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

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.

There are so many reasons to retire in a RV. So, how do you choose just a few for a short list?  The Top 5 reasons are shown in this post and the next Top 5 will be shown in the next post here on Retirement RVs.  Here are Retirement RVs top 10 reason’s to choose retirement RVing, in no particular order:

10.  Learning -  Not only are there interesting new things to learn about your Retirement RV, there are countless new places to learn about around the United States.  Not only can you visit our National Parks, there are countless historic homes, museums, and historic sites to learn about all of the historical moments that you didn’t quite grasp from the school history books.  If you would like to learn more about living the frugal life through RVing, check out this free RV Lifestyle webinar.

9.  Meeting new friends – RVer’s have the reputation of being some of the friendliest folks around, so it is fairly easy to meet new people, who eventually become new friends.  Some retirement RVer’s meet on the RV Forum’s through common interest topics and decide to meet up if their paths cross in the same State or at the same RV Show or rally.  Some RVer’s meet nice RV neighbors at the RV campground and become life long friends. You never know who you will meet when you Go RVing.

8.  Reconnecting with family -  Some non-RVer’s (and sometimes some RVer’s) wonder how your marriage can survive fulltime RVing.  Other RVer’s wonder how your marriage can survive WITHOUT fulltime RVing.  No matter if you are a fulltime retirement RVer or you RV for short vacations, RVing is an excellent way to reconnect with your family.  You have many hours on the road to just talk to each other, you have many hours around the campfire to tell stories, you have the boundless beauty of nature (without the TV blaring in the background) to really listen to each other.  Take your grandkids with you to really get to know them or allow your adult children to visit for mini vacations and learn what’s happened with them in the past couple of years.  The chances to reconnect with family are endless when you RV.

7.  A new challenge -  You have put in your years of work, you have raised your children, you have been involved in your community…now what?  Is it time for a new challenge?  Retirement RVing can be the perfect choice for a new challenge.  Research which motorhome is the best choice for your needs through a RV Finder and reading RV Forum posts.  Learn how to drive the RV, pack the RV, set up the RV, run the RV generator, and book reservations.  RVing 101 type articles can help.  There is never a shortage of new challenges and exciting adventures when you retirement RV.

6.  Mobility -  Need to get to a family members wedding?  Going to a out-of-State family reunion?  Want to visit your family who lives across the country?  Needing to help someone move? When you have a retirement RV, it is so easy to go anywhere at the drop of a hat.  You have all of the comforts of home and it is so easy to be mobile.

Next post, Reasons for Retirement RVing, numbers 1-5.

Fleetwood Pace Arrow

The featured retirement RV for this entry is the Fleetwood Pace Arrow Class A Motorhome.

Many retirees chose a Class A Motorhome not only for the luxury that it offers for fulltimers and snowbirds, but also for the easy set up. Instead of pulling a travel trailer or fifth wheel into a site, making sure it is level, making sure it is stable, etc., Motorhome’s tend to allow you to have a smaller toad vehicle to get around with once you reach the campsite and there is no need to get out of the Motorhome to set up.

Especially for those who fulltime in a Class A Motorhome, top-quality construction, materials, and good insulation are important factors to consider when purchasing a new RV.

The Fleetwood Pace Arrow Class A Motorhome is the pinnacle of the Class A gas line. The five floor plans for space and livability boasts features like 7′ceilings and an amazing full wall slide out (36D). The galley invites you to enjoy many gourmet features like the four door Dometic refrigerator with an ice maker. Pace Arrows exterior excellence is designed with beautiful finishes and easy maintenance, large storage area, polished aluminum wheels and four point leveling system are standard.

If you would like more information on the Fleetwood Pace Arrow Class A Motorhome, please visit the following RV Sales site.