These Things Are Money Pits! Everything That We've Had To Repair! | Fulltime RV Living!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 เม.ย. 2023
- When we began our fulltime RV living lifestyle, we made sure to have money set aside for repairs, upgrades and general maintenance of our RV and tow vehicle. We thought we had a pretty healthy budget set aside for these items, but in today’s video, we share exactly what we’ve spent on every single repair we’ve made in our first two years of fulltime RV living!
Everything from oil changes, air and water filters, slide and A/C repairs and even a new roof are included in these costs! We were very surprised to learn that maintenance and repairs are our most expensive line item in our overall RV budget, especially when we originally thought it would be one of the cheapest!
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🎥Our Truck Needs Upgrades!
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🎥Install Your Own Air System And Train Horn!
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🎥Putting A New Roof On The RV!
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🎥Fixing Our Bedrail Clearance Issues
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🎥The First Time We Destroyed The Slide!
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How the hell do you find time to use your camper with all that maintenance your doing.its cheaper to stay at a hotel
@@robertcostello8876 I have plenty of time time to enjoy the RV! This was everything we have done over our first two years of fulltime use! No it wouldn't be cheaper to live in a hotel fulltime! I think many people think this is a horror story about this RV, and if we just used it a few times a year it would be! But this is what fulltime use looks like!
Plus all your labor so add about another $15,000
@@jjohnson8977 Thats why you do your own work so you can save that money!
Sorry but did you think there was no maintenance? This is s complete farce . Next time think
Oh put
The RV manufacturers are going to put a hit out on you. You've successfully talked me out of ever owning a RV.
All I did was tell the truth! If you use one fulltime and move often you will spend more in maintenance and repairs!
@PavingNewPaths I'm thinking it might be a little cheaper with a smaller RV with fewer systems. I've looked at a 22-foot Arctic Fox bumper-pull with no slides. I'm thinking that half the systems "should" equal half the cost on everyday maintenance items.
@@chriswhite318 We have never had any real issues with the systems, its all the little things that add up! The slide was caused by our own doing not the RV! But yes an RV with less moving parts has a less chance of breaking those parts!
Look at that beast of an RV. Everything you have to buy for that thing is going to be expensive. Im looking into a small Jayco trailer but im just one person. This guy is hauling an entire family around. You got kids messing with this and breaking that, you've got 3 or 4 other people using the bathroom and you need to entertain your family so you constantly pull out the awning for shade and you are cooking more often. The ignitor goes out on the stove that's 300 dollars for an inch long part.
@@desertweasel6965 You are correct we are traveling as a family of 5 and the RV in my mind has done a great job of doing what we bought it to do! This thing has not had a day off since we started! Sure somethings that broke were unfortunate, but most things were easily repaired by us!
I always tell my wife that we could stay at the finest 5 star hotels and not pay nearly what it costs to own and operate an RV
You could if you were just on vacation, but this is our home that we travel in fulltime! It would be very expensive yo pay for hotels year round!
@@PavingNewPaths True
You are correct sir
I just told my wife the same thing after returning from vacation. We just rented a trailer for 2.5 weeks. There were fun parts, but it was a lot of work, delays, driving and gas fillups. I don't even need to do the math to know it would make more sense to travel and simply stay in nice resorts/VRBOs. Not to mention the constant thoughts about water, electric, gas, checking the tanks etc.
@@Jackson_Hts_Mr_Randy_Watson For vacation or just a few trips a year an RV is just a toy! We have used ours every day for 3 years and that is the only eay we could justify owning this set up!
Like being retired but with a new full time job as a maintenance mechanic. Think i'll just drive my civic to the greatest hotels in the world and save a hundred g's. THANK YOU for such an informative video. 👍
If you are just traveling for vacation or small trips, the hotel is the way to go! But we travel fulltime so a hotel every night would be way more expensive than this RV!
@@PavingNewPaths Well you sure talked me out of it.
I'll never watch a big beautiful RV going down the interstate and think to myself, "Wish I had that". Thanks for liberating me! Nicely done on the video BTW.
We also thought you buy the nice RV and truck and it will be smooth sailing right! Not exactly everything for the most part is awesome, but our fulltime travel does have us doing more maintenance and repairs than most who only use it for a few weeks a year! Glad you liked the video!
I do all the time as a six years full-time on the road. My 31 foot travel trailer is doing good for the past 5 years but now on the process to upgrade to a 3 axle Momentum toy hauler like the one featured on this video. Everything seems huge at first until you lived on it full-time for a few years then the craving to get a bigger rig for full-time use is I think normal for most.
I was an RV / auto extended warranty claims adjuster from 1991 to 2019 and I learned to never own an RV due to the way that they fall apart, travel trailers are worse than motor homes. If you must own a motor home don't get one with slide out rooms and it's a good idea to be either a mechanic or mechanically inclined so you can do some of the repair work yourself to save money.
This is our home and we have traveled fulltime for 3 years now in it! We bought used and made all the repairs ourselves because we knew the cost and time associated with letting a dealership or warranty would take away from our dream of traveling!
I wish more folks shared the real cost like you just did.
That is why we made the video, we felt others don't share it all!
@@PavingNewPaths RV living always been expensive, its nothing new. TRUCK and RV $$$ both are consumables and dont hold any their value.
@@360VRStudios They are expensive if you are a weekend warrior that takes it out a few times a year! We however live and travel fulltime this is our home! This is actually very affordable comapred to a home, plus we get to change our address every week!
Yes
And I wish these monsters on the road would all just stop already enough is enough!
Excellent video! I have wanted to live full time in an RV, now that my husband and I are retired. We are both 72 on our fixed incomes. You have just TALKED ME OUT OF MY VISION FOR OUR RETIREMENT. We will spend our time flying to certain destinations, and paying for hotel rooms, and couple resorts, all inclusive resorts and have lots more fun! This video, literally exhausted me! It was excellent however. I am so grateful I watched this. PHEW!
If you are just going to be traveling a few times a year flying and hotels are the way to go! If you want to travel year round the RV will be the best way to go! You can also control your cost by how you travel! We have goals of seeing as many places as possible in the time we have so we move often! If we stayed places longer and slowed down our travel it would be cheaper! But if you travel in an RV fulltime you will have more repairs and maintenance than you expect!
My father attempted to go this route. He too found the cost of repairs and maintenance to be too costly. Me personally, I reserve camping spots at beaches and destinations. Load the truck up, drive, camp, have fun, return home.
@@JohnSmith-bq4vh We never said it cost to much, we are just sharing what it cost! We love RVing and the only way we could justify and afford to do this was to get rid of the house and things!
you could go with a smaller motorhome or a conversion van either one can be had for $10,000 used.
@@makeitpay8241 We travel as a family of 5 and a dog! This is also our home and every things we own! This is about as small as we can do this!
We’ve had a Chevy 3500HD and 37’ Montana High Country 323RL for 5 years and have had NO major expenses or repairs. Almost everything that has gone wrong I’ve repaired myself. We’ve towed it all over the USA AND it’s been a great experience. Other than normal wear items like tires, batteries and oil changes, the truck has been cheap to run and reliable. We’ve never once regretted purchasing our Rig. It’s been a home away from home in AZ for several months at a time in the winter and a vacation home in the summer. For us it’s $ well spent!
We also have had mostly no major expenses! The roof was the only thing that was out of the ordinary! The rest was normal issues that happen when traveling fulltime! This has been the greatest thing we have ever done it allows us to explore the USA as a family and we love every minute of it!
You were one of the few.
Go Chevy! Good luck !
We are on our 4th camper had a pop up in the 90s then got an 2001 28' Dutchman Zepher TT in spring of 2002, with no issues went from ohio to california twice, and Florida every winter then spring of 2016 bought a 2016 38' skyline layton javlin TT traveled from ohio to washington state, new mexico, TX and Florida every winter with no issues so spring of 2024 bought a 2024 43' Salem Hemiphere 5th wheel , so hope we again have a good experience! Love to travel with an RV and it has a bed to match the one in our home! Happy RVing!
So you are basically saying that I need to marry a RV mechanic that likes to do repairs and has a lot of money, and loves to travel if I want to full-time RV. Got it! 😄
When we started we just thought you buy the RV and start the adventure! Maintenance and repairs has been our biggest expense each month for the last 2 years of fulltime travel! It is something we didn't plan for, we also learned how to work on our rig and save as much money as we could by doing it ourselves! If you plan on moving often your cost will be similar!
Hmmmm yes I miss my old 1968 Ford F-250 camper special really heavy duty truck only cost 40$ to change the oil
And then its no guarantee. I helped a couple, my friends, get ready for the road. He was a mechanic, they both had retirement cheques and they did not last a year on the road. EVERY call I got from them was a tale of repairs woes. The last was a windshield replacement- they no longer made the glass, so buy it custom=$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$..
Uuuuh you better enjoy the wedding coz you won't during divorce
It's a good thing you did a lot of the labor yourself, I couldn't imagine a senior citizen taking on these maintenance costs including all the labor costs, it would be astronomical. Thanks for giving folks a heads up about the full time expense of this type of living. 👍
We planned to do all the work ourselves because this is our home, we can't afford to pay the service price or to give it up to a dealership every time it needs repairs! You also have to understand we have been traveling for 2 years moving every 7-10 days, our travel schedule is why the cost are higher! If you slowed down and didn't move like we do your cost will be much less!
I’m 76 and just finished a kitchen remodel with a little help with heavy lifting. It might take me longer but I would definitely be doing all of the repairs. Guess I’m not a senior
@@dennispalmer6007 I hear ya, don't know what your point is, but I'm glad you do your own remodeling and whether your 67 or 76, your still a senior. 🤷
@@thomastherriault8632 great post 57 here whew so much work no one thinks of most of those details stay safe
Senior citizens get injured all the time working on these monstrosities. I do think "RV" is indeed correct; these are Recreational Vehicles that are far too dangerous to be used as your only living space.
On my motorhome I sold 6 months ago, it had a clear plastic handle by the door and when the sun would catch it for a couple hours each day, it acted like a little magnifying glass and made a permanent burn mark on the siding. I guess I'm fortunate it didn't burn thru. Worst thing about this motorhome was the huge windshield that cracked twice and very expensive and difficult to replace, and we had to have the Ford vehicle air conditioner replaced twice. That was really what did it for us to sell it as we were leaving to go on a 4 day trip and got 12 miles and had to go home. It wasn't just because the A/C wasn't working, it was because the A/C unit bearings burned out and made the whole engine turpentine belt loose and did not want to risk the belt breaking.
That's unfortunate! We really like having our living space away from our vehicle so that if something were to go wrong with one, we would still have the other!
My wife and I had basically the same setup, 43ft luxury 5th wheel, F-350 4wd dually which all together initially set us back about $150k. We bought ours with the intention of using it all to vacation with until retirement and then to spend about 6 months of the year on the road. The truck was no issue, it drank diesel and a complete service was in the area of $500 but was a very solid vehicle. The RV was another story, we battled constant HVAC issues replacing all 3 rooftop units twice in the first year. New tires to replace the China bombs, an ice maker leak, troubles with the hot water system, awning, lights, self leveling, quality . Most of these big luxury RV’s are designed and built to look good sitting on the dealers lot, unfortunately there is little to no quality built into them. In the end we sold it all and lost half of our investment. I know some folks have great luck and great fun doing the RV thing but for us it was an absolute nightmare. Mostly my fault for not doing my homework before jumping in.
The truck has been flawless we only do maintenance and consumables on it! The RV was rough in the beginning but now its pretty basic stuff we do now! Could they be built better, absolutely! would we do it again? Yes! But we now understand that your biggest expense will not be food, diesel or adventures, but maintenance and repairs on your rig!
15 years ago I strongly considered buying an RV and the pickup to pull it with. It just didn't add up as I considered the fact that these items would significantly immediately depreciate. I opted to buy a small lake home. The value of the lake home has appreciated over time. If I want to I would easily be able to do short-term rentals with the property but so far have not done that. I sure appreciate the honesty in your presentation, obviously, you know what you're doing. I don't want to be a doggie downer, but the largest cost that you are incurring is the depreciation on your equipment.
Yes they do depreciate, but these are tools that allow us to do what we wanted, and that was to sell it all and travel fulltime as a family! This is not something we will do forever but it is what we are doing now, we planned for it and we made it happen, I knew we would have more maintenance and repairs because of our how we travel, but I didn't think it would be this much! We wouldn't change it though; it is the greatest thing to be able to show your kids the USA!
Smart choice I move to Florida got it all picked up a home for pennies on the dollar back 10 years ago at the bottom of the crash. Got the beach 10 minutes, along with an airport, and 1 hour away is the cruise port, plus card room to boot, who could ask for anything more. The thought of endless driving in endless traffic to go where to see what. Been just about everywhere in the US of A doesn't do anything for me.
@@vietnamvet4533 sounds like a nice setup. My brother and I have both recently retired and we took a roadtrip down that way last winter, really enjoyed it.
@@PavingNewPaths We own an appreciating asset (rental property) while we live fulltime in an RV. Best of both worlds
Get a room at the Hilton then use the money you saved for booze and hookers.....
Not including Labor. If you are not that mechanically inclined things will cost more. Then comes the fun part of trying to the right people that can do the job.
We have had 3 things on this list that involved outside help, the Roof and both times the slide was fixed and those cost did include labor! Everything else, we did do ourselves and if you had to pay someone for all of this it would add up quickly!
I used to say when I was a regular tent camper. "It costs alot of money to live like we are homeless for the week." Seeing the RV cost is mind blowing.
This would be hard to justify if this wad s toy that we only used a few times a year! But this is our home and we travel fulltime, this was what it cost us to maintain it over the first two years!
I’m just disappointed, had a used small unit and it needed minimal maintenance, our trips usually within a day, and our truck very well maintained by the previous owner. New unit has literally fallen apart every time out. Replaced screws too small, added a lot of glue and spacers and washers, trim pops off, doors warped, upgraded mattresses and some door latches. And they blame 1/2 ton towable, but not near weight limits and no trouble handling, just not well assembled. Screws are cheap and light. And if you make a reservation, show up or cancel. So tired of 3/4 full campground, and good sites empty.
The most important message from this video for new RV owners is that you will pay much more if you are not mechanically inclined. If you can’t DIY repairs and maintenance like this young man, you will really be in for a big cost surprise.
That is so true! No matter what type of RV you have if you actually use it there will be things that need to be fixed! All of these cost except for a few were done by us to save the most money!
What he is saying is go get a tent and do some real camping and save $300k😂
You crushed my dreams for going full-time RVing in my future retirement.
You have to consider the way we live and travel as a family of 5 vs. what your lifestyle and the way you might fulltime might look like! We move often so our cost are more because we like to travel!
Best to hear it upfront, than find out after the fact...
Whoa... you don't have to be like him and buy a new over-the-top 5th wheel and truck! Be normal and by a smaller and lighter travel trailer 0r truck camper (like me) and good used truck!
Who said we bought new? We bought the RV used and even with all of this maintenance cost we are still cheaper than the cost of a new one! We also promote and film doing all your repairs yourself to save money! But the biggest thing is we are a family of 5 and this is our home, we don't have a house to go home to when we need a break! So while you think this is over the top, this is all we own!
This was an excellent review.
From what I have seen over the years, all but the most expensive, upper echelon RV's are manufactured with the absolute cheapest parts and materials available, using the cheapest unskilled labor they can hire. With the exceptions of small independents, and companies like Prevost or Newmar, 95% of everything on the market isn't built to last.
I will agree Newmar, Prevost, Liberty, and Newell all build great rigs! But they are not without problems, and they cost significantly more to fix! We have met so many fulltimers with those and they stories they tell are very similar to ours! Bottom line is our RV is perfect and is doing what we bought it to do! We do however use it fulltime so we have more maintenance and repair than someone who only uses it a few times a year!
Buy a used school bus and make that into an RV. They’re sturdy, made for the road and can haul a lot of weight. Forget the black tank toilet and build a composting toilet, they work and don’t smell.
@@kenhoyer8601 We travel as a family of 5, the setup we have works perfect for us!
@@PavingNewPaths just a suggestion
@@kenhoyer8601 No, you bragged and preached.
Wow. Thanks for the video. I have now removed RV living from my list of things to do. Not just the money, but all the work it must have taken. I think I will live in a normal house or apartment and when I travel stay in a hotel. It sounds cheaper and easier! You are lucky that you are young and healthy. I could not imagine doing all that work if you were older or not healthy. I am stunned.
Well your rv'ing experience may look a lot different than ours. Our rv is 44-feet and we live in it fulltime as a family of five plus a dog. We aren't on vacation, so it's used every day and we move locations every 7-10 days.
Find a piece of land you love and out a destination RV on it. Personal motel
It takes an exceptional skill and dedicated person to do and manage all the responsibilities and task you and your wife are doing. This is not only mechanical skills, cash flow, planning the trips, growing three small kids in a tremendously small space, the stress of every week moving your home with family and specially with kids and a dog, continously monitoring the operation of the equipment, check list and procedues more comprehensive than the 747, dealing with uncertanty of travel, wheather, mechanical failures, and the rutine that every 10 days you need to start over again and over again. Probably, the best video about the best video about RV life out there! Thank you for showing us the truth 🙏
PS: I did camping in tenth for abut 10 years in a row till my daughter refused to do it anymore when she was 12. Today she is 21 and she told me recently that she never enjoy camping as a child and it was torture for her even that I was sure she was enjoining at the time.
Glad you liked the video and this was just about the maintenance and repairs part of fulltime living! We have several videos out about planning our trips, travel days, setting up and breaking down the rig, you name it and we have filmed it! When we first started it seems like a lot all the time but over the years we have streamlined the process to make it as efficient and fast as possible!
what a great video. unreal the amount of maintenance he does to keep his RV in top shape. Can you imagine the amount of people who own these things that haven't done a fraction of the work he has - buyer beware on used RVs...
So true! Inspecting the rv before purchase is essential, even when buying new!
Things will never bring happiness to people
@@mrp8173 You're right that they won't that's why we sold everything we own and travel fulltime in this RV as a family!
@@PavingNewPathsand @mrp8173
While things may not bring happiness, beautiful vistas and pleasant experiences could.
@@chevyyyyyyy Changing your life perspective and path is worth way more than money can ever bring you!
It's amazing how all the little stuff adds up! It would add up a lot faster if you didn't do a lot of that work yourself. I tell people that want to get into RV'ing on any level, that it's a full contact sport and they better be ready to go hands-on, or it's gonna be a lot more expensive than they imagine.
We budgeted for this kind of stuff, but we were way off on how much should be in this category! We never imagined that we would have so many things that needed to be fixed! Honestly most of this was the first 3-6 months, almost like an extended break in period, every time we moved something new was wrong! We still have some issues now but it's not like it was those first few months of traveling fulltime!
@@PavingNewPaths There will always be some issues, but the situation with your roof was extraordinary. My old camper was a 31', '94 Damon Escaper, still had the original roof on it, and no leaks (got rid of it in 2022). Hope the roof on my hauler lasts half as long!!! Biggest project I ever had on the old one was replacing the entire slide floor by myself, so only cost of materials and my time. Other stuff, like routine PM, updating the interior, wrapping it in camo, and lifting it 7" to fit over the 450 were just fun mods. Only things I've had to deal with so far have been minor annoyances that I fixed myself, but I'm sure there would be more if I was full-time putting your kind of miles on it... Hopefully, the next 2-years will be cheaper for you than the last two! As always, looking forward to the next video, and safe travels!!!
@@OOMAN The roof, the pinbox and the bottom falling down were the ones that got me frustrated! The rest all very minor and were easily repaird with a trip to the blue store and some time! Most of these things came in the first 6 months of travel, since then it's been very smooth sailing!
We have been on the road in a Motorhome for 2.5 years and 20,000 miles. We r in it for a fuel pump, a tire, a battery, a stabilizer bar and a starter motor for the gen. Did most of it ourselves and are in about 2k total. Our rig was 20k. We have had a blast! So it can be done on the cheap.
@@JamesBond-st4qu Sure but your probably not doing what we are doing we travel as a family of 5 and move every 7 days! We have 80k miles on the truck, if your doing it for less it's likely because your doing less! Our cost is a reflection of how we like to travel!
I had a low end ($ 35,000 ) travel trailer and spent lots of time and money fixing things. Since we only used it a few times a year, it did not fall apart as much as it would have if we used it more. I towed it with a Ford F250 with a V 10 and I got around 7.5-8 mpg when towing. I did the math, and it costs about the same to stay in decent motel and drive our Camry hybrid when we travel. Yes, RV parks are cheaper than motels and you can prepare your own meals when using the RV, but the cost is about the same. Yes, these are two different experiences, but I prefer the simplicity of traveling in a car. When you factor in the maintenance and depreciation of the RV, there is no comparison in costs. The only way to come out " ahead " in an RV is if you live in it and do not travel from place to place too much. By the way, I gave up on the travel trailer and gave it to our son who needed a place to live in.
We think RV's are great but if you only use them a few times a year get the hotel and have a great vacation, it will be much better! But if you actually do use the RV and travel it is the way to go! We live and travel in ours fulltime and it has been great, but this is also to only way we could justify owning something like this! There is no way we would have a rig like this any only use it a few times a year!
I appreciate a guy who makes sure his stuff is taken care of. We don’t full time, but our RV is out about 12 or so weekend’s per year and a one week vacation and it’s still like a little second job keeping it nice. But in exchange for keeping it nice, we never have to “get it ready” for a trip as it is always in a ready condition. After a year or 2 our expenses went down because our “upgrades” were complete and hopefully that will be true for you also.
Thank you! I believe if you can't take care of the little stuff you will fail big time on the big stuff! Since we live fulltime our RV is 100% ready to go at all times, we do maintenance and repairs as needed, but we have never missed a day in 3 years because it was on a dealer lot waiting for repairs! Most of this was all in the first year, once we made upgrades and improvements it has been pretty smooth sailing since!
😱Yikes! We live in an older home and our maintenance over 2 years has been less than $10k. Our 10 year old no slide 25' bumper pull trailer we bought new and use PT has had very little in maintenance costs but just now needing a new roof. It's housed visiting family, saved us thousands on stays at national parks, ocean beaches and typically expensive vacation spots that are reasonably close by. We've really enjoyed it because we put a very nice bed in it and it's like a little rolling vacation home.
We travel fulltime as a family of 5, for us this has been an amazing way to the USA! We could never afford to do this while living in a home so we sold the home and hit the road! Sure we have spent a lot to take care of our rig, but it's worth it!
I had a fifth wheel 44 ft. You are right maintenance is crazy. I sold it a few months ago, was happy to see it go.
This lifestyle isn't for everyone! We are still enjoying it immensely!
Who bought the piece of junk?
@@Philippinesbound42 someone who was convinced it would change their life.
I drove across America last year. From S.F (one-night stands) to Miami and stayed there 5 days. Then to D.C for the 4th of July...3 days. Then to upstate N.Y. for 3 days. To Cleveland, Chicago, Lincoln, Neb., Denver, Salt Lake, Boise, Reno and home. Total miles 8,600+. I stayed at Hiltons all the way. Loved my trip. I'm 72 and had to prove to myself I could do it. Happy I did. Total cost of my trip...gas, hotels, food & drink...$8,700+. I got the Hilton Amex to begin the trip. When I was done, I was at Diamond status. You can keep your RV'S. I'll be camping at a Hilton. No maintenance involved.
We don't came we live, this is our home that we travel fulltime in!
Wow I'm soo glad my wife and I agreed to go the vintage bus conversion route. My bus is a 77 am general. It goes 26k mi per oil change, gets 6mpg and has only required tires, a starter, oil change, and one air filter. The only upgrade I ever did was a pair of diesel heaters. Get something built to eat miles and you won't have these problems. My bus is on a million mile chassis. It's actually designed to be loaded to 26k lbs without destroying itself. Not only that it had already proved its reliability in records before we bought it. The builder used it to haul a car back and fourth to speed week on the flats. It's amazing how terrible the build is on new stuff. Under the paint my bus is all stainless steel and it will probably still be here after I'm long gone.
The don't make anything nowadays made to last anymore! My grandpa's 1992 F350 dually is still around today running like a champ, my 2020 truck will likely not live long past 2030! We live in a throwaway world now where you are constantly having to buy new or upgrade! I feel like they build them to get a certain lifecycle out of the product so you will have to buy it again in the future!
Wow on a positive note you and your family are Lucky you have so many mechanical skills to do so many of those repairs yourself a normal family would have paid twice that amount in labor costs alone. Props to you!
This is one of the ways we tried to save money and help control cost! Doing everything we could do ourselves, we have hired techs to help us with big jobs but have never had to drop our home of at a dealership to get it fixed!
On a trip to the NC mountains I met a retired couple from California who were traveling in an old Dodge extended van they had converted into a camper. They were so happy and enthusiastic about what they were seeing and enjoying. Seeing the country is different from full-timing but "camping" can be done simply or full blown. I suspect the fun will be determined by the people doing it.
We are not camping we are living! This is our home that we travel in fulltime, and it has been great! But we have realistic expectations of what it would take to live like this, and that meant doing our own repairs and maintenance on the rig! We also knew we would spend more than most to live like this, but it is totally worth it!
And the gratefulness of their heart.
Having spent 7 years of extensive traveling (not full time living, just about 100 nights per year) with a fifth wheel and a tow truck I can totally relate to your list of repair and maintenance. Our worst one was a cracked frame of the fifth wheel developing over time. I guess we hit one pot hole too many.
What still isn't included in the cost calculation is the depreciation of both the truck and the fifth wheel. RV-ing isn't cheap no matter if it's full or part time.
We thought there would be some Maintenace and repairs, but we figured our biggest fulltime living expenses would be diesel or RV parks! No the most we spend every month is taking care of the rig! And that is totally fine because it has a big job of allowing us to travel as a family!
I think of it this way. RVs and travel trailers are homes that basically endure constant earthquake type forces any time you take them out. If you are used to your nearly silent car, then you jump into a Class A, all you'll hear is banging, popping, rumbling, vibrating, knocking and clanging. Moving homes are damaged homes.
When I decided to go full-time, I bought a used truck that did not require DEF and bought one of the best fifth wheels on the market -- New Horizons Majestic. Although I had to do maintenance, I never had the problems you had. Maybe I just got lucky, but I had my fifth wheel for 8 years until I sold it and bought another New Horizons. They may be expensive, but they are nice.
We think everyone experience is based on how they travel! We move every 7-10 days and have for the last 3 years, sure we have problems but we are really using and moving the RV more than most! I could take any brand of RV at and price and if I used it the way we travel, I could make the same story! When someone says they have an RV that has no problems, they either aren't using it or don't own it anymore!
When it comes to truck maintenance, you definitely can save lots of money by DIY for the simple stuff. $45 for your (2) fuel filters. $100 for (13qts) T6 Rotella full synthetic oil. Even the brakes & 2 rotor’s will cost you less than half by doing it yourself. Lots of ways to save substantial money.
I do almost all my own maintenance! The fuel filters at $70 for both and that is the biggest savings I could gain! The ford dealership only charges $110 for oil changes so there is not much savings there! The reason I have to pay for these things is because we travel fulltime, RV parks don't allow this kind of work in the parks! So I don't have a place I can do it myself! The same for the brakes, Sure I could have saved about $600, but since I travel fulltime I can't do that type of work in the park, I also don't have all the tools with me to do that job, I don't carry a big jack or jackstands to make that job easier, so in the end it was way faster and ultimately better to let Ford do the brakes!
I'm retired and waiting for my wife to retire. Over the years we have owned 5 RVs and decided that we wanted to do part-time RVing(50-50) in retirement. My wife has decided that she wants to travel in a 5er which also means a bigger truck to pull it. This video is VERY comprehensive. I really appreciate it. No one has put out anything this detailed on the truck/trailer combo. We still have another three years before we pull the trigger on the combo, but this has made me rethink everything. Thank you for a very detailed account of daily maintenance.
Thank you so much! We are glad you liked the video! My advise is get the biggest RV and truck you m can get if you plan to spend extended time in one! They all break down no matter the size or the price, simply if you actually use them more than just camping you will work on them more! You also have to remember we are a family of 5 and we move every 7-10 days! Our cost reflect our travel style! If you moved less often and have less people living in it you're cost will likely be less in some areas! If you want to know what we spend each month check this video out! th-cam.com/video/RQGACy9_-WM/w-d-xo.html
Well you certainly cured me from ever wanting to live full time in an RV. I lived in my 5th wheel full time for about 2 years, while I was developing my homestead. The RV was pretty much pooched by the time I moved into the house. You would think that they would be more durable, considering what they cost. No more for me. The homestead costs lots, but is worth more every year.
We love the life and this is just the cost of living the life we want! Our goal was to travel and see as much of the USA as we could! Our cost reflect that we move often and cover miles!
Another great video! Eye opening for those of us just starting out. Your videos are a great resource for beginning RV’ers. Thanks. Keep up the great work!
Thank you! Glad you enjoy them!
Wow ... $1,000 a month for maintenance is a big nut to crack! Especially when you consider that as you continue piling on the miles, and the rig begins to age it's likely to become even more expensive when major parts, appliances, and systems begin to fail.
Yes but thats just the average if you considered all the repairs and maintenance! We had several big ticket items that were one time repairs, yes they were unfortunate but it's not a true monthly maintenance cost! Our real actual maintenace cost is closer to $300 a month for normal stuff to keep the rig running!
Only toilet tanks (black) 1k dollar 4 type chems? It will end ur journey
Trully ungodly ovvnership
Btw these grabbeddesigns using 666 on its momentum logo.. which trully non sense .. why ?
u dont drownning "buy and sell" for many weak builds like that esspecially when u discussing fifth wheel vacations for once a year. May God touch their heart and freed them frm those demonic missleaded & traps
We all appreciate you sharing your operating costs to live your RV life. It seems other RV posts share their experiences but not their expenses. Good on you!
We looked for videos such as these when we were exploring the idea of fulltime rv living, but rarely found any! We have two others we made in conjunction with this one if you'd like to check them out!
th-cam.com/video/RQGACy9_-WM/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/uc049FoykEk/w-d-xo.html
Incredibly good video! I tried full time rv living for two years in a 22 ft minnie winnie. So it didn't cost me nearly the same. But it is so true that rv living is not as inexpensive as some may think. You were able to save a lot by doing the repairs yourself which is great. Most people could not or would not. I just sold by rv after seven years of ownership and I am so glad. It would be wise for people wanting to get into this lifestyle to watch this video. Very informative.
Thank you! We did a pretty good job of preparing for everything before jumping in to this life! We however missed the mark on how much we would spend on maintenance and repairs! We understand now that our travel habits are the leading cause of most of this work, we move on average every 7 days! But we had a plan to travel and explore as much as possible, so this is just the cost of achieving our goal! That being said we know this is not a forever plan just a right now plan, in the future we would like to settle down somewhere and build a home, still want to travel but instead of fulltime get a smaller rig and do 2-3 month trips!
We were telling the RV I noticed that the roof was trying to come off… Yay! The happiness of having things.
Ours started to come off 3 months in to our first trip we kept applying eternabond tape and it made it 9 months until we got back to Texas and were able to put a new roof on!
$2800 for washer & dyer. Living in SE Asia a live in housekeeper costs about $150/mo plus food, so about $200. They wash by hand, hang dry. Pretty good deal.
Not the case in the USA. Plus it's in our RV that we travel in fulltime, so we much prefer a machine than adding another person since we only have about 300 sq. ft. of living space.
Wow, its crazy how subpar the design, materials and build quality are on these big RVs. I know things break from time to time, but not this much.
This wasn't that much, this video covered two years of fulltime travel!
We purchased a mid range fifth wheel, a Jayco Eagle…to travel to different places and take our dogs with us…We consider it a portable hotel room. We couldn’t justify buying a 100,000 plus RV for the amount of use it would get. But it’s nice to be able to travel with our dogs here and there without breaking the bank. At the most we may travel across country..but would never consider going full time
We actually just got finished working on a video about this type of RV and how the only way we can justify something like this is if we used it fulltime! If we were just going camping a few times a year we don't need anything like this!
Thanks for the heads-up I'm gonna heed warning ⚠️ was in the process of buying a new 44.6 ft RV fully equipped plus a lot of those repairs are for things that should be stable in a house and not in a moving trailer
RV's are awesome but you have to have realistic expectations! When we started out we just thought we have a new truck and trailer everything should be perfect! We have traveled for 3 years now moving every 7-10 days and we now know that was the wrong outlook to have when traveling fulltime! Yes things will break and need repairs, often times more than you want and expect, but that is just part of the RVing adventure!
Thank you for confirming for me that an RV is just a hole you continually shovel money into, a literal "money pit". RV's rival boats for being the biggest money pits in the world. My wife wanted an RV and I countered her with a more economical option of traveling first class air and staying in five star hotels (to save me money), that idea changed her mind and saved me time and money.
Whatever is best for you and your family is what you should do! We aren't on vacation, so we wanted an RV we could live in fulltime, while traveling the states with our children!
My wife and I have been living in a fifth wheel RV, a 32 foot Jayco Pinnacle for over a year now and all we’ve done is replace the water heater anode rod, Lol. The window shades are failing and need replacing but outside of that, it’s been fairly trouble free so far. Granted, we DO NOT travel in it and are permanently docked, and that more than anything else is probably why we haven’t had the kinds of problems that you have. Being that it’s also a top trim level RV, the materials and craftsmanship are superior to others, so I’m sure that plays a part as well.
Absolutely! Moving it every 7-10 days over the last three years, has caused a few of the issues. But normal wear and tear from a family of five plus a dog living in it fulltime are to blame as well.
Don’t worry those jayco repairs are coming
I'm glad you have the funds, the energy, and the expertise to keep this show on the road! My hat's off to you.
Thanks! But after our latest videos on the frame failure we're experiencing, our fulltime travels are likely over!
@@PavingNewPaths Yes, I am now up to speed. So very sorry!
Thank you for your informative narration of the cost of your RV and Truck. I also learned how important it is to be a handy man.
Since we do travel fulltime we knew going into it that we would spend more than most on maintenance and repairs! We also planned to do all the work ourselves to help control the cost, we just didn't realize how much money and time we would spend taking care of the rig!
Brother, kudos to you for taking care of your equipment and family! Mad respect!
Thank you! We knew going in we would spend more than most to travel fulltime! We did all our own work to help control the cost and in the end it has all been worth it!
I feel your pain. I full time RV and I’ve put 8,000 into it this year alone. Fixing seals, roof maintenance, black tank leak and so many other things. It’s still a cheaper alternative but the cost of full time living in it does get frustrating.
Thank you! There has been a lot of negative comments on this video, and we try to explain this is normal for those who actually use the RV more than a few times a year! It's an amazing way to live and travel, but its not a 24/7 vacation!
Well all I can say is, with the experience you now have, you can start a very lucrative business of your own! I’ve been RVing all my life! Never have I bought a new RV, why ? For the very reasons you have made very clear! There’s a very good reason that Camping World was able to sponsor the nascar truck series. Also why there are RV dealerships on every corner! Good luck!
We have never bought a new RV either! Did you miss the part where we said we purchased it used and the money we saved over new we put back into taking care of our home! We also travel fulltime and move every 7-10 days! This is normal maintenance and repair if you actually use your RV! We can also still sell it for more than we have in it even with all these expenses!
That’s a nice set-up! I like all of the upgrades. I did full-time RV for a little over a year once I retired from the military and it was what I needed. I remember doing several of the same upgrades, except for the roof and slides. I sold my RV trailer but I still have my F-150 which is still stunning strong. Great, honest video of what to expect!
We feel that most don't understand what fulltime living really is like! They think you buy an RV and it is vacation 24/7! Yes it is an amazing life, but it is very much just like owning a home, you just get to change your scenery often! If you use it and move often you will have more repairs and maintenance than you expect, but it is worth it!
@@PavingNewPaths Exactly! I thank God for TH-cam tutorials and all the fellow RV’ers who helped me along the way.
My wife and I thought Full Time RVing would be cheaper than living in a Sticks & Bricks home. We were full time RVers for just over 2 1/2 years. In reality, it wasn't cheaper. Although we enjoyed the time we did spend as full time RVers and the new friends we met, we decided to go back to a sticks & bricks home. We had sold our house in Wyoming and most of our stuff to go full time RVing. After full time RVing we settled back down in Kentucky and bought a small 2 bedroom home. We find that we're more comfortable now in our home than we were in our RV.
We love this life! There are things that are more expensive im this life than a normal sticks and bricks, but overall we spend almost half of what we used to spend with a house! The difference is now we have experiences and memories over things! We do know at some point we will settle back down but for now we are loving the adventure!
Great video! A small dose of reality for those who think living the R/V lifestyle is like being on some permanent vacation where life is a dream without problems. It is for a while but life always happens no matter where you are or what you're doing. Good luck, all the best and happy trails. 👍
One of the reasons we made this video! Most only show the 24/7 vacation! While it is fun and an amazing way to live, it is very much like living in a home! We also felt it was important to show just what it took for us to travel like this!
I had to laugh as you continued to point out all the repairs plus maintenance cost I always wanted to get a RV as both me and my wife are retired after watching your TH-cam makes me take a long hard look at the amount of money required to keep running down the road. I really appreciate your honesty in sharing this information. Safe travels my friend and lets hope 2024 you have less issues to deal with!
Thank you! Glad you liked the video!
Great to see an honest overview of costs for living full time on the road. I hope that this doesn't stop family from doing the same as it's just money and you can't put a price on memories. Here in Australia we have similar experiences except with more vehicle costs as river crossings always eventually leads to starter motor, alternator and aircon pump issues as well as corrosion issues. I still reflect on all the places that we've seen that wouldn't be possible by flying and staying in motels. Keep living the dream. 😊
Thank you! We had so many requests for a cost breakdown from our viewers! We actually made three videos about our cost! One about how much we spent to get the truck and the RV! You can see it here th-cam.com/video/uc049FoykEk/w-d-xo.html Then we made one about our monthly expenses you can check it out here th-cam.com/video/RQGACy9_-WM/w-d-xo.html and finally this one where we broke down the cost of maintenance and repairs since it was the biggest expense, we have each month! You are correct, the memories and time spent together as a family are worth the cost!
It's great that your able to save money, but your comparing yourself with a 1/2 truck and a 28 ft trailer to a family of 5 with a 1 ton and a 44ft trailer! Not really a fair comparison when we aren't even remotely doing the same thing as each other!
You and your family are cool for sharing these details and opening my eyes and others' to clearances, materials used by manufacturers and transportation incidents you might not think or don't think about. Thanks for doing this. I hope the repairs slow for you all, but it sounds like you all have made sound investments for the future and are good to go. I will be watching more of your channel!
Thank you! Glad you liked the video and we hope you enjoy the rest of the channel!
Never a dull moment, there is always another project for the depreciating highway yacht..
The RV is part of the adventure!
I lost 100K in 5 years. It’s not so much the RV’s themselves but the support, in rental spaces, storage and fuel. Then the resale was a huge loss. It took over a year to sell. Repairs, leaks, tire problems were the worst for me. And hope like hell you don’t hit anything. RV trailer body repairs are almost nonexistent. DIY skills are a must.
We sold everything and our goal was to travel fulltime as a family! This RV and truck has allowed us to do that! The cost are higher because of the way we travel but we wouldn't change it for the world! We could never justify this if it was something we used a few weekends a year!
Kawasaki 1400 ABS $17986, all weather three person tent and bungee cords to hold it to the back of the bike while travelling $1600. , warming grips and thermal suit and full face helmet $600, trenching tool to dig the latrine $45 , gas for the year $1100, campground fees $457 , realizing even the best tent dont work in six feet of snow and driving back home to Brownsville FREE
That is a hilarious story! But I bet it was an adventure and an experience you will talk about for the rest of your life!
I own a 26-foot trailer, and I concur, that maintenance is the biggest cost in using this. Good job, and thanks for sharing this with me.
Thanks for watching!
You can rotate the tires on the rims if you've got the stock wheels. A lot of shops don't like to do it, that's why they say they can't.
The rear wheel turns around and faces the opposite direction to make it a front wheel. There's lots of youtube videos showing how to do this.
If your truck is a 2WD, I'd advise just running a closed shoulder tire on the front and cross rotating them. Run an all-terrain or mud and snow on the back. That way you get the best of both worlds. Plenty of grip out back, long wear in the front.
This only works if you have steel wheels! We have aluminum wheels so the only way it works is to move the tires! Our inner rear is a steel so we only have 4 rims that are actually aluminum! If you don't care how it looks then yes you can do it, but if you have aluminum rims you care how it looks!
@@PavingNewPaths did Ford just cheap out on your two steelies, or is there a reason they don't give you 6 aluminum wheels? In the old days they'd give you 6, but sometimes they'd crack.
@@pblackbird Every Ford since about 2012 has been only 4 aluminum and two steel for duallys!
You are absolutely correct and on point. So many youtubers make it look like it's so awesome. RV's are not made to last long term.
It actually is pretty awesome RV'ing! But if you come into this lifestyle thinking nothing will break, you will be disappointed!
Kevin, I love how you film your videos! I bet it takes a lot more time to film but they are great. You always get a smile or a chuckle from me. Thank you 😄
Thank you! I actually started doing this because it makes filming easier and faster than just staying in one place and trying to talk about it all at once! Plus I get to have some fun with how I talk about each thing!
It takes mental/emotional clarity to organize such videos effectively.
The True Cost of Ownership is reflected in videos like this. This would be a great video to negotiate down the cost of a new RV based upon the expectations of what is not covered and all the nit-noid stuff that breaks. That roof thing would be a deal breaker for me, I would have ghost-rided that RV back into the stealership if my roof delaminated like that in such a short time.
Except we didn't buy it from a dealership for this exact reason, we were not about to pay new prices and have to relay on the help from a warranty or a dealership to help us out! We bought used and took the money we saved over new and made all the repairs ourselves! Even with all the cost we can still sell this RV for more than we have in it! Plus we have never had to give the home up for one night in two years to have a repair done!
I spent the weekend viewing RV horror stories. I'm officially scared straight. Tents work great.
If you're buying an RV to use a few times a year you will not enjoy it much. better to spend the money on hotels! But if you plan to actually use the RV they are amazing, but you will need to take care of them!
My wife has always wanted an rv and votes me to be the captain. Holiday Inn has done a great job reinventing their name.
If you are looking to RV for just vacations a few times a year you will likely be very disappointed, but if you are going to use the RV and travel to see the USA, it is the best way to travel and it will be the cheapest if you actually use it more than just a few weekends a year!
This is a great video!
I've pondered that too!
I've even thought about living aboard a boat (power trawler style boat) but that too is very expensive and not for the faint of heart! lol
Thanks! It's a great life but not a fulltime vacation! Its a lot like living in a house, you have to repair and take care of things! Often way more than you expect!
What a great resource for people thinking about getting into rv’ing. Good video.
Thank you! I will say if you move less than us you will likely see less expense on the maintenance and repair side!
I am SO DANG GLAD, my 19 year old is learning mechanics. He wants to be a State Trooper, but he has to wait until he's 21. In the meantime, our GMC dealership made him an apprentice and is paying for his schooling. Currently, we have his entire car in pieces in the garage. He's replacing the engine himself. He's saved and purchased all of his own equipment. It's funny because I thought at first, what a pain in the rear because he's waiting for the new engine to come in, but watching him completely take apart that car, has actually been amazing. He bought a 1 ton lift and all of his own tools. And I was worried initially, but those are things that will last you a lifetime and at the end of the day, it's a WHOLE lot less then paying someone else. It's costing him 5,000$ vs the 13,000$ he'd pay for someone else to do it. And being a mechanic is a fabulous skill to have. We have five vehicles and the cost of repairs was always INSANE. The three kids, plus ours. He won't have that problem. The amount of money he'll save in the long run, is truly a blessing. We're a blue collar family. My husband drives a truck, I'm in healthcare, my 22 year old daughter is studying engineering, and both of my sons (19 & 24) work at the dealership currently. And there is a LOT to be said for blue collar trades. Those are the jobs that stayed put during Covid etc. They're secure. And in the end, handiness and skill will save you a LOT of money. I see it like this, you may make more in other feels, but you'll also pay more. So it evens out. You guys have saved so much money doing your own mechanics. BUT...LOL...After watching this video, I've decided against doing travel contracts. I had considered it. Seemed cool to pick up at various hospitals etc for weeks one end. Travel and see the world. But at the end of the day, that's a lot of money to pay out. I feel like I'd just be working for maintenance and...I can't drag my son with me to do all the repairs. LOL
This was a follow up to the other video you watched about all the problems we had in year one, this was all those problems plus the next year of problems! We when into this knowing we would have more issues than most because we are traveling fulltime and always moving! We also made it a point to do all the repairs and maintenance ourselves as we couldn't afford the time or money it would cost us to take the RV in every time it broke! In the end we have still spent a lot, but it would be much more if we had to hire someone every time! Stay tuned because year 3 wasn't much better and we will be making that video soon!
You should also add in the labor cost you would have spent having someone else do these items. At least figure an hourly rate multiplied by the time it took you for a real total cost. It is great you are able to do them yourself but others might not and would be interesting to see the amount of time it took and cost savings
I would be willing to bet it would be 10K more if you had to pay for every problem that happened!
Omg man, i could not even make it through the video having a headache cuz it was just over the top!!!!!!!!!
As an alternative, at 65, im riding an old school mtn bicycle towing a BOB trailer from N. Manitoba to Washington state home through Calgary and Banff/Kootenay National Parks. Been doing this now celebrating 50 yrs at a fraction your cost plus i stay fit while having a blast.
There are alternatives like what im doing. However. it requires months of preparation at my age. Too, a bicycle is utilitarian where any normal person could do the repairs.
Good luck............
Don't think I could get the wife, kids and dog on board for mountain biking and a Bob trailer! That's the great thing about the travel lifestyle though...there's something that's fits everyone's needs!
It always seems like something breaks right before we travel or get back home. Lol This time it's the water pump. Thanks for all your blogs. Hubby made the jack blocks and had the fix the slide shortly after your video. 😅
We have found that none of our problems have happened while sitting still! Almost all of them have shown up after a travel day! The RV is part of the adventure!
Wow! My brother in law has his own RV though not nearly as nice as yours.
It occurred to me that it is like owning, operating and maintaining a ship with all that comes with it.
I asked him “so, does everyone have a job on the ship?” he just laughed. He said “I’m captain, crew and most of all, I provide the funding”.
With that he cured me of any low key jealousy I may have felt before.
This is an amazing way to travel and see the country, but it is not a 24/7 vacation! It takes time and work and you have to know how to keep it all running! But for us it is totally worth it!
Good cost breakdown. My wife's family is just into weekend RV trips..great fun, but even with new RV's there is just endless maintenance. They're a lot worse than boats.
Thank you! It comes down to the more you use it, the more you have to work on it! RV's are ok if you only use them a few times a year, but if you actually enjoy them and get out there, they will need more attention! It is just part of it, most of our problems came from moving, we almost never had a problem while sitting still at a park!
Regarding the ac filters, just buy a big roll of the filter material and cut your own. I've been doing it for years and it works great. You could do an entire year for $30...dont forget these a.c. units are not designed to have high mirv rated filters in them, so don't go crazy on the mirv rating!
We don't buy crazy filters. We use replacements that are better than the stock foam inserts that come with it! We wash them every month to save money and change them every 3 months!
@@PavingNewPaths for sure. I use a mirv 8 cut from a roll when my friends bring their dogs to visit. Helps keep air lil cleaner. Thanks for the video. Very insightful!
Great upload, with tons of great content. I guess you really need to love the mobility of RV'ing, cause from all the videos I have seen, it looks like almost every RV is just glued or taped together. So constant repairs and headaches.
I guess I am just going to keep my Subaru and get nice hotel rooms instead.
For vacations the better option is hotels, but if you are thinking of long term solutions the RV is the way to go! But the more you use it the more it will cost you! But it's all worth it!
Thank you so much for your honesty!! You are saving people much heartache!.
Thank God you have been able to do many repairs yourself! It would have cost a fortune!
I simply can’t believe the amount of work YOU have had do in two yrs. Minus the tile.
You are one handy guy! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
So many think, you just buy an RV and hit the road and nothing bad will ever happen! Part of the adventure is the RV, and if you truly use it you will have to do more repairs and maintenance than you can every imagine! But it is all worth it!
1k a month doesn't seem too bad. Fortunately you are handy and able to take care of most of the repairs. It would be interesting if you calculated what all those repairs would have cost if you paid for the labor. Great info. Thanks
We have often talked about what the real cost would be! We are pretty sure at least double if not more on some jobs!
@@PavingNewPaths How did you order/replace the recliner handle that is connected with a line for the RV recliners... Did Amazon (or other vendor) have the handle with line (part) for those (Thomas Payne brand?) RV recliners?
@@sfm45 Here is the link for the handles we just get them off Amazon! amzn.to/3FYS8JD
I think it would be a great idea to let people know just how much time you've spent on all the upgrades and repairs on your home on wheels. Money is one thing and time is another. Especially since this life style is supposed to free you up and give you tons of fun and adventure. The time thing is especially important to older campers. Enjoyed the video and it was very informative. Love your style.
Thank you! I wanted to share this story and info in a different way than just sitting still and talking to a camera! The reason we have these types of repairs and Maintenance is we have been fulltime traveling for 3 years now and we move every 7-10 days! So yes we have more than most but we also use this thing more than most! The important thing to not about time is my time invested saved me time that it would spend at a dealership waiting to get things fixed! Out of all of this video we have never missed a night in the RV and have never had to leave the RV anywhere to get repairs!
This has been a pretty good series for starting up full time living. Also, a lot of your truck and camper maintenance expenses won’t be annual, so that’s a good thing. Thanks a agin for sharing some personal financial info with us.
Thank you! Yes, a lot of them were one-time expenses and not so much an annual thing! But you still need to have some money set aside for the unexpected!
If you use it it will wearout ,
@@garypic4083 Exactly, it is doing what we bought it to do, and if you use it things will need repairs!
All her life my wife has wanted to retire in an RV. After watching this video she says she's good with pitching a tent in the backyard. We bought a nice large luxury tent called a "glamping tent". It tore the first night we used it.
It is not for everyone, but it is an amazing life! If you want to travel and move frequently just know part of the adventure will become taking care of the RV and the Truck! If you use something everyday it will need maintenance and repairs!
I had something of an intuition an RV would be rife with unanticipated expenses and I'm GLAD you brought all these to our attention.
I am sorry you've had such an experience with your "fifth wheel" set up.
I won't have similar experiences because I won't own a truck/trailer rig ......ever.
Our cost will be higher than normal because we use ours more than normal! This is what fulltime travel looks like
We enjoy and appreciate all of your videos! We are beginning our RV journey for the first time in May.
Thank you! You will have a great time, just remember the RV is part of the adventure!
Ru nuts!! You're going to be broke!!
@@rickymauritz652 We actually are not this lifestyle is far cheaper than owning a home! if this was an RV we used a few times a year this would be ridiculous but this is our home!
Thank you for the honest review. I have always wondered about the maintenance involved in RV ing, it is more than people think it is watching them go by on the highways. It is so true the more miles involved the more chances for something to come up or go sideways. More happy miles to you and family, be safe.
Thank you glad you liked it! We love this life and just wanted to share what all we have done to keep the rig looking and working perfect over the last two years of fulltime use!
@@PavingNewPaths you answered alot of questions I had about the water, septic, hosing involved, chemicals needed, batteries, AC, generator, just everything. I do love the upgrades you have made for smoother times on the roadways for the long haul. I am kind of mechanical myself and prefer doing for myself, if possible, but know when outmatched. So this is a huge kindness to those of us whom are looking from afar, who would not want to put a possible dangerous vehicle on the road, but a well maintained one like yourself. It is alot of little things that not maintained will overwhelm you, in the worst possible place. Very honest review, I thank you for it, eyes wide open they say. Cheers
My wife and I full-timed for 10 years. Went through 3 motorhomes and three cars. Two accidents. (One my fault, one not) A whopping 5 toilets and 4 A/C units. Two water heaters, two roofs, at least a dozen slide major repairs. 4 sets of tires at a whopping 5K for each set. Three tow-bars. Countless slide topper repairs. Two generators. One $7,500 floor (Tile) One windshield, and one blowout destroyed a main electrical cabinet costing $9,500 to fix. More roof leaks than I care to count, one $895 starter for the big diesel. One $3,500 rear end rebuild. We're a little old now but if we decide to go again we'll rent.
I appreciate this comment! Most that view this video think we just have problems or the RV is a lemon! Your story along with almost every other full-timer we meet is the same as ours! If you travel fulltime in an RV you will have to make repairs and do maintenance that most weekend warriors will never see in the entire life of their RV!
Travel America, I would do that in a heartbeat. DIY maintenance is like a hobby to me. 😊
It is an awesome way to see the USA! The trade off is you are going to need to learn to take care of your rig if you want to succeed at staying out on the road!
Good video. What I discovered with the over cab lights is the cracking happens from the heat of the bulb. The plastic was always disinegrating right in front of the bulb cause it was so close. If you get LED's that cures that.
I will have to look into that as they just broke again recently!
What you speak is total truth in regard to the expense of owning an RV. Although I didn’t live in mine year round. After I retired I did live in mine for about 5 months for three seasons. For the most part that was a stationary location and not traveling around the United States. I cannot even begin to tally up the repair bills but it was staggering. Everything from replacing the refrigerator to 6 volt batteries multiple times to tires. You name it, I had to replace or repair it. Eventually, at the onset of Covid I said to hell with it and sold it all. I miss it sometimes but it was the right decision.
It is a great way to explore the USA, but if you use it and move it often it will require more Maintenace and repairs than you expect! We are ok with this because it is providing us a way to travel as a family, but the cost are much higher than we ever planned for!
We retired in 17, I found my Chevy 2014 2500HD diesel on Craigslist w 3000 miles on it, 45000$, I installed airbags, we full timed 3 yr., I avg 11 mpg towing. We've towed approx. 40k miles. It's got approx. 90k miles now.
We still tow a few weeks per year. The truck seems to get a little better mpg every year I own it. It's currently getting 20mpg not towing if I do a 50/50 hwy/around town driving. I've lost track of how many times we did the Sisques. All this towing a 5iver just a little over Max GVWR. Other than tires, batteries, oil changes, it's never broken ummm other than the time my wife drove our car into it.
Now it's main use is getting food loads for the local food bank. Thanks Chevy
If your going to fulltime and don't have deep pockets, you better be a good diy-er
Looking back I would never swap fulltime RVing for Hotels, it was the most fun we've ever had, but don't do it thinking your going to save money, you do it for the adventure. Just waking up knowing that everything you own is going down the road with you I miss it a lot, although waking up to pickleball every morning works. Be safe.
Thank you very much, outstanding video...Sorry to hear about your issues with the trailer.
Wishing you & family the very best!!😊
Thank you! We love the RV and it has dont great letting us travel fulltime as a family! We only made the video to show that fulltime use is more than just a fulltime vacation!
Indeed! My "hats" off to you for being so thorough & on point with maintenance & care for your truck/trailer. You set the example!!!
I've followed full-time RV channels for a looooong time and your videos have helped thousands of folks!!
Again, all the best!👌😉👌😉
Love your video, thank you for them. They are so helpful. We have a Gooseneck Toy Hauler and an F450 Dually.
Thank you! Glad you enjoy them!
Great info. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!
Yeah, don't go to dealerships to have work done. On easy stuff like oil changes and brakes you can easily invest a few hundred in tools (something you should already have anyway living on the road) and just do it yourself. Surprised how many people don't do research and are surprised that hauling heavy weight with an expensive truck isn't cheap.
When we lived fulltime in our RV, we had no choice but to pay to have work like this done, as many RV parks do not allow you to perform maintenance on your vehicle on their property.
Love the honesty sir. When did you have time to enjoy RVing. Like you , I would do my repairs , but I would have no time for fun in the sun. The presentation of the video is terrific. The pop in , pop out , between repairs was riviteting. Stay with you all the way to the end. Great show. Have a fifth wheel I will put up for sale next year. Stay in fine hotels from now on. Expenses are out of my pocket range now.
We live fulltime so I had plenty of time to enjoy the adventures, most of this happened in the first year of us traveling, you find all the weak areas every time you move! The second year was mostly just maintenance and minor repairs and this year our third year has been very little repairs! We love it but when you first start out it seems like a bad idea, because this brand new stuff breaks every time you move! Now we laugh at all the things that happened and they are really part of the adventure!
Another great video guys. I am learning so much from you guys right down to the penny lol. Keep them coming.
Thanks Paul!
Thanks for sharing the cost of Full time RV Living. Many (including us) don't realize that upkeep and repairs don't stop once you start Full Time RV Living. Yes, the grey tank smells worse than the black.
You're welcome! Someone could really be put in a bind if they didn't have adequate funds set aside for maintenance!
Thank You for your informative video on full time RV'ing. I was always thinking of that since my wife & I are retired. I'll definitely pass on that idea with no regrets.
You should it is an amazing life! We travel fulltime and move every week! The way we travel defiantly contributions to our cost! Your travel and experience maybe differnt but this is what fulltime travel as a family of 5 looks like!