Full Time RV living

[annsley]

Hello,

I found a similar thread in the archives, but can't find a current one. Are you RV mommas still out there? I'm very interested in chatting with you. We are on a path towards full time RV and yurt living.
I've been looking at delight's website www.livelightlytour.com and getting very inspired!
Let's talk......

[majikfaerie]

:wave
we aren't "full time" rvers any more, but we're living out of our campervan atm. we travel a LOT. though often living out of backpacks, since we travel internationally.

I really love living in our van and moving around. even with gas prices through the roof, it's still cheaper than rent, and we're looking into veggie oil :)

[annsley]

:wave
we aren't "full time" rvers any more, but we're living out of our campervan atm. we travel a LOT. though often living out of backpacks, since we travel internationally.

I really love living in our van and moving around. even with gas prices through the roof, it's still cheaper than rent, and we're looking into veggie oil :)

That sounds cool! Would you mind telling me more about your lifestyle? Do you work? Do you homeschool your dd? I'd love to hear more.......

Thanks :)

[majikfaerie]

That sounds cool! Would you mind telling me more about your lifestyle? Do you work? Do you homeschool your dd? I'd love to hear more.......

Thanks :)

we homeschool (unschooling). I'm a travelling midwife, and dp and I both have paying jobs that we do over the internet, so anywhere we like :thumb

[aaronsmom]

Just wanted to :bump: this thread. I follow a lot of nomadic mama's blogs (CageFree, EnchantedGypsy, and you majikfaerie :p). It's always been a dream of mine but because DH would never, ever be on board I must live vicariously through you guys!!

[MaShroom]

Hey all, I knew I could find a thread like this here! :)

We aren't nomadic quite yet but hoping to be within the next year. I have plans to go look at school buses tomorrow with a friend. This is something that I've always wanted to do and talked about. Time to make it a reality.

I was contemplating buying an RV but I think, with my mad scavenging skillz, it would be way cheaper to do it myself and with the help of friends. Besides, what a great project. I can learn things that I've always wanted to know but never took it to the next level. And I think I'd be much more comfortable traveling in something that I know about rather than having something break on it and have no idea what to do.

Anybody have any good links or advice about living on the road or converting buses? :)

ETA: annsley, I can't find the archived threads. Can you link me or give me the magic search word? Thanks!

[Hellga]

On the topic of buying and converting a bus, don't you have to have a special driver's license to drive a bus? I know you do here, at least if it's for a school or church.

[MaShroom]

Good question, I was thinking about that earlier so I had to google it. If you scroll down here it gives the requirements by state.

http://changingears.com/rv-sec-state-rv-license.shtml

[majikfaerie]

it also depends on if it's registered as a "bus" or as an "rv", in some states.

[AZChickenlover]

When my DH and I were self employed, we purchased a converted Greyhound bus and used that as our travel vehicle. Since we travelled 25-30 weekends a year, it made it very comfortable. We could have easily lived in it had we wanted to. My husband did the driving and maintanance and was not required to have a CDL.

[majikfaerie]

cool :) :thumb

[kimmom]

HEY EVERYONE!! I tried to post on our old one but couldn't so anyone up for a new one? How is everyone doing?? We our now full time in our 5th wheel since the end of August. We have been on my husbands parents farm getting the rig ready to go and my dh has been finishing up some web work he needed to get done. We are planning to head south for the winter not sure where exactly. We have a blog now too..
www.canadianfamilyrobinson.com
I would LOVE to catch up with everyone else too!

[onlygirls]

:bump:

We just bought a travel trailer and I was wondering if this group was still active.

[heartmama]

We are still here. With the economy this bad, I am SO glad we sold the house and bought the rv. We don't look nearly as loopy to people as we did 18 months ago.

I told dh maybe I had a sixth sense or something--I just remember feeling
100% sure we should get out of our mortage and move ahead with the rv plans even though it seemed at the time like there was no rush.

Now I am so glad I did.

[MoonStarFalling]

Yay I was wondering where this tribe went. We still plan to buy our rig in the spring. The earlier the better! We are so excited. We've taken a year to plan things and ready our home and possessions for selling. DH is currently remodeling pretty much the whole house while the kids and I are off in another state. The housing market is looking really good in our area now which makes me hopeful.

We wanted a 5th at first but now have decided to buy a starter RV. Perhaps a 28 footer. Something not too huge. Perhaps on the older side. There are tons of them for sale for such great prices. We have been touring some.

[kimmom]

We are living in our 5th and it is finally feeling like home after almost 3 months in it!! I am going to try and post some pics on our website www.canadianfamilyrobinson.com
We too are SO HAPPY to have gotten out of the housing market when we did!!!!!! We are running on solar now (with the help of a generator right now since we are on the west coast!)
We are back in BC for a bit while we deal with some health issues with my DD and celebrate the holidays with family and friends. We will be heading off to warmer places at the end of Dec :)

[dillonandmarasmom]

I am so glad to see this tribe come back!
We have been homebound for quite a while now. Still not on the road, still own our home, yadda, yadda.
We do have hopes that things will eventually change, and that we can be on the road more nad more. We were a bit derailed by the IL's potential move (they wanted us to live in their current house while they would be away for 4 years...long story, we're not--thank Goddess~)
Anyhow, we are slowly remodeling the rig fromt he inside. I have all of hte cupboard doors painted, and our oven has been sitting outside while we figure out what to do about a new countertop...It's kind of fun to remodel such a tight space--not too bad on the budget.

It's great to see this back...motivating! Happy travels Kimmom!

[beaner&tiegs]

HELLO!

We're just taking the plunge now, after many months of talking about it. We bought a 1973 Barth, 23 feet, and are just finishing up fixing it up. We sold our house (unfortunately just at the beginning of the market going crazy, but still, we sold!) and handed the keys over last fri - so now we're in a hotel, resting up from the chaos of packing up our house, and dreaming about getting on the road! First, south to sunshine!!!!!! Great to see this tribe, I'm so curious to see how this adventure goes. For now, our plan is to spend about a year......but we'll see!!!!

[onlygirls]

I am jealous. I wish we could pack up and leave everything.

But I hope to learn a lot from everyone here. We know nothing about having an RV. I think there is an Idiots Guide that I will have to get myself for Christmas.

I bought ours on eBay - below wholesale. We were planning on buying one to camp locally as well as go to CA over the summer, where most of our family is. I found my trailer and did as much research as possible in a week. :o

The kids were so excited! DH is more reserved because of the payment + storage fees + insurance, but he will get over it. It is a great opportunity to spend some time with our kids away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. :thumb

[kimmom]

Where are you heading down south? We are leaving Vancouver Island end of Dec to go south!!

[beaner&tiegs]

Right now we're in Victoria for a couple of days, visiting friends and family and doing some shopping/setting up and then we're going to slowly start heading south. Definitely keep in touch, perhaps we'll be in the same area at the same time!!!!! We're going to spend this week working on our website, and once we have it basically up and running I'll post it here!!!!!!!!!

[tayndrewsmama]

www.canadianfamilyrobinson.com
Wow! You have solar power?! That is awesome! I can't wait to tell dh that. I have never heard of that before with an RV. How do you deal with them when driving? Are they easily damaged?


I really would like to sell the house, but the market is horrid here and I would be pretty ticked to lose our rears on the house. I knew the last time we came home that I really would be happier on the road. I just didn't want to come home last time.

[kimmom]

We are in Shawnigan Lake right now 30 minutes from Victoria visiting friends and family, will be in Vic next week dog sitting, parking in friends and families driveways/land until after the holidays


Yes we run on solar not so much right now on the island where it rains all the time :)
In Alberta we did awesome on our solar and barely needed the gen set at all to top off the batteries! Right now we are plugged in but as of Thursday will be back off the plug and charging our battery bank by running the generator a few hours a day
At first I was worried about the wind and the panels but they are very secure. We can drive 100km/h on the highway with no issues, just lock them down and we are good to go. We have had them tilted up through a few big windstorms and have been fine there too. I would have to ask my dh but I am pretty sure there is some warranty on them for rock chips etc. They are much sturdier then you would think! The hardest part of getting set up with them was getting them close enough on the trailer (33 feet long) to the battery bank and inverter.
I am so happy we sold when we did thats for sure! All has been good in the trailer so far but I am a tad "homesick" with Christmas and seeing everyone in their windows around the fire and tree but I know that will go when we are back on the road heading to sunnier places:D
We are keeping our eyes out for the right piece of land for us but want to wait as long as possible and travel more before we buy back in!

[burke-a-bee]

Hi..we've been in our RV since June. (31', two adults, 4 kids and an 80 pound dog) Glad to see others doing it as well. It's been a challenge in some ways but great in other ways. We're new to homeschooling so that has taken some getting used to. I'd love to hear about other experiences.

[beaner&tiegs]

hello everyone! Happy New Year to you! We have sleeping young children, so are spending the evening catching up a bit on emails, eating ice cream and listening to the ocean crash in beside us!!!!! It's been a great end to 2008, I can't wait to see what kind of adventures 2009 brings!!!

We're on the road, finally figuring out, slowly, how this is all going to work. It seems SLOWING DOWN, not driving tonnes and changing spots often, plus incorporating more down days to just be and not always playing tourist, are going to be key......along with more State Parks for our family, and less RV resorts!!!!!!! We've been slowly trying to figure out a website, feel free to check it out but be patient with me as I figure out many of the bugs!!!!! It's at www.ThoseWhoWander.ca and for now, you have to cut and paste the addresses for the blogs.

Right now we're in San Francisco doing the touristy thing and waiting for some mail, but in a couple of days we'll head down to surfing areas! Disneyland in a couple of weeks, the whole reason we're doing this trip as far as my girls are concerned!!!!:D Burke-a-bee, where are you guys? ANd Kimmom, what about you?!

[burke-a-bee]

We are in Austin..heading west looking for work in New Mexico then on to Arizona.

[MoonStarFalling]

Does anyone have thoughts about being pregnant on the road? I'm considering it and wondering about the logistics of having a baby in another state. The plus is that I could choose any pro VBA2C provider in the US :wink

We're both concerned about getting a small enough rig to drive comfortably but yet big enough for us all. We have two kids, three cats and a small dog. How big do we need?

Dh is very nervous about not having roots somewhere. He thinks we need to buy a house and just let it sit while we're gone but I don't see the point.

[kimmom]

We are still on Vancouver Island, kinda snowed in where we are! Hopefully it will melt soon and we will be able to pull out of here, looks like mid Jan. We will be heading south! Via Portland to visit family, thinking of taking the coastal route then down to California. Disneyland of course :) Then to Arizona/New Mexico! Would Love to meet up with everyone!!!!

[burke-a-bee]

After about a month in Austin we have moved on to New Mexico. Hopefully my DH will find work and spend some time here.

[kimmom]

burke-a-bee: whats your DH do for work on the road? We are going to head to New Mexico eventually too hear it is beautiful there!

[burke-a-bee]

My Dh works on feature films, commercials and music videos. Although with the actors strike it has slowed down. Thing are to pick up in the next few months but don't know if we can wait it out.

[kimmom]

Thats crazy! My husband works in the same industry!!! He has been away from us for the past 4 years Mon-Fri that is the main reason we sold our place, so we could be together as a family more.
Things have slowed in Canada too in that industry.. The shifting Canadian dollar may make it pick up again in Canada. My husband may look at changing careers at some point! We will most likely look and see if we can get some work down there too but a bit trickier since we are Canadian. Do you guys have a blog? Ours is Canadianfamilyrobinson.com
It would be fun to meet up somewhere, we both have 4 kids and sounds like our husbands would have something to talk about! Do you guys boondock or park at RV parks mainly?

[burke-a-bee]

Thats crazy! My husband works in the same industry!!! He has been away from us for the past 4 years Mon-Fri that is the main reason we sold our place, so we could be together as a family more.
Things have slowed in Canada too in that industry.. The shifting Canadian dollar may make it pick up again in Canada. My husband may look at changing careers at some point! We will most likely look and see if we can get some work down there too but a bit trickier since we are Canadian. Do you guys have a blog? Ours is Canadianfamilyrobinson.com
It would be fun to meet up somewhere, we both have 4 kids and sounds like our husbands would have something to talk about! Do you guys boondock or park at RV parks mainly?

That is too wild. My husband is a grip.What does your husband do in the industry? There are a few movies gearing up to shoot in New Mexico. We'd love to meet up. No blog just a few photos on flickr.

[LovingMyBabies]

Can I join in too? We are a family of soon to be 8 living in our RV while dh travels and works on ranches. We are traveling all around Oregon. I love living life this way! My kids can't get anymore in tune with nature!!

[MoonStarFalling]

Hi Amber! Can you tell me about your rig? We're looking at some now and hoping to buy in the next couple months.

[burke-a-bee]

We've been on the road since June...we homeschool and we travel wherever my DH can find work.

[sugareemoma]

Hey mamas,
I am so envious/impressed by yall. I used to be a nomad but have 'setteled down' now that I am a mamma. I have been to all but 2 states and most of southern Canada. I love tour and traveling whether I'm hitching or have my own ride. When my DD gets to be a bit bigger I hope to buy a bio-diesel van and travel with her for at least a summer.
Once again kudos to you mammas for keeping the vibe alive
peace an love
-sugaree

[Theoretica]

I'd love to hear how you all made the transition from living in a house to fulltiming? We're looking into fulltiming anda re just starting the process so any info/help/tips etc would be appreciated. I've spent HOURS reading all the info online, I'd love to hear from all of you who BTDT! We're debating new vs used 5th wheel, rent vs sell the house etc.

Thoughts? Input? Ideas?

[beaner&tiegs]

Hello everyone!

First off, we're heading into Palm Springs today and then making our way towards Vegas area, down to Arizona and then New Mexico (we'll be in New Mexico for the last two weeks of March for sure, as friends are meeting us there!:joy:) If anyone has any tips and ideas of places we HAVE to go, places they're hoping to check out, rv parks to stay at, please please please let us know!!!!

Secondly....we're a couple of months into our journey, so I thought I'd answer a few questions from our experience so far....
- we bought a 1973 Barth class A (all in one) motorhome from Craigslist for $7000. and spent a bunch of money fixing it up, adding a new furnace, adding a solar panel, etc Now that we've been traveling for a bit, I see the value in a truck/trailer set-up as there have been numerous times we would have just liked a smaller vehicle to drive around with. However, traveling this way has encouraged us to be more active, by biking places, walking to bus stops, and exploring different areas of the city by transit.
- we found the first month or so to be a huge period of adjustments. Dh not working full time, all of us being together 24/7 - a good thing, for sure, but it changed the dynamics of the family and we just had to figure out our new way. We sold our house and left our beloved neighbourhood, and that was a big transition with lots of sadness. It took a couple of weeks for the kids to start sleeping well, which took it's toll on us, there are 5 of us living in less than 150 square feet and that took a bit to get used to (especially in the rain and cold), cooking can be a hassle as all the kitchen stuff is crammed into a tiny space and I feel like I'm constantly unpacking and repacking to do anything - at first it made me grumpy, but over time it just became the new reality and we found ways to make the space work and that helped. So I would suggest giving yourselves a chunk of time to settle into the new reality.

- Now, the Barth feels like home and we're loving it! We've found warmer weather and live a lot outside. We've accepted that it's so easy for the motorhome to get messy, so we've done even more decluttering, and get less stressed out about it. We stop lots and stay at places long enough to do a bit of touristy stuff but also to just be, hang out, catch up on laundry - it's tiring to always be exploring and seeing new things! We also find that a good mix of State Parks and RV parks are what works for us - we feel much more at home at the State Parks, and love the beautiful settings, and the feeling like we're really camping. However, the RV Parks offer full hookups which is nice at times, pools for the kids, free wireless and also laundry rooms - and if you're traveling with a tv, I notice most even offer free cable as a part of their hook ups!

For now we're just doing it for a year, as a transition to a whole new life in Ottawa. It's gotten us thinking about how we can live full time with very little work away from home, as we're really enjoying the time together. We'd like to buy property in the Ottawa Valley so the kids can be near their cousins and family, but I imagine many rv trips from our home base!!!!!!

Let me know if you have any other questions - and I'd love to hear other peoples' experiences so far!

[beaner&tiegs]

Hello all!

We've been traveling a bit in the desert now....spent a few days in Palm Springs, which we really enjoyed but could not find an rv site in as they were all age-restricted (ie 21 and older OR 55 and older) - we've never run into that before, so were rather surprised. But, there's a great kids museum there, and we really enjoyed the art gallery!!!

We LOVED LOVED LOVED Joshua Tree, stayed at three very different campsites and could have stayed much longer. Bring lots of water in with you, but what amazing geology, rocks to clamber over or boulder/climb, so many birds and neat little animals to see, gorgeous sunsets....LOVED IT! The ranger station also does a brilliant juniour ranger program where the kids have to complete a bunch of tasks that really get them thinking about the desert, and then they get a badge and information about the area. Mojave Desert Preserve was also interesting, very different from Joshua Tree and not as much our favourite, but we enjoyed it. Another junior ranger program, and if you go on the weekend, they have informative walks with a ranger that we really enjoyed. STAY AT HOLE IN THE WALL and not by Mitchell Caverns - that one has winds that reach up to 80 miles an hour and we got no sleep at all, and were shocked to see the rv still in the place we parked it in the morning!!!! WOW!!!

We're off to Arizona and New Mexico soon - would love any tips of places to see or stay!!!!

Thanks!

[kimmom]

Hey We are in Slab City with 2 other full time families that we met at the FOTR rally in Newport Dunes. If you guys are close by still you should come hang out with us!! We are heading to Joshua Tree in the next week before going to Arizona. Slab City is great, very neat ecentric people here and FREE camping! Email me if you want to meet up!

[magstphil]

Hello all!

We've been traveling a bit in the desert now....spent a few days in Palm Springs,
Bummer! That's my neck of the woods. :(

Don't mind me I'm just a lurker (this is DH's dream for us someday). Going back into lurkdom now....

[sugareemoma]

I am getting evicted and considering getting a VW or another camper van. Is it legal to live in a van with a toddler? I am in WA and will be in school until June but then I will hit the road and go to my parents in Nor Cal. I am concerned about 2 things:
1. Potty training because a van wont have a toilet
2. None of the VWs I am looking at have working refrigerators, how long can a cooler keep milk/yogurt cold?
Thanks for the help mamas!
I have lived in vans before but never with a kid, I would just get milk for one day but with WIC checks I have to get 1gal + at a time.

[Pilgrim]

Hello y'all!

I came here (to the Florida tribe) to look for playdates, and I saw this thread! We moved into our RV in January, left Oregon, and are currently in Florida. We'll be back in Portland in July. I just want to say a quick "howdy" before I go back to my task of looking for a playdate for our nearly 6yo.

Cheers!

[Pilgrim]

I am getting evicted and considering getting a VW or another camper van. Is it legal to live in a van with a toddler? I am in WA and will be in school until June but then I will hit the road and go to my parents in Nor Cal. I am concerned about 2 things:
1. Potty training because a van wont have a toilet


I wanted to give a quick answer to the potty training thing. Just buy a little plastic potty to keep in your vehicle. We live in a motorcoach, and DD2 isn't potty training yet, but we plan to use the little potty for her anyway.

[burke-a-bee]

Hi we are still on the road. We've been in Albuquerque for a few months now. DH is trying to get some work here. He's had to fly to Florida and NYC for work. If things don't happen here soon we will probably head east again. We hope to visit CA before heading back. I can't believe we've been on the road since June!

[burke-a-bee]

I wanted to give a quick answer to the potty training thing. Just buy a little plastic potty to keep in your vehicle. We live in a motorcoach, and DD2 isn't potty training yet, but we plan to use the little potty for her anyway.

That is what we did until DD could reach the potty.

[Thystle]

I am getting evicted and considering getting a VW or another camper van. Is it legal to live in a van with a toddler? I am in WA and will be in school until June but then I will hit the road and go to my parents in Nor Cal. I am concerned about 2 things:
1. Potty training because a van wont have a toilet
2. None of the VWs I am looking at have working refrigerators, how long can a cooler keep milk/yogurt cold?
Thanks for the help mamas!
I have lived in vans before but never with a kid, I would just get milk for one day but with WIC checks I have to get 1gal + at a time.


How did everything turn out? :hug







Oh yeah and a BIG BUMP. And a bit more lurking. :wink

[MoonStarFalling]

I'm also curious about updates! Our house has been on the market for a few weeks with lots of interest but no offers yet. As soon as it sells we're on the road!

[kimmom]

Good to see this tribe back :)
We are in one place since April 1st back on Vancouver Island BC while my DH is working on a contract. It is an amazing piece of land we are on, we are off the grid here which is nice so much space and wildlife!! DH is just finishing up his contract so we are heading back on the road again July 13 to go do some climbing , looking for land and visiting then heading to do an internship on building earthships. We hope to building our home a year from now :) But so far we are all happy being in our small RV home :) Thank goodness for our big always changing backyard xo

[BeckyBird]

Hi RV folks! I just have to say--all you full-timers are so cool. In high school read "Travels With Charlie" by John Steinbeck. Ever since then, it has been my dream to travel the country. It was also my dream to have a small farm with horses and birds, so for now, I am living dream #1--having a small farm with my husband and children.
When the kids are grown, I am looking forward to hitting the road for a tour of America. We grew up camping for our vacations, since we could never afford fancy hotel rooms. I learned that traveling and camping is much more fun than a cushy hotel any day. In fact, just this weekend, we took our new (used) camper out on her maiden voyage! It was a blast, and I can't wait to go out again.
I love to hear more stories from those of you who live in your rv's. It gives me something to daydream about!

[pollyanna]

Hi
I'm thinking about buying a RV and was wondering if you moms could give me so advice about how much it costs to rent space at RV parks and state parks.
And how you can find some yr round parks?

Thanks
Pollyanna

[Pilgrim]

Hi Pollyana,

I think this is a very hard question to answer! It depends on what type of rig you are in, and if you are "on" or "off" season. We are in a big rig (42' coach), and we use 50 amp service. We tend to stay where it's "on" season, so we pay a premium for that. We also stay where there are good ammenities (pool, playground, wifi). We typically pay $30 - $45 per night, but we've paid $75 - $100 per night in places that draw big crowds (like Disney).

Some places offer a weekly and monthly rates, and that makes it more affordable.

State parks are generally less expensive ($20 - $30/night for us). They also don't have ammenities, but usually make up for that in beautiful settings.

Boondocking is free, or next to it, and it comes with its own set of pros and cons. We try to boondock when we can when we are driving between spots.

And yes, there are plenty of RV parks that you can live in as long as you want.

hth!

[Dahlea]

hi! we're having a hard time financially and hate where we live so we're planning to take it on the road. my husband is an engineer and plans to work as a consultant.
at this point we're selling stuff, researching and looking for a cheap but working class c.
look forward to any stories/advice. we'll have our son and 2 dogs with us.

[LeslieB]

hi! we're having a hard time financially and hate where we live so we're planning to take it on the road. my husband is an engineer and plans to work as a consultant.
at this point we're selling stuff, researching and looking for a cheap but working class c.
look forward to any stories/advice. we'll have our son and 2 dogs with us.
We were just living in our van for awhile with our son and 2 dogs. :) We don't own a camper. We got a Dodge Sprinter passenger van, and my husband did his own modifications to build us a bed. That's all we needed really. We had a Coleman stove, a cooler (just replaced the ice every 2 days). No need for a bathroom or shower. There are facilities everywhere. We had a lot of storage space under the bed and in the back. This was our second time van living. I would go with a van over a camper any day. Way too much maintenance with an rv/camper. Plus, a regular van will tend to get better gas mileage. Just thought I'd throw that out there for you. :)

[lightinmyhands]

Hi everyone, I've never posted here before, but I have been talking a lot lately about how I just want to take an RV on the road with my partner and our 2 kids (oh, and the puppy).....but I'm kind of scared. I spent a lot of time on the road before I had my first, but I'm wondering what life is like with children in an RV? I hate to limit my life because of fear, and I think I may be more afraid of never doing it and regretting that than I am of what the experience could turn out like. If anyone has any thoughts, please don't hesitate to reply!


Love and Light

[lightinmyhands]

hi mamas! I'm absolutely desperate to get on the road with my partner and our kids----I'm tired of him working 40+ hours a week and us not getting any time as a family where we aren't all exhausted. Not to mention my 5 y/o daughter is just as sensitive to city dwelling as I and she seems kinda insane with bottled up energy unless she's in nature. I traveled a lot before I had kids and it was the best time of my life. My partner is a computer programmer so I'm almost certain he could find work wherever we were to go, I'm just kind of scared of taking that leap. My second child is due this Saturday and I'd like to make a decision in the first year of his or her life whether or not we're going to go on the road. Any insight, advice or experience shared would be so very appreciated!

Love and Light

[sweetpeppers]

I want to get an RV, but not so much to travel in. I want to have it parked most of the time on my parents property. Has anyone done that? I have a two and a half year old son, so it would just be the two of us and lots of space to play outside.

[Pilgrim]

Hi everyone, I've never posted here before, but I have been talking a lot lately about how I just want to take an RV on the road with my partner and our 2 kids (oh, and the puppy).....but I'm kind of scared. I spent a lot of time on the road before I had my first, but I'm wondering what life is like with children in an RV? I hate to limit my life because of fear, and I think I may be more afraid of never doing it and regretting that than I am of what the experience could turn out like. If anyone has any thoughts, please don't hesitate to reply!


Hi there!

I would say this to you "just do it!" OK, seriously, there are so many considerations, and if you want to do some deep digging, go to rv.net. But seriously, you can move into an RV, and if you don't like it, move out again.

We moved into our RV in January, 2 adults plus 2 young kids, and we love it. Now, we have a huge beautiful motorcoach and have stayed at expensive RV resorts in highly desirable destinations too. I don't know how well I would have liked this lifestyle in a smaller space, or if we had not stayed in nice places. (I'm about to find out!)


We also just learned that DH has another contract, so we must stay in one spot for the next few months (work is good!) I don't like the idea very much of living in the RV while we stay put, but we decided to do that anyway because we may need to take off again in 6 months or so. (if his contract ends and it's winter, we're heading somewhere warm!)

The hardest part for us adults has been that our older daughter really misses her friends. The other challenge is that we must really consider places to go and things to do that the kids will enjoy.

A lot depends on your current situation. If you own your home, then it's a huge commitment to either sell it or rent it out and go. We were in a rental house, so it wasn't a big deal to move out. Well, it WAS a lot of trouble to sell and give away so much, and put the rest into storage, but we found it to be very worthwhile to do.

[Pilgrim]

I want to get an RV, but not so much to travel in. I want to have it parked most of the time on my parents property. Has anyone done that? I have a two and a half year old son, so it would just be the two of us and lots of space to play outside.

Is there a handy-person involved? The reason I ask is that RV living requires lots and lots of maintenance. I've said it 100 times living on the road that we could not do it without having at least one of us being handy with repairs.

Most of the time, when something needs attention, it needs it *now!* You have to be able to have someone watch the kids while someone else does the repair.

Other than that, you must consider how you are going to get power, water, and handle your sewage. It's often not so simple as to plug into another person's house. Our RV requires 50 amp service, so we can't plug into a house. (Well, we can, but we pop a lot of fuses, and can use only one appliance at a time.)

You can get water from your parents' house. And if you always shower, potty, and cook in their house, you can get away without a sewer dump spot.

When we parked at my parents' house, we let our "gray water" (used water that's not toilet water) go into their pasture. So we were able to cook, wash dishes, and shower without any trouble. (We use only natural cleaners and soaps, so no harm is done to the pasture.) It takes about 2 weeks to fill up our black tank (with toilet matter), and that's as long as we stayed anyway, so we found a dump station then.

oops - waking baby - must run!

[nutbee]

Hello! I've got a preschooler, a toddler, two cats, a man, and a newly purchased 30 foot motorhome. We've sold our house and plan to launch in about a week. First a month or so travelling to visit various family and then the long way through southern BC to winter on Vancouver Island.

Just wanted to say hello and ask what sorts of bookish/internet resources anyone has found useful (though I'll mention I've done lots of looking at FOTR - great site, I'm really loving exploring all the FOTR blogs). We are unschoolers and accustomed to a lot of books and resources in our town.

Oh, and anyone unjobbing? I'm wondering how I'm going to keep up with my own work as a seamstress/pattern maker, space organization and keeping it all clean and together. One time in my life I wish I was a bit more organized :D

I've been documenting our decluttering at my blog (http://ahostagewhowilldrive.blogspot.com/) if anyone is interested and will continue updating with our on the road adventures too :)

[Dahlea]

Well, it's official-we now own our own RV! It's a 90 34' class A. We have about a month to get out of our house, so we're down to the wire on selling, packing and storing. We're taking our dogs with us, but won't have room for the cats (who hate to travel anyway). They're going to stay with my parents for a while until we figure out exactly what we're doing.
What groups are worth paying money to join? So far, it seems like Good Sam and Passport America. We're also considering using the Good Sam mail forwarding service and the Good Sam roadside assistance (instead of the AAA we currently have). Anyone have experience with these?
I have a blog set up but it's not really ready for readers yet, I'll post the link when it is!

[MoonStarFalling]

Congrats Dahlea! Keep us updated!

[sweetpeppers]

We were just living in our van for awhile with our son and 2 dogs. :) We don't own a camper. We got a Dodge Sprinter passenger van, and my husband did his own modifications to build us a bed. That's all we needed really. We had a Coleman stove, a cooler (just replaced the ice every 2 days). No need for a bathroom or shower. There are facilities everywhere. We had a lot of storage space under the bed and in the back. This was our second time van living. I would go with a van over a camper any day. Way too much maintenance with an rv/camper. Plus, a regular van will tend to get better gas mileage. Just thought I'd throw that out there for you. :)

I would love to hear more about this. Where did you shower? How did you stay warm at night? It's just me and my son, and if I went on the road, I'd be tempted to get a big dog to come with us. I'm not sure I'd be comfortable driving an RV, and I have no automotive skills. A van would be great.

[LeslieB]

I would love to hear more about this. Where did you shower? How did you stay warm at night? It's just me and my son, and if I went on the road, I'd be tempted to get a big dog to come with us. I'm not sure I'd be comfortable driving an RV, and I have no automotive skills. A van would be great.

When we were still in our town, I used the gym to shower. On the road, I didn't shower every day. We'd eventually find a campground so we could get showers. I sometimes washed my hair using creek water (super cold freeze head, but it worked. :D). For warmth, we have 20°F sleeping bags. If it's really cold where you are, you could get 0°F bags and be comfy.

Honestly, I'd be a little leary sleeping in a van without my husband or dogs. So, a dog might actually be a great idea for you. Our dogs do great living in the van. One of our dogs spent 2 years of her early life never living in a house, just in our van for one year and in the woods for another. So dogs can be adaptable. You just have to find a dog that's a good fit for you.

I don't think I'd be too comfortable driving an RV either. The van seems big enough. And I am the worst parker ever! :) The Dodge Sprinter is perfect for its size and shape. I also like the van for its stealth-camping abilities. You can street park pretty much on any city street that allows overnight parking and fit right in with the other cars. You just have to play it right as far as when you arrive at night and leave in the morning. RVs are obvious if someone is camping overnight. (Not that we haven't been busted many times in our van and had to move! :lol) Deisel vans will typically get great fuel mileage, too. Ours gets about 22 mpg on the hwy. That's not bad for such a huge vehicle. And then, if you can find it, there's biodeisel, so you can be environmentally friendly, too!

Let me know if you have any other questions about van living. We're about to move back into ours pretty soon.

[kimmom]

Hello! I've got a preschooler, a toddler, two cats, a man, and a newly purchased 30 foot motorhome. We've sold our house and plan to launch in about a week. First a month or so travelling to visit various family and then the long way through southern BC to winter on Vancouver Island.

Just wanted to say hello and ask what sorts of bookish/internet resources anyone has found useful (though I'll mention I've done lots of looking at FOTR - great site, I'm really loving exploring all the FOTR blogs). We are unschoolers and accustomed to a lot of books and resources in our town.

Oh, and anyone unjobbing? I'm wondering how I'm going to keep up with my own work as a seamstress/pattern maker, space organization and keeping it all clean and together. One time in my life I wish I was a bit more organized :D

I've been documenting our decluttering at my blog (http://ahostagewhowilldrive.blogspot.com/) if anyone is interested and will continue updating with our on the road adventures too :)


It would be great to meet up! We have been fulltiming for a year now and spent some of last winter on Vancouver Island and are heading back there in Sept! Not sure if we will winter there or not depends on if my husband gets a work contract there! What part of the island will you be on?

[MoonStarFalling]

We are about 15 months into our "hope to fulltime" journey. After about 12 weeks on the market our stick home is pending sale! We hope hope to buy our 5th wheel soon and be on the road in 8 weeks! Now we have to figure out how to get rid of all this furniture and misc junk.

[MoonStarFalling]

Hello everyone. We are moving into our 5er right now. I'm trying to stay excited and not worry too much since our home sale is having set backs. We love our new RV. Very spacious but not overly huge. It's a 30 ft 2003 Jayco Eagle 5th with bunks.

[Thystle]

What do you all do during the winter? Stay put or move somewhere warmer? Or keep traveling?

[LeslieB]

What do you all do during the winter? Stay put or move somewhere warmer? Or keep traveling?

We were traveling when we lived in our van during the winter, and it was mostly mild. But there were some cold nights, including one at -10°F. We just had lots and lots of sleeping bags and blankets. That night it was so cold. The condensation from our breath inside the sleeping bags actually froze where the moisture came through on the outside. :lol

[Pilgrim]

We were originally planning to winter in Florida. It's expensive down there in the winter, but soooo nice! But thankfully, DH got a contract in Oregon, so we'll be here for the winter. I'd like to say I'd rather be in Florida, and I guess I would, but mostly I'm glad we have income again! :thumb

[jrabbit]

oh, I'm so happy to see this group! We've been discussing full timing for over 2 years now - hoping to be able to sell our house next spring and DO IT. Well, we couldn't wait anymore, so we bought a truck last month ... rented a 17' Shamrock and drove to Wisconsin to see my parents. We ended up being gone longer than planned due to it being hard to drive more than 7 hours a day with 3 kids (9, 5, 8 months).

We had a GREAT time, and we are so looking forward to more trips. DH has a computer job, and he's trying to figure out how to incorporate more telecommuting or at least take some short travel contracts. We already homeschool, so that part is easy. We will also travel with pets (currently rabbits, cat & rat). Sadly, we will have to re-home our 5 backyard chickens, but that should actually be easy!

We're planning to rent a 21' Shamrock and go to Florida to see the space shuttle launch ... if we can figure out the "job" part :eyesroll

The ultimate goal will be to purchase a 36-38' 5th wheel (has to have a bunk room, king size bed and washer/dryer - can't settle for less), but lately we've been considering buying something much smaller, but renting is working out well for now.

--janis

[dhinderliter]

fresh idea in my mind here. bear with me. it's me and 2 kids and i'm currently preggers. i don't homeschool or plan to but the kids don't officially have to go quite yet although dd needs speech therapy and has preschool for that all lined up finally.

anyways...i am divorced and have a steady "income" and planned to go to school but A.) i don't have money to really move or pay a deposit etc B.) have no place to go C.) don't want to stay here and D.) am needing to just leave. my mom would most likely lend me the money/own the rv with me. i don't plan on traveling in it to much but i figure the cost of a moving truck, selling stuff, rebuying stuff, paying rental deposit, (not to mention HOW to find a place in another state), qualifing for a rental blah blah blah blah blah will cost at least $2k+ with nothing real to show for the money.

anywho...i'm completely lost and have a million questions. first of all...i need a special license to drive an RV don't I? what length do you suggest to LIVE in, possibly a cold climate full time with needing it to have showers, meals, storage and my entire life in without feeling to much like a homeless person?

also i LOVE my van but would getting an RV and then tow the van or get a truck and a 5th wheel be better? cost wise/space wise? i am NOT mechanical at all and there is no man in the family or family that i will be meeting up with so how do i figure out if something is even mechanically stable without paying an arm and a leg to take it to a shop to be inspected?

rv slips in more permanent parks usually run ???? how much? i NEED my internet and would really like to have access to cable. i do about 4-5 loads of laundry per week with just us. on an older RV whats a round about amount for insurance (i'd say from what i see on CL 70's-95ish is what i can afford)?

if i live in an rv how does mail get forwarded? what about welfare and validating my home address?

i suppose alot of these questions will be answered with a bit of research but i wanted to give you an idea on my thoughts/needs and any help is appreciated!

[konamama]

subbing

[jrabbit]

dhinderliter - these are my favorite groups for those types of questions:

http://www.familiesontheroad.com/
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/AllAboutRVing

RV parks have a wide range of prices, but overall, my opinion is that the cost of living in an RV full time isn't that much different than other lifestyles when you add up all the costs. Internet & cable is usually available at parks - or you can get a mobile internet provider. Some parks have washing facilities, but most people use laundromats.

I personally think you get more value for your money with a truck & trailer (I prefer 5th wheelers). You need to go walk through them to figure out how small you can live in. Really is a personal thing.

go check out the other forums - they have a wider audience.
--janis

[HempyHippyMama]

Wow I love the fact that you mamas are so open and free to live on the road. I have lived on the road (on tour) for a couple of years but that was long before my dd arived. Mad props to you all for keeping the vibe alive with your families!

[CageFreeFamily]

I can't believe I didn't know this group was here! I'm so bummed.
After a year and a half on the road with two kids, DH and two dogs I could have really used the support of a group like this. Especially when I began to let the land-locked crowd begin to define and judge "our situation" for us. :( When I first started blogging about it we had SO much support, but somewhere along the lines that crowd became quiet and the judgmental group became louder, making assumptions about the stability of our children's lives as if they had ANY idea what it was like to live on the road.
I wish I hadn't let it get to me because it really tainted our last few months of travel.

With baby #3 due in a couple of weeks, we've been in a 160 year old log cabin on 300 acres for a couple of months now. It feels right, beautiful, and promising, but I have to say that our life on the road felt WAY more structured, simple and satisfying.

I miss the travel for so many reasons and am aching a bit at the thought of selling our rig after all the work (http://picasaweb.google.com/CageFreeFamily/CageFreeRV#) we put into renovating it.

SO excited for all of you who are traveling and getting ready to travel! :joy
It's such an incredible experience, and I really do hope to do it again some day.

[CageFreeFamily]

When we moved onto our RV in June of 2008 my daughter was only a year old and it was wonderful! At 2.5 now she still has memories of places that we traveled to, and my 6 year old will always have those memories.

:joy It is truly the experience of a lifetime and I can't recommend it enough. I miss traveling despite having landed our dream home situation (160 yr old cabin on 300 mountain acres in the Nat. Forest).

There is nothing so enlightening to adults and children as seeing the vast differences in land and culture across the country. We tend to think that America is America, even more so with all the corporate chains that turn cities into Everywhere, America, but beyond the superficial aspect of that the scenery, culture and belief systems change so much from place to place. It's amazing and beautiful. :thumb

[Earth Momma]

http://www.familiesontheroad.com/about.htm

[MoonStarFalling]

Aimee, I know I've seen your pics before. What a great job you did on your rig. People seem to be split about 70/30 with most being supportive and excited for us (at the moment anyway) and the rest worrying about our finances and the children not having friends. We've been full time for 6 weeks now. We're in eastern Montana and heading to the Portland Oregon area in a few weeks. DH is having a hard time adjusting since he's used to being at work 10 hours a day. Currently DH has a carpentry job here he's waiting on. If it weren't for that I'd be out of here already. We hope to head south and find some carpentry work.

[Pilgrim]

Aimee - that's the most beautiful rig I've ever seen. I'm totally amazed by all the beautiful work in there! I would love to hear more about your life on the road. I am finding it very difficult to find a rhythm or structure at all. It has helped that we are staying put for some months. But also, being stuck in one spot is driving me batty! LOL!

We've been our RV since January. We were "on the road" until July, and then DH got work, so we've been in one spot since then. I must say, being "on the road" is much more fun than "living in an RV in one spot!" We think we'll be here until May. But work is work, and that's critical!

MoonStar - our "stuck" spot is Portland, OR. (And I love it very much here! But Portland winters are yucky! I would so much rather be in Florida about now! LOL!) Where do you think you will stay? It's kind of hard to find RV places here (at least in the summer.) PM me if you wish - maybe y'all can stay at our park. What part of Portland will you be looking at?

[CageFreeFamily]

MoonStar, my Dh had a bit of a time adjusting too. He isn't really the Everything is an experience and I can handle it as it comes kind of person like I am. So, say, when our fridge door flew off and skidded down the hallway as we tried to get out of the mountains before dark (failed!) and discovered that our heater wouldn't light in below freezing temps... he didn't find it quite as amusing as I did. :wink LOL I got a Best Post on the Web nod for writing about that one, though :thumb
He had an easier time as we went along though. I imagine his experience was a little different, being the driver and the mechanic though. He once had to replace the carborator in a parking lot in West Yellowstone. Oy, that was fun!

Pilgrim, Thank you! It was a lot of work, but I actually enjoyed working side by side with Dh on such a creative project.
I agree, living in an RV in one spot can be VERY trying. Like you said though, work is work. We were stuck in Austin (our hometown) for about a month and it was nearly unbearable. Austin turned out to be the only inhospitable place we stopped (out of 26 states) and we were constantly being asked to leave places. Whole Foods security was at our door before we could even gather our shopping bags (we'd just spent $500!!) and we stopped for gas at an empty station and were asked to leave before Dh could get buckled in- we'd just bought $50 in gas and the whole station was empty!!

Winters in an RV can be harsh for sure. We were roped into being in WI for Christmas and I still regret that decision. Oy!

I wrote a lot about our travels for the first few months we were on the road on my blog http://CageFreeFamily.com but I think the posts changed a bit along the way to traveling as a backdrop for deeper pondering...

[kimmom]

Hey Everyone. We have been a year in our 5th wheel and travelled the year as a family and also checked out sustainable living projects as we did.. We bought a farm 1 year later to the date of selling our home and hitting the road. Part of our journey was to look for land :) We went full circle and ended up back on the island and found our dream piece of land. So we are here now as of early Sept. Built a greenhouse around our 5th wheel and we will be building a cob home next spring! So we are in one spot. It was hard last winter we got snowed in and were blowing through a TONNE of propane (its more $$ in Canada) . With our greenhouse and straw bales around the bottom we shouldn't use nearly as much this year! We have a family website too www.canadianfamilyrobinson.com

[kimmom]

Was going to add we did the same thing, stopping for work! It actually was great but hard to transition a bit for us all :) But when we did hit the road again it was great to have $ saved from working :)
We also got (and still do) all sorts of unwanted feedback from others (family included) but they see how happy we are and how settled the kids are and I think it is sinking in that what we have chosen is the best for our family!
This is a great quote
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." - Theodor Seuss Geisel (otherwise known as Dr. Suess)

[MoonStarFalling]

Rvers, how do you handle the holidays? Do you visit with family or do you make holiday meals in the RV? Do you celebrate or decorate as usual? What kinds of gifts do you get/give since you're in a very limited space?

I've just started thinking about rounding up some small gifts for the kids. Hints, tips or tricks?

[Dahlea]

Our family is far away and we don't celebrate the same holiday, so we won't be visiting. We'll just make a special meal in the RV, and decorate some-but nothing over the top, just small things.
As far as gifts, we just stick to anything small! When we get new toys or clothes, we try to donate others to keep the same amount of "stuff". For our kid, we like to get puzzles, stuffed animals, anything that is small or can be folded/made small to be put away.

[Pilgrim]

Rvers, how do you handle the holidays? Do you visit with family or do you make holiday meals in the RV? Do you celebrate or decorate as usual? What kinds of gifts do you get/give since you're in a very limited space?

I've just started thinking about rounding up some small gifts for the kids. Hints, tips or tricks?

This will be our first Christmas in our RV, and we are actually going to celebrate twice. Once in the RV, and then once again because we are flying to TX to celebrate w/ family. (UGH - I think it's ridiculous that we are flying, but DH would have to take 2 weeks off of work to drive the rig back & forth, and we can't afford that.)

Anyway, I've been buying up little things over the months. DDs will be getting: DVDs, Leapster Games, dress up, rainbow silks, books, these adorable organic wool lamb hand muffs (atoygarden.com), rainbow crayons, sticker books, and other little stuff. For us, small is key! This will also work very well because a lot of that small stuff will be entertaining on the airplane.

I'm thinking we'll have a real Christmas tree outside of the RV with lights and decorations, and maybe a little one inside. I think it's probably time to buy one of those table tops you stick on the steering wheel to make a table! LOL!

We do have the advantage of being stuck in our "hometown," so all of our Christmas decorations are in storage, and we have access to that stuff. I'm also going to be giving our younger DD some of older DD's discarded toys. DD1 is totally on-board with this. (We do Santa, but DDs know he's pretend.)

And a side note - I have a tendency to make Christmas "too big." So I've already started giving some of the gifts as practicality demands. For example, I already gave them their wool muffs because it's cold here! I gave some dress up last night (in exchange for the candy).

I'm looking forward to hearing ideas from others!

[KellyandKatie]

wow- what a great thread- I am enchanted

[MaryJaneLouise]

Subbing, mostly as a fantasy but :xfingers: someday a reality!

[Thystle]

I miss the travel for so many reasons and am aching a bit at the thought of selling our rig after all the work (http://picasaweb.google.com/CageFreeFamily/CageFreeRV#) we put into renovating it.

SO excited for all of you who are traveling and getting ready to travel! :joy
It's such an incredible experience, and I really do hope to do it again some day.



That's not a rig... that looks like a party palace!!! :joy

[CageFreeFamily]

That's not a rig... that looks like a party palace!!!

:wink :lol

[gypsypoet]

Hey Families living on the road be sure to check out the Rainbow family while you're on the road

http://www.starsrainbowrideboard.org/welcomehome_mirror/rainbow/


:treehugger

LOVIN YOU

[almadianna]

hello mamas, there were two threads about RV living so I merged you guys together. :)