How About RV’ing Across the Country For a Year?? :)

How fun would that be?? Minimize your life down to the bare necessities (or throw it all into storage) and then travel free as a bird exploring our great country? All the while blogging/tweeting/LIVING life on the road? I think I could be pretty good at that… At least for the first week ;)

And of course it’s no surprise that I get excited about extreme ideas like this, whether I ever end up jumping on them or not. Remember my dream of living in a hotel? Or on a house boat?? Man, I get butterflies just THINKING about it! Another idea I haven’t mentioned yet too is my “family compound” set up where I get friends and family together and build a small town equipped with a general store and tavern and all ;) Everyone pitching in based on their skills and interest which formulates a nice little self-sustaining’ish village! But that one still needs a lot more polishing up, haha…

But this RV thing is probably the most do-able out of ALL our ideas yet – mainly cuz it’s the first time in a while where we have the freedom (and desire) to just pick up and go somewhere new. Like North Carolina or Tennessee or any of those other places on our list I’ve mentioned before… The only real kicker would be life on the road with a baby! Scary just thinking about it, really :)

Look how fun it looks, though!! These guys are doing it right, and are my brand new heroes:

I reached out to them on Twitter and will be picking their brains once we get more serious about it all :) And will also hit up Adam from Man vs. Debt who set off on the road himself with his family back in 2011, as well as Britt from In Pursuit of Happiness who also sold all her stuff to enjoy RV life as well. Which is how you might remember we got that Ford Mustang convertible to give to one of our Love Drop families back in the day! Funny how the world works, eh?

Here are all the pros and cons I’ve come up with too, ever since thinking about this idea for the past few weeks… I haven’t found anything that kills the dream completely yet, but it’s def. a lot more scarier than initially believed, haha… But maybe that makes it that much better?

Pros to Living in an RV

  • You get to travel and explore the country!!
  • While living cheaper than in a normal home! (At least I think?)
  • And be more minimalist with less mental and physical clutter
  • With a fuller savings account too since you’d have to sell a lot of stuff!
  • You have total freedom and flexibility! (Snowing out? Drive to a diff. state!)
  • As well as more “one-on-one” time with nature – even if more luxuriously ;)
  • You get to visit all your friends and family scattered about! (And blog readers! ;))
  • All while meeting new ones along the way too.
  • And forming memories that will last forever – both with them, and your own family and baby!
  • You’d get a lot more ideas for blog posts and inventions too ;)
  • And last but not least, you can say you grabbed life by the balls and just DID IT!

Cons to Living in an RV

  • GAS GAS and more GAS!!!
  • Can’t bring all the stuff you really DO want and/or need for everyday living
  • Cramped areas and not very much personal space :( Esp when baby starts crawling!
  • No solid doctor/dentist/pediatrician on call for emergencies/life events. Or at least those you already know and trust.
  • RVs aren’t cheap (That one up there in the video? *Starts* at $226,000)
  • Renting them isn’t super cheap either, at least in my initial investigating… They were running *thousands* a month, which make it seem better to just buy an old used one and run it into the ground and/or sell it at the end of the adventure.
  • Lots of communal bathrooms and showers if you don’t get one on board (ick)
  • Maybe not that safe in deterring criminals/break-ins?
  • Can’t work full-time if you’re driving around all day long… though I’d imagine we’d stop in places we liked for weeks or months at a time?
  • No connection to the internet 24/7 – which could prove super bad if your livelihood depends on it ;)
  • Big problems if the thing breaks down (and you’re not mechanically inclined like yours truly… as evidence of not knowing if his car is dead or just needs a new battery in last week’s news ;))
  • Mail delivery and receiving problems?
  • And having too much fun that it then ruins the rest of your everyday “now boring” life ;)

How come there’s never a slam-dunk with this sorta stuff? Haha… I guess that’s what separates out the adventurers from the rest, eh? Big risk = big reward! Although again, for us the timing really couldn’t be better right now as everything’s almost aligned perfectly for a move like this if we wanted to run with it.  We’re already planning on moving by this Summer anyways, so the renting of our house and all that will need to be done already to  make a dream like this happen pronto – something I left out of the cons list on purpose just ‘cuz it doesn’t apply to us at the moment.

Another idea would be to try this out for just a few months instead of a year, and then see how we like it from there. And would help us explore all the areas we’re considering for our next big move anyways – ya know? We could RV through all the states and cities and spend good quality time there, rather than just relying on quick visits to figure out what our best options are. So even that route would be smart of us! And less committal to :)

Here are 6 financial tips I found on MSN to keep in mind as well:

  1. Get organized —  Set everything up electronically with all your bills/savings/income/etc. Something most of us already do luckily :)
  2. Have a (flexible) budget — Expenses like campsite fees and electric bills can fluctuate, although the person interviewed for the story (Kathy Huggins) says it’s cost them less living out of their RV than in a traditional home which is good to hear! Even though they’re doing it full-time rather than just a year which certainly skews things… as evidence in the next tip below.
  3. Save up for your rig, shop for the loan — According to Kathy, “a used motor home will run “right around $100,000 if it’s a diesel pusher and about $80,000 for a gas rig. And they’re pretty comfortable.”  The other option is to buy a “fifth wheel” that is pulled by a truck. “You’re talking about $40,000 to $60,000,” she says, but “then you have to buy a truck to pull it, which can be up to $40,000 for the truck.” Another pro of buying an older used one and dumping it at the end of the year – if that’s what your time frame is in the end.
  4. Get a tax break — From the article, “One of the advantages of living on the road is that you can call any state home. The Hugginses… chose South Dakota as their home base because of the tax benefits. There is no state income tax and… no property tax since they don’t own a home…. Tax rates and other details are available in the book “Choosing Your RV Home Base.” (WHO KNEW??)
  5. Bring in some bacon — AKA make sure you still work so you can live this dream lifestyle! Pretty much a no brainer for us youngin’s out there, but it is a nice reminder to those retirees looking to get into the RV game too. Anything you can do to pretty much supplement your income will make any of those dreams of yours more comfortable.
  6. Don’t wait too long — From the article, “The Hugginses’ only regret? That they didn’t do it earlier. ‘”When we first started doing this, we interviewed a lot of full-time RV’ers, and everyone said the same thing: ‘I wish I’d done it 10 years sooner.'” Such is with every big dream, eh? :)

I liked how they ended the article too:

“I think almost anybody can do it…The cost can range from $200 a month to $12,000 a month, depending on what you want to do and how you want to spend your money. That’s the best part about this — it’s your choice…”

It’s cool that there’s over 1.3 million Americans out there RV’ing full-time too :) Meaning there’s plenty of hope! Just a matter of whether it’s a good fit for you and your family or not… Or rather OUR family right now, haha… Sometimes I wonder if I post about all this to convince myself to do these things, or to help others better figure out the ins and outs of this stuff ;) Either way, I hope you’re entertained!

What do you think? Could you/have you ever considered this type of lifestyle before? What stops you (or stopped you) from going for it?

Naturally I still have a lot more investigating to do with this crazy new plan of ours, but I do like how it’s coming along so far… To be excited about something so drastic for more than a week has already pushed this idea over all the others! ;) Now we just need to see how it plays out in real life!

—–
[Photo by Slideshow Bruce]

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88 Comments

  1. Mortgage Mutilator @ Mutilate The Mortgage February 4, 2013 at 5:47 AM

    I think I’d prefer a boat than an RV… MUCH nicer scenery and you can go to different countries too if its a decent one :-)

    Also J, head over to Early Retirement Extreme as Jacob over there has been living in an RV for a while and has heaps of stuff about it on his blog.

    Reply
  2. My Financial Independence Journey February 4, 2013 at 5:53 AM

    Something tells me that this would be incredibly fun for 1-2 months and then get very old very fast. I would love to do an RV tour of some of the great national parks out West. The RV would probably be most useful in that situation since you can set it up as a much nicer base camp for 1, 2, or 3 week camping visits.

    Camping in a tent is fine for a couple of weeks, but if I were going to rinse and repeat for two months, I’d want something a little bit more comfortable and spacious.

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 4, 2013 at 9:40 AM

      Oh yeah – especially with a baby! I don’t think I’d have the patience for a tent just yet.

      Reply
  3. Jane Savers @ The Money Puzzle February 4, 2013 at 6:40 AM

    A big RV would make me cry every time I was at the gas pump. Not to mention writing the pay cheque to the driver I would have to hire to drive that behemoth because I would never be able to park the thing.

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 4, 2013 at 9:42 AM

      Haha… you can hire me to do it ;) The gas WOULD be pretty annoying on the wallet, but I’d like to think the rest would make up for it. Especially if you do end up saving more in the long run than owning/renting a home.

      Reply
  4. Mrs. Pop @ Planting Our Pennies February 4, 2013 at 7:07 AM

    I think we’d want to live on a sailboat before an RV… but we’d need to learn how to sail.

    One thing that we heard from people that RV’d for a year when they started their retirement is that not all RV stops were friendly. They tended to encounter a good deal more closedmindedness and racism on the road than they did in their pre-RV days. Don’t know if they just got unlucky or if it’s a real problem.

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 4, 2013 at 9:51 AM

      interesting… you’d think it would be the opposite, eh? I like the sailboat idea too, even though I don’t know how to sail as well :) Maybe one day you can sail over to my RV camped on the water?

      Reply
  5. Pauline February 4, 2013 at 7:12 AM

    I crossed the country on a motorcycle last year and was sometimes envious of RVs especially when it was cold, raining or when hotels were $80…
    But I wouldn’t trade the freedom of the bike, and the mileage!
    Some RVs had scooters or small dirt bikes for day exploring.

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 4, 2013 at 9:52 AM

      WOWWW FUN!!!!!!!!! That sounds super adventurous :) Did you stop by Sturgis on the trip?

      Reply
  6. Lance @ Money Life and More February 4, 2013 at 7:15 AM

    My parents have an RV but just for camping and not for living in. It definitely gets cramped fast and there are a lot of things that can break.

    That said I think it’d be fun too but might get old after a while. A key to keeping it cheap is to not be on the road a lot because gas is outrageous and I think my parents RV gets somewhere between 4-9 mpg. YUCK!

    What is your BIGGEST concern and are you trying to convince yourself that it isn’t that bad?

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 4, 2013 at 9:54 AM

      I’m not sure what my biggest concern is all the way really – maybe that it would cost more than our monthly expenses now? And it would be really hard on the baby? I feel like I can do just about anything for a few months/year, but I wouldn’t want to at the expense of unhappiness among my family :( I think the ideal plan would be to rent month-by-month while searching around for the area to plop down roots at for a bit. And then hope that we find it before we get tired of RV’ing!

      Reply
  7. Brian February 4, 2013 at 7:37 AM

    We have some family friends that spent the last 25 years living in an RV. They pretty much move from National Park to National Park and work for a few months at a time in exchange for hook ups. If I remember correctly there is a pretty big community that helps find jobs (or volunteer opportunities). They seem to enjoy it.

    Also don’t forget an RV is technically a home according to the IRS (http://www.bankrate.com/brm/itax/tax_adviser/20060913a1.asp) so you can write off the interest to help lower the cost a bit.

    I’d much rather just take a long (like 4 – 5 month) motorcycle trip then to live in an RV. I’ve read many a trip report from people who have done this and it is simply amazing!

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 4, 2013 at 9:57 AM

      That’s awesome about the IRS stuff, haha… If I ever get my motorcycle permit I’ll happily join you on that mission as well :) And the wife can drive the RV behind us!

      Reply
  8. Call Me What You Want Even Cheap February 4, 2013 at 8:07 AM

    Great tips! I am a plane girl. I don’t really like long distance driving. Probably because I drive around everyday meeting with clients.

    Reply
  9. Emmy February 4, 2013 at 9:33 AM

    I think it would be fun to try out. I love traveling, but I miss my own bed when I do. This would solve that problem! Haha. Although, I have heard of this one family that travels around in a huge RV and they basically just help people. I have their book (still have yet to read it) called “Passion To Action” and it just seems to be AMAZING. Once I read the book I’ll let you know my reactions.

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 4, 2013 at 9:57 AM

      COOL! Yes, please do – I love that idea already :)

      Reply
  10. Michelle February 4, 2013 at 9:44 AM

    We’ve thought about doing this too! Sounds like a lot of fun.

    Reply
  11. Grayson @ Debt Roundup February 4, 2013 at 10:20 AM

    I would rock the RV lifestyle, but would probably go insane after a couple of months (maybe one). I don’t think my wife would be on board, but I would convince her!

    Reply
  12. John S @ Frugal Rules February 4, 2013 at 10:44 AM

    I think we would enjoy it, but would get old very quickly. Not to mention that our three little ones would make it much more crazy. I think I’d be spending a good bit on some liquid courage, which would make blog posts and business proposals awfully interesting to read. I think we’d have to wait until later in life to really be able to full take advantage of something like this.

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 4, 2013 at 11:23 AM

      Haha… or you just need one really REALLY big RV :)

      Reply
  13. Dianne @ Skinny Seahorse February 4, 2013 at 10:56 AM

    This has been a dream of mine for years. We started saving for it, but ended up repurposing the money so I could take a year off from work (hooray 2013) and just chill out. Once I’m back at work, the saving will renew. It’s the next sabbatical…

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 4, 2013 at 11:24 AM

      That’s an awesome idea!! One year off work? Wow… good for you!

      Reply
  14. Jerry February 4, 2013 at 11:03 AM

    What’s the insurance like for an RV? Expensive? I didn’t realize that it was so expensive to buy one. Maybe a 2nd hand one might lead to better savings. I think RVing around the country sounds fun.

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 4, 2013 at 11:24 AM

      You’re the insurance guy – you tell me! :)

      Reply
  15. Retire By 40 February 4, 2013 at 11:08 AM

    My parents drove around the US in a Chevy Astro van for 4 months. They had a ton of fun and I would love to do something like that someday. A year in an RV is a long time though. The internet connection would be the biggest problem there. I don’t know, maybe it would be nice to take a little break from the internet.

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 4, 2013 at 11:26 AM

      well that wouldn’t be an option for me since I’d ofcourse still need to be working, BUT, I’m thinking getting your own hot spot and/or just making sure your RV sites always have internet would be fine? it would probably be more troublesome in more rural areas where your RV parking is limited, but then you can just leave quicker and keep going until you have it again… or do all your work like writing when not connected and then once you are schedule it all out? def. tricky, but still do able me thinks.

      Reply
  16. Johnny @ Our Freaking Budget February 4, 2013 at 11:15 AM

    Freaking awesome. This is totally up my alley! The Mrs…. maybe not so much. There’s seriously so much stuff to explore in this country, so much to see. And I’m never going to get around to seeing it unless we go DO.

    I think the biggest hurdle for me to overcome would be the stigma of RV’ing, as lame as that is. Because I’m sure my brain is wrong in stereotyping full-time RV’ers as weird, pack-rat, part-time nudists. Right?

    I think the best option would be to rent one for a summer or at least a couple months, get a feel for the journey, the “neighbors”, the life, and then make your move. And then blog about it so I can (yet again) live vicariously through you.

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 4, 2013 at 11:27 AM

      Nudists???? Haha… that would make me want to go do it right away! haha….

      Reply
      1. crashdamage1957 February 4, 2013 at 6:24 PM

        Really J Money? Wait till you see a bunch of old retired people naked. Not exactly Baywatch…

        Reply
        1. J. Money February 4, 2013 at 8:14 PM

          Haha… I’ll keep dreaming about them then in my head for now ;)

          Reply
  17. Cat February 4, 2013 at 11:19 AM

    @Pauline that’s awesome that you went across the country on a bike! I wish I could do something like that!

    I have a confession. I haven’t figured out all the steps but I’ve left my job and purchased a one way ticket to Hawaii. I’ve got nothing figured out and I don’t make money off my blog (no one reads it- but I think it’s interesting!)

    Going to the Dominican next week, and flying to Hawaii by the end of the month. Where I’m going to go, I don’t know. Where I’m going to work.. I don’t know. But I plan on sorting it all out and taking lots of photos and blogging along the way. So if you wan’t to come with me you should check out my blog :) because I’m sure it will flesh out and get more interesting as time goes on!

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 4, 2013 at 11:28 AM

      YOU ARE MY NEW HERO!!! Wowwwwww that is so cool!! Good for you :) I’m sure people will say you’re stupid for doing it – especially in money since it’s crazy expensive there – but life-wise you are ROCKING IT. And I’d much rather go out and experience life like that than have more money saved up in my account for sure. Maybe you need an RV down there?? Haha… You are inspiring me!!!!

      Reply
      1. Cat February 12, 2013 at 8:07 PM

        @J. Money – Today was my last day of work!! Dominican Republic first thing tomorrow morning, then Hawaii on the 26th of this month. :D The adventure begins! It’s scary but I’m crossing my fingers.

        Reply
        1. J. Money February 15, 2013 at 9:34 AM

          YOU ARE AWESOME!!! I want a full report, young lady! :) Soak up every second of it!!

          Reply
  18. Cat February 4, 2013 at 11:20 AM

    PS I’m pumping myself up by writing blog articles of my past travels so I can remind myself along the way that everything’s going to be OK even when it doesn’t go perfectly!

    Reply
  19. tentaculistic February 4, 2013 at 11:37 AM

    About the Internet connection – I would think that you could get a smart phone with good coverage where you plan on traveling, and then tether your laptop. Or you could use one of those mobile hotspots devices, which work on phone networks. I have a friend who uses a Clear device for all his Internet needs ($50/month for 4G unlimited data), but he does live in a modern city with good coverage, it gets spottier as you go further into the country. The ones that work on regular phone networks would seem to resolve the issue – you wouldn’t get coverage everywhere, but you would most likely be able to drive to coverage.

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 4, 2013 at 8:16 PM

      Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m thinking too… and if we land in an area without it, we can just keep on driving till we find reception! Luckily our beds would be with us anywhere, right? ;)

      Reply
  20. Edward Antrobus February 4, 2013 at 1:07 PM

    One of my coworkers a couple years ago lived in an RV that was parked. He hated every single minute of it.

    And unless you are absolutely comfortable maneuvering large vehicles in tight spaces, don’t try it. Last fall, my boss’ work truck was hit by an RV that was trying to back up to the septic pump-out at the gas station… while I was standing on the back of the truck!

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 4, 2013 at 8:17 PM

      Yuck!! I am most def. NOT a fan of driving big things, but I reckon I’d get used to it if we did it 24/7 yeah? We wouldn’t want a huge one anyways, just cuz of costs.

      Reply
  21. Cordelia February 4, 2013 at 1:44 PM

    If you ever seriously start that family compound idea, I want you to promise me I’ll get an invite. I’m a hard little worker!

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 4, 2013 at 8:17 PM

      Okay!! You can be our postmaster :)

      Reply
  22. Michelle February 4, 2013 at 2:27 PM

    I LOVE this-but I want a Silver stream. Thank you for introducing the Gone With Wynns, I’ve never heard of them. I could do this for 6 months. But, I think I prefer living in a foreign country for a year instead :)

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 4, 2013 at 8:18 PM

      hmm…. you might have a point there :) maybe 6 months in the States and THEN 6 months abroad? that would be pretty nice!

      Reply
  23. eemusings February 4, 2013 at 3:14 PM

    When we campervanned around the country last year, T definitely talked a lot about how he could do it as a long term lifestyle thing! I don’t think I could – I need a little more space – but it’s a great way to travel. We had so much comfort (bed, kitchen, tiny bathroom – toilet was fine, shower not really usable). And it was warmer than our damp, uninsulated rental house.

    Reply
  24. Tony@YouOnlyDoThisOnce February 4, 2013 at 3:45 PM

    My friend Mike sold all of his stuff 2 years ago and bought an RV with his wife for a 50 state tour. They hit all 50 (obviously had to leave it for Hawaii) and interviewed 50 couples who had been married for 50 years or more. Yeah. It happened. It has always been my fantasy to go for the RV…without the 50 couples thing…

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 4, 2013 at 8:19 PM

      haha man your friend sure likes 50 year olds :) I give him mad props though – that’s what I call going after your dream!

      Reply
  25. Angella February 4, 2013 at 4:03 PM

    I couldn’t do it. Only because I was tortured as a kid with road trips 3-4 times a year (GA-MA, MA-GA, TX-GA, etc.) with two annoying younger sisters and as an adult I absolutely cannot handle road trips or long distance drives!! Especially with a 2 year old who hates being in moving vehicles (short car rides are headache inducing.) Put me on a plane please! I’d love to live in a hotel though, we actually priced that out about 2 years ago, haha. The only thing that appeals to be is the downsizing of STUFF.

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 4, 2013 at 8:21 PM

      YES! downsizing is AWESOME. and the hard part about doing it in a house is that if you get rid off *too much* stuff it’s all bare and cold feeling :( so you need to shrink your living area in order to downsize AND be cozy – at least for me :)

      Reply
  26. downunder sugarglider February 4, 2013 at 4:49 PM

    So – how do they fund all of this? Blogging can’t be that lucrative? Do they have an agent or something promoting them?

    How are they saving for their retirement? what happens when they want / need to settle? Buy a house etc? The RV is depreciating.

    eek! this is freaking me out man! I’m too old!

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 4, 2013 at 8:22 PM

      haha…. I don’t know the answers to all that but I DO know you can def. do it off blog earnings ;) I think they both had successful businesses before getting on the road, but I’d love to hear the answers as far as saving/retirement/etc too… though they’re already *in* retirement it seems like now, haha…

      Reply
  27. Jacob Erickson February 4, 2013 at 5:19 PM

    I think that this is a very interesting idea. The only way it would work for my wife and I is if we did it temporarily (for like 2 years). That way we could plan out where we wanted to be when, but still get back to a “semi-normal” life after the adventure ends. I would love to go out west and this would be an excellent opportunity to do just that. Good luck on making a decision!

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 4, 2013 at 8:23 PM

      Thanks! I agree that it’s much more doable with a shorter time frame in mind :) And then if you absolutely fall in love with it then you just keep on going!

      Reply
  28. Punky Coletta February 4, 2013 at 5:31 PM

    This is awesome. I have always been obsessed with selling everything I own and living in a van. I’m kinda scared that it will never happen, though. It seems like such a distant dream.

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 4, 2013 at 8:23 PM

      It takes some big cajones, that’s for sure… But people do it every day :)

      Reply
  29. KB February 4, 2013 at 6:40 PM

    Love travelling but RVing is not for me. I would rather live abroad for a year, travel across some of the U.S. or Canada camping, cottaging or whatever for 2 months in the summer or going to Europe for the summer.
    RVing would be too much togetherness 24/7 for a couple or even more so, a family and not much fun to do it alone?!!
    To the person packing up and moving to Hawaii – sounds like an adventure! If you are single or a couple, that is the time to do something like that. Jobs can be found anywhere and if not, just move again!

    Reply
  30. J. Money February 4, 2013 at 8:24 PM

    Yup!! All good stuff to do before major responsibilities pop up for sure… and even then it’s still doable, it’s just trickier.

    Reply
  31. K February 5, 2013 at 9:03 AM

    I think that it would be so much fun. I would love to travel to all 50 states in my lifetime. That being said… I live in MD and I would probably make it to VA before I turn around and go home crying haha. Maybe I’ll travel all 50 states and stay in hotels instead :)

    Reply
  32. J. Money February 5, 2013 at 11:31 AM

    haha… at least you know yourself well ;)

    Reply
  33. Financial Black Sheep February 5, 2013 at 12:03 PM

    I like the idea of living in an RV while moving. If I were to relocate I would probably leave first, check out the area in an RV without getting stuck staying if I didn’t like the area.

    On the other hand living in an RV full time sounds like a whole lot of road. I like exploring and traveling, but not driving. Maybe because I grew up traveling in a van or truck just to see family. Not fun being in small moving places after the first couple of hours. I would rather fly, and then go visit new areas by walking and being out in the open.

    Reply
  34. Joey February 5, 2013 at 2:10 PM

    I’ve been to all 50 states and want to hit them all again with my family, so I’m seriously considering trying to do this in the next few years. (I have 3 kids under 3, so maybe in a couple of years.)

    If you’re concerned about how to do it and stay connected, check out Technomadia. Chris and Cherie have been traveling full time since 2006 and are both hardcore tech nerds whose livelihoods are through the internet. Without an internet connection, they don’t make money. They post a lot about their setup and life on the road.

    If you want the perspective of parents doing it, I’ve found a number of blogs from families of 1 to 4 kids (one family I found living out of an RV had 12 kids, though as someone who grew up in a family of 11 kids, I’d say that’s bona fide nuts!). Most families seem to prefer a 5th wheel. I’m guessing you don’t have as many mechanical issues with that setup, but who knows.

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 6, 2013 at 9:51 AM

      Holy smokes – 12 kids??? Insane balls!! Man, people are brave :) Thanks for the shout out on Technomadia – I see one of the people there left a comment down below! So cool! I love seeing a community coming together like this :) Makes me want to jump on the road even faster!!

      Reply
  35. nikki wynn February 5, 2013 at 6:29 PM

    If you want to explore North America we think there is no better way than by RV! If you want to explore abroad, well…jump abord with us in 2014 as we buy our first sail boat! Plus, we like baby’s! Thanks for the shout out, can’t wait to chat more!

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 6, 2013 at 9:52 AM

      DON’T TEMPT ME!!! I will grab my wife and baby and swim right over ASAP girl ;) All of that just sounds incredibly fascinating to me and we def. need to talk!

      Reply
  36. Chris February 5, 2013 at 7:26 PM

    We’ve been doing it for a year now. We bought a 2000 Fleetwood diesel pusher with 73,000 miles on it on ebay for less than $40,000 and put our things in storage. We drove over 20,000 miles last year! You don’t have to spend $100,000 for a good coach!

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 6, 2013 at 9:52 AM

      Cool!!!! Congrats on living the dream!!! So awesome :)

      Reply
  37. C B Nash February 5, 2013 at 7:59 PM

    Don’t you just love the Wynns?
    I found them last week and think they are great.
    I and my wife lived aboard a thirty-eight foot sailboat for three years so space is not an issue.
    I use a Verizon myfi for internet now and it works well in SW FL and everywhere I have tried it.
    I attended an RV show last week and the spark of adventure was reignited. I’m fairly sure we will be going full time in the next few years. We may do the snowbird thing, I just hate cold weather.
    We won’t sell our home, ( it’s so far underwater) so we may rent it out.
    My wife is a CPA, so if need be she can work tax season while I keep house. Or shoul I say keep RV?

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 6, 2013 at 9:59 AM

      LOVE THAT!! Haha… Man, a boat is even more hardcore too. I’m impressed with you guys :) If we ever make it to the road perhaps we can all meet up somewhere and share some beers! Or some pink fruity drinks if we all boat to an island somewhere, mmmmm…. man you’re getting me excited.

      Reply
  38. Cherie @Technomadia February 5, 2013 at 8:04 PM

    First of all.. thank you Joey for linking to our blog, and for the kind words.

    And to J. Money – living on the road is a fantastic lifestyle if you’re called to it. And so many ways to make it work. You don’t have to buy a 6 figure RV to be amply sufficient on the road. We’ve had 3 different rigs over our 6 years, and none of them have cost more than $30k. We’re currently traveling in a 1961 vintage bus conversion that we picked up for $8k, and we’ve been enjoying geeking out and making our own.

    We Joey said, we’ve been on the road since 2006 and we’re software developers – we do a mix of custom software for clients, and have a line of iPhone apps we’ve created. We also pick up some random consulting from time to time – like this week we had a campground hire us to tweak their WiFi network.

    Living on the road can be as cheap or expensive as you make it.

    If you’re interested, we have a free blog series called ‘No Excuses: Go Nomadic’ that addresses a lot of the common obstacles and questions folks have – from income sources, affording it, pets, family, community, banking, setting up a domicile, healthcare, safety, etc. You can find it at http://www.technomadia.com/excuses .

    If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to be in touch!

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 6, 2013 at 10:10 AM

      Cool!! Thanks so much for hopping over here and sharing a little :) Really appreciate that. This whole RV community is freakin’ nice! Everyone seems so willing to help each other which is really refreshing in this crazy world of ours. I will most def. be reaching out if/when we get more serious about this! And then we’ll meet up on the road somewhere too!

      You guys are awesome, thanks again so much.

      Reply
  39. Jenn - Newschool Nomads February 6, 2013 at 1:19 AM

    I love the Wynns! They are the real deal! We met them a few weeks ago in Colorado and they are every bit as fun/cool/sweet in person as they are online. We’ve (me, husband, 2 kids, 2 dogs, 1 cat, and 1 turtle) have been living on the road since October 2011. It’s been amazing. My husband works freelance so we tailor our budget to fit the amount of work he has coming in. Like Cherie said above I’ve met people who live on a tiny budget all the way up to people spending big bucks every month. A local paper just did an article on us last week that you might find encouraging. http://www.vcreporter.com/cms/story/detail/?id=10568

    Reply
  40. J. Money February 6, 2013 at 10:23 AM

    Cool!!! That’s exactly what I’d want to do too – meet up with other awesome people on the road and have an extended family of fun and real people out there :) I just shared all these comments with my wife and she’s slowly getting more excited about it too, haha… She’s of the impression that this is all just another crazy idea I’ve hatched, but I’m assuring her this is more do-able than any others of mine so far :) So we’ll see! If we get on the road we’d love to meet you guys too and our kids can chill!

    Going now to check out your interview – congrats on everything!

    Reply
  41. Shannon February 6, 2013 at 1:09 PM

    So my hubby and I have been feeling the same draw to this lifestyle as you describe.
    When my friends I discuss this, clearly income seems to be the first obstacle. My husband is looking into contracting positions for his work as a power lineman, and I am looking at teaching my college courses on-line. We have decided to take a year to form our exit plan.
    We will be using our truck to pull a 5th wheel trailer instead of an R.V, easier for maintenance and I now see I’m lucky that my hubby does know how to work on vehicles. I plan to homeschool my two kids. Though our current obstacle is braces for my 11 year old…not sure how this issue will work out yet. Yet, this is all I can think about lately. I’ve been following the Newschool Nomads as I see above :) And researching blogs as they come up. Two things I often tell my students that have been on my mind…if others can do it, so can you. And not to ever settle in life for anything that doesn’t truly bring you joy.

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 8, 2013 at 7:37 PM

      Yes yes yes!! So excited to hear someone else running with it too! It def. makes it easier having that income still coming in too – at least if you don’t want to pull from savings/etc… I’m still in my early 30s and have plenty of working years left so I gotta make sure that stays on the up and up too :) But as you say, never settle for anything that doesn’t bring you joy! Thanks for sharing your story with us!

      Reply
  42. Tushar @ Everything Finance February 6, 2013 at 10:43 PM

    Very interesting concept. I don’t know that I’d be able to do something like this, but it’s fun to dream. Are you seriously considering it?

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 8, 2013 at 7:39 PM

      I am :) Sometimes I’m 80% ready to go, and others 8% (haha…) but it’s still very exciting and I’d like to keep thinking on it more for another month or so while doing some reading/researching as well… I’ll of course keep everyone up to date here.

      Reply
  43. Gail February 11, 2013 at 10:34 AM

    We lived in an RV for 6 years, going around the states and Canada. The freedom was great and when we had parents in need of help, it gave us the chance to stay nearby and be available, but also go “home” to our own place each night.

    We met wonderful people everywhere we went. BTW the mail wasn’t as issue as we joined a club called Escapees that handled forwarding mail to us wherever we went. We still use them when we travel for the summer.

    I hate that diesel is SO expensive now, it has curtailed our travel. But travelling for 6 years gave us a chance to find the place we finally wanted to retire to. We still use the RV for travel so we can visit people and still go “home”, and we can take the cats with us.

    Reply
  44. J. Money February 12, 2013 at 10:19 AM

    Cool!!! I bet you meet a lot of fun and interesting people being on the road for that long :) And nice to know about the mail club too – people are creative!

    Reply
  45. Joanne February 28, 2013 at 9:58 AM

    Gail–after all the travel, where did you choose to retire? I like so many places I have trouble putting down roots for too long.

    Reply
  46. ShirleyC June 17, 2013 at 4:27 PM

    Hi folks – I’ve enjoyed reading your comments. My husband and I want to retire, but we unfortunately bought a house in 2007 that decreased in value to about $70,000 less of what we paid for it. So, selling the house and moving to an RV park is now out of t he question. It’s sad because we spent a lot of money fixing it up and making it nice. But the neighborhood continues to have foreclosures and tanking the selling price. I’ve lost hope that in our lifetime we would see much improvement.

    Therefore, we are now thinking of buying an RV and being camp hosts in the summer at campgrounds in places we like and then living somewhere during the winter. I would never have considered this, but it seems to be our best option. I’m terrified, however, of buying a cheap RV that just falls apart and then we have no home whatsoever. We don’t have much money, but we’re putting money in a savings account for a down payment. Any ideas or tips, please???

    Reply
  47. J. Money June 21, 2013 at 10:52 AM

    Oh man, no tips here unfortunately as I haven’t gone through the process (yet), but I do admire you for giving it a shot! Or at least thinking and researching it all :) Let us know what you find out and if you ever go for it!

    Reply
  48. Chelsea January 19, 2015 at 7:31 PM

    My husband is a Lineman and travels for work, we recently bought a 5th wheel and are living full-time in CA! We love it so much we are considering selling our home in OK and staying on the road indefinitely. :-) We have 2 kids (almost 3 and 6 months).

    Reply
    1. J. Money January 21, 2015 at 4:45 PM

      Woahhhh your kids are almost the same age as ours! That gives me hope!! :)

      Reply
  49. jen August 22, 2015 at 12:34 PM

    Thanks for the advice and encouragement here. My husband just started trucking so in a few months we’re hoping to get an rv and im planning on traveling behind him. Realizing the pros and cons we also have a yr old son that we’re excited to home school and raise in “freedom”. He’s over the road so at least for the first year his home won’t be far away and he’ll be making doing so. I havent met any trucker wives who’ve actually done this but I’m definitely ready as I’ve travelled many interstates in my moves (and never wanted to stop) lol. I plan on installing satellite though because I can’t be withoutmy net.

    Reply
    1. J. Money August 24, 2015 at 12:19 PM

      Very cool!!!! Love that idea so much!

      Please PLEASE let me know how it goes once you’re out and doing it. Would love to hear and learn more :) I’ll have to live through you in the meantime!

      Reply
  50. Michael Shimer March 27, 2019 at 5:06 PM

    Hey, sounds like you’ve got a solid plan started! We are going to do the same, in fact we’re already living full time in ours. We found a good deal on a used diesel pusher here in Georgia: 39′ 2002 Fleetwood Bounder, completely remodeled with low miles. We paid $43k for it! There are deals out there (we bought ours from a dealer near Savannah). For full timing it, look for storage space inside and out and amenities like washer dryer. If you’re not mechanically inclined at least figure out the basics to keep it going before you hit the road. Good luck!

    Reply
    1. J. Money March 28, 2019 at 6:10 PM

      Rock on!! I hope you guys enjoy it!! I’ll have to live vicariously through y’all now that we have 3 kids since this was posted and ain’t no way I’m getting on the road with them all, haha… In fact, ironically enough we’re finally laying down roots and probably buying a house for the long term – hah! (Though not giving up on this RV dream for later!! :))

      Reply

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