RV Lifestyle Archives - Our Next Rvadventure Adventure Blog Sat, 14 Sep 2024 14:03:14 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 https://ournextrvadventure.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/cropped-our-next-rvadventure-high-resolution-logo-32x32.png RV Lifestyle Archives - Our Next Rvadventure 32 32 How Much Did It Cost For Us To Travel Full-Time In Our RV The First Year? https://ournextrvadventure.com/how-much-did-it-cost-for-us-to-travel-full-time-in-our-first-year/ https://ournextrvadventure.com/how-much-did-it-cost-for-us-to-travel-full-time-in-our-first-year/#respond Thu, 05 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000 https://ournextrvadventure.com/2023/09/19/how-much-did-it-cost-for-us-to-travel-full-time-in-our-first-year/ As we were sitting around a campfire sharing stories of our travels with neighbors last month, the most prevailing question was, “How much does it cost to travel full-time?” It’s often the first question we hear from aspiring full-time rvers, and it’s arguably one of the most important. Our go to answer has always been, ... Read more

The post How Much Did It Cost For Us To Travel Full-Time In Our RV The First Year? appeared first on Our Next Rvadventure.

]]> As we were sitting around a campfire sharing stories of our travels with neighbors last month, the most prevailing question was, “How much does it cost to travel full-time?” It’s often the first question we hear from aspiring full-time rvers, and it’s arguably one of the most important. Our go to answer has always been, “As little or as much as you want to spend” because not everyone travels the same.

We are definitely not budgeting gurus but traveling full-time, being retired, and living on a fixed income has propelled us to be more cognizant of our bottom dollar. Most full-time travelers will tend to maintain the same level of lifestyle as they had when they lived in their sticks and bricks but change in spending habits is sometimes necessary to attain a balanced family budget.

We are going to preface this article by saying personal finances are just that, they are PERSONAL!! We debated long and hard about putting our finances out there for the world to see. We asked ourselves two prevailing questions: 1). Would this information have been beneficial to us prior to full-timing? 2). Will this information be beneficial to any of our readers who are contemplating traveling full-time? The answer to both of those questions was an overwhelmingly YES!!

To understand how we traveled this year might provide a better understanding of our numbers:

  • We visited fourteen (14) states and seven (7) National Parks
  • We drove 12,344 miles in the motorhome
  • We drove 10,691 miles in our truck
  • Spent 147 days in private campgrounds
  • Spent 46 days in state parks, corps of engineers, and national forests
  • Spent 120 days dry camping at friends/families, Cabelas, Bureau of Land Management, Sams Club, etc.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at our numbers.

Home Expenses

Accommodations

  • Annual Budgeted Amount: $9600
  • Spent: $9843

We look at this category much like paying rent for an apartment. It includes our campground accommodations at private parks, state parks, corps of engineers, and national forests, which averaged $51 a night. This in most part had to do with the tourist areas we visited this year during the peak season: Estes Park, CO; Yellowstone NP; and Glacier NP were the most expensive.

In an effort to reduce this expenditure, we are adding 1000 watts of solar to Grizzly that will allow us to stay off-grid longer. We also use our RV memberships such as Good Sam, Passport America, and KOA to get discounts from 10%-50% off the daily rate. Another method of saving money is to stay in one location longer. The daily rate versus the weekly rate can mean a savings to upwards of 30%.

Cellular and Internet Service

Cellular and Internet Service

  • Annual Budgeted Amount: $2100
  • Spent: $2076

We have AT&T as our cellular and Internet service provider. Our cellular plan is for unlimited LTE and includes coverage in Mexico/Canada. We updated our phones this year to the iPhone XR and our budget reflects a $38 payment for Lana’s phone. For our Internet, we have an AT&T Netgear Nighthawk M1100 hotspot with unlimited LTE data for $24 a month. We pair this with our WeBoost cellular booster and Netgear MIMO antenna. We stream HULU, Netflix, and Prime Video, averaging 312gb a month.

Propane

  • Annual Budgeted Amount: $960
  • Spent: $636

This category includes propane we use for cooking, on-demand hot water tank, furnace, and refrigerator when we are dry camping. It also includes propane for our Blackstone grill.

Transportation Expenses

Diesel (Motorhome)

  • Annual Budgeted Amount: $7800
  • Spent: $4724

In our first year, we traveled 12,344 miles in our motorhome averaging a whopping 7.5 mpg. We used 1646 gallons of diesel at an average of $2.87 per gallon (Thank you Texas and Buc-ees). Grizzly does not use DEF, therefore, we do not have any additional costs.

Gas (Truck)

  • Annual Budgeted Amount: $1800
  • Spent: $1505

This category includes gasoline for our 2017 Ram 1500 4×4 we tow behind the motorhome. We traveled 10,691 miles averaging 18.4 mpg, using 1505 gallons of gas at an average of $2.59 per gallon.

Insurance and Registration

  • Annual Budgeted Amount: $4800
  • Spent: $4403

This category includes full-time RV insurance with personal liability/agreed value for our motorhome and auto insurance for our truck/car through Progressive Insurance. It also includes our registration fees for all three vehicles in the State of Florida. This cost will be reduced this year as we moved our autos to Allstate Insurance, saving us over $880 a year.

Maintenance

  • Annual Budgeted Amount: $7800
  • Spent: $2276

This includes any maintenance done to the motorhome or autos to include preventive maintenance. We know this category is high but our motorhome is fourteen years old and will be expensive to fix if a major component breaks.

Health / Life Insurance

  • Annual Budgeted Amount: $7800
  • Spent: $7584

This category includes our Healthshare through Christian Heathcare Ministries (CHM) and life insurance policies. I will preface this by saying we LOVE CHM!! We pay $300 a month for healthcare and they pay 100% for any claim over $500. Tracy’s post retirement healthcare costs were going to be $25,500 a year with the City of Lawrence ($1500 mo. premium with a $7500 deductible), which would cripple our dream of traveling full-time. We potentially save $21,900 a year with CHM. Yes, we have used CHM and yes they have paid 100% of our claims.

This category also includes life insurance premiums with Prudential Life Insurance and Gen Life.

Pet Care

  • Annual Budgeted Amount: $1800
  • Spent: $1464

We travel with our two Bichon Frise’ fur babies. This category includes food, toys, vet visits, grooming, and any medicine.

Membership Fees

RV Club Memberships

  • Annual Budgeted Amount: $160
  • Spent: $150

This category includes memberships to Good Sam, Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA), Passport America, and Escapees.

Living Expenses

Groceries

  • Annual Budgeted Amount: $5400
  • Spent: $6024

This includes all of our groceries and farmers market purchases. We were slightly above our budget because we found ourselves eating at home more than dining out. We tend to shop more frequently at Trader Joes, Sprouts, Natural Grocers, and Wholesale Foods.

Dining Out

  • Annual Budgeted Amount: $3000
  • Spent: $1644

We found the only time we were eating out was when our daughters visited us…hmmm.

Laundry

  • Annual Budgeted Amount: $420
  • Spent: $300

This category includes detergent and necessities associated with doing laundry. We try to use our washer/dryer in the motorhome as often as possible but sometimes it was required to use a laundromat.

Mail Forwarding

  • Annual Budgeted Amount: $420
  • Spent: $384

This category includes our mail forwarding address in Florida and monthly postage.

Entertainment

  • Annual Budgeted Amount: $3600
  • Spent: $4332

This includes anything from going to the movies, whitewater rafting, zip lining, and tours.

Miscellaneous

  • Annual Budgeted Amount: $7200
  • Spent: $7564

This is like Tracy fitting into his high school jeans. If it doesn’t fit in any of the above category, it goes here.

Summary

As we mentioned before, each individual or couple will travel differently. We travel for the adventure, to see and do new things, to experience the unforgettable, and to make ever lasting memories.

For our first year, we think we did pretty well considering we jumped into this blindfolded. We over spent in a few categories and have a lot of adjustments to make in others. Our total first year expenses totaled $54,909 or roughly $4600 a month, almost $10,000 under budget. We hope to get our monthly numbers to under $4000.

What we did not include in our article was the accounts we have for a replacement vehicle, personal savings account, medical savings account, investments, gifts, birthdays, holidays, clothing, cash, and taxes as these will differ from individual to individual.

We also did not include the upgrades/updates we did to the Grizzly as that money came out an account we had initially set up to purchase the motorhome but saved during the price negotiation process. If you finance your RV, you will need to figure the monthly payment into your budget.

Since it was not RV related, the costs of our cruises and any related expenses were also not included.

We hope this article helps answer some of the questions you might have when setting your budget for traveling full-time in your RV. If you have any comments or questions, feel free to comment below or send us a private message and we will be happy to help you out.

Our Next RV Adventure is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Any purchases you make from this site will not incur any price increase from Amazon.com

The post How Much Did It Cost For Us To Travel Full-Time In Our RV The First Year? appeared first on Our Next Rvadventure.

]]> https://ournextrvadventure.com/how-much-did-it-cost-for-us-to-travel-full-time-in-our-first-year/feed/ 0 Our One-Year RVersary!! Did We Make The Right Decision? https://ournextrvadventure.com/our-one-year-rversary-did-we-make-the-right-decision/ https://ournextrvadventure.com/our-one-year-rversary-did-we-make-the-right-decision/#respond Sat, 23 Dec 2023 17:27:47 +0000 https://ournextrvadventure.com/2023/12/23/our-one-year-rversary-did-we-make-the-right-decision/ It is hard to believe a year has already passed since we embarked on our “someday.” As we prepared to write this article, it brought back so many wonderful memories of the places we have lived, the adventures we have taken, and the remarkable people we have met along the way. Although, it may appear ... Read more

The post Our One-Year RVersary!! Did We Make The Right Decision? appeared first on Our Next Rvadventure.

]]> It is hard to believe a year has already passed since we embarked on our “someday.” As we prepared to write this article, it brought back so many wonderful memories of the places we have lived, the adventures we have taken, and the remarkable people we have met along the way. Although, it may appear traveling full-time is all peaches and cream, a constant adventure and permanent vacation, picturesque mountain views, wild animals, and fun places to live, there are complications and challenges with this lifestyle.

How about the time we were traveling down Highway 50 outside of Strong City, Kansas with our windows open when two semis passing in the opposite direction created a vortex inside our motorhome and pushed both driver and passenger side front windows out from their seal.

Or the two times we forgot to check to make sure our cabinet doors stayed closed before extending the slides after a day of traveling…two cabinet doors repaired.

Oh, and the leaky living room A/C unit in San Antonio that left water running down our bathroom wall…and we can’t forget about the leaking toilet.

“We can all tend to get caught up in the complications of life that we create; we live life for other people. It’s a harrowing moment when you’re confronted with an end, and you have to make the choice to live your life for you.”

Elliott Knight

Our problems are no more or less than what we experienced owning a sticks/bricks home but we do have to be cognizant that our home rolls down the highway, bouncing over potholes, and things get loosened and thrown around from time to time.

Recap Of Our First Year

Fourteen States

States visited: We visited fourteen states our first year: Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Iowa, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.

National Parks: Seven National Parks: Rocky Mountain National Park, Great Sand Dunes NP, Black Canyon NP, Carlsbad Caverns NP, Grand Teton NP, Yellowstone NP, and Glacier NP. Only 51 more National Parks to go!!!

Miles driven (motorhome only): 12, 344

Where Did We Stay

Private Campgrounds: 147 days

State Parks, Corps of Engineers, National Forests: 46 days

Dry-docking / Free places (Friends/Families homes, Cabelas, Bureau of Land Mgt, Sams Club, etc.): 120 days

Cruising: 40 days

Hotel stays: 12 days

“In the end, we only regret the chances we did not take.”

Anonymous

What Have We Learned

Traveling full-time has forced us to disconnect from what we knew as our normal routine. It is much more than the Instagram sunset or Mountain View. For us, it was about following a dream of getting more out of life, spending more time together as a couple, and creating memories that will last a lifetime.

“We travel not to escape life, but for life to not escape us.”

Unknown

Rolling down that long stretch of road in our motorhome has taught us more about ourselves than 30 years of routine. Traveling to new places with different cultures has broadened our perspective, making us aware and open to new things. It has forced us to to re-evaluate ourselves and reinvent our lives as we realize that different is not better or worse, just different.

Traveling has allowed us to try new things, whether it was swimming with the stingrays in the Grand Cayman Islands or climbing over a snow pass in Glacier National Park at 10,000 feet.

We have learned to appreciate the things we had taken for granted in our former home. Lets take the dreaded plumbing for instance. Instead of just flushing the toilet and being done with our “business”, we now carry our “business” around with us until our “business” tank is full and needs dumped. How about water? When we dry-dock somewhere, we do not have an unlimited amount of water to do dishes, shower, or laundry. Our fresh water tank only holds 100 gallons so we take “navy” showers and use paper plates/plastic cups. And let us not forget about electricity…when we are not hooked up to electrical at a campground, we rely upon batteries to provide an energy source. It is difficult explaining to your wife that she can not run her 1500w hair dryer for ten minutes because it drains the batteries.

The post Our One-Year RVersary!! Did We Make The Right Decision? appeared first on Our Next Rvadventure.

]]> https://ournextrvadventure.com/our-one-year-rversary-did-we-make-the-right-decision/feed/ 0 Save Money While Traveling In Your RV https://ournextrvadventure.com/save-money-while-traveling-in-your-rv/ https://ournextrvadventure.com/save-money-while-traveling-in-your-rv/#respond Sat, 02 Dec 2023 12:57:49 +0000 https://ournextrvadventure.com/2023/12/02/save-money-while-traveling-in-your-rv/ Traveling full-time requires some strategic planning and budgeting to maximize your dollars. Here are some of the ways we have found to save money on the road. Lot-docking Not to be confused with boondocking, lot-docking is simply pavement surfing for a night. When we travel from place to place, we typically like to keep our ... Read more

The post Save Money While Traveling In Your RV appeared first on Our Next Rvadventure.

]]> Traveling full-time requires some strategic planning and budgeting to maximize your dollars. Here are some of the ways we have found to save money on the road.

Lot-docking

Not to be confused with boondocking, lot-docking is simply pavement surfing for a night. When we travel from place to place, we typically like to keep our mileage down to around 250-300 miles a day. We have found this allows us to take our time, make plenty of stops, and sight-see along the way. There are a number of corporations that welcome RVers to stay the night in their parking lot, and in return, a number of RVers return the kind gesture by making a purchase at their store. Likewise, there are a number of publicly owned spaces that permit overnighting. Here are some of the places we have lot-docked (please check with each business before stopping for the night as well as any city/county ordinance prohibiting overnight camping)

  • WalMart
  • Sams Club
  • CostCo
  • Cracker Barrel
  • Casino Parking Lots
  • Cabela’s
  • Bass Pro
  • Lowes
  • Home Depot
  • Menards
  • Truck Stops
  • Rest Areas
  • City Parks
  • County Fairgrounds

Pros

  • Saves money. A typical night at a private campground will range from $20-$60 a night. Each night you dry-dock, you put money back in your pocket.
  • Some stores have night time security patrolling their parking lot. Along the same lines, most parking lots are lit up at nighttime.
  • One stop shop…Most of the listed corporations are located near other amenities such as restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, etc.

Cons

  • Noise!! This is location dependent but many of the stores are open 24-hours. Cars coming and going at all hours can definitely disrupt your sleep pattern.
  • As noted above, although some stores have security at night which can be a pro, crime is still an issue to be concerned about. As with any place on the road, you will be more susceptible to crime in these locations rather than at a private campground. Be vigilant and remove any opportunity of being a victim.

Our favorite locations have been at Cracker Barrel, CostCo, Sams Club, Cabelas, and Bass Pro. These businesses are very RV friendly, and best of all, most close around 9pm so you avoid all of the parking lot noise.

BLM ground

Boondocking

Boondocking is a term used by RVers to describe off the grid or dispersed camping. These sites are without any hookups and can usually be found on public land such as National Forests and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) sites. We use several websites and apps to find good boondocking spots: Campendium, Allstays, Ultimate Campgrounds, and the Public Lands app.

Pros

  • Free – All public land is free.
  • Safe – Think of it as living in the country but 10x better.
  • Solitude – Usually it is just you and the stars.

The post Save Money While Traveling In Your RV appeared first on Our Next Rvadventure.

]]> https://ournextrvadventure.com/save-money-while-traveling-in-your-rv/feed/ 0 How Do You Get Mail Traveling Full Time In Your RV? https://ournextrvadventure.com/how-do-you-get-mail-traveling-full-time-in-your-rv/ https://ournextrvadventure.com/how-do-you-get-mail-traveling-full-time-in-your-rv/#respond Thu, 30 Nov 2023 21:29:50 +0000 https://ournextrvadventure.com/2023/11/30/how-do-you-get-mail-traveling-full-time-in-your-rv/ Last week we talked about the importance of establishing a domicile so this week we thought about discussing how full-time RVers might get their mail on the road. In todays world, you have many options available to receive mail service during your travels. Setting up your mail service should supersede establishing your domicile so you ... Read more

The post How Do You Get Mail Traveling Full Time In Your RV? appeared first on Our Next Rvadventure.

]]> Last week we talked about the importance of establishing a domicile so this week we thought about discussing how full-time RVers might get their mail on the road. In todays world, you have many options available to receive mail service during your travels. Setting up your mail service should supersede establishing your domicile so you have a physical address first. Let us discuss some of the options available for your mail.

Friends and Family

This seems like an obvious choice but not necessarily a practical one. Our mail tends to be very personable, containing letters from close friends, bills, and legal documents. Make sure you choose a person who is reliable and trustworthy enough to handle your affairs. Work out the details or expectations for the both of you, either forwarding, opening and scanning, or shredding unwanted mail before committing. There may be some legal implications using another persons address, such as city ordinance violations, since you will be domiciling at your friends/families address.

Mail Forwarding Services

Most states we discussed in our previous domiciling article as being popular with full-timers also have companies offering mail-forwarding services as well. The mail forwarding services we will discuss provide you a physical (legal) address for use on your driver’s license, vehicle registration, insurance, federal & local taxes, banking services, and more.

We will start with MyRVmail as it is the company we chose to utilize and have been very happy with them. They have two plans, Basic and Premium. The annual cost of the Basic plan is $108 and the Premium plan is $194.40 with a membership to Passport America or Good Sam Club (GSC) . If you do not belong to either membership club, the rates are $144 / $216. There is a $30.00 postage deposit and a one-time $25.00 set up fee.

MyRVmail offers email notifications of outgoing shipments with tracking information, no limits on the number of packages, shredding and recycling of unwanted mail, scanning of your mail, forwarding with USPS or FEDEX, personalized scheduling of mail delivery, and a Florida physical address.

Escapees offers three plans: Category A, B, and C. The annual cost s are $95.00, $115.00, and $135.00 with a $50.00 postage deposit and $50.00 enrollment fee. Escapees RV Club also requires you be a member of their RV Club to utilize this service.

The Category A plan forwards all First Class mail and all other mail with your personal mailbox number in the address. Category B forwards all mail of the types you specify–first-class only, mail from nonprofits, newsletters, advertisements, catalogs, magazines, newspapers, and/or travel guides & directories–and discard the rest. Category C forwards only the types of mail that you specify, as with Category B, but you can also request special sorting; for example, specific magazine titles but not others, or catalogs from certain companies but not others.

Mail scanning is a $10.00 monthly add-on option. You can choose to domicile in either Texas, Florida, or South Dakota and receive a physical address in anyone of these states.

St. Brendans Isle (SBI)offers three plans called the Travelers Special, Cruiser Home Port, and Custom Mail Service. We will focus on the Travelers Special as it is more customized for RVers. This plan is $11.99 a month and incurs a $100 deposit; however, they do not charge any set-up fee and you do not need to belong to any membership club. The $100 covers your postage.

SBI offers email notification, shredding of unwanted mail, mail tracking, and mail scanning.

Mail scanning is an add-on option for $7.99 per month. SBI does have a $2.00 service charge for each shipment of mail requested by the customer. They offer a Florida address for customers.

Traveling Mailbox offers two plans: Basic and Extended. The Basic plan is $15.00 per month and Extended is $25.00 per month.

Unlike the aforementioned mail forwarding companies, the Traveling Mailbox does place restrictions on their plans. Under the Basic plan, you can receive up to 40 incoming envelopes; 35 page scans, 3 mailbox recipients, and free mail shredding. This plan also offers free junk mail filtering and unlimited cloud storage.

The Extended plan allows up to 100 incoming envelopes, 80 page scans, 5 mailbox recipients, free mail shredding, unlimited cloud storage, and your mail scans rollover each month.

The unique thing about the Traveling Mailbox is how many physical addresses offered under their plans. The Basic plan offers an address in North Carolina. The Extended plan offers physical addresses in Illinois, Wyoming, Ohio, Minnesota, Arizona, South Dakota, New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Washington, DC, Georgia, Virginia, Tennessee, Florida, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, and Washington.

Once you select a mail-forwarding service, it is crucial to move as many creditors to an online payment system and elect to only receive your billing statements electronically in order to reduce your incoming mail. We also visited optoutprescreen.com which is operated by four major consumer reporting companies whom block credit card and insurance offers for a five-year period or permanently.

The post How Do You Get Mail Traveling Full Time In Your RV? appeared first on Our Next Rvadventure.

]]> https://ournextrvadventure.com/how-do-you-get-mail-traveling-full-time-in-your-rv/feed/ 0 Buying Your First RV And What To Look For https://ournextrvadventure.com/buying-your-first-rv-and-what-to-look-for/ https://ournextrvadventure.com/buying-your-first-rv-and-what-to-look-for/#respond Sun, 19 Nov 2023 08:19:11 +0000 https://ournextrvadventure.com/2023/11/19/buying-your-first-rv-and-what-to-look-for/ Shopping for your first RV can sometimes be quite overwhelming. When we began seriously looking for our home on wheels, we traveled to four different states, attended six RV shows, and spent countless hours watching videos and perusing websites such as RVTrader.com and RVT.com. We are going to offer you some general information, based on ... Read more

The post Buying Your First RV And What To Look For appeared first on Our Next Rvadventure.

]]> Shopping for your first RV can sometimes be quite overwhelming. When we began seriously looking for our home on wheels, we traveled to four different states, attended six RV shows, and spent countless hours watching videos and perusing websites such as RVTrader.com and RVT.com. We are going to offer you some general information, based on our experience, on what to look for in your first recreational vehicle. First, lets discuss the types of RV’s on the market today.

Types of RV’s

Smaller models can be towed by mid-size vehicles, including the family car, minivan, SUV or pickup truck equipped with a hitch. It is important to match the loaded weight of the RV to the towing capacity of the tow vehicle. Lightweight composite models are designed specifically for towing behind many six-cylinder family vehicles. Travel Trailers boast all the conveniences of home, including kitchen, dining, bathroom, entertainment and storage.

The Fifth-Wheel can have the same amenities as the conventional Travel Trailer, but is constructed with a raised forward section that provides a spacious bi-level floor plan. These models are designed to be towed by a larger pickup truck, either 3/4 or 1 ton, equipped with a device known as a fifth-wheel hitch. Fifth wheels are equipped with all the conveniences of home, including sleeping, showering, dining, cooking, entertainment and storage. There can be as many as four slideouts in some models, which move the RV wall outward up to three feet at the touch of a button to create larger living areas.

Van life is becoming very popular amongst RVers, especially millennials. Remember the 70’s and 80’s conversion vans, think of the Class B’s as the new and upcoming conversion vans. Some of these vans come with sleeping areas, showering, dining, and entertainment. Storage is somewhat limited.

Class C / Super C Motorhome

Class C motorhomes are built on an automotive van frame with a wider body section attached to the original cab section. Many Class C motorhomes are easily recognizable by the over-the-cab area that is often an optional sleeping area. Amenities are similar to those in conventional motorhomes.

Class A Motorhome

Class A motorhomes are constructed entirely on a specially designed motor vehicle chassis. Home-like amenities abound, and generally these motorhomes have kitchens, bathrooms, living areas with entertainment centers and centrally controlled heating and air conditioning. Many are designed with an extensive storage capacity and often include basement storage areas. Most models have multiple slide outs.

The post Buying Your First RV And What To Look For appeared first on Our Next Rvadventure.

]]> https://ournextrvadventure.com/buying-your-first-rv-and-what-to-look-for/feed/ 0 Can RV Memberships Save You Money? https://ournextrvadventure.com/are-rv-memberships-worth-it/ https://ournextrvadventure.com/are-rv-memberships-worth-it/#respond Fri, 17 Nov 2023 11:43:11 +0000 https://ournextrvadventure.com/2023/11/17/are-rv-memberships-worth-it/ We were very naive when we started our full-timing adventure due to a lack of camping experience and did not even know there were such things as RV Clubs.  After spending $240 for four (4) days of camping in Colorado last summer, we quickly realized our budget was going to either need adjusting or we ... Read more

The post Can RV Memberships Save You Money? appeared first on Our Next Rvadventure.

]]> We were very naive when we started our full-timing adventure due to a lack of camping experience and did not even know there were such things as RV Clubs.  After spending $240 for four (4) days of camping in Colorado last summer, we quickly realized our budget was going to either need adjusting or we needed to adjust our way of camping.

Our two most expensive budget line items are fuel and campground fees.  We try to offset our campground fees by dry-docking along our travel routes and staying longer in one destination to benefit from weekly or monthly rates rather than the daily rates, which are often 40-50% more than the monthly rates.  For example, we are currently in south Texas for the winter and our monthly rate is $649 or $21.63  a day, based on 30 days.  The daily rate at our RV resort is $50 a day. Another great way to save on campground fees is to boondock in National Forrest or on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) ground, which is FREE!!

RV memberships offer a variety of benefits such as discounted stays in associate RV parks and campgrounds, as well as related services such as RV Insurance, and RV Road Service. As you read along, each membership has its own advantages or you can combine two or more to serve your way of camping.

Escapees Club

Website: https://www.escapees.com/

Annual Cost:  $39.95 US  / $49.95 (Canada and Mexico)

The Escapees RV Club is probably one of the most recognizable clubs in the RV industry.  They are a one stop shop for all of your traveling needs to include discounts of 15%-50% at over 800 commercial RV parks, roadside assistance, healthcare solutions, and RV accessories discounts.  The Escapees RV Club also offers a mail-forwarding service ranging from $95-$135 annually for those who live the nomadic lifestyle.  If socializing among other RV’ers is important to you, Escapees RV Club has several regional chapters as well as hosting an annual rally drawing upwards of 800+ RVs each year.

Passport America

Website: https://www.passportamerica.com/

Annual Cost:  1 yr $44.00 / 2yr $79.00 / 3yr $109 / 5yr $179 / Lifetime $399

Passport America is the largest discount camping club  available to RV’ers.  They have over 1,800 participating campgrounds offering 50% discounts on a space available basis.  It is easy to justify the one-year membership during your first or second camping trip.  Their are some restrictions with several of the participating campgrounds such as holidays, festivals, or prime season but the savings far outweigh the restrictions.

Harvest Hosts

Website: https://harvesthosts.com

Annual Cost: $79.00 or $119.00 (Golf Course/Country Clubs)

Harvest Hosts is one of the newer, most exciting membership clubs in the RV world offering an unique camping experience at over 717 locations throughout the United States. These locations include 404 Wineries/Breweries/Distilleries; 194 Farms; and 119 Museums/Attractions; and 302 Golf Courses and Country Clubs. There are some caveats to this membership: 1) You must have a self-contained RV as sites do not have any services; 2) Overnight stays are limited to one night unless the host allows multiple nights; 3) You must maintain liability insurance on your RV and vehicles. There is also an expectation the member spends a minimum of $20.00 to support the host.

Boondockers Welcome

Website: https://www.boondockerswelcome.com

Annual Cost: 1yr. $30.00 / 3yr. $75.00

This membership opportunity is similar to Harvest Hosts. All across the United States, you will find hosts, most who also RV, offering you a place to stay FREE at their home, business, etc. during your travels for 1-3 nights. You simply peruse the BW website map along your route, find a host, send the host a reservation request, and voila. If the host has room for your rig, you simply show up and kindly leave a review of your stay after you leave. Most users of BW like to leave a small gift or gratuity for their host as a gesture of thanks.

Thousand Trails

Website: https://www.thousandtrails.com

Annual Cost: $585.00

Thousand Trails offers five camping zones: Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast with approximately 81 campgrounds throughout the United States. For an annual fee, you choose a particular zone you will be camping in for the year. Once you make a reservation at a TT campground in that zone, you can stay up to 14 days at a time. After each stay, you have to be out of the system for 7 days before you can go to another park and stay for another 14 days for free. These memberships have a 60-day reservation window and are renewed yearly.

Good Sam Club

Website: https://www.goodsam.com

Annual Cost: 1yr $29.00 / 2yr $50.00 / 3yr $75.00

Good Sam Club memberships will not get you as much of a discount as the other membership clubs but it is quite diverse. Your membership will include a 10% discount at all Camping Worlds; 10% discount at over 2,400 campgrounds; $.05 off gas and $.08 off diesel at select Pilot and Flying J locations; and 10% discounts at Gander Outdoors and Overtons. Good Sam also offers insurance services and roadside assistance programs.

We have memberships to three of the above clubs: Escapees, Passport America, and Good Sam Club. All three clubs have helped reduce our camping fees during our travels and have provided us with additional camping resources. Good luck with your research!!

The post Can RV Memberships Save You Money? appeared first on Our Next Rvadventure.

]]> https://ournextrvadventure.com/are-rv-memberships-worth-it/feed/ 0 Going Full-Time? Lets Set Up Your Domicile https://ournextrvadventure.com/going-full-time-lets-set-up-your-domicile/ https://ournextrvadventure.com/going-full-time-lets-set-up-your-domicile/#respond Sat, 07 Oct 2023 04:37:32 +0000 https://ournextrvadventure.com/2023/10/07/going-full-time-lets-set-up-your-domicile/ We receive a lot of questions about setting up a domicile from those who are contemplating living the nomadic lifestyle, so we have put together some information that will hopefully help you make an educated decision when the time arises. We sold our home in June of 2018 before it ever hit the market. Fortunately, ... Read more

The post Going Full-Time? Lets Set Up Your Domicile appeared first on Our Next Rvadventure.

]]> We receive a lot of questions about setting up a domicile from those who are contemplating living the nomadic lifestyle, so we have put together some information that will hopefully help you make an educated decision when the time arises.

We sold our home in June of 2018 before it ever hit the market. Fortunately, our buyer was from Germany and had a 45-day closing, which allowed us some breathing room to sell our belongings, make final arrangements, and say goodbye to our wonderful neighbors. But we were confused about setting up a domicile and did not realize the importance of having a “legal” place to live.

Why is Your Domicile Important?

Since our home sold quickly, we had a limited amount of time to figure out where we wanted to “live.” Domicile is one of those words courts and lawyers toss around and expect people to understand. In fact, it’s meaning can be tricky. It is not just about setting up a mail service account and having a mailing address. Simply put, your domicile is your home—the state you consider your permanent place of residence. If you are not living there right now, then it is the place to which you intend to return and make your home indefinitely. I repeat, it is the state where you “INTEND” to return and make your home indefinitely. You can have more than one residence, but only one domicile.

The question of your domicile typically arises when we talk taxes and you have declared to have domiciled in a particular state. The courts often look at several factors to determine domicile. The first as we said is your INTENT (sorry to yell but this is very important). Other factors are where you have your vehicles registered, what state your drivers license is from, where you get your mail, and where are you registered to vote….where do you pay your taxes?

Speaking of taxes, your domicile can impact several taxing entities and that is the main reason your domicile may be scrutinized.

State income tax. Most states impose an income tax on people who live or work in the state. If you’re domiciled there, you pay tax on all of your income; if you’re not, you pay tax only on income derived from sources in the state. (Even if your domicile is elsewhere, however, you may be assessed tax like a domiciliary if you are a “resident” under state law.)

State estate tax. Fewer than 20 states impose their own estate tax—that is, a state tax on assets left at death. If you’re domiciled in one of these states (such as New York or New Jersey), your survivors may end up paying a tax bill that wouldn’t be due if your legal domicile were in a non-taxing state (such as Florida or Arizona).

Probate. If surviving family members need to start a probate court proceeding to distribute your assets to the people who inherit them, they must begin it in the state (and county) where you were domiciled at your death.

Domicile Friendly States For RVers

We retired prior to going full-time so retiree friendly states were very important to us for the above stated reasons. My pension is through the Kansas Police and Fire retirement program and we paid state income tax while working so it was very important for me to find a state with no income tax.

We found the following states do not have state income tax:

  • Florida
  • Texas
  • South Dakota
  • Alaska
  • Nevada
  • Washington
  • Wyoming
  • Tennessee

Another important factor for us was the vehicle property tax. In our former state (Kansas), we literally had to take out a loan every year we paid property tax on our vehicles and I was done with it. Here are the states with no vehicle property tax:

  • Florida
  • Texas
  • South Dakota
  • Alabama
  • the District of Columbia
  • Delaware
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Louisiana
  • Maryland
  • North Dakota
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Tennessee
  • Vermont
  • Washington
  • Wisconsin

The post Going Full-Time? Lets Set Up Your Domicile appeared first on Our Next Rvadventure.

]]> https://ournextrvadventure.com/going-full-time-lets-set-up-your-domicile/feed/ 0 Our Next RV Adventure – Follow Us As We Journal Our Adventures Across America https://ournextrvadventure.com/our-next-rv-adventure-follow-us-as-we-journal-our-adventures-across-america/ https://ournextrvadventure.com/our-next-rv-adventure-follow-us-as-we-journal-our-adventures-across-america/#respond Sun, 10 Sep 2023 05:36:49 +0000 https://ournextrvadventure.com/2023/09/10/our-next-rv-adventure-follow-us-as-we-journal-our-adventures-across-america/ During the past year, we have noticed an incredible upswing in RV travel. Millions of people have embraced the RV lifestyle and several thousand are doing it on a full-time basis. During our winter retreat in Quartzsite, Arizona, it was estimated over one-million RVers passed through this little town of 3,600 people over the course ... Read more

The post Our Next RV Adventure – Follow Us As We Journal Our Adventures Across America appeared first on Our Next Rvadventure.

]]>

  • During the past year, we have noticed an incredible upswing in RV travel. Millions of people have embraced the RV lifestyle and several thousand are doing it on a full-time basis. During our winter retreat in Quartzsite, Arizona, it was estimated over one-million RVers passed through this little town of 3,600 people over the course of a few months. Is traveling full-time sustainable? People enjoy the full-time RV lifestyle on all kinds of budgets and that is important to keep in mind when looking at our budget numbers. Income streams come in all forms, some full-time retirees have pensions while others have a nest egg of savings or equity from…

  • As we were sitting around a campfire sharing stories of our travels with neighbors last month, the most prevailing question was, “How much does it cost to travel full-time?” It’s often the first question we hear from aspiring full-time rvers, and it’s arguably one of the most important. Our go to answer has always been, “As little or as much as you want to spend” because not everyone travels the same. We are definitely not budgeting gurus but traveling full-time, being retired, and living on a fixed income has propelled us to be more cognizant of our bottom dollar. Most full-time travelers will tend to maintain the same level of…

  • Driving westbound along I-90 in central South Dakota reminded me of our time in Kansas traveling through the rolling terrain of the Flint Hills, with the exception of the Wall Drug Store ads posted every few miles. Tall prairie grass and miles of unobstructed farmstead views along both sides of the highway. Badlands National Park The Badlands National Park is a layered composition of Pierre Shale, Yellow Mounds, Chadron Formation, Brule Formation, and Sharps Formation spread out over 244,000 acres. This beautiful park is home to mixed-grass prairie where bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, and black-footed ferrets live today. The Lakota Native American tribe were the first to call this…

  • One of THE MOST important decisions we were faced with when deciding to retire early was what we were going to do for health insurance while we traveled full-time. Unfortunately, for many first responders and others who retire early, lose their jobs, or work for a company that does not offer a health insurance plan, the cost of obtaining health insurance can be mind-boggling. In our case, Lana’s employer did not offer retiree health insurance and my retiree health insurance was going to run us $1500 a month just to have a policy in place. The deductible on that $1500 a month policy was around $7500 and then we had…

  • We were like two little kids standing in line for a ride at DisneyWorld with big smiles on our faces. While not at DisneyWorld, we were actually sitting in line at the Roosville Border crossing connecting Eureka, Montana with Grasmere, British Columbia and this was our first border crossing into another country while driving our motorhome. We had a lot of trepidation about driving across the border, especially in our home. We had to remove all of our fruits, vegetables, dairy, and, of course, our firearms. We gathered our passports, fur babies vaccination papers, registration/insurance, and prepared our answers for any questions thrown at us. All of the worries were…

  • Updated: March 7, 2020 Fuel expense is a major budget item with any RVer, whether you are a full-timer or weekend warrior. Some of the large Class A coaches have fuel tanks carrying upwards of 100-150 gallons of fuel and, with the average price for diesel in the United States at $2.99 a gallon, that is a lot of money being depleted traveling down the road. But this program is not only for the big Class A’s, if you are a diesel fuel consumer, this program is still for you. Earlier this month, we became aware of a new diesel fuel program for RV owners operated by TSD Logistics, a…

    • The post Our Next RV Adventure – Follow Us As We Journal Our Adventures Across America appeared first on Our Next Rvadventure.

    ]]>     https://ournextrvadventure.com/our-next-rv-adventure-follow-us-as-we-journal-our-adventures-across-america/feed/ 0     Is RVing For Me or My Family? https://ournextrvadventure.com/is-rving-for-me-or-my-family/ https://ournextrvadventure.com/is-rving-for-me-or-my-family/#respond Sun, 03 Sep 2023 15:18:41 +0000 https://ournextrvadventure.com/2023/09/03/is-rving-for-me-or-my-family/ What in the world is all of this RV talk really about and is it the right choice for you and your family?  Your curiosity must be peaked or you would not be reading this article, right.  For us, RVing is an opportunity to see our beautiful country on our time, in our home, at ... Read more

    The post Is RVing For Me or My Family? appeared first on Our Next Rvadventure.

    ]]>     What in the world is all of this RV talk really about and is it the right choice for you and your family?  Your curiosity must be peaked or you would not be reading this article, right.  For us, RVing is an opportunity to see our beautiful country on our time, in our home, at our pace, and for a reasonable cost (more on this later). We are able to travel with all of our personal belongings and fur babies in comfort, we eat in our own house every day, we use our own restroom, we have all of our clothing for weather changes, and, most importantly, we get to sleep in our own bed every night (we have all seen those horrible news stories about hotel rooms). 

    RV Bedroom

    Your choices are endless when you RV.  Are you a weather chaser?  Cold up north, head south.  Want to head to a beach, fuel up and go…no need to sit in an airport for 3-6 hours and staying in some hotel.  How about those relatives you have not seen since the last family reunion, go visit them.  Or how about following your dream like we did.  Retire from your careers and old way of “living” and chase your dreams seeing our country, living life with new experiences.  These are only some choices and I am sure you can come up with several more.

    Costs

    We are not completely sold that RVing is a cheaper way of vacationing or living, but for us, it was a lifestyle we were eager to explore.  We are going to dive into our one-year costs of traveling full-time in our RV when we celebrate our one-year RVersary next month.

    There are the obvious upfront costs of owning a RV. First, the price of a recreational vehicle which can range from a couple of thousand dollars to over a half-million dollars. Then you have maintenance costs, property taxes, insurance and registration, and storage to name a few. When traveling you have to factor in the fuel, campgrounds, and any unexpected emergencies along the way.

    The alternative is hotel costs, airline tickets, luggage cost (except with Southwest Airlines), car rental, airport parking, and dining out. The non-monetary costs is the 2-5 hour wait at the airport, two hours of packing, and the stress of traveling with the little ones.

    We have found traveling in our RV more enjoyable as we have access to games, television, dining table, your personal restroom, all of the comforts of a stocked kitchen, and it is more intimate so you can enjoy those memories as a family. Try to put a dollar amount on seeing the Grand Teton mountain range out your front windshield every day at the campground, the moose eating vegetation outside your bedroom window, or parking your RV on a sandy beach for a week.

    Still Confused?

    You probably have friends or know someone who owns an RV. It is your neighbor who became tired of tent camping and upgraded to a travel trailer, your grandparents who travel the country in their motorhome, or your co-worker who just returned from a week long hunting trip with his friends and had the luxury of sleeping in his fifth-wheel.

    Perhaps you can’t picture you and your family in an RV yet and still need some convincing. Close your eyes and imagine sitting on top of your motorhome with your family at the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, New Mexico watching the hot air balloons soar over your head. Now open them and walk out of your fifth-wheel to dig your toes in the sand along the beach in Santa Barbara, California at the Jalama Beach County Park or jump on the tram at Walt Disney World’s Fort Wilderness.

    Walt DisneyWorlds Fort Wilderness

    Your Way On The Highway

    The one thing each traveler has in common is the desire to be in control, forge their own trips, and have choices where there were previously none. Most RV’s are capable of lasting extended lengths of time and serve a variety of purposes, opting for the freedom of a mobile existence. There is no shortage of how you can use your home on wheels.

    The post Is RVing For Me or My Family? appeared first on Our Next Rvadventure.

    ]]>     https://ournextrvadventure.com/is-rving-for-me-or-my-family/feed/ 0