Let me hear from you...

[Rvicsvol]

I'd be interested in hearing from FGers who do full-time in their egg. I pretty much have to FT if I buy but would really like to hear details of the experience from others who do that now. Probably won't make a difference whether I buy or not but it's nice to know what challenges lie ahead in such a small living space. Thanks in advance.

[honda03842]

I'm not sure what to say because there were no specific questions. I would be glad to answer any question about our experiences. What I can say is that I would do it again and retire earlier. I also know it's not for everyone.

Ginny and I are not quite fulltimers, however for the last 10 years we have traveled for at least 7 months of the year and often for ten months. For the last four years we have traveled in a trailer not more than 16 feet long. This year we will be gone 9-10 months.

Actually our biggest concern was the bed; we thought we'd have to learn synchronized rolling over. It turned out to never be a problem.

Financially it is a very low cost what to live. We're almost religious about keeping track of our expenses. Not that we live by a budget but we do have a projection of what we plan to spend on each line item. Simply being conscious of what we spend seems to help us control spending. If you're interested I can send you an example of our monthly spread sheet.

We are members of Escapees. It provides strong services to full timers and is worth going Escapees.com. They have a number of books about fulltiming. If you're going to be a fulltimer it may be your best investment.

Stuff. Fulltimers need to learn to live with less. We began by making a list of everything we were going to take by storage compartment, where we're we going to put it was the big question? It's a defined volume so it pretty much decides what you can take. We try not to overfill any compartment or drawer. For example, Our silverware drawer basically contains 4 of things, not 8 or 12 like we might have at home. I bet our house has dozens of knives but not our trailer. We tend to divide drawers with physical dividers so there's none of those junk drawers like every kitchen has.

Once we have the list we reduce what we want down to what we need. This can be very difficult, particularly for Ginny but she's learned to do it. There's little worrying about what to wear. On SUnday's I have a single dress outfit.

I was one of those 'A' type people, rushing thru life expecting to be dead by 45 like my Dad. I lived past 45 and when I retired I slowed way down. We quickly recognized that the journey was as important as the destination. Our first destination was FL, shockingly to all our friends and family it took us 18 weeks to get there from NH. "What's in Maryland?" was a common comment from them.

Our other big discovery was don't drive too far in a day. Except for emergency, we never spend more than 4 hours driving in one day. This allows us to stop early and check out the local community. So many times we end up in some place no one has every heard of that turns out to be wonderful. We almost always unhook, ask at the campground about the area or search the internet. As well we're always listening to people we meet, there forever telling us about neat things to see and do.

We don't make reservations unless we're going to a national park. Partly because we stop early it's hardly ever been a problem, and with a small rig there always seems to be a place for us.

I'm wandering about here but one thing I did was buy every book I could and read everything about RVing I could find. We had never Rved before we retired. Ginny stopped working on a Tuesday and we left on a Wednesday.

We are Bank of America customers. They bought our bank but it turned out to be a good thing. Practically every where we go there's a BoA. Once a month we get on line and pay all our bills. For everything else we use a credit card that we pay off each month. We occasionally use a debit card to get cash at a BoA or Walmarts (they'll give you a $200 dollars with any debit purchase.)

Our mail goes to Escapees in Livingston, TX. When we want it they send general delivery to us. We've never had a problem. We generally choose smaller post offices. Additionally all Escapees have a legal address in Livingston, TX. This is handy for all kinds of things like voting in national elections for 100% fulltimers. (They went to court to win that right).

We stay at Escapee parks when ever we can because they are usually very nice, always low cost and have really knowledgeable and friendly people. As well Escapees can join Days End for $5 a year and get a directory of free or low cost places to stay. We are also members of Passport America for half price camping. They have a web site that shows campgrounds and prices.

This is probably too long already but ifm you ask me anything I will do my best to answer.

Norm

[Rvicsvol]

Wow, thank you so much for the information Norm. It is exactly the type of information I'm after. I'm going to be solo and while the normal "guy" types of things are not a big concern, the detail stuff that my wife always handled have kind of left me in the dark. Like when you mentioned silverware and knives. I don't cook a lick (well TV dinners) so that's a new learning experience for me as well. I expect the use of a grill a lot.

I certainly am interested in anything you want to forward on to me and I will research Escapees. I was going to go with an SD company but if I can get even more for my money at Escapees then I don't have a problem. I'm assuming that Texas is your domicile state now. Is that correct?

I'm on my way to Missouri tomorrow and will be on the road for a couple days but once I get settled in there I actually start the quest in earnest to buy a trailer and get out there.

Thanks again and I may have plenty of questions as I move forward.

[Tezha]

I read these post and dream the dream of one day being very close to fulltime. Only 5 more years!

[honda03842]

"I certainly am interested in anything you want to forward on to me and I will research Escapees. I was going to go with an SD company but if I can get even more for my money at Escapees then I don't have a problem. I'm assuming that Texas is your domicile state now. Is that correct?"

I missedyour question. Our domicile state is NH where we have what was our former beach cottage. I wanted to sell it when we started but I would have had to get a divorice to do it. After 11 years of RVing Ginny said we could sell it. If she says it two more times it will be science.

We do have a legal TX address but like NH because of no sales and no income taxes. It makes a substantial difference when you buy a car and really on just about every purchase.

Another wise decision turned out to be Passport America. Tonight we're at Hilltop Campground in Robbinston, ME looking across the Bay of Fundy at St. Andrews, NB Canada. With water and electricity it's $13.61 a night. Hard to beat. This Maine county has only 35,000 and is bigger than Deleware and Rhode Island, 2600 square miles and a beautiful coast line. We're here to visit Eastport.

Safe travels,

Norm

[Rvicsvol]

Originally Posted by Tezha

I read these post and dream the dream of one day being very close to fulltime. Only 5 more years!

Well I hope I beat you to it. You are a step ahead. You already have the bed. I'm still trying to decide. Waiting to see if Scamp has anybody down in the Branson, MO area with a 16' or 19' (or both) and then planning a stop through SC at Lil Snoozy in early August when I make my swing south and the up the East coast visiting with friends and family. Hope I don't have to make a trip to MN to see a Scamp before I decide.

Good luck.

[Rvicsvol]

Originally Posted by honda03842

"I certainly am interested in anything you want to forward on to me and I will research Escapees. I was going to go with an SD company but if I can get even more for my money at Escapees then I don't have a problem. I'm assuming that Texas is your domicile state now. Is that correct?"

I missedyour question. Our domicile state is NH where we have what was our former beach cottage. I wanted to sell it when we started but I would have had to get a divorice to do it. After 11 years of RVing Ginny said we could sell it. If she says it two more times it will be science.

We do have a legal TX address but like NH because of no sales and no income taxes. It makes a substantial difference when you buy a car and really on just about every purchase.

Another wise decision turned out to be Passport America. Tonight we're at Hilltop Campground in Robbinston, ME looking across the Bay of Fundy at St. Andrews, NB Canada. With water and electricity it's $13.61 a night. Hard to beat. This Maine county has only 35,000 and is bigger than Deleware and Rhode Island, 2600 square miles and a beautiful coast line. We're here to visit Eastport.

Safe travels,

Norm

Thank you Norm. My domicile is currently OR for pretty much the same reason. They do have income tax but my SSI and Navy retirement aren't taxed so it makes it a good state to be in. Thanks for the tip on Passport America. I'll check that out as well.

[Bill K]

If you happen to come through Toledo,Ohio, I have a 16' SD that you can look at.

Bill K

Originally Posted by nikljones

Well I hope I beat you to it. You are a step ahead. You already have the bed. I'm still trying to decide. Waiting to see if Scamp has anybody down in the Branson, MO area with a 16' or 19' (or both) and then planning a stop through SC at Lil Snoozy in early August when I make my swing south and the up the East coast visiting with friends and family. Hope I don't have to make a trip to MN to see a Scamp before I decide.

Good luck.

[Rvicsvol]

Originally Posted by Bill K

If you happen to come through Toledo,Ohio, I have a 16' SD that you can look at.

Bill K

You may be a bit out of the way for me. I will be passing through on I70 in mid-August but I hope to have already seen one by then and be ready (or have made) my decision and placed an order. I'll let you know though. Thanks for for the offer.

[rgrugg]

If you're anywhere near Grandville, Michigan stop in at the Egg Camper factory. You'll get the whole story from the company president. Luckily we liked the Egg Camper enough to buy one and the factory is less than 50 miles from home.

[Francesca Knowles]

Hi, Nick

I was on another RV site just now and thought of you when I saw this...
It's a breakdown of another fulltimer's expenses that you may find interesting.
I'm pretty sure the author has something other than a fiberglass trailer, but perhaps excepting fuel it seems like the costs associated with fulltiming will be similar.
Fulltiming Expenses

I hope your search for the perfect rig is going well!

Francesca

[Rvicsvol]

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

Hi, Nick

I was on another RV site just now and thought of you when I saw this...
It's a breakdown of another fulltimer's expenses that you may find interesting.
I'm pretty sure the author has something other than a fiberglass trailer, but perhaps excepting fuel it seems like the costs associated with fulltiming will be similar.
Fulltiming Expenses

I hope your search for the perfect rig is going well!

Francesca

Thank you for the link. It appears to be quite old so not so sure how valid the numbers are, but it does give a breakdown that could have percentages applied to get some approximations. Plus it's for 3 people so could take some of the expenses and divide by 3 since I'm solo.

The search continues. Planning on hitting Lil Snoozy next Tuesday for a close up look.

[honda03842]

Always interesting to see some one elses spread sheet. Our expenses for a year are about $30,000. Less than his but of course we usually don't have any growing teenagers with us.

Norm

[Rvicsvol]

Originally Posted by honda03842

Always interesting to see some one elses spread sheet. Our expenses for a year are about $30,000. Less than his but of course we usually don't have any growing teenagers with us.

Norm

I would be interested in seeing your spreadsheet. Care to share?

[Marjorie M.]

I full-timed it for awhile last fall and winter in a Casita (about 5 months), and my expenses were way lower than that. Of course, I boondocked, so take away all the RV space rent. But if you're out West, where I am, you can stay way cheaper by boondocking or staying in BLM and State park campgrounds.

I spent a lot less on gas, also, by staying in one place for a week or longer. I even camped in an exclusive rural subdivision for several days waiting for the high winds to stop so I could move on - they hadn't sold one lot and I had the entire place to myself, gorgeous views. I went up into B.C. Canada and did the same (one of the side benefits of the housing crash). Nobody seemed to notice or care.

Groceries weren't any more than at home, maybe less, as I tended to eat out less (i.e., none). My propane expense was low (even in the cold, it was 15 below several nights in W. CO) and I had no electricity.

I think I lived on less than $800/month - just me and four dogs. That included $100 for cell and wireless internet (air card). And we did fine, we ate well. I just never bought anything extra, like souvenirs or books (no room anyway).

Just pointing out that you can live WAY cheap if you boondock. I'm in W. Colorado/E. Utah, so it's easy here, but I was also in Idaho, Montana, and Canada, and it's the same.

[Rvicsvol]

Originally Posted by Marjorie M.

I full-timed it for awhile last fall and winter in a Casita (about 5 months), and my expenses were way lower than that. Of course, I boondocked, so take away all the RV space rent. But if you're out West, where I am, you can stay way cheaper by boondocking or staying in BLM and State park campgrounds.

I spent a lot less on gas, also, by staying in one place for a week or longer. I even camped in an exclusive rural subdivision for several days waiting for the high winds to stop so I could move on - they hadn't sold one lot and I had the entire place to myself, gorgeous views. I went up into B.C. Canada and did the same (one of the side benefits of the housing crash). Nobody seemed to notice or care.

Groceries weren't any more than at home, maybe less, as I tended to eat out less (i.e., none). My propane expense was low (even in the cold, it was 15 below several nights in W. CO) and I had no electricity.

I think I lived on less than $800/month - just me and four dogs. That included $100 for cell and wireless internet (air card). And we did fine, we ate well. I just never bought anything extra, like souvenirs or books (no room anyway).

Just pointing out that you can live WAY cheap if you boondock. I'm in W. Colorado/E. Utah, so it's easy here, but I was also in Idaho, Montana, and Canada, and it's the same.

Sounds like very relevant costs and probably similar to mine. Just me and no pets so that does simplify things. Thanks.

[honda03842]

Originally Posted by nikljones

Sounds like very relevant costs and probably similar to mine. Just me and no pets so that does simplify things. Thanks.

I attempted to attach our functional Excel spreadsheet. Unfortunately the web site doesn't permit attaching it. If anyone want a working spreadsheet please drop me a Personal Message. It automatically calculates each expense and lets you know how much you have left to spend on a daily basis.

It is the rare month that we exceed our budget. It's purpose is not to limit spending but rather to make us conscious of spending.

A review of our budget will show a lot of places where expenses could be cut. I'd actually like to try a minimal budget for a month. Maybe Ginny and I will do that one of these months as a test.
April Expenses




MonthYearAuto/RVTrailer Insurance39468
Auto Insurance65780
Tolls10120
Fuel3003600
Repairs50600
Registration10120FoodGroceries3003600
Restaurants2503000HousingRV Sites6007200
Propane15180
Entertainment50600
Phone60720
Internet60720
Sat TV60720
Laundry25300PersonalMed Part B1772124
Medigap3514212
Drugs52622
Life Insurance50600
Clothing30360
Gifts1501800
Books, Mag, Newspaper50600
Postage20240
Memberships15180
Misc. Spending1501800
Total293935266

[Maggie R.]

Originally Posted by honda03842

Total293935266

Yah, I'm guessing you could find ways to cut back from the total 2,939,352.66

[honda03842]

I've attached the monthly and yearly totals as a word document. At least it's now readible. Again any one who wants a functional spreadsheet simply needs to send me a PM

Norm