As a child my family camped, first with an old army tent then moved way up to a 15' Holiday. In those days there were some that were self-contained but not that one. It was designed to sleep 5 or 6, my family had 7 so I was assigned the floor in between the dining table & the double bed, my feet were best under the space the table top made. At one time we had 8, my cousin's bassinet fit on the 3 burner stove. We had an ice box 2 over head cots which my younger brother & youngest sister used. Parents on the double bed & my other 2 sisters slept on the table. Real cozy, no heater but what we could get with body heat. It wasn't til I was married at 22 that we had our next trailer, a 17 1/2 foot Kit. Had a few more luxuries but still no waste disposal, so it was a porta potty that only was used by me. My wife & kids chose the facilities at whatever park we stayed at. Something about using the stand alone potty that went against their more delicate senses. We had a couple more on that same order over the next 10 years, finally returning to a spacious 10x10 walled tent, that was used mostly for my hunting trips. My next move was not for another 30 odd years when I purchased a 19' Aerojet, thought I had made it. I bought the Aerojet because my eldest daughter had convinced me to go ‘snowbird’ with her to SW Arizona for the winter. She had been seeing a therapist who seemed sure she was Asperger & suffered from SAD (Seasonal Adjustment Disorder). She hated the overcast skies of the PacNW, both of us became unbearable during the winter months & made my wife and her friends suffer. It was in 2017 that we first journeyed to Arizona, her in her van & me pulling my trailer with a cargo van that I had attempted to but given up on converting for boon docking, coming to the realization that I was too old to rough it. The first year was a learning process, but we enjoyed our time in the sun for 5 months, 2nd year 2018 was somewhat better but colder as all the nation experienced. We made it the 6 months but things were coming to a head, my van was having issues, my heater in my trailer had quit working & the cramped space was grating on my nerves. She had purchased an in place 5th wheel & was making repairs almost daily. I was bearing up well but was dissatisfied with the condition of my space. I was open to any solution. Good fortune smiled upon me in the late spring. A couple from back east via the PacNw were retiring & moving to Arizona full time. They had a decent 31 foot 5th wheel with 2 slide outs, a dual axle cargo trailer, a 3/4 ton pickup & a 12 foot van that had been converted to a camping unit. They wanted and found a permanent setup that met their desires & they also had an ATV, with all the extra vehicles they had to downsize. My neighbor between us purchased the van & cargo trailer, I was offered the 5th wheel at a price that I couldn't refuse. I made a steal at their expense, looking back I can see why they let it go so cheaply, it was something they didn't want to deal with, so it was my good fortune. I didn't even have a vehicle that would pull it so I decided to go full time space rent and have a place for the winter months. I pay $153 per month, I would have paid more than $200 a month, then would have to trailer it back to the PacNW for the summer, estimated adding $400 to pull it one way, then $50 a month to store it, add the cost of a larger pickup equipped to pull it with. Something I could not see as a good thing. Insurance, license & taxes would be high, it was better to pay for the space full time & keep it parked in place in Arizona.
We know two couples, one being my half brother, who are "Snowbirds". Both own property/homes in two states. However, I do have a high school classmate that, her and her husband, use a motorhome to be "Snowbirds". They sold their home in Naples, Florida and bought it. During winter months, they park the motorhome in Naples and during summer months, just travel in it. Thing is, whether a "Snowbird" has property in two states or lives/travels in a motorhome...…….it's expensive. There are those with a nice Pension, SS and savings that can do it and those that can't. The "can't" is us!
We are "sunbirds". Instead of running *to* the sun, we run *away* from it. Our stick-and-brick is in Florida. Our summer home is wherever we want it.
We have an RV but no need to snowbird since we live on the Texas coast. I know a lot of people who winter in the RGV and Quartzsite. I'd like to downsize from our motorhome to a Sprinter-based RV but not sure we want to experience another depreciation event.
we did that a few years..now settled but will be headed out after Christmas headed south for 4 months to do one more job...a little warmer than here
I originally planned to RV through the first part of my retirement years, but my life changed and the plan was scrapped. Now, being alone, I don't think I could handle taking care of it properly, or even parking it , on my own. I still think it's a wonderful option!!
I was a real Snowbird for 26 years of my retirement by leaving California in November for New Zealand and returning to California in April.
We wanted to travel and live in an RV, touring the country and go when we wanted and stop and stay awhile when the mood struck us. My wife wanted to sell the house, buy an RV when we retired. I didn't mind a little travel but didn't want to sell the house. I wanted a home base, somewhere to come home to. We talked and planned on this years before we retired. To work into the idea slowly and as a compromise, I bought a small camper, one of those German pop-top jobs, had a bed and a sink, a table with appropriate sitting. We furnished with a small refrigerator and a Coleman stove. Our first trip we drove from Lubbock to OKC for my wife's family reunion. We spent two days and a long breakfast at the reunion. It was a fun and we didn't stay in the camper but in motel. From OKC we motored to Tulsa, toured Oral Roberts holdings and domain in Tulsa before going on to the Ozark's. Over a campfire coffee and breakfast the next morning we discussed what to do or where to go next. I suggested I'd go anywhere she wanted to go. We headed north and wound up in Portage, Wisconsin. I had a brother there.We were going down into Tennessee, drop off in to the Smokies, work down to the Gulf coast to Mobile, new Orleans. That was the plan. Driving down the road, looking at all the sights, feeling free as a breeze, my wife suddenly blurts out, "I wanna go home." And she was serious. I cut back through southern Iowa, into Missouri. In Missouri she became ill. Late at night in Springfield I found an open pharmacy and got her some medicine. That was the only long trip we took. The camper did provide opportunities for shorter, weekend trips and we took many of those. We visited every state park in New Mexico, some of them two or three times. I really liked that little camper but things happen to make you change your mind, change your plans. Later I suggested we could trade the camper in on a larger rig but she said no way, Jose. There were a few years there when times were good and life was great and we enjoyed it to the fullest within our means and the free time we had. And, by the time we retired we were old, sickly, and toothless. Just look at me now, a far cry from the swordsman I used to be. Almost forgot! Welcome to the forum, @Bryan Leak, I liked your post above.
I could see myself living in an RV, except for one thing. I can't see myself not having at least one cat, and a cat would go crazy being shut up in an RV. Assuming that I'd be traveling since that is pretty much the point of living in an RV, I wouldn't even be anywhere that would be familiar to the cat, so I couldn't let her outside. No, that might work for a trip every now and then, but not as a lifestyle.
I know several people who RV with cats; some are full-time living in their RV. Since indoor cats pretty much stay inside I don't believe they have had any problems (except where to put the cat box in a small area. ) One person I know taught her cat to walk on a leash, so that's how she addressed the problem of a cat wanting to go outside.
We were sort of shocked to find out that the Seniors here, whom we have talked to since we've moved here, wouldn't be a snowbird. They are completely happy having just one home...…..right here. The winters here simply don't bother them at all. Actually, I was very, very surprised at how many Seniors live full-time in the Denver metro area. That was when I worked full-time for a Senior Healthcare Company in Denver.
Speaking of RVs; we need to decide whether to buy new tires for ours or take it to the consignment lot and finally sell it. Or both.
I live in a fairly large house, with two floors, and my cat goes stir crazy here in the winter. I can't imagine subjecting her to even less space, with no opportunity to go out. Even though she hates the cold, she still wants to go out several times a day. Last week, it was cold enough that the snow had frozen hard so that she could run across the top of it, and she ran the length of the yard and back a few times, letting off her pent-up energy. Last spring, on the first warm day that wasn't still muddy from melting snow, she ran about two blocks down the railroad tracks, then back again, and across the yard. Every now and then, I think about buying a small house in South Carolina or somewhere warmer than Maine, so that I'd have a regular place to winter in, but it's not good to leave a house by itself in the winter in Maine. Even when winterized, they deteriorate much faster when they are empty. So, while I wouldn't mind having an RV, I can't see myself living in it for any length of time.
, I'm sure the cat thing depends on the cat; many of them are content to lay in the same spot for most of the time. We had a little dog and he LOVED to travel. When we'd bring the RV to the driveway to start packing, he'd be barking and turning in circles with excitement. Oh, and I'd never want to live in an RV, either. For one thing, they are not constructed for full time living, I don't care what anyone says. They are basically junk with thin walls and need a LOT of maintenance upkeep. "There are 2 kinds of RVs... the ones that leak and the ones that are going to leak."
Hokay, I am sitting in the Mesa, AZ library this 15th day of 2020. I have been to Quartzsite several years, where many people (not all!) boondock on BLM land. This last January was not as good as most previous years, probably, in my opinion, because Quartzsite town has imposed a 10.1% sales tax on anything you buy, including the swap meets. Parking to get into the "Big Tent" area for the RV show hasn't gotten any better, so I honored my stiffer legs (and disgust with the sale tax) and refused this year to walk the long distance from parking to the Tent a second time and pay 10.1% tax for small purchases. It pays to shop a little before buying, because sellers do come from many different home bases. It also seemed the prices, in general, are up over the last several years. It was extremely disappointing that the BLM disrupted the large "Rubber Tramp" group meeting which drew close to 5000 attendees in previous two years. They are much, much more than their nickname. The weather was fairly good in January at Q. It is also nice to see people and friends there from previous years. There is always something to learn there. For instance, I learned two great new spots to visit, maybe even adopt as a home base. Now to the real reason for my post. The senior social activities and ballroom dance in east Mesa have trended down for several years. The Red Mountain senior center and Mesa libraries are still good senior resources but not as good as previous years. RV park jam sessions seem less than previous years. Car shows and swap meets are stuck in ho-hum. Fewer concerts. Lots more motorcycles, which I am Not interested in. I am not interested in golf. The Quartzsite price comment is true here in the Mesa area including the Mesa Market. So I am bored and ready to leave, but NOT go back north to the snow and cold. Are there any of you out there that are familiar with the Mesa area that can recommend senior activities? How about TEXAS? Any good areas to explore there or any good recommendations for senior activities. I am interested in the Kerrville, TX area but haven't been able to get much info from the internet. I really like New Mexico, but can't consider it too much because of restrictions on senior drivers licenses. I am seriously looking for a new principal residence (domicile), which MUST have Medicare Advantage available.