RV Life

[slipperylobster]

After spending 20 years in Asia (mostly adventurous but way too many beers).... We are at a point where a decision must be made. We have done the beach, the mountains, the farm, the City, motorbikes, sailboats....and now we find expat life here not as fun as it once was. Now trying to cut down on the drinking.

Our children are grown, and out of the house, both our moms passed away (for me, I had a real mom and a step mom....and then there is my wife's mom...all gone within one year). Our dads have long been gone.... We had plans on their care, but did not make it in time. My wife is 49, and I am 60. Social security kicks in soon, and we are thinking of going back to the States. (Income will be 4,000 usd per month and no outstanding credit).

30 years ago, I bought a Wilderness trailer and a Ford Ranger truck, and done the USA ..coast to coast... with my previous wife, dog and cat. I enjoyed it very much....but thought it was for the older folks. Now we are the older folks...and it would be great to do this, again, for five years. Prices for gas, food and camps are up...but I have options of using military recreational areas, at a much lower price (many military bases have recreational/camping areas). I only have taken advantage of these options a few times, since my retirement. I was thinking....if we visited enough areas and talked to enough people, my wife might land herself temporary employment (seasonal job). We could then have an option of staying on for the entire season, in one particular area.

First would pay cash for a setup with a very small, second hand trailer and a good 2nd hand truck. We would try it out for one year...and then upgrade to a new setup (giving us time to ave enough to buy something more suitable).

Our strengths are....we are a good team and enjoy each others company (and the outdoor life), also we have a steady income of 4000 usd per month...which is until I pass away. We are both healthy, and have no family commitments (other than short visitations with our grown kids). Also I have access to military recreational areas (less expensive than commercial)

Question here is.....has anyone else tried this out recently? If so, what were your reasons for giving it up?

Edited May 2, 2015 by slipperylobster

[CharlieH]

This is about America, and perhaps better suited to the Home Country forum.

Will leave a link here too, so you get feedback from both areas.

MOVED

[pgrahmm]

Yeah....It would be a great way to go...a 5th wheel would give you more comforts.....In the smaller states it's easier/cheaper to tie up for a week or two and use the vehicle to see the sights as fuel costs will be a major budget concern....Google Good Sams club to get ideas/updates on fuel/camp site/rig costs....some people like to winter up around AZ then travel the rest of the year.....

But - be warned they like nothing better than to drink while tending the BBQ.....a good way to make "interesting" "friends".....and they drink A LOT

When we go my wife is much happier with just the both of us living our life rather than joining the herd....

Edited May 2, 2015 by pgrahmm

[BKKSnowBird]

I don't see any problem with your budget. Get a good rewards credit card to rack up on all the fuel and camp purchases! The new Ford f150s are pretty good on gas.

Why put your wife to work?

Edited May 3, 2015 by BKKSnowBird

[slipperylobster]

I don't see any problem with your budget. Get a good rewards credit card to rack up on all the fuel and camp purchases! The new Ford f150s are pretty good on gas.

Why put your wife to work?

Not much reason for her to work, except she sees a job in the states as a way to (one day) purchase a home in Thailand. It is not a priority...but I was thinking it would keep her busy for 4 months out of the year...and she could keep that money.

I had declared bankruptcy 16 years ago, and have to fork over cash for large purchases. It would take two years to obtain a new credit rating. Plan now is to leave Thailand next March, rent a place for six months, and try to find a RV setup that is owner financed (probably have only half of what a decent setup, with vehicle, would cost). In some areas of the States, people have a hard time selling off RV's (bought on a whim)...and might finance a sale.

In two years...we will be good, with that rewards credit card. Need a stateside address and all that.

It just sounds better than sitting in a big house here in CM...I miss company....and enjoyed the laid back atmosphere of camping life and meeting people on the road.

[slipperylobster]

Yeah....It would be a great way to go...a 5th wheel would give you more comforts.....In the smaller states it's easier/cheaper to tie up for a week or two and use the vehicle to see the sights as fuel costs will be a major budget concern....Google Good Sams club to get ideas/updates on fuel/camp site/rig costs....some people like to winter up around AZ then travel the rest of the year.....

But - be warned they like nothing better than to drink while tending the BBQ.....a good way to make "interesting" "friends".....and they drink A LOT

When we go my wife is much happier with just the both of us living our life rather than joining the herd....

we like quiet places as well, but would form a camp circle with others...for short periods of time.

As long as they were "happy people".

[BKKSnowBird]

Credit may not be as hard as you think. Sounds like you have guaranteed income and the bankrupcy is no longer on your report.

I bet an RV center may be able to work with you.

[JLCrab]

My suggestion, although not from experience, is to find a house to rent in an inexpensive place like Pensacola FL with lots of military support nearby -- PX, VA hospital, etc. -- and then take the RV on junkets a much as you like.

[NancyL]

I think you're at the right age and frame of mind to do this. I had a good friend here who did this for years and met her husband that way -- he was also a single person RV-ing around the U.S. Apparently, there are clubs for single people with RVs. and they have meet-ups. Anyway, they got married and continued their RV life. Eventually, they settled down and moved to Thailand. He passed away last year and now she's returned to the U.S. with a view to getting back into the RV life. Not certain, though if she can physically do it in her 70s by herself. She said it pretty easy for a woman in her 50s to operate a big rig by herself, but she wasn't certain if she was up to it now.

Now that there is the Affordable Care Act, you're going to be able to get health insurance -- which is one reason we left the U.S. We were operating our small business basically to make our payments for health insurance, employee wages and the utility bills. We couldn't shut down the business because we'd lose the ability to keep our health insurance thru our trade association if we no longer qualified for membership in that association and I had developed too many pre-existing conditions to stop that insurance plan.

You might check out renting an RV rig and trying it out for a month or so.

[NancyL]

I see you mentioned seasonal employment. I knew a retired couple who got seasonal jobs at National Parks. She had a bubbly personality and usually could score a nice job in the gift shop or something after a few weeks. He was pretty glum and after a couple years where he ended up with jobs like sweeping the sidewalks or making beds, he decided he didn't like it, so she just left him "at home" for the summer and went off on her own working in a different National Park every summer.

Hubby and I also did seasonal work for the US Post Office at Christmas time. The business we had -- a greenhouse/nursery business wasn't open after mid October and we only had to work a few hours a day taking care of the plants in the winter (unless there was a big weather emergency). So, we sorted priority mail in the evenings at a warehouse near the airport for six weeks ahead of Christmas. It paid pretty good (surprisingly the work was done by hand, walking around dropping the packages into appropriate bins, so you got exercise) and there was a bonus if you lasted until the end of the season.

Edited May 17, 2015 by NancyL

[impulse]

My retirement plan back in the USA is to live out of an RV.

I'm envious...

Logistics and vehicle selection will depend on my personal situation at the time (finances, marital status, price of gas, health, etc) Rough (very rough) plans are to buy one or two RV lots in summer and winter locations, and commute as I wish. Maybe even a tiny house in each location, though absentee security then becomes an issue. My dream situation is to have a sheet metal building/ functional workshop as home base in one of the locations, but that's pretty expensive.

I officed out of a van for a few years self employed, camping out of the van on weekends and while in transit, staying in hotels when I arrived on location and was making sales calls. Come the weekend, I'd scoot over to a state park, or national park if there was one nearby. It was a great lifestyle. Especially since I had gotten accustomed to living in fewer square feet in China, with an Asian style bathroom and kitchen, etc... I don't know if I could have made the transition directly from 2 stories and 4 bedrooms as we're expected to desire as the American dream.

But it would take an unusual woman to want to share that life... Best of luck with that.

Edited May 17, 2015 by impulse

[CaptHaddock]

OP,

What's your plan for bringing your foreign wife to the US. Are you going to file an I-130 while in Thailand and apply for a K3 spouse visa? If so, you need to factor processing times into your schedule, for which I see estimates of up to 8 months. Will she apply for a green card after arriving in the US? If so, she will need a work permit if she plans to work while waiting for the green card to be approved.

You state that your wife will not be eligible for your pension when you die and that you yourself are eligible for Social Security benefits. That being the case, she could be eligible on your record for SS spousal benefits at her Full Retirement Age and, later if she survives you, for SS widow's benefits. In order to receive those benefits she would have to live with you in the US on a green card for five years or become a US citizen herself. That benefit would be jeopardized if you were to leave the US after being there a year. She would lose her green card if not residing continually in the US for a year. She can apply for US citizenship as the wife of a citizen after holding the green card for three years.

In addition, if you were to delay receiving your SS benefits until age 70 you would accrue Delayed Retirement Credits month by month to the point that your SS benefit at age 70 would be 132% of your benefit at your Full Retirement Age of 66 or almost double your benefit at age 62. And she would inherit that benefit amount for life when you die along with COLA adjustments, even if she were to return to Thailand.

Living on your military pension while accruing DRCs on your SS to provide might be an effective way to provide for your wife after your death, depending on how much you are entitled to in SS benefits.

[Rhys]

have you guys been following nomadic fantic.... an RVer of Youtube fame... quite insightful videos of life on the road. now he live in a van with his cat jacks.. His videos and insights are spot on..he was a film student thus his videos show craftsmanship...and he know how to span and scan extremely well.

he has many fans and trolls.. in the end the trolls are jealous because he live a lifestyle the trolls cannot accept.

[usnftcret]

I don't see any problem with your budget. Get a good rewards credit card to rack up on all the fuel and camp purchases! The new Ford f150s are pretty good on gas.

Why put your wife to work?

Not much reason for her to work, except she sees a job in the states as a way to (one day) purchase a home in Thailand. It is not a priority...but I was thinking it would keep her busy for 4 months out of the year...and she could keep that money.

I had declared bankruptcy 16 years ago, and have to fork over cash for large purchases. It would take two years to obtain a new credit rating. Plan now is to leave Thailand next March, rent a place for six months, and try to find a RV setup that is owner financed (probably have only half of what a decent setup, with vehicle, would cost). In some areas of the States, people have a hard time selling off RV's (bought on a whim)...and might finance a sale.

In two years...we will be good, with that rewards credit card. Need a stateside address and all that.

It just sounds better than sitting in a big house here in CM...I miss company....and enjoyed the laid back atmosphere of camping life and meeting people on the road.

I would check out Navy Federal CU and become a member. They have an awesome CashRewards CC that pays 1.5% on all purchases. They are easy to set up a secured credit card and within a year, you can apply for an unsecured CC.

[NeverSure]

Walmart allowed RV's on their parking lots the last I knew and truck stops have holding tank dumps and water. There are rest stops along the way where you can sleep.

I wouldn't want to do it but I love to travel on the highways in the US just for the diversity of food, scenery, and so on.

Have fun.

[khwaibah]

Live your dream and do it. As for an RV go first class with EarthRoamer. Starting at 350,000 USD with a new model starting at 950,000 USD. Cheap.

http://earthroamer.com

https://www.facebook.com/EarthRoamer?fref=ts

[dddave]

+1 on a 5th Wheel setup. My dad and his wife vagabonded around the USA for 15 years during the late '80's and the 90's. They started with a car and small trailer but found it awkward. Next was a large RV, then after a year a much smaller one. Finally, after 3+ years they found a great deal on a 5th wheel set-up and loved it for the next 12 years until my dad could no longer drive.

The problem with most self-contained RV's, large or small is you basically have to break camp every time you want to drive anyplace, unless you tow a car along...which can turn into a huge P.I.A.

Standard trailers are awkward to maneuver and are very tough on the towing vehicles in the long run, most automobiles just are not designed for long term towing. 5th wheel units really straddle the best of both worlds...sufficient space for 2 people to live comfortably but have private space sometimes. A vehicle that can be independently used without breaking camp and a much shorter and easier to handle unit towed by a platform designed for rugged use.

It would not be a bad idea to rent various types of units your first few months. Not cheap, but a lot cheaper than buying a set-up that you end up not liking and having to sell and replace.

They found organizations like "Good Sam" to be very useful for the huge range of discounts, from insurance, repairs and road service, campgrounds, restaurant chains, even emergency health and dental care made available through them.

Eventually, when the urge to roam faded, they settled on two nice, long term trailer parks; one in Florida, October to April, and one in Maine, for June thru September...May was spent leisurely chasing Spring up the east coast, through the Smokies, Blue Ridge and Adirondack mountain ranges

It was a wonderful way for him and his wife to spend their later years...they were truly happy, made friends everywhere and lived a dream.

I hope if you decide to go ahead, it turns out the same for you and your wife.

[optad]

Good write up there dddddave!

[Loptr]

Much like a person's first foray to Thailand, my suggestion would be to rent a rig for a period of time before investing in a RV... I have several friends that went down this path, invested big $$$ in RV's, traveled the US for about a year before deciding it was too much work and expense to support the lifestyle... All sold up at huge losses and now live regular lives in God's waiting room, Florida...

[optad]

Got to share this given i wandered from a link above.... Great!!

American RV life is just limited by what you can imagine!

Those earthroamers are beasts though. The price point is a killer.

[Rocketsurgeon]

We are younger but avid campers. We've camped all major parks in US and Thailand

Its sort of a dream of ours as well but the issue with us is income and we both fo not want to drag around a huge rig all over States.

I'm finding it impossible to decide what rv Id buy. We are really mobile types, class B but obviously not ez to live out of a class B.

Dream would be 4cyl dirsel suv and a factory new Casita. But even that becomes small. So then I tbink...prefab house, off grid. Then I think of the hassles and my age and the convenience here and come to conclusion that even if we go back, we still could end up bavk here ☺(

[Rocketsurgeon]

Much like a person's first foray to Thailand, my suggestion would be to rent a rig for a period of time before investing in a RV... I have several friends that went down this path, invested big $$$ in RV's, traveled the US for about a year before deciding it was too much work and expense to support the lifestyle... All sold up at huge losses and now live regular lives in God's waiting room, Florida...

Florida is a very weird place. Full of zombies, both the aged and meth induced.

The wealthy in FL are absolute freaks, especially the women +40. The NY/NJ transplants, most annoying people on the planet.

Google "Florida man" for a good laugh.

[Rocketsurgeon]

OP,

What's your plan for bringing your foreign wife to the US. Are you going to file an I-130 while in Thailand and apply for a K3 spouse visa? If so, you need to factor processing times into your schedule, for which I see estimates of up to 8 months. Will she apply for a green card after arriving in the US? If so, she will need a work permit if she plans to work while waiting for the green card to be approved.

You state that your wife will not be eligible for your pension when you die and that you yourself are eligible for Social Security benefits. That being the case, she could be eligible on your record for SS spousal benefits at her Full Retirement Age and, later if she survives you, for SS widow's benefits. In order to receive those benefits she would have to live with you in the US on a green card for five years or become a US citizen herself. That benefit would be jeopardized if you were to leave the US after being there a year. She would lose her green card if not residing continually in the US for a year. She can apply for US citizenship as the wife of a citizen after holding the green card for three years.

In addition, if you were to delay receiving your SS benefits until age 70 you would accrue Delayed Retirement Credits month by month to the point that your SS benefit at age 70 would be 132% of your benefit at your Full Retirement Age of 66 or almost double your benefit at age 62. And she would inherit that benefit amount for life when you die along with COLA adjustments, even if she were to return to Thailand.

Living on your military pension while accruing DRCs on your SS to provide might be an effective way to provide for your wife after your death, depending on how much you are entitled to in SS benefits.

Filing for CR1 is a breeze for most these days is my understanding. A matter of months done at CIS as a DCF. Three months maybe.

Utilize the SS best you can but don't change your life over it. Large chance benefit will be gone or reduced or inflated away. Shoot for it, maximize it but don't change your dreams, the entire economy is a house of cards at this point.

Edited August 21, 2015 by Rocketsurgeon