I have spent the last 15 years killing myself to build my "career". Somewhere along the road, I lost track of living life, or of working to live, not living to work. Due to this fact, I have let the needs of the company I work for dictate my life to the point where my health is almost shot. Thanks to the advent of a few things like apple tv and the iPad also having all the digital book readers, I am now in a position where I can truly downsize and go on the road again, which has been a fond dream since I left it in my late teens when I walked away from the carnival. By the way, the career, i am an IT Exec who is also a Sr. Level developer, software architect and web developer who has also run his own company successfully in the past. Well, work has me so run down that I am having to take a two month medical leave to destress or I will likely drop, according to the experts. I am currently 34 and single and so I am going rv shopping when the leave starts next week, buying an rv, closing up house and going back on the road. Thank you for this site and forum, it has been a wonderful resource and an inspiration, as well as a reminder that it can be done by anyone if they're willing to work at it.

Welcome to the forum.When life gives you lemons make lemonade.Sounds like you are well on your way.Good luck, hope we can help.

Do it, do it, do it!  On to the next carnival!

Merci. I plan to go rv shopping this weekend and am watching local-ish inventory daily. I agree, this site and forum have been an absolute blessing, especially when it comes to bring me up to date on living on the road after 15 years. I can't wait to start wandering round the bends and hills again.

Having spent 30 years in the IT industry (back even with it was DP for data processing, then MIS for management information systems, then just IS before finally melding into IT), I know where you are coming from.

I have good friends who are working in IT while traveling and they love it. They are contractors so a little more stress when a project ends but they wouldn't give it up for anything.

You will be amazed at how much stress leaves you when you hit the road. Hoping you can destress and then work via telecommuting from the road...forever (or as long as you want).

Diane and I are both software developers where our health issues caused us to "retire" early. Now we have both figured out what our health issues are and could go back to w*rk, but it is a four letter word. Anyway we understand more than most what you have gone through. Make those lists, do the research and be realistic about what you can do and afford. Also realize that the two methods for getting internet on the road, satellite and cellular, are limited and won't handle downloading movies and shows so Apple TV is not compatible with being on the road unless you want to go to coffee shops for hours to do your downloading.

Agreed and thanks. Unfortunately, I somehow got caught up in that corporate mentality of what you should have, should strive for and always overcoming the next hurdle and growing to the next level within the corporation. I knew better, but let it happen anyway. Now it's time to do just that, simplify and destress. I also need to get back in tune with old lessons about what you really need to be happy & comfy. Albeit, I need more now than when I was 16, lol. However, I don't need a 2,000 - 5,500 sq ft home and all associated bills. I don't need a $80,000+ car either (which is one thing I have managed to avoid in my career). Even financing the rv, it will be significantly cheaper month to month than even a rental home that is in decent condition and a decent area. That means it's easier to not have to kill myself with stress and overwork. And besides, there's still beaucoup more to see & do and I want to do so while I am young enough to enjoy it. Lassie les Bon temps rouler (let the good times roll - en Cajun) - edited cause my timing bites, lol Not worried about the Internet or apple tv, I can set myself up for wifi from with 50 - 100 miles for a reasonable cost. I will probably do cell first and make the satellite decision down the road, unless whatever rv I buy is already satalitte equipped, the we will see. I do want to cut expenses where I can, so I will likely just do one or another for now and play with the other as needed or when I feel I can "splurge" on it. As far as apple tv, I use primarily os x & Linux, so I rip all my media, including purchased movies, to digital format & sync with my apple tv. You can get used DVDs real cheap often, then just rip them tp dvd16:9 and you no longer need to carry around all those DVD disc and/or cases. Also, buying without a case is no longer a worry. Thanks for your replies, especially those in IT for showing me how well it can work & for sharing your experiences so others can be more ready to make this kind of change & still be educated & prepared.

-- Edited by Remi on Tuesday 24th of August 2010 07:54:54 AM

Thanks everyone. I found out what my price limit will be today, so this weekend it's shopping time. Wish me luck in finding the right rv for the right price.

Since you are RV shopping I thought you might be interested in this post this morning on the Carriage forum. https://mail.google.com/mail/#label/Carriage/12aae9617337a982 It's for a 2008 Carriage Cameo. Fred

Of all the models in my price range, I managed to get my second choice!!! :D I am now the proud owner of a new to me, 2001 Holiday Rambler Endevor, heh heh... I pick it up on Saturday, which works out well since that is the first day of my "leave" from work and it should make it much easier to determine the "things to take, things to sell & things to donate" since I will know for sure exactly what I will & will not be able to fit into the coach. Hopefully craigslist, e-bay & yard sales aren't taking too big of a hit in this economy. The sooner I can close out of this sticks & bricks, the better. Hmmm, not I have to figure out what to name it... And how to make good right turns, lol. Any recommendations for or against some of the educational videos on driving your class a, for those of us with no experience beyond trailers, cargo vans and u-hauls?

I don't have a rig yet but from what I've read on here in other threads, find yourself a big ol' empty parking lot and do some practice driving. For me, our Community College is pretty much wide open on the weekend and has streets and parking lots where I can learn the basics without much danger to humanity!

Some pointers on driving and maneuvering. AS others have said, find an empty lot for the slow speed driving. Get some cones or something like them and create your own obstacle course and simulated campsites. 90 degree back-in campsites with a narrow road are more common than most of us would like. Learn your four corners and where your sewer hookup is from what you can see from the driver's seat. Your front wheels are under or behind your driver's seat, so learn to move forward before turning.

-- Edited by bjoyce on Friday 27th of August 2010 07:39:56 AM

Thanks, that's what the salesman said as well, the pull forward more before turning. I have honestly had much to do with motorhomes since the mid-90's & as y'all can remember, right turns were awful with those, like the oversized u-hauls. You had to swing wide to turn. The salesman was saying that the post-99 models have 20 degrees better turning & the biggest thing he has problems teaching people is not to try and swing wide & to pull forward further before starting the turn. I am sure hoping it's that easy, lol. Aside from that, backing will be the only real challenge I think, just not being used to using a camera to back. Short termadjustment. Get me on the road & I am not worried. I was driving 24-28 ft box trucks for the carnival by age 15, lol. No way is a 2001 HR harder to handle than an early 60's 28ft moving van with a few tons of carnival games, shot shocks & a few hundred thousand miles, lol. I didn't like tight right turns in that too much either, lol.

I got her home and didn't kill any person, place or thing, nary a scratch. I will admit though, the suggestion from the 101 video on driving a class A about lining up on the line on your left, then mark the place on your dash where it intersects, made the difference between nerve wracking and comfortable, but alert and aware. Now I just have to have a drive train disconnect installed in my truck and I will be good to go, more or less anyway :)

Just realized after seeing the recent posts for Live In 2011 that I hadn't updated this post. Je regrette, life, she's been a challenge this last month and a half or so. I am actually in my endevour full time, but not on the road. My health continued to take a nose dive instead of improving with the time away from work and frankly, I'm not safe to drive the Class A anymore with all the glass refracting the light into my eyes. Soooooo, I'm now downsizing further into a Class B. Oui, I know that most folks would have a very difficult time full timing in a B, but not me, so much, since I did it in a homemade low top shorty van as a teen when I traveled with the circus, but also with my health like it is, the smaller the better while I hopefully recover. It also means a lot less maintenance, better milage and more parking options. I could have almost condensed down that far the first time if not for needing to convert DVDs to digital format, of which I am now about 70% done. Well, that's where things are at the moment. I'm hoping to be at least able to make the transition within the next week or two, then hopefully get some much needed downtime without constant stress looming and maybe, just maybe start to get better, or at least have the migraine pain ease off a bit. Remi