Could/would you do it?

[RLD4ISU]

It might sound crazy, but we're seriously weighing the pros/cons of selling our home, buying a 5th wheel toy hauler and living in it FT for a few years. We'd become SD residents (no state taxes), but live somewhere warm in the winter. (I'm open to suggestions for good winter RV spots.)

Husband works remotely. We already planned to sell/move by/before the time he retires (4 years), purchase some land closer to our son and build a place. And we also plan to substantially downsize when we build. In the past we've had 3+ guest rooms and it's been extremely rare if they're used, so not going down that road again. LOL.

 

[Dgilbertson]

It might sound crazy, but we're seriously weighing the pros/cons of selling our home, buying a 5th wheel toy hauler and living in it FT for a few years. We'd become SD residents (no state taxes), but live somewhere warm in the winter. (I'm open to suggestions for good winter RV spots.)

Husband works remotely. We already planned to sell/move by/before the time he retires (4 years), purchase some land closer to our son and build a place. And we also plan to substantially downsize when we build. In the past we've had 3+ guest rooms and it's been extremely rare if they're used, so not going down that road again. LOL.

You could use the RV as guest rooms if/when company comes as well.

 

[FriendlySpartan]

It might sound crazy, but we're seriously weighing the pros/cons of selling our home, buying a 5th wheel toy hauler and living in it FT for a few years. We'd become SD residents (no state taxes), but live somewhere warm in the winter. (I'm open to suggestions for good winter RV spots.)

Husband works remotely. We already planned to sell/move by/before the time he retires (4 years), purchase some land closer to our son and build a place. And we also plan to substantially downsize when we build. In the past we've had 3+ guest rooms and it's been extremely rare if they're used, so not going down that road again. LOL.

Anyway you could try it for a month or two before taking the plunge? Also how rock solid is the remote work with so many being forced back into the office?

Outside of that it sounds awesome and that you guys would have a blast!

 

[KnappShack]

It might sound crazy, but we're seriously weighing the pros/cons of selling our home, buying a 5th wheel toy hauler and living in it FT for a few years. We'd become SD residents (no state taxes), but live somewhere warm in the winter. (I'm open to suggestions for good winter RV spots.)

Husband works remotely. We already planned to sell/move by/before the time he retires (4 years), purchase some land closer to our son and build a place. And we also plan to substantially downsize when we build. In the past we've had 3+ guest rooms and it's been extremely rare if they're used, so not going down that road again. LOL.

My Aunt and Uncle did this

I believe they went insane in the process. Joking, but not really joking. They were pretty odd going in. Came out worse on the backside

 

[DGC]

House will go up in value and the truck/ 5th wheel will go down in value. Need to make sure you can get a solid internet connection where you are. My grandma and grandpa spent the winters on the gulf coast of Alabama, I really like it there. Are you new to RVing or have you been around them?

 

[coolerifyoudid]

If you can do it, go for it. My wife would probably be ok for awhile (maybe a few months), but she'd never be able to do it for an extended period. I personally would be fine with it as long as I'm in a spot to enjoy the outdoors and have other activities around. I don't need much, but I'd need a location with some social interaction so I wouldn't drive my wife crazy. We've debated doing a camper van once we retire versus an RV, but it would obviously be for limited trips and not a full time residency.

Are both of you in good health? I can't imagine you get the same amount of comfort you'd get from a house, and lingering pains would possibly be magnified in closed quarters. Just something to think about.

 

[Drew0311]

It might sound crazy, but we're seriously weighing the pros/cons of selling our home, buying a 5th wheel toy hauler and living in it FT for a few years. We'd become SD residents (no state taxes), but live somewhere warm in the winter. (I'm open to suggestions for good winter RV spots.)

Husband works remotely. We already planned to sell/move by/before the time he retires (4 years), purchase some land closer to our son and build a place. And we also plan to substantially downsize when we build. In the past we've had 3+ guest rooms and it's been extremely rare if they're used, so not going down that road again. LOL.

This is one of those things that sounds good on paper. Same as buying one of those tiny houses. They make it seem so cool on the internet. Truth is after a month or two it's miserable.

 

[Cyclonepride]

I wouldn't mind it, but it would drive my wife insane. Her main requirement when we bought our first house was that she gets the master bath to herself (which is good because she has it full of her **** anyway). She also has no circulatory system and is not outdoorsy in the least.

 

[RLD4ISU]

Anyway you could try it for a month or two before taking the plunge? Also how rock solid is the remote work with so many being forced back into the office?

Outside of that it sounds awesome and that you guys would have a blast!

House will go up in value and the truck/ 5th wheel will go down in value. Need to make sure you can get a solid internet connection where you are. My grandma and grandpa spent the winters on the gulf coast of Alabama, I really like it there. Are you new to RVing or have you been around them?

If you can do it, go for it. My wife would probably be ok for awhile (maybe a few months), but she'd never be able to do it for an extended period. I personally would be fine with it as long as I'm in a spot to enjoy the outdoors and have other activities around. I don't need much, but I'd need a location with some social interaction so I wouldn't drive my wife crazy. We've debated doing a camper van once we retire versus an RV, but it would obviously be for limited trips and not a full time residency.

Are both of you in good health? I can't imagine you get the same amount of comfort you'd get from a house, and lingering pains would possibly be magnified in closed quarters. Just something to think about.

Been around RVing off/on over the past 40 years - owned campers (travel trailer, 5th wheel and Class C), though we've never lived in one for more than a a couple weeks. It's not an apples to apples thing, but at least we have a little bit of an idea with what we need for FT living. Though I can definitely tell you from a one week experience that a 26' travel trailer will not work.

Remote work has been since 2019, so I would said it's fairly solid - though also factoring in the "what if" for that since nothing is a guarantee.

Already have internet service that can go with us, plus comparing that to Starlink and other options.

In good health. Another pro - do this while we can. We've also found that when we are in an area that's warmer (like during the winter), we're more likely to be more active outside.

Thankfully they make 1.5 and 2 bath RVs. We found one with a living room that is actually a decent size - not just a love seat facing a TV. Some 5th wheels now have an actual office built in.

 

[RLD4ISU]

This is one of those things that sounds good on paper. Same as buying one of those tiny houses. They make it seem so cool on the internet. Truth is after a month or two it's miserable.

That's why it wouldn't be permanent. Just a couple years at the most.

 

[Yaz]

My wife and I are considering doing this. We currently have a teardrop and absolutely love the zoom zoom feature of it as i can park anywhere and go places a traditional trailer cannot. We both can work from the road basically, although with the teardrop it can be challenging. With our teardrop I can camp off grid too.

However, if we traveled more, we'd probably keep our home as a base and travel with a 4 season trailer as we desire. Living in a trailer full time, would be taxing I believe as there is more upkeep than people realize and yes your trailer will not appreciate in value so keep that in mind.

We are both very active...hike, walk, cycle...so would be exploring new places too. Shopping in new towns is not a real activity btw.

 

[BuffettClone]

I wouldn't mind it, but it would drive my wife insane. Her main requirement when we bought our first house was that she gets the master bath to herself (which is good because she has it full of her **** anyway). She also has no circulatory system and is not outdoorsy in the least.

Are you saying your wife is heartless??

 

[CascadeClone]

A. why not just build near your son now?

B. I think doing it for a set period of time (2 years, 30 months, whatev) is probably a lot more reasonable than making it permanent. If it is terrible and you hate it after 6 months, you can bring your other plans forward.

C. hey, if you guys want to be swingers, you don't need an RV, you can just get a hot tub.

 

[MJ29]

I could not do this. I need more space and am not particularly outdoorsy (walking on trails and drinking beers on patios is as good as it gets for me). But good for those who enjoy this kind of life.

 

[Yaz]

A. why not just build near your son now?

B. I think doing it for a set period of time (2 years, 30 months, whatev) is probably a lot more reasonable than making it permanent. If it is terrible and you hate it after 6 months, you can bring your other plans forward.

C. hey, if you guys want to be swingers, you don't need an RV, you can just get a hot tub.

Speaking of (C). People place a garden gnome proudly outside their trailers, among other signs of swinging. Yeah, its a thing.

 

[BCClone]

My Aunt and Uncle did this

I believe they went insane in the process. Joking, but not really joking. They were pretty odd going in. Came out worse on the backside

I was going to suggest to draw up divorce papers at the same time so it’s in process for when it will inevitably happen.

 

[3TrueFans]

Could we do his/hers RVs instead?

 

[Cyclonepride]

Are you saying your wife is heartless??

Lol, no. Just needs it to be 80 degrees or above at all times to be comfortable. I've been sitting around in shorts lately and she'll have a sweatshirt on with blankets over her.

 

[wxman1]

It might sound crazy, but we're seriously weighing the pros/cons of selling our home, buying a 5th wheel toy hauler and living in it FT for a few years. We'd become SD residents (no state taxes), but live somewhere warm in the winter. (I'm open to suggestions for good winter RV spots.)

Husband works remotely. We already planned to sell/move by/before the time he retires (4 years), purchase some land closer to our son and build a place. And we also plan to substantially downsize when we build. In the past we've had 3+ guest rooms and it's been extremely rare if they're used, so not going down that road again. LOL.

I would look seriously at where you want to be in the winter and what goes along with that. I follow a podcast where one of the hosts seemed to run into the issue of winterizing and basically having to live in a hotel or go further south than he really wanted.

 

[Joe4Cy]

My aunt and uncle did this after he retired from the military. They had been RV-ing for a while and were comfortable driving the 5th Wheel. The first few years, they travelled the country. Now, they have a home in Virginia near my cousins. They winter in the same camp in Florida, where they purchased a spot.

I don't know that it would be for me; however, if you have the experience or drive to do it, I say, "go for it!"