We found it! Our new home on wheels. After years of dreaming about our next camper and trying to figure out what will work for our big kids or our future grandkids, we were now searching for a full-time home on wheels. I am embarrassed to admit that I have wasted hours and hours searching RV Trader, camper dealerships and YouTube for the perfect floorplan. It was actually Jeff who ended up finding the perfect one because he was insistent that the girls have their own space. We knew our current camper was too small with only one slide-out. For those of you who picture tent poles and sleeping bags when you hear the word "camping", picture a room that expands at the touch of a button and that is a camper slide.
I was convinced that we should be looking for a mid-bunk model but Jeff had found a floorplan that has a bunkhouse with slides on both sides of the camper. This creates an actual room with space for a table and plenty of storage, not to mention an extra 1/2 bath that would allow for a whole new level of privacy. The downside to this floorplan is how long the camper has to be as well as the weight. With the purchase of Big Betty we no longer had to worry about the weight but the longer the RV, the harder it is to find places to camp within the State and National park systems.
Jeff won the argument when he found a used 5th wheel for sale in South Carolina. He had found the perfect model but every time he found one for sale it disappeared almost immediately. Since we were having such a hard time selling what we already owned, we were both hesitant about jumping too quickly into anther camper. We already had two trucks and we surely didn't need two campers. But then he found the exact model in St. George, SC. This was just two days after buying Big Betty but we headed north on I-95 and prayed that we would make the right decision. It was actually a nice day trip. We found a little restaurant in St. George called Bistro 221, which is very close to the I-95 and I-26 intersection, and enjoyed a nice lunch before we went to look at the camper. #Bistro221 #greatburger #revitalizedowntown
The camper was everything that we had hoped. If you have ever shopped for a used camper, or anything used for that matter, you know it is a scary prospect. Rarely are the campers in as good a condition as the seller tells you. We asked a ton of questions and it was very promising but we were still skeptical. What a relief to drive up and meet the sellers and their lovely family. They had taken great care of it and even had it inspected and repaired by a handyman. I checked out the inside and then played with their 3 year old while Jeff found out about all the mechanics. Once we were satisfied I called the bank and we were all set (sort of, it wasn't quite this easy because I assumed that wire transfers happened at the click of a button....but the sellers were patient and it all worked out in an hour or two.) They showed Jeff how to hitch up to Big Betty and we were off. The proud owners of two campers!!! We were equal parts excited and petrified. Now things are getting real and we can picture ourselves in the awesome new camper with our family but we still have so much to do and so much to get rid of. #fulltimeRV #fifthwheel #buyingused
I almost forgot.....their little boy was so sweet and wanted to come home with us. He actually cried and I had to promise to send him pictures of our dog Zeke. It was a very sweet way to end our buying experience. Thanks seller family!!!!
On the way home from SC I decided to list our camper on RV Trader. This was where we found the new one and we had not had any success for 4 weeks on Facebook. Within two days we had a couple of inquiries and one of them asked a lot of questions. The crazy part is that they live in Colorado! Eventually they called me and I spoke with both the husband and wife who asked a ton of questions. They decided to buy our camper sight-unseen after our chat. The husband Googled me and found this blog and they decided that I am trustworthy. I'm a superstar!!! I am Googlable! And we sold our camper!
While all this was going on we were also knee-deep in the real estate process. Inspections, appraisals, repairs and the like. After cleaning the new camper from top to bottom and buying a few necessities I took a much needed break and went to Jekyll Island for a tennis tournament. Some very good tennis friends of mine, Scott and Cindy, were so kind and invited me to stay with them at their beatiful beach rental. We had a great weekend even though I lost both my matches on the first day. Jeff drove up for the day to watch and on the way he got a call from someone interested in his old truck. They had seen the sign in the window as he was driving to Jekyll and asked him to stop and let them see it. They liked it and said they would call him and darn if they didn't come and buy it tonight. Two down, one to go! The corvette is still here despite dozens of inquiries and at least 3 test drives. I feel so bad for Jeff because this is the hardest thing for him to sell and everyone who looks at it offers him less than it is worth. Finally today someone came and offered him a decent price and says they will be back tomorrow. I guess we will see.
As we get closer and closer to our goal, I think it is time to share a step-by-step list of the process thus far as well as what we still have to do to make this all happen. These steps will be different for almost everyone, depending on each family's circumstances, but maybe this will help someone someday who is planning/exploring full-time RV'ing for their family.
Steps thus far:
Make the decision. This has been, by far, the hardest step. Waiting comes in at a close second. For us this meant considering how it will affect our teenage daughters. There were many conversations and, while they don't get a final say, we very much wanted them to be on board with the idea. They have been amazing even when they have had to give up very important things. Ivy is probably giving up the most. She just made the next level on her year-round swim team and was so excited.
Set a budget. We ran all the numbers and figured out that we would have to sell our house and most of our big ticket belongings to be able to do this. #dowdsizing is not easy but the more time we spend getting ready the more we realize how little the stuff matters to us. Also important to us is how we will make money moving foward. A lot of full-timers are retired and have retirement income. We are not there yet and Jeff will be working on his business. We also hope to camp host to cut down on expenses. #camphost #workcamp
Figure out what health/dental insurance will work for our family.
Decide on the best schooling options for the kids. This was so easy! We have been #homeschooling for 11 years so we will just continue doing what we have always done. Jeff solved the only possible problem by making sure we have a camper big enough that we can all have a place to work if we need to be inside.
List the house. This sounds simple right? Nope!!! A short list of repairs from our realtor took 2 solid weeks of 12 hour days.
Create a tentative travel plan. We hope to spend our first couple of months in North Georgia and then see what happens next.
Sell our stuff.
Decide what to keep in storage and find a storage unit.
Ask friends and family to store a box or two. I don't want to put our photo albums and a few other things in a storage unit. So thankful for my parents and Jeff's family for volunteering to keep a few boxes and a gun safe.
Order new mattresses for the girl's bunks in the new camper.
Apply to be a camphost and submit to background checks. #gastateparks
Establish a domicile. In order to have a driver license, passport or health insurance, one must be a resident of a state. Without a house we must establish residency through a domicile. There are several companies that offer this service to RV'ers but since we are already Florida residents (no state income taxes) we will maintain our residency here at a family member's home. It also helps to pick the state that you will likely end up in when done travelling.
Things we still need to do:
Change our addres on everything. Driver licence, passport, credit cards, everything!
Finish selling everything.
Find reliable internet options.
Find a way to transport our bikes.
Pack
Brainstorm ways to organize and simplify in the camper.
Schedule a donation pick-up.
Find a campsite to stay in while we move into camper and out of house. This will take several days before and after closing on our house and allow us time to get everything situated and organized before heading down the road.
Figure out when it is safe to start getting rid of things because the house sale is not final.
Convince my kids that they do not need all their clothes and stuffed animals.
Come up with a way to secure Ivy's gecko habitat in the camper. Yep! We will have the world's only camping gecko. I suggested that we donate him to a Zoo but she broke down in tears and I quickly backed up that truck. Fred is a part of the family and will love seeing the great outdoors through the glass of his habitat.
Play lots of tennis. I don't know when I will be able to be a part of a tennis community again so I plan on playing as often as I can despite my utter exhaustion.
Cancel memberships, cable, internet and anything else that is only needed in our sticks and bricks life.
Dream about all the amazing places we are going to see.
Add to this list.
So much to do and so little time. Less than six weeks to blast off!
We sold our camper pretty quick through RVTrader, too. A sweet couple in Montana bought it. I love reading about how this is all coming together for you!!