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valhalla360
No paticular place.
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Joined: 08/19/2009
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I think there are two different forms of youtube channels being discussed:
- How-to type where they teach you to do something. I'll usually only pick those up when I'm trying to figure out how to do something and then I'll usually watch 4-5 different versions to make sure it's a consistent solution. I pretty much never subscribe and watch all their videos.
- Travel vlogger type. While you may pick up a tip here or there, it's much more akin to watching a travel show (think Rick Steves Europe series). This is a more difficult but potentially more lucrative venue. Its much more personality driven and the travel style will often drive the viewership. For those we like, we will often watch all/most of their videos as it gives us ideas of things we want to see and do.
Keep in mind also that anyone can post videos. The vast majority are little more than a way to share with family/friends. They have no aspirations at turning it into a business. Looking at these channels and grumping over how poor they are is missing the point.
Tammy & Mike
Ford F250 V10
2021 Gray Wolf
Gemini Catamaran 34'
Full Time spliting time between boat and RV
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pianotuna
Regina, SK, Canada
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Joined: 12/18/2004
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Folks underestimate the costs. They don't have a reserve fund. I think mine is on the low side at 10 grand.
Some people are able to discipline themselves, and almost never stay in a commercial campground. Where I was full timing it may be nearly impossible from November to March. And due to covid there was no place to go south of the border. The only year round campground decided to become a seasonal site.
Fortunately I had an exit strategy in place.
My heart does go out to these new to RV people.
Regards, Don
My ride is a 28 foot Class C, 256 watts solar, 556 amp-hours of Telcom jars, 3000 watt Magnum hybrid inverter, Sola Basic Autoformer, Microair Easy Start.
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OkieGene
oklahoma city
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Joined: 01/06/2004
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I started watching some about 4 years after I became semi-retired, then I found a lot of new ones when Covid hit and everyone was quarantined at home, it helped me to pass the time.
I saw some peter out quickly. Their content was blah and all they did was beg for money. It was pathetic.
I have continued to follow a few others, maybe a dozen to 15, and some have dropped out. Some quit because of various reasons. And as usual, there was the continual constant e-begging.
I still have a few that pop up on my YouTube feed. They e-bag of course, and they ask for Patreon members in every episode. Some of those have been doing pretty well financially.
If they are interesting, I'll watch.
Few had any decent savings to smooth out the financial bumps. There was one who was always e-begging, even having their transmission go out every 5 months or so, a fire, this or that, interspersed with engine troubles or other issues that cost money. Folks, you have to have a budget for tires and brakes and other things that will come due. And you need insurance. E-beg to the rescue.
I always said from the beginning of me watching them that one day the $$$ from YouTube would be reduced and they'd have to get off the road, get a real job, and save money. More e-begging.
I'm thinking of one specific husband/wife pair, it was absurd how often they'd
e-beg. Start of the video, end of the video, all requests for Patreon membership, PayPal donations, buy stickers and other worthless **** from them.
They were all too young to retire, didn't have the financial resources, and it eventually caught up with them, they're gone now. Apparently a few marriages and boyfriend-girlfriend relations went splitsville.
One vile nasty single female made a "f*** Y** video. It was sick to see that behavior.
I have been really saddened to see some of those go buy an old school bus, lots of miles on it, and spend many thousands of $$$ on it, maybe $20,000 quite easily. Interior, solar, etc. They take off and the old bus diesel engine dies. They sadly don't have the savings to fix or replace the engine, they've spent tons getting the bus going, now they just walk away from it. It's sad. They can't recover much of what they've spent on it. Sad whammy to have, tough pill to swallow. I feel really badly for them.
I don't begrudge anyone for getting into rv-ing, but you have to have enough cash money stashed back as well a a good monthly income, emergency funds, etc.
I'm not trying to be mean, but some exhibited anti-social behavior, probably couldn't hold down a job, and went to full time rv-ing to live.
Do what you wish, I'm not trying to be mean, but when just about every video you make has e-begging while you are sitting around drinking beer all the time as well as smoking a lot of cigarettes, well gee that's too bad, no $$$ for you.
I'm glad for them that many have seen the 48 States, Alaska, Canada, etc.
I gave a few bucks here and there to some because I liked their content and I learned about new things and new areas to explore, etc. BUT I am not going to fund your daily live when you need to have a job and you're maybe 35-50 years of age.
* This post was
edited 06/18/22 11:47pm by OkieGene *
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free radical
Canada
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Joined: 02/07/2008
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wanderingaimlessly wrote:Apparently the folks who jumped on the full time bandwagon, van dwelling as well as schoolie conversions are getting squeezed. vanlife
I haven't really looked at any of the videos recently, this article came up on my google feed, but thought it was interesting.
Fuel cost and inflation are apparently parking some for weeks at a time.
Foresty forest is still doing fine. Only rver I like to watch.
https://youtu.be/3ikUcLUmt0Q
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time2roll
Southern California
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Joined: 03/21/2005
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Life is hard. We all struggle at our own level. Bunch of whiners. Need to pull a bit harder on the bootstraps or find something easier.
2001 F150 SuperCrew
2006 Keystone Springdale 249FWBHLS
675w Solar pictures back up
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Cassy0110
New York
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cool article!
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markchengr
Seattle
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Seems the majority of them have more and more commercials before the video even starts. Who wants to sit through that.
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valhalla360
No paticular place.
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Joined: 08/19/2009
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markchengr wrote:Seems the majority of them have more and more commercials before the video even starts. Who wants to sit through that.
90% of the time, after 4-5 seconds, you can hit "skip ads".
Of course, there's a reason it's free (heck you pay for cable and still typically get commercials).
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pianotuna
Regina, SK, Canada
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Current local price for regular gas in usd and us gallons is $5.459.
My most recent trip cost $400 for slightly over 600 miles.
I'd love to drive to Florida but round trip is about 4600 miles. It just isn't feasible.
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Rick Jay
Greater Springfield area, MA
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Joined: 02/02/2003
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My niece's daughter just got into the whole "Skoolie" thing. She and her boyfriend think they're going to save money over paying rent. They bought a good sized school bus and now they're fixing it up. Problem is, they're in Massachusetts. (Well...that's a problem for A LOT of reasons, but I'll stick to the weather related ones for now! LOL) Yup, winter is coming. There are very few campgrounds that are open during the winter, there are some cities & towns which don't even allow you to keep an RV on your property and many more that won't allow you to live in such a vehicle. I've winter camped in our RV several times. And our rig has dual pane windows and OK insulation. Their bus has neither. I can tell you it took A LOT of propane and electricity to keep the interior livable and water flowing, especially as the temps dipped into the single. Sadly, I suspect they are destined to be another couple who pumped gobs of money into such a project with grandiose dreams only to lose it all in the end. I hope not, for their sake. I guess time will tell.
I believe another reason it's so easy to sway today's youngster into ideas of this type is that the vast majority of students who graduate from high school in the U.S. have never taken a home economics course of any type. They don't have a clue of how to budget properly, how to prepare for the proverbial "rainy day", or even how to save so they're not living paycheck to paycheck. None of that is taught.
It makes them very vulnerable to the sales tactics of "It only costs you $xx dollars per month. You can afford another $xx dollars/month, can't you?" That's the way everything is sold now, with the final cost barely mentioned.
I'm not making excuses for them, but it is easy to see why it's not too hard to sway these youngsters into shaky deals.
As an aside, I went to this website: Finished Skoolies for Sale and can't believe the asking prices for most of the units for sale. In my opinion, they're not very attractive and even the cheapest of commercial RVs look better. I think many of them look like excursion buses you'd see in some South African nature show. LOL Regardless of how nice you make it look on the inside, from the outside, it looks like a school bus! Obviously, there's more to it than just looks. But still...if you buy one of these conversions, you have NO IDEA how anything was wired, plumbed, constructed and if it was done with any regards at all to safety. Let alone the engine and drivetrain components. It's just a wild shot in the dark.
Well, hopefully this will be a short-lived fad as folks realize that this is NOT a cheaper way to live for the vast majority of us.
~Rick
2005 Georgie Boy Cruise Master 3625 DS on a Workhorse W-22
Rick, Gail, 1 girl (26-Angel since 2008), 1 girl (21), 2 boys (22 & 19).
2001 Honda Odyssey, Demco Aluminator tow bar & tow plate, SMI Silent Partner brake controller.
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