This is pretty much what I tell everyone that is thinking about full timing. The lifestyle is not for everyone.
We full time and have been for almost 8 years. Our life on the road was not a flash in the pan plan project though. My whole life has been a quest to see "what's around the next corner ". Thus it was planned years in advance. So far, we have had very few regrets. Our biggest struggle so far was not being able to relocate to warmer climates during COVID. You soon realize how big your RV isn't when your freedom is limited by the cold. That scenario was never anticipated but should be taken into consideration by everyone planning to jump ship.
Disposing of our stick and brick possessions was trying, sometimes painful and very time consuming. Digitizing years of photographs and paper documents created some remorse as one relives the past thru photographs etc. We thought about having an estate auction but discovered that lots of stuff doesn't always sell even at fire sale prices and it wasn't going to be cost effective. We rid most of our stuff using on line ads and garage sales. Fortunately, our house sold quickly and, because most of our household appliances and furniture were good quality, they sold quickly as well. But lots of stuff ended up in the trash. Our faces became familiar at our local "thrift" stores. Once a person is no longer working and dual walk-in closets are not common in most RVs your clothing needs become pretty simple. Some items we though would sell quickly and be worth a few bucks constantly turned into dead weights. Our biggest asset was having our "retirement" home parked beside the house. Any items that were not critically needed or would not fit in the coach were deemed disposable. We had very few arguments about what we were going to keep. We even shed more items that we had packed once we hit the road. We became minimalists overnight!
If you are really serious about traveling, do it now!! Our time on earth is short and the world can be as big or as small as you want it to be. Owning a stick and brick confines you to time and space. Being free does nothing but open opportunities. During our eight years we have seen many places and met a lot of very fine people. Our bucket list is growing not shrinking. There are still so many places to see and things to do. Canada, the US and Mexico are huge! We try to take the slow roads when we can. I also travel on my stomach. Every province, state and county seems to have a specialty food rarely available anywhere else and the only way to discover these delicacy's is to hang around long enough to hear about them. I found out about Red Rice in the Carolina's . Now one of my favs.
Financially, your lifestyle dictates your costs. Insurance and like expenses stay the same but property and like taxes disappear. Electricity, water and sewer still exist but we find they seem to be cheaper when they are built into RV Park rent costs. Our only monthly bill right now is our phone (and soon to be Starlink). Travel expenses vary from location and time of year. You can spend $150.00 per night (or more) to be on a beach in Florida or free in the deserts of Arizona or California and everything in between. Fuel costs in Louisiana are a lot less expensive than California. Small town RV parks are a lot cheaper than those at resorts.
We have found that we eat a lot healthier. With no big freezer, and because we follow the warmth, fruit and vegetables are always fresher. We usually grocery shop every second day. We will eat Beef in Texas and Fish in Oregon.
Our safety was a concern but we have yet to run into any kind of confrontation. We tend to stay away from big cities. Some exceptions apply. How can one not visit at least just once places like NYC, New Orleans, Memphis, SanFran etc. Lots easily could do without like Atlanta and Dallas. We think the friendliest people are from Mississippi, The most polite are Texans (probably because everyone packs
) and the worst drivers live in California. The best BBQ is in Texas. The Tastiest sea food is in Oregon and I'm sure everyone knows the best Cajun is not in Florida.
I recommend that you take a little time to think it thru. There are serious negatives. If you have a spouse or S O, you had better be compatible as you are stuck with them 24/7/365! We have met quite a few where this has been a big obstacle. Think about how much time you have spent with them in the past. Maybe 4 hours a day if you are lucky. Life long friends, neighbors and relatives fall to the wayside. We stay in touch via FB and visit when we are near but that is not often. Family birthdays and lots of celebrations happen by remote. If you have a doctor or dentist that you have a long history with, expect to lose that. Maybe, if you are not totally committed, take a six month trial before you sell it all.
The image is where we have been so far.
