometimes summer for road construction. But I don't know where they go it winter, when it gets too cold here to survive in a RV, or most of them, where they go in summer. I sort of assume those in agricultural work follow the planting season north, but that doesn't explain summer and winter.

You are probably not thinking about going into seasonal agricultural labor, I just bring it up because it is a mobile lifestyle where RV living can be made to work. But unless already financially independently wealthy, you need to integrate your RV living into some kind of "move around to earn a living" plan. If you are independently wealthy, don't have to think about working for a living, you would probably not be so concerned about rent being "lost" money.

[2gypsies1]

It's nice to read some helpful answers to the OP's question rather than the snarky comments! 🙂

'Tatest' gave a great overview to some of your questions.

Yes, it does feel like an apartment. An RV has everything you might need. You just have to get used to a smaller space and not be a 'saver' of stuff. We full-timed for 16 years and traveled constantly. However, we were retired when we started and saved our money over the working years so that we were able to do it carefree. It's a big difference rather than being young and having limited savings. You'll use it up fast.

Yes, you can find many free spots, especially in the west on BLM land or in national forests. However, there are regulations on where you can park. You also cannot 'camp' on Wal Mart parking lots or any other business. When you see folks doing so, they're doing it for a quick overnight before moving on. Also, you can't just dump your wastewater on the ground wherever you are. You would have to drive somewhere to dump it properly and there are web sites that have an extensive list for doing so. You could also move to a RV park every so often to dump your tanks, refill with water, vacuum, etc. using the electric, etc.

I think the first thing you need to think about is a job. How will you earn money to travel? Fuel? Repairs? Especially if you plan to travel...will your job allow this?

You asked about being pulled over on the highways often. I'm not sure what you meant. There's no reason to be pulled over unless you've done something wrong - just like in a car.

You stated a motorhome for your use....if you get a very small length Class A motorhome or Class B or C (Google this to see what I'm talking about), then yes, all you might need is a motorhome for getting around. However, it would be extremely helpful to tow a car behind the motorhome to go to work, shopping, siteseeing, etc.

If you bought a travel trailer or 5th wheel, you'd need a truck to pull it but then you'd have a separate vehicle for getting around.

There's a lot to think about before doing this big step, especially if you're young. Check out the full-timer's forum on this site and read, read, read.

Many young folks now full-time and work from the road. It can be done. Google this, too, to hook you up with young bloggers who RV and read about their daily life. Good luck in whatever you choose.

[amandasgramma]

My husband did it after his divorce...way before I met him. 🙂 🙂 He paid $250 a month......vs $1000 for most apartments... Yeah, it can be done. The one thing....he kept collection junk/crap, things got piled up. After a while, it wasn't that easy to pick up and go rving (like right after I met him -- sheesh!)

[westend]

As a young person, you would be better off, financially, by buying a house and putting your money into something that appreciates in value. Buying a nice class A RV will requires a down payment, monthly payments, and depreciates in value very fast. Typically, a motor home will be more expensive to finance and park than real estate. Have you checked pricing on a "nice class A"?

About the only free sites to park on a continuous basis will be Slab City in CA and deserted property far from towns (think the middle of the desert). BLM land is a close second with a 6 month lease fee of less than $200. Neither of those choices will have any services such as electricity, water, or sewer connection. A third choice would be to buy a bare lot where RV parking is allowed and, if not improved for sewer, water, and electricity, add those services.

If you do end up in an RV, consideration should be given as the type of weather encountered in the Winter. Any place below 20f will be a misery in heating costs and will require constant vigilance to maintain the plumbing systems. It can be done but you might be paying half an apartment rent price just for fuel for heating.

An alternative to Apt. living might be house sitting. There are a lot of folks that would relish someone single to watch their residence while away from home. I'd assume that you would be moving a few times each year and it may be difficult to fill a 365 schedule. I have known folks that have done it temporarily and it does save money. It's not like living in your own place, though.

If you do get bitten by the Wanderlust Bug hard, I'd suggest to downsize your dream for RV'ing. A single person can adjust their space requirements to something a lot smaller and less expensive than a Class A.

[wa8yxm]

There are indeed places you can park for free... HOWEVER

NO electricity
No Water
No sewer

So "Free parking" can easily cost 100-200 a week.

here are also places that are low cost.

I have two campground memberships.. Summers (Usually) I pay less than 100/month and winters about 200.. So 1800/year... Compared to over twice that in property taxes on my house when I had one.... Something to think abou.

Plus I paid for water, electricity, and sewer as well (all included above)

Due to a mechanical failure I now pay about 560/month but still only 6720
v/s around 4000 in taxes and 1800-2000 in utilities.

[Kittykath]

Ask away! Most of us on here understand that your questions aren't silly just because they've been asked 100 times before. You won't get an eyeroll from me. I'm just as interested in hearing new answers from different folks.

Good luck to you!

[eichacsj]

Having your money go to something instead of lighting a match to it every month is a good thing. In the end you get your RV when it is paid and you also get to write off the interest as deductions as it is a home. So some tax advantages there also.

Our daughter and son are in the military and are considering this also. If your job moves around or you can do your job virtual it is a great way to see the country without moving your apartment all the time.

Do realize if it is a motor home you have to drive it to keep the seals from drying out.