Scared. . . .

[nanaspiana]

Hi Everyone,



I am not sure how this forum works, but I am going to give it a try.



We are thinking about putting our home up for sale in March 2011. Then if it doesn't sell, our realtor will rent our home and we can hit the road. Our plan is to take off by the 2nd/3rd week of September 2011.



I would guess that "money" would be the "problem". If our home doesn't sell - yah, you figured it out - we wouldn't have any money to buy a rig. We don't want to go into debt for a rig, in that one of our goals for "hitting the road" would be to get out of debt. (We could borrow our son's rig for the winter months and workcamp for the winter.)



Then there is the problem of decluttering and either selling or storing alllll of our "wonderful??" belongings . . . . which we have owned forever and ever. . . .



Then the choice of leaving our kids - (they NEVER COME AROUND ANYWAYS!!!)



We are ready to give up our jobs and get on the road. It's just the emotions of disconnecting with our past life. It is getting pretty scary.



Any comments? Advise? or Suggestions?



Nanaspiana

 

[Lloyd S]

Hi, and welcome to the forum.
By the sounds of it you are suffering for the same disease as many before have.

You can, and more then likely will get a lot of opinions on it. There was a thread awhile back that you might find interesting.
Here is the link to it. Good luck in your decision.

http://www.crossroadsrv.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=418&PN=1

 

[danyshula]

As said in a previous post-we all went through a list of decisions before we made our mind, but all the life is about decisions and priorities,isn't it?
Lets take your hesitation apart:
KIDS-You have to decide if you can/want to leave the kids during your travels and only you can make it ,there are many questions about this issue,do we live their life's?how will they take it? and so on,I say that there are many reasons NOT to do what you want but they are only excuses, and in a personal note we did it and the kids+grand-kids got used to it.
MONEY-You have to make all the calculations to see where you are standing and leave a back door if things go wrong.
I would wait till I sell the house before I purchase a RV (if the money has to come from selling the house only).
I suggest to do a risk control and ask yourself the difficult questions and see if you can answer them, for instance :what happens if we do not sell the house?what if we bought the trailer and we or the kids do not except the fact that we are on the road and so on.
We changed the "disc" in our heads and converted from being working people when money comes in to living our dream when money only goes out.
Just my 2C


Edited by: danshula

 

[buddhabob1]

www.gypsyjournal.net and i recomend renting the house for now to help provide income !!!! Besure to read lots about Nick and Mrs. Terry id even consider a gypsey gathering near you !!!!

 

[buddhabob1]

We have been considering the same thing but more at retirement! That link i believe has the most info in ne spot ive ever seen everything from making money on the road to ware to find a good meal. Keepus all i nformed (envious ) see ya on the road !!

Dee N Bob

 

[buddhabob1]

There are also lots of things to consider State residency good insurance (like good sam) Mail fowarding etc... Camping memberships' id also look at the escapees !! and then the truck/camper / motorhome that you decide on! Remember you dont have to have a brand new unit to full time in but you should be looking at a unit that was designed to full time in !Just incase ya run into real cold weather a true fourth season unit is inorder for fulltiming which means good insulation heated enclosed underbelly and heat wraps on the holding tanks. just my suggestion

 

[nanaspiana]

you should be looking at a unit that was designed to full time in !Just incase ya run into real cold weather a true fourth season unit is inorder for fulltiming which means good insulation heated enclosed underbelly and heat wraps on the holding tanks







This is a good thought and something that I hadn't considered before.



I want to thank you, bloggers, for all of your help and support with my above question.



I have checked out the above links and am still learning more and more.

 

[cwit]

If I had axcess to a camper and could borrow it for a winter I would be tempted to do that before I sold my home. We snowbird 3&1/2 months a year and by the time mid Arpil comes we are ready to go home.

 

[nanaspiana]

Okay, here is another question for the Experts!!

What IF we sell our home and "spend allll of the kid's inheritance" ona Big Wonderful Rig

~ and have a GREAT time of our lives'on the road'

~ and then one of us gets sick and/or dies . . . . . . WHAT'S NEXT?



Do we go into government housing at the end of this dream???? - move in with a kid??? - buy a mobile home on time???? . . . . . . or WHAT?????



I am confused.

All we would have left is our monthly SS and/or retirement check.(Notice that I did not mention 'going into a nursing home'. . . . that being out of the question in my mind at this time.)



Just saying. . . ..RVingsounds like a lot of FUN . . . . BUT the idea of being BROKE at the end of the road

, looks bleak to me.

 

[Lloyd S]

Okay, here is another question for the Experts!!

What IF we sell our home and "spend allll of the kid's inheritance" ona Big Wonderful Rig

~ and have a GREAT time of our lives'on the road'

~ and then one of us gets sick and/or dies . . . . . . WHAT'S NEXT?


We are all going to die some day. There is no other way. We never know what the future is going to be. We might drop off real quick (can only hope) or some of the less fortunate will linger and suffer.
That being said, I don't think it should stop anybody from living there dream. If you have a chance to rent/borrow an RV for the winter, I suggest you get your feet wet that way first, just to make sure that is going to be the life style for "both of you". If you rented one for the winter and decided--no--it would a cheap way of finding out. If you both liked it, then go for it.
I have seen numerous "Big Wonderful Rigs" setting with a for sale sign attached when we wintered in AZ. One or the other had gotten sick or died and the spouse had to sell the rig.
You know, you don't "have to" buy a "BIG RIG" you could live right nicely in a smaller used rig, and maybe consider keeping the house. We had a 36ft. HH bought it new before we retired. Only used it one year after we retired. Now we have a 26ft CR and it serves us right nicely. We haven't wintered in it but we could, and still have all that the big rigs have. We find it very comfortable.







Do we go into government housing at the end of this dream???? - move in with a kid??? - buy a mobile home on time???? . . . . . . or WHAT?????



I am confused.

All we would have left is our monthly SS and/or retirement check.(Notice that I did not mention 'going into a nursing home'. . . . that being out of the question in my mind at this time.)



Just saying. . . ..RVingsounds like a lot of FUN . . . . BUT the idea of being BROKE at the end of the road

, looks bleak to me.

RVing is fun-- but if all you will have left at the end of the road is a worn out "Rig" and your SS/retirement check?????????????????????
Edited by: Old Farmer

 

[KHUNLINDA2003]

At times it sure seems tempting to just chuck it all. One of the big issues for us was health insurance. Because I have mild asthma I was turned down despite being healthy otherwise. My husband after being laid off Jan 09 was lucky and found employment as a consultant with his former employer as a client. If you have ANY health condition health insurance even if in a high risk state pool will run you about $600 for just one of you. Make sure you investigate if you can even get insurance. Some states are refusing to join the federal high risk pool.

 

[mbinohio]

I have read all your answers and you all have way more guts than I do, I think camping is fun but I can't for the life of me I can't understand why anybody would want to live in a 38' box...my house is paid for and as much as I enjoy my RV it sure is nice to come home..we are going to upgrade to a higher end unit but I don't think I could stand more than a few winter months in a camper..........nice to have some quiet space.....time alone........