Convince GF to Fulltime

[Mitzi Agnew-Giles]

I told my husband I was going to start looking for a camping buddy. My retirement plans started as we were cat-free to backpacking the AT (solo) then to an Aspen Motorcycle Popup Camper, then to a Teardrop as we acquired a cat, then to a FG with a large underbed storage to convert to a cat kingdom.


DH kept protesting he would go camping with me in the future- neither of us is up to sleeping on the airmattress in the tent anymore -and for about a year I just told him to stop lying to me, if you haven't wanted to camp before I doubt you'll want to camp now.


He is now semi retired and having anxiety attacks whenever we talk about camping. I knew he should have been camping with me to get used to things, he keeps pointing to all the camping trips he did do with me- less than10 in 35 years- but I couldn't tell him anything, and as a Hospice nurse I was VERY aware of the "we'll travel and live life large ***someday***" philosophy of life, which translates in actual terms to *someday never comes***. Never. NEVER. EVER.


I figure that our first 6 camping trips are going to be natural history as opposed to city trips, since city trips were all DH would agree to during this time. And I am prepared to fly him home if he can't take it. And continue solo- at least until I can find a camping buddy. It's what I've done for 35 years now. I have already shared a great many fantastic, once in a lifetime, peak experiences with 35 men and youth I don't see over the breakfast table anymore, so I'm kinda used to it.

[thrifty bill]

1. Calculate carefully before retiring so young particularly when you are counting on the stock market. I retired in 2007 at 50 years old, 99% of what I had was in the market. One year later was the financial crisis, 60% was gone. I weathered that storm, didn't panic, and survived but it was scary.

2. Those convinced against their will are of the same opinion still. She has to decide.

3. You can rent a Casita in TX, but you need a tow rig.

4. Our first RV experience was renting a small class c motor home. You can find them for rent anywhere.

Myself, I would see if you can live together first before taking on full timing. As far as pets, we take our dog everywhere. When we want to do some serious hiking we put her in a kennel for a couple of days.

Realize as the trailer gets bigger, so does the tow vehicle!

[Bobbie Mayer]

As an animal lover, you wouldn't ever convince me just to foster and not to have my own dogs. Period. That may be part of why she isn't interested. I have friends who are going to do what you suggest- they have a park model in the SW and will spend winters there and "halftime" RV (in a MH) the other six months- but their dog(s) will be with them in both places. Yes, having dogs along does limit what you can do- but so does not going.

[thrifty bill]

We took a long trip out west with our dog earlier this year, and a similar trip without the dog last year. The joy of having our girl with us far, far, outweighed the inconvenience. She spent a couple of days in kennels at two stops, otherwise she was with us the whole time.

We were kind of miserable without her, she will be with us on future trips. And asking my wife to leave the dog home is no longer an option! Really, part of the reason people get RVs is so they can take their pets with them!

[Gennaver]

Originally Posted by thrifty bill

We took a long trip out west with our dog earlier this year, and a similar trip without the dog last year. The joy of having our girl with us far, far, outweighed the inconvenience. She spent a couple of days in kennels at two stops, otherwise she was with us the whole time.

We were kind of miserable without her, she will be with us on future trips. And asking my wife to leave the dog home is no longer an option! Really, part of the reason people get RVs is so they can take their pets with them!

Likewise, I agree that asking your gf to choose between you/camping/rving or her pets is an ultimatum which is stacked against you just for even asking. Purely selfish on your part and doesn't consider her needs.

Jen