Questions About Going Full Time in an RV

First time we saw our home on wheels

In June 2013, we began seriously thinking about living the full-time RV lifestyle.  Several life events with sons in college out of state, job transitions, and other things seemed to propel us to change from the typical sticks and bricks lifestyle.  To help determine if this was something we really wanted to do, I made up a few questions and we answered them separately then compared our answers. Here is a combination of those questions and answers and how we view them today for anyone who may be considering full-time RVing.

Questions and answers

Thoughts after 3.5 years

1.  What are the top 3 reasons you want to do this? a.  Freedom to make our own schedule. b.  Explore places at a leisurely pace and spend time together c.   Eliminate stuff that ties us down (mortgage, home maintenance, excess stuff) and decide what we really need vs what we want. 2.  What are your top 3 concerns about full time RV living? a.  Finding a RV that will not give us problems and having our own spaces when we want to be alone. b.  Finances and exit strategy.  How will we get back to a bricks and sticks lifestyle when we are tired of RVing. c.   Security of not owning a home, physical security of being in unknown places. 3.  What are the top 3 things you will miss most about living in a bricks/sticks house? a.  Gardening, swimming pool, outdoor spaces, projects.  b.  Deep personal connections with friends and neighbors c.   Full size appliances and stuff 4.  What are the top 3 things you will miss the least about living in a bricks/sticks house? a.   Projects, something to always clean and repair b.   Cost pressures of maintaining a home c.   Responsibilities to groups and organizations 5.   What specifically are the things you want to do while full time RVing? a.      Visit family and provide support b.    Make new friends  c.    Visit Yellowstone, Glacier, Giant trees, Crater Lake, Maine, Niagara Falls, Mt Rushmore, Key West, Alaska, Grand Canyon. d.    Visit old friends and places we have lived e.    Attend Jeep Jamborees f.     Boondock where we can see stars g.    Participate in disaster relief ministry h.    Take time to learn US history i.      Go where the wind takes us

Making it up as we go and spending time in places many people only get to experience on short vacations was the best part of full-timing. You really don’t need much stuff. Minimal living has a quality all its own. All RVs will have some problems.  We chose an older higher end motorhome and the more robust systems served us well.  We were always able to find our own space. Still unknown how we will get back and not sure we want too. We stayed aware of our surroundings and did not have any serious issues with man or beast. We carry an herb garden with us, some campgrounds have pools, and there is always a project on the RV. Kept up with old friends on social media and this blog.  Made many new friends.   Installed a residential refrigerator and got use to the other small appliances. Can’t escape these things in an RV. Can’t escape maintenance costs either. Responsibilities changed to more family focused.  Our family is spread over a 1500-mile area.  We have been able to help five family members move, responded to health issues and attended events all while sleeping in our own bed. It was easy to meet people and make new friends in the RV community. We saw most of these and many more places that we did not know existed.  Still hoping to visit Alaska and see the Grand Canyon again. We were able to visit old friends in Maine, Florida, Arizona, California, Idaho, Oklahoma, Maryland and Alabama We attended Jeep Jamborees in Pennsylvania and South Dakota We saw the heavens from some dark remote places and were amazed. We participated in Disaster Relief operations in LA, PA, MD, and NC. We were fascinated by the history in each part of the country.  Seeing the revolutionary fortresses, standing in the Oregon Trail ruts, seeing Petroglyphs, Teddy Roosevelt’s cabin, and so much more.  We made most of it up as we went along. We tried to stay south during winter and north during summer.  We never had a designated place to go and the longest we ever stayed in one place was about 60 days.

These were some of our thoughts when we first began planning and it has worked out well.  We know people who tried the full-time RV lifestyle and didn’t like it after a few months and others who have done it for 15 years or more and have no thought of quitting.  If you are adventuresome, able to deal with issues as they arise, somewhat mechanically inclined, very adaptable, and physically mobile, full-time RVing will be more enjoyable.

Thanks for keepingupwiththejonesrv!

A Busy November

Events require that you need to return to your legal domicile every so often.  Well, I guess you could work around most things, but for us it is close to family.  We departed Tuscaloosa, AL and headed to Ft Benning, GA near Phenix City, AL our legal domicile shared with our oldest son.  This trip was necessary to pay the annual taxes on our motorhome and to vote in the mid-term elections.  We were able to accomplish these things and visit with our son.  I always like camping at Ft Benning’s FAMCAMP. It is a flat peaceful setting in the woods with frequent machine gun fire, roaring aircraft engines, and explosions in the distance.  Having trained at Ft Benning and served many years in the military, the sounds of friendly forces training are music to my ears. 

 

It was while we were at Ft Benning that I received an email from a fellow I use to work with asking for my resume.  I sent it to him and the next thing I know, I am on a jet to Washington D.C. for an interview.  Wait…what am I doing?  Should we return to the corporate world?  The RV lifestyle is a great way to live if you can afford it. We figured we should explore our options and see where we are led.

Disaster Relief Operations:

The day after we voted, we took off for Wilmington, NC.  Hurricane Florence passed through there about 45 days earlier and many people were still in need of help recovering.  We linked up with the NC Baptist Men as part of the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief organization.  They were conducting recovery operations from a local church that allowed us to park on one side of the parking lot.  One of the men was an electrician and he quickly rigged up a 50amp RV box for us to plug in.  We told them we could give them about 2 weeks of work and they quickly accepted.  They needed an experienced husband and wife to treat homes for mold using a chemical sprayer and fogger.  We loaded all the equipment in our Jeep Grand Cherokee, got our work orders each day and headed out.  Other groups of college kids, high school kids, corporate work groups, and others were assigned the task of tearing out the soaked interior of the homes or cutting up downed trees.  We would go in after the tear out and treat the homes for mold.  Sometimes, we caught up with the tear out groups and were able to jump in and help them as well.  It was a rewarding experience and we made some good friends getting dirty and showing the love of Christ.

We said our goodbyes to the disaster relief friends and headed to Sawnee CoE campground on Lake Lanier north of Atlanta.  We set up here to be able to visit with Pattie’s side of the family for Thanksgiving. Her sister and brother in law are always very gracious to open their home to family and friends.  We enjoyed our time visiting and stuffing ourselves with some great traditional dishes. 

Where are we going next? Where will we spend Christmas? We received an offer for a job, do we accept it or not?  There are too many questions without answers right now.  Like Eugene the jeep in the Popeye comic strip we can go anywhere at anytime.  Lord guide us!

Thanks for keepingupwiththejonesrv!

Six-Month Tour

Mom bouncing back after surgery

We arrived back in Tuscaloosa, AL about six months after we left on our westward journey for the summer of 2018.  It was good to visit with my mom who was recovering from some surgery and tell her about all the things we had seen on our trip and give her a few gifts we picked up along the way.  She remembers traveling to some of the same places when she and my dad retired and traveled the country in their motorhome.  

Mom and Dad enjoying their motorhome

On the way back from Utah, we stopped off in Colorado and spent a few nights exploring the area around Creede, CO.  We had camped at a small NPS campground in a pop-up camper back when our sons were little then again when they were teenagers.  Each time, we took a photo at the same spot.  We hiked to the now closed for the winter campground and took an “Empty Nester” photo with the same backdrop.  

They grow up so fast...Empty Nesters now.

From Colorado, we stopped off for a night in Kansas just to say we camped there and earn our sticker. OK, enough about Kansas.  Next, we headed to Oklahoma to visit some old friends. We met with Mike and Kathy Houlette in OKC and had a great Mexican lunch with them.  Mike owns a metal fabrication business there and we have worked together over the years designing custom off-road accessories.  I told Mike I wanted to add a electric winch to my Jeep Grand Cherokee, but with the tow bar set-up nothing was compatible.  We started looking at it and decided we could design and fabricate a front receiver hitch that would be compatible with the tow bar set-up.  With a receiver hitch up front and one in the rear, I could use a portable winch from either end of the vehicle.  In a few days, we had a prototype built, then adjusted it to a final product and had it powder coated.  It works great and is hardly noticeable when the winch is removed.  Mike asked me to work on updating his web page, so I am working on that.  For now, you can find his business at: www.custom4x4fabrication.com.

Receiver hitch up front provides mounting point for a variety of accessories

We also had time to have dinner with Ed Wright an old Air Force buddy who is still in the area.  It was great to get a chance to talk with Ed and catch up on the areas of the USAF where I use to work.  He even suggested I go by the new Air Force Flight Standards office near Tinker AFB and say hello.  I did and was happy to see more old friends and people I served with still working hard to keep America free.

From OKC, we traveled to Red Bay, AL on our way to Tuscaloosa.  We didn’t need anything major, just wanted to pick up a few parts and get a couple drawers fixed.  So in six months, we covered over 8,000 miles and were blessed not to have any major mechanical issues.  We have been very happy with our 2007 Tiffin Allegro Bus.  

The summer of 2018 is over; but, we were able to see our great country and camp in states we have never been to before.  We want to do it all again.

Thanks for keepingupwiththejonesrv!

Utah – Wow!

The Great Fisherman

We have been to Utah before and seen some of the amazing rock formations in Arches Park and near Moab. This time we went to the southern part of the state to visit Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks.  The structures are so different and beautiful. We made camp in Panguitch, UT and took the Jeep on explorations to the sights around the southwest corner of the state.  Our first stop was at the Dixie  National Forest Visitor’s Center in Red Canyon. After orienting ourselves to the park, we walked through the gift shop and I heard Pattie say, “David, quick catch” as she threw a stuffed trout in my direction. I reacted by catching it at which point she exclaimed “Congratulations, you caught a fish today.” I was stunned as this is the type of corny jokes I always pull on her.  We bought a book on backcountry roads in Utah and headed out to visit Bryce Canyon.  

We visited the Bryce Canyon Visitor’s Center to learn about the area and plan our visit.  There were forest fires burning on one end of the park so the main road was closed a few miles from the end of the drive.  We drove in and stopped at some scenic areas, but it was Friday afternoon and the park was getting full of tourists.  We decided to leave and explore other areas and come back next week after the crowds diminish.

The next day, we used our new backcountry road book and drove a parallel off-road path to the Bryce Canyon scenic drive.  This took us out to a peak where we could see other rock formations and look across at the tourists in the park looking in our direction probably wondering how we got up there.  We had a nice picnic and returned to camp.

On another day, we visited Zion Canyon National Park and hiked back in to the “Narrows.”  Well, we hiked the 2.5 miles to at least see where the Narrows Trail really begins, but opted out of wading into the river.  We did a couple other hikes and marveled at how different this was compared to Bryce Canyon only a couple hours away.  

Back at Bryce Canyon, we studied the geography and were convinced there must be a way to get to the canyon floor other than climbing down the steep trails.  We drove around to Tropic, Utah and headed north along a dirt road toward the canyon.  We arrived at a boundary fence for the adjoining wilderness area and donned our hiking gear. We hiked two miles through the wilderness area along a trail that gradually sloped upward before reaching the boundary for Bryce Canyon Park.  We entered and were amazed at the beauty of the Hoodoos when you walk among them on the canyon floor.  In total, we probably hiked over 7 miles.  It might have been easier to just take the steep trail down, but hey, we are different.

We left the Bryce Canyon area and began heading east.  Some friends we met our first year of full timing have a motorhome similar to ours were stopping in Bluff, Utah for a few days and we made plans to join them.  It was great to spend time with Bruce and Laura. We took day trips to places like Four Corners where four states touch, Monument Valley and Valley of the Gods.  All very cool and enjoying them with fellow full time friends made it even more special.

Four Corners

We said our good byes and they headed west and we headed east.

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It’s Always Something

If you remember the Roseanne Roseannadanna character the late Gilda Radner played on Saturday Night Live back when it was worth watching, you will recognize the phrase “It’s Always Something!”  When you decide to live and travel in an RV full-time, you just have to embrace that it will always be something and you are going to need to deal with it.  

We departed Oregon and headed east toward Idaho on a clear September day.  Along the two-lane highway we were traveling at about 60mph when I noticed in the side mirror that the rear passenger side slide had come out about 6 inches.  We pulled into a rest stop and were able to coax the hydraulic slide back in and cut a board to place on the inside of the slide as a manual lock to keep it in place. 

Rest stop repair generator provides power for tools

Well we needed routine service on the generator and AquaHot systems anyway, so I found a place in Idaho Falls, Idaho that could get us in a couple days.  In the mean time, I did some research online and contacted friends who had experienced this slide issue before.  The most common cause was a leaking hydraulic solenoid.  I checked everywhere I know to check and found no leaks or low fluid levels.   Further research revealed a note from HWH Corp. the maker of the hydraulic slide mechanism that instructs owners to hold the slide switch for 3-5 seconds after the slide is fully retracted or fully extended to ensure it is properly locked in place. This note was not in our owner’s manual, but we tried it anyway.  The next leg of our trip toward Idaho Fall was filled with curves, bumps and hills. The slide stayed in nice and tight. We concluded that this new technique worked and is now part of our checklist.  

In Idaho Falls, we set up adjacent to the “Eagle Rock RV” repair shop where they had a 50 amp plug to provide us power.  That evening we had a nice dinner downtown and walked along the river park enjoying the manmade waterfalls.  The town founders exhibited great vision in community planning and have made this a very welcoming place to live and visit.

The next morning, the Eagle Rock technicians got to work on the AquaHot and Generator and I was able to talk with the owner.  He is a retired Navy Chief and runs his business like a well-run ship.  Since we did not need them to work on the slide issue, I asked them to help track down and fix an electrical issue I had with the wiring going to the TOAD (out Jeep we tow).  This took quite a bit of time, but they stuck with it and found where a wire was grounding out causing a fuse to blow.

We left that evening and went a few miles to a city park and camped there before heading south to Utah.

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Crater Lake, Oregon

 When I was about 6 years old, my parents took our family to see Crater Lake, Oregon.  I never forgot its beauty.  Three years ago Pattie and I were planning for full-time RVing and listed places we wanted to visit.  Crater Lake made the list and this summer we were able to visit the area for a week in early September.  The weather was pleasant with highs in the 70’s and lows in the 50’s at night.  It was Labor Day weekend and we reserved one of the last campsites in the area at Diamond Lake National Park Campground.  Crater Lake Park was a short drive south and we enjoyed driving the 33-mile loop road around the lake in both directions.  There are numerous pullouts and we took advantage of them to take pictures and read the interpretive signs.

 Our timing was very good as just days before, most of the lake was obscured by smoke from regional forest fires.  We took advantage of the opportunity and hiked the steep mile long trail down to the boat launch area for a boat tour around the lake.  The clarity of the water has set world records (over 100 feet) giving it a hue of blue like no other.  The water is so pure; the guide stopped the boat and allowed everyone to fill his or her water bottles.  The boat ride was worth the steep hike down and back out of the caldera.  

We had already seen the sights before the crowds descended on Crater Lake for the Labor Day weekend. We took this time to explore outlying areas of interest like the Pinnacles (an area formed by the river eroding the ash fields), the fisheries at Lost Creek Reservoir (where we saw the salmon jumping up the ladders by the dam), historic Union Creek and Knob fall.  We also took time on Saturday to visit the campground lodge’s sports bar and watch the Auburn Tigers play the Washington Huskies in college football. Auburn won so it was a great day for us.

 Thanks for keepingupwiththejonesrv!

RV Tip:  Leveling the RV is critical notably for comfort; but also for the slides and other components to work properly.  The Diamond Lake NP Campground listed this site as 70 feet long.  It did not say that it was curved and peaked in the center.  Being a holiday weekend, every other spot was taken, so we had to make this work.  Pattie guided me into the tight spot with only inches to spare.  We placed our wood blocks and rubber mats under the tires to level The Bus then dropped the jacks to stabilize it.  This was a dry camping spot (no hook up to services), so we had to run the generator for a couple hours each morning and evening to top off the batteries since the solar panel cannot keep-up.  Unfortunately, the generator began shutting down and we were afraid we would need to leave.  I explained the issue on the Tiffin web page and someone suggested adding oil.  It was only a little low, but as soon as I added a quart, it began running perfectly.  Apparently the oil sensor can become oversensitive and shut down the generator even if it is only a 1/2 quart low.  Good to know.  

The campground host and ranger were amazed that we got this size rig in that spot.

Washington and Oregon

Kansas and Colorado to go! Doubt we get back to NJ and DE.

When we began our full-time RV lifestyle, we listed places we definitely wanted to see.  Some places we had been to before, some each of us had been to separately, and some neither of us had ever been too.  Visiting locations along the Washington and Oregon coast (some in each category described above) was definitely on our list along with “must see” Crater Lake Oregon.  These would be the last Pacific Coast states we needed to camp in to fill in our sticker map of the contiguous United States. As mentioned before, we only add a sticker if we have camped at least one night in The Bus (we don’t count other visits or camping in past RVs).  

The Bus is equipped with small canvas awnings that we manually pull out to cover the windows and canvas toppers that protect the tops of the slides.  Being 11 years old, these fabric pieces were nearing the end of their life cycle and we could tell they would need to the replaced soon.  The need for replacement was hurried along when we misjudged a tree limb departing Yellowstone National Park and ripped one of the rear toppers.  Fortunately, one of the best companies to replace these fabric pieces is Tough Topper in Vancouver, Washington.  We called them up and they made us an appointment for the following week.  This set our path so; we departed Northern Idaho and headed southwest into Washington on a 105-degree day passing through Spokane toward the Columbia River.  We stopped for a few nights at a Corp of Engineer park along the river then made our way to a RV Park near Vancouver to wait for our appointment.  

During the wait, we took a day trip to the northwest Oregon coast to the town of Astoria.  Here we toured the Columbia River Maritime Museum and learned a great deal about the hazards to shipping entering and departing “The Bars” associated with the Columbia River meeting the Pacific Ocean. This is a truly treacherous bit of water that has claimed many good ships and crews.  It was humbling to learn about the courage these crews must exhibit to navigate these hazards and the Coast Guard crews who stand ready to respond when needed.

Once our new fabric toppers and window awnings were installed, we headed toward the Oregon coast. We could not find a reservation so we identified a few first come first serve campsites in Tillamook, OR and set out hoping to find something.  The first place we tried was the Ashley Inn.  It is a modern hotel with about 10 concrete RV spots that have electricity and water.  They had open spaces and we chose a large pull thru site.   Once set up, we headed over to Tillamook Creamery to learn how their state of the art facility makes dairy products and sample some of them.  It was impressive to see how the cows milk themselves.  No kidding.  When it is time, they enter and push a button with their nose and the laser guided machines do the rest.   When they are finished, the gate opens and out they go.   Tillamook Creamery is owned by a cooperative of local farmers and their products are outstanding.

We also toured the Aviation Museum in Tillamook.  It is housed in a very large wooden hangar that was used for blimp operations during WWII. The US Navy would fly blimps from strategic locations along the east and west coast looking for enemy naval vessels. Timber Structures, Inc. headquartered in Portland, OR built these extremely large wooden hangars.  It was good to see credit given to a company that a couple decades later, my father worked as General Manager.  

On other days we explored up and down the coast visiting lighthouses.  Occasionally we would see a whale breech or some seals loafing around.  We appreciated the diversity of the Oregon coast, as it seemed to change at every bend in the road.

Rockaway Beach Kite Festival 

Which picture is not from the Oregon Coast? Answer: They are all from the Oregon Coast

Coastal Protection. Note Coast Guard helicopter passing by lighthouse

After a few days at Tillamook, we headed south along the coast to Coos Bay, OR.  Here we had reservations for a week at a casino RV Park. It was a well-run park and we could use the hotel facilities. We spent a couple days visiting Shore Acres State Park and Gardens.  The rock formations along the coast were the most impressive we saw on the west coast. The gardens were beautiful and we hiked trails through and around them. We really enjoyed the hotel’s hot tub after a day of hiking.   

Some people ask, “How do you find such great spots to visit?”  Often it comes from other RVers that share their information online.  The Oregon Coast locations were given to us by a fellow USAF Veteran and RVer we visited in Idaho.  They volunteer with various agencies around the country and have spent a lot of time on the Oregon coast.  One of the things they shared was to visit Bandon, OR during the Farmers Market. Wow, what a treat this was! We picked up some fresh salad greens, sweets, and fresh fish.   

Bandon, OR Farmer's Market

On our last day in Coos Bay, we traveled north to the Oregon Dunes Recreation Area.  We stopped short of the dunes and read the requirement that each vehicle needed a safety flag to drive in the dunes.  As we turned away, a local family was beside their truck and started up a conversation.  We explained that we didn’t have a safety flag and they let us borrow a spare one they had with them.  How nice. We took off and did some four wheeling with the Jeep in the dunes.  When we were done, we found the family’s truck and dropped the flag off.

Departing Coos Bay, we headed south to see the Redwoods.  We had reservations in Brookings State Park for the following two days, but need a place for the night.   We used Google Maps to locate some spots along the Rogue River where we could dry camp for the night.  We found a great spot and were about to set up when a local came by in a truck and I asked if it was OK to camp there.  He said the area was recently closed to dispersed camping, but gave us a location a couple miles down the road that was also right on the river.  

Sundown smokey sky looks like a Tiffin brochure photo

The next day we headed south stopping along the coast highway for a picnic lunch.  We used Brookings State Park as a base for exploring down into northern California to see the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. It was impressive.  We hiked the Boy Scout Tree Trail that was moderately difficult mainly because the trail is covered with tree roots and you want to look up at the trees.  This is a hazardous combination; but we survived.  The quiet peacefulness of this redwood forest is worth the hike.

We try to avoid going into California with The Bus for a few reasons.  One is the Agricultural Inspection station at the borders. Unfortunately, our next destination in Oregon required us to drive a few miles into California then hook back into Oregon.  Doesn’t matter that we will not stop in the state or even open the door; the border guards want to know if we have any fruit or vegetables on board.  I get it.  They have valid concerns and are protecting the cash crops.  We offered our bag of California Oranges, but we were allowed to keep them.  Then they began asking what state we were from? What county we lived in? Really?  I am at the “Northern” border coming from an adjacent state. Oh well, we passed through not spending any money in the state or any more time than we needed.  Our next stop would be Diamond Lake to visit Crater Lake. You will have to wait, as that adventure deserves a post all on its own.

Thanks for keepingupwiththejonesrv!

RV Tip:  When dry camping (Boondocking), it is important for your onboard systems to function properly.  Sure enough, it seems as soon as we find a good Boondocking location, something that worked yesterday seems to fail.  This time we could not get our water pump to come on.  Thoughts of using a bucket to carry water drained from our fresh water tank for dish washing and toilet flushing flashed through my mind. I replaced the pump about six months ago and kept the old one as a spare, so you know if you have a spare pump, it is not a bad pump.  I put a “help” message out on the Tiffin Facebook page and got several responses for things to check including a very good troubleshooting write-up.  I went step by step through the troubleshooting checklist testing voltage at various locations and removing the pump to check it. Everything tested good.  Then I read a tip that a Low Side Latching Controller was hidden behind a board in the wet bay.  I found it and tested the inputs to it.  They were all good and the checklist said at this point it must be a bad pump. No way!  I thought about it for a moment then flipped my screwdriver around and smacked the controller three times with the screwdriver handle.  Everything began working properly.  Hmmm…there is a gremlin in this little black box.  I ordered two replacement units online (because you know one will probably be bad) and had them sent to a post office along our next route.  We picked them up and have them ready, but the one I spanked is working just fine.  Go figure.