Bobbie and Jim

This past summer we met a wonderful couple, Bobbie and Jim Chapman. The more we came to know them, the more we wanted to get out on the open road. Bobbie gave me a book on RVing which I read from cover to cover.

After reading it I came to realize that it will take a lot determination and decision making to get to the point of travel.

There are tons of questions that have to be answered first. And I guess there is no better place to start than now.

Why do we want to do this?
That is a question that everyone must ask themselves.
My answer is, I have always wanted to travel and see the country that I live in. There is so much that I have not seen that I want to explore and enjoy it. The other answer is this. Dave had a heart attack 3 years ago and is living on borrowed time. I want us to be able to get out and enjoy life in a BIG way. In every one's life at some point in time you want to be a gypsy, to be free to do what you want.

What will you do with your house? That one is easy to answer. We will keep the house and rent it out. We still do not have enough equity built up in it so selling it would be foolish as we would get Zip, Zero, Nada. My idea is to let someone else pay the mortgage. The area is filled with houses being rented to students. At some point in time we will have some equity built up and can unload it to finance us some more out on the road.

What about your friends? We hardly socialize now as it is. We know the people in the neighborhood but do not talk to them. Getting out on the road, one will met and make new friends. We already have 3 friends out on the road living the RV life and we communicate with them more that the people who live across the street from us. Making social connections is important to living a long life. RVing will allow us to do that. Where living in a sticks and bricks just keeps us holed up in one place. I am looking forward to "Happy Hour"

What if funds run low? There's Workamping. That's where you can find jobs out on the road and usually get your RV site with FHU (Full Hook-ups) and be paid or receive a stipend. Bobbie and Jim are Camp hosts at the Big Meadow National Forest Campground just south of South Fork, Colorado in the summer. In the winter they have been working at Amazon.com in Coffeeville, Ks. It's hard, hard work but they pay their workampers very well for 2 1/2 months work. Bobbie and Jim says the pay covers their gas for the coming year. When they're not working they like to travel. You can also volunteer your time and get FHU's at National Parks. They do however ask that you stay for the season. It's up to you as to what you want to do. Workcamper News

How do you start? There has to be a plan. But first there has to be the decision that you want to do this. Bobbie said she read everything she could on Full-time RVing for 2 years before they started. When we met them they were on their second rig. A nice 2 slide Keystone Challenger with a rear kitchen. They have since purchased a 3 slide Heartland Mt. Rushmore, a very nice rig. I can hardly wait to see it. They said that most RVers will purchase 3 rigs before they find the one they want.

• Set a date to be out on the road. March 1, 2013. I want to be in Washington D. C. for my 64th birthday to see the Cherry Blossom Festival.
• Bobbie and Jim said that you should be debt free. When we start we might have a little bit of debt but if all goes well we will be debt free.
• You have to purge, purge and purge some more. You can't take all of it with you. You have to decide what is important and will function in more than one way. That means lots of letting go. Time to pass it on to the kids. Remember your going from a big house down to a 350 sq ft. trailer.
• If you are a Senior, get your National Park half price camping card. Your better half may have to get one too.
• Join the Escapees Club out of Livingston, TX. They have campgrounds through-out the Southwest, Central and Eastern part of the United States, mail service, the Escapee RV Magazine and a Care unit, for retired off the road Seniors. Plus they have lots of learning opportunities at their escapades. They offer a great social network that will keep you young.
• Join Passport America, get a campsite at half price.
• Join Camp Club USA, get a campsite at half price.
• Become a Good Sam member or AAA member or AARP member, these may help in rates.
• Learn to live frugally.
• Put yourself on a budget and stick to it.
• Prepare to boondock and learn how.
• Learn all you can about electrical, water, tire and sewer systems so you feel confident about doing it.
• Decide the kind of rig you want. 5th wheel vs. a diesel pusher motor home with a toad. (Ya gotta learn the lingo) or a camping trailer.
• Start looking at rigs. Bobbie and Jim said they looked at rigs for two years before finding one on eBay.
• Never buy new. Otherwise be prepared to pay through the nose.
• Seek the good advice of other RVers that have been on the road for awhile. They can tell you what does and doesn't work.
• Read other RVers blogs, you can learn a lot.
• Join discussion groups.
• Attend Boot Camps for Rvers.

As you can see we have a lot to accomplish before we can get out on the open road. I hope to journal this experience. I will not profess to know it all, matter of fact I know nothing. So this will be a learning experience for all of us.

See ya out there....