As soon as I get the chance I’m buying a smaller Class A and not stopping (except for the ocean part) until I reach Scandinavia. I’m not coming out of a bad situation, it’s just that I’ve spent a while now being a caregiver to my wife and when I inevitably become a widower it’ll be time to spend some time on myself BY myself.
I liked this. I've been considering building a skoolie at 70. The issue isn't the cost. It just doesn't seen to make as much sense as when I started doing my research. I'm now starting to think of a travel trailer with a fifth wheel. I'm just enjoying the journey.
To save money we got a Thousand Trails membership where we can go park to park every 21 days. That, along with the yearly dues, was less than $200/mo. This incudes water, sewer, garbage, pools, hot tubs, club houses. We paid off the contract (it was a 5 year commitment) and the only thing owed now is yearly dues at around $55/mo. We got the dues locked in at that price when I turned 62. Some TT's are close to each other so for 7 months (late summer thru winter) we didn't have to buy any gas by going between 2 parks that are roughly 30 miles apart. To further save $ we do the bulk shopping on moving day with Walmart Pick Up (less driving) at whatever Walmart is on the way to the next park. Not buying gas for that long afforded us to get a new converter and new ceramic toilet installed. I don't know where or how else one may live with "rent" less than $60/mo or even $200/mo with all utilities included and then some.
I qualified for five out of five reasons you mentioned. I’ve been off grid in an Rv on a stationary situation. I put a wood stove in my Rv. I also built a Dodge Grand Caravan for van life. I run both with a solar powered system. I get the best of both worlds and check all the boxes you mentioned. I’m now on year eight and loving it.
Look buy an acre of camping land with a well … for 20 grand…. Live in there with solar and wood heat or electric since you’re running solar….. re do your insulation with KAO WOOL… it doesn’t burn … doesn’t let hot or cold through it…. It’s used in furnaces for melting metals…. So you’ll be in an oven in the winter and a refrigerator in the summer… wrap everything with it …. No cold will get to it….
True. Many of us had to learn how and where to make sacrifices. We had to learn exactly how to answer the question of "Do I really need this/that?" The amount of time for that process varies, but it is certainly not quick. For us, being a little too starry-eyed towards the life lead us to look past some realities we should have confronted. But the memories it has created...
It's time for a reality check... the Truth is, what is driving this trend of mobility is financial situations that the government has placed upon its citizens, where people can no longer afford to live like they use to. The homeless people are adding up each and everyday, in every state.. Why sugar coat this.. A lifestyle of pure necessity.
I didn’t think I had sugar coated it. Hmmmm…Well anyways, I think there’s always room for positivity in reality. An entirely negative take on a desperate situation makes it that much worse. Trust me 👍
@@CheapNomads I wasn't referring to you sugar coating it, just saying in general as people want to close their eyes to what is.. and yes there is room for positive and your right there too.. It just makes me so sad to see how people have to resort to tents, outdoor sleeping, etc.. It's really sad to see children living in cars, et.. I am not homeless nor do I live in an Rv. Van, Car etc..I have a home mortgage, and thus so far we are doing good,, but once upon a time during the obama adm. in 2008. we did go through similar situation, and it was darn tough.. and People shouldn't have to go through this again, and its even worse..and btw: I am a senior citizen, living on Social Security and also doing the best I can ..
Perhaps some but it is disingenuous to paint with such a broad brush. My wife and I are looking into this life style for the change in pace and adventure. We are perfectly comfortable in a normal, boring suburb with annoying neighbors, ridiculous HOAs and congested traffic. But there is a certain excitement behind the unknown and the view from your front door changing by the week. I don’t disagree that government taxes and economy mixed with rising insurance costs is criminal, but your characterization is inaccurate.
I’m looking at going full time RV, and I’m a mix between wanting a different life, adventure/travel and saving money. I’ll buy a used RV and pay it off in a year, buy an adventure thousand trails membership. So long as I stay at a TT park my expenses will be about 1000….maybe 1500 if I splurge a lot. I’ll also have 4 rental properties and I’m transitioning to a cybersecurity career to work remote. I got lucky and my husband and I paid off $90k in consumer debt, invested in real estate and live well below our means saving/investing the rest. I’m trying to encourage my family to do likewise (budget and live a more simplistic life). I’d rather spend my time and money on experiences with family and friends than stuff.
Believe it or not, what ends up happening more than that is they use the last shred of cash on hand to get it towed to the nearest cheap RV park and it sits there. Sometimes to be lived in and never moved again. Saw it a bunch when I lived in Florida.
Wow you're raising a family on the road😮❤ now there's your expense right there ha ha. Having a family on the road is a whole nother ball game😮 my wife and I are retired and finally after 30 years have an empty nest😂 I have been building our beloved 47-year-old Dodge Millard class C motorhome brownville 6 years now! We have gone out in the desert for 6 weeks boondocking and live very comfortably on the solar system I designed and have no lack of anything. Still waiting though our mothers are still with us and need us so we're not able to go out like we'd like to yet . Our greatest expense when boondocking is the fuel cost of getting to our destination and getting him back. to our sticks and bricks. Truly enjoying your channel thank you 😀
You couldn't afford high rent, and out of nowhere, you had an old school bus? That's a big gap in storytelling because not everyone has an old school bus in their possession.
Hmmm…could have sworn I told that story. Anywho, it goes that about a year or so before the debacle with our house, when things were much better financially, we had picked up the old bus for a good price with plans to take 3 or 4 years to convert it. It was maybe 60% done when we got the notice and with rents in the state having increased as much as 50%+ we couldn’t find anywhere so we threw the rest of it together over the next year and left. I sometimes forget what parts of which stories I tell at what times.
@CheapNomads Thank you for replying. This makes more sense. However, I am curious whether maintaining fueling boon docking, etc. comes anywhere near rent?
We haven’t done it yet. Not for an entire day. Our generator is mounted on steel bars welded to the bus frame. The vibrations from that are transferred inside a bit. Not fun. Plus I’d be afraid we’d kill it really fast.
As soon as I get the chance I’m buying a smaller Class A and not stopping (except for the ocean part) until I reach Scandinavia. I’m not coming out of a bad situation, it’s just that I’ve spent a while now being a caregiver to my wife and when I inevitably become a widower it’ll be time to spend some time on myself BY myself.
I think that's understandable.
Very entertaining! Thanks for the info!
just found you for the first time love the no nonsense
I liked this. I've been considering building a skoolie at 70. The issue isn't the cost. It just doesn't seen to make as much sense as when I started doing my research. I'm now starting to think of a travel trailer with a fifth wheel. I'm just enjoying the journey.
To save money we got a Thousand Trails membership where we can go park to park every 21 days. That, along with the yearly dues, was less than $200/mo. This incudes water, sewer, garbage, pools, hot tubs, club houses. We paid off the contract (it was a 5 year commitment) and the only thing owed now is yearly dues at around $55/mo. We got the dues locked in at that price when I turned 62. Some TT's are close to each other so for 7 months (late summer thru winter) we didn't have to buy any gas by going between 2 parks that are roughly 30 miles apart. To further save $ we do the bulk shopping on moving day with Walmart Pick Up (less driving) at whatever Walmart is on the way to the next park. Not buying gas for that long afforded us to get a new converter and new ceramic toilet installed. I don't know where or how else one may live with "rent" less than $60/mo or even $200/mo with all utilities included and then some.
Good start on your new channel. Informative and well presented. Keep it up - I'll enjoy watching your channel grow.
Thanks!
I qualified for five out of five reasons you mentioned. I’ve been off grid in an Rv on a stationary situation. I put a wood stove in my Rv. I also built a Dodge Grand Caravan for van life. I run both with a solar powered system. I get the best of both worlds and check all the boxes you mentioned. I’m now on year eight and loving it.
Look buy an acre of camping land with a well … for 20 grand…. Live in there with solar and wood heat or electric since you’re running solar….. re do your insulation with KAO WOOL… it doesn’t burn … doesn’t let hot or cold through it…. It’s used in furnaces for melting metals…. So you’ll be in an oven in the winter and a refrigerator in the summer… wrap everything with it …. No cold will get to it….
LOVE To see tHE EXPENSES BROKEN DOWN many of us are well under 1000 dollars
True. Many of us had to learn how and where to make sacrifices. We had to learn exactly how to answer the question of "Do I really need this/that?" The amount of time for that process varies, but it is certainly not quick. For us, being a little too starry-eyed towards the life lead us to look past some realities we should have confronted. But the memories it has created...
Keep up the good work guys. Passing along your knowledge is a good thing. God bless and be safe.
Thanks 👍
It's time for a reality check... the Truth is, what is driving this trend of mobility is financial situations that the government has placed upon its citizens, where people can no longer afford to live like they use to. The homeless people are adding up each and everyday, in every state.. Why sugar coat this.. A lifestyle of pure necessity.
I didn’t think I had sugar coated it. Hmmmm…Well anyways, I think there’s always room for positivity in reality. An entirely negative take on a desperate situation makes it that much worse. Trust me 👍
@@CheapNomads I wasn't referring to you sugar coating it, just saying in general as people want to close their eyes to what is.. and yes there is room for positive and your right there too.. It just makes me so sad to see how people have to resort to tents, outdoor sleeping, etc.. It's really sad to see children living in cars, et.. I am not homeless nor do I live in an Rv. Van, Car etc..I have a home mortgage, and thus so far we are doing good,, but once upon a time during the obama adm. in 2008. we did go through similar situation, and it was darn tough.. and People shouldn't have to go through this again, and its even worse..and btw: I am a senior citizen, living on Social Security and also doing the best I can ..
Perhaps some but it is disingenuous to paint with such a broad brush. My wife and I are looking into this life style for the change in pace and adventure. We are perfectly comfortable in a normal, boring suburb with annoying neighbors, ridiculous HOAs and congested traffic. But there is a certain excitement behind the unknown and the view from your front door changing by the week. I don’t disagree that government taxes and economy mixed with rising insurance costs is criminal, but your characterization is inaccurate.
I’m looking at going full time RV, and I’m a mix between wanting a different life, adventure/travel and saving money. I’ll buy a used RV and pay it off in a year, buy an adventure thousand trails membership. So long as I stay at a TT park my expenses will be about 1000….maybe 1500 if I splurge a lot. I’ll also have 4 rental properties and I’m transitioning to a cybersecurity career to work remote. I got lucky and my husband and I paid off $90k in consumer debt, invested in real estate and live well below our means saving/investing the rest. I’m trying to encourage my family to do likewise (budget and live a more simplistic life). I’d rather spend my time and money on experiences with family and friends than stuff.
That sounds great! If you're not already, just be aware of something campgrounds call the "Ten-Year Rule" and purchase accordingly. Good luck!
These old RVs are the wall between them and real homelessness, when it breaks down and can't be fixed they end up on the street.
Believe it or not, what ends up happening more than that is they use the last shred of cash on hand to get it towed to the nearest cheap RV park and it sits there. Sometimes to be lived in and never moved again. Saw it a bunch when I lived in Florida.
Wow you're raising a family on the road😮❤ now there's your expense right there ha ha. Having a family on the road is a whole nother ball game😮 my wife and I are retired and finally after 30 years have an empty nest😂 I have been building our beloved 47-year-old Dodge Millard class C motorhome brownville 6 years now! We have gone out in the desert for 6 weeks boondocking and live very comfortably on the solar system I designed and have no lack of anything. Still waiting though our mothers are still with us and need us so we're not able to go out like we'd like to yet . Our greatest expense when boondocking is the fuel cost of getting to our destination and getting him back. to our sticks and bricks. Truly enjoying your channel thank you 😀
Yep, raising a family of four is the largest part of our expenses. Truth be told we haven't even told the whole story yet either. Perhaps, one day...
You couldn't afford high rent, and out of nowhere, you had an old school bus? That's a big gap in storytelling because not everyone has an old school bus in their possession.
Hmmm…could have sworn I told that story. Anywho, it goes that about a year or so before the debacle with our house, when things were much better financially, we had picked up the old bus for a good price with plans to take 3 or 4 years to convert it. It was maybe 60% done when we got the notice and with rents in the state having increased as much as 50%+ we couldn’t find anywhere so we threw the rest of it together over the next year and left. I sometimes forget what parts of which stories I tell at what times.
@CheapNomads Thank you for replying. This makes more sense. However, I am curious whether maintaining fueling boon docking, etc. comes anywhere near rent?
Short answer is yes you can save money compared to rent. Check out last weeks video. In it I give more of an expense breakdown.
what's driving this? America is circling the drain.....
goodbyeprivacy and chance at romance hello 6mpg between.knocks to.move along
SO WE JUST found tHE GUY That RUNS HIS GENERATor all day all night
We haven’t done it yet. Not for an entire day. Our generator is mounted on steel bars welded to the bus frame. The vibrations from that are transferred inside a bit. Not fun. Plus I’d be afraid we’d kill it really fast.