SIGforum.com Main Page The Lounge Anybody live full time, for a limited amount of time, on the road?
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| Team Apathy |
We are headed towards a plan to do about a year-long road trip, starting next summer. The plan is loose but is basically this: Start here in CA in June 2027 at an annual family camping trip and when that trip is over head north to make a big circuit of the lower 48. Return back to the starting place for the annual camping trip in 2028. We don't have a lot of specific plans along the way... just general ideas... like, to hit every national park in the 48 (the ones we haven't already done), be in New England for the color change, Christmas somewhere "Christmassy", visit family and friends across the country along the way... That sort of thing. I know we have way more to learn and figure out then I can imagine, at this point, and that is ok. It is an adventure, for sure. Wife and I will be 44/40, kids will be 14/11/9 at the time of launch (and already homeschooled). To those who have done this, what advice do you have? We will be selling our house here before we leave and liquidating/throwing out nearly everything else. We will move somewhere at the end of this, desitination unknown. key questions I have now: - should we set-up residence in some other state for that year (tax reasons primarily?) - healthcare thoughts for that year? I won't have an employer so that isn't an option - what RV brands to consider and avoid? - New RV? Used? Own? Lease? ??????????? Did I already say it is going to be an adventure? | ||
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| Partial dichotomy |
Wow! Sounds very exiting and very ambitious! I have no advice as I've never done this sort of thing, but I hope you get a lot of good advice and we'll all enjoy seeing your updates and progress. SIGforum: For all your needs! Imagine our influence if every gun owner in America was an NRA member! Click the box>>>  | |||
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| Eating elephants one bite at a time  |
I spent time in hotels and RVs. Here's a little bit to mull over.
I'll stop there for now. | |||
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| Member |
If you haven't done so already, watch the movie "RV" with Robin Williams. it will become a cult classic with the family. On a serious note, close quarters for extended periods magnifies all actions both good and bad. Get a good Toad. | |||
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| Bookers Bourbon and a good cigar  |
8 years full time RV traveling. We used a mail service in Sioux Falls South Dakota and registered our truck and 5th wheel there. We also got our drivers licenses there. Mail service would forward our mail when/where we requested. We loved the life style but it was OBE (Overcome By Events)in 2009. We started with a new 2000 38'Avion 5th wheel and new 2001 Chevy 3500 DRW. We sold everything (house,cars, furniture, etc) prior to leaving Pennsylvania and were totally debt free when we left home. 2006 we upgraded our truck to an International 4700 crew cab and a 2006 Doubletree Elite Suite 36TK3 5th wheel. We would do it all again, starting tomorrow if we could. If you have questions or want additional information, I will gladly answer. My email is in my profile.This message has been edited. Last edited by: Johnny 3eagles, Any dog can be a Guide Dog if you don't care where you're going. NRA ENDOWMENT LIFE MEMBER | |||
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אַרְיֵה |
 הרחפת שלי מלאה בצלופחים | |||
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| Partial dichotomy |
Me too. SIGforum: For all your needs! Imagine our influence if every gun owner in America was an NRA member! Click the box>>> | |||
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| Like a party in your pants  |
With 4 kids and you and your wife you are looking for a larger sized Motorhome. Buy USED, from what I read RV's are doing poorly in sales. I would look for a coach (diesel) that was made prior to DEF and the other pollution equipment. Around model year 2010 would be the cutoff. With 5 people you WANT a Aquahot or Oasis heating system for hot water and coach heat (unlimited). You also want large storage tanks, think at least 100gal fresh and combined grey and black 100gal. For size, I would look at 40ft-45ft. and a bath and a half. I'm a Foretravel owner and highly recommend there products. I would stay away from anything made by Thor or a Thor owned company. Prevost (most converters are good if name brand) Newell,Newmar, Tiffen, Foretravel would be the brands I would look at.I would also look at used Country coaches but they have been out of business for about 15 years, but made a fantastic product and are still serviced in Oregon by former employees at Premier RV. Along with Country Coach, Beaver and Monaco would be a older used coach that should be considered. The standard rule is to plan on spending at least $10,000 after your purchase for maintenance. Remember those tires age out so a date code of 5-7 years means they are due or due soon for replacement. At around $500 each, 6-8 tires is a sizable expense. A new or rebuilt Aquahot could cost $15000 or more for replacement, Engines around $30,000+, a Allison 4000 series trans rebuild or replacement could run over $15,000+. Try to NOT finance the coach. I would not think about leasing. Be aware of coach age restrictions at campgrounds. Some are 10 years some 20, some none. Older coaches may have to submit photos of your coach to the campground prior to booking. Usually a good condition coach past the age limit will be allowed. Campgrounds don't want to chance a old beat down coach entering there campground then breaking down, with the owner unable to get it fixed and out. The Chinese Flu really hurt the Rv industry. Manufactures pushed out so many coaches that were very shoddy in quality, Campgrounds raised there prices, and bad campers ruined campsites in many public land areas.I would avoid anything made during the pandemic.Many of those coaches and trailers are now appearing on the used market because the owners got sick of there RV breaking down and never getting fixed, or waiting for months for factory repairs that don't fix problems. Something to remember with your large family and having sold your home. What will you do if your told that your coach will be in for service for a month or more. All RV's break. I would look at Cummins powered coaches as they have service centers around the country and many of there service locations offer Motorhome service. Many truck repair places will not service Motorhomes because some are horrible about engine bay access. I assume you will be towing a car. If so, consider that expense and the equipment you will need installed to do so. The weight load should be considered before you take off. Many Coaches are so heavy for there chassis that you are at, or over, the total weight load before you ever leave the driveway. Keep this in mind when your shopping for the coach. Make sure you have plenty of storage room both in the outside bays and inside the coach. The additional weight load from a large family just bringing there "stuff" with can add up fast. Newer coaches feature lots of style but little storage because ceiling bins don't look as sleek as the open look. Many buyers buy by looks not actual real world function. How are you for mechanical repairs? getting quality service is tough to find as is places that will work on the power-train. If you can find a place for service expect to pay at least $200 per hour. Most RV dealers won't touch any power-train problems. Some Motorhomes require a lot of floor areas in the rear to tear up just to get to the engine area. Make sure you keep that in mind when looking at Motorhomes.Try to find a coach that has a rear SIDE MOUNTED radiator, NOT a radiator that sits behind the engine. With a rear radiator your repair bills will be much higher since access to the engine is very hard. Road debris is also a problem with a rear radiator since much garbage is funneled to the rear of the coach. If buying used keep in mind that all the appliances have short life spans. They all live in a harsh environment as far as temp. and vibration. I would look for a RV with a residential refrigerator.Make sure you have enough battery power to power a residential refrigerator in the event you are boon-docking someplace. A good reliable generator would work for this as long as the sound of the generator does not bother others nearby. My wife insisted on a Dishwasher and a washer dryer. With a family your size it would be a good idea. I have read that many people set up a residents in Montana to save sales tax and license plate fees. Its a big bite to do what you want and its easy to make a very costly mistake. Your best bet is to keep your eyes open during the process, believe everything a seller says with a grain of salt. Don't even consider buying a coach without a GOOD, QUALIFIED, INDEPENDENT, inspection. When you find a coach look for a forum for that make. Ask members for the name of a inspector for THAT brand. You may have to fly somebody there to look it over but you will be money ahead. Never take a dealers word or relay on there inspection PDI or there suggested inspector. I have been following the KISS principal, simpler the better. I hope this helps, good luck in your journey. Contact me if you would like any help/advise. | |||
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| Bookers Bourbon and a good cigar |
Sorry....Overcome By Events. I'll edit my post Any dog can be a Guide Dog if you don't care where you're going. NRA ENDOWMENT LIFE MEMBER | |||
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Member |
Wow. I couldn't imagine taking such a trip. It sounds so daring to leave stability behind for the great unknown. I obviously have no inputs but wish you good travels. "Wrong does not cease to be wrong because the majority share in it." L.Tolstoy "A government is just a body of people, usually, notably, ungoverned." Shepherd Book | |||
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thin skin can't win |
I haven't, but have a good friend who did this for 12-18 months while he and his new bride were settling on a home location. They loved it, ended up on Travel Channel episode. Documented in an app that allowed friends and family to follow their travel, fun times. Key takeaway from him as a cautionary tale; it's not just insurance that looks at this level of usage differently, but also the RV manufacturers. Many (most?) do not honor warranty on items if you are using it full time (their definition, not yours). For this reason they picked a 5th wheel from a company who did, got a F450 (probably overkill) and were good to go. Most impressive thing was he had never pulled or backed a trailer. No wrecks, and he figured it out pretty fast! You only have integrity once. - imprezaguy02 | |||
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| No More Mr. Nice Guy |
For healthcare look into Christian Healthcare Ministries which we use, or the similar products out there. They are substantially cheaper than buying regular insurance. The Christian affiliated plans exclude some non-sanctioned things like pregnancy for unwed women (but if they get married it will be covered), and substance abuse rehab. They also do not cover pre-existing conditions for the first 2 years you're in the plan, which is defined as having treatment or symptoms within the previous 3 years. There is one non-religious based plan called Crowdhealth that I've heard good things about. Joincrowdhealth.com and use code Darkhorse for a good discount. (I'm not affiliated with any of that). These plans are reimbursement with a deductible for each event. Our deductible is $1200 iirc. We pay the provider or set up a payment plan, and then we file the receipts with CHMinistries to get reimbursed quickly. We get a 20%-40% discount from the providers for being non-insurance. My wife is still on CHM which costs around $275/mo. | |||
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Prepared for the Worst, Providing the Best |
That sounds awesome, and I wish I had the funds and the balls to do something like that! It doesn't matter what RV you get, with 5 people living in it it's gonna be small. I'd buy used as you're not planning to live in it forever, and you'll take a huge depreciation hit on a new one. Personally, I'd probably consider a 5th wheel and a truck over a motorhome, as you can use the truck for things other than camping/pulling the trailer. And those big bus-sized motorhomes are crazy expensive to maintain...like thousands of dollars just for tires The beauty of being mobile is that you can choose your climate to some extent. Stay out of the north in the winter. Stay out of the South in the summer. Stay out of the Southeast during hurricane season. Always stay out of big cities. Are you planning to work remotely/online, or is this truly a year off? If the former I'd probably consider something like starlink so you can connect wherever you go. If the latter I wouldn't bother and would probably actively seek out places with no cell service to make the most of my time off. I'd go park that thing out on BLM land for a week at a time and enjoy not having to see people for as long as possible. At some point you'll probably have to empty the poop tank, though. South Dakota seems to be a popular place to register RVs. I don't know the details, but I know my wife's aunt and uncle said there were tax advantages to doing it that when when they were full-timing it. ----------------------------------------------------------- Any comments made by this poster are my own and do not reflect the views or opinions of my employer. | |||
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| Short. Fat. Bald. Costanzaesque.  |
I was a full-timer for many years while I did travel nursing all over this beautiful country. I traveled in my Airstream and loved every minute of it. When it was extremely cold the heaters worked fine and when it was super hot I hung out under the awning in the evenings until it got cooler inside. What I learned was that its cramped living, unless you get several slideouts that make it small apartment sized, but remember they gotta get pulled in when on the road so you're still stuck with limited carry on stuff, and weight is always a factor. Food tastes better on the grill and that first cup of coffee in the morning always tastes better when you're looking at a lake/pond/forest in a fold out chair. Everything ffips said. I was an Escapee for all those years, with an actual address in Livingston Texas for tax purposes (no state tax in Texas). They forwarded my mail about once a month and filtered out all the junk. Hang out in clubhouses, people are actually cool and you'll make new friends who unabashedly like to share adventures. I recommend getting an RV without a washer/dryer simply because campgrounds have facilities and they really take up valuable space for things you really need like a small gun safe. Do not, I can't repeat this enough, do not put a pineapple on your awning. Pink flamingos are acceptable if you are in an Airstream. ___________________________ He looked like an accountant or a serial-killer type. Definitely one of the service industries. | |||
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Member |
There are more than 433 national parks in 150 designated areas according to google. I’d suggest getting more defined lodging and exploration areas. Over 52 weeks I would have maybe 20-25 state or national parks to visit, maybe less given travel time between them. And make sure your south of those parks that close during winter during winter months. You have plenty time to plan it, just make practical plans and it’ll be fun. Also, keep your plans loose, if you wanna stay another week in one place, don’t be afraid to not be at your next destination according to a piece of paper. Nine years to retirement! Just waiting! | |||
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Hop head  |
I have a friend that did it for years, bouncing back and forth between FLA and Oregon, he lived in a campground here in RVA for years, until he got married, just him and a cat, so no worries on room, did did say that when stuff broke, it was always a PITA to get stuff fixed, simply due to the age of his trailer, https://chandlersfirearms.com/chesterfield-armament/ | |||
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| Team Apathy |
Thanks for all this!
Thank you Armored, this is the sort of info I was hoping to get. You touched on a lot of my concerns, a big one being brands to consider, gas vs diesel, and new or used. You've really helped me focus on what to search for. I also wonder about size restrictions in some campsites? I'm sure that is a thing... is there a size that is generally considered too big and often restricted? Are bigger ones generally much harder to drive? I'm fairly handy, and willing to try fixing things if some basic research leads me to think I can do it, but part of this plan is having a sizeable chunk of money in the bank to deal with problems as I assumed problems would arise. Maybe we get lucky and are mostly issue free for a year... but probably not. I don't really plans to keep the RV after this trip. Are extended aftermarket repair warranties a thing on older coaches? Yes, I plan to tow something behind us, seems a requirement for us. I don't know much about this, but flat towing really seems the best option... Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a much variety of flat-tow compatible vehicles large enough for a family of 5 with some room for stuff in case we venture into a big city hotel destination for a few days... I think our options will be limited to Suburban/Tahoe/Yukon. My Flex is apparently compatible but will likely be a bit cramped in another year.... and getting a little long in the tooth for such a journey. Thanks again for the insight, I will probably email you at some point.
Thanks! It is a little scary in some ways... mostly walking away from a great, stable, reliable income and support structure. I've never lived anywhere else other than this town....
I am not an experienced operator of large vehicles... there will certainly be a learning curve. Hopefully I learn quickly as well! I do wonder what insurance will cost... I have zero idea. I did read that it is best to be a little cagey about the full time nature of it with warranty issues, potentially. I hadn't considered that about insurance, though. Do you remember the name of the app? I've been kicking around the idea of documenting this trip for friends and family via youtube... not in an effort to make money or gain fame or anything, just to allow those interested to keep up with what we are doing and where we are...
Thank you, these plans were on my radar a little. I will likely start another thread about them later on in the year. I believe I can do COBRA for up to 18 months, but that is really expensive. I have a couple MD friends who will be most willing to help out with any routine needs that may arise, even remotely, but we'll surely want some sort of coverage for more serious, urgent, and catastrophic possibilities.
I am sure the nerves are going to continue to ramp up as it gets closer... it is quite a life-change... and a step out in faith. I will not be working during this time. I have the blessing to qualify for a early retirement from my job and walk away with a somewhat penalized pension. We want to escape this state anyways, so I am severing my employment as soon as I hit my 20 years of service. Two months later we'll be on the road. The house will go on the market later this year, hopefully 6-8 months in advance of the actual "retirement". I don't think a truck and 5th wheel is ideal for us... I like the idea of the family being able to move about the cabin, getting school work done, throwing dinner in the crockpot and such, as we travel.
When we cosnider the "National Parks" we mean the 63 named National Park, excluding all the other areas such as National Monuments and National Seashores and such.... Not that we won't visit some of those too, we most certainly will. But one of the main goals is to visit all the named NP's in the lower 48. We are about 12 or 13 in so far. We aren't going to make firm plans for the whole trip... our plan is officially to just figure out a lot of it as we go. For instance, the first leg will be from Central California to Washington where my wife has family, we'll spend extra time up there visiting as well as hitting all the NP's along the way, plus whatever else catches our fancy. When we come to a place that feels like it might be a contender for a new home, we'll likely spend even more time there. | |||
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| Member |
RENT an RV for a week and spend a week traveling every other day for at least 1 hour, and get a feel of HOW it's going to work out. RV's get VERY SMALL very quick with 5 people living on them. Also good parks generally need reservations pretty far out for the size RV you'll neeed. Newmar makes a good coach and based on a freightliner chassis so can be serviced all over the country. Also you're going to want to tow a vehicle behind it. | |||
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| A man's got to know his limitations  |
If you like to be armed everywhere, you should check the gun laws in the states you will be in. Some of them are not gun friendly and I would not want to travel in them. "But, as luck would have it, he stood up. He caught that chunk of lead." Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock "If there's one thing this last week has taught me, it's better to have a gun and not need it than to need a gun and not have it." Clarence Worley | |||
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| Member |
This is very important! The “usual suspects” - NY,NJ,MA. Bear in mind in NY you are not even allowed to possess a handgun with out a NY permit, and people traveling under the auspices of the federal firearm owners protection act have been hassled due to this. | |||
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SIGforum.com Main Page The Lounge Anybody live full time, for a limited amount of time, on the road?
Main Page The Lounge Anybody live full time, for a limited amount of time, on the road?© SIGforum 2026