After living in our Airstream for over a year, Lisa and I wanted to share our experience with full-time RV travel! In today’s post, we share why we chose this lifestyle, the challenges of retirement RV travel, and provide a one year cost breakdown of our full time travels (see the video below👇). We, share some insights for living on the road and our favorite tips if you’re considering a retirement RV lifestyle. Whether you're a seasoned traveler or an RV newbie, we hope this post provides you with some valuable information on the challenges and financial costs as you plan for your retirement and RV adventures.
Why We Chose the RV Retirement Lifestyle
Because we were in the military for over 30 years, we were familiar with a nomadic lifestyle. We weren't fans of the traditional lifestyle of staying in one place, and we both love to travel. So, RV travel seemed like the perfect fit for us! Since we first published this VLOG, we have purchased a home base property and have transitions to a most time RV travel lifestyle. However, that is a BLOG post for another day.
Top 10: RV Retirement Questions.
Here are some of the key takeaways from our full-time RV retirement journey:
Which RV is Best?
There's no one-size-fits-all RV, but it's important to consider your needs and travel style. We went with an Airstream, and we recommend checking out our other video for more details on How To Choose The Right RV. At the end of the day, you will need to decide which type RV (5th wheel, Class A, Travel Trailer, etc…) will best serve your RV retirement objectives.
Choosing the right RV for your retirement travel lifestyle takes time and thought to get it right
How do we plan RV travel?
RV travel days can be some of the most fun or the worst days of your RV retirement lifestyle. We use RV Trip Wizard to plan routes and find campgrounds. Google Maps and other apps are also helpful for checking campground reviews. Checkout this link for our Top 10 Travel Day Mistakes to Avoid.
Is RV travel safe?
We've been fortunate to avoid accidents, but we have encountered severe weather. It's crucial to be aware of weather conditions and have a plan in case of emergencies. We also use multiple weather apps to alert us of severe weather.
RV maintenance on the road?
Regular RV maintenance is key, and you can do most of it yourself while on the road if you're handy. We would schedule a maintenance day every week to keep up with the RV's repairs. However, be prepared for unexpected repairs as well. We always carry a variety of critical RV spare parts.
Routine maintenance is critical to a successful RV retirement lifestyle
Health Care on the road?
As a military retiree, we are fortunate to have medical insurance through a DoD provider as well as the VA (Veteran's Affairs). While traveling we only needed medical once for a cracked tooth. For prescriptions, we used the same national chains (CVS, Walgreens, etc...) for our medicines while on the road.
Is RV Travel comfortable?
I guess this depends on your definition of comfortable. For us, our Airstream had all the basic comforts of a home. Beds, showers, TV, internet, microwave, stove, heat & A/C. What all RV’s will lack to a degree is personal space. This is where you will need to be creative and maximize your outdoor space.
How did we handle mail while traveling?
Most mail these days is sent via email, however there is some that still comes through the US Postal Service. For that situation, we used a family members address. Once mail was received, we would have them open it and if it was import they would scan it and email it to us. Most of the time it went into the trash
How do we stay connected?
Stay connected while traveling in an RV full-time is no different than living in a traditional home. We had cell phones, internet, and streaming TV service. On occasions, our coverage would be marginal, so to overcome this we used T-Mobile for internet service and Verizon for cell service. 99% of the time one of the two providers had coverage.
Staying connected was never a big issue during our travels. You just need to plan accordingly.
How much does retirement RV travel COST?
We tracked our monthly expenses, which included camping fees, fuel costs, food, and entertainment. We budgeted around $5,000 per month and found that our actual expenses were close to that amount. The video link at the top of this post has all the details
Is the retirement RV life worth it?
Overall, RV travel has been an amazing experience for us. It's not for everyone, but it's a great option for those who are seeking adventure and flexibility. We had no regrets so it was definitely “worth it” for us.
Top 3 Tips:
Be flexible and embrace the adventure.
Have realistic expectations. Don't assume social media portrays reality.
Do your research and start slow. Learn from others' experiences.
Final Thoughts:
If you're thinking about hitting the road yourself, we hope this blog post has been helpful and provided some insights for you to consider.
Happy Camping & Safe Travels
Rick & Lisa
The Wright Life
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