Great video and spot on. Every point you made is what my wife and I experienced after 4 years of full-time RV living. I retired at 58 and we sold our lovely house to hit the road. We had all the amenities, washer/dryer, dishwasher, and a reasonable amount of space in our 40-foot 5th wheel. As time went on, I found myself spending many days doing major repairs -slides, plumbing, hydraulics, you name it. We found it difficult to schedule doctor appointments, we began feeling isolated, missing routine contact with family and close friends. We now own a house and a travel trailer, we. Keep our long travels to 2-3 weeks maximum. We have discovered or visited many places in State that we didn't even know existed. Even after 2 weeks, we are ready to get back to our home. It all sounds great, but when you add up the emotional costs, the expense, and the time investment, it's a tough life to lead. Thanks or such a well thought and honest assessment of full time RV life.
@@exploringnext1111in our case, we didn’t sell our house to finance our traveling. We planned ahead and were fortunate enough to be able to fund our travels. We didn’t suffer financially and wouldn’t trade those 4 years for anything. When we stopped full timing, it was for many of the reasons elucidated in the video. Everyone’s situation is different.
We did two years of Van life in a 30ft RV with me and my kid for $2000 a month. There are so many resource free camping, food, dumping that we had no issues. Had a great time and looking forward to doing it again soon.
For some of us, an RV is the only affordable roof to own. Rental is ridiculous, unstable (as you'll never own your home, if it sells your out on your can, monthly rate goes up exponentially, etc), and unsustainable for most people. It's pretty sad when even renting is a pipe dream. An RV can cost around $300/month to buy, but an apartment can cost $2000/month or more to RENT
My wife and I sold our house in 2017 and have been living in our 5th wheel. There are times we miss the room but almost 8 years later we still call it home and miss it when we go visit and stay with the kids.
we've been full time RV for almost 2 years now. We absolutely love being in the small space (tiny mansion) I love that I can cook dinner and still be a apart of the family shenanigans im not isolated doing laundry or cooking dinner. My husband and I get along well and don't argue much at all. I usually just follow his lead because he knows better then I do, this lifestyle made us happier, grateful and our kids absolutely love it too. Exploring the new campgrounds, new states, new areas, new amenities. It's been a great adventure so far and we have no interest in stopping!
This is one of the most honest videos I've seen regarding RV life. We have been full-time RVERS for over 3.5 years. We researched for 5 years before selling our home and buying a used Super C. Everything you discuss in this video hit home with us. FYI, we have RVd for about 30 years, so we weren't newbies when we went full-time. We are both retired. We crisscrossed this country and have seen SO much! The experiences have been fantastic! And yes, the breakdowns and health concerns are real, too. We landed in Sierra Vista, AZ, on January first. Health issues have kept us here, and we traded in our motorhome 2 months ago on a beautiful 5th wheel to be stationary in an RV park. I am a camp host here, and this works well for us. We will travel back to the Midwest next spring and then return here in late summer. We all need to do what's best for ourselves. And be at peace with it. We've never been exactly mainstream, and I doubt we ever will. We live our lives and live our faith, and trust God to put us where He needs us. We believe He has done that. Thanks for this video.
Excellent video. We have RV’d for over 40 years , starting in the ‘80’s. We’ve traveled nearly 300,000 miles in that time, but we never thought full timing worked for us, for all the reasons you’ve stated. Seven years ago,as we approached retirement, we reduced our workload and made 4-6 week long trips, visiting places and family. One size does not fit all but for us, now retired, we like 4-8 weeks out, then back to our home for 4-8 weeks. It still allows us to experience adventures but have a place to keep our “stuff”, spread out, take care of maintenance, etc. We love it, but it’s not cheap, and we hope to continue for as many years as we can handle Thank you for an excellent video.
Bought our first travel trailer last month. Drove 6 hours to get it. Only 2 hours after leaving dealership a tire blows out on interstate and shreds underside on trailer. Welcome to RV life. LOL
We travel no more than 5 hours away (state parks) and stay no more than 4 days (that's how long our tanks last). Nobody gets bored and you can see/ do everything during that time. Great to get home.
This was an extremely well done and honest video. It should be the starting point for folks to watch, and let it sink in! Its best to do this before proceeding to "sell it all" and get too far along down the path,.... Full time RV is not for the faint of heart.
Hello. My husband and I have been on 7 cruises in the last 10 years. Kids are grown. We just purchased a camper to become weekend warriors. You will love cruising!!
I am disappointed to see some of the comments ripping into this family. Just because they are making their life work for them doesn’t take away from their wisdom of living the in’s and out’s of full time RV living. This is yet, another season they are in and still willing to share their experience. Now they are bad (greedy) people for wanting to continue to support their family while sharing their wisdom? I surely don’t think so. For those of who made the comments about their upcoming cruise and not subsidizing other people’s travel, I want you to realize that this is a very common practice across many industries. People get paid for their time and expertise. I imagine this will be a super fun trip with a lot of socializing but there is so much for participants to gain that it’s outrageous to me to think that they can’t have fun and get paid for their time. People grow, evolve and change. We should be grateful they have allowed us into all the nuances of their experiences and support them…or not. But bashing them for being real is more of a reflection on you than them. Just disconnect and go find a channel that suits you better. No big deal if they aren’t a fit for you anymore but being nasty towards them isn’t useful for anyone.
We love Hilda on Netflix and she says “Such is the Life of an Adventurer” and that has become our motto. We are a family of three who primarily weekend RV camp twice a month year round. We find adventure at home and close to home all the time.
Or, as Thomas Wolfe said, you can't go home again. The friends move. The family moves. The area changes, often for the worse. Or the prices double and quadruple and you can't return even the area still is where you want to be. I think a lot of people are on the road, because they are looking for someplace to call a new home. Someplace where things, and people, are where they want to make a home.
Me and my wife is going to move for work. We are gonna sell house and live in our 39 ft 5th wheel. Won't be going places we going to be going from where our camper been parked last 3 years to another parked spot in Texas. Not sure how things gonna go especially since my wife does not come out to the camper as much as me. No kids. But still gonna be adjusting from 3 bedroom 2 bath 1600 sq fit house to 39 ft camper is probably gonna be quite the shock.
Great video. Good points. Yes, adventure is all around us. RV’ing was great for you and now you are off to write a new chapter or chapters!! As the kids get older their needs change too. Enjoy the cruise. You’re going to LOVE it. I have enjoyed your videos. ❤❤
Love this - we are working thru selling house in Colorado and trying to decide where home base may be while RVing. How do you make a living, BTW? Does YT pay enough?
We sold our home in Pine Junction Colorado and bought a very small home on land in East Texas, never looked back. We are now set up for traveling in our RV and having a nice place to call home, without living in an environment that’s over regulated and populated.
Thank you so much! I’ve always thought how much fun it would be to travel, but I love your idea and honestly I have found so much stuff to do at home in my own little area that I never seem to leave. 👍
You have done a quick turnaround, your channel and sponsors have been based on promoting the RV lifestyle, this very episode you were pushing a RV Destinations magazine. A month ago you were out looking at buying another RV.
Hi, I think life itself is an adventure. I find adventure everywhere I go, whether at the dentist office or at Stone Mountain you can make every moment of your life an adventure. I make playing chess to feel like an adventure in my life, when I go to a gym that too I make it feel like an adventure, as I make and drink coffee in the morning that`s an adventure for me as well. I went on a cruise to the Bahamas and of course that was a tremendous adventure to me. I remember years ago as I was living up in South Beach Miami and it started to comedown one day I made it an adventure as I decided to take off my shirt and went out to wash myself walking and jumping on the streets in the midst of a torrential rain. So as you can see you dont need to go to out and live full time VanLife to be able to live an adventurous life, great video, I hope your are living a fullfilling life after your experience as a nomad living full time on an RV several years on the road. Blessings!
Interesting point of view, thanks. We are retired and live in the Northern Scottish Highlands, we have a caravan (travel trailer for you in the USA). We go on fairly local trips with our caravan as well as longer trips lasting several months. For example we travel to the south of Portugal and Spain and other European countries. We have even done a couple of trips from home down to North Africa, Morocco, for the winter. That is a round trip of over 5,500 miles on a trip of 4 months. We love being away, but it always nice to return home after a long trip. When we get home it isn't long before I have the fun of planning our next trip. We have the fun of the adventures, and the comfort and security of having a physical home (sticks and bricks I think you call it).
I lived in Alaska and a cruise is a great way to see the state because there are very few roads in Alaska. On the cruise you'll go places inaccessible by road.
My Wife and I are going to be selling our home, but an acre or two of land, and getting into a Travel Trailer as our main permanent fixed location home. At the same location we plan to have a separate 18x40' Cabin as a main living room-ish area.
So very true, Charity, adventure can be found everywhere, very good video! We know we could never be full timers, we need a well grounded "sticks and bricks" to park our old bones! That said, part time RVing works well for many folks.
I struggle with leaving this comment but felt it a valid statement. You say you are now a hybrid rver. The reality is that you live in a sticks and bricks and vacation in an RV. Like many others. And that is fine. However your channel was to inspire and give helpful ideas to those who are fulltimers and now I feel you are using the platform because it is monetized and you don't want to lose the income. It is misleading and feels like you want your cake and eat it too.
If a person’s goal is to live on the road in the same manner that they lived stationary, well um yeah, it’s gonna cost similar. Then add all the fuel, entrance fees, alternative this-and-that and it’s expensive. Older equipment usually needs maintenance more often, etc. I don’t understand why people think that being on the road would be cheaper. I save when I want by sitting still for a time because fuel and maintenance is expensive. ❤ I choose not to eat out as much and so on. Choices!
being full timers for almost 2 years I agree with this. It's not as cheap as people think. It depends what road you take. Does the rig have a payment or not, older rig more maintenance, stationary vs travel costs. It's how you do it.
I personally don't recommend RV covers unless it's indoors because it will collect an insane amount of moisture inside your rig causing mold and mildew
Rving is only fun if someone has a lot of money!!!! Most parks are out of reach for low income Seniors! And have to book way ahead to get a place to park! I have been doing it for 5 years. Like around Sedona Az. the parks are high and the remote land is so junky and jammed up and ruff homeless people.
Excellent video❤ We travel because we have to for health reasons. Many of our friends, older and younger envy us because they think we are just having the time of our lives. We have a lot of fun, I’m not going to lie. However, we are just living day to day. Getting all the normal things done. It takes some planning, flexibility and not being afraid of the unknown. Lol Yeah, you touched on a lot of the good and bad. Our grown sons live at “home base”, so we always have a place to come back to. We enjoy your channel. ❤
Try living on a houseboat in a marina. Oh doesn't that sound so cool? First off, at most marinas, full-time liveaboards are around 7 to 8 percent of the boats so during the week it is ususally really quiet IN THE FALL AND WINTER!!! Summer and much of Spring, people are coming and going all the time and slips in marinas are maybe 2 1/2 feet apart - the width of a finger-dock that you share so you're "neighbor" that just pulled in and is half-drunk and feeling rowdy, yelling at his mates or wife and kids is just that close. So much for quiet. Then there's Friday and Saturday that during the warmer months, you have invited guests (and uninvited ones) that party like it's 1999 all night long. Yeah, quiet. Oh, and my marina had a restaurant/bar that people in the area liked - they did have good food - but these people packed the parking lot, so if you did leave AND YOU LIVED THERE, you might not find a parking space when you came back! And boats have the same basic issues of RV'ers - potable water on-board that you have to fill from YOUR OWN food grade really long hose because each dock had two spigots so unless your slip is right next to it and mine wasn't, you have a 100 foot hose running from the spigot back to the boat. I did have shore power which was easy enough, but was too poor to buy solar panels at that time, though at the time, a few boats had wind power for off-shore power (no problem with wind if you are in a moving boat!). Other problems were very low water levels - my boat settled into the muddy bottom of the river when there was a droughty year and listed just abit to one side. Can't level a boat!!! The opposite - flood levels were reached a couple of times - the giant/tall moorings that held the docking in place and the docks where our boats were tied - most of the time they were hugely soaring above our heads but in flooding waters on the river - those pilings were like two feet above the docks - TWO FEET!!! Oh, and the marina I was in didn't have a very good way to get from the dock to the shore when previously it was less than a four foot walk to the lower parking lot (which was now underwater) to about 20 feet over at least 50 feet of water beneath a 2 1/2 foot wide metal "ladder" style walkway with rungs you could look through and see all that water NO RAILINGS. So...want to talk about the (dark) side? I can match you story for story about living on a houseboat!!!
I had to live a year in an Rv until my house was built and it was awful. Having to run the a.c non stop was so annoying, lack of storage, living with 3 dogs and 2 birds and the cooking was such a pain in the ______ not to mention we had mouse issue's so hard to control mice and even had some ants try to move in with us. NEVER AGAIN lol
"One time, at nomad band camp, I saw a one legged scruffy veteran living in a van down by the river. His eyes were undraping me and I felt soooo dirty. It was horrible and that is why I drove my RV to skid row in LA so I was closer to police protection."
I agree with most of what you said; however, as another person mentioned, a month ago you were looking for a new RV and now you’re modifying your lifestyle. All well and good but the “join us on a cruise” is asking for people to join your group and failing to mention that YOUR family gets your entire cruise free along with a bunch of amenities. Nope, I don’t subsidize others travel. Enjoy your cruise.
More content creators should do a video like this. I think it might motivate some to try something different and go out to see the world. We are disabled with Multiple Sclerosis. My wife is. And I want to say that because of that we went into this lifestyle. We are working on a channel where we share our story. My plan is to talk about how to find destinations that one can do with a disability and how to navigate doctors and pharmacies. Also, as you mentioned, we pretty much started out finding things to discover nearby. Florida is more than Disney, Universal, and Busch Gardens. And so does the rest of the USA.
Right now, we live in our 5th wheel, and we found a park in Arizona, which we sold our mobile home in the same town. We are snowbirds, and our family is really close by in our town. But this park is so inexpensive and fits our needs, while we look for a home most likely in Florida. Either way, we don’t intend on towing this anywhere anytime soon. And I couldn’t see towing our rig all over the country. You have made some really valid points. In our case, we lost our home in Illinois, and moved near family in Arizona. So either way, we are fine! ❤
I would never sell my home to become a full time RVer. It's great for us to get away for a few weeks at a time but we always look forward to coming home. I consider our RV as a moving cottage. We can get away, mix it up a little, have an adventure even 30 minutes from our doorstep, come back to our daily routine, then repeat.
I love watching your videos and 1 other of full time RV living & would love to travel more often but, while I’m watching them and get “the fever” I’m also thinking, there is no way I would sell my home to do it full time. I love my home and all my things😅 and like the idea of having a place to “come home” to. Our home is paid for and all our family lives in this area.
Yep RVs, nope. Started out in a pickup truck Leer Cap for 2 years, now building out a PM. I haven't paid rent or utilities in 3 years...the few campgrounds I've stayed at people were stacked on one another with ginnys destroying any peace. Nope, only boodocking for me where RVs really shouldn't go. My costs are extremely low and I travel all the time but I'm retired...I can't imagine all the BS with kids, etc., it's common sense that it's gonna be work....real hard work
100% on you better be ready for repairs!! You have to be handy, or you will be sitting at the mercy of the RV service that don't give a flying f about you!!! And not just filter and changing the oil. Just this week, Battery died, water pump died. jacks would not retrack, side out uneven tracked in. Last month replace awning on slide out and head lights. Plumbing into gray tank broke, auto step motor died. Just to show things if I could not fix myself your grounded for some time. I'm in an ACE Thor that is 5 years old now. Less than 25000 miles. But we love every min of the life. What is stressful to some is just another day to others.
Going out on the road without doing your research about the good and bad is not good. It is like most people that go and buy a rig without doing their research. You need to be informed before you do anything that is a life change. Everybody’s story is different from the other people on the road. Do your research and do what fits you. We are selling our house and hitting the road. We have been researching for 7 years while we were working and know what we are getting on the road full time. Not everyday is a vacation day but it is a day in a different environment.
I don't view full time RVing in this manner as a means of adventure and seeing new things. We don't want our lives to be a 'travel channel'. That comes with it, of course, and we do experience new things, but it is only a part of it. We just the enjoy being in nature and being nomadic. We enjoy the day to day. I would not have done this with children, so glad they are grown and not in the RV. Good luck!
But! One question for you, that HYBREED life sounds one HELL expensive, stradling between caring for a motorhome and all that life there can cost, and then also buying a Sticks and bricks, and support that, without a rich uncle or nest egg, and supporting 2 differ lifestyles, how does a young couple as yourself support both? That is why many of us either have to put it off, or sell our place like we did last year in order to afford such. I want to know your secret.
We live on less than we make, we have ZERO debt except for our mortgage and our RV is 20 years old. No debt payments making the banks rich means more in our pocket
Just convert your channel a travel channel. You love to travel. Period. Just say that. No need to say that RV life-style didn't work for you. It served you well and maybe you'll get back into it, but now your needs have changed. Impressive to do with children. Now you want to get into cruising. That's super cool too. People like the idea of travelling full time. Not living in an RV. I think that's where the disconnect is for many. You can travel full time many different ways. We have been travelling for two years, but have a home to come back to and would never sell it. In fact, if you own property you should probably never sell it anyway. Rent it out, sure. Or let your adult kids stay there. I would never buy a new RV or fifth wheel. Absolute waste of money. As far as repairs - everything breaks. I have to go fix my fence, garage door, faucets, washer/dryer, fridge in my house too.
Make sure you get the insurance especially medical. God forbid an accident/illness happens that requires hospitalization or medical helicopter transport. The insurance can save you thousands of dollars in an emergency situation. Also things can happen on excursions that can cause you to be late getting back to the ship. The ship could leave and you will have to find your own way to get back to the ship, so it's good to have an emergency credit card with you just in case when leaving the ship. Don't be scared, be prepared! You will LOVE Alaska, it is so beautiful. We did a zip line through the forest, horse back riding, went to Mendenhall Glacier and more. Then there is all the activities on the ship. So much fun. Enjoy!!
I gotta say if people sold whole out meaning that if a person or couple or whatever thought that raving was going to be nothing but but rainbows 🌈 and unicorns 🦄 then I blame people like you TH-cam content creators that make it seem like it’s a fun and nothing goes wrong. And don’t at me because I am right. Who in the hell just sells everything and tries to live in a 28 ft long box on wheels. Come on America wake up That’s what’s wrong with this country all a bunch of sheep. Me and my wife just fully retired but we know based on life curve balls are thrown at u and that’s just every day now if someone thinks that traveling around in a vehicle what could go wrong Jezz. Wake up people god forbid something really does make people have to think. Scary to think about.
My husband and I are retiring in 8 months, we are in the process of selling everything, we have enjoyed camping in various rvs for the last 20 yrs, we have sat down and figured our budget and what our needs will be, we also have a 30 yr old cognitively impaired daughter and an 85 yr old mother with Alzheimer's. We have property to come back to for 6 months of the yr to visit kids and grandkids, we are also looking into possibly putting a small home on the property, or purchasing a small home, with proceeds from the sale of our home, down south in case of an emergency because of mom. Rv life is not for everyone, but my husband is a mechanic and very handy when doing renovations, yes something will go wrong or breakdown, but it will also do so if we stay in our home, we plan on enjoying the rest of our lives, we have worked hard all our lives, we earned it. We have planned on this for the last 5yrs. We are not crazy, just ready to move in to the next phase of our lives and plan on enjoying it ups and downs and in betweens in our 36ft class A . We still have too much energy to sit at home in our rocking chairs waiting for the end.
The American come Up with a new concep of living RV lifestyle can not be viable. The RV park owners can turn shipping container into an RV for rent a few hundred dollar a month even better than RV . People just drive their car with luggage come and live for a few weeks or a few months. Why do you need to drag a massive RV like a truck with you from state to state ? to show the world you have a hundred thousand dollar asset not poor and homeless? 😂
I mean, come on. Are you telling me that doing van life at 40 with 2 teenagers and a husband together on the road 24/7 is not the ideal plan for a family? what a shock. Some people just don't have common sense.
lol, I hope you are joking. we have homeschooled all of our nine children , each of them up to 9th or 10th grade then their choice. we traveled with them to over 1/2 of the country. they are more grounded, full of common sense, all grown now, 3 went to college but all are fully independant making well over average income. all still love adventure, all ski, wakeboard, snowboard, love life.
@@rrrrkoop2776 @ Then you got lucky after intentionally depriving them of their childhoods and social lives away from you. One teenager recently spoke up about her own abuse under such conditions. I am certain there are many. What qualifications do you have to teach K12 besides likely being a religious fanatic.
@Formaldehydex you do not have to be a religious fanatic to want to home school your children, many websites help you to homeschool your children. Many schools are not equipped to deal with children that are highly intelligent, they do not challenge them. They also are not well equipped or educated enough to deal with mentally challenged students. Homes schooling while full time in an rv traveling gives them more information than looking at things in a book in the classroom. That one child you are talking about sounds spoiled, like many children these days they feel entitled to have everything their way. There are thousands who would love to be able to travel constantly and be able to see the world in person. I personally would have loved to see more than just my state growing up. You have your life they have theirs, don't criticise just because someone has not chosen your path. Move on and follow a channel you enjoy, maybe a homebody channel?
Great video and spot on. Every point you made is what my wife and I experienced after 4 years of full-time RV living. I retired at 58 and we sold our lovely house to hit the road. We had all the amenities, washer/dryer, dishwasher, and a reasonable amount of space in our 40-foot 5th wheel. As time went on, I found myself spending many days doing major repairs -slides, plumbing, hydraulics, you name it. We found it difficult to schedule doctor appointments, we began feeling isolated, missing routine contact with family and close friends. We now own a house and a travel trailer, we. Keep our long travels to 2-3 weeks maximum. We have discovered or visited many places in State that we didn't even know existed. Even after 2 weeks, we are ready to get back to our home. It all sounds great, but when you add up the emotional costs, the expense, and the time investment, it's a tough life to lead. Thanks or such a well thought and honest assessment of full time RV life.
I have never understood selling an Appreciating Asset to buy a Depreciating Asset. Worst financial decision one could ever make
Thanks for the kind words and for watching
@@exploringnext1111in our case, we didn’t sell our house to finance our traveling. We planned ahead and were fortunate enough to be able to fund our travels. We didn’t suffer financially and wouldn’t trade those 4 years for anything. When we stopped full timing, it was for many of the reasons elucidated in the video. Everyone’s situation is different.
To everything there is a season and a reason!
For us introverts, this is perfect.
We did two years of Van life in a 30ft RV with me and my kid for $2000 a month. There are so many resource free camping, food, dumping that we had no issues. Had a great time and looking forward to doing it again soon.
What wait, your van was 30ft long? Lol
It's great to hear you had a good experience!
30ft that is like bus long about
For some of us, an RV is the only affordable roof to own. Rental is ridiculous, unstable (as you'll never own your home, if it sells your out on your can, monthly rate goes up exponentially, etc), and unsustainable for most people. It's pretty sad when even renting is a pipe dream. An RV can cost around $300/month to buy, but an apartment can cost $2000/month or more to RENT
My wife and I sold our house in 2017 and have been living in our 5th wheel. There are times we miss the room but almost 8 years later we still call it home and miss it when we go visit and stay with the kids.
we've been full time RV for almost 2 years now. We absolutely love being in the small space (tiny mansion) I love that I can cook dinner and still be a apart of the family shenanigans im not isolated doing laundry or cooking dinner. My husband and I get along well and don't argue much at all. I usually just follow his lead because he knows better then I do, this lifestyle made us happier, grateful and our kids absolutely love it too. Exploring the new campgrounds, new states, new areas, new amenities. It's been a great adventure so far and we have no interest in stopping!
This is one of the most honest videos I've seen regarding RV life. We have been full-time RVERS for over 3.5 years. We researched for 5 years before selling our home and buying a used Super C. Everything you discuss in this video hit home with us.
FYI, we have RVd for about 30 years, so we weren't newbies when we went full-time.
We are both retired. We crisscrossed this country and have seen SO much! The experiences have been fantastic! And yes, the breakdowns and health concerns are real, too.
We landed in Sierra Vista, AZ, on January first. Health issues have kept us here, and we traded in our motorhome 2 months ago on a beautiful 5th wheel to be stationary in an RV park. I am a camp host here, and this works well for us.
We will travel back to the Midwest next spring and then return here in late summer.
We all need to do what's best for ourselves.
And be at peace with it.
We've never been exactly mainstream, and I doubt we ever will.
We live our lives and live our faith, and trust God to put us where He needs us. We believe He has done that. Thanks for this video.
Thanks for sharing your experience and for watching
Perfect!
Excellent video. We have RV’d for over 40 years , starting in the ‘80’s. We’ve traveled nearly 300,000 miles in that time, but we never thought full timing worked for us, for all the reasons you’ve stated. Seven years ago,as we approached retirement, we reduced our workload and made 4-6 week long trips, visiting places and family. One size does not fit all but for us, now retired, we like 4-8 weeks out, then back to our home for 4-8 weeks. It still allows us to experience adventures but have a place to keep our “stuff”, spread out, take care of maintenance, etc.
We love it, but it’s not cheap, and we hope to continue for as many years as we can handle
Thank you for an excellent video.
Thanks for sharing your experience and for watching
Bought our first travel trailer last month. Drove 6 hours to get it. Only 2 hours after leaving dealership a tire blows out on interstate and shreds underside on trailer. Welcome to RV life. LOL
It’s always something!!
@@GratefulGlamperChinese tires😢
The message about adventuring wherever is true. Yet a lot of people including my siblings always want more. Being appreciative can go a long way.
We travel no more than 5 hours away (state parks) and stay no more than 4 days (that's how long our tanks last). Nobody gets bored and you can see/ do everything during that time. Great to get home.
I can see how that would work great for you.
This was an extremely well done and honest video. It should be the starting point for folks to watch, and let it sink in! Its best to do this before proceeding to "sell it all" and get too far along down the path,.... Full time RV is not for the faint of heart.
💯
Hello. My husband and I have been on 7 cruises in the last 10 years. Kids are grown. We just purchased a camper to become weekend warriors. You will love cruising!!
Awesome!!
I am disappointed to see some of the comments ripping into this family. Just because they are making their life work for them doesn’t take away from their wisdom of living the in’s and out’s of full time RV living. This is yet, another season they are in and still willing to share their experience.
Now they are bad (greedy) people for wanting to continue to support their family while sharing their wisdom? I surely don’t think so.
For those of who made the comments about their upcoming cruise and not subsidizing other people’s travel, I want you to realize that this is a very common practice across many industries. People get paid for their time and expertise. I imagine this will be a super fun trip with a lot of socializing but there is so much for participants to gain that it’s outrageous to me to think that they can’t have fun and get paid for their time.
People grow, evolve and change. We should be grateful they have allowed us into all the nuances of their experiences and support them…or not. But bashing them for being real is more of a reflection on you than them. Just disconnect and go find a channel that suits you better. No big deal if they aren’t a fit for you anymore but being nasty towards them isn’t useful for anyone.
Nice honest video I have watched many of your videos and enjoy your down to Earth approach 👍💯
I appreciate that!
We love Hilda on Netflix and she says “Such is the Life of an Adventurer” and that has become our motto. We are a family of three who primarily weekend RV camp twice a month year round. We find adventure at home and close to home all the time.
Or, as Thomas Wolfe said, you can't go home again. The friends move. The family moves. The area changes, often for the worse. Or the prices double and quadruple and you can't return even the area still is where you want to be.
I think a lot of people are on the road, because they are looking for someplace to call a new home. Someplace where things, and people, are where they want to make a home.
Me and my wife is going to move for work. We are gonna sell house and live in our 39 ft 5th wheel. Won't be going places we going to be going from where our camper been parked last 3 years to another parked spot in Texas. Not sure how things gonna go especially since my wife does not come out to the camper as much as me. No kids. But still gonna be adjusting from 3 bedroom 2 bath 1600 sq fit house to 39 ft camper is probably gonna be quite the shock.
It can be a huge adjustment, but you’ll find your groove!
Great video. Good points. Yes, adventure is all around us. RV’ing was great for you and now you are off to write a new chapter or chapters!! As the kids get older their needs change too. Enjoy the cruise. You’re going to LOVE it. I have enjoyed your videos.
❤❤
Thanks for keeping it real. And for the info on the magazine!!!
I'm glad you found it helpful!
Love this - we are working thru selling house in Colorado and trying to decide where home base may be while RVing. How do you make a living, BTW? Does YT pay enough?
We’re not full time TH-camrs BUT it took about 5 years and a TON of work to get there. There is ALOT more involved than shooting and uploading video.
We sold our home in Pine Junction Colorado and bought a very small home on land in East Texas, never looked back. We are now set up for traveling in our RV and having a nice place to call home, without living in an environment that’s over regulated and populated.
Get an aft balcony on the Alaska cruise! It's the best place to see absolutely everything!
Thank you so much! I’ve always thought how much fun it would be to travel, but I love your idea and honestly I have found so much stuff to do at home in my own little area that I never seem to leave. 👍
It is amazing what you can find to do in your own area!
Great video! Thanks for posting.
Glad you enjoyed it!
You have done a quick turnaround, your channel and sponsors have been based on promoting the RV lifestyle, this very episode you were pushing a RV Destinations magazine. A month ago you were out looking at buying another RV.
We’ve always been open and honest about our experiences and opinions. And we live a hybrid RV style so we are still very actively traveling and RVing.
Hi, I think life itself is an adventure. I find adventure everywhere I go, whether at the dentist office or at Stone Mountain you can make every moment of your life an adventure. I make playing chess to feel like an adventure in my life, when I go to a gym that too I make it feel like an adventure, as I make and drink coffee in the morning that`s an adventure for me as well. I went on a cruise to the Bahamas and of course that was a tremendous adventure to me. I remember years ago as I was living up in South Beach Miami and it started to comedown one day I made it an adventure as I decided to take off my shirt and went out to wash myself walking and jumping on the streets in the midst of a torrential rain. So as you can see you dont need to go to out and live full time VanLife to be able to live an adventurous life, great video, I hope your are living a fullfilling life after your experience as a nomad living full time on an RV several years on the road. Blessings!
'Life itself is a adventure' 👍
I agree, it’s about your perspective! Thanks for watching
@@Allen-yv3ueYes, I really think it is, rgs
Interesting point of view, thanks. We are retired and live in the Northern Scottish Highlands, we have a caravan (travel trailer for you in the USA). We go on fairly local trips with our caravan as well as longer trips lasting several months. For example we travel to the south of Portugal and Spain and other European countries. We have even done a couple of trips from home down to North Africa, Morocco, for the winter. That is a round trip of over 5,500 miles on a trip of 4 months. We love being away, but it always nice to return home after a long trip. When we get home it isn't long before I have the fun of planning our next trip. We have the fun of the adventures, and the comfort and security of having a physical home (sticks and bricks I think you call it).
Yes, thanks for sharing your adventures and for watching. Best wishes
I lived in Alaska and a cruise is a great way to see the state because there are very few roads in Alaska. On the cruise you'll go places inaccessible by road.
Hey, was that Oshkosh Wisconsin one of the Airventure events I saw you at in this video? How fun I go there every year.
My Wife and I are going to be selling our home, but an acre or two of land, and getting into a Travel Trailer as our main permanent fixed location home. At the same location we plan to have a separate 18x40' Cabin as a main living room-ish area.
So very true, Charity, adventure can be found everywhere, very good video! We know we could never be full timers, we need a well grounded "sticks and bricks" to park our old bones! That said, part time RVing works well for many folks.
Thanks for watching!
Boy, what a good video. Very well said
Thank you!
Great video! Thanks!
Thanks for watching
I struggle with leaving this comment but felt it a valid statement. You say you are now a hybrid rver. The reality is that you live in a sticks and bricks and vacation in an RV. Like many others. And that is fine. However your channel was to inspire and give helpful ideas to those who are fulltimers and now I feel you are using the platform because it is monetized and you don't want to lose the income. It is misleading and feels like you want your cake and eat it too.
If a person’s goal is to live on the road in the same manner that they lived stationary, well um yeah, it’s gonna cost similar. Then add all the fuel, entrance fees, alternative this-and-that and it’s expensive. Older equipment usually needs maintenance more often, etc. I don’t understand why people think that being on the road would be cheaper. I save when I want by sitting still for a time because fuel and maintenance is expensive. ❤ I choose not to eat out as much and so on. Choices!
being full timers for almost 2 years I agree with this. It's not as cheap as people think. It depends what road you take. Does the rig have a payment or not, older rig more maintenance, stationary vs travel costs. It's how you do it.
Could you please recommend a good brand of RV covers for winter?
Thanks, Connie
I personally don't recommend RV covers unless it's indoors because it will collect an insane amount of moisture inside your rig causing mold and mildew
Rving is only fun if someone has a lot of money!!!! Most parks are out of reach for low income Seniors! And have to book way ahead to get a place to park! I have been doing it for 5 years. Like around Sedona Az. the parks are high and the remote land is so junky and jammed up and ruff homeless people.
🧭🗺️Absolutely true! There’s so much more around us to explore that we realize. We just need to get out there! 🛶
Many blessings from the Ozarks, Linda
Repairs, insurance, plumbing.
We have a class A and just had to replace all the running lights in it. It’s a 2008 but it needed it.
Excellent video❤
We travel because we have to for health reasons. Many of our friends, older and younger envy us because they think we are just having the time of our lives. We have a lot of fun, I’m not going to lie. However, we are just living day to day. Getting all the normal things done. It takes some planning, flexibility and not being afraid of the unknown. Lol Yeah, you touched on a lot of the good and bad. Our grown sons live at “home base”, so we always have a place to come back to. We enjoy your channel. ❤
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Try living on a houseboat in a marina. Oh doesn't that sound so cool? First off, at most marinas, full-time liveaboards are around 7 to 8 percent of the boats so during the week it is ususally really quiet IN THE FALL AND WINTER!!! Summer and much of Spring, people are coming and going all the time and slips in marinas are maybe 2 1/2 feet apart - the width of a finger-dock that you share so you're "neighbor" that just pulled in and is half-drunk and feeling rowdy, yelling at his mates or wife and kids is just that close. So much for quiet. Then there's Friday and Saturday that during the warmer months, you have invited guests (and uninvited ones) that party like it's 1999 all night long. Yeah, quiet. Oh, and my marina had a restaurant/bar that people in the area liked - they did have good food - but these people packed the parking lot, so if you did leave AND YOU LIVED THERE, you might not find a parking space when you came back! And boats have the same basic issues of RV'ers - potable water on-board that you have to fill from YOUR OWN food grade really long hose because each dock had two spigots so unless your slip is right next to it and mine wasn't, you have a 100 foot hose running from the spigot back to the boat. I did have shore power which was easy enough, but was too poor to buy solar panels at that time, though at the time, a few boats had wind power for off-shore power (no problem with wind if you are in a moving boat!). Other problems were very low water levels - my boat settled into the muddy bottom of the river when there was a droughty year and listed just abit to one side. Can't level a boat!!! The opposite - flood levels were reached a couple of times - the giant/tall moorings that held the docking in place and the docks where our boats were tied - most of the time they were hugely soaring above our heads but in flooding waters on the river - those pilings were like two feet above the docks - TWO FEET!!! Oh, and the marina I was in didn't have a very good way to get from the dock to the shore when previously it was less than a four foot walk to the lower parking lot (which was now underwater) to about 20 feet over at least 50 feet of water beneath a 2 1/2 foot wide metal "ladder" style walkway with rungs you could look through and see all that water NO RAILINGS. So...want to talk about the (dark) side? I can match you story for story about living on a houseboat!!!
Wow!!
I had to live a year in an Rv until my house was built and it was awful. Having to run the a.c non stop was so annoying, lack of storage, living with 3 dogs and 2 birds and the cooking was such a pain in the ______ not to mention we had mouse issue's so hard to control mice and even had some ants try to move in with us. NEVER AGAIN lol
I really liked this video.
Glad you enjoyed and thanks for watching
Adventure....yes, it is everywhere.
Used your promo code, looking forward to getting the first issue of rv destinations
Adventure awaits anywhere. Sounds like a new t-shirt. 😊
That’s a great idea!
@@GratefulGlamper I hope to see it on your merch site soon.
They have a gorgeous RV
Very real and honest video.
"One time, at nomad band camp, I saw a one legged scruffy veteran living in a van down by the river. His eyes were undraping me and I felt soooo dirty.
It was horrible and that is why I drove my RV to skid row in LA so I was closer to police protection."
🫨
@@GratefulGlamper
I agree with most of what you said; however, as another person mentioned, a month ago you were looking for a new RV and now you’re modifying your lifestyle. All well and good but the “join us on a cruise” is asking for people to join your group and failing to mention that YOUR family gets your entire cruise free along with a bunch of amenities. Nope, I don’t subsidize others travel. Enjoy your cruise.
More content creators should do a video like this. I think it might motivate some to try something different and go out to see the world. We are disabled with Multiple Sclerosis. My wife is. And I want to say that because of that we went into this lifestyle. We are working on a channel where we share our story. My plan is to talk about how to find destinations that one can do with a disability and how to navigate doctors and pharmacies. Also, as you mentioned, we pretty much started out finding things to discover nearby. Florida is more than Disney, Universal, and Busch Gardens. And so does the rest of the USA.
Right now, we live in our 5th wheel, and we found a park in Arizona, which we sold our mobile home in the same town. We are snowbirds, and our family is really close by in our town. But this park is so inexpensive and fits our needs, while we look for a home most likely in Florida. Either way, we don’t intend on towing this anywhere anytime soon. And I couldn’t see towing our rig all over the country. You have made some really valid points. In our case, we lost our home in Illinois, and moved near family in Arizona. So either way, we are fine! ❤
It's great to hear you're happy with your decision!
I would never sell my home to become a full time RVer. It's great for us to get away for a few weeks at a time but we always look forward to coming home. I consider our RV as a moving cottage. We can get away, mix it up a little, have an adventure even 30 minutes from our doorstep, come back to our daily routine, then repeat.
I love watching your videos and 1 other of full time RV living & would love to travel more often but, while I’m watching them and get “the fever” I’m also thinking, there is no way I would sell my home to do it full time. I love my home and all my things😅 and like the idea of having a place to “come home” to. Our home is paid for and all our family lives in this area.
It sounds like you have a great setup!
Yep RVs, nope. Started out in a pickup truck Leer Cap for 2 years, now building out a PM. I haven't paid rent or utilities in 3 years...the few campgrounds I've stayed at people were stacked on one another with ginnys destroying any peace. Nope, only boodocking for me where RVs really shouldn't go. My costs are extremely low and I travel all the time but I'm retired...I can't imagine all the BS with kids, etc., it's common sense that it's gonna be work....real hard work
100% on you better be ready for repairs!! You have to be handy, or you will be sitting at the mercy of the RV service that don't give a flying f about you!!! And not just filter and changing the oil. Just this week, Battery died, water pump died. jacks would not retrack, side out uneven tracked in. Last month replace awning on slide out and head lights. Plumbing into gray tank broke, auto step motor died. Just to show things if I could not fix myself your grounded for some time. I'm in an ACE Thor that is 5 years old now. Less than 25000 miles. But we love every min of the life. What is stressful to some is just another day to others.
Going out on the road without doing your research about the good and bad is not good. It is like most people that go and buy a rig without doing their research. You need to be informed before you do anything that is a life change. Everybody’s story is different from the other people on the road. Do your research and do what fits you. We are selling our house and hitting the road. We have been researching for 7 years while we were working and know what we are getting on the road full time. Not everyday is a vacation day but it is a day in a different environment.
I don't view full time RVing in this manner as a means of adventure and seeing new things. We don't want our lives to be a 'travel channel'. That comes with it, of course, and we do experience new things, but it is only a part of it. We just the enjoy being in nature and being nomadic. We enjoy the day to day. I would not have done this with children, so glad they are grown and not in the RV. Good luck!
Thanks for sharing your perspective!
We do it with 2 tots and a 9 year old and it's a blast!
Yes social media shows the beauty of it, but I think a lot of you tubers show the downsides, they even emphasize it and use as click bait.
But! One question for you, that HYBREED life sounds one HELL expensive, stradling between caring for a motorhome and all that life there can cost, and then also buying a Sticks and bricks, and support that, without a rich uncle or nest egg, and supporting 2 differ lifestyles, how does a young couple as yourself support both? That is why many of us either have to put it off, or sell our place like we did last year in order to afford such. I want to know your secret.
We live on less than we make, we have ZERO debt except for our mortgage and our RV is 20 years old. No debt payments making the banks rich means more in our pocket
Boinking would be a challenge
Three words: washer spin cycle
RV life or not, you are still going to change diapers and figure out what is for dinner.
Yup!
aint that the truth lol
This is kinda a Debbie Downer video. I don't usually say that, but it left me feeling sad. 😓
It can be tough sometimes.
Just convert your channel a travel channel. You love to travel. Period. Just say that. No need to say that RV life-style didn't work for you. It served you well and maybe you'll get back into it, but now your needs have changed. Impressive to do with children. Now you want to get into cruising. That's super cool too. People like the idea of travelling full time. Not living in an RV. I think that's where the disconnect is for many. You can travel full time many different ways. We have been travelling for two years, but have a home to come back to and would never sell it. In fact, if you own property you should probably never sell it anyway. Rent it out, sure. Or let your adult kids stay there. I would never buy a new RV or fifth wheel. Absolute waste of money. As far as repairs - everything breaks. I have to go fix my fence, garage door, faucets, washer/dryer, fridge in my house too.
Traveling with teenagers or pre-teens can be a challenge.
Yes it can be
we travel with a 2,3 and 9 year old. So glad they make rigs with more then 1 bedroom
If you're not handy in a stationary home, you will not survive the mobile life.
Make sure you get the insurance especially medical. God forbid an accident/illness happens that requires hospitalization or medical helicopter transport. The insurance can save you thousands of dollars in an emergency situation. Also things can happen on excursions that can cause you to be late getting back to the ship. The ship could leave and you will have to find your own way to get back to the ship, so it's good to have an emergency credit card with you just in case when leaving the ship. Don't be scared, be prepared! You will LOVE Alaska, it is so beautiful. We did a zip line through the forest, horse back riding, went to Mendenhall Glacier and more. Then there is all the activities on the ship. So much fun. Enjoy!!
Thanks so much for sharing!
Creators on TH-cam get a lot of guff
I could never be a full time RVer. That’s why we are weekend and RV vacation warriors.
Best of both worlds. Thanks for watching
💕💕💕💕💕💕
I gotta say if people sold whole out meaning that if a person or couple or whatever thought that raving was going to be nothing but but rainbows 🌈 and unicorns 🦄 then I blame people like you TH-cam content creators that make it seem like it’s a fun and nothing goes wrong. And don’t at me because I am right. Who in the hell just sells everything and tries to live in a 28 ft long box on wheels. Come on America wake up That’s what’s wrong with this country all a bunch of sheep. Me and my wife just fully retired but we know based on life curve balls are thrown at u and that’s just every day now if someone thinks that traveling around in a vehicle what could go wrong Jezz. Wake up people god forbid something really does make people have to think. Scary to think about.
My husband and I are retiring in 8 months, we are in the process of selling everything, we have enjoyed camping in various rvs for the last 20 yrs, we have sat down and figured our budget and what our needs will be, we also have a 30 yr old cognitively impaired daughter and an 85 yr old mother with Alzheimer's. We have property to come back to for 6 months of the yr to visit kids and grandkids, we are also looking into possibly putting a small home on the property, or purchasing a small home, with proceeds from the sale of our home, down south in case of an emergency because of mom. Rv life is not for everyone, but my husband is a mechanic and very handy when doing renovations, yes something will go wrong or breakdown, but it will also do so if we stay in our home, we plan on enjoying the rest of our lives, we have worked hard all our lives, we earned it. We have planned on this for the last 5yrs. We are not crazy, just ready to move in to the next phase of our lives and plan on enjoying it ups and downs and in betweens in our 36ft class A . We still have too much energy to sit at home in our rocking chairs waiting for the end.
The American come Up with a new concep of living RV lifestyle can not be viable. The RV park owners can turn shipping container into an RV for rent a few hundred dollar a month even better than RV .
People just drive their car with luggage come and live for a few weeks or a few months. Why do you need to drag a massive RV like a truck with you from state to state ? to show the world you have a hundred thousand dollar asset not poor and homeless? 😂
KUTGW
I mean, come on. Are you telling me that doing van life at 40 with 2 teenagers and a husband together on the road 24/7 is not the ideal plan for a family? what a shock. Some people just don't have common sense.
In your back yard
Don't live in an Rv
Why not? been living in mine for five years and absolutely love it and I'm not rich just smart.😊 have no plans of doing anything different.
why not? We do and it's a wonderful experience!
Please please discontinue using vocal fry. This is excruciating to hear and it kills your vocal.chords
I think making young kids live in an RV is child abuse.
lol, I hope you are joking. we have homeschooled all of our nine children , each of them up to 9th or 10th grade then their choice. we traveled with them to over 1/2 of the country. they are more grounded, full of common sense, all grown now, 3 went to college but all are fully independant making well over average income. all still love adventure, all ski, wakeboard, snowboard, love life.
@@rrrrkoop2776 @ Then you got lucky after intentionally depriving them of their childhoods and social lives away from you. One teenager recently spoke up about her own abuse under such conditions. I am certain there are many. What qualifications do you have to teach K12 besides likely being a religious fanatic.
@Formaldehydex you do not have to be a religious fanatic to want to home school your children, many websites help you to homeschool your children. Many schools are not equipped to deal with children that are highly intelligent, they do not challenge them. They also are not well equipped or educated enough to deal with mentally challenged students. Homes schooling while full time in an rv traveling gives them more information than looking at things in a book in the classroom. That one child you are talking about sounds spoiled, like many children these days they feel entitled to have everything their way. There are thousands who would love to be able to travel constantly and be able to see the world in person. I personally would have loved to see more than just my state growing up. You have your life they have theirs, don't criticise just because someone has not chosen your path. Move on and follow a channel you enjoy, maybe a homebody channel?
@@FormaldehydexWow you are a piece of work! Living in a box of ignorance!
nobody needs you to back up a couple years just get to the point