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 Fulltiming defintion
FULLTIMING is defined as living and/or traveling in a RV (recreational vehicle) for the largest part of the time. This can be done with or without owning a home-base "stick" house.
Who fulltimes & why?
Older, retired people used to be the vast majority of fulltimers. They had the most desire, means, and freedom to pursue this lifestyle. However; housing costs and shortages, the internet age, military and job necessity have all recently triggered an influx of younger couples and even families into the fulltime lifestyle.
I believe most fulltimers would say FREEDOM is the main reason they choose this lifestyle. They are free from the confines of being in one place. They are free from a lot of burdens of maintaining a fulltime "stick" home. They are free to explore the abundance of nature that God has provided. FINANCES may be another reason cited for going fulltime; though, this is controversial. Some claim it is much cheaper to fulltime than maintain a "stick" home, and others say it could be about the same cost depending on how much you travel and where and how you camp. TOGETHERNESS is another reason cited for fulltiming. What better way to connect to your loved one or family than to spend your life so close and experience so much together.
How do I start?
You start with a MINDSET. You follow with ACTION. You proceed with VICTORY!
What do I buy?
Buy the largest RV that will fit within your budget and that you will be comfortable living in. With that said, most people FULLTIME In a CLASS A or large CLASS C motorhome or an all season FIFTH WHEEL (FW) or a TRAVEL TRAILER (TT). Some do fulltime in tents, popups, truck campers, conversion vans etc., but to have a decent level of comfort, most stick to the four types I mentioned. So, the main decision you will need to make is do you want to drive your home and pull your vehicle, or do you want to pull your home with your vehicle? Either way is great and dependent upon the individual needs. And, either way, you will have a means of transportation once you have set up camp. It is just a decision you need to make so you can determine what kind of vehicle you will need: A super duty truck for pulling or a small car "TOAD" to tow.
Which brands of RVs are the best?
There is a RV Consumer Guide on the net that has fully done their homework on this topic and I would leave it up to them to give any such recommendations. I will say that there is a wealth of information on the net in the form of forums and rving sites that you can use to help guide you in the right direction. Research well, compare products, talk to people, go to RV shows. All of these things will help you make an intelligent choice when you go to purchase your new home.
How much money do I need to FULLTIME?
This is such a hard question to answer because there are so many variables. How do you compare someone's cost to live and travel regularly in a class A, eating out every day, viewing every sight there is to see with all of the amenities in luxury RV resorts, to someone that may be pulling a small travel trailer four times a year to different National or State park locations, WORKAMPING along the way, cooking every meal at home and enjoying free museums and nature trails??? If you compared the cost of the two different families, you would surely get two very different amounts. But, I will say that from most of what I hear and have read a good base amount would be $1,500 to $3,000 a month income. It is up to you to decide how much you can live on.
Do FULLTIMERS Work?
All Fulltimers work. Some work REALLY hard at not working LOL. Fulltimers do have the normal day to day chores they do like everyone else, clean, cook etc. Some fulltimers have their own business that they maintain while on the road, via the internet. Some sell on eBay or at flea markets. Some fulltimers do what they call WORKAMPING. There are alot of jobs available to fulltimers in resorts, camps, parks etc. A lot of them offer a salary and free or discounted camp sites. Some fulltimers finance their travels this way.
Is it safe?
No, you may get addicted to good clean living! :D I would say most people report it is about as safe as living anywhere you are now. You may not even be on the road anymore than you are now, depending on how long you stay put and how much you drove before (to and from work-school etc). So, I would say it is not UN-safe...unless you go to Florida and swim with the gators or wrestle some bears in Alaska...but, even that could be fun! :D Common sense is generally all you need to make living anywhere safe as possible.
Do you miss home?
If you miss home, you are not a fulltimer! Home is where your heart is. The heart of a fulltimer is with him wherever that may be.
How do you get mail?
There are mail-forwarding services that you can use to collect and forward you mail once you are established at a camp site or can provide an address for it to be mailed to. There are also RV clubs that offer mail forwarding. Some people have a family member or friend that they can trust to handle and forward their mail.
How do you pay bills?
Most people receiving retirement, VA or SS. checks just have their checks direct deposited and use a bank card or checks to pay bills. There are also online sites such as Paypal that can be used to transfer funds to and from checking accounts to pay bills.
Boondocking-what is it?
Boondocking is a phrase used to describe dry camping without any amenities such as electric, water and sewage. If you camp with no hookups and utilize only your limited onboard resources, you are boondocking. Boondocking has been done overnight in parking lots such as Super Walmarts, truck stops, rest areas, or for a week or more in a National forest or other primitive spot. Batteries, solar power, wind power, reserve water storage and blue boy-dump containers all aid in your quest to boondock.
Boondocking is not for everyone, but can save alot of money on camping fees.
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