Red Roads Fulltiming Family

Fulltiming FAQ's: Traveling

1. How do you decide where to go next?

    So far, this hasn't been much of a problem for us. We started fulltiming as winter approached Ohio, so we headed south in search of warmer weather. David had spent time in the Southwest and thought that would be a good place to spend the winter. It was easy to find places and people to visit on the way from Ohio to Arizona. Even before we sold the house, we were pretty sure we would go to Alaska the first summer on the road. (In case the traveling life didn't work out for us, at least we would have had an Alaskan adventure!) Our family members wanted to know when we'd return to Ohio for a visit. We wanted our time in Alaska to be as long as possible, so we told them we would see them in September. By then we hoped we'd know whether we wanted to continue traveling. If so, we'd leave Ohio again in October.
    This circle route (from Ohio to Arizona for the winter, then to Alaska for the summer, then back to Ohio in the fall) served as our skeletal agenda. Fleshing out the plan was a matter of choosing stops along the way. We visited family members and friends, went to tourist places we'd heard about for years, and saved time for unexpected adventures. We will continue to use this general plan as long as it works for us. 

2. How long do you stay in one place?

    During our first year of fulltiming, we moved frequently, even though we made a conscious effort to avoid vacation mode by staying a week or two in most places. We have learned that many fulltimers set a hectic pace their first year on the road. There is an excitement and intensity about the new lifestyle which can be exhausting and frustrating. (In fact, some people become disillusioned with their dream of a traveling life and quit after a year or so. Although there can be many reasons for this, one cause may be their own failure to slow down, simplify, and prioritize.) 
    As I listened to and learned from other fulltimers, I began sharing with them a comparison that almost always brought a smile to their faces. The first year of fulltiming is similar to the first year of marriage or the first year of parenthood: you couldn't pay somebody to go through that time again, but neither would they trade that precious experience for any amount of money.

3. In what kind of campgrounds do you stay?

    We usually look for small places with big spaces! Our budget figure for overnight stays is an average of $15 per night. We've found this to be a reasonable figure for us because we often stay at fairly inexpensive campgrounds like Escapees Rainbow Parks and Co-ops, state parks, and other public parks. When we boondock at the homes of family and friends, or in the desert, that lowers our average cost, too. Then we can afford an occasional brief stay at a destination park or in a popular vacation area where everything is higher priced.
    One reason we typically avoid campgrounds that belong to national chains is that they charge prices suitable for a vacation budget. People go there and stay in the park for their week-long vacation, using the pool, game room, playground, shower house, etc. We don't use those amenities, so we don't like paying for them. These parks often charge a per person fee for more than two people in a site, and they are "conveniently" located near major highways. For us, these three reasons add up to three strikes.
    We have met many people who belong to membership parks and are usually quite happy with them. Before we left the house, we visited a local campground that belonged to a national membership plan. We were not impressed with the facilities nor with the reception we received as "drop-in researchers." While we are not judging all parks by this one, we have not been interested in pursuing this option. Of course, since we know so little, we are not giving a thumbs up or a thumbs down on membership parks.

4. Do you always have hook-ups?

    No. Sometimes we boondock (Here is another good page.), with no hook-ups at all. We've enjoyed that at Quartzsite, AZ, and Slab City, near Niland, CA. We added four solar panels, six batteries, and an inverter to our fifth wheel and a small generator in the truck to help us boondock. The two main challenges we face while parked without hook-ups is water use and trash disposal. 
    When we park in the driveways of family and friends, we usually have electricity. Water use is not such as issue if we use the house facilities. Sometimes in campgrounds we have only electricity and water; then we have to watch our water use to postpone a trip to the dump station. If we are only staying someplace for one night because we are in "traveling mode," we usually use only electricity, even if we have full hook-ups. It just makes breaking camp easier and quicker in the morning.
    Although we try not to carry gray water with us as we travel, we usually have a full fresh water tank. That way we have more flexibility in picking our overnight parking places. When we know we are going to be someplace with a full hook-up for at least several days, we use up the water in our fresh water tank and refill it just before we leave. That helps keep the tank fresh. We also sanitize it once a year.

5. How does it feel to be on a perpetual vacation?

    Our fulltiming lifestyle is really quite different from being on vacation. We don't have to pack and unpack our rig and we don't worry about forgetting some necessary item back at the house. We also don't wonder if the house is safe and sound. Our activities don't have to be scheduled to "get them all in." Our vacations were typically rather intense short periods (one or two weeks) during which time we ate out and drove a lot. We did not buy groceries or do laundry or household cleaning. A vacation was a break from (almost) all of the typical daily life activities. We are not on vacation now.
    Having said that, I'll admit that we do enjoy some of the excitement of a vacation. We get to meet new people and see new places. We're learning a lot about our county's history, geography, and physical science. 

6. How long are you going to do this?

    We have not set a time limit. We'll keep traveling as long as we feel it is the right thing for us to do. It's difficult to look ahead and imagine what it will be like when David and I are empty nesters. Of course, first we'll try to help our children make the transition to being on their own. Since we've never done that before, we don't know if we'll need to "settle down" for a time or not. We're taking one day at a time, thanking God for our health and safety, togetherness, and adventure opportunities.