Hi Everyone. Well, after 15 years the RV-Dreams Community Forum is coming to an end. Since it began in August 2005, we've had 58 Million page views, 124,000 posts, and we've spent about $15,000 to keep this valuable resource for RVers free and open. But since we are now off the road and have settled down for the next chapter of our lives, we are taking the Forum down effective June 30, 2021. It has been a tough decision, but it is now time.


We want to thank all of our members for their participation and input over the years, and we want to especially thank those that have acted as Moderators for us during our amazing journey living and traveling in our RV and growing the RV-Dreams Family. We will be forever proud to have been founders of this Forum and to have been supported by such a wonderful community. Thank you all!!

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RV-Dreams.com Home -> RV-Dreams Community Forum -> Community Chat -> LAUNCHED - From Stick and Bricks to Full Time in 8 Months
Post Info TOPIC: LAUNCHED - From Stick and Bricks to Full Time in 8 Months
Over55


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LAUNCHED - From Stick and Bricks to Full Time in 8 Months
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We made the full time conversion as of 2 days ago....and we did it in about 8 months with a lot of help from this site.

After attending an RV show in Indianapolis in February of 2011, we both developed the sense that we would love to try living full-time in a 5th wheel while traveling throughout North America. From a few full-timer sites on the Internet (like this one) we discovered there are thousands of people involved with this lifestyle...and it made our sense of adventure peak even more.

We planned on going out in 2012. Our house sold quicker than we thought it would...so we decided to go earlier. God worked out all the details and we began planning our adventure. We are debt-free. Art teaches online for a group of colleges so life-on-the-road is not a problem. Mary is going to continue her cake decorating and needlework for the mobile community.

Our goals are simple.

1.    We want to see "close up" the beautiful landscapes that God has created in America and Canada. We believe we are blessed to have one of the nicest pieces of real estate in the world...hands down.

2.    We want to meet new people and it appears that some of the nicest folks in the world are traveling our country living the RV lifestyle.

3.    Finally, we have developed a sense of freedom from a lifestyle of acquisition. As we cleaned out our belongings and dispersed them to family and charity...we sensed a feeling that is hard to express...we just don't need all the "stuff".

We have a web site (http://amlivingthedream.com/)  that will not be an advocate for any particular lifestyle...instead it will chronicle our travels, what we did to get ready and some of the great people we are meeting.

We want to thank the community here at RV-Dreams for the awesome information and a shared enthusiasm that you simply don't get just anywhere.  – Art & Mary



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Art & Mary (Over55)

Full Time October 8, 2011
2011 Ford F350 DRW
2012 Montana Big Sky
2009 Scion XD

http://amlivingthedream.com/
Terry and Jo


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Art and Mary,

Congratulations on the freedom to now check out all the beauty of this country.  While we aren't "traveling" full-timers yet, we are on vacation in Colorado right now.  The fall colors are a marvelous painting of God's creation.  We wish you well in your travels and your futures.

Terry



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Terry and Jo

2010 Mobile Suites 38TKSB3
2008 Ford F450
2019 Ford Expedition Max as Tag-along or Scout

Our photos on Smugmug
NorCal Dan


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Congratulations Art & Mary. Look forward to hearing about your adventures.

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dannick


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Congratulations! Enjoy your travels!!

Love your website and blog...the "Open RV" was an awesome idea that I will have to remember to do :)

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Dan

www.taketimeforlife.com

"The Best Gift We Can Give Our Children is Our Time"
crafter32034


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Congratulations, Art and Mary. How excited you just be. Mary Kay and I are a year or so away from traveling, though we are nearly full time (5-6 days a week) now. god bless and keep you on your great adventure.

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Rick&Mary Kay

'08 Select Suites 36RS3

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Loretta


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Is there a place on your blog where you can subscribe?  Great pictures.  Perhaps we will meet down the road.



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Loretta ♥

37' 2002 Damon Intruder

www.whenpigsfly.be
Kathy Doin It


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Congratulations, and Welcome to the Fulltiming Lifestyle!

Kathy

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Kathy, Bruce and RocketDog living the dream!
Over55


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The Open RV thing worked very well. We had a church of about 700 plus a neighborhood that was very tight....and Mary had worked at the local university (just 2 blocks away) for 16 years. So this was the easiest for people to come and check it out.

 

We also printed business cards with our logo, web address and contact information to pass out. It was an excellent thing to do. - Art



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Art & Mary (Over55)

Full Time October 8, 2011
2011 Ford F350 DRW
2012 Montana Big Sky
2009 Scion XD

http://amlivingthedream.com/
Over55


RV-Dreams Family Member

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We will put up an RSS feed later tomorrow for you to use. If you use Google Reader you can subscribe to the web site.

 

I'll post a note as soon as the RSS is available. Thanks for the comments. - Art



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Art & Mary (Over55)

Full Time October 8, 2011
2011 Ford F350 DRW
2012 Montana Big Sky
2009 Scion XD

http://amlivingthedream.com/
Over55


RV-Dreams Family Member

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There is an RSS feed link on the bottom right side of the page. You could also take any RSS reader and paste in 

http://amlivingthedream.com/ 

and you would be fine. - Art



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Art & Mary (Over55)

Full Time October 8, 2011
2011 Ford F350 DRW
2012 Montana Big Sky
2009 Scion XD

http://amlivingthedream.com/
H308


RV-Dreams Community Member

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Art & Mary,

Congratulation on your decision to fulltime and wishing you a great and safe adventures.

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2011 Dodge 3500 Dually

2010 Raptor 3812 toy hauler "which is my fulltime home"

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Trabuco


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Congratulations Art & Mary we're right behind you in 2012'.


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Ken

2005 Monaco Diplomat 400 ISL Cummins

2012 Honda CRV AWD

2008 Harley Ultra Classic

 

 
Delaine and Lindy


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You guys are begining a Blessing that far to many never get to do. We have talk to hundreds of people over the year who envy our life style and many comment, I would love to do what your doing. Taking all those vacations, we don't take vacations, its the way we live, its hard to explain. They always ask what do you do just set around, the answer is what ever we want to do. The point is if you don't try you will never do it. We aren't full timing but are mostly full timing. We are in the 5th wheel about 8+ months a year, and we are in Florida at our winter site now and will be here until April 2012.

When we started the full timing adventure, we sold two houses and were full timing in less the 6 months or so. Stopped on our way back from Texas visiting the kids and bought a 5th wheel and didn't not have a Truck capable of towing the 5th wheel. After leaving the RV dealership bought a GM 2500HD and then went and put the house on the market sold in less than 60 days. The first year we did 22,000 miles we were all over the lower 48 and into Canada. That was our sample tour of America. We learned very quick to slow down and stay longer but the more we seen the more we wanted to see, we did the sample tour. And now we are seeing what we missed. During this time we went back to our home county and built a RV site with full hook-ups and also at the time padded out a place for a small house, now we realize the house was a mistake. Much cheaper leaving in the 5th wheel.

However during this time we decided to quit full timing due to Delaine's Mom having some Medical issues and in fact sold the Truck and 5th wheel, another mistake, we made it 3 months and bought another Truck and 5th wheel and haven't been in cold weather since. However we did build another house (mistake) we just yesterday put the house on the market and if it sells we will go back to full timing again. However the housing market is in the tank, but if it don't sell no problem we will continue to do as we are doing. Its just extra cost of a house setting empty 8+ months.. a year. As Delaine says if its suppose to be it will be. I see a new Mobile Suites in the future.

The point, if your just starting this adventure, take your time, its not possible to see everything in the lower 48 in a short time, you can literally spend years just in the West, that don't include the West coast... We have been in the Colorado area for the last 6 years and just Love the area. And plan on being there in June 2012 thru Sept. (Buena Vista, Colorado).

Congratz on your new adventure... (Slow and Easy)

Happy Trails..............

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