Sunday, May 20, 2012
Added pictures of our "new" home.
Here are a few pictures of our "new to us" home, our 95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge. These were taken on the maiden voyage from Atlanta to Round Rock, Texas.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Preparing for the RV lifestyle
Deb and I went thru a lot, to get where we are. It is more complex than I can probably express, but I thought I would try, in the hope of saying you time, stress and money. In no particular order, I will list some things you might consider as you make your way into full time RVing. Think of it as a preparatory checklist. We have discussed much of this, but trying not to leave anything out. I have also posted this on our blog, and may update it if I think of more. http://travelingthomass.blogspot.com/
1- realize this is really, really, what you want to do. These beasts are hard to sell, and once you get one, think of it as sunk cost, that you might only realize a fraction of, when you resell. Thus, you want to be really sure this is what you want to do. I went with Blue Bird Wanderlodge. That isn’t to say it is the right answer for everyone, just my right answer. Make sure the one you pick is your right answer.
2- Try to picture yourself living in one, day after day, week after week. What will your life be like? Will a washer/dryer be a necessity, or a nice to have? Will you be plugged in at a park every night, or will you want to boondock? Are you able to work on it, or will you need to hire professional help? Etc, etc,
3- Are you going to full time, or will you keep your home as a base? There are legal and tax considerations to consider, as well as financial (mortgage, tax on home, etc). If you full time, will you be able to carry everything with you that you want to? What hobbies and necessities might you have to give up, because you haven’t room for the required equipment? This leads to #4
4- Try, best you can, to pick an RV that will serve you as long as you want to RV. In addition to being hard to sell, when you buy a new to you, used one, you are always taking a gamble that it might have hidden problems. That is a gamble you want to take as seldom as you can. So try to make the first one, the right one. Picture yourself living in it, storing your stuff in it. Insure it has the most important features you want, or that they can be added.
5- Back to #3. If you are a full timer, insurance is different for you. There are a few companies that specialize in offering full timer insurance. Make sure you go with one of those. Do an inventory, list and pictures, of your belongings, in case of accident or theft. Does your insurance cover replacement value? Agreed value?
6- Think about weapons. If you plan to cross into Canada or Mexico, you will need to stash them someplace til you get back stateside (Do NOT try to carry concealed across border).
7- Think about towing. Are you going to tow 4 down or with a trailer or with a dolly? Will you have to replace your current car? Install tow brake controller in RV? Brake system and baseplate in your towed? Brake and tail light connection in your towed?
8- Do you want to work at all? If so, in your current profession (best money, of course) or volunteering in either commercial or park campgrounds? Start looking at what’s available now.
9- Motorcycle lift. Consider how it will mount to the RV you are considering. What will be required?
10- How will you spend your time? For the first time, probably, in your life, you have no demands on your time except what you choose to put on them. Can you deal with that, and fill your time with things, places and people that make you look forward to getting up each day?
11- Do you have a financial plan that makes sense? I recommend starting as soon as you can, but what it takes to make someone feel secure financially varies from person to person. Insure you have a plan that lets you sleep at night. Prepare for emergencies. Do you have $15 to 20,000+ or more for a new engine or a Trans. It could happen!
12- How will you connect to Internet? Start your research ahead of time.
13- Same goes for TV. Right now, Dish has a pay as you go monthly service for RVs, with no contract requirement. They are the only provider that does. OTOH, if you keep your house, you can add DirectTV service for your RV at a nominal cost.
14- Same for phone service. Your needs may or may not change, but think about it in advance.
15- Start downsizing now! Get rid of everything you can’t carry in RV if you are getting rid of house. If keeping house, you have more flexibility. Plan, once a year, in going over RV and evaluating what you carry. If you haven’t used it in a year, get rid of it (exceptions might be tools and emergency equipment).
16- We got rid of almost all books, getting digital versions and bookreaders. Switched from desktop computers to laptops. Ripped DVD collection to external hard drives and use Western Digital TV Live to connect hard drive to TV. Look for ways to downsize your stuff. Minimize your wardrobe. Replace pots and pans with stacking cookware. Replace dishes with non breakable dishes. Look at everything you want with you and see if it needs replacing with products that make more sense, for RVing.
17- Immerse yourself in the dream. Read everything you can about the lifestyle. See what others have done, what their problems have been and how they have handled them.
18- Have a plan for when you are too feeble to continue RVing. What will be your exit strategy? Along with that, what if the lifestyle itself, once you try it, doesn’t suit you? Before you sell off or give a way all your stuff to go full time, If you have never done the full time thing, you may want to put all your stuff you want to keep, in storage! Then if the full timing does not work out for you, you still have your things. This gives you an option.
19- Do you want a permanent home base? There are places you can buy a lot, with or without a park model home, to be a home base.
20- Do membership parks make sense for you? I don’t like them, but many do, and save money thereby. Research them, know the pitfalls and downsides (salesmen will tell you the upside, not so much the downside)
21- Emergency road service. Does it cover motorcycles? US wide? Can it handle big RV? Do they change flat tires?
22- Do you need a spare tire? Do you know how to read date codes on tires?
23- Look into internet banking. We use and love USAA. Credit unions usually a good option, as well
24- If you finance an RV, easier by far to do it while you are still working. Keep in mind.
25- Are you comfortable driving something the size of a bus? There are schools, if you need them.
26- Are you familiar with air brakes?
27- As a full timer, you need to decide what you legal domicile will be. Lots of things to think about, to find what makes the best sense for you. State income tax, tax on purchases, tax on your retirement, on social security, etc.
28- As part of 27, decide on mail forwarding service.
29- What do you have to go thru to establish residency in the state you choose? What are the vehicle registration requirements? Driver’s license requirements? Voter registration requirements?
30- Will you miss your local Church? Fitness center? Support group? Doctor or dentist? Figure out in advance how to handle these issues.
31- What will you do for prescription drugs?
32- Walmart has a good deal on eyeglasses. Can you be happy with them?
33- Health Insurance -- If you have health insurance, go to their website and put in several different zipcodes near areas you'd like to stay. See if there are any providers in that area. You'll not always find somebody. Do this for all you insurances (medical, vision, dental, veterinary). Otherwise, you're paying for something you can't use.
34- If you sign up for Direct TV at any home base, don't give them a land line number and you can use your receiver on the road anywhere (your local stations will be where you signed up) and you can use it back home when/if you return. Maybe, even as a full timer, you have kids using direct. Use them as a home base and add an RV receiver to their setup, if they have Dish or Direct.
35- How will you handle mail forwarding? Better to use a commercial service. It can be too much to ask family to handle. Additionally, your mailing address is one indicator of your permanent residence.
36- If traveling with another, can they operate the rig in an emergency? Some memberships like FMCA have a benefit to drive your rig back to a home base if a medical emergency or death intervenes.
37- Unlike a house, a RV is 4 ft off the ground. If injured or sick will this cause any issues that are insurmountable for you? Consider the Escapees CARE organization. Also consider, while still healthy, volunteering for them.
38- If traveling far from home, do you have a plan or experience in mountain driving, snow, city driving, backing distances?
39- Get a passport
40- Think about your pets and how they will adapt to traveling. Where will they sleep? Where will you put the cat’s litter box?
41- Carry your records with you, medical, dental, pet, vision. Think about backing all your records up electronically. Keep on your computer with a backup on a USB drive that you can carry to medical facility.
42- When you get a new domicile, consider the necessity to rewrite your will, Power of Attorney, Medical Power of Attorney, and Living Will.
RESOURCES I USE
Friday, January 6, 2012
Pictures in the Slideshow to the right
They are of our Lazy Daze Rear Kitchen, which we currently have up for sale. We have replaced it with the Bluebird Wanderlodge we bought to fulltime in. As a side note, I had distantly admired the Wanderlodges for years. Having a vague idea how expensive they were, I never expected to own one. When we were looking for a full time vehicle, I wanted the same quality and reliability that our Lazy Daze had afforded us, and it came down to the Bluebird. I was very much surprised to find that a used one was within our reach.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
How We Got Here
We had always planned to travel in retirement, and had bought a Lazy Days Class C RV to do it in. In the wake of the housing crisis and market implosion that followed, we made the decision to "fulltime" it, that is, to not have a permanent residence anymore and to live fulltime in our RV. Given that, we came to the conclusion that the Lazy Daze wasn't big enough for 2 adults and 2 cats to live permanently in. So we bought our 95 model Bluebird Wanderlodge to become our permanent abode.
I (Lee) had not expected to be offered another fulltime position at my current age, but it happened, nonetheless. So, we relocated ourselves, our RV and our cats to Round Rock, Texas, where I work at my last permanent job, prior to retirement.
While waiting for that day to come, we intend to use our RV, not only as our home, but to travel around the great state of Texas and see and enjoy all we can. This is a new area for both of us, so we are quite excited to be able to do this.
I (Lee) had not expected to be offered another fulltime position at my current age, but it happened, nonetheless. So, we relocated ourselves, our RV and our cats to Round Rock, Texas, where I work at my last permanent job, prior to retirement.
While waiting for that day to come, we intend to use our RV, not only as our home, but to travel around the great state of Texas and see and enjoy all we can. This is a new area for both of us, so we are quite excited to be able to do this.
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