Another year has gone by the wayside and they sure seem to be getting shorter… As we let 2018 fade into the past we look forward to having a better year in 2019. Last year wasn’t our best year financially as we had a rash of RV repairs and we aren’t done yet. I still need to replace the front shocks and one tire on the RV. Hopefully I can get it all done before we leave Bonita Springs, Florida.
The year 2018 wasn’t all bad though as we stayed in a lot of new places we thoroughly enjoyed and spent several months with our daughter leading up to her beautiful wedding. However we often wonder if we had encountered the large expenses of replacing our turbo and exhaust manifold early on in our travels whether we would have given up on traveling. It is fairly common for folks that want to RV and tour the USA to become disenchanted their first year on the road if they were unfortunate enough to encounter high repair costs during their very first year’s travels. Often times these same folks toss back their RV keys, sell it all and move back into a sticks and bricks.
Upon reading these accounts I always felt as if these people might not be giving the RV lifestyle a long enough chance but after encountering a year such as theirs I can now fully appreciate why some choose to give up the lifestyle. This lifestyle isn’t all a vacation every day as life on the road has its unique ways of reminding you that it isn’t going to be all fun and games.
In addition we know we are fortunate in that we haven’t encountered any major health issues during our nearly eight years on the road as that is another reason folks must give up the RV lifestyle as well. While we do have our own health concerns we aren’t tied to having to stay in one spot because of them nor do we have any debilitating issues which make performing the day to day tasks of RV’ing limited.
We have also noticed that other RV’ers leave the lifestyle due to family member’s health declining (usually parents as they are aging). We don’t have to worry about parents aging as both of our parents are deceased. Only my mother was still alive when we started on the road and I was fortunate in that my sister was with Mom to watch over her before and after she entered a care facility in Texas.
While we may have taken a financial hit in 2018 we are very thankful we still have our health and our children are healthy as well so there is nothing stopping us (but ourselves) from continuing to travel around the USA in Abbey, our RV. In that spirit we celebrated the new year with our traditional good luck meal (black eyed peas and tamales) in the hope it will ensure the upcoming year will be a happy one. Here is hoping that all our readers also have a healthy and rewarding 2019 while traveling and may there be no issues limiting your planned activities. Our 2019 plans will take us out west and we also look forward to seeing you all on our Road of Retirement.
NOTE: We are now at our winter site for the season in Bonita Springs, Florida…
Fir many reason people give up this amazing lifestyle. Like your mentioned. Even though major expenses think about what it would cost to maintain a house all these years. In our 13th year we have been through some costly years , but we just take care of them and carry on. There is nothing we would rathe do than what we are doing, and will as long as we possibly can like you guys.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your spot in Florida and get all caught up again.
And a Happy healthy New year to you as well.
Know what you mean about costly repairs and it's not over with yet.
ReplyDeleteWhen you figure it out we can't afford not to live this lifestyle.
Be Safe and Enjoy!
It's about time.
The years do speed up as we go along. I think you adjusted just fine to the hiccups along the road.
ReplyDeleteOh yea, we had some (many) major expenses while full-timing for 7 years. So much so that I was getting stressed. So 2 years ago we sorta hung up the keys and bought a home we love in rural Alabama. But the RV issues continued on various trips. Cut our losses and downsized from a 43 ft fiver to a 36 ft TT. In 2018 instead of RV repairs it was truck. To the tune of over 22,000.
ReplyDeleteWe carry on. Here is wishing both us and you have no major expenses this year, whether with an RV or truck. Fingers crossed.
Despite the unexpected 2018 repairs, as George mentions, there are unexpected expenses with any home. But the lifestyle rewards must make up for it.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year and a much better 2019 for all!
Good summary of why people leave the RV lifestyle behind. While we are buying a stix ans brix we still plan to travel. See in the spring.
ReplyDeleteOur circumstances are a little different. Our paid for home in Arizona is a modest one that has desert landscaping so we are able to leave it without anyone watching the home in our absence. We turn off the water, set the alarm and lock the doors. These bast 11 years we've spent about 75% of our time on the road. We don't stay in one location like a lot of full timers do. After a few days we are back on the road to find someplace new. We've promised friends that we will attend Quartzsite, Winter Blast and the Escapade this winter but after that we plan to sell the Montana Fifth Wheel and truck. Unlike many RVers, we've had no real repair problems except a fridge that quit. We realize that our reflexes aren't like they used to be. Anyone that has motorcycled knows that one day you'll know when it's time to hang up the keys. Bill will be 83, while his health is excellent after his heart bypass many years ago, the desire to get up and go somewhere in the RV isn't the same. We don't make RV park reservations and with more and more RVers out there, and not many new parks it could be a problem for those of us who enjoy the spontaneous lifestyle. We're enjoying a different lifestyle traveling the world with all the details completed by a travel company. If you know of anyone wanting a great fifth wheel and or truck let us know.
ReplyDeleteThe best part is, despite the repairs making you dig deep in your pocket, both of you are in good health.
ReplyDeleteWe've had our share of medical issues but life goes on and moves on.
Cheers to a better year, with lesser repairs but more new fun adventures.
And thank you for tweaking your blogsite I can now make a comment, yeah!
We've been fortunate health wise, though we did start at an early age, and while we've had rv issues Dave has been able to handle them himself. Both the rv and truck no longer have warranties so they may start costing us but I hope not. We'll probably have to start spending our summers in IL due to my parents needing more help, we'll know more when we see them in August. Coming up on 6 years for us, 6 winters away from the snow and cold....priceless when married to someone who has seasonl affective disorder.
ReplyDeleteVery insightful comments on the lifestyle. It takes a very resilient person to live this lifestyle for a long time. We are starting our 6th year and we too have had our trials, but we get over it and move on. We to consider ourselves lucky that it is only money and not our health.
ReplyDeleteAfter 7 years of adventures as full-timers, we sold the rig in early 2017 and moved to a 55+ community in a small northern Minnesota town. There wasn't any one prevailing factor in our decision. I suppose you could say it just wasn't "the same" and we knew were ready to exit. Wouldn't trade those adventures for anything, but it is nice to live maintenance-free! We had a lovely holiday to the North Shore last Fall, renting a cabin right on the shore of Lake Superior. Although I enjoyed towing the rig for all those years, I have to say it was a real pleasure traveling in a smaller vehicle, stopping on a whim at scenic overlooks and interesting shops without having to scope out logistics for the rig. Hope you have a healthy and pleasant 2019!
ReplyDeleteWe full timed from early 2013 to late 2016. We loved the freedom our coach and lifestyle gave us. We bought a sticks and bricks home near our daughter and have enjoyed being the full time caregivers to our almost 11 month old granddaughter. There are days I miss it, but she is so worth it. We were not going to sell our coach originally, but after two months of it sitting on the side of the house with no prospects for adventure we were able to sell it and let her enjoy more time on the road. The folks that bought her were very nice and have done lots of travel with her.
ReplyDelete