My husband and I are both on disability, and we're both very weather sensitive. We've talked about RVing full time to follow fair weather for comfort and health issues (season change throws my allergies and sinuses into a tailspin and I always end up with bronchitis every winter). Even when we were both working and never imagined we'd end up on disability, we talked about RVing full time when we retired.
I always thought it was mostly wishful talk about something we'd do way in the future, but hubby is REALLY wanting to do this, and SOON. Yes, it sounds like tremendous fun, and even practical. My husband's joint disorder is progressive, so he's not likely to be able to ever return to work, but my fibro and autoimmune issues could (at least in theory) go into remission at some point. Finding a comfortable climate might help.
So now what?! Well, we're going to check into financing and see what we can afford and how much, and whether it's possible to buy soon, or if we perhaps have some additional credit repair to do first (we had to file bankruptcy four years ago because of medical bills).
I think hubby is delusional about how quickly this could happen. There's no way we're going to be ready by spring. We don't have a house to sell, but we do have years of accumulated stuff to sort, sell, donate or store.
I just started weeding through my craft room today and I have tons of stuff that I can part with, but definitely would rather sell if I can. We don't have many true valuables, but raising a little money for this adventure sure would be nice. Hubby's ready I think to "chuck it all" and leave tomorrow. I hate always having to be the practical one, and yet I'm sitting here (with the cold, late fall dampness soaking into my bones) thinking what really is keeping us here? Just some stuff, most of which we can live without.
We're not allowed to have a yard sale in the apartment complex, and it's a little late in the year for one anyway, but between Craig's List, classifieds, resale shops, ebay and possibly etsy - maybe we can do this relatively quickly, but I think Hubby's idea that it could happen in less than six months is totally crazy!
Is anyone out there current or former RV full-timers? How long did it take you to "destuff."
Think of all the fun you'd have posting adventures .
I'm sitting here thinking how lovely it would be to get rid of everything nonessential, and then not moving into an RV ... just living in such clutter-freeness!
My only suggestion - my BIL took a regular mattress from inside the house into their trailer on our last camping trip - made a huge difference to have a real mattress.
Oh, definitely a good mattress will be a must. We're really only considering class A RV's (the full house, bus style), so while we're not looking for anything new or really fancy, but it will definitely have all the necessities of a house - bathroom with shower, full kitchen, tv's, and a generator for power...
My parents were "SnowBirds" in their retirement. They would go to Winterhaven, CA when it was cold in WY, then come back in the summer. But, mom had a house, so she left us to declutter after she passed on(sneaky 'ol gal, huh).
If you can find a reasonably priced storage unit, that might work. I have one back home that's 12x12 for $50/month. You could get rid of a lot of your stuff, then come back in May or June and take care of the rest. If you have swap meets, they should be starting up again by then.
In my family, what doesn't sell during a yard sale goes right into the bed of a pick up and to a Salvation Army or the dump. In Utah, there are Deseret Industries all over the place(SA for the Mormons). That makes it really handy and you get to feel good helping others out.
A storage unit may be a necessity, but right now we're at least (optimistically) planning on getting pared down to a few tubs we can store at hubby's dad's. The good (uh, bad?) news is we reallly have almost nothing of "real" value.
I almost clobbered hubby yesterday, because he started complaining that I was being unrealistic about how quickly we could do this (ME!?) I didn't hit him, but I read him the riot act, reminding him that I had told him I didn't see it possibly happening before late March at the earliest - and he had been the one to put pressure on doing it sooner. He drives me absolutely bonkers - sometimes his insanity is NOT quite so lovable.
The dream of your DH and yourself has been one of our own for many years since like you I am on disability. My DH has had to give up work to care for me now since I have deteriorated. We have spent many an hour planning what we would do and where we would like to go.
Unfortunately I am unable to offer any practical advice about cluttering ones home etc as we have not actually got a motor home (RV). Though it was nice to see someone shared the same dreams as my own and in similar circumstances to our own.
with your new adventure and starting this new phase in your life of RVing and going where you want to go, when you want to go.
Colleen~my in-laws have been full time RVers for 3 or more years now. They winter over here in So Cal and in the summer they travel all over. Also, my DH and I have an RV and at one time had to spend 5 weeks in it while our house was being finished.
My in-laws started with a 36' 5th wheel. Last year they upgraded to a 40' bus and they have a Saturn Vue as a tow vehicle. It's important to have a vehicle (whether you tow it or use it to tow) so you can get around without the rig. Sometimes grocery stores just aren't anywhere near parks.
My in-laws bought into some kind of time share like thing for Rv'ers where they get reduced or free rates at parks around the country. I don't know how much it cost them, but if you want I'll find out the particulars from them. It does save money.
IMO, busses are the way to go and be sure to get the kind with slide-outs. Ours has only one slide (it's 9 years old now) but the in-laws bus has four. It make it so much roomier when you're parked.
You'll need to really really pare down your stuff. The more you haul around the less gas mileage you'll get.
And if it's just the two of you, it isn't that bad. Try doing it for 5 weeks with two teenagers and two 70 pound dogs!!!
Do you own your possessions or do your possessions own you? (I'm reading "It's All Too Much" and decluttering, myself.) You have a dream, but you're going to put off your dream because of stuff? How much money do you think you'll get for this stuff? If someone were to offer you that much money to not pursue your dream, would you take it?
You're a perceptive person, and I believe you will enter into decisions carefully and with planning to make them a success. Is the hesitation reason or fear? If it's fear, why are you afraid? What is the worst that could happen? You have six months to set things to rights. If not six months, then how long? I'm not saying this isn't a huge change that isn't scary, because it is, but you can handle it.
I've been facing the possibility I may have to suddenly reduce my life to a few boxes and leave everything else behind, no choice. After first being freaked out, I realized I could handle it because my life is not what I carry with me but what I carry inside me.
Have an apartment sale! Get everything you want to sell into one (or two) rooms and treat it as a garage sale. If you're not allowed, ask a friend to host. Or a church or any other building you might have access to without it being a problem. It should get rid of the bulk of things. Then post a bunch on Craigslist. The stuff that doesn't sell there, try ebay and classifieds. I only say CL first because it's free. Donate the remainer. You'll at least get a tax break. If you couldn't sell it THREE times, you likely won't. I honestly see this being done in a month or two.
Do you own your possessions or do your possessions own you? (I'm reading "It's All Too Much" and decluttering, myself.) You have a dream, but you're going to put off your dream because of stuff? How much money do you think you'll get for this stuff? If someone were to offer you that much money to not pursue your dream, would you take it?
I used to be terribly materialistic. I guess I got older because now I look at what I have and think "it's just stuff." The only things that I have that I would miss if it were to go missing are photos--especially those of my kids.
Thanks purple orc, for me too it's just exciting to hear from people who have done it or are at least thinking about it. I've joined several yahoo full-timer groups including an RV crafters group regarding which supplies are practical on the road (and how they dispose of their handiwork - through gifts or selling). I wasn't sure our disabilities would allow us to manage and maintain an RV, and then I read of a couple both primarily wheel chair bound (the husband can get around a little bit outside of his wheelchair with a walker). I figure if they can do it, we certainly can.
Allison - we just have one old crabby cat. Our preference is also a bus style. If you can get contact information on the time share thing, I'd appreciate it. If it's a pain to do, don't worry about it as our RV dealer has a bunch of books on the subject.
Ufi - I couldn't agree more. Neither hubby or I are too stuff oriented, but it's amazing how much junk even a free spirit can accumulate. Our lease isn't up until March, but our landlord would probably be flexible - but I figure that there's really no reason to push the March deadline.
Raw - I never thought of an apartment sale. It's a really good idea. Craig's list is also. I have a few things I want to sell on ebay (I have a few books that I know fetch a great price on amazon or ebay, but that would do very poorly on a garage sale). But I definitely think everyone is right, postponing the trip to get maximum dollar on everything doesn't make much sense.
Our living room already looks like we're getting ready to move (or at least have a killer garage sale). Today I'm going to the basement storage to get a few empty bins I know are down there to sort into keep, take, sell, and donate piles.
We're not even telling family. They know that we talk about it alot, but they don't know that we've made the decision and have a timetable or that it's so soon.
I think they believe it's just a "someday" dream, and it's probably in our best interest to keep it that way in their mind. We get too much unsolicited advice as it is, and it's not worth the stress of having them try to talk us out of it. Hubby's family especially are very status conscious, and the idea of living a simple life is rather foreign to them (his divorced parents STILL try to out-stuff each other).
Thanks Allison - I'm sure Chub Chub will adjust just fine also. We adopted her in May and she's a huge fat old thing with a gravely voice (if she were human, she'd be a sixty year old chain smokin' granny). We got almost two pounds off of her, but the rest is pretty stubborn (the less we feed her the more she complains and the less active she becomes. I swear she's able to conserve calories by going into coma mode - sort of like me, really).
We figure she'll complain for a while, but will get used to it. She loves looking out the window, so I'm guessing looking out a window while we're moving will eventually be more fun than staring out the apartment window.
I swear she's able to conserve calories by going into coma mode
Don't all cats do that?
When I was in college, I used to take my cat back and forth to my parents' place (about a 4 hour drive). She loved looking out the window. The only thing she didn't like was the big 18-wheelers. When one passed us, she'd look over he shoulder at me and "yow!!" like I could do something about it.
Oh, I know the "fix this" meow very well. Chub Chub sometimes treats us like slaves whose only value lies in the opposable thumbs. Last week, we hit an all time budget low and couldn't afford her regular food, so we did the unthinkable and bought cheap cat food. She proclaimed her dissatisfaction for three whole days. The third day was the worst, she sweared (in cat) for hours and finally I hissed loudly at her. I don't speak cat very well, but I must have gotten my point across, because while she kept complaing, she dropped the volume from a scream to a whisper as if continuing to swear, but now under her breath.
Days four and five she didn't like the food any better, but had stopped complaining. Which was good, because I told hubby we were not returning her to her "good" food until she had stopped complaining - otherwise all we would be teaching her is that complaining eventually gets her what she wants, and if she can hold on for three days, I definitely don't want to find out how long she's willing to keep complaining if she knows we'll eventually give in.
On day six, when she got her regular food back, she was very lovey, and purred louder than I've evern heard her purr before (and her normal purr puts most cats' to shame - her normal purr is so loud it can wake you from a deep sleep).
My husband is INSANE (gotta love the boy)
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with your new adventure and starting this new phase in your life of RVing and going where you want to go, when you want to go.
