first-timer - what to expect

[GarySDCA]

Thinking about purchasing my first RV for full-time living and travel. What are the things I should considered? Such budget for gas, insurance, maint. etc. What monthly expenses are normal and what should I look ahead at to have a fund for emergencies. In other words every angle you can give me?
Thank you,
Gary,
La Mesa, Cal.

 

[ARCHER]

first-timer - what to expect

Gary, read some of the other posts located on this forum. Many ask the same question as your asking and there are a lot of good answers posted. Make sure you will like this lifestyle before you invest big bucks to go full timing. Maybe you ought to try and rent and test it. This isn't for everyone, so be careful. Expenses, vary from location to location. Gas, lot rental, insurance (for RV and TOAD), etc., are pretty consistent generally. Don't forget to set up your banking issues before you hit the road. And finally, just use some common sense.
Good luck and welcome to the forum.

 

[Kirk]

first-timer - what to expect

As one who has now been living the fulltime RV life for four years, there are two things that I strongly recommend that you do as soon as possible. The first is to buy at least one book on fulltime RV life and read it. We used the book "Full-time RVing" written by Jan & Bill Moeller and available from Trailer Life Books. There are several others that are also very good. Kay Peterson has one that is available from www.escapees.com and the Huffmeisters have another good one also from Trailer Life. And while on the Escapees website, check out all of the services that they can provide you as they are the largest support organization for fulltimers that there is.

The second thing that I strongly believe that you should do is to rent an RV for as long a trip as you can manage before you go out and purchase one. That is to be sure that you will like this lifestyle. Most of us who go fulltime successfully are people who have been RV travelers for many years. New RVers can do it, but it is a much larger adjustment than for those of us with experience. And even so, I consider that the four greatest changes in my life were, entry into the Navy right after high school, marriage, discharge from the Navy and selling the house to go fulltime RVing. The point of this is to make you realize what a major life change you are looking at. The better you understand what you are undertaking the more likely it is that you will be successful.

I would also invite you to visit our website as we have many pictures and stories from our four years of RV life on the site and we also have three years of actual expenses posted there as well as links to several other personal sites that also have expenses. Come back at any time and ask all the questions that you wish as those of us who have done this will be happy to help.