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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Post Info TOPIC: Where does the time go - YEAR ONE DONE!


RV-Dreams Family Member

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Where does the time go - YEAR ONE DONE!


Hi Everyone!

Just wanted to let you all know I just hit "publish" for the first of 2 year one end summary blog posts.  WOW!

This one is about some of our year end numbers and I also talk about the mods we have done to make our rig more our own.  This is my attempt at "paying it forward" and hopefully help someone else out.

I would like to thank each and everyone of you for all your help and support in helping Bill and I to achieve our full time RV'ing dream! 

Please feel free to comment and let me know what you think!

 

http://bkamericanodyssey.com/2015/08/28/year-one-summary-on-stuff/



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Bill & Kelly - with Callie along the ride.  

2011 Ford F350 Diesel Dually 4x4 

2014 Heartland Landmark, Grand Canyon 

"All those who wander are not lost" Tolkien

 BLOG:  http://bkamericanodyssey.com/



RV-Dreams Family Member

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This is a great blog post. Well worth the time to read. The details on their first year are amazing and well presented. If you are a numbers person you will enjoy this post.

Thanks Kelly and Bill for taking the time and effort to share your experience.

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Russ & Terri Ranger

Travel since July 2013

Home base: Buckeye,AZ

Wandering the USA & Canada in our Holiday Rambler Endeavor 40' PDT Motorhome

Travel so far: 49 States - International Travel -19 countries

http://grandbanksruss.blogspot.com



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Thanks Russ for reading, Bill and I are very glad you enjoyed it! We loved putting it together for everyone!

Be on the look out in a week or so for the second installment!


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Bill & Kelly - with Callie along the ride.  

2011 Ford F350 Diesel Dually 4x4 

2014 Heartland Landmark, Grand Canyon 

"All those who wander are not lost" Tolkien

 BLOG:  http://bkamericanodyssey.com/



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I'm a numbers person!! Great post, it's always interesting to hear different experiences and perspectives of this FT life on the road.

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FT - July 2013

 

2010 38TKSB3 DRV Mobile Suites

2012 Ford F450

 

Dale and Ruth Travelling with Tazzy Kat!

 

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Thanks Ruth! Couldn't agree more! I am also a believer in the more info you can get the better - so it is awesome when we can all share our knowledge and help each other out!

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Bill & Kelly - with Callie along the ride.  

2011 Ford F350 Diesel Dually 4x4 

2014 Heartland Landmark, Grand Canyon 

"All those who wander are not lost" Tolkien

 BLOG:  http://bkamericanodyssey.com/



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Thanks Kelly and Bill!   This was really a great blog with a lot of great information for those of us preparing.  We're also from PA heading out next year, so seeing some real numbers like this, seems to make it a little easier to plan.  Granted, we all have different things going on, but basically it sounds like you're doing very similar to how we will be traveling also.   Thanks again, and take care out there.   Maybe see you somewhere!  



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GRACIE’S GOLDEN GETAWAY
Barry and Marianne traveling with Golden Retriever Maggie
2014 Ford F-450 DRW Super Heavy Duty Lariat
2015 Solitude 305RE for full-time in 2016
Current:  Carlisle, PA



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That would be great Marianne! Would love it! We will actually be back in Lancaster in a few weeks - would love to meet up if we can find a good time!

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Bill & Kelly - with Callie along the ride.  

2011 Ford F350 Diesel Dually 4x4 

2014 Heartland Landmark, Grand Canyon 

"All those who wander are not lost" Tolkien

 BLOG:  http://bkamericanodyssey.com/



RV-Dreams Family Member

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Interesting reading. Comparing to our first year, it is obvious that each of us fulltime's differently.

Random thoughts and comments:
We physically moved to a nearby campground on July 9, 2003 after moving out of the house, so it is easy for us to use that date for when we went fulltime. The house closed in September, when we were in New York and had put over 4,200 miles on the RV. We don't miss the house and really want to live in the greater Seattle area again. We don't mind visiting it, we are here now, but the traffic gets to us quickly.
We also had many 1 night stays and our longest stay of 23 nights was at a repair facility. Otherwise our longest stay was 14 nights. We still move more than you do, it seems to fit our style. (We stayed one night in 46 states during our first year. We missed Wyoming and California of the lower 48, but had camped in them pre-fulltime and have camped in them since. Yes, we/are crazy.)
We also spent some time in the Florida Keys our first year. (We also spent two weeks at Sunshine Key this last November, on a Thousand Trails deal, but it was $43.88 a night with taxes.)
We changed RVs our first year on the road. This was not unexpected, but is not the norm. (We still have the RV we bought that year).
The biggest change to us is the internet. We were cutting edge then with a tripod mounted internet satellite dish.

Everyday is an adventure.

I hope I am not causing any hijacking of this thread.



-- Edited by bjoyce on Saturday 29th of August 2015 06:08:13 PM

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Bill Joyce,
40' 2004 Dutch Star DP towing an AWD 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid
Journal at http://www.sacnoth.com
Full-timing since July 2003



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Great blog post. We haven't figured out the second car or not question yet but your (Bill'ssmile) numbers make a good case for having one. On the down side for us, both of our current vehicles are 11 and 12 years old. Both in excellent mechanical condition now thanks to major repairs last year. Since we are looking at a minimum 3 years till FT... not sure we we can stretch out owning them for much more than that. 

Your reported CG expenses were very enlightening. We'll probably take advantage of TT thru Cindi's fathers membership when he passes it on to us. We're hoping for around 525/mth for CG expenses in 2015 dollars so it sounds like we'll have to use the TT membership and boondock for a combo of less than 100 days a year to stay within our goal. Your info helped fill in some guesses we were making in this area.

Loved the mods.

Thanks for sharing.

 



-- Edited by biggaRView on Saturday 29th of August 2015 07:01:18 PM

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Brian, Cindi & Josie (our fur baby)
2017 RAM 3500 Laramie 4x4 CCLB, CTD, Aisin, B&W hitch, dually
2020 Keystone Montana Legacy 3813MS w/FBP ,
MORryde 8k IS, Kodiak disc brakes, no solar  YET!



RV-Dreams Family Member

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Thanks for reading!

Bill - we all do find our own way to live this lifestyle - just as we did in our previous lives in our S&B. Bill and I could never keep up the pace you do! I'm glad it works for you!
I can imagine internet being a larger issue "back in the day" than it is now - although we have considered a booster for when we don't have a good enough Verizon signal to get good wifi off the hotspot, which has happened a few times.
Thanks for your thoughts! I always appreciate hearing from the more experienced among us!

Brian - thank you also for your comments! I am glad something I wrote was helpful to you! My car is a 2006 CR-V with 155,000'ish miles on it. We've owned it since it was 3 years old, it came with all maintenance records and he has taken immaculate care of it since, so we have no worries that we can get many more miles out of it. We may have made a different decision to keep it if it wasn't in such great shape. We were also of the mindset that we can always sell it later. We read and heard about others who had gotten rid of their car and had regrets later.
We have considered the idea of expanding our TT membership - maybe looking for a "used" one through a broker, we are tabling that conversation for now, as we are also thinking we will be workkamping, therefore not using TT.
Glad you liked the mods - we do also! I'm so glad Bill is handy - it helps a lot!

Kelly

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Bill & Kelly - with Callie along the ride.  

2011 Ford F350 Diesel Dually 4x4 

2014 Heartland Landmark, Grand Canyon 

"All those who wander are not lost" Tolkien

 BLOG:  http://bkamericanodyssey.com/



RV-Dreams Family Member

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Kelly and Bill, bless yer hearts for sharing such useful info on your first year on the road. I'm very much a numbers person as well, so it was a wonderful read. Kudos to you for bringing it all together and sharing so kindly.

May your second and subsequent years be as wonderful as the first.

SD.

PS: I was thrilled to read your comments on the Escapees forum as well. Like you we too think they are a fabulous organization to support. Happy Travels.

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Breathtaking Alberta. Her Mountains Draw You But Her People Bring You Back


RV-Dreams Family Member

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Thanks SD! We enjoyed putting it together! Please be on the lookout for the second part in a week or so!

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Bill & Kelly - with Callie along the ride.  

2011 Ford F350 Diesel Dually 4x4 

2014 Heartland Landmark, Grand Canyon 

"All those who wander are not lost" Tolkien

 BLOG:  http://bkamericanodyssey.com/



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Great Post!  Can't wait to join all you full timers...we haven't even pulled the rv out of the yard for two years now.no



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Mark & Nancy
2004 F-250 XLT 6.0 Diesel
2001 Sunnybrook 2708 TT



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Congratulations sweetie!!  So happy to have been a part of your journey



-- Edited by Lee and Trace on Monday 31st of August 2015 07:03:02 AM

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 Trace 

Ford F350 Super Duty 4x2.  Open Range 386FLR

Follow our journey at www.camperchronicles.com

 



RV-Dreams Family Member

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Thanks Tracy! I'm glad too!

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Bill & Kelly - with Callie along the ride.  

2011 Ford F350 Diesel Dually 4x4 

2014 Heartland Landmark, Grand Canyon 

"All those who wander are not lost" Tolkien

 BLOG:  http://bkamericanodyssey.com/



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What a GREAT read this has been, thank you for sharing. Could you possible send me the info on your solar package?   place bought and all components. how hard was the install?   I'm looking to purchase a solar package in the near future.   On your Thousand trails purchase... did you buy in on a new package or bought from someone selling theirs?   you can email me at     movenit4u@yahoo.com     Thank you again for posting this    Chris.



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06 GMC 3500 SLT  Duramax, Allison.

09 Montana 3665re

Safe travels to all, Take each day as a gift for that is truly what it is.

Cert. RVIA Tech 11/24/16 



RV-Dreams Family Member

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You are very welcome, Chris! I will send an email.

Thanks for reading!

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Bill & Kelly - with Callie along the ride.  

2011 Ford F350 Diesel Dually 4x4 

2014 Heartland Landmark, Grand Canyon 

"All those who wander are not lost" Tolkien

 BLOG:  http://bkamericanodyssey.com/



RV-Dreams Family Member

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Happy 1st Anniversary!! That was a very enjoyable read:) Thanks for taking the time to type out your year in review!! I LOVE the back splash!! After a few weather related power outages and too many one night, late check ins, we've decided the generator is necessary, but don't want to keep it in the truck so we're going to upgrade the rig. Next year should be even better!

 



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John & Dana Ellison

Knoxville, TN, (Fort Mill, SC 10/13-1/15)

Full Timing Since October 2013

2014 Cedar Creek 38FL (Biscotti) 

'08 Super Duty F-350 2WD DRW Lariat Crew Cab Long Bed, 

18K Draw-Tite Hitch

 



RV-Dreams Family Member

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Thanks for reading! Glad you liked it - and the back splash!

Looks like you guys are coming up on 2 years - wow! Congrats!

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Bill & Kelly - with Callie along the ride.  

2011 Ford F350 Diesel Dually 4x4 

2014 Heartland Landmark, Grand Canyon 

"All those who wander are not lost" Tolkien

 BLOG:  http://bkamericanodyssey.com/

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