Jayco-noslide
Galesburg,Il., USA
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Joined: 11/24/2004
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I don't have many answers but just a few thoughts. 1st off, don't underestimate the cost of RVing full time compared to staying in a home. Especially long term costs. Your nightly campsite fees can vary a huge amount depending on whether you stay put or stay on the move and whether or not you stay in RV resorts or public campgrounds or volunteer for a "free" site. Don't forget that RV's depreciate a lot and quickly and need replacement as opposed to a home which will gain in value long term. Your income sounds on the low side but might be OK if you are debt free, workamp some and watch expenses.
Jayco-noslide
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mockturtle
WA
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Joined: 05/31/2005
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First, I agree that snowbirding would be a good test for fulltiming experience. If you find yourself dreading getting back to the stick & brick, fulltiming might be the way to go.
When we went full time and sold our house, our house and our MH were both paid for so we banked the money for another house in case we bailed, which we did. Is your house paid for? A fast-depreciating fifth wheel may or may not see you through the rest of your lives. JMHO.
2000 Born Free 24RB Class C
6.8L Ford V-10 Engine, E450 Chassis
2002 Honda CR-V toad
Roadmaster Sterling A/T towbar
VIP braking system
Eddyline Merlin kayak
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rockhillmanor
On the Road
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Joined: 12/06/2003
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Quote:We've owned 5 homes since the mid-70's. The 1st one, we made a few thousand because it was a repo. The 2nd, the realtor got a slightly larger check than we did. The 3rd we got nothing. The 4th, we came out with basically nothing at closing. The 5th was purchased to help our daughter have a place to live. We bought it for nearly 12% less than original price. But it's still lost at least another 6% in less than 3 yrs thanks to the Short sales or Foreclosures in the area.
Boy, sounds like you need someone to help you buy real estate correctly! 
I'm full timing and when I got to Florida and found all the foreclosed homes being sold for practically nothing.....I've bought and flipped 3 homes so far this past year. And sold them quickly even in this depressed market. Buy low, fix'em if you have to and sell'em just above what you paid for it so they go fast and don't get greedy!
"We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned,
so as to have the life that is waiting for us".
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ky#5
full timers since 2004
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Joined: 10/06/2006
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You might check into hosting at a state park during your traveling. That way it saves on some of the costs in fulltiming. We hosts most of our time, that way, we are not out the expense of the campsite, and we can still do things in the area.
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Gale Hawkins
Murray, KY
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Joined: 07/22/2007
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Folks the cost concerns that are not the known costs is why a good cash position makes fulltiming better. What about that month you have a $5K repair bill and $7K uncovered medical expense and you have no place to crash while you RV has a hole ripped in it and you are 2000 miles from anyone you know and even they are broke?
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westernrvparkowner
montana
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Joined: 11/29/2008
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I would say "NO" in the strongest of terms. You have no savings to cover any emergency. You have $2400 a month BEFORE insurance for the rigs, fuel to go anywhere, food and then you will still need a place to stay. You will not be able to be a constant traveler due to fuel costs, which is the biggest advantage of an RV. It will be much cheaper to just have a car and an enclosed trailer for your personal items and rent in different areas for six month stretches if traveling around is your goal. Given your track record of losing on 5 different homes since the 1970s (almost a statistical impossibility) you don't need to buy anything, again, ever and that should have included that RV you just bought that has lost 40% of it's value since you purchased it.
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rockportrocket
on hyway 77
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Joined: 11/15/2011
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All these post are great, but the OP hasnt told us what it cost him to live in his present house. I think it would be VERY educational if we knew that item. The real test is can you live on the road FULLTIME for the same or less than you are paying now? And personally I think some of you expect to live in a dream world all the time and life aint that way, UNLESS you hit the lottery.
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daverich
Sharps RV Park in St. Joseph, MO until April 30.
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Joined: 09/14/2006
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We sold our home and moved into the motor home in June of 2011. We both retired and used some of our 401K to get debt free. We found out that we won't be traveling all the time. We stayed for three months in the RGV last year and then three months at an RV park where we originally lived to visit family and take care of doctor appointments.
Presently we are in the hill country of Texas for three months and then November 1 we will be in Mission, Texas for six months.
On our way home we took a long route and that was our touring. We are traveling and seeing things that are new to us, just not on a weekly basis.
Are we sorry we did it? No!
I am 67 and my wife is 61. When we can no longer travel, we will either park somewhere permanent or sell the rig and rent something.
Life is to short to always look back and say "I wish we had.".
This is just our outlook and each person is different.
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bobfears
louisville
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Joined: 05/18/2011
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Ok guys I get the message. I will work another 3 to 5 years. My income now averages about 6000 a month. Expenses about 3500. I can pay off the tt and tv in about 2 to 3 years. Work another year or 2 and save 2000 a month and then leave. I think I will keep the house, and have a good realtor rent it out. I will profit about 300 a month after its payment. Then after the first year we can decide if we want to continue, Thanks for all your suggestions, even the less than tactful ones. Like I said we were late to Dave Ramsey. Thanks Bob
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phil crouch
NW Oregon
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Joined: 06/18/2001
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If you decide to rent your home, be very careful in the company you pick and how they handle rentals..
We had some very good renters and couple really bad ones.. It only takes one to really trash a house and cause thousands of dollars of damage as well as the time it takes to evict them..
Even if you take them to small claims court and win a judgement, that does not mean you will recover your loss..
Make sure your insurance company knows about turning your home into a rental..
You can also run into IRS taxes if you decide to sell and no longer meet the homeowner requirements..
Just a few things to consider going down that road..
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