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Glad you posted this thread. Seems many full timers love to talk about boondocking at Walmarts, thats not my idea of a good time.
From an expense standpoint: What is your biggest expense? Anything shock you as a line item expense?
No real big expense that I wasn't expecting. 4 years ago I got 6 new tires. Cost me over $3,000. But the piece of mind rolling down the road with reliable tires was worth it. My latest maintenance was around $3,300. I got a bunch of things done. Plus I had all the road systems checked out. Brakes, tranny, radiator along with a tune up.
last winter I had my large awning replaced. It got to the point where it was old and started to look nasty plus it had a few worn spots that leaked. A local mobile RV repair guy quoted me $600 for a new one including the labor to fix it. He did it on site and I didn't have to move. I got the color I wanted. For me it was money well spent. I could have saved a few bucks and did it myself. But I would have had to deal with the awning spring which is under tension. I mistake and I could have done damage or hurt myself. Best let someone that is trained to handle that.
Gas prices have come down from a few years ago. I was on the road in 2008 & 2009. Gas was quite unreasonable compared to today.
I understand that expenses are important to people. When we hit the road, both of us were debt free. My tow vehicle had over 150,000 miles on it. 2 years ago I replace it with a used, almost new, 2017 Jeep. I got a loan but ended up paying it off after 10 months. Since paying it off, I've been building my nest egg back up.
All our expenses are split between us for campground fees. I manage the RV expenses and she buys the groceries. Things like eating out and entertainment, we switch off who pays. It seems to work for us.
Now if you figure in where we have gone, what we have experienced and the sights we have seen, how do you put a value on that? We have done zip lines, taken tourist helicopter rides, done local tourist busses and shuttles. I forget what I paid for those things but I remember the experience months and years later. Growing up and when I was younger I was much more price sensitive. Now I don't mind paying for something that I believe will give me some value and an awesome experience.
We move roughly 10 - 15 times a year. That saves on gas. We get the monthly rate at the campground, which ends up being the best price per night. Often times staying for 3 weeks costs more than staying for the month due to the difference in the weekly rate compared to the monthly rate.
Years ago I volunteered for my site. I gave them a few hours of work for a free, full hook up campsite. I'd rather do that than dry camp or boon dock. I can run my A/C or heat as needed plus use as much water as I require. You can't do that boon docking. But many people boon dock and get along just fine.
So just get out there and find what works best for your particular situation. I will tell you this, you won't regret getting out and seeing the best of what this country has to offer.
Where in southern MD? That is our home base. Solomons rec center in Solomons MD.
Near Austin we stay out near Lake Travis.
She is a professor at St. Marys. I cannot remember the name of the town she lives in. There is a Naval air base there. We loved Solomons. Such a cute little place. The bridge is scary though. I want to walk over it.
I will have to look for lake Travis. We did not find anywhere close to Austin that will take a large Motorhome. Son works on Ladybird Lake, so he is right in the thick of things. Not sure where lake Travis is in relation. Thank You.
How did you go to Alaska (route). Will you go back again? Have you been to California? We used to live there and so have a lot of friends there but RVs may be outlawed there shortly after I plan to retire,so we may have to visit from Arizona.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Lake Travis is about 30 min north of Ladybird lake (pretty close by Texas terms)
Other nice towns nearby Ladybird lake that will accept large RVs is Dripping Springs, and Wimberley. I was looking at buying an RV park in Wimberley. It had 40+ drive thru sites for large 5r or class A. Plus several acres to expand. With store and restaurant and big community building.
Buda is closer and will likely have RV park for 40+ ft. But it is quite urban (noisy and expensive).
Further out, but nice towns for RV living would be Marble Falls or Johnson City.
I prefer west side of Austin, as you are closer to hill country venues, and away from most commercial traffic and airport and related noise and congestion.
Canyon Lake is between SA and Austin, so very handy.
Lake Buchanan is not so far and very affordable. I have 3 friends with PT homes on Lake Buchanan for under $150k.
Lake Travis is about 30 min north of Ladybird lake (pretty close by Texas terms)
Other nice towns nearby Ladybird lake that will accept large RVs is Dripping Springs, and Wimberley. I was looking at buying an RV park in Wimberley. It had 40+ drive thru sites for large 5r or class A. Plus several acres to expand. With store and restaurant and big community building.
Buda is closer and will likely have RV park for 40+ ft. But it is quite urban (noisy and expensive).
Further out, but nice towns for RV living would be Marble Falls or Johnson City.
I prefer west side of Austin, as you are closer to hill country venues, and away from most commercial traffic and airport and related noise and congestion.
Canyon Lake is between SA and Austin, so very handy.
Lake Buchanan is not so far and very affordable. I have 3 friends with PT homes on Lake Buchanan for under $150k.
We just returned home after over 4 months on the road. I think we will leave again in February and hire a property management company to rent our house out while we're gone.
Neither of wants to go full-time forever, but we think we could do it for a couple years.
How did you go to Alaska (route). Will you go back again? Have you been to California? We used to live there and so have a lot of friends there but RVs may be outlawed there shortly after I plan to retire,so we may have to visit from Arizona. [/color]
Sorry it's taken so long to reply back to you.
On my trip to Alaska, we departed Maryland in early May. First stop was Deep Creek Lake State park. Then across to Illinois. We camped a long weekend at Ft. Peck, MT. Went across the border at Sweetgrass, MT. Up through Banff & Jasper. Jumped on the ALCAN to Fairbanks. Then down to Anchorage to stock up on groceries and other needed items. Final destination was the Kenai Peninsula. I camped in Ninilchik and Soldotna. I ran the roads between Homer and Seward. I made a few trips back up to Anchorage.
I stayed on the Kenai Peninsula for 2.5 months. I left my rig there. Had it winterized then put into storage. Then flew up the following May so I could spend 3 more months up there. I drove back to Maryland the first week of September. By then the nightime temperatures were already starting to get cold.
The following year I went to Ketchikan for the summer. I drove to Prince Rupert, BC. I put my truck on the ferry. I went to sleep and woke up just as we were tying up in Ketchikan. Then in October I went back to NY where I had stowed my RV for the summer.
I haven't been back to Alaska for the past 11 years. I'm due for a trip up there. Even if it's a quick 1 where I fly up and spend a week or 2.
I drove from Goodyear, AZ to Lake Havasu, AZ by driving a stretch of road in California. That's the only time I had my rig in CA.
I just sold my RV 2 weeks ago. We bought a park model set up in a resort campground in Panama City Beach, FL.
I had my rig for 14 years and put almost 40,000 miles on it. Took it to 34 states and a few Canadian provinces. All together, I probably lived in the rig full time for about 10 years.
Need advice on where to buy 1st RV used? In Montana visiting now w/ no sales tax up here, & a few RV's from '05 to '18 seem ok. But thinking of going to FL & maybe flying there to get best deal, if not buying here. So thus, we're unsure of overall prices for apples to apples comparison on similar Class C's would be better to buy Montana or down there in FL? Thanks.
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