Empty Nest RV Life Adventures

[JB in so cal]

If I haven't warned you yet, take heed: if your husband drops his keys around space 245, tell him to kick them down a few spots before he picks them up. Never know what @riverroyal is up to....

 

[Sportin' Wood]

Since we are back on the road, I will try and start filming again. Last week I went to Slide Rock State Park while @angiebaby was working on her thesis.

 

[angiebaby]

I realized I hadn't posted since we left Havasu, so here is an update.

We left Havasu on April 1 for Cottonwood, AZ. The RV park was not great, but the area was nice. Our only complaint with the area was that the wind blew 100% of the time, so we were stuck in the RV every evening.

But, we got to explore Sedona, Cottonwood, Jerome, Payson, and Prescott.

Jeff had a great time mountain biking in Sedona and we did some amazing hikes. Jerome is a very interesting and fun town, if you've never been, you should go. Cottonwood has a pretty legit wine-tasting presence. Who knew? We were only in Prescott for an evening, but it was nice. Not really any reason to return, though. We were planning to hike the Granite Mountain memorial hike, but there was a fire in the area, and we did not want to get in the way of the firefighting efforts.

First some hiking pics

Tuzigoot National Monument

Schnebly Road from Sedona to I-17, north to Flagstaff and back down. The first 6 miles absolutely sucked. 6 miles of nuisance rocks. Otherwise, it was a beautiful drive.

Boynton Canyon Trail

Sycamore Canyon, near Cottonwood

Jeff searching for a vortex in Boynton Canyon to no avail, LOL

Can you see the Indian Chief head? This was on Adobe Jack trail.

Montezuma's Castle. It's a paved walkway to get here and only about 1/2 mile walk. Easy side trip if you are in the area, right off I-17.

This was a brutal reality check after being at the Islander for 5 months, LOL. All communication with staff was done through a window at the side of about a 10x12 hut. Not friendly and welcoming at all. At least it was cheap.

 

[angiebaby]

We were in Cottonwood for a month, but left a couple of days early because we just couldn't handle the wind anymore. So we headed to Cortez, Colorado. It was windy there also, but not quite as bad. Still couldn't really sit outside most days. The park was VERY nice though. Westview RV Park. They have a little bar there with happy hour open every Tue-Thurs. Live music on Tuesdays. Propane fire pits, putting green, wide spaces, about a dozen large grills for guest use. Very nice people running it.

Jeff did some mountain-biking in the area. There is a set of trails called "Phil's World" that draws people from all over the nation. There is also a trail network near the reservoir in Dolores. The brewery in Dolores is great, with wood-fired pizza also. Win-win. Live music on Sundays.

Our friend Bruce, who is also a snowbird at the Islander, lives in Dolores and turned us on to these incredible fresh-made pot pies from the Dolores Market.

We took a drive around a loop Dolores-Rico-Telluride-Ouray-Silverton-Durango-Cortez. Stellar drive. Hats off to my driver

This is Telluride, with Black Bear Pass in the background for all of you off-roaders. Still frozen up there. Even the waterfall.

Ouray. An interesting thing about Colorado mountain towns is that many of them only have the main street paved. The rest are dirt. Ouray is no exception. Mancos and Silverton as well.

 

[angiebaby]

The highway from Ouray to Silverton is known as the Million Dollar Highway. Very tight and steep. Apparently, it cost a million dollars to build in the 1880s and first served as a toll road between the two mining towns. Additionally, the railroad ran only to Ouray, so to get ore from Silverton, they took it down this road.

Lots of legit off-road trails in the region. Imogene Pass is another one nearby.

Lots of runoff.

This was at the brewery in Silverton. I thought was a cool idea. If I ever have a bar, I will certainly employ this feature.

Funny sign in the women's restroom at the brewery.

 

[angiebaby]

We only spent three weeks in Cortez. We had originally planned to go from Cottonwood to Red River, NM, near Taos. But with the struggles we've had with #ThisDamnRV, we decided not to cross the Continental Divide two additional times. Also, the RV park is at over 8500 feet, so I think May is a little early to go there for us. Cortez was only 6200.

We left Cortez on the 21st of May and took the hour and a half trek to Durango. The wind is more of a breeze here, and we are happy to be able to spend time outdoors under the trees. We are at Westerly RV Park. It's very small, only about 25 spaces. No frills. But it is across the county road from Durango Hot Springs, which used to be called Trimble Hot Springs. The new owners are doing a buttload of upgrades installing a restaurant and building more pools. The overflow from the springs runs right in front of our coach, so we can soak our feet in it if we choose. Bonus. We went to the springs a couple of nights ago. I'll try to post pictures later.

 

[Sleek-Jet]

Hopefully you had a Depot burger while you were in Dolores. My ugly mugg has a picture hanging in the High School in our class photo... LOL.

How long are you going to be in Durango?

 

[angiebaby]

Hopefully you had a Depot burger while you were in Dolores. My ugly mugg has a picture hanging in the High School in our class photo... LOL.

How long are you going to be in Durango?

I did not! I didn't know that was a restaurant. I have to return next week to pick up some mail, so I guess I will have to partake in the Depot burger at that time

We will be in Durango until June 25. Then we are headed home to Montucky.

 

[Sleek-Jet]

The Green Chili Cheese Burger is my favorite, they have a decent shake also.

We'll just miss you guys, we are going to be in Dolores sometime on the 24th of June for a week.

 

[Sleek-Jet]

Also, stop in at GST Liquors and pick up a couple bottles of Sutcliffe wine. There are a couple of places over in Durango that carry it also if you look for it. The vineyards are down McElmo Canyon, (which is below Cortez headed towards Utah), locally grown grapes. Very tasty Colorado wine.

 

[Sportin' Wood]

I add some flavor to the trip update concerning the MTB rides. I bought an eMTB before we left Havasu. Giant Trance E, not sure which of the three models, but I believe it is the middle variant with decent components, but not the smart shock stuff. A carbon frame, but it still weighs in like a thick lady.

I rode Sara park on my traditional bike and was less than impressed with all the sand and nuisance rocks. Took the eMTB and it was a lot more fun.

Class1 eMTB's are not approved on many trails as they are considered motorized. I did some research on the subject and it seems the tide may turn, but it will be a while before they gain the same access as traditional MTBs. This is really disappointing as the C1 bikes still require human power. The assist just gives an old guy a fighting chance and makes riding amazingly more enjoyable. Check your local regs for details as they are all unique.

Sedona I rode the hogs back area a couple of times but did not take the eMTB on the single track. Some of the stuff I rode was pretty gnarly and I wish I had the assist for the climbs because the altitude kicked my ass, but more importantly, the newer more advanced components and suspension on the Giant are superior to my Specialized and the confidence level I have on the Giant is noticeable. I can ride stuff I would not consider with the new bike that I would walk on the Specialized. It is in Sedona that I learned that the eMTB community has basically lifted a finger at the idea they don't have access. I saw many C1 eMTBs on trails where they are restricted. In talking to older riders, they told me that the eMTB was extending their access and that Rangers have more important things to do than hassle old guys who want to ride trails. It sounds like a $250 fine. I did have a blast riding the Broken Arrow Jeep trail on the eMTB, it would have sucked on a traditional MTB, but was a ball on the eMTB.

Cortez: Phils World is about the most fun I have had riding an MTB. I would rank it in the top 5 trail areas I have ridden. This includes Tahoe and Moab. My cousin is pushing 60 and has been riding MTBs since before they were common. I had the privilege to ride one afternoon with him at PW and we hit the most difficult trail in the network. If not for the eMTB I would have never kept up with him. I found using the lowest setting on the assist gives me what I need to keep up with people in better shape. Some of the climbs my cousin could not quite get I could tackle with the bike on the medium setting. So I am still working hard on the ride. PW never got old. I could ride it every damn day. I did a 15-mile ride in two hours after work. Amazing trail system. I never made it to the Delores trails, my biggest problem is ridding solo into areas where I may get in trouble.

Durango: I've not yet had the chance to ride offroad here yet, but I have found an insane amount of trailheads. About half say no eMTBs. I'm gonna take my chances, because the only negative I have seen comes from the elitist mindset of millennial bike riders who want less trail congestion and restricted access for anyone who is not in the shape of their lives, does not work, and can ride every day. All they do is talk shit, that generation would never have the balls to act on the shit they talk anyway.

Last note on the eMTB. I've been offroad my whole life and started riding motorcycles at age 5. I've had every type of OHV machine you can imagine. This eMTB makes me feel like I am 12 years old. I can ride all day, and tackle obstacles I could never consider on a traditional bike and it gives me the same thrill as rock crawling, desert racing, or riding motocross. The difference seems to be the effort it takes to go recreate. The acceptance of a Bike vs other forms of OHV. The ease of maintenance and storage of the toy. Yes, I am more likely to get hurt doing this activity. I hit a tree in Cortez and got banged up, but for a brief moment while riding, I am a preteen again and for that, I will gladly pay a $250 fine if the Ranger ever decides to hassle me.

Headed back to Moab for a few days on the way to Montucky so I can sneak in a few more rides before July sets in.

 

[Sleek-Jet]

If you make it back to SW Colorado, the Boggy Draw trail system above Dolores is crazy good. Pick up a Spot Tracker and take it with you, the area isn't all that far out of pocket, no more than Phil's World at any rate.

My friends and I rode MB all over that area before it was cool... LOL.

 

[Sportin' Wood]

If you make it back to SW Colorado, the Boggy Draw trail system above Dolores is crazy good. Pick up a Spot Tracker and take it with you, the area isn't all that far out of pocket, no more than Phil's World at any rate.

My friends and I rode MB all over that area before it was cool... LOL.

I scouted Boggy Draw and wanted to ride it. Large no eMTB signs and also Mountain Lion warning signs, made me reconsider. Hope to come back at some point. I have a Garmin Inreach, but still solo is a drag. I rode yesterday and just about barfed up a lung on a ridiculous climb, even with the assist I thought I was gonna die.

 

[Ziggy]

Thanks for sharing Jeff & Angie. Great adventures you are having. Wish we'd have had more time to hang out with you two but it sure was nice seeing you after all the years.

 

[angiebaby]

Thanks for sharing Jeff & Angie. Great adventures you are having. Wish we'd have had more time to hang out with you two but it sure was nice seeing you after all the years.

We'll be back in October

 

[angiebaby]

Two weeks into our Durango visit and it's going well. The weather is absolutely fabulous. It was in the low 60s-70s when we first arrived, but has been in the 80s for about a week now, with no end in sight.

We purchased a 10 pack of hot spring passes, which equals a total of 5 visits for us. We've used two so far.

Most of the pools in the adult area are fairly small and intimate. Only room for 4-5 people max.

This image shows how close the resort is to our RV park. The arrow points to #thisdamnrv. It's a little deceiving, but there is a two-lane road that we have to cross.

They have live music on Tuesday and Thursday nights.

 

[angiebaby]

There is a 9-mile bike/walking path along the Animas River that runs through town. Very much like the one in Reno, but without the bums and homeless camp stink. These were from last Sunday. We took the bikes, but the weather was beginning to threaten rain, so we only did about 6.5 miles and turned around.

Can't pass up a beer garden next to the river

 

[angiebaby]

They have a huge annual race here called the Iron Horse Classic. If you've heard of the Durango-Silverton train, it runs every day, two-three times a day. With this event, bicyclists race the train from Durango to Silverton. The whole town comes out to watch. The bikes run Hwy 550, which is on the opposite side of our RV park from the springs. We got up to cheer on the bikes with our bloody mary's. There were thousands of bicyclists.

In case you were wondering . . . the bikes always win

 

[angiebaby]

Last weekend, we decided to get out of town because the Animas River Days were going on and it was pretty crowded. Last summer, when we went fishing in Idaho, in conversations about our gypsy life plans, it turned out our guide was from Durango. He suggested we check out some primitive hot springs in the area in addition to my plan to visit Pagosa (we didn't even know about the Durango Hot Springs at the time, that was just dumb planning luck). So I went online and researched how to get to them. Google said it was a 2.6-mile up-and-back hike. I wasn't sure if that was 2.6 miles up or 2.6 miles total, but it didn't really matter. So we identified the trailhead and checked out some images to ensure it was worth the effort. Then I looked up some USFS campgrounds in the area. I made reservations at Ute Campground. It was about 5 miles from the turnoff to the trailhead. There were others closer, but they were all first come first served and I didn't want to risk not having a place to sleep.

On the way up the 6 miles of dirt road to the trailhead, we saw a campground across the river and figured we would check it out before we committed to the other. This was one of the campgrounds that were first come first served. But it was next to the river and the Ute Campground was not. So we continued up the road, higher and higher, and further from the river. Supposedly, there was only about 150 feet of elevation change on the hike, so I kept waiting for the road to drop back down but it never did. As we got out of the truck and loaded our packs, a young woman suggested we bring trekking poles if we had them. We weren't planning to bring them because the video I watched showed a pretty untechnical trail, and my research didn't suggest much elevation change. So we grabbed our poles and thanked her.

As soon as we were about 200 yards in, we were grateful for the poles. It was a STEEP climb down. While it wasn't very technical, there were a lot of switchbacks and not much to get traction on. I slipped a couple of times, merely from the steepness and dry, clear dirt with a thin layer of loose, dusty soil on top. Absolutely gorgeous trail. The first mile was 100% steep downhill. It ended up being almost 700 feet of elevation change in that mile

It was only a little over 1.5 miles to the hot springs.

Of course, we brought beer

The hike out was absolutely brutal. We had to take a lot of breaks. You'd think we'd be acclimated to the altitude by now, after spending the past month in Colorado. But we survived. Never barfed up a lung.

 

[angiebaby]

Like I said previously, we went to go check out the closer campsite and decided we would forego our $24 fee at the other to stay next to the river. We found a site right next to the river, on a Saturday. The campground was only about 25% occupied when we got there Saturday afternoon. That evening it was still less than half. So refreshing to not have crowds of people fighting over space. This campground was a mile from the highway. There was a really cool spring-fed pool near it, but it wasn't warm. Just pretty with turquoise water. A lot of people were swimming and playing in it when we arrived.

We ended up having to sleep with one of the windows open it was so warm in the tent. Turns out that a mattress wrapped in black vinyl all day will retain the heat. Who knew??

This is what we listened to all night:

 

[angiebaby]

We woke up around 7 and leisurely drank a pot of coffee, warmed by the fire, and packed up. I think we pulled out around 9:30 am and headed for Pagosa Springs. We stopped for an amazing Mexican breakfast. It's difficult to find good Mexican food in the Rockies. Most places get their taco shells from a box. This place was legit. I had enchiladas and eggs, Jeff had the machaca and eggs. We got to the resort around 11. We agreed it's the nicest hot spring resort we've been to so far. We paid for a special pass that included robes, towels, and, most importantly, access to the adult-only area.

Thanks for coming along on our adventure. We would definitely like to go back to Pagosa again sometime.

 

[Sportin' Wood]

Angigibaby saw some strange dick at the hot springs where we had to hike, but I don't think she was impressed. What the heck is it with old guys and the need to get naked in the forest? Fucking hippy. Yes, he drove a Prius, his wife was not impressed either.

I'm thankful Angie spends time researching all this stuff. It's been a trip.

 

[Sleek-Jet]

Welcome to Durango... LOL...

 

[angiebaby]

Welcome to Durango... LOL...

They were from Boulder. Probably a professor at the university, LOL.

 

[Sportin' Wood]

Today marks the end of our second year on this long strange trip. I thought I would bore you all with some random thoughts and opinions on "RV Life" after a full two years of living in a van down by the river.

We are ending this experiment on July 6th, 2023 when we close escrow on a home in Montana. That will begin a new adventure.

We started off with a commitment of two years. We suspected the first year would be a learning curve and the second we would settle in. We also had an ulterior motive of test-driving certain areas of the West for home purchases. This was never anticipated to be the way we retired.

Long story short, if you don't want to read anymore, RV Life was not for us at this point in our lives. I'm not confident it will be in 15-20 years either. However, we love exploring new places, meeting new people, etc. The RV is the problem. I'm still shocked that couples in their late 60s, '70s, and even 80s are driving these giant buses and 5th wheels and moving every few days to a new location. It is a lot of work to move these. Preflight procedures and landing take the better part of an hour each, and you find you can only drive a certain amount of time, gone are the days of just pulling into an RV park without reservations. Driving ours sucks, I'm sure some people have better luck, but I get exhausted driving this rig.

Not having a home to go back to complicates things. These rigs need regular attention and repair. Not having an opportunity to do this makes it difficult and expensive. Where do you go when your home needs engine repairs and parts are on backorder? The drivetrain wants to be driven nonstop and the house hates moving. It is two forces working against each other. Best to remove the drivetrain from the house.

Size does matter. I love the floor plan when it's parked, but the size limits where you can go, where you can park, and where you can stay. This is not camping. We don't love staying in RV parks. They are mostly paved rows of parking with 10 feet of space between you and the neighbors. The exception to this is staying at Islander in LHC. In two years we have not stayed anywhere that remotely comes close to the park amenities and the price. We paid almost always more for much less. IMHO Islander is a bargin. We are happy to have been upgraded to beachfront for the next season and plan to continue spending winter in LHC as snowbirds.

You better really like your spouse if you are going to try this RV Life. You can't hide, you are going to be together a lot. The toilet is 5 feet from the kitchen BTW.

There are upsides. You meet a lot of great people. Being 15-20 years younger than our peer group provides a lot of sage advice opportunities. It also can hurt your liver if you are not a pro drinker. I tapped out in Sept and quit drinking after a lifetime love affair with booze because I could not keep up with the true world-class drinkers. Check liver light was flashing.

You get to borrow a community without the investment of purchasing a home. If you stay somewhere for a while you get to know the place pretty well and can decide if you want to live there. Places we thought we would love, turned out to be places we would never live. Some places are best left as vacation destinations.

We'll see how the RV treats us as a snowbird machine, but we think ultimately we would like to purchase an LHC winter home we can rent out in Summer. I'll likely build some type of truck-based camper that can fit into state park campgrounds and off-the-beaten-path locations for camping, fishing, exploring, and trips to go off-roading. We love putting miles on our Colorado pickup, so I want the same ease of driving we get with that rig. More boondocking would be better for us.

A point worth sharing in this post is about minimalism. It is kind of a head trip for me to sell everything you have collected over a lifetime and take only what you can fit into an RV. It is a major eye-opener into our consumption culture and frankly, I'm just too weak to not keep consuming. I miss my tools and shop the most. I miss tinkering with projects. Something as simple as shoes become kind of an issue when you have limited storage. T-shirts seem to multiply, how do you manage storage for a week's worth of business attire you only need two or three times a year? Books? We have books coming out of ears and yet I still miss (need) books we have in storage for work as a reference.

So you want a UTV or a Boat? How are you going to manage that? Storage, transportation, security? How much are you going to use for something and is it worth hauling around? One of the things we discovered accidentally was that we like buying art when we travel. You can't buy art if you have no walls to hang it on. It is still fun to visit art galleries, but when you find the perfect piece for the house you don't own you question why you bother going into a gallery. You end up with storage units in multiple locations. RV Life is not a money-saving endeavor. It is an impactful lesson in consumption.

I'm confident some people love RV Life, but I've not met anyone that is living the RV life you see on Youtube. Everyone has stories of failures, expensive fixes they had not prepared for, shitty RV parks, breakdowns, and crappy neighbors. The people that have five kids and three dogs plus a cat who have been living in an RV for 5 years are the minority. I've met people who fall out of the RV, break a hip or neck, have a stroke, or heart attack and they are stuck. The RV is home and they need to go south before winter, but they have a spouse stuck in a hospital and can't beat winter. I've seen this go sideways fast.

I'm thankful we tried it while we were young. I'm looking forward to the end of Full Time RV living.

 

[BabyRay]

Today marks the end of our second year on this long strange trip. I thought I would bore you all with some random thoughts and opinions on "RV Life" after a full two years of living in a van down by the river.

We are ending this experiment on July 6th, 2023 when we close escrow on a home in Montana. That will begin a new adventure.

We started off with a commitment of two years. We suspected the first year would be a learning curve and the second we would settle in. We also had an ulterior motive of test-driving certain areas of the West for home purchases. This was never anticipated to be the way we retired.

Long story short, if you don't want to read anymore, RV Life was not for us at this point in our lives. I'm not confident it will be in 15-20 years either. However, we love exploring new places, meeting new people, etc. The RV is the problem. I'm still shocked that couples in their late 60s, '70s, and even 80s are driving these giant buses and 5th wheels and moving every few days to a new location. It is a lot of work to move these. Preflight procedures and landing take the better part of an hour each, and you find you can only drive a certain amount of time, gone are the days of just pulling into an RV park without reservations. Driving ours sucks, I'm sure some people have better luck, but I get exhausted driving this rig.

Not having a home to go back to complicates things. These rigs need regular attention and repair. Not having an opportunity to do this makes it difficult and expensive. Where do you go when your home needs engine repairs and parts are on backorder? The drivetrain wants to be driven nonstop and the house hates moving. It is two forces working against each other. Best to remove the drivetrain from the house.

Size does matter. I love the floor plan when it's parked, but the size limits where you can go, where you can park, and where you can stay. This is not camping. We don't love staying in RV parks. They are mostly paved rows of parking with 10 feet of space between you and the neighbors. The exception to this is staying at Islander in LHC. In two years we have not stayed anywhere that remotely comes close to the park amenities and the price. We paid almost always more for much less. IMHO Islander is a bargin. We are happy to have been upgraded to beachfront for the next season and plan to continue spending winter in LHC as snowbirds.

You better really like your spouse if you are going to try this RV Life. You can't hide, you are going to be together a lot. The toilet is 5 feet from the kitchen BTW.

There are upsides. You meet a lot of great people. Being 15-20 years younger than our peer group provides a lot of sage advice opportunities. It also can hurt your liver if you are not a pro drinker. I tapped out in Sept and quit drinking after a lifetime love affair with booze because I could not keep up with the true world-class drinkers. Check liver light was flashing.

You get to borrow a community without the investment of purchasing a home. If you stay somewhere for a while you get to know the place pretty well and can decide if you want to live there. Places we thought we would love, turned out to be places we would never live. Some places are best left as vacation destinations.

We'll see how the RV treats us as a snowbird machine, but we think ultimately we would like to purchase an LHC winter home we can rent out in Summer. I'll likely build some type of truck-based camper that can fit into state park campgrounds and off-the-beaten-path locations for camping, fishing, exploring, and trips to go off-roading. We love putting miles on our Colorado pickup, so I want the same ease of driving we get with that rig. More boondocking would be better for us.

A point worth sharing in this post is about minimalism. It is kind of a head trip for me to sell everything you have collected over a lifetime and take only what you can fit into an RV. It is a major eye-opener into our consumption culture and frankly, I'm just too weak to not keep consuming. I miss my tools and shop the most. I miss tinkering with projects. Something as simple as shoes become kind of an issue when you have limited storage. T-shirts seem to multiply, how do you manage storage for a week's worth of business attire you only need two or three times a year? Books? We have books coming out of ears and yet I still miss (need) books we have in storage for work as a reference.

So you want a UTV or a Boat? How are you going to manage that? Storage, transportation, security? How much are you going to use for something and is it worth hauling around? One of the things we discovered accidentally was that we like buying art when we travel. You can't buy art if you have no walls to hang it on. It is still fun to visit art galleries, but when you find the perfect piece for the house you don't own you question why you bother going into a gallery. You end up with storage units in multiple locations. RV Life is not a money-saving endeavor. It is an impactful lesson in consumption.

I'm confident some people love RV Life, but I've not met anyone that is living the RV life you see on Youtube. Everyone has stories of failures, expensive fixes they had not prepared for, shitty RV parks, breakdowns, and crappy neighbors. The people that have five kids and three dogs plus a cat who have been living in an RV for 5 years are the minority. I've met people who fall out of the RV, break a hip or neck, have a stroke, or heart attack and they are stuck. The RV is home and they need to go south before winter, but they have a spouse stuck in a hospital and can't beat winter. I've seen this go sideways fast.

I'm thankful we tried it while we were young. I'm looking forward to the end of Full Time RV living.

Convinced me!

Truth is, my wife and I considered doing a year or two in an RV about 5 years ago, when we were selling our too-big-for-us-alone home. After much use of google, finding snippets of stories like this, we decided it wasn’t for us and that we’d rather do shorter stays……in hotels. Watching home prices rise while we drove around the country didn’t have much appeal either.

I do envy you though, as experiences like this are worth the effort in many ways, and you had the balls to go for it. Good luck in your next phase!

 

[angiebaby]

I can't tell you all how excited I am to have a real kitchen again! It will be nice when living in the RV for the winter is something to look forward to, as will going "home" in the Spring. Two years ago today, we closed escrow on our home in Reno and drove away. Today, I celebrated by ordering a U-Haul to get our stuff out of storage in Idaho and brought to our new home in two weeks.

 

[Ol Man]

We are 78/77 and have owned motorhomes since 1979. We have been to every state, Canada and Mexico in them. We enjoy the traveling and seeing our great country. I could never be without our home and all of our toys and such. My wife is an avid sewer and quilter and has some pretty neat machines at home. Full time RVing is not for everyone, but everyone should try the RV life and see this country. Every stop has something interesting to see.

Congratulations on picking Montana, it is a beautiful state.

 

[propcheck]

Thank you for sharing your true experiences and thoughts on it. It is funny watching the youtubers do the “RV Life” everybody with an Rv knows they are full of it. they never show part if setting up camp where your wife cleans up the spilled coffee grounds that fell out of the cabinet and you retighten all the screws that loosened on the drive. Good luck on the new adventure in Montana

 

[EmpirE231]

we love using our RV... but can never see ourselves ever wanting to full time it. I think that's what makes it so fun when we use it, is that we always have a home base to come back to. I think we could pull off a 1 year or maybe 2 year stay full time IF we had to.... but even then, it would only be doable because we know it's still temporary.

we talk about doing wayyy more RV time in the future when the kids are grown and out and we're anywhere near retirement... but even then, I still plan on having a home somewhere that serves as our home base.

 

[Mcob25rg]

What Ol Man and EmpirE231 said. We really enjoy ours, but ain’t never selling the house. Eventually, the RV will be gone, but I’ll die at the house