Full Time RV living - Page 6

[MoonStarFalling]

Oh no HappyFox05! We haven't done skirting yet but it seems like it would help. We got pretty cold in MT last month. I hope you can perhaps plead your case w/ them and keep it.

tayndrewsmama, good for you. We love our bunkhouse. It was a must have.

[HappyFox05]

Originally Posted by tayndrewsmama

What!? Did they ask why? That is ridiculous. Any chance they don't understand that? A lot of people don't really get it when it comes to winter insulation. I hope you can get something figured out. That is not cool at all.

We haven't been able to talk w/him yet, but we're guessing it has something to do with zoning for temporary vs. permanent lodging. We're looking at vinyl RV-specific skirting, but that's very expensive. Currently, we have rigid foam insulation skirting the rig.

Good luck on the Bunkhouse!

[tayndrewsmama]

Hmmmmmmmm........it doesn't look the greatest, but can you use hay bales? I know a lot of people who do that. I guess it works pretty well. Those aren't permanent.

The Coachmen website's dealer locater is spitting up all kinds of dealers, but none of them seem to really carry their products. How strange. I guess I'll have to make some phone calls on Monday and find out what is up with that. For some reason I am thinking that I heard they had some major financial problems a couple years back. I wonder if that is the reason. It's always something. The Jayco bunkhouse is just super heavy and the Wildcat is practically made out of paper. There's no winning is there?

[HappyFox05]

Originally Posted by tayndrewsmama

Hmmmmmmmm........it doesn't look the greatest, but can you use hay bales? I know a lot of people who do that. I guess it works pretty well. Those aren't permanent.

Hehehe, I'd forgotten about hay! Hmmm.....

[Pilgrim]

We have had a sad turn of events. Our 6 yo has asthma, and this year she can not shake it. She's been wheezing for a solid month, despite the fact that we are doing everything we can for her (naturopathic and conventional). It's been awful, and we finally decided that we must leave Oregon and get to warmer weather.

So we are leaving tomorrow afternoon to head to southern California until mid-Jan. I love it here in Oregon, and this is "home" to us because our friends are here. But we've got to go, and I am much happier in this RV when we are actually "on the road." We've been here since July, so it will feel good to get going again!

Some excellent news is that DH's boss did allow him to work remote, so we will still have an income, phew! (and we are trying to get our business going too. Check out fretnrest.com if you are curious.)

[Baneena]

Hello new here, hoping I'm in the right place, looks like I am

Howdy guys, as it says I'm new here so I wanted to say hello and make sure I'm in the right place.

My husband and I aren't RV people but we have just recently decided that if he's going to be an over the road truck driver that it's going to be a family thing (haha after 5 years still in the honeymoon phase and hate being away from him that long :P) So as of March 1st we're packing up, leaving it all behind (or in storage...lol) loading the kiddo, the dogs, cats and ourselves plus a few wordly belongings into a Volvo 770 and hitting the road. And before people start screaming OMG IN A TRUCK?!?!?!?!? lol, we actually did a trial run and it worked out well, it was a little cramped when people and beasts were trying to move but no other time.

Anyway, what do I have to look forward too? (Other than angry grandparents screaming about us taking their grandkids away. We've already experienced that part...lol) We've been discussing this amongst ourselves and family members we knew would understand and support us for a few months and have really thought this through alot, but I wanted input from others who are living the life.

Our little one is in the 2nd grade and we'll be pulling her out after we fight with the schools about homeschooling but everyone is screaming socialization and education. I think I'm a pretty bright person and don't forsee any probems homeschooling and plan on trying out a bit of HS and virtual schooling as well.

What are the thoughts of others? What does everyone do when it comes to socializing the kids? We are a mixed group and have a kid here in TX, some in CO and 1 in NH other than the 1 coming with us, so we feel giving her the opportunity to see her siblings, places she's never seen and meet family she's never met will give her the opportunity of a lifetime.

Please, input from any and all is welcomed, what are we looking forward too? The good, the bad, and the ugly, I wanna hear it all.

[MoonStarFalling]

Welcome Baneena! I talked to DH about doing the trucker thing years ago. It sounds like a good plan to travel and make money as a family. I'm not sure how it works with kids though. What kind of a cab does it have? Somewhere for a car seat, two beds? How do you cook in it?

I can't think of anything bad that we've run into in the three months we've fulltimed. We get on each others nerves less now than we did in a stick house. We've grown a lot as a couple and as a family.

The kids gets to socialize every day plus they socialize with each other and us. THAT is the most important socialization you can offer a child. A harmonious family experience.

It has been an opportunity of a lifetime! Enjoy!

[caspian's mama]

*subbing*

not $ ready yet but way and startin my research.

namaste, nomads~

[MoonStarFalling]

Happy new year RV families! Where are you??????

We're in Florida, Tampa bay area, until mid April. Unfortunately DH can't find any work down here so he's heading back north to work for 6 weeks. I'm not looking forward to it.

[Pilgrim]

Happy New Year! Wow, y'all have driven quite a lot over the last few months! I am envious that y'all are in Florida! That's where we want to be, though it is mostly because I believe that being in south Florida will be helpful to our daughter.

We are in Anaheim at the moment, and have been here for about a month. We'll be departing next week to head east. Our daughter is still sick, and we are contemplating spending a month in Arizona before we go to TX. We have family in TX (plus a free place to park the RV!)

If we can afford it, I do hope to get to south Florida at least by late winter/early spring. We are really cash-strapped at the moment because we just spent every last dime (and then some) for our product launch. And, we hope to be back in Portland for the summer.

[sweetpeppers]

Well, I'm going to join your tribe. I'm moving out of my parents house and into a van that I'm converting in 23 days. drop So tell me all what you guys do all day. I figure we'll spend a lot of time at parks and playgrounds, coffee shops and bookstores for internet use, occasional stays at rv parks if we have the money. I plan on heading down south to Florida near the beach, so we'll probably spend plenty of time at the beach. What do you all do during the days?

[MoonStarFalling]

We spend a lot of time exploring the new area we're in. Parks, wildlife areas, nature preserves, beaches, swimming...the kids adore that stuff. Most of our day is like our old life though; cooking, school work, TV, computer, crafts, reading.

[CageFreeFamily]

We loved the FL beaches!
Destin was incredible, but they were all really beautiful and amazingly different from each other. If you're going to head down the eastern coast, Tybee island, off Savannah, is great. You can park in the beach lots overnight this time of year (off season)

If you can swing the Association of Children's Museums membership it's SO worth it. We did much of our routing based upon where the children's museums where and because of the membership we didn't go bankrupt trying to pay for getting us all in to each of them.



Gah, I miss traveling!

[sweetpeppers]

Originally Posted by CageFreeFamily

We loved the FL beaches!
Destin was incredible, but they were all really beautiful and amazingly different from each other. If you're going to head down the eastern coast, Tybee island, off Savannah, is great. You can park in the beach lots overnight this time of year (off season)

If you can swing the Association of Children's Museums membership it's SO worth it. We did much of our routing based upon where the children's museums where and because of the membership we didn't go bankrupt trying to pay for getting us all in to each of them.



Gah, I miss traveling!

Thanks for the tip. How much is the membership? It was hard to understand the website. Or do you have to buy a membership to one of the participating museums?

I do plan on going down the east coast. I've heard it's a beautiful drive. I'll make sure to stop at Tybee Island.

[CageFreeFamily]

You can buy the membership at any of the participating museums. I think there are two membership options, but I can't really remember. We paid about $100 and it was SO worth it. There are many science, history and educational museums in addition to all of the children's museums.

I think you have to go through Savannah to get to Tybee. It is a beautiful town with so many parks and historical sites to explore. There's an organic grocer called Brighter Day directly across the street from the largest, most beautiful park in Savannah: Forsyth. You can park in the lot at the corner of Bull and Park, I think.

[Pilgrim]

Our days are a little different than they were when we first left. Our DD1 is so sick that she can't really do anything. So we spend a lot of time inside with the girls watching TV. We read, do crafts, play in the big bed together - stuff like that. When DD1 was healthier, we spent a lot of time outside! We did a lot of beachy stuff too! I want to be in south FL right now!! We'll be leaving California in a few days to work towards TX.

[nicole_marie]

.

[Dahlea]

Being pregnant I told my husband I needed more roombefore the baby came and so this weekend we are buying a 99 southwind with a slideout, woo! It's so much bigger, nicer and newer than the 90 pace arrow we are currently in. I can't wait!

[MoonStarFalling]

Congratulations on your new place Dahlea! Keep us updated on your expanding family. We've been TTC a while and looking forward to someday having a new baby and still RVing.

[nicole_marie]

So excited to see this 'tribe'. Aimee, I have followed your blog for a few months...amazing!

A few years ago, one of my friends sold her house and traveled with her husband and three daughters. At the time, I thought...wow...cool, but craaaaaaazy, right?! And I never really considered it again. We were living 'the dream'. I have a great photography business, DH has a great job. We have the house the car two kids, a cat...you get the idea.

Fast forward to last year and my husband, who is a union electrician, becomes an economic statistic and is blessed with a 6 month layoff. I casually, jokingly mentioned that we should sell the house, buy a motorhome and travel off the grid. He laughed. I laughed. I never mentioned it again.

A few days later, he gives me the "you know...I was thinking...". And it was a sealed deal. It's amazing how lots of time together and lack of money can change your perspective on what's truly important.

He is back to work now, temporarily and we are working to pay off everything and sell the house. We have an 38' motorhome that we are renovating to better suit us. His next layoff will be at the end of next month, but he has union night class obligations for a few more months.

We are planning to get a seasonal spot on a local lake for this year so I can continue my heart-work here. Then we will travel during the off season.

We LOVE the east coast, but we have never been to the west coast, so we are thinking about starting there, staying as close to the ocean and warm sunlight as possible. Any tips?

Oh, and my 1 year old son's birthmama is pregnant and has asked us to be the parents! She is due in August, so that could put a little twist in this plan. Such is life! Always exciting!