So I’m 53 and considering the RV retirement lifestyle of buying a nice RV and living in some RV areas for a few years just to kinda get away from it all.
I know the state parks and national parks usually have some kind of program for “full timers” where you can get discounted rates or even more-so if you’re a veteran.
Has anyone done this and what can you tell me about your experience or lifestyle while doing so?
I spoke to a lady that did it with her husband for several years and she loved it, but he passed away and she had to buy a residence.
Please tell me your experience if you will.

If its what you really want to do ...

RV life after work issues:
- medical and dental stuff is a fucking pain
- banking is a bitch if you are not with a national institution
- mail and such are a fucking pain
- road gets lonely
- shit doesn't last as long as you think it does

Those were the reasons my aunt/uncle un-retired and bought a smaller home after 9 years doing it.

Best Think for you since you are still relatively young is to hit the road with a single female in her 30s.

She's old enough to realize that she needs a man and you enough to where she will actually help with shit on your trips.

Youtube cheap rf living channel is a wealth of knowledge. Bob has several videos on how to live without a permanent address. Things like states with easy residence how to get your mail and how to get insurance.

Never buy a new RV. There are too many of them on RV Trader from folks that did what you're planning.

Watch videos about RV construction and get smart on them. There's a huge difference in quality and workmanship between the manufacturers.

After you've worn out the U.S. you could do Canada then join the expat caravan to Mexico. When you get tired of that, sell your RV and pick one up in Europe. Saw a lot of them at various battlefield sites in Normandy....... mostly driven by Americans.

I settled on a Class B RV.

That was more practical 30 years ago. (Fuel Cost) .
I lived in a travel trailer for a few months one time and have owned three of them. Had a friend who owned a KOA at Rockport. In a warm climate like Texas it’s easier to get by with that kind of square footage in the winter but where it snows you will be in a very small cage. Rather than the expense of a motor home I would suggest that a very small trailer that one could tow behind a moderate size vehicle like a Toyota  Forerunner would be more satisfactory for occasional week long trips, and much easier to park.   You should probably lease a motor home  before deciding to purchase one. Towing anything heavy across the Rockies on IH 90 will terrify the most reserved composure.  Check rates at the places you would be inclined to go.  If a travel trailer space is $45 and Motel 6 is $55 once you add fuel cost you didn’t save money but you live in your own dirt so there are arguments both ways.

Dispersed camping in a National Forest is allowed for 14 days, after that you have to move.   Generally you can't just park and overnight in a National Park without having a spot in a paid campground.  Walmart has soured on the overnight stay in the parking lots but you still might find a rural one that won't care.   Get a gym membership at a national chain so one can clean up every now and then.   Stay out of large cities, nothing but harassment and wildlife problems.    Look up the fedex steath camper on youtube.   Rv's are noticeable, box trucks are everywhere and not usually on the radar.

Get on the internet. There’s plenty of YouTube folks doing it. Watch a bunch of videos and see if it’s for you. All kinds of advice on different RVs. Bumper pulls, gooseneck, self propelled, small to large. Do it yourself, vans, schoolies, old ambulances etc. New, used, restored. How to use your toilet, different toilets. Power options, generators, solar systems, batteries etc. It’s all out there.

Funny .... I was kicking this idea around in my head last night most recently.  I've always LOVED the idea of an RV.

I have nothing much to offer other than the research I've done on various ones.  

I'd buy something on a commercial chassis with a CAT diesel.

A Renegade Verona ( Super C ) or Classic

To me, it feels like this:

“What are your retirement plans?”

“I’m going to spend lots of money on depreciating assets and live in fear of thunderstorms.”

Thank you for the replies. Lots of things to conteplate in here.
One thing I began to make note of about a year ago..some of tge newer RV Parks are corporate owned and actually very nice. Nice laundry buildings, convenience stores, swimming pools, game rooms, marinas and community events. Truly resort type living and the monthly rates go from 600.00 all the way to 1400.00 per month. The more expensive ones are in resort type destinations such as Orlando, keys, San Diego, etc.
The state parks are ok, but I think they get overcrowded and may not be managed as well.

If you’re a single guy, you will love it. Because there are a lot of single women doing the same.

I’ve looked into a thousand trails membership for this reason


I’m on the fence


This close to saying fuck it and doing it

Not long term, but a buddy has class C and when traveling stays at a https://www.harvesthosts.com/ location - some are really cool.

Had a plant manager one time who's retirement plan was this. He planed it for years, bought a really nice Coachman RV, bought a piece of land near where each of kids lived and had them set up for the RV. About a year before retiring he started downsizing, sold of a bunch of his stuff and put his nice ass lakefront house on the market. The house sold pretty quick so him, his wife and two dogs moved into the RV at local campground.
Took about three months before they were sick of it and bought a new house and sold the RV.  He found out that lifestyle isn't for everyone  

I don't want to be the turd in the punch bowl, but the lifestyle you see on YT is not the one based in reality. For every beautiful day and vista, there are also days of rain, wind, shitty rv parks due to locked up reservations at increasingly busy national and state parks with the most horrible reservation system, etc. People are spending more nights at Walmart or Cracker Barrel along an interstate then they would like.
And boondocking is an option, but one that is starting to get more regulated with overuse as forest roads see closures and entire areas being closed to camping. You have to stay up on this and plan accordingly. And boondocking will rattle the piss out of any RV if its done enough.

And then there are the rv's themselves.
Take the shittiest, cheaply built house you've ever seen and hook it up to your truck and subject it to hurricane force winds and sustained earthquakes for hours at a time while you watch your gas needle drop like there's a leak in the tank. People believe somehow this was due to Covid. No, it has always been the case its just that more people know about it and are feeling it now than ever. They have always been shit.
There is nothing more expensive as a cheap RV. And getting parts to fix them is quite a challenge. Getting service is a whole other issue.

I know quite a few people who do this and yes, they wouldn't be doing it if they didn't want to. However, most of them have now figured they will not be sticking to their original plan and doing it as long as they hoped. It's a lot more expensive then they had realized. And those costs keep going up. We have met some great people out traveling like we do. And even have ran into them again and again. A few have stayed at our place while traveling through. And even more have my contact info if they ever need assistance while out in my area.

Our plan is that we travel in a very sturdily built very small off road teardrop with no systems to break down pulled by a Tacoma and go out for anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks. The model I have is fully skid plated, has a beefy custom frame and even the cabinetry is 3/4" high grade plywood. There is no water , heat (even though we have camped down to 11 degrees in it comfortably) or plumbing systems to break or maintain. It's one of those things everyone thinks is cool, but it's not everyone's style. And I get it.
I know a couple who rolled theirs 3x at 70mph and the family owned shop that builds them were able to fix it. I saw it in person as my build was underway. I still work a little and have flexible time so we use our home as a "basecamp". We hope to get out 85 nights this year and start doing 100+ next year.

Jump in, but jump in with realistic expectations. Figure in more nights at full featured rv parks, fuel and lots of maintenance. The boondock guys I know with the slide ins and large travel trailers do a lot of maintenance , tweaking and beefing up their rigs to avoid breakdowns.
The allure of that lifestyle, sadly comes with a price tag that a lot of people don't see coming until they are a few months into it.
But a lot of people make it work also. I guess half the fun is figuring it out as you go along.

Happy travels.
This is how I go. A queen sized bed on wheels, galley in back and interior cabinets. Its all I need. Canoe goes on top of the Tacoma. Bikes on a rack on back of the teardrop.
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Look at Thousand Trails, OP.

RV life strikes me as being similar to tiny home living, in that I often wonder what perecentage of people who do it actually stick with it for any length of time.


I find that channel absolutely fascinating. I watch it all the time.
However, most of the people featured on it aren't "nomads" living "RV life." They're homeless.
No one is living in a minivan because they want to.

Me, I'd rather spend that cash on a small house with a large chunk of land while going on occasional staycations.

That's what I did, so I might be biased.

I have significant exposure to full time rv'ers.  The ones who seem to enjoy it the most are outgoing personalities who want to meet other people.  Also ones who get into the host/volunteer lifestyle.  Generally parks have park volunteers, where in exchange for 20 hours or so a week, you get a free spot with hookups and other benefits,  you spend a longer time period in a spot, interact with park guests, have work and a schedule,  stay active and engaged.

That guy is the authority on the cheap , traveling lifestyle.
I'll give him this. He knows how to do it on the cheap and has the costs of it dialed in.
However, he leans more to the homeless or broke senior citizens living out of their cars. I've watched his channel and there's always the same theme of hard luck and costs.
Living full time out of your Camry,  even with a system to do it gets old really quick.
I met a nice disabled lady in LA along the gulf who learned from Bob. She was living in her Malibu and slept in the reclined front seat. We were at that spot for 8 days and even along the gulf with nothing but swamp behind us, the mosquitoes were relentless in late Feb.
She stayed in her cramped car most of the day. That did NOT look like fun and I wouldn't call it camping.

I recommend doing International travel while you are young enough then when you are older doing easy travel inside the USA.
In 20 years the Grand Canyon will still be there almost unchanged from what it is today.

FWIW I am almost 68 and still "young enough" for International travel.

Go to an overland expo.  
Read expedition portal.  

There used to be some communities that caravan together.  I had church friends who traveled with a large group of church full timers who called themselves the holy rollers during the 90s.  They were all retired people.  Had fun. But eventually want a house.  There’s a cheap rv living forum where a lot of them live in the desert together on a budget.  Some of the overlanders travel together.

It would be cool to have an arfcom rv caravan.

Covid style lockdowns are a risk.  

I wanted to do it for long time. But have to consider the end game.  From age 55-80 it would be cool.  In your 90s you’re prob going to need something different. If your primary asset is now a 30yo busted rv worth $20, and house prices have doubled every 10 years due to inflation… won’t be pretty financially.

It may make sense to own a house and rent it or something while you’re on the road.

Also a LOT of campgrounds now require 10yo camper or newer.  They don’t want old broken beat up campers on their lot.  10y goes by fast.

My misspent youth was traveling the country in a motor home touring with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car series (dad is a crew chief) it was a hell of a lot of fun. That being said, I don’t think I’d want to do it now. Gas station food gets old after about 3 days, and fuel costs are astronomical.

My son and I came across an older lady that was doing a lifestyle like that. She was in her older 50’s and spent most of her time in parks. She had even spent time in Big Bend by herself.
I asked if she ever felt unsafe being by herself and she said only once, when she was on a park in Alabama during the winter. She was the only person there.
I enjoyed chatting with her.

My son and I came across an older lady that was doing a set up like that. She was in her older 50’s and spent most of her time in parks. She had even spent time in Big Bend by herself.
I asked if she ever felt unsafe being by herself and she said only once, when she was on a park in Alabama during the winter. She was the only person there.
I enjoyed chatting with her.

We've been in a paradigm change and what we take for granted will be the "good old days."  

Gas prices?
Price for repairs?
Road safety?

If you aren’t handy and able to fix most things on the rv it’s going to get expensive fast.

Size the rv so it is large enough too. Be comfortable in if there’s a week of freezing rain outside.

I’m planning on buying a used Volvo sleeper semi truck to haul ours in the near future. Never have to worry about weight again and cheaper than a new or used dually.

If you are a veteran I know allot of bases have campgrounds on them that are available to active duty and vets. Have no idea on details though.


Look into being a campground host. In Missouri it’s a non paid position but you get free rent and utilities. Duties vary by park. The one closest to me the host don’t do much at all because the local prison inmates do most of the work.

There are companies that set up mailing addresses for you in places like Montana to deal with all the banking, taxes, insurance issues.

Why don't you give it a try before going all in.  I've been to 42 states with my wife and a travel trailer, and I know full time is not for me.  I like a home base to return to after a few weeks on the road.  I usually stick with State or National Parks since they are cleaner and populated more with travelers.  The long term cheap living places attract the alcohol/drug dependent criminal elements. I avoid if possible.

OP,,,We retired in 2010 and moved into our retirement place. In these past years we've had either a large fifth wheel or our present MotorHome. In th eMH portion since 2016 we have almost 1000 nights in the MH and we're almost done with it. We bought one of the best brands out there and have had very few issues with it. After all this time and all the conversations we've had with other RV folks WE GOT LUCKY!!!! with our purchase. I've seen people ready to go scorched earth on RV companies because of the problems they've had. MANY MANY times I've seen this.

I'd be hard pressed to actually LIVE in a motorhome or camper of any type full time. They just aren't built to do that IMHO. Dumping your waste is not optional. It MUST be done. Having a "slide out" STUCK in the out position isn't a fun day. Losing your inverter with no repair parts available during a pandemic is not a fun thing either. New tires at six years is expensive. I could go on and on but the bottom line is that you need to be VERY mechanically inclined to do what you are considering. Many RV repair places are six weeks out or better on completing your repair. ANY crash or body damage will ruin your life effectively in terms of getting the unit back on the road. Guess what happens when your residential fridge decides to die? You get to remove the windshield to replace it.

My parents kept their home and bought a RV to travel 6 months per year. They travelled for around 20 years, starting in a used class C, but later switched to a used Airstream TT. They enjoyed the Airstream much more than the class C... more comfort, able to disconnect and use tow vehicle for sightseeing, shopping and other errands. When they got too old to continue, they just had to sell the Airstream and continue living life at their existing home.

It helps if you can do your own repairs and maintenance, because it can get very expensive (repairs, RV park costs, fuel, etc). Obviously, if the RV is in a repair facility, you're paying for a hotel stay & meals. There are mail services available for full-time RVers, however, many just forward their mail to a family member for handling.

Be aware that some RV parks have length restrictions or have only a few lots capable of handling large TT's, and those spaces often sell out early. Some parks (national/state) may also have RV-length restrictions due to switchbacks and tight turns.

Good luck OP. Sounds like fun.      

I see a lot of the Mercedes full size van off road thingys around here admit I wouldn't mind having one of those.

I have one. Since 2020 I have seen most of the country. I also lived in a fifth wheel at an rv park while my barnominium was built.

If you have a full size truck or SUV you can get a fairly nice towable camper for 10-20k and get a taste of traveling full time before making a big investment, if you buy it right at the right time of the year you can get most of what you spend back when you decide to upgrade or that full time traveling is not for you. We travel a lot for work and get to pick our destinations, just got back from 6 months in FL, it can be a lot of fun but definitely has downsides.

https://escapees.com/

Escapees is the ARFCOM of the full time RV lifestyle. Their forums are full of solid information from folks who are actually doing it. They have solutions to some of the common problems, like a mail forwarding service.

People talk about fuel costs, and it is obviously a concern, but most full timers aren't moving their rig constantly. It's travel to a location, set up and spend several weeks or even months in a spot before moving again, and then they aren't moving very far.

RV build quality is all over the map. But 99% of the issues are stuff a reasonably handy person can sort out. It isn't rocket science.

Yes, they require upkeep and maintenance. So does your house.

Some parks have age limits on your RV, the reality is that enforcement is very selective. If you roll up in a 30 year old Airstream that shines like a diamond no one is going to say a word. If you roll up in Cousin Eddie's motorhome they are going to ask how old it is.

If you are considering state and national parks, size becomes an issue. Most of the older parks can't support larger RVs. 25-30ft is the sweet spot.

The idea isn't to "live in" an RV ,it is to "live out of an RV".

Lots of people do this, travel from A to B then sit in their fucking RV and look out the window while planning to drive from B to C.

"Minimalist " lifestyle isn't minimalistic when you're doing it in a $500k RV, it's no different than a house you ended up a slave to it.

You're in luck.  Here is one for sale.

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I am planning to spend a lot of time in an RV during retirement.  We RV now in the summer and after talking to lots of people I have learned the following.
Some federal land is free to stay on, there is a 14 day limit if you are known to be there by a ranger.  
Smaller trailers give you more options on where to stay.
Watch your insurance, there can be a big difference between a motorhome and a trailer.
Dont buy new.
There is a lot more room in Western states, I have found awesome pullouts on deserted state highways where you could stay a night or 3 with no issues.
I have a pool at home so we will spend most of the summer months at home because campgrounds will be full of parents with kids who are out of school.  Nothing ruins a nice campground/RV park like a bunch of screaming kids running around with no supervision.  Or you can pay a little more and go to an adults only RV park.

I've been doing the boondocking/free camping thing long before it was "a thing".
I have no problem going very remote. In fact, it's how my wife and I prefer it.
What we have noticed at the free campgrounds in WMA, Army Corps, etc., campgrounds that off season usually don't charge anything, is that they have become much more busy with run down, sketchy rigs and campers. The kind you can tell have been hanging out there for quite a while. More household things than "camping gear" strewn about the site unorganized. A beater car that shows up at night or a  Class C that needs jump starting every morning. Not retired people or vacationing people either.
When we travel from destination to destination, we will end up utilizing these great options. And now there's usually a few of these types where just 3 or 4 years ago, we would see nobody.
Most of the times and places we go (due to the nature of my business and the busy season I have), we are the only people around and will camp when others simply won't.
Now? The game has changed. January along the windy Mississippi in Iowa is not exactly the premier destination for camping......Unless you have no other option.

Just look at the west coast outside of Seattle and Portland at the ragged RV's that take over gas stations, medians and parked on wider roads all over, every night.

Having said all that, we have never had a safety issue while traveling. But we are more diligent in our surroundings than ever.

Do it in a truck camper and not an RV

Buy some land at the very least if you sell your home and have installed a power supply to plug into .

Being able to drive back and also camp on your own land will fell better and give you a recharge mentality
if you keep wanting to continue the lifestyle.  


Do it with a dog and start a youtube channel

People like dogs

Lots of people I’ve met have a few acres up north as a home base. My home base is 75acres with a 5000sqft barnominium. 1000sqft living, 4000sqft shop, parking.

You can stay in the lower parts of Arizona for 180.00 for 6 months in winter. Head north for summer. I hear NM also has a long term visitor area(ltva) for cheap. The farther east you go the options dwindle, you can stay at a rest stop to sleep, head into town for a shower at planet fitness and move on.

Planet fitness for showers. I have a heated pressurized water system in my van. You can eat healthier on the road. A person can hike, walk, run, cycle.

Yes, there are bums who live in there cars and are trashy, but neighborhoods have that also.

Try it, you may like it.

I was kind of going to do it this spring but my plans changed a bit . Not full timing just a long drive from CT through Canada , Alaska  then back down and hit  the parks in the western United States . Could be 3 months  could be 6 months but  I know I wouldn't want to do it full time so I'm going to build or buy a home somewhere when I sell this one here .

I'm retired now and just have my dog
daughter is grown married and on her own .


I didn't want to spend a ton of money because I'm not living in it full time so I bought this truck and camper new .

There is a lot of both good and very bad information in this thread. My wife and I are in our late 50s and travel 8 months a year in our 33’ 5th wheel.

Yes, RVs are built poorly and you hopefully are a DIY fix it type of person or else repairs are going to be expensive and frustrating.

Towing through the Rockies is easy and not scary. If someone says it is they have too small of a tow vehicle for their rig.

Mail and banking is easy if you are even a tiny bit computer savvy. Same with taxes.

$600 a month is about as cheap as I have seen monthly sure rentals to be. South Florida can be double that per week.

We are Thousand Trails members but it is camping not luxury RV resorts. Buy a yearly membership to try it out first. Some love it some hate it. If you decide to buy a full membership buy it on the pre owned market. Not new.

Buy a big enough RV. The teardrop and small units are not going to work for long term.

Have enough $ to not become one of the RV homeless we see on the road and have an exit plan to get back into a house when you are done. Personally we like a home base. Others don’t need it.

PM me if you want specifics.

That’s luxury living.

I’ve seen people living in a Prius-younger guy working remotely making 6figures saving up to build a home base

All very true and state dependent. Arizona has the best options for rv parks and boondocking on blm land.the farther east I traveled the less options for boondocking.

I have to agree with all of this.
My teardrop is definitely not for everyone. Small trailers in that 16 ft class the same.
Even the slide in rigs fall into this category.
That's why my reality is only up to 3 weeks in it at a time. And we have rarely done that. 10-14 days is the sweet spot with managing ice in the galley cooler and keeping the solar pressurized shower on top of the teardrop full charged and in enough sun to use it. After a while, you find yourself wanting to use a real toilet, which the teardrop obviously does not have.
Same as my wilderness paddling or backpacking trips.
I have my primary home. A ranch I updated 5 years ago. I know every system and all fixed costs. It's built into my lifestyle. I figure all my outdoor and camping.pursuits around that above anything else.

And also, as quoted, I know a lot of people paying crazy prices for extended stays at rv parks in their busy season, which for snowbird type scenarios makes a "barrier to entry" for many people. And sites can be scarce at times for weeks at a time.

Have a plan. Start with a few days and work up and out from your home base incrementally until you see whats available and what fits your lifestyle.

My style is a lot different than most with the rv's, wanting more remote adventure and active vacation time, but have been around it for decades.

Thanks again for all the replies.
I’ve talked quite a bit to my wife and this thread has helped a lot.
We’ve decided, after we’re done with the rat race, and ready to retire, to try this lifestyle and see how it works for us. There’s a ton to consider, but I think both of us could use some time away from the norm to get back to ourselves.
We just bought our new travel trailer to spend some family time with my son before he decides he likes girls more than nature. Once he leaves the nest it’s all about us.
Thanks again for the replies.

I thought about doing that also.  we bought a rv and did weekend trips for a couple of years, decided it wasn’t for us.