Hi all,
I haven't posted for a while - been reading in the background though.
Here is our next direction! Cindy and I have it set in our minds that in the not so distant future (two - three years) we will be full timers.
My concerns are of course money... but that is always the case and the real concern is the length of our bus - 45'. will that be a serious hindrance going forward? I keep reading about so many places which can only accommodate 40' rigs. We haven't had much issue so far. I have gotten real good at backing out of tight spots and sometimes I backup into those spots because it is easier! sounds odd but sometimes it works better that way. Cindy thinks I'm crazy when I say - I can back it in there easier than driving it in there! My Eagle makes wide turns going forward! So basically the thoughts are what have any other full timers run across which can make some of our decisions easier. I'm not trading the Eagle in - but just want to know what I might run into (pardon the pun).
Mainly I am looking for tips and advice on where to, how to, what to do - to get there. I have been watching posts and reading and looking on-line and have seen many of the on-line helps. I do enjoy reading the blogs of Sean and Louise in their Odyssey. That is the sort of stuff we would like to do.
Any and all thoughts are welcomed!
Thanks in advance,
John and Cindy
For fulltiming, the extra interior space and one more bay advantage will far out weigh any inconvenience of the extra five (or ten) feet in length.
Thank Boomer,
That's what I was thinking too on the extra space.
Right now we have the back two bays pretty much used up by the water system, and the generator. The front bay is completely empty (full of our stuff right now but used for storage), and the second bay is 2/3 empty - the air handlers are in the other 1/3.
John
You're not crazy. Reverse can be more maneuverable than going forward. Just think about parallel parking.
I'm with Boomer. However, I wouldn't mind having only a 35' eagle. You will be parked so much of the time that you'll like the space. Enjoy your home and keep us posted of your adventures.
David
There are times that we wish ours was 45'. We full time and always can use the extra room, just ask my wife! ;D Use it and enjoy it no matter what length you have. As BCO would say, "Watch out for those right handers."
We Full-time in a 5C which isn't as long but also like others wish we had the room. That equates into more storage space. We have found that some campgrounds say no Buses or conversions and then ask us to send a picture. When we do they tell us to come ahead. We now live full-time in it and live at a campground and work at it also. It pays for our rent, gas, 2 vehicle parking plus we pick our own hours which can be as low as 20 a week or up to 7 a day if we choose. We have a golf cart to drive and it is fun. Some day when we reach the magic age of 62 if there is SS still around we should be able to travel but this is full-timing 101. Plus it will build a workcampers resume if other camp areas come up.
Size wise I don't know if they take 45's here but I know there are spots that could handle it. And I agree, I like to back in when needed it is easier. FWIW
Dave ;D 8) ;D
Come on in, the water is fine!!
We've been full-timing for 5 years now. We started off in a 16' teardrop travel trailer, then upgraded to a spacious 17' fiberglass egg. Just a month ago, we got a 35' GM 4106 which seems downright mansion like to us in comparison (we're still getting used to all this space.. we have to like.. WALK.. to bed). Full timing is completely accessible in any size rig.
While we've not had to maneuver a 40+ vehicle into campgrounds, I can say with certainty after hanging out with a wide range of full-timers - that you can adapt to anything. And as your mastery of getting in and out of tight spaces increases, your options expand.
Yes, there will be some campgrounds that you just won't be able to get to. Even with our 35' bus, we know there will be places we used to go that would now be inaccessible (we did a lot of off road camping). But you will be able to find plenty of options out on the road to accommodate your rig.
It really comes down to - will you be able to stay in the places you want to stay at? If you have a pattern of places you want to go (ie. visiting family in cities with limited RV parking options, national parks, etc.), you may find you are more limited than you'd like.
Best wishes,
- Cherie
We've lived in a 40' for 4 years now and no matter what the women pretend, bigger is always better. I suppose there are lifestyles where this wouldn't be true but for us I can't honestly think of a site in 8 years that we couldn't have got into with a longer bus. I think jumping into fulltiming without ever having used an RV is a huge mistake but if you have used the bus and the length hasn't been a problem before you start fulltiming then I can't see why that would change just because you are always "at home". Whenever and wherever we stop Marilyn turns to the cat and says "well George, we're home" and for us that is always somewhere that a bigger unit would fit - open desert, Thousand Trails preserves, friends' yards - like I said, I can't think of a place where we would have been happier with a smaller unit, let alone one where we didn't fit.
The extra space and the extra storage will be a huge help. It still won't be enough though. ;D
i'm going to be the naysayer here i guess. 45' is too long for a lot of places. We've been to florida parks that will accommadate the size on a pad, but you can't get there from here. We're camphosting in CO, and our site was a pain to get into. We're 40'. the site says 45, but manuevering is difficult.
Since you have it, enjoy it. We full time and the biggest issue is talking ourselves in to throwing away what we really don't use. We have a trailer at my brothers house where we put stuff we really can't bear to part with, but we don't need it right now. We now have way too many tools (did i really say that?) and the van is my garage as well as the traveling storage area for Fran's plants (tomatoes, onions, hummingbird somethings, and a strawberry plant). We eliminated a bunch of uneccessary clothes, a few plants, and it sometimes seems crowded. You have to take inventory and remove what you don't use. then you find you have room for what you think you need today that you didn't need yesterday. :-)
Good luck.
When designing my truck conversion, I toiled with the idea of going 45ft. But then I looked at the camping directory, there are alot of camping sites that stop at 40ft. At least here in California, you go over 40ft and you're restricted to truck routes only. Also, you go over 40ft and you have to have a Class B non commercial driver's license. I have designed my truck conversion to have access to the basement from inside-so changes of weather clothes and access to supplies can be done without going outside.
If I were to full time in a 40ft bus, I'd pull a stacker trailer that would keep my overall length to 65ft (again California's rule) and haul my car on it, with the remainder space left over for additional storage. I'm of the school of thought that the motorhome should be driven directly to where you want to camp, then use the car for radial exploration. I've solved that problem by making my truck conversion with a garage to house a small car like a Mini, Mazda2, Fiat, Toyota Yaris, etc. Many ways of doing your own thing. Good Luck, TomC
John, the turning radius on a 45 ft Eagle is not that much difference than a 40ft and more and more places are gearing up for the 45ft RV we are at Williams AZ last year it was 35 ft or less this year 45 ft or less keep the extra room
good luck
TomC,
How's the truck coming along? Do you have a blog where you detail the progress?
I love the fact that you're putting in a small car garage.
Kevin Warnock
http://KevinWarnock.com (http://kevinwarnock.com) - my blog
Since you already have a 45' bus it doesn't matter to debate the pros and cons at this point. I love the idea of being a camp host and living for little of nothing. Nowhere in my future do I see that happening but I would try it if able.
Tom mentioned the "hub and spoke" approach. I think that is a great way to do it especially for the FT group. My situation is quite different, I don't need the convenience of a long term location, but I do want to make the most of my experience while I am traveling. That means waking up where I want to be and not driving to it, and a smaller buses ability to do that dominates.
Sequoia stump beside our campsite. My youngest on the stump:
We've been fulltiming for 13 years and I think we are currently in the smallest site we've ever been in. There isn't even room here to set up our tripod sat dish. Our toad is parked directly in front of the bus which is 40'. Funny thing is, even if we were 45' we'd still fit, just a little tighter against the shrubbery behind us lol, Will and Wife
Thank you all for your replies!!!
I was away for a long weekend - not in the bus though :( We actually also have an S&S park model on a seasonal site - so we use that from time to time as well.
To answer some of the questions or at least clarify - we have had the Eagle for about 4 years - put about 10,000 miles on it since - not much I know. I have had plenty of tight spots and love the challenge of making it happen! We she each trip as an adventure - even when the Eagle throws a monkey wrench in the plans (thank goodness for the AAA RV Plus towing). My concern was like some have said - campgrounds making restrictions on sizes and of course how some say no converted buses. I tend to call it a motor coach whenever I talk to a campground - it makes it sound like one of those high end Prevosts! Thankfully we haven't had any campgrounds turn us away once we arrive. They usually are in awe when they see our bus come in - its a tour bus and they all think some rock star is coming!
We absolutely love the thought of total downsizing all of our stored items in the house - it will be hard to separate with some, but the kids are going to get stuff earlier than planned (not after we are gone!)
Yes, I know that we already made the decision of 45' not going to change that. I appreciate the frankness about lengths in CA. i have read things on how the lengths are limited there. I also have worried about some places in Colorado - but we will cross those lines as we get there. We also tow or Jeep Liberty to use as our main form of transportation while at a campground. I know it costs more on fuel to pull it, but we want that freedom at least for now.
We love beaches in the summer and we love to ski in the winter - so i think we will end up being opposite of the snow birds here in PA. I know that might create some issues in the southern areas, with families on vacation and such. But we will work around it.
That picture of the tree stump is AMAZING! Those are the things we love to experience. My daughter is our youngest - she is 13 - so we need to stay in our area for a little while - or at least have a home base here in the Poconos, until she is older. But that will not stop the plan to downsize. We want to get the ball rolling ASAP!!!
I am thinking we will get a year round site close to where we are now, then take the Eagle here and there on trips to other places - always having that site to return to as a home base. The campground is with the Thousand Trails network - so we have to buy a membership. We have no issue with that and can utilize the network to our advantage I am sure.
Anyhow - sorry for the long post. Just throwing more thoughts out there.
Thanks for the info and advice.
John and Cindy
CindyandJohn, I was just noticing you said you would get a full time spot close to where you are. I know here in Texas the tax office has lots for sale that do not make the tax sale. There is a lot on the lake by my lake house that is not large enough to build on but would be perfect for a weekend camp site for $1500 and no one will buy it. Just saying where to look for small plots cheap for an address and light pole.
Happiness with size of rig comes down to driving skills and whether getting stuck makes good or bad stress.
Some of us thrive in putting a 45 foot coach in places where others can't drive an auto without clipping the apex...
Some of us can reverse as well as we can go forward, others get stressed reading about reversing.
"A man has to know his limitations" said Inspector Callahan in 1973...
That being said, run what you brung!
happy coaching!
buswarrior
Eddiepotts - very good idea. We were / are thinking along those lines but didn't consider a small lot / tax sale as you stated. Our first intention is to use my fathers address as our permanent address for now, but we do want to consider moving our titles to a state which would provide benefits for tax purposes. Thanks!
Buswarrior - I too thrive on putting my Eagle where most people can't even put a car! I like to say - "If you are going to have such a big toy - you better know how to use it!"
There have been many a times where I had to back out of a sticky spot - having first to unhook the Jeep Liberty...
Cindy and I like to consider each trip an adventure. some stressful spots sure but not in a bad way - there is always the small anxiety of - Ok what do I do now? Then there was the time where I followed tractor trailers into a truck stop only to find out the road turned into a cul-de-sac and the tractor trailers where jack knifing their way out it - the only way out for me was to go around that little car wash building between the dumpster, the vacuums, and the building. It's amazing how well these buses go over curbs when needed!
Those are all parts of the adventure!
I am happy knowing we have so many sources here of great information! Thank You All!
John and Cindy
Hi John,
Good to hear from you two again!
I think you guy's are worring too much... :D
Nobody knows exactly what they will need until they are into it full time...
My question is, do you plan to still have your dogs when you full time?? Those big boys might be your biggest obstical.. lol
Nick-
Hi Nick,
I know too much worrying. It will happen and we will deal with things as they come. If I had my way we would be full timing next week!
Sorry to say Neo passed last year. So no dogs right now. I know how most campgrounds are now restricting breeds and all, so for now there aren't any new dogs in the plan, especially Bull Mastiffs. I do have a few cats (my daughter had to have one, which turned into several) all of which I am willing to give to anyone who loves cats! There is a mother and two of her sons.
Anyhow, we are anxiously awaiting our full timing opportunity.
Nice talking to you again,
John and Cindy