Straight Talk About Fulltime RV Living

[Jason-Texas]

Oh my Goodness, we lived near Bastrop for 15 years when we had our home. I think the Basin RV Park used to be the KOA right on the river. We went fulltime from Bastrop almost 5 years ago now. We have stayed at Bastrop State Park and Bellamont RV Park in Bastrop. Great Area! They were building lots of new RV parks when we sold our home and left there. A lot of fulltimers around that area when they were building the new Tesla plant.

Can't really help you out with Arkansas, Kentucky or Michigan. Michigan and the UP and Canada was to be part of our trip this year.
Tennessee we loved! East Tennessee = Knoxville area, Smokey Mountains, Bulls Gap, Bristol, Mountain Lake Marina & Campground in Rocky Top, Townsend, Museum of Appalachia in Clinton TN, There is a good Escapee's affiliated RV park Racoon Valley RV Park at Heiskell TN.

Wow, what a small world. We had our house in Bastrop as well prior to full-timing. We lost our first house in the Bastrop fire of 2011. It was a sad situation but in the end I think it helped us move on from personal belongings and made going full time easier.

My mother n law still lives here, so that is why we use it as a home base, as well as, being close to kid’s & grandkids.

Yes, Basin RV park is the old KOA. It’s nice, lots of winter Texans for neighbors. Hopefully, we will meet on the road sometime.

[Dick Noble]

I guess we are going to find out about full-timing it because we are going to sell our Colorado home in April and move into our 5er full time in North Carolina until we decide what we want to do when we grow up.

[Steven@147]

Wow, what a small world. We had our house in Bastrop as well prior to full-timing. We lost our first house in the Bastrop fire of 2011. It was a sad situation but in the end I think it helped us move on from personal belongings and made going full time easier.

My mother n law still lives here, so that is why we use it as a home base, as well as, being close to kid’s & grandkids.

Yes, Basin RV park is the old KOA. It’s nice, lots of winter Texans for neighbors. Hopefully, we will meet on the road sometime.

The Bastrop Texas wildfires, I remember that all too well. We were living in Cedar Creek off Still Forest Drive at the time. Just a 1/4 mile off highway 71, near McKinney Roughs Nature Park. We did not lose our home but several of our friends did in and around Bastrop.

Several of our friends lived in RVs while they were rebuilding their lives. Last time we passed through the area a couple years ago we were amazed at how many new RV parks had been built or expanded and even new tiny home parks.

[Steven@147]

I guess we are going to find out about full-timing it because we are going to sell our Colorado home in April and move into our 5er full time in North Carolina until we decide what we want to do when we grow up.

Good luck to you guys !
Good friends of ours did the same thing several years ago. They lived near Colorado Springs, sold their home and were traveling the country in their DRV, they are now in their 80s. Last year they upgraded to a New Horizons 40 foot 5er. We hope to meet up with them this year. Last we spoke to them they were figuring out their fulltime exit strategy. They were going to try and find a fulltime park somewhere in the Carolina's I think to settle down near their children.

[Steven@147]

I have heard it said that the 3rd and 5th year anniversaries of full-timing are some of the hardest to get through. It might be age, health, fatigue, frustration, financial or other issues. We are coming up on our 5th year anniversary and so far Tami and I have been loving every day. But I have to say we have not had any major break downs that put us out of our RV and into hotels or had any major health issues. Planning and reservations, well we just go with the flow and don't let it get us frustrated. After all we are not in any hurry and we can go outside of the busy tourist season. Maybe we have been lucky so far.

When Tami and I first started talking about the possibility of going full time RV living, we looked at it as an "Entry", "Living", and "Exit". I think most people do think about it that way whether they realize it or not.

We had a plan Entering into RV full-time living.

We have a Living full time plan of taking long extended trips around the country every other year. In between years spring and summer extended stays near family in Ohio/Indiana, maybe short trips close by, then wintering in Texas. Gets us off the road for awhile, and lets us recharge our enthusiasm and assess our strategy.

Exit- We don't really have an exit plan as that might be dictated by health, age or other issues not realized yet. But we are thinking about it and what that might look like. Retirement community condo? Park model or RV planted permanent? Where near family - East Tennessee is looking good!

[twinwashbrewing]

Great to see this information as my wife and I are planning on full timing in the future. We have started shorter (2-3 month) trips to escape the Arizona summers. We have been volunteering as camp hosts so we get a free full hook up site. The work is not too hard and keeps us busy (therefore spending less ) Last year was Colorado and this upcoming summer is the Oregon Coast. We have heard lots of states are not filling all of their volunteer spots so they are much more flexible than in the past on a time commitment.

[DaveInTN]

Thank you for putting together and sharing the video, Steve. It is very helpful for someone like me, who at 56 and still working full time is thinking seriously about our options over the next several years. I anticipate at this point we will want to maintain a home base and travel extensively, but even if traveling for 3 months at a time it's imperative to understand what those costs will look like, especially when still shouldering the cost of a sticks and bricks home. I appreciate you sharing your full timing expenses...very helpful and food for thought.

[Steven@147]

@DaveInTN and @twinwashbrewing
We are just one couple full-timing and our costs maybe very different than other owners. It all depends on how you want or need to live and travel on the road.

There is a lot of crap videos out there about full-timing and the so called mass exit of full-timers, so we decided to put something together more realistic about our experience full-timing.

Right now Diesel fuel costs @ 3.30-$4.00 per gallon can get overly expensive and put a crimp in your travel style! It cost us almost $600 in January for Diesel fuel to get our rig from central Indiana to the Texas Gulf Coast.