Introduction: Getting started with full time RV living

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Well before retirement, Natalie and I began talking about downsizing from our home of 30 years into an RV, leaving Washington, and traveling until we find a place to make our new home. One of the best ideas we heard about the idea was to try RV living before investing in an RV because many people get the RV first, then decide they really don’t like the idea, and that can be an expensive mistake.

So, a couple years ago, we rented a 27-foot Class C (Basically a big truck with the camper built into the frame) and described the experience in our blog’s trip 2.

Once that test proved we could probably enjoy the idea, it became very important to gather enough information to choose well. The best way to get started proved to be from some of the surprisingly many RV focused travel blogs online. They not only describe many places worth visiting; they also give abundant detail about the downsides and how to deal with those. Among my favorites are “Changing Lanes” and “Today is Someday.” They can lead to several other useful, interesting, and informative sites

The first big question was whether to get a class A coach or a trailer. For us, it boiled down to the question how we’d rather travel around an area after getting the RV set up for a few days. I just don’t want to drive a big monster bus to Safeway or a tourist spot; so, we’d need to tow something behind the class A coach. With a trailer on the other hand, you need a tow vehicle that can handle the trailer, and I’d rather have a truck than a little car.

The next question was not really much of a question because one very good friend convinced us a fifth wheel is enormously easier to handle than a trailer. (A trailer attaches at the bumper; a 5^th wheel attaches to a hitch in the bed of the truck.)

Then the question became just how much truck we’d need. And that required figuring out how much of a trailer we’d want. After a fair amount of research, we decided we needed a truck to deal with about 20,000 pounds max, and that called for a 1-ton pickup with the diesel engine. Because I’m a Ford bigot on this, our desired truck would have to be a Ford F350 with the 6.7-liter diesel engine, but we don’t need the dual rear wheels.

Because we hoped to be on the road in 2022, our basic plan then was to get the truck in Fall of 2021 so we could get used to driving a truck before having to learn how to tow the 5^th wheel. Fortunately, a slightly used 2020 Ford F350 with the diesel engine became available in late October, and that part of the plan came true. It is one awesome vehicle because many of the necessities were already installed, along with some really nice luxury features like heated seats, a moonroof, and towing support systems.

After retiring in January, the next part of the plan was to buy a 5^th wheel during early spring so we wouldn’t have to winterize it but would be able to grow into it before it turned into our only home. When we went to the Seattle RV show on a Thursday in February, we were planning to check out four 5^th wheel models: the KZ Durango Gold, the Keystone Montana, the Keystone Montana Alpine, and the Northwood Arctic Fox, all at 35 or so feet long. (We liked the Grand Design rigs, but considered them beyond our price range.) We had absolutely no plan to buy a brand-new RV.

When we woke up that Friday, Natalie had spent her night dreaming about the Arctic Fox, and we had several good discussions about it over Friday and Saturday, but were busy with other obligations so couldn’t go back until Sunday. On Sunday, we went back to the RV show with the plan to put money down on an Arctic Fox if one was available. There was, and we did. But the RV was still on the production line, awaiting parts. (Something about a supply chain was slowing everything down.) But it should be completed within a month or so.

Well, it turned into two months, and we took delivery on April 19^th and moved into a spot at a very nice RV park in north Bothell called Lake Pleasant. And it really is a very pleasant little lake almost right in the big city but you’d never even notice unless you wanted to get there. We were quite fortunate to be able to reserve the spot for 11 days right near the beginning of the RV season. Of course, we wanted to be able to show off our new home and the beginning of our dream somewhere close enough a few friends and family could come to see it.

After our short stay at Lake Pleasant, we needed to find a park where we could leave the RV and treat it as a sort of vacation cabin until we could sell our house, hit the road and begin our vision. Luckily, we were able to make a reservation at a nice park between Bellingham and Lynden called Hidden Village and on May 1^st, we moved the RV there. This was our first real road trip while towing a 5^th wheel without the help of an experienced friend. (Moving it a few miles from the dealer to Lake Pleasant was a new experience, but very different from a couple hours on the freeway and maneuvering around city streets. Just out of curiosity, we measured our length from front truck bumper to RV back bumper: 55 feet!)

We first contacted our realtor about listing the house in late May, were able to list it on July 13, and accepted an offer on the 16^th. That left us about 1 month to empty the house and move into the RV full time; 30 days to move out of 2300 square feet into 300. We rented a Pod for some belongings to start with in a new home if and when we settle down again. Otherwise, we spent the time after starting the process to sell the house selling some things with a garage sale, giving stuff away, and hauling entirely too much good stuff to the dump. Every once in a while, we went up to the RV to take some things we’d need and relax for a day or two. We closed on the home sale on August 16. It’s amazing how much work that was, but it’s now over and we’re in the RV to stay for at least a while. We need to get it organized better and have to whittle down the stuff we still have, but we’re almost ready to hit the road for good. Our tentative start date is September 19.

Meanwhile, we’ve been able to enjoy exploring Lynden and the surrounding area as well as get comfortable with the new experience of calling an RV our home. For one thing, our neighbors can be much more friendly than we expected and we’ve met some really interesting people.

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Photos

OurIntroTourIsDone
Our Intro Tour Is Done