Any Full-Time RVer's Here?

[Tail_Gunner]

My wife dropped a bit of a bomb on me a few nights ago.

A couple of months ago, she had "decided" (i.e. without telling me) that we were going to move to TN in few years after her parents pass away. Not to sound like I'm slamming TN or folks who live there, but I told her I have no desire or intention to move and live in TN. I like it here in da U.P. and that I was staying put. Extreme heat & me don't get along, I'd rather my driveway in the winter than non-stop sweating in the summer.

So she comes up with a "plan B": sell the house, get a big 5th wheel & new 1-ton dually or a class A motor home. She'd go back to travel nursing and we'd travel around the country for a few years and see the sights. The "biggy" incentive here is: I DON'T HAVE TO WORK!! I could actually be like my hero Robert!! All I'd have to do is keep the RV (house) clean!!

I have to say, it sounds very appealing. But it does bring up a few questions. How do folks handle things like mail and such when you're on the move every few weeks? How do you handle other things requiring a "permanent" address? I know there are a lot of folks already living the "Full-Time RV" life style. Any info & feedback appreciated.

 

[WD40]

Kent, A lot of books have been written on the full timing life style. Lots of people are doing it now and love it. When the grass needs mowing you just hook up and move. Trailer Life has a lot of books you can read.

 

[acjjkamp]

we plan on hitting the road when the kids are off to college. we wont be selling the house though, since the college is local.
i plan on doing contract engineering work while traveling across the US. figure 6 mos per job, at more than double my current pay

check RV.net
there is a lot of info there for full time rv'ing

 

[powerboatr]

hey he he eheeeee\
we thought we could do it with NO homebase of sortsd to come back to. wrong we needed a place for our STUFF we couldnt part with

call me its to long to type here with my old fingerssss

 

[Maxtor]

For some, full time RVing is just great. For us, we want a home base where we can spread out. I enjoy working on our race cars in the shop to much to go RVing full time. I would suggest keeping your house, take a year of RVing and see how you like it. If by then you want to do the full time RVing then great, if not, you have your home to come back to.
When we take our across America trip, we are going to pre-pay our bills six months ahead. You can always check your electric balance while you are RVing, and adjust the payment accordingly.
Good luck on what ever you do.

 

[Tail_Gunner]

we thought we could do it with NO homebase of sortsd to come back to. wrong we needed a place for our STUFF we couldnt part with

I would suggest keeping your house, take a year of RVing and see how you like it... if not, you have your home to come back to.

I'm kind of wondering if Mrs.TG has a bit of an ulterior motive.

If we don't like it, she'll just decide that "we" will quit somewhere in TN. Like I said, me & heat don't get along very well.

 

[Ironmerganser]

I was going to do that same thing until I got offerd a great job here in Nebraska. I did a TON of research on full time RV'ing.

There are a ton of books and resources out there that will give you advice on what to do about mail, emergnecy contacts, best places to stay and even resources for short term employment. Here are a few websites:

Welcome to the Full-Time RVing Forum

FullTimeRver.com - A Guide to Full Time RVing

RV Hometown

Workers On Wheels | Full-time RVing

Amazon.com: Complete Guide to Full-Time RVing: Life on the Open Road: Books: Moeller

Hope this helps and I hope you go for it and let me know all about it!!!

 

[powerboatr]

casino rv

i found this helpful site while looking for good rv parks in vicksburg ms.
we can drop the rv got see the battle field and then go get a good meal

 

[bushpilot]

if youre gonna full time then make sure you choose a mailbox forwarding
service in a STATE that provides a tax advantage !

lots of folks "base" themselves outta texas, florida, az & nv to avoid
some of the higher taxes.

 

[Tail_Gunner]

if youre gonna full time then make sure you choose a mailbox forwarding
service in a STATE that provides a tax advantage !

lots of folks "base" themselves outta texas, florida, az & nv to avoid
some of the higher taxes.

What sort of advantages? Income taxes?

I know that in MI as well as many other states, military pensions and other federal pensions are not taxed by the state. There was big court case about 20 years ago where a federal (military?) retiree sued Michigan. Apparently, state retirees didn't have to pay state income tax on their pension income. This person charged that federal pensioners who were charged income tax were being discriminated against. Long story short, the Supreme Court aggreed with him. Additionally the person sued for back taxes that were collected illegally. Again it went all the way to the Supreme Court, which said any state which collected income tax illegally had to refund that money. Most states said they couldn't afford a 100% refund and settled for variing amounts of cents on the $$.

The decisions had wide reaching affects. Any state who had a tax exempt policy for state pensioners, now had to include federal pensioner in that tax exempt policy, or revoke the state pensioners tax free status. There weren't any states that were willing to face that political/legal firestorm.