Five Reasons to Retire to an RV
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jaimie_Hall_Bruzenak]Jaimie Hall Bruzenak
Retirement is the time for a simpler life and the chance to do things you didn't have time for when working. Living the RV lifestyle in retirement has several advantages. Here are are five reasons to retire to an RV.
1. Live your retirement dreams: Are there places you've wanted to visit but never took the time or perhaps didn't have the money to do so? Now you can travel at your leisure and visit all those places. Whether it's visiting national parks, following the Oregon Trail, playing at amusement parks or getting your fill of country western music, it's all there for you.
2. Take your house with you: Instead of having to pack and unpack and hassle with airports or schlepping luggage in and out of motels, everything is right with you. Some RVs come with air or pillow-top mattresses, or you can add your own; instead of sleeping on a lumpy mattress or too hard one night, then too soft the next, enjoy your own. Your bathroom is clean and you can relax at night on your comfortable sofa or La-Z-Boy recliner.
3. Zero yard work and cleaning house is a breeze: With only a couple of hundred square feet to clean, cleaning house takes just a few minutes. There is no lawn to mow or yard to maintain.
4. Stay active: Most experts agree that staying active prolongs and improves quality of life. Living in an RV provides many ways to stay active physically and mentally. When traveling, you'll stay engaged with life!
5. Live less expensively: An RV is much less expensive to maintain than a house. Nightly campground fees are normally less than property tax and maintenance expenses on a stick house. Many expenses in the RV lifestyle can be controlled so you can cut back in a budget category when needed.
Jaimie Hall Bruzenak is an RV Lifestyle Expert. She has been RVing since 1992. She and her late husband weren't retired so RVed on a budget and worked on the road. She is the author of Support Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road and other RV books. See http://www.RVLifestyleExperts.com for more information about the RV lifestyle.
©2009. Permission to reprint as long as the full article and bio is included.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jaimie_Hall_Bruzenak http://EzineArticles.com/?Five-Reasons-to-Retire-to-an-RV&id=2507399
Showing posts with label Full Time RV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Full Time RV. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Saving a Bundle Living In an RV
Saving a Bundle Living in an RV
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jaimie_Hall_Bruzenak]Jaimie Hall Bruzenak
Living the RV lifestyle is a less-expensive lifestyle than living in a sticks-and-brix house. In the RV lifestyle, you have more control over the money you spend so it can control your budget more easily. Overall, you can live on less money if you choose. Here are some ways you can keep your expenses down in the RV lifestyle:
Housing: RVs, in general, cost less than houses. Plus you can find a wide range of types, quality and prices. Good used RVs cost much less than a new one; you can find some real bargains.
Camping spots: While the average price for a camping spot has gone up, you can lower your costs by joining a half-price club like Passport America, boondocking on public lands or overnight on Wal-Mart parking lots, or working where you also receive a free or low-cost RV site. Some RV clubs publish directories of members who offer a place to stay.
Fuel: Save money on fuel by traveling shorter distances and staying longer in one place. Take advantage of weekly and monthly rates and explore an area. You'll probably enjoy it more and spend less money.
Utilities: Usually utilities are included in your camping fees, though electricity is sometimes billed separately for long-term stays. Save money by following the good weather so you aren't in extremes of hot or cold. Spend some money to add solar panels and an inverter to your RV so you can boondock longer. Install a catalytic or ceramic heater, which is more efficient than your RV heater.
Food: Food is a controllable expense if you use your RV's stove and oven! Eat out less.
Entertainment: Park your RV where you like to play. If you enjoy the outdoors, camping in national parks or forests allows you to open your door and step out for hiking, photography and exploring. Work or volunteer in an area and you may get free admission to area attractions or invitations from locals.
Clothing: The RV lifestyle is casual so you won't need fancy clothes - well, maybe one outfit. Space is limited so quantity of clothing is limited. The budget-conscious RVer can pick up nice jeans, shorts and t-shirts at used clothing stores, saving even more.
Gifts and purchases: Space limitations will limit acquiring "stuff." There's no place to put it! RVers often limit gift giving or find inexpensive but unique items in their travels to give as gifts.
Staying in touch: You don't have to spend a lot of money. You won't need a house phone; a cell phone is basic. A prepaid cell allows you to budget your calls. You can often find a free Wi-Fi signal at an RV park, library or coffee shop. Postcards to grandkids are an inexpensive way to keep in touch.
Taxes: If you choose the full-time RV lifestyle, you can then choose your domicile or place you call home. Many RVers choose a no-state-income-tax state like Texas, South Dakota, Nevada, Wyoming, Alaska, Washington, or Florida. If you earn money in another state, you'll owe taxes, but if you live on social security or retirement income or income earned in one of those states, you won't pay state income tax on it. Some of these states also have much lower vehicle registration fees, saving money on that as well.
Since you can adjust your spending in these categories as needed, it allows you to live on most any budget. If you overspend in one area, you can cut back for awhile in another. For example, if you have costly repairs, stay in one place for a while, reducing your fuel costs. You might also boondock on public lands for even a few days, greatly reducing or eliminating your camping costs while doing so. You could even add to your income by working at a short-term or temporary job.
Give RVing a try. You too will find you can save a bundle living in your RV.
Jaimie Hall Bruzenak is an RV Lifestyle Expert. She has been RVing since 1992. She and her late husband weren't retired so RVed on a budget and worked on the road. She is the author of Support Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road and other RV books. See http://www.RVLifestyleExperts.com for more information about the RV lifestyle.
2009. Permission to reprint as long as the full article and bio is included.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jaimie_Hall_Bruzenak http://EzineArticles.com/?Saving-a-Bundle-Living-in-an-RV&id=2972820
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jaimie_Hall_Bruzenak]Jaimie Hall Bruzenak
Living the RV lifestyle is a less-expensive lifestyle than living in a sticks-and-brix house. In the RV lifestyle, you have more control over the money you spend so it can control your budget more easily. Overall, you can live on less money if you choose. Here are some ways you can keep your expenses down in the RV lifestyle:
Housing: RVs, in general, cost less than houses. Plus you can find a wide range of types, quality and prices. Good used RVs cost much less than a new one; you can find some real bargains.
Camping spots: While the average price for a camping spot has gone up, you can lower your costs by joining a half-price club like Passport America, boondocking on public lands or overnight on Wal-Mart parking lots, or working where you also receive a free or low-cost RV site. Some RV clubs publish directories of members who offer a place to stay.
Fuel: Save money on fuel by traveling shorter distances and staying longer in one place. Take advantage of weekly and monthly rates and explore an area. You'll probably enjoy it more and spend less money.
Utilities: Usually utilities are included in your camping fees, though electricity is sometimes billed separately for long-term stays. Save money by following the good weather so you aren't in extremes of hot or cold. Spend some money to add solar panels and an inverter to your RV so you can boondock longer. Install a catalytic or ceramic heater, which is more efficient than your RV heater.
Food: Food is a controllable expense if you use your RV's stove and oven! Eat out less.
Entertainment: Park your RV where you like to play. If you enjoy the outdoors, camping in national parks or forests allows you to open your door and step out for hiking, photography and exploring. Work or volunteer in an area and you may get free admission to area attractions or invitations from locals.
Clothing: The RV lifestyle is casual so you won't need fancy clothes - well, maybe one outfit. Space is limited so quantity of clothing is limited. The budget-conscious RVer can pick up nice jeans, shorts and t-shirts at used clothing stores, saving even more.
Gifts and purchases: Space limitations will limit acquiring "stuff." There's no place to put it! RVers often limit gift giving or find inexpensive but unique items in their travels to give as gifts.
Staying in touch: You don't have to spend a lot of money. You won't need a house phone; a cell phone is basic. A prepaid cell allows you to budget your calls. You can often find a free Wi-Fi signal at an RV park, library or coffee shop. Postcards to grandkids are an inexpensive way to keep in touch.
Taxes: If you choose the full-time RV lifestyle, you can then choose your domicile or place you call home. Many RVers choose a no-state-income-tax state like Texas, South Dakota, Nevada, Wyoming, Alaska, Washington, or Florida. If you earn money in another state, you'll owe taxes, but if you live on social security or retirement income or income earned in one of those states, you won't pay state income tax on it. Some of these states also have much lower vehicle registration fees, saving money on that as well.
Since you can adjust your spending in these categories as needed, it allows you to live on most any budget. If you overspend in one area, you can cut back for awhile in another. For example, if you have costly repairs, stay in one place for a while, reducing your fuel costs. You might also boondock on public lands for even a few days, greatly reducing or eliminating your camping costs while doing so. You could even add to your income by working at a short-term or temporary job.
Give RVing a try. You too will find you can save a bundle living in your RV.
Jaimie Hall Bruzenak is an RV Lifestyle Expert. She has been RVing since 1992. She and her late husband weren't retired so RVed on a budget and worked on the road. She is the author of Support Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road and other RV books. See http://www.RVLifestyleExperts.com for more information about the RV lifestyle.
2009. Permission to reprint as long as the full article and bio is included.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jaimie_Hall_Bruzenak http://EzineArticles.com/?Saving-a-Bundle-Living-in-an-RV&id=2972820
Sunday, September 6, 2009
RV Vents
Well we're once again sitting out another Holiday storm here on the Oregon Coast. The wind is howling, trees are whipping around and every now and then buckets of rain begin dumping down on our rig. We're using our old 93 Komfort at the moment. We came over to the Oregon Coast to enjoy our 40 year class reunion and it was wonderful time. We had planned to be back to our other rig in NE Oregon by now but events, I call them "sequences" have prevented that for the time being.
Late last night as this storm hit I went out and began to "button things up" for the blow. I put the awning in, folded all the chairs and placed them under the fifth wheel overhang and generally checked to be sure all would be well. This trailer has a couple of leaks I am chasing so while I am concerned and looking for these, I will just need to hope for the best now. Not much needs to be done inside the rig. Just lower the two vents and the windows need to be closed.
We had both vents down when the storm hit but one of them was not quite all the way down tight. When the full force of the storm hit, it seemed to be mostly in the form of strong wind gusts and heavy showers of short duration. As I sat inside and listened to the storm I could hear the vent cover over the tub rattle so got up to check it out. I found that the vent was closed but that the crank that lifted it didn't work. I could turn the handle freely but the lid didn't move. It was about 11:00 oclock PM by then and I made a note to check it again in daylight, and went to bed. In less than five minutes a very strong gust of wind hit the trailer from the rear. It literally ripped the that lid off the vent and blew it away. I later found it in three pieces about 30 feet from the rig. The mechanism that lifts and lowers the lid is nowhere to be found.
As I grumbled and cussed my luck I began trying to figure out how I could temporarily patch this 16 inch hole in my roof and at least try to retain some of the heat inside the rig. Since the hole is over the shower tub, the rain coming in wouldn't really hurt anything while I worked on it.
The rim around the vent hole is not very condusive to tying things to and since everything is wet my duct tape won't work either. And I needed something to cover the hole with that I could somehow fasten in place. That's when I remembered that I had a roll of heavy plastic in a box in one of the storage compartments.
I don't recall where this plastic came from or how long I've had it. Every time I saw it as I was digging around for whatever, I wondered about it.
I used the one piece of the original lid I still had as a guide and I cut a piece of this plastic large enough to cover the vent hole. Then I remembered that I had a small spool of really strong nylon string in one of my tool bags. I carry a heavy nylon rain poncho behind the seat in my truck for emergencies like this too. I put this on, collected my plastic and my string and climbed up on the roof. The rain and wind had eased a little but I was careful not to let the wind grab my plastic. I couldn't hold my flashlight and use both hands for this project so I had to make do with the light coming up from inside the rig. It took me about 15 minutes to finally get the plastic tied in place so it would hold until morning.
I'll need to fix this well enough so I can travel and eventually replace it. My plan is to tape the three pieces of the original lid together then tape them in place over my plastic as a protective barrier to the wind. I don't know if it will work or not but it's all I can do for now. Today is Sunday of Labor Day weekend and I doubt that much outside help is available. I'll add photo's of this in my next post.
Late last night as this storm hit I went out and began to "button things up" for the blow. I put the awning in, folded all the chairs and placed them under the fifth wheel overhang and generally checked to be sure all would be well. This trailer has a couple of leaks I am chasing so while I am concerned and looking for these, I will just need to hope for the best now. Not much needs to be done inside the rig. Just lower the two vents and the windows need to be closed.
We had both vents down when the storm hit but one of them was not quite all the way down tight. When the full force of the storm hit, it seemed to be mostly in the form of strong wind gusts and heavy showers of short duration. As I sat inside and listened to the storm I could hear the vent cover over the tub rattle so got up to check it out. I found that the vent was closed but that the crank that lifted it didn't work. I could turn the handle freely but the lid didn't move. It was about 11:00 oclock PM by then and I made a note to check it again in daylight, and went to bed. In less than five minutes a very strong gust of wind hit the trailer from the rear. It literally ripped the that lid off the vent and blew it away. I later found it in three pieces about 30 feet from the rig. The mechanism that lifts and lowers the lid is nowhere to be found.
As I grumbled and cussed my luck I began trying to figure out how I could temporarily patch this 16 inch hole in my roof and at least try to retain some of the heat inside the rig. Since the hole is over the shower tub, the rain coming in wouldn't really hurt anything while I worked on it.
The rim around the vent hole is not very condusive to tying things to and since everything is wet my duct tape won't work either. And I needed something to cover the hole with that I could somehow fasten in place. That's when I remembered that I had a roll of heavy plastic in a box in one of the storage compartments.
I don't recall where this plastic came from or how long I've had it. Every time I saw it as I was digging around for whatever, I wondered about it.
I used the one piece of the original lid I still had as a guide and I cut a piece of this plastic large enough to cover the vent hole. Then I remembered that I had a small spool of really strong nylon string in one of my tool bags. I carry a heavy nylon rain poncho behind the seat in my truck for emergencies like this too. I put this on, collected my plastic and my string and climbed up on the roof. The rain and wind had eased a little but I was careful not to let the wind grab my plastic. I couldn't hold my flashlight and use both hands for this project so I had to make do with the light coming up from inside the rig. It took me about 15 minutes to finally get the plastic tied in place so it would hold until morning.
I'll need to fix this well enough so I can travel and eventually replace it. My plan is to tape the three pieces of the original lid together then tape them in place over my plastic as a protective barrier to the wind. I don't know if it will work or not but it's all I can do for now. Today is Sunday of Labor Day weekend and I doubt that much outside help is available. I'll add photo's of this in my next post.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Spring Shackle Bushings
Well the project is finally completed. What should have taken one day actually took five. Mostly because I had to order and wait for parts. During the process I learned that the replacement bushings for the spring eyes, (left) are a different size than the replacement bushings for the equalizer (below). I had ordered bushings from NAPA auto parts (that came in the very next day) for all the bushings not knowing I would need smaller ones for the equalizer. this required another trip to town to buy six smaller ones. I also discovered that the straps that connect the spring eye to the equalizer were badly worn. (See worn parts picture at bottom) I purchased new straps too. I checked the holes in the equalizer carefully to make sure they were not elongated. Some of these were slightly worn where the bolts had worn through the bushings but were still OK to use for now. I think if I do this project again, I'll take the equalizers to a machine shop with a couple of new bushings and have the holes reamed to match the large size bushing. That way I'll only need to buy one size next time. It will also prevent buying a new equalizer if the bushing holes become too elongated for the smaller size bushing
Pressing the bushings into the holes in the equalizer was more challenging than in the spring eyes. The bushings were slightly larger than the holes which allowed for a very tight fit. I greased the outside of each bushing when I discovered that the first one I installed stopped about 1/32 of an inch short. The rest of the bushings all went in fairly easily after that.I had discussed this when I bought the new smaller bushings with the guy who owns the repair shop but didn't get any information from him.
Here you can see some of the tools and the worn out bushings and straps that I replaced. Virtually all of the bushings were worn out. some very badly. Two of the straps were badly worn too. This was because they had not been properly tightened at the factory. There were actually several instances of this. I used a four inch lag bolt and a large socket to remove the old bushings from the spring eyes. It would not fit though the hole in the equalizers so I used needle nosed plyers and the knife in my leatherman to remove those. I just put the lag bolt through the bushing in the spring eye, then though the bolt with a washer and nut behind the socket. Tightening the bolt pulled the bushing into the socket and out of the spring eye. To install new bushings in the spring eyes and in the equalizer, I put a large fender washer on the bolt, then the bushing. Then I put the bolt through the hole and added a heavy fender washer and bolt on the back side. I had to take time to get the bushings properly started and greased in the equalizers as these were a very tight fit and hard to start. The spring eyes were no problem. Once again I just tightened the nut on the bolt to pull the bushing into the holes. If the bushing didn't go all the way in I trimmed them with my knife. I had a couple that did this but they had gone in far enough that I didn't need to replace them.The most challenging part of this was working under the trailer and moving my jacks around. I used two hydrolic jacks to lift the trailer and set in on blocks. I also used the same jacks to raise and lower the axles as I adjusted them when putting the bolts back into the holes. and re-assembling the suspension system. I also used a come-along for some minor horizontal adjustments where needed. In my case I re-bushed the two ends of the spring first and re-attached them before dis-assembling the others. This kept things in line pretty well and I didn't have problems later trying to re-align everything. Once I did this I let the axles down on blocks and the equalizers went totally slack. That meant that I could do all five bushings at once and totally remove the equalizer to work on it. It went back easily except for the last strap. on both sides the last strap didn't want to align properly so the bolt would go through as it should. I had to work on this quite awhile by trying different tactics until they finally fit. On one side the problem was that the spring had twisted slightly. On the other I simply couldn't quite the the strap hole to align. I finally just tightened the nut until it popped into place.
My total bill for parts came to about $23.00 dollars but required three 32 mile round trips to town. It took me about eight or nine actual work hours to do the work. Since we were still occupying the trailer as I did this I had to do one side while working under the slides. It kept me in the shade, and since I was sitting most of the time it wasn't too bad. Removing and re-installing the tires was the hardest part here.
I checked the brakes as I removed the wheels and decided against replacing them. My Dexter manual states that if they are 1/16 inch or less, they should be replaced. Mine were well over that so I'll save that project until next year. My bearing all looked good too but my drums all have been very hot at one time or another. Also I forgot to check the electric magnets that make the brakes work so I need to do that next time too.
The only thing left for me to do now is torque all the lug nuts to the proper setting (120ftlbs) and tighten the bolts on the first side of the spring shackles again. I learned more about this as I did the second side so I will go back and do it again just to be sure everything is right.I this helps you if you decide to do this project. I did it in an old horse pasture because that's the only place I had available at the time. I would recommend doing it on a harder surface if you can.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
The Goldilocks Syndrome
I met another full time RV'r for the first time yesterday. His name was "Mo." Although he had been here two days by the time I met him, I hadn't gotten to visit with him even though he was parked right next to us. We had been traveling to our grandson's baseball playoff games and it didn't leave time to visit.
Mo owns a big beautiful rig that most of the rest of us only get to see now and then, and of course his rig had lots of folks talking about it. I finally got a chance to visit with Mo the evening before he left. I learned that he was here because he had read a book by the name of "The Shack." He loved the book and that is why he came to the Wallowa area. We discussed other books and general topics while we had the time, and then we both had to go.
Mo is a neat guy and even though I only met him once and we talked at most for half an hour, I already miss him as a friend and neighbor. I hope he makes it back here someday!
I titled this "The Goldilocks Syndrome" because of one of Mo's witticisms. Mo says that as you struggle through life, sort of like when Goldilocks was sampling the porridge, chairs, and beds of the Three Bears, just as soon as you think your comfortable, the Three Bears come home again, and all is no longer well!
Mo, I wish you a gentle road with the wind at your tail and a new friend at each stop!
Mo owns a big beautiful rig that most of the rest of us only get to see now and then, and of course his rig had lots of folks talking about it. I finally got a chance to visit with Mo the evening before he left. I learned that he was here because he had read a book by the name of "The Shack." He loved the book and that is why he came to the Wallowa area. We discussed other books and general topics while we had the time, and then we both had to go.
Mo is a neat guy and even though I only met him once and we talked at most for half an hour, I already miss him as a friend and neighbor. I hope he makes it back here someday!
I titled this "The Goldilocks Syndrome" because of one of Mo's witticisms. Mo says that as you struggle through life, sort of like when Goldilocks was sampling the porridge, chairs, and beds of the Three Bears, just as soon as you think your comfortable, the Three Bears come home again, and all is no longer well!
Mo, I wish you a gentle road with the wind at your tail and a new friend at each stop!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
But, What do you do with your time?
Not long after we became full timers a relative of ours asked this question. It seems that most folks who are not full timers have a difficult time with this. We've had friends offer a "real bed" for us to sleep in if we should ever come to visit them. When we first made the leap to "Freedom," our relatives and most of our friends thought we had lost our minds. Some still think that. While there may some truth to that, our stress levels are much lower than before.
If one our our friends, and some of our relatives call the first question friends ask is "Where are you now?" Then they follow up with more questions about what the weather is like and so on.
The answer to the question above is that out time is spent pretty much the same as for everyone else. I'm a photographer and naturalist, so I go out and shoot lots of pictures or just go out. Then I sit in my recliner with a laptop on my lap and edit my images or under my awning and enjoy the view. Our trailer has a computer station but it's full of my printers and other computer equipment. My wife watches one of our two televisions and does whatever all other women (Grandma's) do. She also has learned and is learning about posting blogs on blogger. She has a Facebook account and email too so she is well connected.
Since we both live on well earned pensions we don't have to go to work every day so we have time to visit our neighbors and make new friends. We don't have our own yard to mow and that is usually done for us but there have been times when we've done that too.
When we travel we always meet other travelers. Most of these people become wonderful friends. We've found that they too have removed most if the stress from their lives as well. We all talk about our families and friends to one another as anyone else does but it is usually around a campfire while sharing a cool drink with and conversation with new friends.
If one our our friends, and some of our relatives call the first question friends ask is "Where are you now?" Then they follow up with more questions about what the weather is like and so on.
The answer to the question above is that out time is spent pretty much the same as for everyone else. I'm a photographer and naturalist, so I go out and shoot lots of pictures or just go out. Then I sit in my recliner with a laptop on my lap and edit my images or under my awning and enjoy the view. Our trailer has a computer station but it's full of my printers and other computer equipment. My wife watches one of our two televisions and does whatever all other women (Grandma's) do. She also has learned and is learning about posting blogs on blogger. She has a Facebook account and email too so she is well connected.
Since we both live on well earned pensions we don't have to go to work every day so we have time to visit our neighbors and make new friends. We don't have our own yard to mow and that is usually done for us but there have been times when we've done that too.
When we travel we always meet other travelers. Most of these people become wonderful friends. We've found that they too have removed most if the stress from their lives as well. We all talk about our families and friends to one another as anyone else does but it is usually around a campfire while sharing a cool drink with and conversation with new friends.
RV Ethics
A big topic recently in the RV'r magazines discussed camping ethics. It discussed things like letting your campfire smoke drift into another campers area and so on. But there is more to it than that.
Full time RV'rs need to set the example for all others. This means not doing things that non-rv'rs will associate with all the rest of us. One of the most notable acts I've seen is when some guy with a huge rig pulls into a Wal-Mart or some other parking lot and puts out all his slides, his awning, lawn chairs and so on and sits there with a drink in his hand watching customers come in and out. There is a place for that but it's not in a public parking lot. It's this kind of visibility that has caused the rest of us to loose respectability and the opportunity of pulling into these areas when on the road.
All RV'rs need to take responsibility to set a good example, whether we are in a public campground, boon docking in a remote site with no hookups, or even just traveling down the highway.
DV
Full time RV'rs need to set the example for all others. This means not doing things that non-rv'rs will associate with all the rest of us. One of the most notable acts I've seen is when some guy with a huge rig pulls into a Wal-Mart or some other parking lot and puts out all his slides, his awning, lawn chairs and so on and sits there with a drink in his hand watching customers come in and out. There is a place for that but it's not in a public parking lot. It's this kind of visibility that has caused the rest of us to loose respectability and the opportunity of pulling into these areas when on the road.
All RV'rs need to take responsibility to set a good example, whether we are in a public campground, boon docking in a remote site with no hookups, or even just traveling down the highway.
DV
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