Full Time RVer's - One Year and Counting!

 August, 2018 - One Year Anniversary-Full Time RVers:  As we have passed our one year anniversary of as full time RVer's, I thought it was time to do some additional observations and comments:

Jordan Lake, NC Spring 2018

Cherry Hill, MD April 2018

We both agree we are very happy, everything is going well, and we look forward to many more years on the road!  That's not to say that it has always been perfect.  A few of challenges and many learning experiences along the way, but overall very satisfied and content.

To summarize our first year, we left Michigan in early September, 2017 and headed west.  After spending time in South Dakota, Colorado and Texas, we made our way east to North Carolina for the birth of our granddaughter in November.  We left the RV in North Carolina for almost a month and spent the Christmas and New Years holidays in Michigan.  After returning to North Carolina for a few days in early January, we headed south and stayed in Florida until late March.  We enjoyed being in Florida for the winter even more than I thought we would.  In late March we traveled back to North Carolina, then to Washington DC/MD, and back to Michigan.

Jordan Lake, NC January 2018

Ft. Myers, FL January 2018

 Miles and Gas:  During the first year, we traveled approximately 10,000 miles in the RV.  Additional miles traveled in the car when we reached our destinations. We spent approximately $4,200 on RV gas for the year.  Most States we were in had lower gas prices than Michigan and we took advantage of the Good Sam discount at Flying J/Pilot stations and other discounts when we could (i.e. Meijer gas, Shell Fuel Rewards).

RV Campsites & Parks:  This is always a top priority in planning.  I would like to say that we have been spontaneous in our travels including some "boondocking" along the way, but that hasn't been the case for us.  We almost always stayed in pre-arranged locations where we knew what amenities were available and had a guaranteed spot.  Fees have averaged around $800 per month.  A little higher than I would have liked, but it equates to approximately $27 per night.  This averages the high costs in FL over the Winter with free parking at Jim's parents and Dan's house.  In our experience, State parks are the least expensive, followed by some private parks - including KOA's, and then the "RV Resorts".

Fred Gannon St Park, FL - Feb 2018

Our goal for this next year is to look for more State parks, Corp of Engineer campgrounds, and other public campgrounds.  We found "KOA" campgrounds convenient especially when traveling from one point to another, and easy to find and reserve online. The down side is that the sites are usually pretty close together and often KOA's are located close to expressways (noisy).  Definitely an option to keep in mind; not always my preferred choice.

State Park in Tennessee - Oct 2017

State parks we have stayed in (MI, NC, FL, TN) are very nice; but most have limited services at your site.  Usually electric, sometimes water, but not sewer (dump stations available in central location).  Not a big deal, but if we have to move to dump our tanks, it means closing everything up, pull in the sides, retract jacks (leveling) and drive to the dump station; drive back and re-set up.  Most State Parks limit your stay to no more than 14 days.


 Cell Phone, Internet, TV:  I think I have covered this pretty good in previous posts.  Cell phone service and internet is pretty good with the exception of some areas out west.  Our cell booster investment has paid off, however, it is only effective when you can pick up a cell signal.  If you are in an area with no service, the booster will not help.  Using the cell phone hot spot for internet has been reliable when we have a cell signal.

We were originally pleased when our RV included a satellite dish mounted in a dome on the roof that would allow DISH RV service accessible anywhere.  It didn't take us too long to realize that if you like trees around your campsite, you won't be able to connect to the satellites.  We are now considering purchasing a small portable satellite dish that can be placed in a location better for locking on to the satellites.  DISH offers an RV package that can be turned off to save money if you cannot use the service for a period of time.  Some parks have cable available.

Domicile & Vehicle Registration:  We have completed the process to register our vehicles in the State of Florida.  It took about a month for the paper work to go through, but both the car and RV are now registered in FL.  We were able to do this by mail, after switching our insurance to a Florida policy and completing paper work that included VIN certification by a law enforcement officer. The Michigan registration for the RV would have cost $800 a year; the FL annual registration fee is $54.  There is also a significant savings on the car.  Florida requires a one time $225 fee per vehicle brought into the State which we only had to pay on the RV (fee was not applicable to our leased vehicle).  The Florida insurance priced out slightly higher than Michigan, but since we are claiming Florida as our domicile we will have no State income tax. All adds up to a nice savings.

When we get to Florida in November we will switch our drivers license.  Florida is in the midst of clarifying their voter registration requirements and we are waiting to register to vote until this is settled.  I am confident we will be able to complete the voters registration in the near future.

Mail Service:  We have signed on with a mail service in Florida - St. Brenden's Isle in Green Cove Springs, FL.  They provided a legal address to use for the vehicle registration, along with guidance and forms on becoming a Florida resident.  We will transition to using this address for most of our mail.  We can log in to our account, view mail we have received (they scan the envelopes), decide what mail we want to keep, and schedule the mail to be sent to us at a specific address we provide. We can also choose the shipment method.  Another option is for them to open the mail, scan the contents for us to view.  Reasonable monthly fee for this service.

Repair & Maintenance:  No real surprises here.  We spent about $4,500 on repair, maintenance and improvements.  This includes all regular vehicle maintenance as well as the RV steering stabilizer, fogged window repair, new bed mattress (sleep number), and the cell booster.  We spent $450 on propane this year.

Health Insurance:  We made a change in our health insurance effective 7/1/18.  We are now part of a health share group called Liberty HealthShare.  A little different approach than traditional health insurance.  Liberty Health Share is "a community of health-conscious people who practice longstanding Christian principles in sharing healthcare costs".  It may not work for everyone, especially with preexisting conditions, but we like the concept and wanted to give it a try.  Significant savings over traditional health insurance.  www.libertyhealthshare.org

Remote working:  I had success doing some limited remote tax and accounting work this past year.  Now, knowing the internet availability, I have committed to doing some tax work for my former employer.  They have made some technology changes that allows for remote workers.  I am anxious to give it a try and will be working remotely for them regularly starting in January through April 15th.  It's a great opportunity and a good fit for me.  Making the extra income with definitely support the lifestyle and I can work from where ever we are.  I hope to do this ongoing for several years. We are re-vamping the RV slightly to allow for a small desk/work area - I'll include a picture in a future post.

On The Road:  Traveling in the RV is pretty much what we expected.  It feels like home and we miss it when away.  I love the view from the front seat!  I have to admit we feel the bumps in the roads and are grateful when we are traveling in a State with good roads (SD, CO, FL).  Also, when traveling in very warm weather, the chassis - in dash air conditioner does not always keep up with the demand.  When we stop and hook up to power or start the generator, we can cool off quickly with the two rooftop air conditioners.

When we have to do a full day of travel to get somewhere, we prefer to go a maximum of 400-500 miles a day, depending on the type of road we will be traveling.  Always need to be aware of where to pull in for gas, food, etc. to make sure we can park and exit easily.  Sometimes we look for Malls and shopping centers to park in, even if we are just stopping to make a quick lunch.  Of course, highway rest areas have parking for RVs.

Getting ready to leave our friends and family in Michigan again doesn't feel any easier than it did last year.  We are excited for our new travels, but a tug on the heart to leave; quite a mix of emotions. 

As we begin our second year, we will leave Michigan around Labor Day heading west to Montana, Utah and Arizona for a couple of months.  Head back east to North Carolina for Ellie's 1st birthday and then on to Florida in mid November.  We will leave the RV in Florida this year and fly to Michigan for three weeks for Christmas/New Years.  Returning to Florida for the month of January.  Thankful for flexible plans, we changed our February plans so we can be in Maryland for the birth of another grandchild!  Kevin and Beth are expecting a baby in February!  Not sure yet, but we may head back to FL in March and stay until the end of April. With children and grandchildren in three states, we love having the flexibility to "made the rounds" and go where needed!

If you got this far in the post, you know we very much love the lifestyle and have invested a lot of time and effort into making the most of our travels.  Thankful for the opportunity to do this and plan to make the most it!  I will be making more frequent posts during our fall travels.