Full Time RV living - Page 11

[gypsyfam]

Just a thought Pilgrim, you know about those Superyards, they are baby gates that connect up to make a removable, repositionable fence? We are currently experimenting with the idea of storing large plastic toddler items like that on our roof, if you don't have space for something like that, that may be an option!

[lightinmyhands]

How? When? Where? in What?

My DH and I have decided we're definitely going to do it, and do whatever it takes to make it happen. Dh, dd 1 and 2, myself, and the 2 dogs are going to get in an an RV and take off for untold adventure. The question that remains for me is how prepared do we need to be? A little background--- I've grown up in the city we currently live in and watched it turn from a cool hippy haven to more of a police state over the years and have a lot of toxic memories from here, besides. I don't want to be here, it's seriously negatively affecting my happiness level. And in order to more quickly save money to get on the road we are moving in with my parents next month. My parents being nearly as toxic as the city.....don't get me wrong, I love my mom..... it's just not good energy to be subjected to...she's got a lot of personal work to do. And my step-dad, well... he's another story entirely. So the quicker we can get on the road, the better. We want to own our rig outright so we have less money worries on the road, just food and camping. We're thinking smaller is better, even so far as to think a class B may be the right choice. We don't want an RV and a vehicle..... and we don't want the worst gas mileage ever either. We're happy getting anywhere we can't get in a class b on our bikes....but..... the reality of a class b with two small little girls and two dogs? (the dogs are smallish, one 40lb shepherd mix and a mini dachshund) I want dh and i to have good hiking packs, a good tent, all of us to have good sleeping bags, etc. how much stuff do i need to leave with? and how much can I have faith in collecting on the way?

also, I'm a licensed massage therapist.... is making money on the road going to be as easy for me as i imagine? And would it be better to bring a massage table? or a chair?

if anyone has any time to comment, it's appreciated.

Love and Light!

[Mommy2Austin]

We might be getting a free fixer upper motorhome Very exciting!

[gypsyfam]

Lightinmyhands, if you need money for the road, you need money, but is there anywhere else you can get it? Parents don't tend to like to let their children and grandchildren go, especially for untold adventures.

In my experience, if you need to make money on the road, have the necessary equipment. Don't expect that someone else will have it, lend it, or you can do without it.

As far as essentials like food and warmth, the more the better. You would be amazed how the rest of the things you think you need, become a burden.

This sounds like a good thing for you, good luck!

[MoonStarFalling]

lightinmyhands and Mommy2Austin

I think a class B might be do able. It will be a big adjustment, IMO anyway, being very cramped on cold or rainy days when you don't want to be outside and not having a car for daily transportation. I dream about having a class B though and doing things a little more simple than we are now. We have two kids, a dog and two cats so I really won't be trying anything like that until the animals are gone (they're all really old).

[Milkymommi]

Any of you mamas have suggestions for good do it yourself rv mechanical repair resources? We'd like to take a good book on the road... or at least have a few resources listed.

Almost in the home stretch with our gifted RV... the REAL repair list was a mile long. Still very much worth the money we put in considering it was a gift! However, needing to stay with friends while we pull this whole thing together has been a challenge. Not having your own space with a large-ish fam is rough. We will still have a couple of things to fix inside the RV... like the fridge but after tomorrow we will have fixed:

Rear axle seals
Front wheel barrings
one rear tire which blew out on the technician and almost killed him. oy.
the generator
wipers
high beams
o2 censor
manifold gasket

We'll have it re-inspected on Friday... crossing our fingers for a pass. We have an idoler arm that's worn but not useless so we were told to take it to a smaller station that isn't solely focused on RV's 10 years old and newer. The place we took it told us that... they have a 13 page inspection list which ends up very hard on older rigs. Can't get an idoler arm anywhere close to here for less than 500 bucks and the same in labor costs. We figure we will replace that down south since it's not imperative at the moment. Hopefully the inspector sees it that way too

Monday we finish up with a new water pump. Friday a painting party with friends that have drawn up a funky design for our new house. Clicking my heals three times..., "There's no place like the road". Willing it into existence.

[Milkymommi]

Mommy2Austin... That's fantastic! We were also just gifted with a fixer upper! We'll be hitting the road around the 24th - hopefully Be prepared for LOTS of unexpected surprises when it comes to getting it ready for the road, if it's on the older side or has been sitting for a long period of time.

Anyone out there in RV land? I'm eager to learn

[MoonStarFalling]

Milkymommi, good luck with all the work you're doing. Fortunately my DH is a carpenter and is super handy so he's been able to fix anything that went wrong. I'm in a yahoo group called All About RVing and they talk a lot about repairs. Currently he's trying to decide how to replace the carpet, what to use (vinyl or hardwood laminate) and how to deal with the slide after we take the carpet off. AND our awning is screwed up right now. Hey did you know that you're supposed to put one side much higher than the other so rain can run off? LOL We didn't know that and now it's bent!

[mamaspirit]

I'm glad I found you guys! I have a ton of questions. Dh and I are really seriously considering selling our brand new minivan (gifted to us) and buying and RV and living full time in it. Dh is a nurse and could easily do traveling nursing pretty much anywhere in the country.

What is it like with kids? Anyone do it with 3+ kids? We are expecting a baby in May, have two other kids with us full time and my 10 year old is with us in the summers.

What size RV do you suggest? Where do you park your RV and how much do you pay? What are the best areas in the country to start out?

I'm wanting all the info I can get!

TIA!!!

[Theia]

I've been lurking on this thread for a while.

I'm a SAHM, my income is guaranteed to follow me But it would be just myself and my DD, who is currently 2yo. Her father is not in her life so that is not a concern.

I'm wondering what are the expenses (approx. monthly) associated with this lifestyle, minus any purchasing/payments associated with the RV itself.

What is the average cost (monthly/yearly) with repairs, food, campgrounds, gas, misc. that you spend and what type of RV do you have? I think since it is just DD and I that a Class B would be plenty. I've camped a fair amount in tents and love that lifestyle. Would you think it safe for a single parent, especially a woman? I have a fair amount of handiness skills of my own, though not really mechanical beyond oil changing (which is something I'd rather not do myself anyway.) We are planning on unschooling and literally have family coast to coast (and in between) that we could routinely visit.

I'm in the long term planning stage and trying to decide if it would be the right thing for DD and I. Right now the financial aspect seems the most important because if I can have a good grasp on that I think everything else will fall into place.

Thanks for any advice. You are all living a dream to me and I'd love to be able to do the same and share it with my DD.

[IntuitiveJamie]

MamaSpirit and Theia- I just joined the thread myself a few pages back. I had many of the same questions and found that if you read through the whole thread many of those answers are there. Also there is a website for families living on the road: http://www.familiesontheroad.com/
It has tons of info.
I also recently found a families blog that broke down their personal costs and it might give you a good idea of things:
http://www.rvingroadtrip.com/
HTH!
I haven't begun my journey yet, so I too am gathering info like crazy. But I have started my blog and our process to get on the road in (2011):
http://livinginspiredtour.oxygenaddicts.org/

[MoonStarFalling]

Theia, my expenses are in this post for our F350 + 30 ft 5th wheel. The insurance, oil changes, tires etc are a real pain in the pocket book with the F350 and I'm guessing that would be similar with a class B. If I were in your shoes I would totally be traveling around in a class B. Almost all places we've stayed we felt very safe (not really in the LA area though). A lot of the camps have been in small towns and some have been gated communities with 24 hour security people which is so nice. There are usually retired people around that keep an eye on everything.

[MoonStarFalling]

Hey mamaspirit, we have two kids plus pets and are TTCing another. I know we could make 3 work in our 30 ft 5th at least until the little one was walking. Then I might seriously think about getting a 33 ft. You may want the extra few feet for a washer and dryer especially with a baby.

I can't think of a "best" area. I like more rural areas. In the city or in tourist areas everything is more expensive plus I hate crowds. Going through the mountains really scared me but it all turned out just fine because our truck was plenty big enough to pull it.

[Milkymommi]

Originally Posted by Milkymommi

Any of you mamas have suggestions for good do it yourself rv mechanical repair resources? We'd like to take a good book on the road... or at least have a few resources listed. .

No suggestions? Maybe a particular place on the net? I've been searching for something that is geared toward the everyday person with basic mechanical understanding. I guess this isn't as important if one has a newer rig... ours is pretty old. I figured there must be loads of older rigs on the road though so there has to be some support or info out there that is useful for do it yourselfers. We have commenced, "Mission Find It".

Water pump is going in tomorrow

[mamaspirit]

So are there places that have families that are living in rvs full time? moonstarfalling, I saw that you said that most camps aren't kid friendly. We are looking at the possibility of staying in one area for 3 months or longer so dh can take contract jobs. Are there communities of rv families? I know that a lot of people are doing this, so there has gotta be something like that, right?

[Irishmommy]

Originally Posted by Milkymommi

No suggestions? Maybe a particular place on the net? I've been searching for something that is geared toward the everyday person with basic mechanical understanding. I guess this isn't as important if one has a newer rig... ours is pretty old. I figured there must be loads of older rigs on the road though so there has to be some support or info out there that is useful for do it yourselfers. We have commenced, "Mission Find It".

Water pump is going in tomorrow

PM me.

[Theia]

Thanks for the info IntuitiveJaime and MoonStarFalling. That sounds exactly like what I am researching right now.

And I never even would have considered that some parks don't allow children?! I know there are many more retirees living on the road, but to not allow children seems a little over the top Good to know that it's an issue sometimes though. I think otherwise I would have looked at the first park attendant to tell me that like they were speaking an alien language.

[MoonStarFalling]

The parks HERE don't allow kids in the winter because this is where the retired people come (Florida). We had an extremely hard time finding a park down here but this is where all my family is. In other places around the US they allowed kids usually but had rules such as not ever leaving them unattended outside, can't use the bath house without you, can't make noise etc. We have been reprimanded because my two year old moved a couple pieces of gravel from the walk way about 10 minutes after we moved in. RV parks just don't seem to be conducive to kids playing outside. We have better luck at county parks. They usually have larger areas to play and less people, also they're cheaper.

Milkymommi, I suggested something a few posts up. There's a yahoo group about rv repairs, All About RVing, you can try just searching the archives or asking your question.

[jeteaa]

camp host?

Has anyone been a campground host before? We are looking into being hosts at a CA state park. Sounds like a good deal in exchange for approx 30 hrs of volunteering/wk. We are more interested in staying in one place for 3 to 6 months rather than driving all around.

[Milkymommi]

Originally Posted by MoonStarFalling

Milkymommi, I suggested something a few posts up. There's a yahoo group about rv repairs, All About RVing, you can try just searching the archives or asking your question.

Gracias!!I did actually read your post but somehow as soon as I read the rest of them the yahoo group suggeston slipped my mind! Thanks for reminding me it was there... it will probably be my most valuable tool now. Sheesh. Mush for brains these days. Too much happening!!!!