dshinnick
Mission Viejo, CA USA
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Joined: 11/22/2004
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55-years old, married, have the financial ability to retire in about 6 months. To do so we're planning on renting our primary residence and FT'ing. I've already bought a $93k 40' coach which is in storage awaiting us. We have owned a coach in the past, 28' which we were in for a three month trip across the country and did fine, plus a few other weeks-long trips.
Maybe it's just cold feet, maybe the magnitude of what we're undertaking is suddenly dawning. Haven't told the DW, but I've having second thoughts. Is this really right for me? If I don't do it, I feel like I have no real options but to just keep working, to remain a little hamster on the wheel of life. My current job as community college instructor isn't bad; I'd just rather not do it.
But living for years in a little box, having enough to do to stay engaged in life; I'm just not sure.
We will have a tow vehicle and figure we'll spend a lot of time touring the various areas we visit. And we want to gravitate to parks with lots of scheduled activities. I admit, I do bore easily, and without a tow vehicle I wouldn't even consider this.
Folks say that while full-timing you do the same things you do in a stick-and-brick; it's just a smaller place to live. And, having it mobile, you'd think that it would provide far more opportunities than a traditional home. Then why am I scared? Sounds like a line from Sound of Music.
Just thought I'd unload here. I don't feel like I can really talk to the wife too much about this, cause I'm the leader/instigator in all this, though she's very willing, but if the captain expresses doubt, what will the crew think?
I'm thinking I just need to stay the course. As a book title stated it so well, "Feel the fear and do it anyway".
And as Trader Joe's says: "Thanks for listening".
dave
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enblethen
Moses Lake, WA USA
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Joined: 01/05/2005
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I would not dump your home until you try full timing for a few months. Determine if this is what you really want to do.
Get a house sitter for your home rather then a renter.
Bud
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crickeydog
Marietta, Ga.
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Joined: 01/29/2004
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IMHO: Keep the house and hit the road. You'll know in a year what to do after being on the road together that long. We plan to 3/4 time in 4 more years and simply run from the snow. Being on the road 2 to 4 months at a time is our dream. F/T we already know isn't for us. I gotta have my roots, doc's, front porch, and horses to come home to now and then. And remember, sooner or later, either the doc's, cops or the kids will take the MH keys from you; yer gonna have to live somewhere.
Happy camping!!! See ya'll down the road!!!
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Briteskys
Mesa, AZ
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Joined: 09/21/2006
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enblethen wrote:I would not dump your home until you try full timing for a few months. Determine if this is what you really want to do.
Get a house sitter for your home rather then a renter. This is good advice. Remember you are going to live in about 400 sq ft.
I could never full time - I love my home and would hate living in a small box.
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Chief45
Porterville, Calif.
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Good luck. It's a hard decision. I agree with Enblenthen, either get a house sitter or lock it up for a few months. I'm 55 and have been retired for 3 years. The dream is great but the reality can be dawnting. If you have a lot of hobbies you can do on the road you will be fine. I enjoy golf and motorcycling but the wife is now medically unable to do either with me so it does get booring in my case. With the way PER's and STR's are getting hammered it might be a good move to retire now. Just have a back up plan. If you spend the winter in Arizona just expect people to ask if you are there visiting your parents! I'm always the youngest in the crowd.
The BIG question is - do you want to quit working at the college - if the answer is yes then by all means go for it. If not, take off for the summer and then retire at the end of next December. You probably have already missed the bonus time frame for submitting your retirement date to the college?
Good luck, I also taught college on the side for 18 years - does get old.
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BarbaraOK
Livingston, Texas, USA
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I think you are reading to much into the "do the same kind of things you did in a S&B" line. What is usually meant is that if you enjoyed reading before, you still will. If you never enjoyed grilling, simply being in a RV Park doesn't mean you now will enjoy it.
There will be a lot of things different - for one, just different areas of the country to see. We geocache and find that is a great way to explore and area and find out what special places local geocachers want you to see. We also came from academia and found that while we missed the interact with students, we sure didn't miss the politics and other weary things. Plus we found so much to do that we always leave an area with a list of things we didn't know about and didn't get to see - yet.
Is it possible for you to take a year-long unpaid sabbatical? That would be ideal to see if this is something that you will enjoy.
Barb
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kknowlton
Wisconsin Border Country, IL
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I like the sabbatical idea. And if you already have good renters lined up (i.e. your kids or some other family/friends who you know will take good care of the house & pay the rent), go for it, with a time limit, say a year. If you find it's not for you, there will be light at the end of the tunnel that way, the bills for the house will be taken care of, and you can return home afterwards and perhaps return to your job or find a new line of work. JMHO, of course.
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Golden_HVAC
Fulltime, CA, USA
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Joined: 08/19/2003
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Hi,
I think it is temporary cold feet, and this will change once you have been full timing for a short time. And I also think it has something to do with what your plan is for 30 years from now. What to do then? That is another bridge to cross, and you should be well prepared for that step in 25 years, and what you do over the next 15 years will not change what needs to be done in 30 years.
In 30 years, you will want to look back with no regrets. Did you have fun? Did you get to see all of this great country?
My plan was to boondock as much as possible. I think I only spend 1 or 2 nights camped out at a Wal Mart during 2006. The majority of the nights I spent in National Forests or BLM land out west, or on friend's property.
In 2007, I spent a long time with relatives, and then moved to a RV park for most of 2008, when I started to work again. I am to young to retire, but my situation allowed it, I knew temporarily, so I took the time to travel.
I tow a Ford Edge 4 wheels down. It is a great car, but a little heavy. Great for sightseeing, and comfortable for 4 adults.
I met some of the nicest people while out full timing. And when my nephew said I will be at Zion November 1, I was able to drive there and meet him and his friends. It was great!
One couple that I met at Slab City (2006) was also renting their home and have since sold it, and they move about from VFW sites and other clubs, and are also thinking about buying a lot in a Escapee's park to retire in. They spend a few weeks at a time on BLM land and move when they desire. Their house became something that needed maintenance, and they just did not want to deal with it. It was a ranch with the main house and a rental.
They bought a large satellite dish to put on the roof of their RV, and use it for internet access from anyplace. They also have 400 watts of solar, installed two more batteries for a total of 6. This allows them to run the inverter about 18 hours a day, and only need to run the generator about 5 hours a week to recharge. Yes they use a lot of power to run the internet, but that is what they wanted, and they did what makes them feel like it is home. I just enjoyed their internet service for free!
They tow a small truck with a cap on the back, and have two large dogs. (Lab size) You need to be a bit careful about the weight. I know I was overloaded, and used the tow car to carry some of that weight. I needed to store some things such as pictures at my sister's house, and other artifacts, but anything replaceable you are much better selling and buy new furniture or refrigerator when that time comes and you need one again.
The couple I described, sold their house with refrigerator, washer and dryer, tractor and all the hand tools still in the garage. It was just easier to sell all that stuff for one price, rather than have a estate sale and try to get rid of it that way. I think they rented the house furnished, and sold it that way as well.
My dad retired and we relocated to Grants Pass Oregon when I was 6 and lived there for 4 years. He really did not plan on retiring, but did not find aerospace work there either. It was his only retirement, because 8 years after returning to work, he got cancer and died in about 1 year. I am really happy he did get to retire for those 4 years, it was the most fun of my childhood!
My wife and I where trying to decide if we really wanted to spend so much money on a motorhome that I have now. We finally made up our minds after a neighbor we did not know died suddenly of a brain tumor. We figured might as well make the best of it while we are here.
I say go for it, you can turn back if you decide to, but after the first year, you will want to sell your house as soon as possible or want to move back in. I think you will be wanting to sell it at that time. But you are not making a rash decision, you keep thinking it over.
And while you are thinking - here is a list of nearly free campgrounds.
FreeCampgrounds.com I would skip the intercity camp places, unless you are just stopping for one night.
Good Luck,
Fred.
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skipnchar
Topeka Kansas USA
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Joined: 12/17/2003
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There are LOTS of different styles for full timing. Some treat it as every day life and stay put a lot while others treat it as one long vacation and travel all over the country. Do what you enjoy best and if that turns out to be staying home, so be it. People who move into your house can certainly move out again. Good luck / Skip
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We have enough YOUTH...how about a fountain of SMART
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missourijan
Wherever our coach is
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There are also LOTS of ways to stay busy. One may be workamping. Some people do it to save money and see parts of the country they've never seen. Some do it just to keep busy. We've been doing it for 3 years to save money and spend quality time with family members spread all over the US. We spent 3 summers in MT volunteering at a state park, met people from all over the world wanting to see the "big sky country". Right now we are volunteering for the Calif state parks on the oceanfront in Ventura County. That's right, someone's gotta do it, might as well be me. I say rent the house, go for it. You can always come back but doubt if you will.
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