I love to RV. The freedom, the rush of landing in a new place, the chance to make friends, overcome new challenges and discover new towns. Oh, and new places to eat.

What I learned the hard way is that the full-time RVing lifestyle can be too much of a good thing. About 16 months ago, my wife Rose and I got the happy feet. We decided to sell our house and most of our worldly possessions, buy a fifth wheel and a F350 dually to hit the road – for good. We had never RV’d before. Ever. The biggest vehicle I had driven was a 25′ Uhaul. Somehow, the thrill of adventure, the joys of being on our own schedule, and the draw of the West Coast of the US of A overcame the reality of driving 14,000 pounds of fifth wheel for the first time. Plus, we had gained confidence from all the great advice out there on how to succeed at the full-time rving lifestyle.

It started out well enough. Up California’s I-5 to Redding for an easy, flat drive. Then up into the mountains around Mt. Shasta, where our trailer brakes mysteriously locked up at 55 mph – happily, without major incident. The miles churned by, and after several months of hitching and unhitching, getting lost, learning how to back the beast into tiny spaces and all the joyful husband-wife banter that accompanies such tasks, we both noticed a small crack in the full-time dream. Being on the road 24/7 was slowly turning RVing into a routine, instead of what we had originally hoped for – a chance to escape routine.

But, we both loved heading off into the unknown, excited about what sights, sounds and tastes the next town would bring. We pressed on into Oregon and Washington, where the coast lived up to its reputation for over-abundance of mist and fog. Our trailer held all of the comforts of home, with a well-stocked fridge and a flat screen TV, so who cared if we were trapped inside? When we got cabin fever, off to the brewpub or wine bar to sample the local faire.

The more towns we visited, the harder it became to admit we weren’t on “vacation”. It became nearly impossible to pay homage to the master known as the household budget. Once we hit a new place, we had to investigate it, which meant eating out at the local restaurants, paying fees to visit a park or landmark, (which we were too young to get the senior discount) purchasing local delicacies, visiting the farmer’s market, all of which cost money. Even with my full-time RVing job in place as a freelance copywriter, it was hard to keep up with the credit card. On several occasions we were tempted to try ‘boondocking’ (aka park for free) in beautiful areas that didn’t have a campground. Unfortunately, trying to discreetly park a 34′ fifth wheel is not easy and we figured that the local authorities would turn us in as soon as we got settled into our Lazy-Boys.

Even as we headed south toward San Luis Obispo, the RV vacation kept on going; no matter what we told ourselves, somehow we’d end up in a local eatery staring down at a bowl of delicious clam chowder with a chilled glass of Chardonnay close at hand. After a few more weeks, economic reality could not be ignored, but we were still not ready to throw in the towel. I think it was around Palm Springs where the epiphany happened. We had booked a spot for Spring training in Tempe, and Palm Springs was the point of no return: were we ready to make some serious lifestyle changes, buckle down, and remain full-time RVers? We had presumed that this lifestyle would be less expensive than our mortgage-laden former existence, but the price of health insurance and accessibility to healthcare added to the budget malais.

We celebrated our 1-year anniversary on the road in Palm Springs, where the constant routine of moving and the lack of fiscal discipline became the one-two punch that sent the full-time dream to the canvas for good. We currently live in a traditional house in Sacramento, CA. We now own a much older and more modest motor home and will part-time RV throughout the year, when we can afford it and when we cannot resist the ‘travel bug’. For me, the RV dream didn’t die. It’s just on hiatus, waiting to return as it was meant to be, a way to escape the routine of life by getting out on the open road and seeing what’s around the next bend – hopefully, a crisp chardonnay and a fresh cup of clam chowder.

Don | Sacramento, CA

California State Parks and beaches might have just become a little bit more clean.  The interesting thing about that statement is that it is not necessarily the traditional trash that you will see disappearing from California State Parks while you are out retirement RVing, it might just be discarded cigarette butts.  On March 22, 2010, the California lawmakers voted to ban smoking at California’s 278 state parks and beaches.  It is one of the nation’s most far-reaching regulations of tobacco use.

Proponents say that it is a great vote for the environment, fire protection, and public health protection from second-hand smoke.  Those that oppose the State Park smoking ban say that it is government meddling in places where government should not meddle.

The measure still has to be signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and he has given no indication whether he will sign the bill or not.

What do you think?  Is the new California State Parks and beaches smoking ban too intrusive or are you in favor of the ban?  Will this new law influence where you take your new RV this upcoming summer if it is signed into law?  Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Photo by Fovea Centralis

First in December 2009, came the news that the U.S. Forest Service was looking to end the half-off discount program for seniors over the age of 62-years-old that started in the 1960’s.  Seniors were granted the “Golden Age” passport and the disabled were granted the “Golden Access” passport, both offered 50% off of the price of federal campgrounds run by private concessionaires…for life.

Now, however, it seems that the U.S. Forest Service is having second thoughts about that lifetime guarantee.  The jury is currently out on the decision to do away with the 50% off discount and instead change the discount to 10% off for these same groups.  For retired RVer’s who often use federal campgrounds for RV vacations, this could be a significant price increase and a large burden on those living on Social Security that hasn’t increased in years.  To be fair, Jim Bedwell, director of recreation for the Forest Service points out there’s still free admission, still a discount at sites managed directly by the government, and more benefits to come, including discounts on rentals of “day-use” facilities such as picnic grounds.

The second blow that seems to be going against retirement RV owners is the fact that many state parks might be closed because of State budget cuts.  Some State officials think that closing State Parks will help solve their budget woes that they are currently facing.  Whether closing State Parks will actually help budget problems is yet to be seen,  but there are some naysayers and RV travel supporters out there that suggest that closing State Parks will not have the implications that State’s hope.  Reasons listed include the fact that:
1.  State Park attendance continued to be strong in 2009, even during a recession

2.  Building and maintaining State Parks helps to create jobs

3.  State Parks help to promote tourism, and more.

What do you think?  Have the recent developments in the closures of parks and increase in park fees tainted the dream of retirement RVing that you had when you first went out to buy an RV and charted out your dream retirement?  Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment.

If you are researching information to see if retirement RVing is right for you and/or if you have already made the decision to full-time RV and you wonder what’s next, some retirement rving resources might be good to have:

Finding a Retirement Motorhome to buy
To find that perfect retirement RV, look no further than RV sales.  This website features a RV Finder that will show you what travel trailers, toy haulers, fifth wheels, motorhomes, and campers fit your criteria.

Knowing if you can tow your RV
A common question that many RV owners have is “Can I safely tow my RV with the vehicle that I currently have?”  A great resource to answer this question is the RV Buyer’s Guide, Tow Rating Search.  Just put in the year, manufacturer, and make of your vehicle and the tow rating guide will tell you which towable RV’s that you can pull safely.

Learning about RVing
Reading the major RV forums like the forums on RV.net and others is an excellent place to start learning about full-time or part-time RVing.  You can even learn a lot, even if you are just taking a few RV vacations each year.

Another great resource is RV Lifestyle Experts.  Jaimie Hall Bruzenak and Alice Zyetz both have years of full-time RV experience and have authored numerous books about RVing.  Through their website, blog, RV Lifestyle Ezine, and seminars…the RV Lifestyle experts will teach you a lot about full-time rving.

Lastly, another valuable RVing resource just might be NuRvers.com.  This website features non-retired full-time RVers and issues that retirement RVer’s face who still need a job to support their RV lifestyle.

There are many retirement RV resources out there at your disposal.  The above are just a few to get you started on the road to RV retirement.

1.  Staying Warm- Become a snowbird or fulltime RVer and travel south for the winter.  No more shoveling snow, slipping on ice, or bundling up tight.  You choose when it is time to head to a warmer climate and then you bring all of the comforts of home with you in your retirement RV.  Choose a retirement RV community to spend the winter in or reserve a spot in a RV resort from year to year.

2.  Seeing the Country – Retirement RVs offer unprecedented ability to travel and see the country.  From Yellowstone National Park to the fall colors in Maine to the redwoods of California to the beaches of Florida, having an RV makes it so easy to see all of the beautiful areas that the United States and even Canada have to offer.  No more just going on a short RV Vacation, these beautiful areas can be your living room every day.

3.  Downsizing -  Buying a RV for retirement forces you to pare down all of the “things” that you have accumulated through years of living in a “sticks and bricks” house.  Because your motorhome has much less square footage, cabinets, and closet space, retirees must choose which items are most important to them and keep only those items.

4.  Living on a budget – Especially if you already own your RV, retirement RVing can offer a very economical way to live.  If you are on a fixed budget, this can be music to your ears.  Choose to boondock most of the time, workcamp in exchange for your site fees, or stay in campsites for an extended period of time to save on gas.  RVing in retirement can be very economical compared to living in a fixed location.  You save on having multiple vehicles, having to maintain outside areas, decorations, and heating & cooling a large space.

5.  Change of scenery – We already mentioned all of the State Parks, National Parks, and scenic byways that are extremely easy to capture out the window of your RV, but don’t forget another obvious benefit of retirement RVing, the change of scenery.  If you get bored of being in a certain place, just move the RV.  If you have noisy (or nosey) neighbors, just move the RV.  You get the idea.  Find RV Sales and change your scenery.

Are you planning a retirement RV trip to Alaska in the future? Find the best RV parks to book your stay at through this Alaska retirement RV parks link. Go see for yourself what other RVer’s rave about with your own Alaska adventure. Denali National Park and all of the famous land and water beauty this State has to offer. You could be there as early as next summer. Click here for more Alaska RV Vacation ideas.

Are you looking at RV retirement in the State of Alabama and want to know which RV retirement parks are the highest rated? Here is a good place to start to select the right Alabama RV retirement community for you. It is good to know what other RV fulltimers, snowbirds, and retirement RV users say about a RV park before you book your stay. Find which RV parks rate the highest to maximize your chances of having a wonderful stay. Are you just starting to look at fulltiming in a RV and need to upgrade your travel trailer, fifth wheel, or motorhome? This RV Sales site is a good place to start.

For those of you who are retired RVer’s but are not snowbirds, it is time to start thinking about winterizing your RV. Here are a couple of RV winterizing tips that especially work well in travel trailers and pop-up campers:

1. Get the RV tanks as empty as possible. NOTE: Gray water and black water tanks should NOT be left completely empty. Most gray tanks do not have a flush system and even when the black tank does have a flush system it doesn’t get rid of all of the solids. Emptying the tanks completely will just allow these remaining solids to turn hard over the winter and can cause clogs later on. Drain and close the tanks, then add a little water and anti-freeze.

2. Use a half gallon of the pink anti-freeze and pour it down the toilet and the other half gallon and pour it down the shower. This will put the anti-freeze down at the drain valves, so that they won’t freeze and crack. Remember that anti-freeze is cheap and much more affordable than replacing RV parts.

3. Fill the toilet with anti-freeze until it is filled to just above the seal. Also do the same thing with the drain traps on all of the sinks, the indoor shower, and the outdoor shower (if applicable). This will help the seals from drying out.

If you can, check your RV later in the winter to make sure that the anti-freeze hasn’t evaporated or leaked through the seal. If it has, pour more anti-freeze into the traps and toilet.

Protect your retirement RV now and be ready for next camping season.  Need to find a destination to snowbird or want to experience some winter weather in your RV?  Check out this site for RV Vacation advice.

Are you thinking of buying a retirement RV and becoming fulltimers, but do not know where to start? Then you might want to check out two books about full-time RVing, An Alternative Lifestyle–Living and Traveling Full-time in a Recreational Vehicle and Movin’ On – Living and Traveling Full-time in a Recreational Vehicle.

Both books were written by Ron and Barb Hofmeister who bought a retirement RV and have been full-time RVers since 1989. They set out to write a book about the full-timing RV lifestyle and how to get ready for it so that others would not be afraid to venture out. When the Hofmeisters wrote the first book, there were few books on the subject, and none gave insight to the economic or social aspects of full-timing.

An Alternative Lifestyle–Living and Traveling Full-time in a Recreational Vehicle, was first released in May of 1992 and after two revisions and many printings has sold over 16,000 copies. Each time the book printed, the Hofmeister’s updated the book so that it was always current. The last printing date was August of 1997. The book which one reviewer described as “a how-to book that reads like an adventure story” is out of print, but the book Movin’ On – Living and Traveling Full-time in a Recreational Vehicle has taken it’s place.

To read more about Ron and Barb Hofmeister and where you can buy their books, check out Movinon.net.