Good video and great advice. You're absolutely right, your lifestyle matters. It's not what you do but how you do it. Our lifestyle is almost opposite of yours with the exception that we FT in a Class A motorhome too and travel a lot like you do. But we're a retired couple that lives this lifestyle on less than $3,000 a month. We have to as we are living on social security and a small pension so have less than $4k a month in total income. Nevertheless, we feel like millionaires as we're able to do what we want when we want never feeling deprived or constrained by our budget. In fact we eat out all the time and it shows in our waistline. We have more money in the bank and a higher credit score that we ever did. For those reading this that are curious to how we live comfortably within this budget I'll try to break down our habits without getting too deep into the actual dollars and cents of it. We took your excellent advice and bought our last RV first. This is the last home we will ever have as it suits our needs very well. Five years ago we were able to find a 1999 National Tropical Class A motorhome with only 28,000 miles for $15,000. It was a one owner rig, and had extensive maintenance and upgrade records, so we were assured that it was in very good shape - important when selecting an older RV as many aren't well cared for. It has large tank capacities, a 3,700lb carrying capacity (as it has a tag axle), great insulation, dual pane windows, etc. making it ideal for FT use. We were able to press into service a little 2006 Chevy Cobalt SS we already owned as our toad. We had to buy a new baseplate, breakaway and wiring kit but were able to find a used tow bar, so for under a grand, doing all the work ourselves. So, we have a 30+ mpg toad to go with our 8 mpg Ford V-10 powered MH. We sold everything we had and were able to pay off all our credit cards, loans, etc. It's good being debt free and sure saves us a fortune in interest every month. Gas motorhomes are much cheaper to operate than diesels are, especially if you are able to do almost all the repairs and maintenance yourself - which we do. I know because I had an 08 diesel truck that I bought in preparation to going FT with a trailer. But before I could find a suitable FT trailer the diesel engine died, and they wanted $15,000 to fix it. I got to thinking, what if this were to happen after I retired and didn't have this kind of money laying around? Do I sold it for scrap and bought my MH for what I would have had to pay just to repair my pick-up. And if something ever happens to the gas engine in my MH I can have it replaced for 1/3rd the price of the same repair on a diesel. Sure, diesel motorhomes ride nicer and have more power, but it comes at a price that I wasn't willing or able to pay. We discovered that we love to boondock, living in beautiful wilderness areas, not wedged into tight, concrete lot RV parks lined up with other RVers like sardines in a can - and for the most part it's free! Sure, you lack the amenities of an RV park, so you must provide them yourself. We designed and built a nice solar/battery system for our MH for only $3,600. A similar system would surely have cost over $10,000 if we had a professional do it for us. I'm still fairly healthy (though not super fit) at 67 yrs. old., so can still do these things myself. I learned how to repair many RV systems myself both to save money and to empower me to be able to tackle anything that comes our way. If I was older or infirmed, I'd have to rely more on others. I'm not as fast or as strong as I used to be, so repairs and upgrades take longer, but I've got all the time in the world now that I'm retired. Yu must work smarter though when dealing with heavy things, like when replacing one of our rooftop ACs, rebuild our hydraulic jacks myself. If a one-day project turns into a 3 day one, so what? Our motorhome came with a back-up generator, but we will be expanding our solar/battery system soon to make that generator back-up redundant. We sometimes winter over near Brownsville, TX. We've stayed 3 winters in a little RV park there for only $170/mo + electricity. Our 50A service only runs about $65-$75 a month due to the mild weather and our solar system reducing our power usage. But we also like to winter over in the LTVAs around Quartzsite, AZ and Imperial Dam, CA. A 7-month permit is only $180 (86 cents a day) and includes unlimited water, trash disposal and dump station use. Right now, we're camping in the beautiful mountains near W. Yellowstone. With our America the Beautiful NP pass we can get into the park, dump, get water and dispose of our trash for free. Many gas stations offer free dump and fill with a gas fill-up, as do many Interstate rest areas. Our unlimited internet, and Roku TV access is only 65 a month through the FMCA. It's not the fastest, but we can stream hi-def TV without buffering so it's all we need. We usually move every 2 weeks, which is the typical FS and BLM limit, dumping and filling our tanks at the same time. I'll be happy to answer any specific questions about how we live this way or save money, though this is getting long - but there's so much more I could say. Life is good, Chip.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for such a great comment for other RVers to learn from. Yes, you are right,......folks can make this life work at all different price points if they are willing to do what it takes. Your explanation here was excellent on how you have been able to live the dream on much less than we are doing! Bravo!
Your livin a great life. I dont RV never will. I watch this channel because Mark is a old friend and worked with him for many years. If I would camp or rv I would definitely boon dock. But to each is own. Keep on truckin!
People who want to fulltime rv really need to take this brutal honest look (and put down ALL costs and expenses) you have. My hubs thought he had it figured out but didn’t include true costs for prescriptions, insurance and variables. It was a wake up call when we discovered that AFTER we had gone fulltime. Thank you for this video.
Mark Sue, you both are special people, with what you do with your channel. Entertaining us, teach us, showings us and just the plain facts about RV full time life style or casual RV lifestyle. It is hard to share the facts like you do, but it is so important that you do. You show and explain the good,bad and ugly. I personally owe you both the BIGGEST THANK YOU. I started following you in 2018 four years before we purchased our 2022 DS 4369. In 2020 we started the process of looking to buy our Coach. Boy what an adventure it was, Mark I-bet you remember the facts I shared with you both, here is where Mark’s kindness and willingness to help showed. Mark agreed to chat on the phone with me to answer questions that I had about the RV life style. He had never met me before, did not know me from anywhere I just followed their channel. I had over 50 questions that I hoped to get some type of answer to, but I knew there would be no way I could get all questions answered. Well we got on our call and one hour and half later I had all my questions answered. This set me on the successful plan to move forward buying our Coach. The Biggest thing Mark told me was I needed to give NIRVC a call even though they were 500 miles away from us. I did call and over the last two and half years I’ve never had a bad situation dealing with them. Oh yes, we bought our 2022 DS from them, so glad I listened to Mark. Some of the other things we talked about were the retro band for the front tires. Hughes auto former, water filter systems. The list goes on and on. Just look at their Amazon page for what you need. Again Mark and Sue Thanks for all your help.. One more thing, this request is to all who have read all of my post today . Please if you’re not subscribed to their channel click all the buttons and subscribe, tell your friends about their channel.. Travel safe my friends…
Thanks for all the kind words Kirk! This comment has just been entered into the OJiM Hall of Fame "Best Comment Category" we keep in a ziplock bag in the freezer.
Only an honest and well-documented report such as yours is a helpful tool for people considering either full time or just even making such a large purchase. Great job on all the various aspects of decision making and thanks for such honest numbers!
Glad it was helpful! I was SSSOOO worried that the "facts" were too depressing. So far, most folks are understanding that we are doing the best we can,......and believe us when we say we still love and cravel the adventure.
Hey Mark and Sue, It was great meeting you when you were visiting Michael and Tiffany last year. Let us know if you will be there this winter so we can meet up again. Thanks Scott & Laura
I have been RVing for over 50 years plus, and 11 years full time RVing. I am 75 years old and still love boondocking but still like to go to hook up also. But it is getting so expensive to do it. The repairs are what is the biggest expense. We do have the TT park which helps when they are where we want to be, but if we have to stop at KOA OR A PRIVATE camp grounds it gets real expensive. We have been around the US at least five times. And we are still at it. This spring we will be leaving Texas and going to Florida, then to New York for the summer.
Very Comprehensive. Ironically, being parked at State Fair Park you are a few blocks away from where Ray (also 71) went to high school (Pius XI on 76th Street between the freeway and Bluemound). You must eat well. The U.S. Census has the average food bill for seniors at $270 per month ($540 for a couple). Your entertainment number is spot on though. We have a small Class A and RV 6 months a year and then park it at our home on the beach in Florida during the winter. We do Thousand Trails but only pay for the annual pass plus Trails Collection which is about $800 per year and it works as long as you reserve your space at the 60-day mark and not too much after that! We also spend a lot of nights in parking lots and driveway surfing with family and friends. No toad. $500/month with payment and insurance. We try to keep our out-of-pocket "road" expenses to $1,000/month not including fuel, maintenance and depreciation. We put our fuel and maintenance (about $5500/year) on credit cards and pay those off during the six months we're not RVing.
@OurJourneyInMyles Right, everyone is different, so there can be a wide range of styles. We've always maintained a home base in either the Southwest or Florida, but to have a permanent home base, we can't afford to RV much more than half the time, and some years less than that ...
This brutal, but honest look at behind the dollar cost of your full-time retirement lifestyle is eyeopening. As someone who recently turned 30, enjoys the pleasant comforts of life, I've already taken steps to manage & plan for my future retirement. And, even though on paper the forecasted 30yr value looks impressive, the inflation variables are scary. Thank you both for putting in the time and effort in composing the real facts and figures of living a fun, fulfilled golden retirement travel dream. Here's a toast to the hosts who are not afraid to open the books! Cheers! 🥂
Thanks Adam. Now we know your picture matches you age! So glad to hear your are saving hard for retirement. It will happen before you know it, and if your not prepared, it will be tough watching everyone else having fun late in life. In the end of my working career, I was at 20% savings per month for many years. It is easy to do if you creep up on it slow, and increase your percentage regularly.
Glad you enjoyed it Richard! I should have done this in a few weeks. Looks like I need new gray/black/fresh water tanks. That is going to set us back hard. Repairs would have been another $10K!
one thing to mention about partners is, Can they help? Are they willing to learn? with little things. most of the successful RV videos that I see, both work together and fix things.
Sue & I always say that if we didn't each do 60% of the work, we wouldn't be able to continue. Teamwork marks the dreamwork,......as corny as it sounds.
Thank you Mark & Sue. Some folks can also decrease maintenance /repairs if they have a base camp and enjoy doing their own work. We travel about 7 out of 12 months and return to base during their prime weather. Perform maintenance, modifications and repairs. Fuel costs can be lowered & MPGs increased by buying a shorter diesel pusher. Ours is 37' and has the same drivetrain as Myles and we average 11.8 mpgs. The Open Roads fuel card is a must. "Magic Carpet"...agree. We liken our RVing experience to being Seasonal Time Travelers. We seek out 70 and enjoy following the advent of Fall and then the miracle of Spring as we travel the coastlines. No more winter. People can find their affordability niche as you said well, namely, do your research, define your objectives, know your limitations but above all else, do exercise your desires to travel but posture yourself for the potential / probable time when you can no longer travel and be prepared to stay put. The upside is that in between time you have explored and have possibly found that which you were looking for. Happy Trails
WOW! Unbelievably well written and concise comment. LOVED the "Seasonal Time Traveler" analogy. I am honestly going to steal your last two lines and add them to my video description. Thanks. Hope its not copyrighted.
Great video! Very helpful, as always. Just a quick comment. Progressive insured our 27-year-old rig (23-years-old at the time) with an agreed-value policy after providing an appraisal from a reputable dealer. You don't have to be the first or second owner of a new rig. We recommend Progressive through FMCA RV Insurance.
We love watching you both!! We always watch on Keith’s account on the TV so bad about making a comment. Thank you for always presenting excellent content. BTW…we are the same age, drive a 2019 Ventana 4369 and have been RV’ing for 3 years. Keith used to work with Eddie Braley from NIRVC. He was the best tech ever!! Keith sold for Buddy Gregg Motorhomes in Lewisville in the late 90’s. An old Monaco Coach guy. Safe travels!!
Great information Mark I had to watch a 2nd time. My wife and I could afford the amount you pay monthly but again there would not be much left . I have VA medical that help us out a lot and having Thousand Trails help but limited where you can say most places seem to be on the coast line areas . We have an older motorhome so our repairs might be a little more than what your will be. Yes , we also have an Aqua-Hot system just put $1300 dollars in repairs on it. I guess its those popup expenses that seem to catch you and hurts the worst. If I had to pay payments on this Class A it would be almost impossible for us to do this. Maybe if we just stated at RV park and did very little, but I'm doing this to see places and experience new places / things. Its not cheap and to ride the merry-go-round someone always has to pay ( if you play then you pay ). Thanks for you time again love the video as always.
My intent when I made this video was to let folks run thru the numbers and look to see if full-time RV Life is in their future: 1) Can I afford this easily or sort of or barely. 2) Is if worth it? 3) Do both partners want it? 4) Do you have enough money for an exit plan? 5) Are you motivated to make it work long term. 6) Jumping INTO full time RV Life is the first most expensive thing,.......and jumping OUT OF IT is second most expensive. You don't want to do those two things too close together.
this year is tire repacement for our truck so september will be a little higher but bugeting helps a lot 3 years in still loveing it reserch is a must for you rig
This was a very educational and very informational important piece of information . I’m not even an Rver but it gives me an idea what reality would be to be a traveler in some type of travel sense . Thank you for sharing this and being honest about it all .
Wow what a great video! We have followed your channel for several years. I have seen your other cost videos but this one was special. Great review and reality check for many! We are not full time but currently own a 2021 Super C. This is after having owned three class A diesel pushers, and one fifthwheel in the last 25 years. No doubt an expensive hobby and never made money on any I have sold. That said we have been blessed with so many memories with our children and now grandchildren. Not full time, but did retire last year at 66.5 years young. Just made a 3600 mile trip to rally Indiana and Niagra falls. After 3.5 weeks on the road with two dogs, and 45 years of marriage, we still like each other. ❤ something special about RVing! Keep those videos coming! Love your channel
I'm going to retire this year and start my 5 year retirement rving journey (anyway that's the 5 year plan) really appreciate your channel and adventures.
One of the best, detailed, realistic budget video! Thanks for your honesty and candor. How can I get your spreadsheet to put in my data and create a budget? Thanks again! Good luck and blessings to yours in your travels.
Being able to RV in the style you want is critically important. Your message is important for folks already in the lifestyle as well as for those considering RVing. I am surprised none of your many smoke alarms did not go off when your coaches filled with smoke during the video. Advise you watch the OJiM fire safety video again.
Great segway James! We want to remind folks that Fire Prevention Week is coming in October. Why not watch our previous video from a few years ago on how we try to stay safe in our RV! Check out: RV FIRE PREVENTION WEEK | INTERCONNECTED DETECTORS| FIRE SUPPRESSION | ESCAPE WINDOW HACK | EP137 th-cam.com/video/ek50R5Q_hFI/w-d-xo.html
Our lifestyle is more simple and we chose to not have a big rig. We feel more comfortable knowing that we have an exit plan and it is ok if our rv is not worth a cent when we are done. After 8 years on the road, we now put it in storage for 4 months and live in airbnbs in other countries each year. This year South America. We don't like rv parks, prefering state and national parks. We feel like this is our life, not a vacation. We also pay attention to exercise and if we are meeting those goals also. So much to think about. Excellent video.
@@OurJourneyInMyles sometimes it is good to look forward and move on from the regrets of the past. We keep adjusting and enjoy the healthy time we have. Monthly rates when we visited Vancouver Island made the 2 months much more affordable, same with airbnb.
This was a very informative post. Thank you. We plan to go from north to south in and back doing the snow bird thing. Getting monthly rates in Yuma in the winter and North Idaho in the summer. Our 5th wheel and truck will be payed off.
You are going to love that! Snowbirding is such a great lifestyle. We have used the Pacific South West for winter one year and then use Fort Myer$$$$$ the next year,...........alternating as travel allows.
I love this video Mark and Sue! Great advice! It helps to try and figure out if you can be an rver on your budget. My brother-in-law had it all figured out to try and buy a class C to travel in until he couldn’t do it because of his hip surgeries and all and now he has cancer. It’s very hard to do when you are sick. Thank you Mark so much for this video. Great idea to show this advice. Hope you have a great week. See you both soon!
I stumbled upon your channel today. Fantastic job with the cost sheet and explanation. I sent you an email to request the cost sheet and look forward to watching more of your adventures.
I watch a lot of RV channels and this is the first channel I’ve heard the term tourist versus camper. This is so true. Thanks for the work on finances.
@@OurJourneyInMyles Will be watching. There’s so much to see there, so it’ll be interesting to see how you plan and pick where you’re going to go. Especially when it seems like you have to reserve things well in advance. Hopefully you’ll be doing videos on that. Cheers.
T-Mobile has a new home internet that’s designed to be mobile. On the real I’ve watched a few of your cost videos and you guys are really good. So forward and honest, the multiple videos over the years really help too!
Just put solar on it! It’s makes electricity way cheaper! You will only have to pay for dumping, registration,, insurance, gas, food, repairs, batteries, and a few other things! Hopefully you can do mechanic work?
Thank you so much for this! I am about 2 years out from retirement. I am new to your channel, but I am watching and learning as much as I can before we buy. I have a F250 SD and a Jeep Wrangler so I am on the fence between a fifth wheel or a class A. I have owned a fifth wheel in the past so I am not totally a newbie. We are planning on the full time rv life but hope to downsize and still have a place to land. Based on the video I am leaning towards a fifth wheel as the expenses of a class A are staggering. Not that a fifth wheel will be cheap, just a little more reasonable. Your content and insight was very informative and appreciate your honesty and through accounting. I will definitely be watching more of your content.
Just work on a budget plan and see what makes sense. I think a truck and a fifth wheel is way more budget friendly in the long run, but it is a different experience and more "work" setting up and tearing down.
Wow, thanks! We are still collecting data, and I gotta tell you,.....its not getting any cheaper! We are not complaining though, and love and appreciate the adventure packed life we lead. Just trying to warn folks it is more expensive than your "normal" life. Not having skin in the home ownership game is scary the closer you get to a possible nursing home scenario,........
I chided you on your very first budget video way back when for not including the RV cost. Like it magically just appeared and I said you should at least mention depreciation as a cost as it was an upfront cost. You made a total correction for that this video and I honor you for doing so! So many jump in, especially in the last 2 years, and don't realize they money they will lose on their purchase. Did that stop me? No. I have an 18 Dutch Star and am in the same boat as you. But I knew how we wanted to travel. We do do the TT and it works okay for us. We also kept out sticks that we can park the coach at. Our son lives in it while we are gone so we are fortunate. But I am with you. I am hemorrhaging money at this time but the experience is so worth it. You've been living your best Life and so will we. Safe travels.
The first year I actually included the depreciation costs, and they were so high I didn't think anyone would be able to believe the final bottom line. So,....I deleted them. In my next version, I added them back in to the sheet, but did not fill in the values. I figured if folks wanted to know the bad news, they could enter them themselves! Our 2014 rig was bought used in June of 2017 for $234k
This is a very excellent video on the cost of high end full time travel or retired life in general. A travel trailer is not a class A mobile home but it is more cost effective. Thousand Trails is a big cost savings if they are in the places you want to go, but work camping is another alternative to limit campground costs. Food, maintenance and medical costs are something you have to cover whether you RV or live in sticks and bricks. There are no free rides but boondocking can be close, however boondocking can be hard and the extras to do it right such as solar are not cheap. Also boon docking is limited in the east so.... We are semi-full time out about 8 months a year and living on less than $4k per month but we have Thousand Trails and we haven't had a major repair bill as of yet but we know its coming. Thanks for doing such a great job of logging your expenses and giving those who would go full time so reality.
Mark and Sue I just these helpful tips of the costs of living in an Rv. Very happy you did this. I can never say that enough. I don’t mean to repeat it. I just love that you did this! Love you Mark and Sue! 🤗😘
Wow, great down to earth appraisal of your choice for your journey in Myles. You are cautious with maintenance, I like and agree with your approach, better to deal with it rather than have it bite you at the least opportune time. Also you have said you will do this until circumstances dictate otherwise. A realistic approach, you're young enough to keep this up for awhile. I really appreciate all your videos and I hope we meet up on the road sometime.
Thank you very much John! It is embarrassing telling folks we spend every dime that comes in every month, but that is what it takes. We feel it is our responsibility. But we also warn them we can only do that because we have enough saved as "backup" when needed to return to "normal".
Wow! You certainly opened my eyes. I appreciate the education and probably will stop obsessing about my dream and my parents dream. Its just not doable for us. Now i know all rhe facts, i will have to rethink this idea
If you are motivated to travel the USA, then look at the other forms of travel that are way less expensive. The Class A travel style is a budget buster,.......a fifth wheel and a truck are way more budget friendly.
You're the best! I haven't looked at the video analytics yet, but you may be the only one that watched to the end. Only reason I was to the end was because I was in it.
As a longtime financial advisor, I genuinely appreciate what you’re doing with this video. Your information and advice is sage. Thank you for making financial decisions something for everyone to consider. Oh, and by the way, thanks so much for your Father’s Day video message in response to my daughter’s request. It was a thrill to watch on Father’s Day morning. Keep up the great videos!
Thank you for all that hard work. You have convinced me to disregard trying to keep track of all those expenses and just live it up instead, the best way that we can. So see you next week and it wont be long till its time to bike to the beach.
Thank you so much for the spreadsheet along with other very informative information! We are still deciding on which RV (DP or Super C)… It’s like drinking from a fire hose 😊but so exciting!!
You are welcome Michele! As a reminder to others, you can request our current fuel stop spreadsheet by emailing us at: ourjourneyinmyles at gmail dot com Put "RV Cost Sheets" in the subject line.
Retirement/enjoyment is about finding something to be passionate about, this is different for everyone. Just don’t sit still, find your passion and responsibly pursue it. “Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action.” You don’t have time to waste. Carpe diem.
Wow! wow!! what an Eye opener, We are planning to hit the road Next Spring and we'll be buying a used class A Diesel For our journey. We do have a Gas class A now That we will be selling. I have done a lot of research and have been watching your channel And several other channels for a few years, I don't comment often but this video is definitely an Eye Opener .We do plan On using 1000 trail membership And doing some boondocking Too offset some of the cost. But it is something we have been wanting to do for years, We do have a campsite along the cheap river in West Virginia With full hook ups That we will be spending some of the summer at To visit family And that will cut cost as well, Really enjoy watching your videos so thanks for the time you spend making them Very informative hope to meet you on the road someday Until then safe travels!!!
Great video and advice. We are not going full time, but plan several month a year. After retiring from being self employed for over 40 years (Our ages, desired lifestyle and budgeting mindset are identical) we are researching purchasing a used 40' to 42' Class A coach with tag axle ( Newmar, Monaco or Beaver). I can appreciate all the effort to maintain your spread sheets as I do same thing each month currently at home. Sometimes a little scary when the paychecks stop and investment accounts are a tubing (2021-22). I will be sending request for spreadsheet to adjust line items I have overlooked on my planning spreadsheets. Hope the "super thanks" will get you some pie and coffee. You are getting some great comments ! Again, thank you and safe travels. Enjoy your videos. Ed H
Just saw your generous super chat tip! That is the largest one we have ever received on SuperChat! We always appreciate when folks care enough about the channel that they help support it. Sue & I decided way in the beginning that every penny we get would be spent only on the channel. As you have undoubtedly have seen, our repairs and upgrades to the rig have taken a hit on us. We still feel blessed to be able to have this lifestyle. My anticipated camera upgrade will have to wait, and now I have learned that my iMac Desktop iOS is at "End of Life!”, (Big Sur) and will no longer be supported. What da heck,…… So, my next upgrade to the channel will most likely be the editing platform I use, my desktop. Thank you for being part of that upgrade fund!
Thankyou for all your advice and real life experience, True costs and understanding what you did and how you did it is valuable knowledge as somethings arent all rosey in a dream and you have to think where you will end up as everything ends. We will keep watching your travels and experience and learn from your thoughts on what you find along the way. Thanks for the effort !
Extraordinary information share! I still work full time, but I am determined to find a way to live the Class A - 50 AMP Lifestyle!!! I'll keep my "Bricks & Sticks" and enjoy "Smashing Bugs" during long weekends and the occasional corporate "Paid-Time-Off"! I love that you RV "unapologetically" in the comfort of RV Parks with Full Hookups! I also love that you keep your rig impeccably maintained. "Safety First!" I rent RV's once a year to learn by experiencing and building a realistic budget will make my dream come true! I'll look for you at a 50-AMP Hookup in the New Year! Enjoy the Journey Til Then!!! ~Carla ::: Air Horn 📢 ::: ::: Air Breaks! :::
Mark and Sue, Thank You for all of your excellent videos. In particular, this video which is so detailed into the world of full time rv living. It certainly makes one realize that in the real world of rving there is a lot more to living within ones means. Kudos.
Amazing awesome video! Thank you very much. Hoping to be full-time within the next year. I’ll be emailing you down the road for the spreadsheet, you are a blessing!
DP RVs have a ton more maintenance costs than gasser RVs. I don't spend anywhere near that much on repairs and maintenance. We also boondock at lot, so we invested in solar and lithium. That has been way more cost saving than Thousand Trails, which we also have, and have been disappointed in.
Glad it was helpful! It is somewhat embarrassing showing what we spend, but we don't want folks to be surprised if they in fact want to follow in our footsteps,.....it is what it is!
Well we are rolling the dice. We have summer full hook up property in NW Montana with our 33 ft class A. We also have TT we plan on using 5 months of the year. All is paid so we're hoping $36k a year should work
I LOVE THIS!!!! Best video yet from you guys. Mark is just as detailed as my husband. This is our year to finally purchase our last RV first, and Mark covered every concern to confirm we can do this. I can't wait to meet you guys on the road. We are serious fans!!!! This us Hubby dream, but I am just as excited. The RV we are looking at is Fleetwood Discovery 44S
We got a Thousand Trails membership from the start. Please understand I'm not with Thousand Trails in no way so I do not get anything to say this at all. If you pay to stay in a RV park the prices with all hookups can be from $60.00 to over $100 dollars per night. I guess it depends what date and place your staying. We put the like think it was 10% down went for the new package which gives us several other places some in the middle of the USA and we pay $299.00 per month. Now at some of these other non-Thousand Trails location if it is like a Super RV place you can be charges additional $20.00 per night but these places have amenities that you would not find at other without paying over $100 per night. This package also give us a chance to sale our package later if we decide we are getting to old for this. Years later it will cost more that what you paid for it when you purchased it. So another way to get some of this money back . You can even leave it to a family member if you wish as well. I know there has be some draw back to purchasing this but I see it as a plus !
Thank you! You too! I know it is a "simpleton" spreadsheet,.....and it's just mostly for folks to get a handle on how this is going to work out for them,........or not. Some folks have sent me ones that you are filling in the expenses on monthly sheets as you go along, that then populate the master "yearly" sheet. I didn't want anything that fancy to share!
great video. also I don't hear on these RV videos is, start RV-ing with a saved budget. Im upgrading to a Motorcoach and starting out with an RV-Savings account. and adding $100 every paycheck.
Absolutely! Those are our thoughts,..........from an educated position,......after 6 years of travel. And we are going after another 6 years worth,....
So sorry I’m late watching! I haven’t been feeling too well lately. Had migraine headache. Really bad! But I’m feeling better tonight so I’m going to watch your video.
Hello Mark, I'm a newby to the RV world and your channel. My wife and I had spoken many times about getting one, but never did. As I have recently lost my wife and am now thinking about going, I think your spreadsheet would help with my decision. Lots to look at and many decisions to make. Thank you
Hello Arthur. I can't send anything to a TH-cam Address. Request spreadsheet by emailing Sue & I at: ourjourneyinmyles@gmail.com Put "RV Cost Sheets" in the subject line. I will send it right out!
Wow! This was a definite eye opener. Still working full time, so for now, we glamp on vacations and weekends with our class c. Thinking we will just keep our home and travel on longer vacations after retirement. Love your videos. They are fun, informative and realistic. Thank you for all the time you both put into them.
Glad it was helpful! I agree. If you love your home, keep it and just plan a bunch of adventures. The best case is coming back home to your heated/air conditioned barn to work on the rig yourself in between trips! The savings will pay for the barn!
Thank you so much for doing this, I know it is a lot of work. I have watch all of your finance videos (and most of the others). We are traveling in a 2018 Newmar NewAire for the last 8 months and we love it, but it is more expensive to maintain. Hope to meet you on the road someday.
Well I'm back. In case you haven't noticed I did not win the lottery so my dream bucket list is not going to be fulfilled this week either. Told my daughter that since I do not have a co-pilot I am giving up on buying a coach. I have watched others backing up 44 ft'ers and I don't think I can do it solo. You mentioned you think it is time to retire. I thought you were retired. How else can you do the things you and Sue do? Missed you this week, take care
Welcome back! Yes I am retired from work,.......someday I will retire from TH-cam! I could not, and would not want to drive a big rig like ours without Sue. Even the smallest Class A might be too much for comfort. But I bet you $10 bucks if you went to the Tampa RV Show all four days and walked around you would find 20 rigs that would be a perfect fit! See you in Florida in January 2024,.....
In Florida we are suffering with homeowners Insurance. I ofter think it’s not worth it! We are walking distance to the Atlantic Ocean and a great Flood Zone X!! But it’s still expensive to us as Floridians.
We are Floridians as well. Our full time RV Motorhome & Car insurance premiums must assume I intentionally drive to Florida every Hurricane Season and park it!
Thanks, Mark. I created lots of spreadsheets during my working career and may be able to imagine how much work this one was. A super thanks is a token of my appreciation to you. Thank you!
Greetings.. I love how comprehensive your spreadsheet is.. wonderful!. also, It appears your repairs and maintenance costs are increasing .. At what point do you get into a newer one, and how are you assessing when that is? I appreciate your channel as it lets me dream for a few minutes..lol.. Cheers..WiL
That is very much a possibility for our future plans,............and if we do,.........it will be named Myles. We will for sure be in a condo,........working on the outside of a home is a source of anxiety for me at this point!
Thanks for all the attention to detail on your spreadsheet Sue and Mark! That is wonderful! We're close to retirement. I want to be full time touring, but my wife is more about just taking vacations and coming home. Mark, I owe you a lot of thanks for helping me to be attentive to my wife during mountain travels, and in knowing what my partner plans to do. I will still watch your channel weekly, but I've finally given up on buying a camper or RV. Keep up the great work you two. We will be buying e bikes to store in out Odyssey while traveling between trails. Awesome information on this channel! We appreciate you both, "along with the humor". I think both of your comerodemy is what really makes retiring attractive. Thanks again Sue and Chan Man!
Glad to hear all this Kevin. I deeply believe in happy wife, happy life. You both have to go along in life feeling full-filled. The best thing in retirement is having someone to do it with,....together!
Thank-you for the spreadsheet sent! We bought our truck 2 years ago and have been carefully researching travel trailers or a 5th wheel. I'm wondering if your vehicle insurance increasing in-cost has to do with your domicle being in FL? I've read recently about the rising car (& home) insurance rates for FL residence.
Yes,........it is absolutely due to my Florida Domicile,.......plus we have high limits,.......and an "Insured Value". If I was in a "Non-Hurricane State" going DIRECT to Progressive I'm thinking I would be better off.
Good video and great advice. You're absolutely right, your lifestyle matters. It's not what you do but how you do it. Our lifestyle is almost opposite of yours with the exception that we FT in a Class A motorhome too and travel a lot like you do. But we're a retired couple that lives this lifestyle on less than $3,000 a month. We have to as we are living on social security and a small pension so have less than $4k a month in total income. Nevertheless, we feel like millionaires as we're able to do what we want when we want never feeling deprived or constrained by our budget. In fact we eat out all the time and it shows in our waistline. We have more money in the bank and a higher credit score that we ever did. For those reading this that are curious to how we live comfortably within this budget I'll try to break down our habits without getting too deep into the actual dollars and cents of it.
We took your excellent advice and bought our last RV first. This is the last home we will ever have as it suits our needs very well. Five years ago we were able to find a 1999 National Tropical Class A motorhome with only 28,000 miles for $15,000. It was a one owner rig, and had extensive maintenance and upgrade records, so we were assured that it was in very good shape - important when selecting an older RV as many aren't well cared for. It has large tank capacities, a 3,700lb carrying capacity (as it has a tag axle), great insulation, dual pane windows, etc. making it ideal for FT use. We were able to press into service a little 2006 Chevy Cobalt SS we already owned as our toad. We had to buy a new baseplate, breakaway and wiring kit but were able to find a used tow bar, so for under a grand, doing all the work ourselves. So, we have a 30+ mpg toad to go with our 8 mpg Ford V-10 powered MH. We sold everything we had and were able to pay off all our credit cards, loans, etc. It's good being debt free and sure saves us a fortune in interest every month. Gas motorhomes are much cheaper to operate than diesels are, especially if you are able to do almost all the repairs and maintenance yourself - which we do. I know because I had an 08 diesel truck that I bought in preparation to going FT with a trailer. But before I could find a suitable FT trailer the diesel engine died, and they wanted $15,000 to fix it. I got to thinking, what if this were to happen after I retired and didn't have this kind of money laying around? Do I sold it for scrap and bought my MH for what I would have had to pay just to repair my pick-up. And if something ever happens to the gas engine in my MH I can have it replaced for 1/3rd the price of the same repair on a diesel. Sure, diesel motorhomes ride nicer and have more power, but it comes at a price that I wasn't willing or able to pay.
We discovered that we love to boondock, living in beautiful wilderness areas, not wedged into tight, concrete lot RV parks lined up with other RVers like sardines in a can - and for the most part it's free! Sure, you lack the amenities of an RV park, so you must provide them yourself. We designed and built a nice solar/battery system for our MH for only $3,600. A similar system would surely have cost over $10,000 if we had a professional do it for us. I'm still fairly healthy (though not super fit) at 67 yrs. old., so can still do these things myself. I learned how to repair many RV systems myself both to save money and to empower me to be able to tackle anything that comes our way. If I was older or infirmed, I'd have to rely more on others. I'm not as fast or as strong as I used to be, so repairs and upgrades take longer, but I've got all the time in the world now that I'm retired. Yu must work smarter though when dealing with heavy things, like when replacing one of our rooftop ACs, rebuild our hydraulic jacks myself. If a one-day project turns into a 3 day one, so what? Our motorhome came with a back-up generator, but we will be expanding our solar/battery system soon to make that generator back-up redundant. We sometimes winter over near Brownsville, TX. We've stayed 3 winters in a little RV park there for only $170/mo + electricity. Our 50A service only runs about $65-$75 a month due to the mild weather and our solar system reducing our power usage. But we also like to winter over in the LTVAs around Quartzsite, AZ and Imperial Dam, CA. A 7-month permit is only $180 (86 cents a day) and includes unlimited water, trash disposal and dump station use. Right now, we're camping in the beautiful mountains near W. Yellowstone. With our America the Beautiful NP pass we can get into the park, dump, get water and dispose of our trash for free. Many gas stations offer free dump and fill with a gas fill-up, as do many Interstate rest areas. Our unlimited internet, and Roku TV access is only 65 a month through the FMCA. It's not the fastest, but we can stream hi-def TV without buffering so it's all we need. We usually move every 2 weeks, which is the typical FS and BLM limit, dumping and filling our tanks at the same time.
I'll be happy to answer any specific questions about how we live this way or save money, though this is getting long - but there's so much more I could say. Life is good, Chip.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for such a great comment for other RVers to learn from. Yes, you are right,......folks can make this life work at all different price points if they are willing to do what it takes. Your explanation here was excellent on how you have been able to live the dream on much less than we are doing! Bravo!
Your livin a great life. I dont RV never will. I watch this channel because Mark is a old friend and worked with him for many years.
If I would camp or rv I would definitely boon dock. But to each is own. Keep on truckin!
@@gman77gas Thanks buddy!
The amount of work you two put into this and the amount of wisdom shared is tremendous! Thank you so much for all your advice!
Glad you enjoyed it Mark! You are making us blush,..
People who want to fulltime rv really need to take this brutal honest look (and put down ALL costs and expenses) you have. My hubs thought he had it figured out but didn’t include true costs for prescriptions, insurance and variables. It was a wake up call when we discovered that AFTER we had gone fulltime. Thank you for this video.
Thank you for the helpful comment to encourage our viewers to do their homework before heading out!
Mark Sue, you both are special people, with what you do with your channel. Entertaining us, teach us, showings us and just the plain facts about RV full time life style or casual RV lifestyle. It is hard to share the facts like you do, but it is so important that you do. You show and explain the good,bad and ugly. I personally owe you both the BIGGEST THANK YOU. I started following you in 2018 four years before we purchased our 2022 DS 4369. In 2020 we started the process of looking to buy our Coach. Boy what an adventure it was, Mark I-bet you remember the facts I shared with you both, here is where Mark’s kindness and willingness to help showed. Mark agreed to chat on the phone with me to answer questions that I had about the RV life style. He had never met me before, did not know me from anywhere I just followed their channel. I had over 50 questions that I hoped to get some type of answer to, but I knew there would be no way I could get all questions answered. Well we got on our call and one hour and half later I had all my questions answered. This set me on the successful plan to move forward buying our Coach. The Biggest thing Mark told me was I needed to give NIRVC a call even though they were 500 miles away from us. I did call and over the last two and half years I’ve never had a bad situation dealing with them. Oh yes, we bought our 2022 DS from them, so glad I listened to Mark. Some of the other things we talked about were the retro band for the front tires. Hughes auto former, water filter systems. The list goes on and on. Just look at their Amazon page for what you need. Again Mark and Sue Thanks for all your help..
One more thing, this request is to all who have read all of my post today . Please if you’re not subscribed to their channel click all the buttons and subscribe, tell your friends about their channel.. Travel safe my friends…
Thanks for all the kind words Kirk! This comment has just been entered into the OJiM Hall of Fame "Best Comment Category" we keep in a ziplock bag in the freezer.
😊I 😮😢😮😮😮😅😮😊😅😊😊😊😊😅😊😊😅😊😮😮😊I 😮I 😮😊😮😊😊I 😮😅😅😅😊😮😅😮😊😊😅😅😢😊😊😮😅😮I 😮😅I 😮I 😊😊😊😅😮😢
@@OurJourneyInMylesperson 😢😊😮😅
Only an honest and well-documented report such as yours is a helpful tool for people considering either full time or just even making such a large purchase. Great job on all the various aspects of decision making and thanks for such honest numbers!
Glad it was helpful Karin!
Hands down the best video I have seen on the real costs. Your spreadsheet really does cover all of the things one needs to consider. Well done!
I appreciate that Beth! Thanks,...
Truly Thanks. Very helpful in deciding my future course of action.
Glad it was helpful! I was SSSOOO worried that the "facts" were too depressing. So far, most folks are understanding that we are doing the best we can,......and believe us when we say we still love and cravel the adventure.
Hey Mark and Sue, It was great meeting you when you were visiting Michael and Tiffany last year. Let us know if you will be there this winter so we can meet up again. Thanks Scott & Laura
Thank you! Will do!
I have been RVing for over 50 years plus, and 11 years full time RVing. I am 75 years old and still love boondocking but still like to go to hook up also. But it is getting so expensive to do it. The repairs are what is the biggest expense. We do have the TT park which helps when they are where we want to be, but if we have to stop at KOA OR A PRIVATE camp grounds it gets real expensive. We have been around the US at least five times. And we are still at it. This spring we will be leaving Texas and going to Florida, then to New York for the summer.
Yes,............to us,............RVing is way more expensive than living in a house in one spot. Maybe we are doing it wrong!!!
Very Comprehensive. Ironically, being parked at State Fair Park you are a few blocks away from where Ray (also 71) went to high school (Pius XI on 76th Street between the freeway and Bluemound). You must eat well. The U.S. Census has the average food bill for seniors at $270 per month ($540 for a couple). Your entertainment number is spot on though. We have a small Class A and RV 6 months a year and then park it at our home on the beach in Florida during the winter. We do Thousand Trails but only pay for the annual pass plus Trails Collection which is about $800 per year and it works as long as you reserve your space at the 60-day mark and not too much after that! We also spend a lot of nights in parking lots and driveway surfing with family and friends. No toad. $500/month with payment and insurance. We try to keep our out-of-pocket "road" expenses to $1,000/month not including fuel, maintenance and depreciation. We put our fuel and maintenance (about $5500/year) on credit cards and pay those off during the six months we're not RVing.
Thank you for all the great data for others the gather and use in their creation of the budget that will match their RV Living/travel style!
@OurJourneyInMyles Right, everyone is different, so there can be a wide range of styles. We've always maintained a home base in either the Southwest or Florida, but to have a permanent home base, we can't afford to RV much more than half the time, and some years less than that ...
This brutal, but honest look at behind the dollar cost of your full-time retirement lifestyle is eyeopening. As someone who recently turned 30, enjoys the pleasant comforts of life, I've already taken steps to manage & plan for my future retirement. And, even though on paper the forecasted 30yr value looks impressive, the inflation variables are scary. Thank you both for putting in the time and effort in composing the real facts and figures of living a fun, fulfilled golden retirement travel dream. Here's a toast to the hosts who are not afraid to open the books! Cheers! 🥂
Thanks Adam. Now we know your picture matches you age! So glad to hear your are saving hard for retirement. It will happen before you know it, and if your not prepared, it will be tough watching everyone else having fun late in life. In the end of my working career, I was at 20% savings per month for many years. It is easy to do if you creep up on it slow, and increase your percentage regularly.
@@OurJourneyInMyles thanks again! ❤️
Wow Mark, I can not express my appreciation for all your combined efforts!!
Glad you enjoyed it Richard! I should have done this in a few weeks. Looks like I need new gray/black/fresh water tanks. That is going to set us back hard. Repairs would have been another $10K!
one thing to mention about partners is, Can they help? Are they willing to learn? with little things.
most of the successful RV videos that I see, both work together and fix things.
Sue & I always say that if we didn't each do 60% of the work, we wouldn't be able to continue. Teamwork marks the dreamwork,......as corny as it sounds.
REALLY well done and much appreciation for all the hard work.
Thank you so much 😀 Greg.
Thank you Mark & Sue.
Some folks can also decrease maintenance /repairs if they have a base camp and enjoy doing their own work. We travel about 7 out of 12 months and return to base during their prime weather. Perform maintenance, modifications and repairs. Fuel costs can be lowered & MPGs increased by buying a shorter diesel pusher. Ours is 37' and has the same drivetrain as Myles and we average 11.8 mpgs. The Open Roads fuel card is a must.
"Magic Carpet"...agree. We liken our RVing experience to being Seasonal Time Travelers. We seek out 70 and enjoy following the advent of Fall and then the miracle of Spring as we travel the coastlines. No more winter.
People can find their affordability niche as you said well, namely, do your research, define your objectives, know your limitations but above all else, do exercise your desires to travel but posture yourself for the potential / probable time when you can no longer travel and be prepared to stay put. The upside is that in between time you have explored and have possibly found that which you were looking for.
Happy Trails
WOW! Unbelievably well written and concise comment. LOVED the "Seasonal Time Traveler" analogy. I am honestly going to steal your last two lines and add them to my video description. Thanks. Hope its not copyrighted.
@@OurJourneyInMyles You have my express permission to use my own words to aide our fellow travelers.
@@deanh7190 Done! Check it out,.....
Great video! Very helpful, as always. Just a quick comment. Progressive insured our 27-year-old rig (23-years-old at the time) with an agreed-value policy after providing an appraisal from a reputable dealer. You don't have to be the first or second owner of a new rig. We recommend Progressive through FMCA RV Insurance.
That is great to know! Thanks,....
We love watching you both!! We always watch on Keith’s account on the TV so bad about making a comment. Thank you for always presenting excellent content. BTW…we are the same age, drive a 2019 Ventana 4369 and have been RV’ing for 3 years. Keith used to work with Eddie Braley from NIRVC. He was the best tech ever!! Keith sold for Buddy Gregg Motorhomes in Lewisville in the late 90’s. An old Monaco Coach guy. Safe travels!!
Hey Guys,....thanks for watching. Surprised you didn't get an older Monaco. Those must have been something back in the day!
We looked!! At the time during Covid, no inventory. Love our motorhome but would still consider a Monaco! 😊
Great information Mark I had to watch a 2nd time. My wife and I could afford the amount you pay monthly but again there would not be much left . I have VA medical that help us out a lot and having Thousand Trails help but limited where you can say most places seem to be on the coast line areas . We have an older motorhome so our repairs might be a little more than what your will be. Yes , we also have an Aqua-Hot system just put $1300 dollars in repairs on it. I guess its those popup expenses that seem to catch you and hurts the worst. If I had to pay payments on this Class A it would be almost impossible for us to do this. Maybe if we just stated at RV park and did very little, but I'm doing this to see places and experience new places / things. Its not cheap and to ride the merry-go-round someone always has to pay ( if you play then you pay ). Thanks for you time again love the video as always.
My intent when I made this video was to let folks run thru the numbers and look to see if full-time RV Life is in their future: 1) Can I afford this easily or sort of or barely. 2) Is if worth it? 3) Do both partners want it? 4) Do you have enough money for an exit plan? 5) Are you motivated to make it work long term. 6) Jumping INTO full time RV Life is the first most expensive thing,.......and jumping OUT OF IT is second most expensive. You don't want to do those two things too close together.
Great Job once Again!! I have watch your others, even the early one back in the day. They are great and informative. Thanks
Glad you like them Mark!
this year is tire repacement for our truck so september will be a little higher but bugeting helps a lot 3 years in still loveing it reserch is a must for you rig
The best cure for Sue & I to all this financial pain is to always appreciate everything we are able to do and see along the way!
@@OurJourneyInMyles very true
Great video. Thanks for putting all of that together. It's a lot of work to do that.
Thanks for watching!
This was a very educational and very informational important piece of information . I’m not even an Rver but it gives me an idea what reality would be to be a traveler in some type of travel sense . Thank you for sharing this and being honest about it all .
Glad you enjoyed it!
Awesome video Mark and Sue! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for watching Michael.
Excellent and detailed spreadsheet, thank you for sharing your life.
Glad it was helpful Robbie!
Very good and interesting video! Thanks for all the work y'all do!!
Thanks for watching G Fox!!
Wow what a great video! We have followed your channel for several years. I have seen your other cost videos but this one was special. Great review and reality check for many!
We are not full time but currently own a 2021 Super C. This is after having owned three class A diesel pushers, and one fifthwheel in the last 25 years. No doubt an expensive hobby and never made money on any I have sold. That said we have been blessed with so many memories with our children and now grandchildren.
Not full time, but did retire last year at 66.5 years young. Just made a 3600 mile trip to rally Indiana and Niagra falls. After 3.5 weeks on the road with two dogs, and 45 years of marriage, we still like each other. ❤ something special about RVing!
Keep those videos coming! Love your channel
You are traveling in style, and doing it safely in a Super C! Making great memories is what it's all about.
I'm going to retire this year and start my 5 year retirement rving journey (anyway that's the 5 year plan) really appreciate your channel and adventures.
That is awesome Steve! Just roll with the punches along the way.
Thanks for the sheets
Great Video Mark, we travel a lot like you guys do (spoiled) except we still have a sticks and bricks, so great insights to what it cost.
That is awesome Samantha! You truy have the best of both worlds.
One of the best, detailed, realistic budget video!
Thanks for your honesty and candor.
How can I get your spreadsheet to put in my data and create a budget?
Thanks again!
Good luck and blessings to yours in your travels.
Request spreadsheet by emailing us at: ourjourneyinmyles@gmail.com Put "RV Cost Sheets" in the subject line.
Being able to RV in the style you want is critically important. Your message is important for folks already in the lifestyle as well as for those considering RVing. I am surprised none of your many smoke alarms did not go off when your coaches filled with smoke during the video. Advise you watch the OJiM fire safety video again.
Great segway James! We want to remind folks that Fire Prevention Week is coming in October. Why not watch our previous video from a few years ago on how we try to stay safe in our RV! Check out: RV FIRE PREVENTION WEEK | INTERCONNECTED DETECTORS| FIRE SUPPRESSION | ESCAPE WINDOW HACK | EP137 th-cam.com/video/ek50R5Q_hFI/w-d-xo.html
Our lifestyle is more simple and we chose to not have a big rig. We feel more comfortable knowing that we have an exit plan and it is ok if our rv is not worth a cent when we are done. After 8 years on the road, we now put it in storage for 4 months and live in airbnbs in other countries each year. This year South America. We don't like rv parks, prefering state and national parks. We feel like this is our life, not a vacation. We also pay attention to exercise and if we are meeting those goals also. So much to think about. Excellent video.
That sounds like a really good mix of travel & adventure.
@@OurJourneyInMyles sometimes it is good to look forward and move on from the regrets of the past. We keep adjusting and enjoy the healthy time we have. Monthly rates when we visited Vancouver Island made the 2 months much more affordable, same with airbnb.
This was a very informative post. Thank you. We plan to go from north to south in and back doing the snow bird thing. Getting monthly rates in Yuma in the winter and North Idaho in the summer. Our 5th wheel and truck will be payed off.
You are going to love that! Snowbirding is such a great lifestyle. We have used the Pacific South West for winter one year and then use Fort Myer$$$$$ the next year,...........alternating as travel allows.
I love this video Mark and Sue! Great advice! It helps to try and figure out if you can be an rver on your budget. My brother-in-law had it all figured out to try and buy a class C to travel in until he couldn’t do it because of his hip surgeries and all and now he has cancer. It’s very hard to do when you are sick. Thank you Mark so much for this video. Great idea to show this advice. Hope you have a great week. See you both soon!
Thanks Sherri!
@@OurJourneyInMyles
No problem! You’re welcome!
I stumbled upon your channel today. Fantastic job with the cost sheet and explanation. I sent you an email to request the cost sheet and look forward to watching more of your adventures.
Just sent ot Robert. Welcome to the channel,....Sue & I invite you to stick around for all our adventures...
I watch a lot of RV channels and this is the first channel I’ve heard the term tourist versus camper. This is so true. Thanks for the work on finances.
Our pleasure! We are planning to go to Alaska next summer, so I am going to have to sharpen my camping skills.
@@OurJourneyInMyles Will be watching. There’s so much to see there, so it’ll be interesting to see how you plan and pick where you’re going to go. Especially when it seems like you have to reserve things well in advance. Hopefully you’ll be doing videos on that. Cheers.
So well laid out, well said, brutally honest. Helpful to many.
Thank you for such an awesome comment. I'll take it!
T-Mobile has a new home internet that’s designed to be mobile.
On the real I’ve watched a few of your cost videos and you guys are really good. So forward and honest, the multiple videos over the years really help too!
Thanks for the kind comment!
Just put solar on it! It’s makes electricity way cheaper! You will only have to pay for dumping, registration,, insurance, gas, food, repairs, batteries, and a few other things! Hopefully you can do mechanic work?
Yes, we have solar! We love the resort experience though too,......
Thank you so much for this! I am about 2 years out from retirement. I am new to your channel, but I am watching and learning as much as I can before we buy. I have a F250 SD and a Jeep Wrangler so I am on the fence between a fifth wheel or a class A. I have owned a fifth wheel in the past so I am not totally a newbie. We are planning on the full time rv life but hope to downsize and still have a place to land. Based on the video I am leaning towards a fifth wheel as the expenses of a class A are staggering. Not that a fifth wheel will be cheap, just a little more reasonable. Your content and insight was very informative and appreciate your honesty and through accounting. I will definitely be watching more of your content.
Just work on a budget plan and see what makes sense. I think a truck and a fifth wheel is way more budget friendly in the long run, but it is a different experience and more "work" setting up and tearing down.
You are the most real cost guy out there. Thank you.
Wow, thanks! We are still collecting data, and I gotta tell you,.....its not getting any cheaper! We are not complaining though, and love and appreciate the adventure packed life we lead. Just trying to warn folks it is more expensive than your "normal" life. Not having skin in the home ownership game is scary the closer you get to a possible nursing home scenario,........
I chided you on your very first budget video way back when for not including the RV cost. Like it magically just appeared and I said you should at least mention depreciation as a cost as it was an upfront cost. You made a total correction for that this video and I honor you for doing so! So many jump in, especially in the last 2 years, and don't realize they money they will lose on their purchase. Did that stop me? No. I have an 18 Dutch Star and am in the same boat as you. But I knew how we wanted to travel. We do do the TT and it works okay for us. We also kept out sticks that we can park the coach at. Our son lives in it while we are gone so we are fortunate. But I am with you. I am hemorrhaging money at this time but the experience is so worth it. You've been living your best Life and so will we. Safe travels.
The first year I actually included the depreciation costs, and they were so high I didn't think anyone would be able to believe the final bottom line. So,....I deleted them. In my next version, I added them back in to the sheet, but did not fill in the values. I figured if folks wanted to know the bad news, they could enter them themselves! Our 2014 rig was bought used in June of 2017 for $234k
This is a very excellent video on the cost of high end full time travel or retired life in general. A travel trailer is not a class A mobile home but it is more cost effective. Thousand Trails is a big cost savings if they are in the places you want to go, but work camping is another alternative to limit campground costs. Food, maintenance and medical costs are something you have to cover whether you RV or live in sticks and bricks. There are no free rides but boondocking can be close, however boondocking can be hard and the extras to do it right such as solar are not cheap. Also boon docking is limited in the east so.... We are semi-full time out about 8 months a year and living on less than $4k per month but we have Thousand Trails and we haven't had a major repair bill as of yet but we know its coming. Thanks for doing such a great job of logging your expenses and giving those who would go full time so reality.
Great honest comment Joseph,........thanks for helping inform our viewers. Where there's a will, there can be a way!
Mark and Sue I just these helpful tips of the costs of living in an Rv. Very happy you did this. I can never say that enough. I don’t mean to repeat it. I just love that you did this! Love you Mark and Sue! 🤗😘
We always try to show folks the true story of our RV Adventure,...
@@OurJourneyInMyles
I can tell you are doing a great job! You have got me sold in to do some budgeting.
Thank you for all this information. I don’t know how long it took, but based on your excel sheet I can tell it was a lot.
You're very welcome! I like it when I can provide real life info for folks to think about, and take what applies to them into consideration.
Awesome video. Thanks for sharing! I'll be emailing you for the chart
Roger that!
Wow, great down to earth appraisal of your choice for your journey in Myles. You are cautious with maintenance, I like and agree with your approach, better to deal with it rather than have it bite you at the least opportune time. Also you have said you will do this until circumstances dictate otherwise. A realistic approach, you're young enough to keep this up for awhile. I really appreciate all your videos and I hope we meet up on the road sometime.
Thank you very much John! It is embarrassing telling folks we spend every dime that comes in every month, but that is what it takes. We feel it is our responsibility. But we also warn them we can only do that because we have enough saved as "backup" when needed to return to "normal".
Wow! You certainly opened my eyes. I appreciate the education and probably will stop obsessing about my dream and my parents dream. Its just not doable for us. Now i know all rhe facts, i will have to rethink this idea
If you are motivated to travel the USA, then look at the other forms of travel that are way less expensive. The Class A travel style is a budget buster,.......a fifth wheel and a truck are way more budget friendly.
Great informative video! Appreciate you taking the time to put fhis together.
Glad it was helpful Gary!
You do such a good job with these videos Mark! I even watched all the way to the end :o)
You're the best! I haven't looked at the video analytics yet, but you may be the only one that watched to the end. Only reason I was to the end was because I was in it.
As a longtime financial advisor, I genuinely appreciate what you’re doing with this video. Your information and advice is sage. Thank you for making financial decisions something for everyone to consider.
Oh, and by the way, thanks so much for your Father’s Day video message in response to my daughter’s request. It was a thrill to watch on Father’s Day morning.
Keep up the great videos!
Awesome! Thank you FotoMatt! Your daughter loves her Dad!
Thank you for all that hard work. You have convinced me to disregard trying to keep track of all those expenses and just live it up instead, the best way that we can. So see you next week and it wont be long till its time to bike to the beach.
You are so welcome! Love your Emoji Icon!
Spend it you can’t take it with you
Great heartfelt reality check on RV living cost. Thank you for the time effort you put into tracking the details.
Glad it was helpful J-Rod!
Thank you so much for the spreadsheet along with other very informative information! We are still deciding on which RV (DP or Super C)… It’s like drinking from a fire hose 😊but so exciting!!
You are welcome Michele! As a reminder to others, you can request our current fuel stop spreadsheet by emailing us at: ourjourneyinmyles at gmail dot com Put "RV Cost Sheets" in the subject line.
I am sure this was a real PIA to gather the data, so thank you for the time spent so that we could be better educated.
You are welcome Robert.
Retirement/enjoyment is about finding something to be passionate about, this is different for everyone. Just don’t sit still, find your passion and responsibly pursue it. “Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action.” You don’t have time to waste.
Carpe diem.
You can say that again. Sue & I enjoy our time together enough that we have a thrill going to Costco sometimes!
Wow! wow!! what an Eye opener, We are planning to hit the road Next Spring and we'll be buying a used class A Diesel For our journey. We do have a Gas class A now That we will be selling. I have done a lot of research and have been watching your channel And several other channels for a few years, I don't comment often but this video is definitely an Eye Opener .We do plan On using 1000 trail membership And doing some boondocking Too offset some of the cost. But it is something we have been wanting to do for years, We do have a campsite along the cheap river in West Virginia With full hook ups That we will be spending some of the summer at To visit family And that will cut cost as well, Really enjoy watching your videos so thanks for the time you spend making them Very informative hope to meet you on the road someday Until then safe travels!!!
Thanks for the great and kind comment Ronald.
Great video and advice. We are not going full time, but plan several month a year. After retiring from being self employed for over 40 years (Our ages, desired lifestyle and budgeting mindset are identical) we are researching purchasing a used 40' to 42' Class A coach with tag axle ( Newmar, Monaco or Beaver). I can appreciate all the effort to maintain your spread sheets as I do same thing each month currently at home. Sometimes a little scary when the paychecks stop and investment accounts are a tubing (2021-22). I will be sending request for spreadsheet to adjust line items I have overlooked on my planning spreadsheets. Hope the "super thanks" will get you some pie and coffee.
You are getting some great comments ! Again, thank you and safe travels. Enjoy your videos. Ed H
Just saw your generous super chat tip! That is the largest one we have ever received on SuperChat!
We always appreciate when folks care enough about the channel that they help support it. Sue & I decided way in the beginning that every penny we get would be spent only on the channel.
As you have undoubtedly have seen, our repairs and upgrades to the rig have taken a hit on us. We still feel blessed to be able to have this lifestyle.
My anticipated camera upgrade will have to wait, and now I have learned that my iMac Desktop iOS is at "End of Life!”, (Big Sur) and will no longer be supported. What da heck,……
So, my next upgrade to the channel will most likely be the editing platform I use, my desktop.
Thank you for being part of that upgrade fund!
Thankyou for all your advice and real life experience, True costs and understanding what you did and how you did it is valuable knowledge as somethings arent all rosey in a dream and you have to think where you will end up as everything ends. We will keep watching your travels and experience and learn from your thoughts on what you find along the way. Thanks for the effort !
Glad it was helpful!
Extraordinary information share! I still work full time, but I am determined to find a way to live the Class A - 50 AMP Lifestyle!!! I'll keep my "Bricks & Sticks" and enjoy "Smashing Bugs" during long weekends and the occasional corporate "Paid-Time-Off"! I love that you RV "unapologetically" in the comfort of RV Parks with Full Hookups! I also love that you keep your rig impeccably maintained. "Safety First!" I rent RV's once a year to learn by experiencing and building a realistic budget will make my dream come true! I'll look for you at a 50-AMP Hookup in the New Year! Enjoy the Journey Til Then!!! ~Carla ::: Air Horn 📢 ::: ::: Air Breaks! :::
Thanks for the awesome & kind comment Carlal!
Mark and Sue, Thank You for all of your excellent videos. In particular, this video which is so detailed into the world of full time rv living. It certainly makes one realize that in the real world of rving there is a lot more to living within ones means. Kudos.
Glad you enjoyed it Larry! It was a hard video to make. I so don't want to discourage folks,...
Amazing awesome video! Thank you very much. Hoping to be full-time within the next year. I’ll be emailing you down the road for the spreadsheet, you are a blessing!
Thanks for stopping in David,....
DP RVs have a ton more maintenance costs than gasser RVs. I don't spend anywhere near that much on repairs and maintenance. We also boondock at lot, so we invested in solar and lithium. That has been way more cost saving than Thousand Trails, which we also have, and have been disappointed in.
Great to have these solutions and your data for folks to consider. Thanks for watching!
Great and very realistic budget video! Thank you so much for putting this together.
Glad it was helpful! It is somewhat embarrassing showing what we spend, but we don't want folks to be surprised if they in fact want to follow in our footsteps,.....it is what it is!
Well we are rolling the dice.
We have summer full hook up property in NW Montana with our 33 ft class A.
We also have TT we plan on using 5 months of the year. All is paid so we're hoping $36k a year should work
That is a lot of money, and if you watch it, you will make it work! Good luck guys!
I LOVE THIS!!!! Best video yet from you guys. Mark is just as detailed as my husband. This is our year to finally purchase our last RV first, and Mark covered every concern to confirm we can do this. I can't wait to meet you guys on the road. We are serious fans!!!! This us Hubby dream, but I am just as excited. The RV we are looking at is Fleetwood Discovery 44S
Awesome! Thank you! If you are in for the adventure together, you are on the path to success.
Hope to see you on the road in the new year!!! Hoping to buy my "Last RV First" in the New Year 2024"!!!! ~Carla
We got a Thousand Trails membership from the start. Please understand I'm not with Thousand Trails in no way so I do not get anything to say this at all. If you pay to stay in a RV park the prices with all hookups can be from $60.00 to over $100 dollars per night. I guess it depends what date and place your staying. We put the like think it was 10% down went for the new package which gives us several other places some in the middle of the USA and we pay $299.00 per month. Now at some of these other non-Thousand Trails location if it is like a Super RV place you can be charges additional $20.00 per night but these places have amenities that you would not find at other without paying over $100 per night. This package also give us a chance to sale our package later if we decide we are getting to old for this. Years later it will cost more that what you paid for it when you purchased it. So another way to get some of this money back . You can even leave it to a family member if you wish as well. I know there has be some draw back to purchasing this but I see it as a plus !
I am thinking if we didn't start out being spoiled staying EXACTLY were we wanted we would have joined as well!
Great video. I still use your spreadsheet that you sent from a prior video. :) Hope you and Sue are doing well
Thank you! You too! I know it is a "simpleton" spreadsheet,.....and it's just mostly for folks to get a handle on how this is going to work out for them,........or not. Some folks have sent me ones that you are filling in the expenses on monthly sheets as you go along, that then populate the master "yearly" sheet. I didn't want anything that fancy to share!
@@OurJourneyInMyles It is seriously a great tool. Thanks for sharing it
I would love your worksheet. I really appreciate your willingness to share this information. Your channel is awesome.
Request spreadsheet by emailing us at: ourjourneyinmyles@gmail.com Put "RV Cost Sheets" in the subject line.
Camp on my friend and will be looking for you at the Tampa Rv show!!!
I'll be the one trailing behind Sue all day! Merry Christmas!🎄 and Happy New Travel Year to you!
great video.
also I don't hear on these RV videos is, start RV-ing with a saved budget.
Im upgrading to a Motorcoach and starting out with an RV-Savings account. and adding $100 every paycheck.
You have to have a reserve fund, and you have to understand that you will be using it!
You’ve put out the utmost expense for how you live out there, hats off!!
Thanks Rick,.......we still spend a few bucks more than this on entertainment, but we didn't track that as well the last couple years.
Thanks for the great information. It does cost to make memories. But, worth it!
Absolutely! Those are our thoughts,..........from an educated position,......after 6 years of travel. And we are going after another 6 years worth,....
So sorry I’m late watching! I haven’t been feeling too well lately. Had migraine headache. Really bad! But I’m feeling better tonight so I’m going to watch your video.
Welcome back Sherri!
If the ac goes out just instal a apartment mini split system! For 750-1200.00 and get a 110 one!
Nope. keeping my Motorhome original equipment.
Hello Mark, I'm a newby to the RV world and your channel. My wife and I had spoken many times about getting one, but never did. As I have recently lost my wife and am now thinking about going, I think your spreadsheet would help with my decision. Lots to look at and many decisions to make. Thank you
Hello Arthur. I can't send anything to a TH-cam Address. Request spreadsheet by emailing Sue & I at: ourjourneyinmyles@gmail.com Put "RV Cost Sheets" in the subject line. I will send it right out!
Outstanding Sue and Mark, thank you.
Our pleasure Bob! Glad it was worthwhile,...
Wow! This was a definite eye opener. Still working full time, so for now, we glamp on vacations and weekends with our class c. Thinking we will just keep our home and travel on longer vacations after retirement. Love your videos. They are fun, informative and realistic. Thank you for all the time you both put into them.
Glad it was helpful! I agree. If you love your home, keep it and just plan a bunch of adventures. The best case is coming back home to your heated/air conditioned barn to work on the rig yourself in between trips! The savings will pay for the barn!
Awesome video! Thank you for all the hard work.
Our pleasure,...and thanks for watching!
Thank you so much for doing this, I know it is a lot of work. I have watch all of your finance videos (and most of the others). We are traveling in a 2018 Newmar NewAire for the last 8 months and we love it, but it is more expensive to maintain. Hope to meet you on the road someday.
You are so welcome! Keeping driving around and we will cross paths for sure!
Thank you Mark & Sue for this very informative video.
Glad it was helpful!
Great info, you are my go to channel for honest warts n'all RV living.
Wow, thank you! I never want to mislead anyone about this adventure.
Excellent job Mark and Sue. Regular watcher of your channel. Keep up the great work. Thank you. I’ll be emailing 😊
You got it Mark!
Great information and given in a very understandable manner, thank you
Glad it was helpful,.........and I didn't lose you. It was a hot mess for me for a while!
I have been watching your channel for a long time. Always enjoy. This was very imformative. Excellent Vlog.
Awesome, thank you! We appreciate the long term viewers,..big time.
Well I'm back. In case you haven't noticed I did not win the lottery so my dream bucket list is not going to be fulfilled this week either. Told my daughter that since I do not have a co-pilot I am giving up on buying a coach. I have watched others backing up 44 ft'ers and I don't think I can do it solo. You mentioned you think it is time to retire. I thought you were retired. How else can you do the things you and Sue do? Missed you this week, take care
Welcome back! Yes I am retired from work,.......someday I will retire from TH-cam! I could not, and would not want to drive a big rig like ours without Sue. Even the smallest Class A might be too much for comfort. But I bet you $10 bucks if you went to the Tampa RV Show all four days and walked around you would find 20 rigs that would be a perfect fit! See you in Florida in January 2024,.....
In Florida we are suffering with homeowners Insurance. I ofter think it’s not worth it! We are walking distance to the Atlantic Ocean and a great Flood Zone X!! But it’s still expensive to us as Floridians.
We are Floridians as well. Our full time RV Motorhome & Car insurance premiums must assume I intentionally drive to Florida every Hurricane Season and park it!
Thanks, Mark. I created lots of spreadsheets during my working career and may be able to imagine how much work this one was. A super thanks is a token of my appreciation to you. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful Neal!
Thank you Mark for sharing this information
Glad it was helpful Paul!
To cut down on food cost, fresh roadkill will do the trick. Or old roadkill if you like jerky!
We have found over the years that the spices have really gotten expensive though!
Greetings.. I love how comprehensive your spreadsheet is.. wonderful!. also, It appears your repairs and maintenance costs are increasing .. At what point do you get into a newer one, and how are you assessing when that is? I appreciate your channel as it lets me dream for a few minutes..lol.. Cheers..WiL
Thank you! We are going to keep patching Myles up right till the end. Fingers crossed on no blown engines or transmissions!
First time to try full-time RV ing
We are still at it after 7 years!
Hey Mark & Sue, love your honesty. Would you ever consider getting a class B and be a part timer with owning a condo?
That is very much a possibility for our future plans,............and if we do,.........it will be named Myles. We will for sure be in a condo,........working on the outside of a home is a source of anxiety for me at this point!
Good video It should help people understand the cost better.
That is our hope William. We never wanted to discourage folks, we just want them to make a financial decision they can work with long term!
Thank you it is a great oversite! ThomyT
Glad you like it ThomyT!
Great video. Thank you for sharing.
Our pleasure Connie,....thanks for stopping by!
Thanks for all the attention to detail on your spreadsheet Sue and Mark! That is wonderful! We're close to retirement. I want to be full time touring, but my wife is more about just taking vacations and coming home.
Mark, I owe you a lot of thanks for helping me to be attentive to my wife during mountain travels, and in knowing what my partner plans to do. I will still watch your channel weekly, but I've finally given up on buying a camper or RV. Keep up the great work you two. We will be buying e bikes to store in out Odyssey while traveling between trails. Awesome information on this channel! We appreciate you both, "along with the humor". I think both of your comerodemy is what really makes retiring attractive. Thanks again Sue and Chan Man!
Glad to hear all this Kevin. I deeply believe in happy wife, happy life. You both have to go along in life feeling full-filled. The best thing in retirement is having someone to do it with,....together!
Most excellent advice! 😘🖖🏻👍🏻🙏🏻
Glad it was helpful!
Thank-you for the spreadsheet sent! We bought our truck 2 years ago and have been carefully researching travel trailers or a 5th wheel.
I'm wondering if your vehicle insurance increasing in-cost has to do with your domicle being in FL? I've read recently about the rising car (& home) insurance rates for FL residence.
Yes,........it is absolutely due to my Florida Domicile,.......plus we have high limits,.......and an "Insured Value". If I was in a "Non-Hurricane State" going DIRECT to Progressive I'm thinking I would be better off.
Very good video. I appreciate your information.
Thanks for watching Joe! Great last name,....just sayin'.
Thank you for sharing and entertaining and teaching us
Glad you enjoyed it!