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RE: Living the full-time Lifestyle
Hey trkrhelp, read my last post again. I said if I get a condo I will become just a snowbird and will no longer consider myself a full-timer. I haven't got that far yet. Just discussing it with my better half now that the prices on real estate are falling, interest rates are low and we are slowing down. It might be the time for us to make the move.
We are thankful for the 14 years we have been "on the road" and glad we were able to start in our early 50's. It hasn't been easy to stay actively moving on a reduced early retirement. But if you have the will to RV full-time on the road it's possible. We only hosted once at a Natl Park. The rest of the time we made do. Challenges that stay in one place RV'ers never experience.
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Lynn Rupper
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12/02/08 03:37pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: Living the full-time Lifestyle
My only point is that I really think there should be 2 categories for FULL-TIME RVing:
1. Full-time "on the road". Staying in different RV parks year round being totally mobile. This would include workamping and moving around the U.S. while doing whatever. This type of RVing is a totally different lifestyle than say category #2.
2. Full-time permanent RV park residents. Staying/renting a site in one spot or buying a pad and living there all year.
The respective RV'ers of either category have totally different questions and experiences. The questions one group needs answers to are for the most part irrevalant to the other group.
It may seem petty, but if you go through the experiences that a "on the road" full-timer does, you like to think of yourself as a special type RV'er.
Now having said this. It is getting time for me and mine to start looking for a condo near our kids so we can slow down for about 5 mos of the year (summer/Christmas). We are getting a little slower and long in the tooth. If and when we do stop full-timing we will become, just Snowbirds. However, I definitely won't still consider myself as a special full-time "on the road" RV'er. Again it's just my opinion. Being a full-timer is special to me and I really don't like sharing the distinction with those that live in a RV Park and do the same things they would do if they lived in a stick house. Nothing Special. Elitist view yes, but well earned.
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Lynn Rupper
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12/02/08 02:22pm |
Full-time RVing
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Living the full-time Lifestyle
For those of you thinking of going full-time "on the road" I offer the following example:
Dec 07, We left Dayton, OH after stopping briefly to help take care of an sick daughter-in-law. We stopped for 2 days in Perry, Ga and proceeded to Lake City, FL. From there we travelled to Titusville, FL to watch the space launch that never happened. The rest of the month found us camping down the Florida coast to Miami, FL and up the other side of Florida to Navarre, FL for a months stay. It was then off to South Carolina and Georgia where we sustained heavy hail damage to the Dodge truck.
March found us back in Ohio getting $7000 worth of hail damage repaired before departing for the West Coast. April to May was spent traveling/camping in IN, IL, IA and Nebraska where we holed up for 8 days of heavy winds blowing out of Wyoming. From there it was off to Cody, WY for a month of sight-seeing in May.
June was spent traveling and seeing the sights in WY, ID, OR and finally arriving in Long Beach, WA for a month of cool summer weather.
July was spent touring down the coast of Oregon and staying 1 month at Bandon, OR.
August was a month of camping inland in Oregon and Nevada.
Due to hot weather we redirected our plans to go to Las Vegas and went to SLC, UT for the month of Sep, visiting our relations and early origins.
During Oct we spent a week in St George, UT, a week in Las Vegas and a week in Laughlin, NV which brought $750 in winnings before moving on.
Nov has been a month of moving frequently from Quartsite, AZ, Mesa, AZ, Safford, AZ and on to Elephant Butte, NM.
Dec 08. A full year later we are in Texas getting ready to visit Big Bend Natl Park.
In my humble opinion that's what the full-timing lifestyle in a mobile (wheels) RV/vehicle is all about. Just my opinion as a free American with the freedom of speech.
Now I'll sit back and read all the hate mail from premanet RV park residents, if this thread isn't closed by the heavy hands that have differing opinions.
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Lynn Rupper
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12/01/08 04:49pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: To purchase a RV lot in a park... or not!
Why in the world would anyone want to go to the same place everytime?:R The purpose of full-time RVing is to hit the road and see something. You might as well stay in a stick home if you are going to park in the same boring place everytime you go out. Just my opinion. I'm sure the stick-in-the mud stay in one place RV'ers will set me straight.:S
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Lynn Rupper
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11/28/08 02:12pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: Latest and greatest from the RV industry. (Good Stuff)
NUWA HitchHiker has suspended production due to slow sales.
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Lynn Rupper
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11/28/08 02:02pm |
RV Lifestyle
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RE: What type of rig?
I just heard that NUWA HitchHiker has suspended production due to slow/no sales.
Teton closed
Alpenlite closed
Travel Supreme closed
Alfa closed
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Lynn Rupper
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11/27/08 07:49pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: License Rig in Which State?
Hey, try S. Dakota or Florida. They don't have any state income tax. Good Sam Mail Forwarding (Homebase)in Florida can help you establish residency in Florida. If you are "on the road" full-timing you don't technically live in any state. However, if you are just living as a permanent resident in an RV Park, then I guess you face the same rules as any resident of that state you are living in.
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Lynn Rupper
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11/24/08 06:16pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: What type of rig?
We have full-timed in a HitchHiker II for 14 years. It seems that out in the West the NUWA HitchHiker is making real in roads to the 5th Wheel segment. We have seen more of them this summer than any previous time since we bought ours in 1995. They must be doing something right.
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Lynn Rupper
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11/24/08 06:02pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: Guns and RVs
Guns will soon be a thing of the past. Enjoy while there is still time.
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Lynn Rupper
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11/04/08 09:43pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: Did you cry when your realized you were a fulltimer??
Sounds like a mistake to me.
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Lynn Rupper
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10/18/08 09:42pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: Impact of Stock market on You
No impact. My Federal Worker TSA funds (401 K funds) have for the last 7 years been stuck in the low interest rate of U.S. Treasury's. However, they are good to go now.:B They just keep on earning like a Energizer bunny keeps on going.:W
Too bad that Congress caused the whole problem by forcing the Banks to make house loans to people that couldn't make the payments. Does the term housing Welfare come to mind.
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Lynn Rupper
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10/17/08 08:12am |
Full-time RVing
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RE: Progressive Ins.?
My 5er went up $2/month and my Truck went up $10/month. I guess you might call that inflation or lots of claims nationwide for floods/hurricanes/tornadoes and hail storms. As long as they don't increase my insurance at the same rate some politicians want to increase taxes I'm happy.
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Lynn Rupper
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09/21/08 09:00pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: How long can you stay in AZ?
In 13 years full-timing I have NEVER been questioned about where I live. I have Ohio Registration and carry a Florida drivers license. I have been in 3 minor accidents and have never been questioned about my registration being different than my drivers license.
In most states if the RV isn't used on public streets there is no requirement to register it.
Bottom Line: STAY TILL IT GETS WARM:R:W:E:B
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Lynn Rupper
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09/06/08 02:41pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: What will future RVs be like? (opinion)
I just wonder what kind of RV will run on wind and solar power? Well we only have to wait 10 years to find out.:h
All foreign oil dependence will be gone in 10 years and we can't drill our own. Of course I'm not sure what that will mean as far as all other products made out of oil. Like plastic.:R
The green meanies will be the end of RVing. We have to sacrifice if I hear the anointed one right.:M I'm sure that wasn't what he really meant by sacrifice.:E.
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Lynn Rupper
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08/29/08 12:00am |
RV Lifestyle
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RE: Cost to Full-ime: What goes up, what goes down?
Maybe I'm just cheap, but if I spend the money for a membership then that's where I would feel compelled to go. You know it's just my opinion. Y'all don't need to get huffy just because I don't feel like wasting my money on a membership. To each his own. I thought this forum was for ALL opinions.
As far as www.RVparkreviews.com goes the reviews sure beat TrailerLife ratings, but then again, it's just my humble opinion.
Bottom Line: You sure got defensive about your memberships. Perhaps you protest too much.LOL
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Lynn Rupper
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08/28/08 11:45pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: Cost to Full-ime: What goes up, what goes down?
The problem with membership parks is that you feel compelled to go to the member parks, whether they are actually where you want to go. We personally like to go in any direction and to any place we feel like without worrying if there is a membership park within a hundred miles.
Passport America is as close to a membership park that we use. If there is a PA park where we want to stop and it's rated a 7 or better in www.RVparkreviews.com then we will stop.
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Lynn Rupper
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08/25/08 12:01pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: Cost to Full-ime: What goes up, what goes down?
I think you are a little low on Campsite fees 365 X $25. Unless you get monthly fees occasionally and if you move often, you will be closer to $30/$35/night.
We recently crossed the US from Ohio to Washington/Oregon and averaged $32/night. Passport America occasionally reduced the nightly fees, but it still cost a lot. We have noticed a big increase in campground fees just in the last 2 years.
We countered the increase by staying monthly in Cody, WY, $600/month, Long Beach, WA, $235/month + $36 electric, and currently the coast of Oregon, $342/month.
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Lynn Rupper
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08/24/08 04:29pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: Full Timing and Health Insurance
Hey WTTCS, bumpy asked the question and he understood my answer. That's called communicating to the person who asked the question. I wasn't communicating to you, so I don't much care if you understood it or not.
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Lynn Rupper
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08/24/08 09:35am |
Full-time RVing
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RE: Full Timing and Health Insurance
Whatever you decide to do, make sure if you go out on the road, that you get health insurance that covers you wherever. Most health insurance HMO's don't work. PPO provider types usually are good anywhere.
Fortunately I have Medicare A and a supplement health insurance that ONLY costs $320/month for my share. My last employer picks up the lions share. I'm totally (100%) covered for hospitalization and pay $300/year deductible, + $15 per office visit and 20% copay for doctors over and above the deductible.
Hey bumpy, the Basic BC/BS Govt plan (costs less) only pays if you use local PPO providers. The Standard BC/BS plan (costs more) pays any provider, but only up to the negoiated rate they pay the PPO providers.
The Standard plan was the Low option plan years ago, however, BC/BS cancelled the High option plan. So now the standard plan has become the best plan (costs more) and a new basic plan (costs less) has become the low option plan. The basic won't work very well if you travel.
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Lynn Rupper
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08/23/08 09:20am |
Full-time RVing
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RE: Am I a full timer?
Hey Serena, most all RV topics are tired and have been talked to death for the last 20 years, so what's new. High gas prices, Nah that's old. I'm going to sell my house and full-time any year now. No that's tired too. Gee what kind of a RV do you think I should buy. Guess not, that's a little old. What's best for full-timing a Motorhome or Trailer. Lordy that ones been talked to death. Got any suggestions? LOL
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Lynn Rupper
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08/22/08 08:48pm |
Full-time RVing
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