Question for Full Timers

[scanzel]

My wife and I want to full time after selling house but my question what do all you full timers do with your time. Are you work camping, running a business or what ever. I don't see me running a business, maybe work camping. I don't want to just sit around and you can only visit friends and site seeing so much. 

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

You can always write travel articles for Bus Conversion Magazine in your copious spare time.  We would love to have them. 

[Branderson]

My wife and I want to full time after selling house but my question what do all you full timers do with your time. Are you work camping, running a business or what ever. I don't see me running a business, maybe work camping. I don't want to just sit around and you can only visit friends and site seeing so much. 

I have the same question.  Besides the anxiety of getting rid of all the house stuff I too wonder what people do with their time.  I like to golf so I would probably do a lot of that and I like to think I would go to the gym (especially if I was near a military post).  My Aunt/Uncle are full timers and he helps cut grass at one of the places which in turns gives him free stay. 

My nightmare story would be getting rid of everything and going full time and then hate it 7 months later.  One thing I think is good about my Uncle, is they have scheduled moves like going to Montana in the Summer and Arizona in the winter.  Besides traveling, I would too like to come up with a general yearly plan on where I'm going. 

[CrabbyMilton]

I can't speak from experience but common sense based on "Try it before you buy it" should be your baseline here.
In other words don't sell your house, rent an RV for a few months to see how you like it first.
That way if you don't care for it, return the RV, go home, then you can figure you out what to do next.

[windtrader]

I'm a new owner and find my time is taken up working on the bus. Always something to do. Recently, refurbishing the paint, finding lots of new places to touch up. Wheels could use a paint job, small leak under the toilet, making some sort or awning, generator has an intermittent glitch, still much reading through the foot high documentation on all the systems. So much to learn about the detail workings of the inverter/charger, generator, alarm system, stereo system, plumbing, wiring, motor, etc etc ... You'll never get time to go golfing LOL

[Darkspeed]

Build a second BUS of course....

When I sold my house I bought a little pice of land and put new 40' shipping containers on it, loaded them with all of my stuff, locked them and then started the "how long can I stay away from my stuff" game, its been like five years and I cant even remember half of what I had, now its time to ebay it all.

[Dave5Cs]

When we were full timing we worked at a Campground. I mowed lawns, clean up campsites when people would leave. Fixed pipes that had leaks or customers broke off, fixed equipment, The wife did customer service, did the books, took reservations. We had to each work 20 hrs a week for 8.00 an hr. Anything over that which was always about 35 to 40 hrs was time and half which they would get out of if they could. 2 other couples were there and the one that was there the longest made up stories about the others so that they could get everyone else laid off after the season and they could stay on. Was not a good experience. We also found out the other 2 couples didn't pay for their spots or gas only electric. We were paying $450.00 a month plus gas and electric. So ask and know what you are getting into before you leap. My wife had her own business while there off site and internet. We also cooked for all the customer get-together s which there were a lot being there was a boat ramp and campground, as well as live aboard s with slips.

[ccbmster]

I found that even with my favorite hobby it was not enough to occupy my time and I got very bored.  My wife on the other hand, does not have that problem.

Anyway, we have work camped a little and taken a job now and then, but the job thing kind of tied us down more than we want.

So now I am starting my own business (actually more like 2 businesses, one that is all mine (and my wife's of course and the other as a rep for a company that I believe can be a real benefit to many people).  It is something I can do wherever we are, so it does not tie us down  I can start a project and work when I want, and when that project is done I have the option of starting another one or not working for a bit.  If/when I want to start another project I can do so wherever we want to go.  Unfortunately, that doesn't work as well in the summers when we are near family as we end up with obligations (doctors appointments, family gatherings and spending time with the kids and grand kids) that get in the way of me working when I want to.  But, those periods of time are therapeutic for my wife LOL and so I deal with it.

My main business is something that I would not like to share with anyone as I don't need a whole lot of competition    Unless someone would like to work for me and sign a non-compete clause.  The other one I would be more willing to share with people and have them operate under my authorization.  If anyone is interested, just drop me an email at cbm2@hotmail.com

My suggestion is that you find something that you like to do, that gives you a reason to get out of bed in the morning and accomplish something that you take some pride in, and try to find a way to fit that into whatever amount of traveling that you want to do.

[dtcerrato]

Since our only bus purchase in 1979 we have periodically full timed in the bus including making & raising two boys. I have full timed more than the wife because when she threw the anchor out to school the boys, I kept traveling to work construction. Now in retirement things are different. The word retirement isn't in everyone's equation for full timing but we spent most of our life working to earn a living & unfortunately some of us forgot how to play. Bored? How can that be? There are so many things to do considered "play". How about fishing, hunting, hiking, kite flying, boating, thrill seeking, traveling, sightseeing, bar or restaurant hopping, model building, thrill seeking, bucket list fulfillment -actually the list is endless. We as regimentated humans sometime forget to think outside the box. We put more into the thought than into the action. We too are trying to downsize but should use caution. Try it first. Selling ones home is one thing, selling all worldly possessions is the ultimate. Try storing it before your absolutely certain. One example of our downsizing is over the last 1/2 dozen years or so we have literally eliminated many hundreds of pounds of paper, including volumes of photo albums & the like to digital format. No physical mass, it's all on the hard drive. If it feels good do it. My 2 cents.

[Branderson]

I don't know how my liver would handle full timing!! 

[Scott & Heather]

We are in a slightly different boat. My wife and I are in our early 30's with a 22 month old daughter. We have fulltimed for 7 years now (nearly our entire marriage) and love it. But we Fulltime somewhat because we have to since I'm a career musician and have to travel constantly to contracts all over the US. I have found that it helps to have a reason to go someplace. Whether that be family, friends or an occupation, having reasons to go places makes all the difference versus just throwing a dart at the map and heading there. Please Don't take this as preachy cause I don't mean it that way, but finding specific ways to spend your time in fulfilling things like helping others or volunteering for organizations around the country can really help make fulltiming more enjoyable, because you all of the sudden have a reason to be somewhere and someone needs you to be there. Just our two cents.


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[eagle19952]

Respite relief for caregivers..
Travel/visit kids,friends etc.
Farm and building maintenance
Chores for charity
maintain my trading account
Hunt coins for my collection.
annoy people on the internet
rebuild/repair tune prewar electric vacuum coffee pots then give them away
perfect my morning quart of coffee
further my desire for bbq ribs and pulled pork
tinker with vintage marine alcohol stoves
monkey/dabble in watch repair
walk my dog
sharpen my handgun skill...or not.
shoot a little trap
ride motorpickles
bake bread
maintain our Eagle
since 2004

[skytrends]

We are full Timers. Currently we are Gate Guards in the oil fields in Texas. Work 6 months take 3 to 4 months off and come back and do it again.

[PP]

Been fulltiming since 2002 and have no plans of stopping anytime soon. We both have different hobbies. While I like outdoor activities, the wife prefers indoor activities, and yet somehow it works for us. In her opinion we move around too much, in mine, not enough. We also fulltimed in a converted skoolie back in the 70s when I first got out of the military. Once it's in your blood, you either live with it or cure it. Good luck to you, Will and wife