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My husband and I are thinking of semi-retiring, i.e., having him retire and me continuing to work (I can work as long as I have a laptop and internet).
My husband and I want to take our two little Schnauzers and travel across country this fall, probably through the winter. I will need to have high-speed internet access in order to work; how do you do that and what should we look for?
Are there any seasoned RVers out there who can advise us on things to look for, good moderately priced RVs, how do you know if you're spending too much for what you're getting, etc.?
I am thinking a used class A or C as I could sit and work comfortably while my husband drives. Also what about doing laundry, making meals, etc. What kind of things should you have that we may not think about? What are good books on the subject that you have found helpful?
Hi it sounds like you are off to an exciting adventure. My DH and I lived and traveled in our motor home for 3 1/2 years. I will try to answer some of your questions and give you some links to check.
1. Internet. I have a portable satellite system for my Internet. I use Hughes net and I bought my "portable" system through Portable Satellite Internet and DirecTV HD. My speed is not fast but I think they might have better options.
Do not use the park WIFI's. They can be very slow(if the park even has it) and they are not secure.
2. Going used on an RV is a great way to go. New Rv's depreciate so quickly and if you don't get a great deal you lose a lot of money. If you do go new you should negotiate about 30% off the MSRP.
3. I would recommend looking for a Class A. Some parks throughout the country are Class A only and if you are going to invest that kind of money why restrict yourself as far as where you can stay.
4. Laundry- I have a washer and dryer that my DH installed in our coach. A lot of class A's come with one. If not most campgrounds have a laundry room.
5. Cooking- I cooked 3 meals a day in our MH with no trouble. The grill also got a lot of use while on the road. You will learn to adapt. You just won't have the room for as many gadgets as you did at home.
Here are some books I recommend:
1. "The Next Exit"- This is my bible for traveling. It lists all the exits on all the interstates in the US. Then it tells you what restaurants, gas stations, lodging, and shopping is on each exit.
2. "Trailer Life Directory" is a campground directory with ratings. It also states the "size" of the spots in the campground. This was very important to me because we have a 40 foot motor home. We can't fit in some parks.
For internet, maybe a cellular air card is the way to go. I use one for work and it has allowed me to have my office wherever I am. If you are planning on very remote areas, it might not work. The 3g is pretty fast. You can also get an antenna and amplifier for the vehicle to boost the signal.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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I use an 'air-card' / wireless broadband (3G) $59. month unlimited. Pretty fast EXCEPT at home and other remote areas. (satellite would be required for that.... like Big Bend National Park).
Probably a bit tight to live in, tho there are lots of folks who travel a couple years in them.
I've seen them outfitted with stack unit W/D.
They are handy in the city, as they fit in a standard parking space.
Dependability varies... VW... With an Auxiliary transmission cooler they are pretty good to at least 150,000 miles.
I prefer to travel using my 52 mpg VW Passat Wagon, and staying in private guest homes (~$20/night). For a 2 yr plan, I would take a tow car, and do a bit of both.
I agree with what Lisa stated above. But we used an Air Card and it worked great. We have a Foretravel Motorhome and my husband needed a desk for his work. So we had Foretravel custom build us one.
You will enjoy every minute of being in your Motorhome and traveling. We met some really nice people and keep in touch with all of them. It's a great life.
Space will be tighter but you learn to adapt. I also cooked 3 meals a day in mine without any problems.
Things have changed and we're not able to travel as often as we would like so we are selling our Motorhome.
Have fun and enjoy the beautiful countryside! You will never regret it.
I had the Verizon Air Card when we first starting rving. For the most part it worked great until we got to our "summer" place in the TN mountains. Dead here so I had to switch to the satellite which I can get anywhere. Some parks (usually the Class A parks) don't let you set up a dish outside your coach. Just another consideration.
The card is good though as long as you can get service in the areas you plan on being in. I think Verizon has the best coverage but you would have to check.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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I have Verizon air-card and got it and a wireless router at 3gstore
They have a very helpful info forum and staff. I haven't tried it in norther WY (Yellowstone / Bighorns), but it was pretty fast in the SW USA, west coast, and east coast / TX. I haven't traveled the 'heartland' with it, but assume it would work ok. I'm afraid I'll have to get satellite eventually, since I like to frequent National Parks (as long as they are still open)
If you get an RV from a private person, I would ask an auto machanic to come along, (even if you have to pay them a few bucks, its worth it!), to inspect the engine and other working parts underneath. I did this for the first couple I looked at, then, when I got to know what to look for, I did it on my own. My Wife and I settled on a 30 foot motorhome and we had fun in it for a few years... (Due to my Citys regulations about boats and campers in the yards or driveways or on the streets, we had to get rid of it, because I wasnt going to pay a grand a year to house the thing over the winter time and not be able to use it!).
Gas is cheap, (if you call 2 bucks a gallon cheap) for the moment, but, its going to go up soon, so, keep that in mind.
I think all campground, (unless they are primative, and you wont have a spot for your camper in those), have outside showers, washer/dryer facilities and outside toilets. Most campsites I visited, the people are so friendly, you wish they were your neighbors!
Now, if you want, some places hold lotteries, so that you can camp there for the season, and some private places just charge you and arm and a leg, plus you have to pay your own utilities, (which is electric and they may have a service where they come and pump out your septic tank).
A lot of places have water, but, I would bring a few long hoses and some connections, so that you can hook up to the outside faucet and have a hose bib so that others can use it while you are, this way, they dont hassle you about hogging the water. (I have seen up to 9 people doing this and using the water for a week at a time...helps if your going to stay someplace for a week or so).
If your staying overnight all the time, always carry a bucket or two for going to the place where the water is...(someplaces have water at every campground, while others have a central place where everyone gets it from).
Remember, pooper scoopers for the dogs, as most places frown on pets and thier owners infringing on others right, not to step in 'it'...
All this information is fabulous. I am forwarding the link to my husband so he can share it as well. Thank you everybody. If you think of anything else, please share it. I'm sure there are others out there who are thinking about this as well, so anything you think of that would be helpful--not just to us but to everyone--would be great!
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