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RE: home base state
You'll need some place to have mail delivered and register your vehicles. I like SD no state tax and insurance costs as well as registration are less expensive. We use a re-mail service that registers our vehicles for us.
What ever State you decide on pick one with no state income tax.
Registration is not less expensive depending on what state your coming from.
Research all of these don't assume that your insurance costs will be lower because SCR's are lower don't assume your registration will be lower etc.
For us truck registration goes down (Good)
RV registration goes up way up more then we save on the truck up (Bad).
Your millage will vary. That said we're in South Dakota as well it all evens out.
Mallo
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Mallo
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03/09/10 08:03am |
Full-time RVing
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RE: Upset with costs in Texas. What to do.
Dale - I have a question for you about SD...how are you going to prove a physical address? We just received an update from Capital One stating we have to have a physical address and that would let SD out of our plans if the mail forwarding there is not a "physical address".
I don't know about Dale but my mail forwarding service is a physical address not a PO box. Resulting in Cap One not having an issue when we changed addresses.
But then I pay my bills from SD as well so maybe that helps.
Mallo
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Mallo
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02/24/10 07:49am |
Full-time RVing
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RE: RV as insurance against homelessness? Should I full-time?
Tuxedocat,
You need to get out of the big city. Find a small town and a good company to work for. They are out there. Small towns offer much cheaper rent and cheaper housing and cheaper taxes.
And lower incomes.... it's all a trade off.
Mallo
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Mallo
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02/23/10 06:26pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: A Class A or 5th Wheel for me?
Hello all,
I'm looking for some advice in a hurry here. The Company I work with has decided I need to live in at least 2 if not 3 locations at once for the next 18 to 24 months and that I need to start doing this as soon as possible, spending 2-6 weeks in each location and then moving back to the other.
I'm completely open to either a Class A or a 5th Wheel. I've never driven, nor pulled either, but have a lot of driving experience and my family use to be in trucking. I already drive 60k plus miles a year. Speaking of which my driver just went belly up, so driving the tow vehicle or a towed vehicle is another area I'm completely open. I'd prefer 35 foot plus from what I've seen. I'll be living up in South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana so I need something that is warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Mostly I just want something that I'll be comfortable in and will do well during the 2 years I'll be in it.
Any help is greatly appreciated
Mike
Mike,
Hitchhiker DA with the upgraded windows people have wintered in very cold conditions in them. Check out the testimonials at the company website.
http://www.nuwa.com/testimonials/categories/Testimonials/
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Mallo
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02/23/10 08:32am |
Beginning RVing
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RE: RV as insurance against homelessness? Should I full-time?
Tuxedocat,
OK yes fulltiming will sort out some of your authority issues as far as housing goes.
At the salary and education levels your citing and the fact that you can find jobs that pay that well on year to year basis says you have some skill set someone values.
So find an RV rated for four season use I know of one couple who have spent their winters in Alaska in a Hithhiker I want to say Discover America so it can be done even in Chicago.
Then find a contract job or a consulting job one with a start and an end and a goal. Work that contract then pack up your house and go live some place for a couple of months and relax while you find the next contract.
The good part of this is you can have your income and have your freedom. Don't feel like working in Houston in summer don't take a contract there.
But everything I've said above is more "Can you full time?" Not "Should you full time?" Only you can answer that question can you live in 300 to 400 square feet without going nuts?
Mallo
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Mallo
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02/23/10 07:34am |
Full-time RVing
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RE: How to check RV height???
We used a ladder and a tape measure found out we were an inch shorter then the factory claimed.
Mallo
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Mallo
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02/20/10 06:26am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Rain, Wind, and Snow
It's part of what attracted us to Nu Wa and the Hitchhiker fifth wheels they get it. I used to wander around the shows thinking "do these people even use the products they make and sell?"
So when we went to Elkhart to tour the various factories we had an interest in I asked everyone I ran into "What do you camp in?".
The answers were enlightening. Only one of the people involved owned an RV and he owned a class A made by another company "because the wife wanted it". At a couple of the plants we got a chance to ask a question or two of the designers who had never camped even in tents.
I'm sure there were people there who owned the rigs they made I just never met one. The things that were important to us and the other people on the tours were often just shrugged off or the guy doing the tour didn't know the answers. (I will give full credit to the guy doing the tour for Crossroads he didn't know the answers but he took us in to ask the guys who did) (Also Glacier Bay but in that case the tour was done by the president of the company who was able to answer pretty much all the questions)
Next time your wondering what bone head set things up like that go take the tour and spend time talking to the people you meet it starts to make more sense then.
Mallo
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Mallo
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02/17/10 06:59am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: crossroads kingston good for FT
First time to post a ? Would like to know if anyone owns a kingston by crossroads that do fulltime and if they hold up good? Any problem with plumbing.
There are a lot of Crossroads products out there we looked at the Kingston and liked it (Liked it best of all the Crossroads products in fact). We looked at it and the Seville in fact and found a few things of note.
The Seville is the unit that Crossroads touts as it's Snowbird / Long term use unit. While the Kingston is ment to be what the Cruiser used to be a solid unit for people who want to get into fifth wheels (Per the guy giving us the tour at the Crossroads plant).
Now the part that was interesting is both units are made on the same assembly line with mostly the same materials the big differences are the Seville has a beefier frame (it's a heavier unit so makes sense) bigger tanks on the Seville and one extra layer of material to make it more weather tight. (Foil wrap cuts the amount of heat lost in winter and the amount of heat gained in summer)
But the major differences is in the trim and furnishings. The Seville has higher end counters and sinks and furniture then the Kingston (The Kingston oddly had more storage).
So all this is a roundabout way of saying...
Yes you could full time in one, you would want to watch your temp's and not take the Kingston into extremely cold weather because you'll burn a lot of propane doing so.
I would if I was going to full time in a Kingston see if there was an artic package for it and get that (When we looked there was one that would give you the same insulation package as the Seville).
Now would Crossroad warranty it as a full time rig no they do not and if that is a key point for you then don't buy one.
If on the other hand the price and what you get for your money fits and you feel it's solid enough then do buy one.
No matter what we see it comes down to the basics does the unit fit you... (Price, Quality, and Liveablity)
Mallo
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Mallo
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02/16/10 06:52am |
Full-time RVing
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RE: I got my first RV !! Yahoo- Now where to go???? HELP
Well, i did it. I finally upgraded from a pop-up to a class c. Just paid for a 1999 Jayco Eagle 28'- it's a beauty !! I am so happy. So..now...I need to plan a trip. I am planning a local trip when it gets warm just for a practice trip and to learn more about my rig. After that- I want to plan a trip somewhere for the summer- say for 2 weeks. My problem is where !!! There is so much to see- i don't know where to start. Anyone have any ideas for me? I live near Philadelphia PA. Maybe up north? I'd like to do some fishin with my son - and we also want to see some beautiful scenery. SO..who has input? I will take any and all suggestions.
Thanks
From Philly?
You could head south into the Carolinas or west into Kentucky or North up to the Finger Lakes of New York. In the summer I'd head up into the Finger Lakes from there myself.
Mallo
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Mallo
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02/16/10 06:39am |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Full-time workers?
That's *exactly* what I want to do! Let me ask you: How did you bring the subject up with your boss(es), and what did you do/say to convince them?
Thanks,
Matt
Matt,
Evolution not revolution.
Assuming your looking to stay with the same employer there are things that must be in place.
For example once my company put in place a telecommuting policy I started working within that policy it was though a policy that has you tied to a geography.
But the first step was theirs allowing us to work from home.
My step was to prove that I was as productive or more productive working from home as I was in the office.
The next step was to begin educating my mangers on my RV. Normally I don't discuss my life with my employer but in the case I kept them informed that I was buying the fifth wheel (in fact I bought it while on a business trip to Texas).
Once I had it I used it for training classes raising the question "why are your expenses so low." Because I used my RV...
This lead to a long side bar about how they're willing to pay for hotels I don't have to camp and my having to bring up the website to show my boss and my bosses boss just what camping was.
Once all that was sorted out it became something they just ... expected ... that I would use my truck and RV when I had to be out of town.
The next step was to start staying where ever they sent me for a week or three after I was done. Have to be in Tampa for a while ... OK going to work from Orlando for a while before heading home.
And every step of the way get the job done from time to time when one manager or another would tell me how great a job I'd done on X or Y I'd say something along the lines of "yep it's easy to be motivated next to the Y" (Y=lake, ocean, river, etc)
Over the course of a year it evolved into a situation where I update my boss when I move so he has some idea where I am, I am attached to a region so if I have to get back there it's on me but I spend more time on site out of region then I do in region so it's normally better for them then if I was still in my old house.
The key is that policy on Telecommuting that has to be in place first in one form or another or they'll worry about HR issues.
At this point I've changed my domicle state to our mail forwarding state to cut my tax bill since I'm almost never in what used to be our home state.
When the bosses boss reaches past him to ask me to do something for him his first question is; "Where are you?" Then once he has that he'll ask me to stay in a given area or start moving some place just in case he needs me there. (only happens a few times a year.)
Now it does mean I can't make a ton of reservations ahead of time but that's always been the nature of this job can't plan too far ahead because things will change.
OK that's enough rattling on.
If you have more questions please feel free.
Mallo
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Mallo
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02/15/10 08:40pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: Full-time workers?
Matt,
I work in your field and am full time on the road with the blessings of my employer.
While I do storage and systems work I do work for a vendor so there are times when I do have to go onsite to various customer locations in those cases I just take a couple of days to move my company picks up expenses during that time frame and is happy of it. (Campgrounds and home cooking is cheaper for them then hotels and eating out)
I use Verizon for both my cell phone and internet (air card with a cradle point router to make a hot spot for a couple of laptops). If the campground has wifi I may use that to cut the bandwidth useage on the aircard.
Typical Sys Admin work won't have you downloading large files which can be a pain with the aircard (5gb limit) which I do run into.
The downside of this setup is that there have been a couple of campgrounds where I didn't have a strong enough signal and we had to move.
The upside is I've worked in 22 states in the last two years and done it next to rivers, lakes, streams, high in the mountains and down on the beach.
Last week I was working near New Orleans this coming week I have some vacation days set aside for Mardi Gras. Then back to the grindstone near New Orleans. After that we're not sure since I may have to go to a customer site in Tenn. we'll have to see on that one though it's up in the air.
Mallo
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Mallo
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02/14/10 08:51am |
Full-time RVing
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RE: Refueling in truck stops
I use RV lanes at Flying J at other truck stops I use the lanes for the Tractor Trailers the wife goes in to pay and I pump the fuel if there is a line forming I pull forward to pick her up if there isn't I wait for her to come out.
It's no big deal unless your in a state with a fuel surtax for truckers. Then you will pay more for your fuel.
Mallo
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Mallo
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02/14/10 08:39am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Here's a question I haven't seen here before
Skip,
A number of folks on the RV Dreams forums do the one person towing the rig and one person in a chase car / jeep / etc. Most folks cite the lower costs of travel once parked (I think the increased cost of going from campground to campground has some off setting to that) For other folks there is an issue where one person has trouble with the other person driving.
Whatever the reason it appears to work for them though it's not our cup of tea.
Mallo
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Mallo
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02/12/10 02:42pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: Ha! Pulled a good one on the salesman!
Geezx folks, I am amazed at your lack of sensitivity of that poor salesman not getting to sell this lady an rv.
Feeling depressed about it, he may have gone home and beat his wife and kids over it. Or stopped at a bar and wasted his paycheck on feel sorry juice. Why he may have even driven drunk
You insensitivity just floors me............
Boye,some folks take every post to heart !
WTTCS,
Your sense of humor does take some getting used to WTTCS or can I call you WT for short? In any case not everyone is as sensitive and as caring as you are sir, not everyone has your deep rooted empathy for all gods creatures from the glorious Fulltimer in his splendid clashing checked pants and stripped tee shirt all the way down to the lowly RV salesman in his dun colered loafers.
Some have their heads in the sky others have it elsewhere.
Mallo
PS to the OP nicely done which is what WTTC really ment to say.
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Mallo
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02/12/10 09:53am |
Beginning RVing
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RE: money
Hi i'm Jerry and I just retired...I'm looking at the full time life style and my question is ...how much money is enough to do full time moderately...I will recieve 3,355.00 a month pension and soc.sec and my wife will recieve about 1,200.00...together 4,500.00 +or- a few dollars...and I still have the ability to make some money outside of my retirement funds...so with the economy going the way it is can you please inlighten me...thank you Jerry and Teri
Living large my man living large...
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Mallo
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02/12/10 09:38am |
Full-time RVing
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RE: Best fiver for fulltiming
Thanks for all the replys. A lot of good answers. As of right now the few of the the area's I will be looking for in a) at least 2 slides would prefer at least three, b) fullly enclosed bottom- I'll tell you why later-, adequate storage both in the basement and inside, and c) will be buying used. We bought a brand new po-up with all the bells and whistles, realized a year later that it just wasn't right for us and bought our present used TT and boy did we stake a hit in the pocketbook. Never again, I'll let someone else buy the bells.
Tom
Check the Nu Wa website they're selling factory direct these days and have a number of used rigs they have taken on trade in. They have people from their service groups do inspect and refurbishments on them before they resell them.
Mallo
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Mallo
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02/10/10 02:11pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: Insurance cost.........
WTTCS
We're with National Interstate and we're looking at 550 a year "based out of Penn". It'll be another year before we move it to South Dakota.
Mallo
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Mallo
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02/09/10 02:42pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: Who is FTing in a not FTing rated fiver?
Skip N Barb,
Remember a lot of the full time "rating" is a warranty issue not much more then that.
Walk around the local campgrounds find the full timers there talk to them ask them about how they like full timing and their RV. Doing this in a place where you can see what they're full timing in will give you the prespective you seem to be looking for more so then polling people on an internet forum.
Just a thought and worth every penny you paid for it.
Mallo
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Mallo
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02/09/10 07:34am |
Full-time RVing
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RE: 5th wheel ?
dont want to start an rv war.but my wife and i are planning on selling our home this spring and buy a 5th wheel.what i would like to know is what brand would you get to live in year round?it would have to have good insulation for cold winters for a couple years atleast.we went inside some nice bighorns and montanas and liked the montanas floor plan better.obviously there are others out there.so dont fight just help, thanks,bill
The HitchHiker II or II LS as it was once called has a number of models that can be towed with a properly equiped F250. And a number of us full time in them and love them. For a bigger truck they have bigger models.
Check out the owners forum at...
http://www.nuwaowners.org/forum/
Mallo
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Mallo
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02/08/10 07:15am |
Full-time RVing
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RE: RV park hopping locally rather than being rooted for months
Mynet,
With the stay limits on the "cheaper" campgrounds I'd move every couple of weeks and keep my costs down by staying at the county parks.
Also it gives you a change of scenery new neighbors etc etc.
We've done similar things.
Mallo
Hmm sounds like a good idea I need to look at the rates and plan accordingly. I can get into county/state parks for about $15-$25/day to include electric I suppose that's cheaper not to mention that I pay electricity separately where I am at. I pay about $10.60 per day ($320/month) plus electric which comes to about $100/month at the highest during the winter months grand total $13.93/day with electric I guess it evens out.
need to see if those parks have 50amp though
i'll let you all know how this goes.
Our rig is setup for 50 AMP but we only use 30 AMP 90 percent of the time and that works fine get a 30 AMP to 50 AMP conversion cable and don't fuss the 50 AM.
Mallo
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Mallo
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02/07/10 07:54pm |
Full-time RVing
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