Saturday, February 12, 2011

RV Stale Mate

Dear Dr. R.V. Shrink:
We sold our house six years ago, bought a Class A motorhome and hit the road. We have had a wonderful journey. We have been all over North America. Having that experience under our belt I think we are a bit spoiled. Things seem to be changing. It is harder to get into campgrounds, the price is skyrocketing on gas and camping. The government keeps trying to take away the few camping benefits we have and it just doesn’t seem as enjoyable as I originally remember it. I want to buy some property in the Southwest and spend the winters in one spot and my husband wants to keep moving all the time. My plan would still give us all summer to head for cooler climes and even spring and fall for places we love in the southern tier states. This has been an ongoing debate for over a year now and we are still moving every 7 to 10 days. Can you shed some light on how I should approach this dilemma?
--Stale Mate in Big Bend

Dear Stale:
It happens. Life is like that. Remember when you were a kid and everything was a new adventure? Living life takes the polish off many new and exciting experiences. That’s a good thing. You need to spice up your life again. Shake things up. If you have done all the things you dreamed of in North America, why not park the rig next winter and rent one in Australia or New Zealand. North America has not cornered the RV market. You might want to try RVing Europe in the summer.

I think buying a piece of dirt in a warm climate is a great idea and a good investment. Many people find a little piece of paradise, build the camping site they always dreamed of and even a storage building for storing the RV while they are off on other adventures. You can also add a few sites for friends. I don’t have to tell you that you make wonderful friends while roaming. It’s great to have a place you can all gather on occasion. So I don’t see a problem here unless your husband won’t bend at all. I think you can both have what you want, build some equity in a piece of real estate and see more of this glorious planet we live on. If foreign travel is not your thing, I think you are offering your spouse a workable option. He gets to travel a majority of the year and you get your nesting time in one spot during the winter. Life is a compromise. I think if you two have survived in a motorhome for six years you have the right stuff. I am confident you will make the needed adjustments to continue your wonderful journey. --Keep Smilin’, Dr. R.V. Shrink

##RVT799; ##RVT892

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Another compromise might include staying a month at a time in each location.
You can often get a discounted rate for a monthly stay, and reduce fuel consumption at the same time.
You can choose your favorite places, or the more economical places, depending on your needs.

Jerry X Shea said...

WOW - Six years of moving every 7-10 days -ouch. I can see that kind of "moving around" in the summer (as we have done that)as you tour the country and try to see as much as you can. But when the weather turns, I agree, you want to "dig in." To have to up and move 10 days later - no way.
I agree with the comment above, stay a month (two or three) someplace for the winter, then enjoy your travels. I will bet that you are CtC or ROD members, which helps cut the cost of staying some place (down side is you have to keep moving), however, monthly payments on a house (even while you travel)compaired to just paying to stay someplace for 3 months, will be far less than that home. You can get monthly rates in real nice parks (check out Durango RV Resort in Red Bluff, California - $525 a month)that are not that far away from other attractions you can drive to and see. Compromise is the key word. Try it one time (couple months stay) and see if you like it. My bet is you will.