I have this hare-brained idea about my retirement.... - RV-Dreams Community Forum

rheadabovewater · RV-Dreams Family Member

I have this hare-brained idea about my retirement....

NorCal Dan · RV-Dreams Family Member

I know 2 women who travel alone, one with a TT and the other with a FW. I see no reason why you couldn't make the journey. Fuel costs would depend on the mpg of your tow vehicle. Google maps says it's about 2900 miles.

Mallo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Take an RV Driving class and figure out if you can drive it yourself.

The one the Brideandjoy took started with the fifth wheel hooked up had her pull the slides, disconnect everything, hitch up, and pull out. With the instructor with her every step of the way to make sure she didn't forget anything. Showing her the things to inspect for.

Now part of the time she drives while I work or nap and when work forces me to be some place other then where the house is parked she moves the fiver herself.

Mallo

Luvglass · RV-Dreams Family Member

Of course you can do it! There are many solo retirees that are traveling across the country all the time. If you can drive across the country by yourself in a car, you can do it with a fifth wheel almost as easily. There is nothing physically difficult in hooking up a fiver, and driving one is almost like driving a car once you get used to it.

You have a few years to get some lessons and take some short trips. Go for it !

rheadabovewater · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks everyone, great feedback! :D

TXRVr · RV-Dreams Family Member

rheadabovewater wrote:

This is something I've been running around into my head....I still have 6 or 7 years until official retirement age, and I thought I'd run it by you now. I don't know if it's a realistic idea or not.

......... but I hate Florida. I'm a California native .........

I sure was glad that I picked a career in a field where "official retirement age" was of my own choosing and that was an early one.

Some people would hate both FL and CA. biggrin

I have an RVing friend who winters in FL by renting a mobile home in an over 55 community. He finds that the cost of that vs fuel and campground fees is only about 10% more and is less hassle than driving the rig 3000 miles.

cj · RV-Dreams Community Member

don't think you can drive cheaper than you can rent a park model in florida. not these days . calculate the cost of trip back might be wise to do some checking. cj

rheadabovewater · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks CJ, I've wondered that myself.

rjenkins · RV-Dreams Family Member

I'm sure a person can do the drive as long as they have the will and determination. As for the economics of it, it depends on what you have to spend and want to spend. No one can advise on that except maybe tips on doing it cheap,ie boondocking as much as possible, etc.
As for hating Florida, I guess it all depends on what you like and dislike.
If you like change in seasons and mountains and don't like heat and humidity, then this is not the state for you. If you like the waters and fishing, there is no other state better than this (biased since I fall in this category and lived here my entire life).
If it's due to the people, Florida is a big big state with a varied number of people. In South Florida it is more international, lots of Northerners, Europeans (depending on what part of South Florida you are talking about) and Latin America. I happen to like mixing with different cultures thats why I love South FLorida, I'm not a plain vanilla type of guy :)
If you want more conservative, reserved, slower lifestyle, then central Florida on through the panhandle is more like it. Panhandle is a lot like Alabama and North Florida is alot like southern Georgia.

53 Merc · RV-Dreams Family Member

headabovewater, not liking a state is kinda like the guy that was driving around a prospective settling spot. He saw a minister in front of a church, stopped and asked him what the people in the town were like. The pastor asked him how the people were where he was leaving. Well, they are a bunch of backbiters and gossips. Never had a good thing to say about anyone. The minister answered I am afraid you will find it much like that here.

Later, another man drove by, stopped and asked the same minister how the people were in this town. The miinister reversed the question to him. Well, he said, they are the salt of the earth, do anything for you, give you the shirt off their back. The minister replied, well, I think you will find them much the same here.

All that to say, attitude is a state of mind, life is what you make of it.

Back to the original question, of course you can take your 5th wheel anywhere you decide to go. If you can safely drive the tow vehicle, you can safely tow the 5th wheel. You may have to modify yur habits, drive a little slower, drive a little further down the road in self defense, but you can certainly do it.

Sushidog · RV-Dreams Family Member

You may find a park model rental cheaper than driving, but if you bring your 5er with you, you have your own home with all your worldly goods. Consider the expense of shipping the contents of your kitchen, bedroom, bath, etc. back and forth each season. If you don't want to ship these personal items, that means you must buy all new items to replace them in your Florida rental unit. What do you do with these new items when it's time to leave? If you choose this route, you may want to rent it year round to avoid boxing everything up, and paying storage fees. Now add in the price you'll pay for your rv site rental in California in addition to your Florida rental.

Considering all the details, I think it will be more economical to drive. I would rather take my home with me, to avoid all this hassle. I would choose to drive as slowly as safety permits, mostly at night when it's cooler and there's less traffic. I would time my passage through major cities on I-10, such as San Antonio, Houston and Baton Rouge to avoid rush hours. This will reduce stops and starts, improving gas mileage (and reducing stress) as much as possible.

Chip

rheadabovewater · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hey, rjenkins, thanks for your perspective. biggrin

I totally dislike Tampa, which is where my sister lives. I like St. Pete and wouldn't mind living there. I HATE hot weather, so obviously I would not want to live there year-round. That's why I was thinking that maybe I could split my time.

I'm a California native and I love it here. I guess if you're born in a state, you probably feel that way. I did seriously consider moving to Florida at one time and almost did it, then found to my surprise how happy I was to get back to CA. That kind of told me that it would be a mistake to move - much as I'd like to be around my relatives there. cry

I should also say I'm very liberal and an agnostic. biggrin

I've spent a lot of time in Florida, so I've seen a very good sampling of what the people and culture are like there. Sorry, but there is a big difference between FL and CA....

-- Edited by rheadabovewater on Saturday 3rd of July 2010 07:09:55 PM

rheadabovewater · RV-Dreams Family Member

Sushidog wrote:
"You may find a park model rental cheaper than driving, but if you bring your 5er with you, you have your own home with all your worldly goods. Consider the expense of shipping the contents of your kitchen, bedroom, bath, etc. back and forth each season. If you don't want to ship these personal items, that means you must buy all new items to replace them in your Florida rental unit. What do you do with these new items when it's time to leave?"

Yes, that has been my dilemma!

Thanks Chip for your input. I actually have a relative north of Tampa who said I could park my fiver on her land (she has a big place). Not sure how she'd feel if I was there for 6 months, but she and I have always gotten along very well. I'd have to take my chances on getting my regular RV spot back when I returned to CA. It would most likely be taken (it's a great spot with a view of the ocean), and I'd have to park in another one, but that would be ok.

Jomilt · RV-Dreams Family Member

I don't know if they do this in your park...but some parks here in Texas will rent a space by the year (way cheap) and that space is yours forever more!

Then you could flit off to Florida and visit your sister all winter and come home to YOUR space with YOUR storage shed and landscaping etc.

Happy Retirement planning!

Jomilt

rheadabovewater · RV-Dreams Family Member

Wow, really? That's amazing!

Happytrails · RV-Dreams Family Member

Of course you can!! There are many solo full-timers out here. We have met several in the few months we have been full-timing. One lady we met at MCD in Texas was in her 70s driving a 2009 Dutch Star. She handled that motorhome as well as anybody because nobody told her she couldn't. It's all in our heads...if we think we can do something we can.

Good luck! Life is too short to NOT go for it.

KD · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hi -- I find this pretty close to home for me. I'm in CA (north in Red Bluff, but no ocean - do you mind sharing where you are?) staying on land with family (in our 5th wheel). My family is in Ohio and New Jersey. So I've been looking at land online in the eastern U.S.; Maine, Virginia, Florida so far. Thinking we could travel some, stay here some, be East some. Offering that up as a thought for you, and comments from the group re my idea.

I'm not traveling alone so I can't help with that part.

Best,
Karen

rheadabovewater · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hi Karen,

I'm in Half Moon Bay, about 30 miles south of San Francisco.

If and when you decide to move around, do you think you'll still use your fiver? I'm wondering if mine is going to be too big to move around, and if I should go with something smaller.

Ckerr · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hi Roberta,

At an earlier time in my life I had a 35 foot motorhome. We now have a 40 foot 5th wheel that we pull with a F350 4 door full bed pick up. The only thing that's slightly small aobut it is that it doesn't have duallies!

Pulling the 5th wheel is amazingly easy and it's actually easier to hook up than a bumber pull trailer because you can look out the back and SEE the pin.

I wouldn't hesitate because you are alone or because you are a woman. Just make sure you have a big enough truck with enough suspension and power to pull the trailer you have. When it gets scary is when you are pulling with an undersized vehicle.

If you decide to take the plunge, besides the recommended driving classes, I would find a nice big empty parking lot and practice. Going down the road is actually the easy part. It's the backing up part that I still mess up on!

I guess I would encourage you to find a way to feel comfortable moving your RV home around -- if that means something smaller so be it.

One thought I just had is maybe get yourself a small class B to travel in and keep your larger 5th wheel and prime spot over looking the beach! Just a thought.

KD · RV-Dreams Family Member

Yep, Roberta, the plan is to move it (35' 5th wheel) around with us and live in it. Though I've not done any of the driving, I confess to being ridiculously scared of heights, so driving in the mountains, which we've done quite a bit of, has me white-knuckling. We often go very slow on the steep, winding roads, both for safety and my sanity. There are places to pull over to let the faster drivers go by, which we do a lot of. It's about being safe AND comfortable.

Anyhow, that's the plan for now. Always a moving target, but it's sure a lot of fun. We're headed east and south, I hope, in a couple of weeks. Might check out Half Moon Bay!

Thanks,
Karen

ryan smith · RV-Dreams Community Member

hi i am new rving full time i am looking for jobs i can do on road if you know any email at mayaandluck@gmail.com

picolina · RV-Dreams Community Member

I am 51 and a very small person. My weight is only 90 pouds! I got my drivers license on October 9th of last year and it was the most scarry thing I did in my life!

Now, we have a big truck, a big fifth wheel, and I drive them both. And I am the one backing up de rig, my husband doesnt get it yet.

So, what I am telling you is that you can do it if you put your mind to it. If I did it, you can do it!

I was never as proud about anything else in my life.

So..go girl!

Racerguy · RV-Dreams Family Member

Congratulations on learning to drive the rig and back it in. I need to let go of my need to be the only driver and let Linda do some also.I know she could do it because she is a better driver than I am. I see many women share the driving dutys.

rheadabovewater · RV-Dreams Family Member

I had some people staying next to me during the last 30 days - wonderful folks, they left this morning and I miss them already! cry

They had an Airstream, something I never liked in the past, but after seeing their rig I really liked it. I'm not sure it would be big enough for me to live in full-time, especially with my parrot and 3 Chihuahuas confuse

but I liked its overall size and how well-planned it was inside. It also was very well-built. I was surprised also at how little they paid for it - I expected at least $75K (it's only 5 years old and they bought it new), but they said they paid around $35K for it.

I think the reason I'm hesitating about pulling my 5er around is because of the big truck I'd need. I'm thinking that when I DO stop somewhere, I'd have to drive that truck around and the mileage would be awful.

I'm not going to have a huge amount of money when I retire, otherwise I might think about getting a toy hauler and putting a little Smart car in the back - to me, that would be the ideal set-up. biggrin

Anyone have any thoughts about having a big truck as your primary car when you're workamping?

Roberta

Luvglass · RV-Dreams Family Member

Roberta,
Just about everyone of us that lives in a 35 foot or longer fifth wheel, drives around in a big truck as our primary vehicle. You get used to them very quickly and can take them just about anywhere.

rheadabovewater · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hi Fred,

So the low mileage doesn't bother you??

Ckerr · RV-Dreams Family Member

Our F350 gets 18 mpg in town and 20 mpg when we're not pulling the trailer. When we're pulling the trailer it depends on who's driving. If I'm driving we can get up to 12 mpg. Johnny -- never over 10!

Seriously, pulling the trailer is really easy. Just need to watch going around corners. As far as driving it around town, the only issue is finding a parking spot that I feel comfortable parking in... If all else fails, I just park further out and figure the walk is good exercise!

Luvglass · RV-Dreams Family Member

Roberta,

This mileage thing is a red herring as far as cost goes, it's not that big a deal.

If you got 20 miles to the gallon, you'd use 50 gallons per 1000 miles.
If you got 15 miles to the gallon you'd use 66.6 gallons.

So if fuel was $3.00 a gallon it would cost you about $50 more for fuel
1000 miles at 20mpg = 50 gallons @ $3 =$150
1000 miles at 15mpg = 66.6 gallons @ $3 = $199.80

I suggest that if the $50 a month is the deal breaker, you can't afford to be living this lifestyle anyway.

We are coming west for the winter and If I get near you maybe we can stop by and have a chat and let you see what it really takes to drive one of these things. It's really no big deal.

rheadabovewater · RV-Dreams Family Member

Fred, I'd love it!!! Would love to meet you. biggrin

I find the explanations here about mileage and a large truck to be....well, liberating. Thank you, very helpful! That's the one thing I worried about. I just couldn't see myself in a big truck, with it being my primary vehicle.

Yes please, let me know if you'll be in my area. smile

Roberta

picolina · RV-Dreams Community Member

Dont forget that if you have a second car, you will have more expenses than you would from driving a big truck all the time. A second vehicule is lots of money to consider just to save a little bit de gas.

I drive the big truck around, and its no big deal. And, ours is a long one, its a crew cab long bed. I think it is nicer to drive than a car, I can see better on the road and with the mirrors you can see everything around you. It is very safe. When I go shopping I just park at the end of the parking and walk. It is no problem for me, I got used to it very fast.

-- Edited by picolina on Monday 2nd of August 2010 08:03:45 AM

-- Edited by picolina on Monday 2nd of August 2010 08:06:13 AM