Exit plan for a 77-year old starting solo full timing

[Ringer]

I'm 73 and my wife of 54 years died last summer. She left me with a goldendoodle so I bought an Alliance Paradigm 340rl and eventually we are going to live in it. I want to stay near the lake where I keep my bass boat but there are no spaces anywhere and the oldest park is a dump. I am selling my business and have decided to buy a lot and run power, water and septic and put up a 24 x 40 steel canopy. If I kick the bucket they will eventually figure it out just hope the dog ends up OK. I figure that someone will notice I don't answer the phone or texts and check on me. Nothing to worry about.

 

[gfmucci]

I'm 73 and my wife of 54 years died last summer. She left me with a goldendoodle so I bought an Alliance Paradigm 340rl and eventually we are going to live in it. I want to stay near the lake where I keep my bass boat but there are no spaces anywhere and the oldest park is a dump. I am selling my business and have decided to buy a lot and run power, water and septic and put up a 24 x 40 steel canopy. If I kick the bucket they will eventually figure it out just hope the dog ends up OK. I figure that someone will notice I don't answer the phone or texts and check on me. Nothing to worry about.

Something like this one? Perfect! Very nice! Yuppies today will pay $100,000 for a "tiny house" that is smaller than that and impress all their fellow yuppies with it.

 

[Ringer]

That's it. I bought my 2021 used from a couple in Oregon who used it for one year and fixed all the bugs. They paid $106000 new and put about $8000 in new things on it and I bought it for $70000. This thing is about as nice as any home we owned just smaller but plenty big for an old man and his dog.

 

[Fueco]

Something like this one? Perfect! Very nice! Yuppies today will pay $100,000 for a "tiny house" that is smaller than that and impress all their fellow yuppies with it.

I’m not sure what the point of shaming people into other things is, but our friends who put a tiny house on their property have a really nice functional nest that is nicer than any comparably priced trailer. They built in themselves too, so it’s completely custom.

 

[gfmucci]

That's it. I bought my 2021 used from a couple in Oregon who used it for one year and fixed all the bugs. They paid $106000 new and put about $8000 in new things on it and I bought it for $70000. This thing is about as nice as any home we owned just smaller but plenty big for an old man and his dog.

Excellent! You did good. Something that my friend would aspire to. And so would I.

 

[gfmucci]

I’m not sure what the point of shaming people into other things is, but our friends who put a tiny house on their property have a really nice functional nest that is nicer than any comparably priced trailer. They built in themselves too, so it’s completely custom.

I was suggesting that his 5th is even nicer than many tiny houses (no doubt there may be exceptions), which many people swoon over. If you believe "shaming" is involved, you grossly misinterpret a compliment. Do you often think the worst?

 

[Fueco]

I was suggesting that his 5th is even nicer than many tiny houses (no doubt there may be exceptions), which many people swoon over. If you believe "shaming" is involved, you grossly misinterpret a compliment. Do you often think the worst?

Maybe I misunderstood your intended message, but I’ve never known anyone to use the term ‘yuppie’ in a positive way.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Maybe I misunderstood your intended message, but I’ve never known anyone to use the term ‘yuppie’ in a positive way.

You're right of course! Yuppie is a quantifying statement. Just remember that few here fall into the trap of judgmental, egotistical, "R" word people.
They say your world is 10% provocation 90% reaction. We try to consider people's opinions here, so try remembering we talk amongst friends!!!

 

[gfmucci]

Maybe I misunderstood your intended message, but I’ve never known anyone to use the term ‘yuppie’ in a positive way.

Yes, you have a point:

From Wikipedia: Yuppie, short for "young urban professional" or "young upwardly-mobile professional",[1][2] is a term coined in the early 1980s for a young professional person working in a city.[3] The term is first attested in 1980, when it was used as a fairly neutral demographic label, but by the mid-to-late 1980s, when a "yuppie backlash" developed due to concerns over issues such as gentrification, some writers began using the term pejoratively. [Italics added for emphasis]

But here is a definition from Merriam Webster: yuppie: [noun] a young college-educated adult who is employed in a well-paying profession and who lives and works in or near a large city.

That is a positive definition. So yes, people have used and do use "yuppie" in a positive way.

I could have used the word "millenial" or "gen Y" or "gen Z". And in the context of my post, my post would likely have still have been construed perjoratively.

You know why? That was my intent. Why was that my intent. Because I have been in some tiny houses. I have viewed many tiny houses on HGTV. I have also been, in person, in many 5th wheel units. My conclusion is that, on the whole, the space, utility, and amenities for similarly priced 5th wheels, greatly surpass that of tiny houses. In fact, being an observer of our culture, I see tiny houses as an overpriced fad among the younger generations. I have no doubt there may be (rare?) exceptions. Bad decisions are often based on fads. And younger or ill-informed folks have a greater tendency to be drawn in by fads.

Further, my post was stated in an "RV Forum. I believed that we had a user base that was not going to be offended, or accuse the writer of "shaming" just because a legitimate, educated comparison is made between the value of a 5th wheel over a "tiny house." Or associate a demographic that tends to gush over such things.

I was responding to an individual of an age similar to mine and with whom I share a similar aspiration.

And one final (or semi-final) observation: In today's culture, if anyone expresses any opinion about anything, someone will be offended or accuse the person of "shaming."

Here are a couple more relevant and common definitions:

"Snowflake": Slang. a person who is easily offended, overly sensitive, or emotionally fragile. A person for whom a "safe space" is required.
"Safe space": [from Merriam Webster] safe space: [noun] a place (as on a college campus) intended to be free of bias, conflict, criticism, or potentially threatening actions, ideas, or conversations.

Here is a book I came across on Amazon that portrays a used 5th wheel as a great retirement option.
In fact, there are several books with the same RV theme shown HERE.

 

[Ringer]

If you are talking a tiny house that is movable most are 8' wide x 20' max. The fiver is 38' with three slides, a washer and dryer, a full size residential stove and fridge and a new mattress plus three A/C units. It is super nice and comfy and I needed more space than 160 square feet. No problems with tiny houses just whatever people like.