# Anyone RV it full time?



## nmgirl63andcounting

Am curious of the life style.  I have researched it for so many years, but now I'm older, alone with WMD in right eye I wonder if I could really do it ... even in a small RV.  Just me and my dog, off to see the US and visit the multitude of friends and family spread across.

Okay, that's the dream part. BUT when you stop at a campground, would the caretaker there be willing to do the hookup for you?  Can you do this on a budget? If you don't have a "base residence"?  Seems doable ... 

Anyone with experience?


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## AZ Jim

I know a single lady who travels full time in a 17' trailer with two dogs.


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## nmgirl63andcounting

Well, that's good to know ... instead of paying rent, I could perhaps buy a small RV tow my little car and bebop around following the weather .... chuckle


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## Linda

I wanted to do that (and we did some) when I was younger but not so much now.  Anymore it's quite expensive to park an RV at a park.  Often the person running the park is also running a little store there and I've never seen one who would hook up things for a customer BUT we've never asked so I obviously am not an expert on that.  We used to stay at KOAs a lot but I don't even know if they are still around.


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## nmgirl63andcounting

Hi Linda ... Koa is still around, yes rv parking can be expensive ... Boondocking (I think that's what they call it) sorta evens that out some. But thinking if. I don't have house or apt ... Could factor it all in. Am researching ... Thanks for your response!


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## SeaBreeze

We don't RV full time, just have a slide in pop-up truck camper that fits in the bed of our truck.  We go on camping trips a couple of times a year only and don't stay at any official campgrounds if we can help it.  We do see a lot of KOAs along the highway, and I'm sure they'll help out a camper with hookups, etc. if asked.  We like to go to National Forest or BLM land, where we're pretty much on our own and can let the dog run free with no "neighbors" close by.  Many times we are in pretty isolated areas.

I'm glad you're looking to travel the country with your furkid, sounds like a lot of fun.


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## nmgirl63andcounting

My ex and I used to do primitive camping ... Loved it! Have many ailments do can't go that route any longer but I think I still have the umph to do it on the comfy side. On limited income so I have research to do to see if feasible. It's already always been a dream of mine!


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## SeaBreeze

Follow your dream, from one outdoor lover to another!   What kind of a dog do you have?


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## nmgirl63andcounting

14yo pom mix. Adopted her from animal control about 3 yrs ago. She's a love ..


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## Manatee

You will find more info on the Escapees site, full timing is a major focus for them.

Many folks buy a motor home because they don't want to tow, but they wind up towing a car because a motor home is not convenient for sightseeing and fetching groceries.

KOAs are still around but they have become high priced in recent years.  You can do better elsewhere.


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## nmgirl63andcounting

Manatee ... Thanks so much for the info. Yes I knew KOA still around and expensive. When I was a kid that was the place but no more. I'm looking at a smaller rv with slide out and perhaps tow my small car or not, the size I'm thinking about would be small enough to maneuver around town. Can't imagine driving one of the big ones! {{{{Shivering at thought}}} putting everyone else in danger. Chuckle


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## imp

nmgirl63andcounting said:


> Manatee ... Thanks so much for the info. Yes I knew KOA still around and expensive. When I was a kid that was the place but no more. I'm looking at a smaller rv with slide out and perhaps tow my small car or not, the size I'm thinking about would be small enough to maneuver around town. Can't imagine driving one of the big ones! {{{{Shivering at thought}}} putting everyone else in danger. Chuckle



nmgirl, you have already many supporters here I see, as I've been on leave a short time. I can feel inside, the concerns you mention. Welcome to the forum. cannot say how many "RV" it, but can say, I've considered it, many times.   imp


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## MN Ryder

My parents full time RV'd for 10 years.  Downfall was lack of exercise & motivation to do much of anything, resulted in health decline, Dad had a stroke.


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## nmgirl63andcounting

Oh I'm so sorry to hear that! Of course that could be a possibility, but if I do this, I'll keep mind this story. Thanks and sorry for your loss.


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## Shalimar

I had friends (American,) who spent a large part of  year travelling around the warmer parts of America, and during the summer and fall months came up to southern Canada. Here on southern Vancouver Island, it is warm enough to camp comfortably well into October, sometimes later. My friends travelled all over the scenic areas. Now that they are in their mid eighties, they only travel part of the year. They certainly are fit, partially I think, because they loved to walk about in nature.


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## nmgirl63andcounting

Thanks Shalimar, yes that would be the goal. To be in beautiful places and take in the scenery. As I've mentioned I have family and friends dotted across the US and can not afford afford to fly for visits. My thought is that having a "house on wheels" might make it easier to visit. I'm not wealthy so flying is out of the question and then there's my little dog ... I don't know if I could do it, but I'm sure researching the heck out of it! Chuckle Thanks again for your support in this thought.


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## Shalimar

You are so welcome, NMgirl. The women in my family live to be very old--my mother almost to ninety-four. They kept mobile until the very end. As my gramma said, she didn't want to rust out! Fresh air and exercise are good for us all, as is the me tal stimulation of seeing new sights and meeting new people.


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## nmgirl63andcounting

I like that "not rusting out" ... Well, I've always been strong, healthy but in 2008 was confirmed with a chronic illness and pain that has sapped much of my energy. That being said, the RV lifestyle does (in my mind) free a person up to an extent. I can travel as far, slow, fast as I'm able then park it and rest. I have 1.5 yrs left on my housing lease and in that time frame my goal is to sell as much as I can, reduce my debt and then hopefully head out. I haven't seen my son in 3 yrs. That's just too long. So I have a goal and, God willing, it'll come to pass.


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## jujube

We RV what we call "full time/part time" (4-5 months at a time and then back to Florida for the winter).  We try to stay away from KOA's as we're pretty sure it stands for Keep On Adding (they're famous for adding on charges) and they're usually pretty expensive to begin with.  A month in a commercial RV park will cost you anywhere from $400-$1600 a month, depending on the amenities and the location.   State parks, Corp of Engineer parks, county parks and "some" national parks will be cheaper.  Of course, you're not going to get the amenities in those parks that you get in commercial parks (except that some public parks are beginning to add things like cable and wi-fi, but the prices will usually reflect that).  Daily cost run from $20-$100 (once again depending on....), but you can usually get weekly discounts and, of course, the monthly or seasonal rates are lower.


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## nmgirl63andcounting

Thanks Jujube for the info. Yes, the more I research of course the more I'm finding out. I don't need too many amenities.  I'm very basic so boondocking, state parks, etc would be on problem. Thanks again for replying!


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## jujube

Your best source of info on RV parks is the website rvparks.com.   Easy to use and they have listings for most of the parks in the country.


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## deesierra

nmgirl, there are a couple of us ladies (maybe more that I'm not aware of) here on the forum considering the very same thing.....traipsing around the country in an RV with our dogs .

 I've been RV-ing/camping in some fashion since I was just 17, although obviously not around the country. As jujube mentioned, you can usually get a monthly rate in an RV park much cheaper than staying here and there for a few nights...that is if you wouldn't mind staying put for a month. As far as the type of RV, I have had a trailer and a fifth-wheel and the fifth-wheel was by far easier to tow and maneuver than the trailer. But I never got comfortable towing anything.

 I now have a truck camper. If you decide at some point to go ahead and get a small RV and tow your little car, my advice would be to practice a LOT with backing up, and take short trips before heading out into the wild blue yonder. And get to know your RV top to bottom, inside and out, so you don't have to be dependent on someone to help you out when you arrive in a park. Hooking up to park utilities isn't difficult.

 Boondocking, dry camping, primitive camping, whatever you want to call it, is something I personally would not do unless there were other campers within earshot. I don't think it is safe for a woman alone to be in the boonies with no one around. One thing to keep in mind is that many Walmart stores will allow RVers to stay a night or two in their parking lot for free. 

My finances are limited, but I already know I would want a home base if I decide to hit the road for a few months at a time. I have "toys" that require a garage that I don't want to give up. So there you have my 2 cents worth, nmgirl. I hope it helps a little bit as you ponder a future in an RV. We are the same age, I will be 64 in a few days. Does the "nm" stand for New Mexico? If so, may I ask what city? NM is a state I have been researching to relocate to once I sell my house, probably in the next year or two.


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## Peppermint Patty

Deesierra, I lived in my motor home full time for seven years.  I was alone with one little dog.  I wrote a brief account of it and posted it somewhere on here.  I'm still kinda new around here, but the way I found it was to put "lifestyle" up in the search box, top right of the page.  It is Post No. 18.
It is a grand adventure.  I saw a lot of the USA and met some wonderful people.  Go for it!


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## nmgirl63andcounting

Deesierra ... Sorry took so long to reply. Yes, New Mexico ... Albuquerque. It's great here. Lived in Santa Fe many years too. Thanks for the info!


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## deesierra

Peppermint Patty said:


> Deesierra, I lived in my motor home full time for seven years.  I was alone with one little dog.  I wrote a brief account of it and posted it somewhere on here.  I'm still kinda new around here, but the way I found it was to put "lifestyle" up in the search box, top right of the page.  It is Post No. 18.
> It is a grand adventure.  I saw a lot of the USA and met some wonderful people.  Go for it!



Found it! Thank you!


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## deesierra

nmgirl63andcounting said:


> Deesierra ... Sorry took so long to reply. Yes, New Mexico ... Albuquerque. It's great here. Lived in Santa Fe many years too. Thanks for the info!



You're welcome, and it's good to know that you are happy in NM. I am considering Ruidoso or Cloudcroft because I'm a mountain girl. The low property tax rates in NM are very appealing!


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## jujube

We spent a wonderful week in Ruidoso a few years ago - loved it!  Ruidoso has everything a person could want.  

I would recommend the Circle B RV Park highly.


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## Manatee

The practicing of backing up applies to trailers.  With a motor home you unhitch and move each vehicle separately.
If you do the math, most people come out cheaper with a trailer.

If you are 62 or older you can get a "geezer pass" for free admission to national parks.  With it you can camp for half price.  We have camped for as little as $4 a night in National Forests.  The lifetime pass costs $10, a super bargain.

We never went full time, but have gone to Nova Scotia, the FL Keys, Seattle, Vancouver BC, San Diego, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas plus a lot of places in between.  We are now 81 & 82, so we sold our Casita 17' trailer last summer after one last trip to the Great Smokey Mountains.


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## jujube

Manatee said:


> The practicing of backing up applies to trailers.  With a motor home you unhitch and move each vehicle separately.
> If you do the math, most people come out cheaper with a trailer.
> 
> If you are 62 or older you can get a "geezer pass" for free admission to national parks.  *With it you can camp for half price*.  We have camped for as little as $4 a night in National Forests.  The lifetime pass costs $10, a super bargain.
> 
> We never went full time, but have gone to Nova Scotia, the FL Keys, Seattle, Vancouver BC, San Diego, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas plus a lot of places in between.  We are now 81 & 82, so we sold our Casita 17' trailer last summer after one last trip to the Great Smokey Mountains.




Unfortunately with some of the more popular national parks (like Grand Canyon and Yosemite) outsourcing their camping areas over to private concessionaires, the 50% off camping with the geezer pass is beginning to peter out.  You still get in the park for free and a lot of the tours (like cave tours) can be 50% off but the concessionaires don't give you discounts.  Bummer.  Those passes really come in handy, though, because we've found out that a lot of other places will give you a discount if you show them your pass.  I figure we have saved a load of money with those passes.


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## Abby

I don't know if you do Facebook or not but if you put in RVing, there are all kinds of groups.  Or you can go to forums on the forest river website or Jayco website or  whatever brand you were considering . Good Sam has forums. So there  are tons of people who full-time and or RV alone. You would be amazed at the number of women that do this. I am not sure why you would need someone to hook you up?  I do doubt that you could count on someone to do this at each park. But it's just a learning process like anything else and not all that difficult.   Get something you can afford and do it recreationally before making a commitment to try to do it full-time


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## Manatee

Check into Loners on Wheels, which is an organization for singles.  I understand that if you get married they throw you out.

We have known several couples that full timed for a few years and with the knowledge gained picked out a place for a permanent home.  They elected to settle in a retirement community with an active RV club and continued to travel on club trips.


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## Wandrin

My wife and I travel in a class-B motorhome, which is essentially a tall van.  There are a lot of advantages such as being able to park in any legal parking spot when visiting a town, and fitting into some of the smaller campsites in national and state forests.  It also means we don't need a tow vehicle or to pull around a small car to leave the campsite.  We find that there is plenty of space for the two of us and our dog (golden retriever).  We prefer boondocking to rv parks, since we like being out in the trees.  It is very practical since it gets good fuel mileage and can easily climb the mountains we love so much.  Inside, we have most of the comforts of home.  Solar panels on the roof help a lot when boondocking.


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## Manatee

Another group to check out is Loners on Wheels.  It is for singles, if you marry, they throw you out.  They do have group events.


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## OneEyedDiva

If you are still interested in the RV lifestyle check out Howard & Linda's website. They sold their home and have been living in their RV for years. Their site contains everything you need to know about RV-ing including if it's right for you., what preparations to make and what to expect financially when becoming a full time RVer.          http://www.rv-dreams.com/dream.html


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## debbie in seattle

MN Ryder said:


> My parents full time RV'd for 10 years.  Downfall was lack of exercise & motivation to do much of anything, resulted in health decline, Dad had a stroke.




My sis and bro-in-law started spending oct-April in their giant RV in South Texas in a 55+ place. We went down to visit for a week and was appalled at the processed food everyone ate.   Exercise?   Take the old golf cart out with the dog on a leash for a walk.   Dog walks, you ride.   The people couldn't of been nicer, but man oh man, lack of exercise and terrible food choices.   We were never so happy to see a real salad.


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