Finally ready to make the leap

[bghouse]

Hello and greetings from Baja California, Mexico!

I'm Barbara, and I've been researching and dreaming about become a solo fulltime RVer for the past few years. Life kept handing me curve balls after getting laid off from my corporate job in 2012, which had been my career focus and my identity for 15 years. So in a state of OMG - I sold everything and started moving north and working freelance computer programming and website design remotely - Oregon, then Washington. The life hits continued, and I got priced out of rent in Washington and started to get sick from Vitamin D deficiency. Sold everything I had acquired again, keeping only what would fit in my tiny Chrysler Crossfire, and moved to Rosarito Beach, Baja California in November.

The wheel has turned again, and the long time freelance job I had is drying up. It's time for a true life change, and I'm ready for a sabbatical / walk-a-bout. I really want to give this RV dream a chance.

My goal is to figure out a way that I can fund this experience for 1 year without having to work. To be honest I'm totally frazzled and burnt out and never really recovered from my layoff in 2012. I need to do something different and adventuresome - and try to find myself and ignite my passion again. As the saying goes, doing the same thing over and over and expecting something different is just not working for me.

I've gotten a lot of advice in the rvforum.net site, but kept forgetting to come over here and signup and post my introduction.

My big task now is figuring out the rig. I've already done the painful downsizing, everything is digitized, etc. I'm almost 90% sure I want a class C, like the Winnie 31 or maybe the Tioga - I like the queen bed and the more "hallway" layout. I'll be adding a sleep number bed for my back, and hopefully can find something that's not completely hideous for 20k or so. Folks on the other forum also mention a Class A, but I'm not sure again. I'm also not sure if there are limitations for years, sizes, etc. As this will be my first rig, I don't want to spend much because I'm sure I'll learn so much once I get out there.

I really don't want to have a toad, and instead am thinking maybe a electric bike with baskets for when I need to shop or toodle around. My health has suffered as I did all the computer freelance work - by repetitive strain on the shoulder and a lot of weight gain from lack of exercise and sitting all day in front of the laptop. So I really want to get myself walking more and more, and then maybe the bike to help get around. I really do love to walk and explore...

One of the ladies from the other site explained to me about the possibility of doing the used Thousand Trails membership to control costs, which might make this work out taking a break from working. I was kinda hoping I could find a caravan to join to start, since I'm totally at the "babe in the woods" stage and a little scared going out all alone with limited skills. But I can't get a lot of information on that, and unsure about the gas costs if they are constantly moving. I don't want to totally use up my savings, just enough for a nice sabbatical that let's me rediscover the joy in life again.

I'm hoping to use this time to explore, take long walks, try photography again, possibly volunteer work, maybe teach myself guitar - just try to reconnect with myself.

Anway - that's me. Glad to meet you all - well, e-meet I guess Oh yeah, I turned 50 back in December - so that's another milestone that calls me to try something new!

[Bethers]

Welcome, Barbara. Sorry I didn't get you approved yesterday

I travelled for 5 years in a class C without a toad. It's doable. And another woman on here travels full time in a Class C with an electric bike. I'm sure she'll chime in.

Good luck and glad to have you with us.

[bghouse]

Thanks Beth, no worries - I understand completely!

[avalen]

Welcome Barbara, I recently retired and did
many years researching what I wanted
By the time I was ready to buy, the ones
I liked and wanted had become more
popular and the market went out of my
reach. I settled on a class a that was small
enough and price was right with low mileage.
Turns out it was the perfect one for what I
needed, and mechanically sound. Research
research and more research will get you what
is right for you. Good luck in your search. Maybe
meet you down the road someday.

[BirdbyBird]

Welcome to the forum. Research and eye balling as many options as you can. And you are correct. What you start out in may be traded the more experience you get. There are some less expensive camping options out there, so much depends upon what you consider "enough". Everyone's definition is different. And staying in one place is generally cheaper that traveling around......but for many of us views and locations are part of what lead us back out on the road. Good luck sorting through your options, your financials and your dreams.....

[BarbaraRose]

Welcome Barbara, I am Barbie. I have been on here for many years and just bought my first travel trailer, (second, if you count the popup!). I am in MN and heading to SoCal in the fall to live.

If you want to earn some extra money on the road, you could always workamp which would pay for your site and sometimes a little extra $$ depending on what you do and how many hours you put in, etc.

Good luck with your decision and new adventure! Maybe we will meet up on the road one day! This group has several get togethers in different parts of the country each year and you are welcome to join in any of them!

[JudyJB]

Welcome to the forum! Glad you joined us. One thing to decide is how you envision your travel "style." What kinds of things do you want to see and how do you want to travel? Do you want to do national parks and scenery? Are you more interested in small towns and staying in a place for longer periods so you get to know that area well? Do you want to head east to other parts of the country?

We have ladies here who have done all versions, so just ask away if you have questions.

[Rufflesgurl]

Barbara, welcome to the forum from N. Central CA. Good luck for this turn in your life. Enjoy your search.

Linda

[monik7]

Welcome Barbara from the San Francisco Bay Area. This is a great place to get information and make new friends. Ask all the questions you have. When I bought my RV 5 years ago, I knew nothing about RVing. I had never been inside an RV. The ladies here were so forthcoming with help and information so ask away. Good luck in your new adventure.
Sandi

[OregonLuvr]

Welcome Barbara from southern Oregon. I concur with the ladies, do some research and evaluate how you want to travel. If you need to be on the move frequently it will be more costly. I tend to find somewhere I like and get either the weekly or monthly rate (much cheaper usually).

I also do some short camping trips but if I am going to see lots of stuff I like to park the Motorhome and take my SUV. I do tow it so I have wheels wherever I am.

karen

[bghouse]

Thanks for the warm welcome. It feels like I've been researching things forever - hahaha.

3 years ago I thought I just wanted to snowbird and have a 5th wheel. Since then and many, many RV shows and dealerships plus soul searching has me at the opposite side with a small Class A.

I currently plan to start slower, more like a couple weeks in a place. I'm working on my budget which will dictate some of my plans, and hopefully I'll have my scenarios figured out soon.

Obviously if I won the lottery tomorrow, I'd be go, go, go! I love exploring But until that happens, more slow and steady is my plan.

[snowball]

welcome Barbara
one thing you might check into is solar panels and boondocking
that really cuts the costs. My husband and I started RVing in 2007 we got a 5th wheel
and had plans to travel...but we fell into a summer camp hosting job then going down to
Quartzsite AZ for the winter...after his death I continued on other than the camp hosting
spend the summer at DD's home in Idaho she has a spot that the 5th wheel fits into ...and then in
the fall back home to Quartzsite AZ for the winter...I don't travel like I would like to partly because
of paying off the 5th wheel and now a truck had to replace the one that we had...all total love my
solar panels with them and the genny I can spend the winter in the desert on BLM land and be comfortable
research what you want to do would like to do and see what will make you happy
sheila

[bghouse]

I like the boondocking idea, but also like the being around people and hookups - at least at first.

I'm wondering if I could truly find a way to make breaking camp relatively easy, so that I didn't have the toad issue - or is that just completely dreaming on my part? I really am liking the smaller Class C and Class B, and can totally see myself in those.

But I like exploring not just something like a state park, but I love to urban explore. Like last weekend, I needed to cross the border and go get my mail at the ups store in San Diego that I rented. Next to it a new 99 Ranch Asian Market had opened. I spent an hour in there just wandering and checking it out - it was so cool. I also like museums, cool boutique shops, stuff like that.

One other thing I've been looking at, based on some other advice, is a used Thousand Trails membership to have access to the parks - but then worry that they will be too far away from things and I wont be able to get their by foot or bike. Saving on the camping, while still be around others and having hookups, would make this a reality for me much quicker I think

[BirdbyBird]

Unhooking to sight see is only as complicated as how much you hooked up. When traveling and making short stops of only a few days, even though I tow a car, I seldom hook up to water or sewer. But I generally use the campgrounds for showers unless the weather outside is terrible. I travel with water and generally only need to dump my tanks once a week. For me it is easier to dump at the dump station on the way into or out of a park than it is to hook up at the site. It is all about the size of your tanks and how you use what you use. Wet wipes are very handy....

Same goes for "stuff" you put out around the camp site. The less stuff you put out the less you have to worry about putting away or "walking away" when you drive off to sight see. Just more decisions and choices to make. It is recommended that you make your site as occupied in some way though to be sure that it is still empty when you get back.

[bghouse]

It is recommended that you make your site as occupied in some way though to be sure that it is still empty when you get back.

What are some ways that are easy to do this, but not have to risk getting stuff taken?