Nothing major to report for the past few weeks. I haven't been doing much of anything but downsizing, throwing out stuff, giving things to goodwill and marking things off my list of to do's before leaving. I can't believe it has been a couple of weeks since my last post.
I am afraid to admit that I have gone back to my "I don't know" mode of thinking. The urge to leave as soon as possible has seemed to have decreased. Maybe that is because I am comfortable in the house I live in, the place I live and all the sports I am enjoying in the area right now. That decrease in my urge to leave and also I am no longer 'obsessed" with constantly looking at blogs and RV's for sale, made me start thinking that maybe my original retirement plans were correct to begin with.
Before this RV idea, my original retirement plans were to keep my house as a 'base camp', it would be paid for, and travel the country for as long as I wanted and when I wanted. I was going to do that in an older VW Camper or now using my Toyota 4Runner in someway. (Tent or Trailer Camping).
Maybe if I did that, sometime during that first year or after a year I would know for sure if I should sell everything and hit the road or just keep the house and be a part-timer in my RV travels.
I am finding as I downsize my possessions I have a resistance to selling my house and hitting the road full-time.
As you may remember, my plan was to boondock as much as possible and using solar was the plan.
The eye opener I guess, I was reading more and more RVer's having maintenance problems to fix. It seemed like every blog I was reading or a forum, people were doing constant maintenance. I started thinking how I never cared to work on my cars even if it was easy stuff, during my times of collecting old VW campers, or my old Chevy pickup truck. The Z and the 4Runner have not had any problems to fix but are new enough that I would take them to the dealership to fix.
Yet, reading about problems with generators, solar wiring, electrical steps, black water tanks, electrical problems etc...made me wonder.
Yes I realize that is part of RVing. I don't know if I want that to be a constant problem in my life full-time.
I'll stop my rambling but here are my current thoughts.
I really don't know what I will decide until I rent a Class C (local) for a weekend camping trip to the State Park nearby. I doubt that will happen until the 2nd week in April. Why then? My college basketball addiction is not over until "March Madness" is over. For those that are basketball fans, they know what I mean. I will also be attending tonight the sold out Assembly Hall (17,900 seats) in Bloomington for the IU vs #2 Ohio State game tonight. Sure, I could see those games on tv in an RV anywhere in the country but one of the reasons I moved back to Indiana from the PNW was to do just what I am doing tonight....going to IU games.
So far in the past few weeks the main thought that keeps coming back is to keep my house, travel when and where I want after I retire in May 2014. Still nothing firm between a Class A or a Class C.
Then other times through all my thoughts, I think of how nice it would be to full-time RV right now.
You have to do what you feel is right for you bud!! No one would want you to sell everything and drop $50 or $60k on an RV then get out on the road and be miserable!! Thats basically all I have to say...no chiding and no coercion..DO WHAT YOU FEEL IS RIGHT FOR YOU!! But keep us posted, we'll still be following along.....
ReplyDeleteI read your blog with interest as I am in the same boat, whether to RV or not. I think you should stay put in your comfortable home/surroundings and just take RV-rented-trips/trips whenever you feel the urge for a change of scene. I'm quite comfortable as I am and think, with the very edgy future, I'd rather be fortified in bricks and mortar than wheels. JMHO.
ReplyDeleteI don't unusualy to have these feelings. I guess its better than to jump into all this and then regret selling your house. I wanted to full time too, but had the same thoughts about when I could no longer or just didn't want to go anymore. My home is also paid for if I sell it would I be able to buy another one for cash? No I doubt that. So I bought a summer place in the mountains and use my mh in the winter months to travel the southern part of the state. Maybe I should just sell it. Always thinking about what to do. I would love to have a van or a VW bus. That could be used as my main mode of travel.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your thoughts.
Happy New Year
I don't unusualy to have these feelings. I guess its better than to jump into all this and then regret selling your house. I wanted to full time too, but had the same thoughts about when I could no longer or just didn't want to go anymore. My home is also paid for if I sell it would I be able to buy another one for cash? No I doubt that. So I bought a summer place in the mountains and use my mh in the winter months to travel the southern part of the state. Maybe I should just sell it. Always thinking about what to do. I would love to have a van or a VW bus. That could be used as my main mode of travel.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your thoughts.
Happy New Year
Good post - It's got to be a hard decision to make. If I was in your shoes, in a house that was paid for, I wouldn't sell it. Especially if you really like it. I think I'd get a less expensive RV that is in good shape and take some trips with it and see. You don't ever have to sell the house, no matter what you decide. If you get to the point that you think you'd LOVE fulltiming, rent it out. It will be there when you come off the road.
ReplyDeleteOne thing my son said to me, regarding my generator problems, is that at least my home is really small, not a lot of things to go wrong, and only so many systems to check. My solar panels and catalytic heater are all I really NEED, and I'm still using the generator when I want the electrical in the kitchen, and it's doing fine. (My oven and burners are propane, so no electricity needed to cook. Only the microwave and coffee maker, which, of course, I could do without if I had to.) The generator is still acting up intermittently, but working well enough for now.
As long as I have a repair fund I feel pretty good. Anywhere you live, you have to keep your home maintained. A lot of RVers are living in older units, too, and just like an older house, things go out and need to be repaired or replaced.
Good post - It's got to be a hard decision to make. If I was in your shoes, in a house that was paid for, I wouldn't sell it. Especially if you really like it. I think I'd get a less expensive RV that is in good shape and take some trips with it and see. You don't ever have to sell the house, no matter what you decide. If you get to the point that you think you'd LOVE fulltiming, rent it out. It will be there when you come off the road.
ReplyDeleteOne thing my son said to me, regarding my generator problems, is that at least my home is really small, not a lot of things to go wrong, and only so many systems to check. My solar panels and catalytic heater are all I really NEED, and I'm still using the generator when I want the electrical in the kitchen, and it's doing fine. (My oven and burners are propane, so no electricity needed to cook. Only the microwave and coffee maker, which, of course, I could do without if I had to.) The generator is still acting up intermittently, but working well enough for now.
As long as I have a repair fund I feel pretty good. Anywhere you live, you have to keep your home maintained. A lot of RVers are living in older units, too, and just like an older house, things go out and need to be repaired or replaced.
I really believe that when the time is right, the solutions to all my questions will be quite clear and simple. It has always worked that way before when I am in the process of making a change.
ReplyDeleteThere are aspects I like of each RVer, from the small trailers to the Class A and C's. I can see myself happy on the road in all the different RV's and trailers. If I am on the road I would spend the majority of my time outside as well as the hounds.
I like the smaller trailers when I see them...I like the C's and the A's I look at....I like them all!!! lol
I really believe that when the time is right, the solutions to all my questions will be quite clear and simple. It has always worked that way before when I am in the process of making a change.
ReplyDeleteThere are aspects I like of each RVer, from the small trailers to the Class A and C's. I can see myself happy on the road in all the different RV's and trailers. If I am on the road I would spend the majority of my time outside as well as the hounds.
I like the smaller trailers when I see them...I like the C's and the A's I look at....I like them all!!! lol