Fulltime RVing in a Recession

Our country may technically be out of the recession, but for most of us out there we are still feeling a pinch. Here are some of our thoughts on ways to pursue your fulltiming dreams, even when money gets tight.

Sue and I are among the lucky ones. We started our fulltiming lifestyle several years before the economy went south. But it almost didn’t happen that way. If we had stuck with our original plan to hit the road in the fall of 2008, we may have been scared off because of the high gas prices and weak housing markets. But even in these trying times, there is no reason you can’t live your dream of traveling fulltime.

There are a few things to keep in mind:

• Living within your means
• Initial Costs
• To work or Not to Work

Living within your means

Just like our sedentary friends and family, fulltime RVers have to live within our means. Make a budget, or at least a general financial guide, and live within it.

When we started we figured out that we could live comfortably on $25,000 per year. That includes paying our remaining bills, food, campground fees, fuel, and entertainment.

Since we hit the road, we have always made more than this, but we see how we could comfortably make it. Some tips to trim the fat in your budget:

• Campgrounds usually have cheaper weekly and monthly rates, so pick a place you want to go and stay for a bit. There are also great state and county parks that are much less expensive than private campgrounds, but they often limit the time you can stay.
• Most campgrounds don’t charge you electric, and you pay for propane, so do as much with electricity as you can. This includes cooking as well as heat.
• Don’t eat out as much and cut down on going out for entertainment. Often times you will find the most entertainment in an area comes from your fellow campers and yourself.
• Where feasible, walk, bike or carpool with other campers.
• Most campgrounds have a book exchange and some even exchange DVDs and VHS tapes.
• Netflix is a great way to watch movies and TV on the road, because you can suspend it for up to two months while you are traveling and then start back up when you will be in one place for awhile. Just check with your campground to see if you can receive mail there.

Initial Costs

If you do not already own a RV the initial costs of starting this lifestyle can be steep. Your rig will be your most expensive outlay – between $30,000 and $500,000 depending on what type of rig you chose. See our article on Choosing your RV for more thoughts on this decision.

Along with the rig, you also have to outfit it for travel. The best way to do this is to use what you already have. I can’t tell you how many times we say, “If only we hadn’t sold that before we set off.” Whatever hobbies you have or crafts you like to do, you will not stop doing them just because you hit the road. And don’t get rid of all your cookware because you think you should. But at the same time, you do have to limit the clutter because you will not have much space to store things. The key is to figure out what you own now that can serve double duties on the road.

Besides these costs, there are the expenses for what to do with your current dwelling, making sure you are covered with adequate insurance, and last minute medical care for you and any pets that are coming with you.

To Work or Not To Work

Many people wait until they are retired to hit the road. But in this market there is no guarantee that you will have the funds at retirement that you planned for. And maybe that is a good thing.

Let’s face it; if you go from a 40+ hour career job to doing nothing, you are going to get bored out of your skull. You need things to keep your mind and body active.

Working on the road is different than most careers people have. You get to pick and choose the jobs you want to take from a wide spectrum of work. You can do three or four different jobs each year. And you can limit the time you want to work.

If you have ridden the turbulent markets, and only need a little something extra to keep you going, you should also consider volunteer positions. Many of these offer a full hook up site in exchange for 20 or so hours per week. Many volunteer positions can be found in national, state or regional parks where you will get an insider’s perspective that most visitors never see.

To find out more about working on the road, check out our Workamping section.