My wife and I are considering selling our house(if we can ever get what we owe for it), buying a class A and living it until I retire in about 8 years. We have been reduced to a single income which cannot support the house. Pam has Fibromyalgia and travel in a car is too painful for any lengthy drives. We have a Pleasureway Pleateau now, which is GREAT for traveling but too small to live in. We will sell the Class B and get a Class A. We will find a place close to my work and live in the Class A. We can then travel on vacations and live in the RV when we come back to town. Is this a dumb idea?? Has anyone else done this who can tell me what problems they ran into?
Thanks,
Bill & Pam
Glendale AZ
If you can get what you need out of your house it sounds like a great solution for your situation. I would not hesitate to do it that way if I were in your shoes. Of course I have been trying to convince my DW that we don't need a stick house but she's not biting.
I want to leave this earth quietly in my sleep like my grandfather and not like the hysterical, screaming passengers riding in granddad's RV just before the big crash.
Travel trailers have a whole lot more living space for the $$ spent. If you're close to work, the gas mileage of the truck shouldn't be too much of an issue.
If this was moved to the Fulltimer's Forum you will get a lot of responses from Folks who are doing this very thing. Most retired but I have seen some that are doing this and working. Why not?
BTW we are in the process of selling our "house' and going fulltime in our class A.
Shirley
Ron & Shirley
2005 Itasca 37B Suncruiser W24 Workhorse Chassis To Discover New Oceans We Must Lose Sight Of The Shore
I moved into a class A and worked. Got married and she moved in. We retired and traveled for a couple of years and went back to work this past winter for a few months. We are having a good time working and making very good money so we decided to stay working for awhile. Can you live in a Class A? It makes good sense to me. Class A, TT or 5th wheel.
We sold the house and live in a class A, save a LOT of money not paying utilities, taxes, maint ect. We still work and are enjoying this change immensely. You have to be able to downsize and not have a lot of "stuff". Also it helps if you are compatible with your spouse in a small space. It sounds like a good plan.
Kerry and Joanne
Lucy (female Jack always on the attack)
2007 Holiday Rambler Admiral,2002 Ford Focus
Full-timers mantra, Close your eyes, click your heels,
you're already home.
Madison S.D. via Vancouver, WA.
This is what we did, however, we are currently in a Truck Camper. We are both not petite people. We have been doing this since May 2007. I volunteer or workcamp while Sasha works full time. We have saved lots of money this way. You can check out how we did it on the link below.
If you already have a truck that can tow a 5th wheel or travel trailer, I would suggest one of those rather than a class A.
I'd say there is a bit of research you need to do, run the numbers for your situation, see how the real estate is doing in your area, find out how much it is in the campground and that sort of thing. Then start selling your "stuff" because you can't take it with you in the camper.
I am doing this. I did not experience a reduction in living costs, due to a number of one-time expenses associated with making this change. With FM, of course the work-camping and such will be out of the question, so you will pay space rent.
If possible, I would suggest you consider buying a piece of land to remove that problem. Also, if parked in a permanent location, you can have a large stationary propane tank installed which will remove another hassle. Are there parks in your area that are acceptable to you?
Keep in mind that if you go this route, you will be a renter living on someone else's property. Your neighbors will be close, and sound insulation is next to non-existent. If she sleeps poorly, that could be a big deal. This can be a good experience or bad - but the number of places you can park it will likely be far more limited than the number of stick places you could choose. Does your potential choice of space place her within easy reach of her medical providers?
Don't mistake the weekender's boundless enthusiasm for the full-timer's daily life. It's NOT the same thing at all. We just park in the same places sometimes. It IS easier to move to another location when your house is on wheels as opposed to stationary - but there's a lot of prep work involved, and the more time you spend in it, the more prep time there is. You tend to require more stuff on board and then have to secure it all. If you need repairs in the shop? Your house is going away for a while. You get to pay the hotel bills.
It is good to have so little space in a sense, because everything is in reach. But I would tend to agree about the 5th wheel, since you are there to hitch and unhitch. You should ask yourself how this will be handled if you get sick or hurt, though. (You didn't expect FM, either, and now you're short a pinch hitter in most of life's situations.)
Don't assume that just because it is small, there is no work involved with the housekeeping! There is just as much or more. These things don't sit - they roll, and with that comes a host of minor repair and cleanup that does not exist in a stick house. It's just easier to get to most of it. The fridge is smaller and there is less kitchen storage, so you have to shop more often. The space is tight, so if you and she don't agree about what is a comfortable temperature and air flow, you will not be happy. You can't just go to another room - there's one, and you're in it!
This can all be done, and it can be done well. My Number One suggestion is to expect to replace the mattress or add a memory foam topper. She will need it. Number Two is make the bathroom configuration a priority. If she needs to soak or must sit when showering, this is not so easily accomplished in most Class A's. Take a good hard look at the interior furniture. Most of what is installed in MH's and 5ers is NOT padded well enough or adjustable enough for a person with a lot of body pain. You can find replacements and workarounds, of course. Just don't assume that because it feels ok for a few minutes that she can tolerate it day in and day out. MH furniture is offered in a much more limited selection and is more expensive than regular household furniture.
If in a park, you have to consider things that probably don't bother you in a house. How far are you from the dumpster? The Laundry? The office? Mailbox? Will she need a scooter or something to get to these places?
But my very best suggestion overall is to have her apply for Social Security benefits without delay, if she has not already done so. This takes a long time to achieve (years, in some states), but would probably really help the budget. The things I list above are not at all impossible to deal with, but should be considered before buying, and DW is the only one who can really answer them.
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