Are you in the Class of 2011? - RV-Dreams Community Forum

heyduke · RV-Dreams Family Member

Are you in the Class of 2011?

RodnReal · RV-Dreams Family Member

We will put the house on the market in the spring. Our retirement date is June, 2011.

DagoRanch · RV-Dreams Family Member

Yup, Madonna and I are on track for 01 May 2011.

This is going to be a big year for us.

Big Things that are scheduled to happen this year for us.

Pay off our rural 40 acres in N.E. Arizona - March
Sell my Mustang GT - May
Procure F-350 DRW 4x4 Tow vehicle - June/July
Procure 5th Wheel - Sept/Oct

Those are the biggies, with a bunch of other stuff as well.

Fortunately unlike most, we are NOT depending on any money from the sale of our home. If we are lucky, we'll be able to unload it and break even. If we are EXTREMELY lucky, we'll be able to make a couple of bucks.

Either way, the sale of our home isn't going to have any impact on our "Go Date". Come hell or high water, we're outta here in May of 2011 :)

Dave Buck · RV-Dreams Family Member

Unless something changes our plan is for sometime after June 2011. Don’t have our FT RV yet but had decided on a 5th wheel. I’ve read all of Howard and Linda’s journal and have followed this forum many of the Full Timer’s journals for a long time. We have been slowly downsizing over the past two years but as I look at what’s left I wonder what we will ever do with it all. We do have a house to sell which will go on the market around April, 2011, but getting the RV is not dependent on it selling. Looking forward to spending our winters in a warmer climate.

ZenGypsy · RV-Dreams Community Member

We are class of 2012- Wish we were 2011. Things are moving along slowly but surely. We have the tow vehicle.... :) We sold our old TT and have been researching and looking at 5th wheels. Downsizing all of the time. Doesn't SEEM to be getting smaller, yet I know it is....I read the sites all of the time and have learned alot and am so excited about getting out there! (ANYWHERE) :)

janieD · RV-Dreams Family Member

I'm not sure what to call us, we are moving into the rv is May but we may have to rent a few months next winter so not sure whether we are the class of 2010 or of 2011. I do know we are leaving to start our travels no later than October 2011 so we could probably claim both.:)

TxYellowRose · RV-Dreams Family Member

We're hoping to "graduate" March/April 2011. In downsizing, preparation mode, getting our ducks in line...or least around the same pond hopefully!

We have our 5er and TV. No house to sell, as our residence is provided as part of our job as managers of self-storage facility. No debts, either. No Social Security yet either, so we'll be workamping, etc. Already have our resumes on Workamper News and Work At Koa, and researching other possibilities. I teach Reiki and hope to reactivate my practice on the road.

We entered our marriage 4 years ago each with very little, starting a new life together. I sold my property and essentially everything and moved to MN. Dave sold everything and came over from Scotland. So! Getting rid of stuff should not be a problem for us. Been there, done that!

We are in our 50s, perhaps kinda young for the FT life; however, it has been a dream of mine for years. Had planned to go solo. Dave has not seen much of the US and there is much I would like to see/revist. We have our "escape plan" out of this lifestyle into the full-time lifestyle and our "escape plan" out of the FT lifestyle. We're gonna give it a shot and see what happens!

Hope to see some Dreamers on the road!

heyduke · RV-Dreams Family Member

RodnReal - Yes we too will put the house on the market in the spring and our retirement date is March, 3 2011 unless they make us mad biggrin

DagoRanch and Dave Buck - yes lots of activity for you both... we can get the motor home without selling the house but have no plans to keep both

ZenGypsy - don't worry we will wait for you...

janieD - I would claim the one that made me feel better... biggrin

TxYellowRose - we are in Texas now and we too will have no debt... we are also in our early to mid 50's so it will be a while before the SS kicks in... yawn

DorisandDave · RV-Dreams Family Member

OK, I'm fessin...House on the market April 1st this year. We will move into the 5er July or sooner if the house sells sooner. We are in a pretty good market...military town with, believe it or not, lots of growth in town.

We consider ourselves class of 2011 because that is when we will quit our jobs and head out....aiming for April 2011.

We are also in our mid 50's retired military so will have some income, but will work kamp.

We've already unloaded quite a bit of our stuff and may even live in the 5er while waiting to sell as the house will stay clean.

I've read the stories of the difficulty of letting go of "stuff". I have a few things that will be hard....but we had the kids at christmas start picking out of my knick knacks and Christmas decorations. Even had the youngest take the tree. Easiest Christmas take down I ever had!

Thought it would hurt to watch all my collections go out the door (santa's, bells, and crystal) but I had so much fun watching my kids really enjoy getting "stuff"! And some that had been in our family a couple of generations.

So anyway, can't wait to get going and can't wait to meet some of the people who's stories I've been reading and answering questions i've been asking myself.

-- Edited by DorisandDave on Thursday 14th of January 2010 08:29:18 PM

-- Edited by DorisandDave on Thursday 14th of January 2010 08:32:33 PM

TxYellowRose · RV-Dreams Family Member

How neat it is to see other classmates! I hope we meet up on the road sometime...perhaps a class of 2011 reunion...to share our prep stories and how we're doing on the road.

Heyduke, I forget...what part of TX are you in? We're just north of Austin in Cedar Park and try to get out with the rig about once a month.

We're hoping to get out soon...think we both are developing a case of hitch itch, even if we are just limited to long weekends right now.

I'm in the midst of scanning photos. So far, so good!

Wishing everyone good progress on their preparation for graduation!

Cheers!

heyduke · RV-Dreams Family Member

DorisandDave - congrats hope you get the house sold as soon as you wish...

TxYellowRose - we live in College Station not too far from you are... we have weeded out our photos for future scanning but are actively knocking out a punch list to get the house ready to sell...

still looking for our future home as well...

Hdrider · RV-Dreams Family Member

It all depends on our house selling but in reality we will probably (hopefully) be the beginning of 2011.
Even if the house sells I might work through this year just because. I think working just because instead of having to will make it a little easier to deal with.

Serengeti · RV-Dreams Family Member

Please excuse my ignorance in what is it about all of these classes. I remember seeing them in 06, 07, 08,09 10, 11,12 whatever and I can't still figure it out.
I thought I was through with classes when I was done with High School. I did have classes after that that were job related.

Gary · RV-Dreams Family Member

Serengeti wrote:

Please excuse my ignorance in what is it about all of these classes. I remember seeing them in 06, 07, 08,09 10, 11,12 whatever and I can't still figure it out.
I thought I was through with classes when I was done with High School. I did have classes after that that were job related.

The "Classes" are when they plan to start full timing. The 2011 Class consists of the folks who plan to start their adventure in 2011.

-- Edited by Gary on Friday 5th of February 2010 11:02:15 AM

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

To clarify it all started in 2005 when some people compared notes on the Escapees forum and before they knew it they had a trend. Eventually they had t-shirts, a website and a "graduation rally" in Quartzsite, AZ in January 2006 and each year since people have organized a new class. The Escapees forum even has a section for the classes to keep track of each other and give encouragement.
We started in 2003 but right now we are hanging out with some of the Class of 2005 in Silver Springs, FL.

Sylville · RV-Dreams Family Member

We'll be in the Class of 2011. Boy that sounds great. I plan to retire August 1 '11 at age 50 and we'll probably stay east of the Mississippi during the first year or so.

We currently have an '04 Class A. It'll do nicely for a while. We do hope to get a newer diesel pusher after the house sells. We plan to put it on the market next year. It sure does help the pocket to find just the right rig that is only a couple of years old and gently used.

The road awaits us all but remember to enjoy the present also.

heyduke · RV-Dreams Family Member

Well we are closing in on being just under one year to our start of our fulltiming adventure... however the worst thing about knowing your date is that it is real easy to tell those at work to take a hike and leave earlier :)

TxYellowRose · RV-Dreams Family Member

Heyduke,

Boy, do we understand that "take a hike" feeling! We, too, are a few days shy of our year-to-go date and have already talked about if we are ready before then....we roll.

That feeling is bolstered by the fact that we got an email the other day from upper management now telling us what settings our residence a/c and heat thermostat must be set at. The office and facility, sure, but my home? I think not! disbelief

Thanks for the chuckle this morning! We're right there with ya! biggrin

Spirit of 76 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Me (Kyle 37), my wife (Lisa 32), and our 2 yr old daughter (Kylee) will be full-timing by January 2011. Hitting lots of RV shows right now looking for the perfect house-on-the-road. Bob Dylan once said, "It's not a house, it's a home". Well, our "home" will be wherever we decide to park for a while!

djpotts55 · RV-Dreams Family Member

We are on a time-line to retire and hit the road during June-Aug 2011 with July 4th, 2011 as our goal for our Independence Day. We purchased the RV in April 2009 (when RV prices bottomed) and put her into storage. We are taking the RV out of storage this year, parking it next to our home, and moving into it full-time while we sell off all of the furniture and prep our home for sale. Once the home goes on the market, we will move the RV to any of several local RV campgrounds and keep living in it full-time until our home is sold.

If a Full-timers Class of 2011 materializes on this forum, please include us on your roster. Glad to see and hear so many others also realizing their full-timing RV Dreams during 2010 and 2011.

azrving · RV-Dreams Family Member

TxYellowRose wrote:

That feeling is bolstered by the fact that we got an email the other day from upper management now telling us what settings our residence a/c and heat thermostat must be set at. The office and facility, sure, but my home? I think not!

Don't you just love being "Micro Managed" by a corporation or clueless owner! LOL We work in the storage industry too and we are soooooo ready to throw in the towel and hit the road full time (very stressful job). Just got to get the children out of school and we are gone.

-- Edited by azrving on Sunday 28th of February 2010 02:22:55 PM

Merikay · RV-Dreams Family Member

My "goal" to having the house ready for sale is Nov 1, 2011. the date I'm eligible for medicare.

I needed a target date because someday just continued to be farther and farther in the future. Having a date has given me the impetus to start the purging of stuff and has given my husband some motivation to get the house repairs started. My leave goal is sometime in spring of 2012, or earlier if the house is ready and gets sold. I am hoping to seriously looking at buying a 35' (or so) class A, also hopefully gently used, as soon as the house is ready. (I keep threatening that if it isn't I will GO SOLO, but I think I'm just being a motivator!

After all My Dream is Written in Smoke,

subject to being blown away at any time,

but created by a slow burning fire.

Cyndi · RV-Dreams Community Member

We, too, are in the class of 2011. While Don's been retired from the AF since 1990 (and chose "househusband and Dad" as his second career), I'll be retiring from teaching June 2011. Our house is going on the market this fall; we'll move into our trailer when it sells. We're going to begin full-timing in our 28-foot Keystone Sprinter; retired teachers and Air Force NCO's don't make a whole lot of money. But we'll make enough to live our dream!

53 Merc · RV-Dreams Family Member

azrving wrote:

Just got to get the children out of school and we are gone.

-- Edited by azrving on Sunday 28th of February 2010 02:22:55 PM

No you don't. Most kids thrive in a homeschool environment. You might look into the aspects of it at www.FEAST.com

They have all the information you could ever hope to need.

heyduke · RV-Dreams Family Member

Welcome to the class Cyndi... and Merikay our "goal" is to have the house ready for sale by June 1, 2010. I agree on needing a target date because it puts everything into perspective. Our start date is variable but will be in the first few months of 2011 and we too need to get serious about buying an RV...

DagoRanch · RV-Dreams Family Member

Well, it looks like our plans are going to put us in the class of 2012 now. We've expanded our plans for a couple of reasons, one or them being that we went a little sideways selling our Pop-Up and traded it for an Arctic Fox 990 Truck Camper. A good trade and we're happy with it, but it put us $10K in the hole toward our goal.

So we've revised the plan for more cash to 1. Get a better fiver than we were anticipating 2. Make some improvements to our remote property (RV Pad, Sewer, Solar...)

And the kicker!

Just in the past 2 weeks the company that I work for has had the rug pulled out from under them with licensing agreements (We're in the wireless industry) from not one but 2 carriers. The future with this company is now on shaky ground and I may very well be unemployed soon.

So, we'll just roll along and see what shakes out!

At least being unemployed won't put me in the poor house since I'm debt free... but still.....Grrrrrrrr

DorisandDave · RV-Dreams Family Member

Tony and Madonna,
Sorry to hear your plans make it longer to being on the road. You never know, something else might "shake out" and you will be on the road sooner than you thought.
Good luck on your plans!

Doris

Doncat · RV-Dreams Family Member

Cyndi wrote:

retired teachers and Air Force NCO's don't make a whole lot of money. But we'll make enough to live our dream!

Amen and Amen, I whole heartedly agree with that statement!! I retired in Nov of 1999 after 24 years in the Air Force. My wife and I plan on going fulltime soon. We hope to purchase a suitable truck in the March/April timeframe and a fulltime 5th wheel soon after. My only stigma is quitting my current job just two and a half years short of being eligible for a pension and social security (if it survives). I am going to claim the title of class of 2011. smile

Cyndi · RV-Dreams Community Member

Doncat wrote:

Cyndi wrote:

retired teachers and Air Force NCO's don't make a whole lot of money. But we'll make enough to live our dream!

Amen and Amen, I whole heartedly agree with that statement!! I retired in Nov of 1999 after 24 years in the Air Force.

I wonder if you two crossed paths - here were his bases: McCoy (before it closed), Myrtle Beach, Kadena, Korat, Ramstein, Norton, Rhein-Main, and Zweibrucken. He was in POL. I'm glad to see other people going into FT in their TTs. We'll be in a Keystone Sprinter TT.

heyduke · RV-Dreams Family Member

well my dad retired air force after 29 years as a NCO so I am aware of your situation.. i only stayed in the air force for four years and worked for the state of Texas after that... not sure I wouldn't have been better off in the air force as a retired NCO... but that won't stop me from the dream... see you soon...

Rodgtc · RV-Dreams Community Member

Rodger and Lynn here. We plan to become snowbirds in August of 2011 and travel for six months in our 32 foot Itasca motorhome. We live in northern Michigan and the summers are great so we will keep our home. The first year we plan on traveling west to see some National Parks and work our way south for the winter.

See ya on the road biggrin

Sherry · RV-Dreams Family Member

Well I'd call us class of 2011 even though we're leaving the jobs in September of 2010 and are going on the road for the remainder of that year before returning in December for the holidays. We're in the planning/arranging/tossing stage and "might" have it finished by September but likely not. 2010 or 2011 whichever...it's not soon enough.

Can't wait to be gone,
Sherry B

stinnc · RV-Dreams Community Member

I am hoping to be on the road when my current lease is up July 28, 2011. I am starting the research now, looking at MH's, trailers, etc. and making the decision on WHAT to buy. Plan on buying a few months before "go" date so I can familiarize myself with everything and slowly move the things from the "house" to the new "home" that will be going with me.

Very excited! I work from home so I have to figure out the internet, cable TV, satellite, etc.

And I have the cats - gotta figure out where to put the kitty litter box in an RV!

RVKevi · RV-Dreams Family Member

Well, we are really hoping to be class of 2011. A number of things have to happen, only one of which is selling the house, but we are hoping and working toward that.

Country Dancer · RV-Dreams Family Member

We're class of 2011. I just told my boss, something I was really hesitant to do, but I just couldn't sit on it any longer. Everything is going to work out. I can spend this year helping our department transition, and doing a search for my replacement. What that means though is a real commitment. No backing out now. We will put the house on the market in early spring, order the truck and the 5th wheel in January, and hope to hit the road in summer of '11.

Just a few weeks ago I was feeling stressed about holding back, and now that we've openly committed, I feel so much better. We still have to take care of my mother for awhile, but I think that's going to work out too.

Hope to see you all on the road, or at least here.

Lenore & Rick

Ckerr · RV-Dreams Family Member

Our plan is to hit the road officially in early 2011. We're actually planning to lease the house so we'll see how that goes. We would head out now, but we promised my niece she could stay with us for the month of November while she does her final rotation for her respiratory therapy degree in Austin.

We're initially going to head out in the 5th wheel toyhauler. We're planning to switch to a diesel pusher and heading out in the 5th wheel will significantly cut our expenses and so help with the motorhome purchase.

Looking forward to seeing you all out on the road!

Carol

heyduke · RV-Dreams Family Member

well we are about 100 miles east of you carol and we are still planning to hit the road on march 2, 2011...

as Lenore said once you are openly committed you do feel so relieved and raring to go...

john

Ckerr · RV-Dreams Family Member

As luck would have it, Johnny just accepted a position on what is supposed to be a 20 month project in Arkansas. He has to be at work 1 week from today, so we will head over there this weekend and I will fly back once he's settled.

As more luck would have it, my real estate business has picked up at the moment. So I'll be traveling back and forth for at least a few months and then we'll see how things shake out.

Still planning to be full time sometime in 2011, just hard to put an exact date on it... With Johnny's rather sudden departure to Arkansas it will leave dealing with emptying the house to me... FUN!

Trying to decide if it would be easier to have a set date to shoot for...

huck · RV-Dreams Community Member

hey guys, planning on the house on the market in the spring, f350 in March, and retiring from nursing in Dec 2011, earlier if the house sells. We too are retired Air Force and I'll be getting SS as of Dec. Cannot wait. Found the 5th wheel of our dreams. Yea!!

jb · RV-Dreams Family Member

Looks like 2011 is going to be a big class. We will put the house on the market in the spring and hope to be on the road by summer.

Ckerr · RV-Dreams Family Member

Sure will be a bunch of us...

Colorado_Kid · RV-Dreams Family Member

I got my RV this past winter and have been hitting different campgrounds in Colorado however I am not a full timer. I hope to start in the spring of 2011 working at National Parks.

Old Snipe · RV-Dreams Family Member

We have the realtor coming next week to discuss the house going on the market 1 March 2011. Hope to have it sold and we'll be on the road sometime in July 2011.

We actually attended the Class of 2005 reunion in Quartzsite, AZ in January of 2006. We were invited by those nice folks and we had a chance to research the FT lifestyle face-to-face with them. It was a great time and put us on the path to FT.

I anticipate my actual retirement date to be 1 Sept 2011, but I'll have vacation time to use up so July is looking good.

Best Regards!

Dave Buck · RV-Dreams Family Member

One small step closer. Had another garage sale this weekend. Another step closer. Still a long way to go but just keep plodding along.

Ivey · RV-Dreams Family Member

We too will be in the class of 2011. We are heading to Florida on 1 Jan for three months then back to Pa to put the house on the market. I am thinking positive that we will be full time on the road by summer. Fingers crossed and saying a little prayer.

House is getting purged, many runs to Salvation Army and trying to figure out what is going with us. I hope to stock the 5er as is we are hitting the road now and use the time is Florida as a dry run. See just what I pack that we really don't need and see what I don't pack that I do need.

Once we get back we will continue to live in the 5er so we can keep the house staged and clean with just some dusting.

That is the plan anyway. But as I have read here often enough.........plans are made in jello.

Hope to see you on the road.

Vicky and Ira

Mallo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Ivey wrote:

. Fingers crossed and saying a little prayer.

.........plans are made in jello.

Hope to see you on the road.

Vicky and Ira

Or ...

Man plans and god laughs....

Mallo

MargieAnne · RV-Dreams Community Member

I don't think there's a class we fit into. We'll just latch onto whoever will have us. *smile*

Had hoped for next year but in the meantime we might be doing a house swap instead.

Right now nothing is looking certain. And if we ever fulfill our dreams it will be 6 months USA, xxxx months New Zealand and back again to USA for another 6 months and so on until we can no longer face the travel.

Our ducks are not behaving well. *sigh*

heyduke · RV-Dreams Family Member

Wow... where and when are you considering a house swap?

TerryG · RV-Dreams Family Member

Class of 2011. Oct. 2011 is when we plan to begin our adventure. Our are making plans to buy a 35-36' used MH with slides, but at present we have a 1998 Safari Trek 2830, towing a 2006 Honda CRV.

The thoughts of this consume my wife and I, but more so me. We are both on the same page though, and this is so very important. We have spend a tidy sum on books, tapes and CDs. At night when we work out and walk on the threadmill, we are watching videos of travelling, full-timing, and other important information concerning this subject.

We plan to sell our auto insurance business of 33 years to our son effective 09/01/2011, and place our home for sale in the Spring. We also have any extra car for sale and too boats. We live on a river in South Georgia and have lots of fishing gear to sale.

We plan to head out Oct. 1st 2011 for N.C. to a week long annual family reunion near Myrtle Beach. I have two brothers who live at Cherry Grove Beach, N.C. It may actually be in S.C.
After that we plan to park at my 93 year old mother's home in N.C. for a week or two for a long visit thats overdue, then visit for a few days with her brother in S.C., who is in a nursing home. Hopefully he will hold on for a spell longer. Then our plans are to head north to the Smithsonian in Washington. I have always wanted to vist there to see all the Indian Artifacts. Hope to spend a week there. Then head back south for a little more fishing with my brothers at the beachs and visit other relatives nearby. Back to our son and daughter in Georiga for Thanksgiving, off to Florida for Sun and fun, and back to Georgia for Christmas.

Whew!

Terry

Dave Buck · RV-Dreams Family Member

Terry,

Sounds like a plan. Actually for me too much of a plan. It made me tired just reading it. Good luck I hope everything comes together for you. We plan on hitting the road about the same time next year but the only destination is somewhere warmer than it is here.

Dave