Living in an RV when retired

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
Today my husband told me he is thinking about buying a used RV (he is a mechanic) when he retires and we can travel the country. I have slways thought of doing this and thnk it sounds exciting, but want to know if anyone did it or knows prople who have. I have not seen much plus I like the idea of being able to gidit sllbmy kids and grsnds ehenever in my own house...lol. it would be fun to take them on road trips with us too.

Any feedback'
 

donna723

Well-Known Member
I have friends who do this. These two have been together since high school and are in their early 70's now. They have a nice home but spend most of their time going around the country in a motor home. I'm not sure how they do it but they go to different state and national parks all over the country, spending anywhere from a week or so to a few months in each location. They trade light duties in exchange for their lot rent, utilities, and a small salary. He does light maintenance and she's an RN and certified as a master gardener. They've been all over the country, spending time at the beach, in the mountains, just where ever they want to go. They go to see their kids when they want to, try to spend the winter months in the south, the summers further north. They really enjoy this and intend to keep on doing it as long as they are both physically able. And they always have their home to go back to when they want to. To me it sounds like a lovely way to live and I envy them!
 

Lil

Well-Known Member
OMG! @Jabberwockey and I were JUST discussing this this weekend! On Friday at work I'd watched a documentary (your tax dollars at work) on YouTube called American Nomads. Some were hobos and rodeo cowboys, but the first group was older folks in RV's...snowbirds. On our way to visit friends I was telling Jabber about it. These folks sell their homes and buy an RV and just live off their pension. Some of their RV's are SO much nicer than my house! lol

I could do that. At least for a while. I love to travel. If I could maybe own a piece of property I could call "home" when I needed to be stable for a bit, yes...I could definitely do that. It's more mobile than a Tiny Home, cheaper (in the long run - those RV's are pricey!) than hotels. I think I'd probably have to consider a pickup and nice trailer though, instead of an actual RV, just so you can unhook and go places leaving the "house" behind. You see folks pulling small cars with RV's, but that just seems so odd and the fuel cost!

When I was a kid, 13 and 17 or so, we took two trips to the Pacific Northwest in the stereotypical station wagon and travel trailer. They lasted like a month. I want to do it again SO bad!
 

RN0441

100% better than I was but not at 100% yet
We met people on Fort Myers beach that do this. A classy older couple that were sitting in chairs on the beach watching the sunset drinking wine. They have a very small RV park right on the beach. You'd never even know it was there. It looked very romantic!
 

AppleCori

Well-Known Member
My step-brother and his wife lived in an RV for a few months a couple of years ago. They are not retired, but brother is on disability and wife had lost her job, and they had their D C pregnant daughter, hubby, and several grandchildren move in with them and they were at the end of their rope. They sold everything they owned, bought a $2000 RV and a cheap car to pull behind it, and made a horrible deal on their house (did some ill-advised lease-to-own deal) and left.

There are websites dedicated to groups that live this lifestyle, and they have a lot of info on how to get jobs at a campsite in exchange for lot rent, etc. Sis was very excited about the whole thing. They lasted about a year and decided they wanted to move back to where they left, sold the RV car, and bought an SUV and went back. They are renting a small place in the backwoods on 500 acres from a friend.

I am interested to discover how little you really need to live. I wish I had the courage to get rid of even more stuff.

Back to retirement, my X and I planned to do this, with a piece of land to live on when we needed it. It seems very doable, at least until poor health requires you to be need doctors and such near at hand.

I have brought this up to hubby and it is a possibility for us, also.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
Thanks all.
We live in sn apartment and wed just go off and visit the kids for a while, travel, meet people, and relax. I love the idea. I like that we can bring our kids and grands with us sometimes.

I have a feeling that most RV lifers are a lot like me...down home, not interested in material things, not afrsud to get durty, pet lovers and friendly. Im ready to go, but Id hsve to wait two years.
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
Believe it or not, husband and I were comfortably off after the Army and before he became ill. We were in the process of initial planning to open a restaurant together when he was diagnosed.

We were also planning our retirement. We had decided on spending our healthy "golden years" RV-ing, as while we had both seen much of Europe. (NATO Bloc), we hadn't seen (and I still haven't) much of the US.

Unfortunately, that was taken away from us, but if I didn't have my health problems and issues with driving at night, I'd still consider doing it, cats and all.
 

witzend

Well-Known Member
Register the RV in a state that will be the most generous to you tax/medical-wise. Join AARP and look at their website for "do's and don'Tourette's Syndrome".
 

witzend

Well-Known Member
wiz, thanks, and we are studying all that now.
I know that in NC you'd have to pay a property tax on it every year in order to license it for driving. Same with WA. Not sure where else. You might have to park it in an RV park somewhere & live in it for a month to establish residency.
 

Scent of Cedar *

Well-Known Member
We know a couple who live in their (Whoa! You should see it. Even a washer and a dryer.) motor home. They love it. They traveled in it for a while first and then, liked it so much they sold everything ~ house, boat, everything and, three years ago, took to the road. They love it, SWOT. There are campgrounds everywhere, and many of the couples meet up again and again, year after year, as they return to the same campgrounds at the same time. RN0441, I have seen the campground on Fort Myers Beach ~ what a beautiful setting! Witz, that's a great idea.

We aren't quite ready to do that yet, but we think about it, sometimes.

Cedar
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
Witzend's info also applies to military members, or why I retained TN "citizenship" for many years (no state taxes and other bennies for military members...all gone now)
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
I'm getting very excited!!! I dont think well go upscale, but sounds like so much fun.We are thinking of just registering in Wisconsin since we'd be here often.
 

Copabanana

Well-Known Member
he is thinking about buying a used RV (he is a mechanic) when he retires and we can travel the country.
I think your husband has the right idea, to buy used. New these motor homes/rvs are extremely expensive and depreciate very very quickly. Many of them are at heart trucks and they are built to last 300,000 miles or more. With care you can spend less than 10,000 dollars and get an RV that cost more than 75,000 with enough use left in it to last the rest of your lives and more. That you can sell for close to or or more than you paid and trade up as you like.

I was looking at one with less than 25k miles on it, that cost less than 10k. I was going to offer 7k. I am sure it sold for less than 7500 dollars.
These folks sell their homes and buy an RV and just live off their pension. Some of their RV's are SO much nicer than my house! lol
I never had an interest in traveling with it. You remember, I cannot even drive a car on a freeway and M refuses to drive freeways with me, because I make him crazy. What I had in mind was driving it (M, not me) to vacation spots within a couple of hours from us. *We live within 1 to 2 hours in each direction of the Sea, the Mountains, etc.

I think it is a phenonomenal idea, SWOT. Except if it were me I would try to keep my apartment, if at all possible, especially if I had to the community. Unless, of course, you could easily find an equivalent rental without trouble. Then, why bother. Actually, that makes more sense. When you are ready again to settle down, get another apartment. I love this idea for you, SWOT. How long do you have to wait to do this? I hope not long.
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
A lot of these RVs are built on bus or mini-bus frames. Driving one also takes some getting used to. My husband test-drove one and said it was very similar to a German bus he had driven while he was in the Army except that it (of course) had an automatic transmission.

I would also recommend keeping a small apartment wherever you decide your home (tax) base will be. There are going to be times when you want to get off the road for a little bit, or one of you isn't feeling well and needs to be near medical care, etc. You do also want a small car with good fuel economy that you can tow. You are not going to want to drive that RV to run errands in town, for example. Parking, if nothing else, would be a nightmare.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
We can't afford keeping an apartment and campsights. We'll have places we come back to in WI. but this is for fun and to cut our living expenses. I am hoping to travel far and wide!!!
 

susiestar

Roll With It
My mother has talked about this since my oldest was born. She wanted to get a good size RV and travel around the country with my kids, any my bro had and pick up all the kids of her nieces and nephews. I will NEVER forget the look on my father's face the first time he heard this. He was flat out horrified, lol. Of course he spent his entire career teaching jr high and did, at least once, get hives after spending a few days of his winter break at home with us and Mom when I was little. Of course the kids were all toddlers and younger at that time and he couldn't handle more than an hour or two with them. If my dad babysat, husband and I could do a nice dinner or fast food and a movie, but not a nice meal and a movie.


She still hasn't gotten the RV, or even many trips with my dad. They have done England/Europe a few times, but each time she comes home swearing that next time they can go separately. I don't think he has even the smallest clue though,lol! My dad never was very 'trip friendly' though. Heck, my mom still goes to visit his side of the family without him, and the rest of us find it hilarious - family joke from a very long time ago.

I don't know if my husband would be fond of that. He is too tech dependent and without wifi access for long starts to worry about all sorts of things. I might enjoy it. It would be a way of seeing sites with-o having to spend too much time outside, maybe. I didn't use to mind being outside but now outside doesn't like me - my body sort of has meltdowns of many sorts due to allergies to darn near everything. But I love road trips. Who knows, maybe they will come up with an allergy medication that works and outside won't hate me so much.
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
Just make sure the RV isn't your ONLY home. It gets "old" fairly fast to be rootless.
I know people who actually only have their RV - but they spend their summer months in Canada living (in the country) with one kid, and doing the same for the winter with the other kid down in southern States. So, the kids' houses form their "base". But you do need a base.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
Our base would be where we live now.

But itbwill be our only home. If it gets so bad even hub cant fix it, we'll get another apartment.But he's pretty gifted fixing anything on wheels. Im very excited.
 
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