RV Home Yet?

Are RVers recession-proof?

At her blog, Ty and Mari's Mobile Lifestyle, Mari poses the question: Could RVing recession-proof your lifestyle? She wonders if with all the foreclosures and bankruptcies, can RVing prevent this?

The RV lifestyle is definitely a simpler, less expensive lifestyle - IF you chose to live that way. Of course, with some RVs costing as much or more than a house in some parts of the country, an RVer could be upside down on his/her loan even more quickly and get into trouble.

However, the wonderful thing about the lifestyle is the flexbility and control you have over your budget. RVs are self-contained and, without too huge an investment, you can make them more so. Add a couple of solar panels and an inverter, a catalytic heater, and perhaps a quiet Honda 2000 generator (if your RV didn't come with one) and you can boondock, or camp without hookups, on public lands at no cost. Yes, you move every two weeks - and - you get a new view and place to explore.

You can control costs by staying longer in one place. You might volunteer in exchange for your RV site. If you have unexpected expenses, you can even work for a while and bring in some money. You can cook more in your rig and eat out less. Even use a solar oven - pictured.

Since their is little room for clothes and "stuff," you can take photos and make memories instead.

Even better, you control your most precious comodity - time!

Though it seems that some RVers take their same lives with them - spending lots of money on eating out, resort RV parks and entertainment - that is only one option. We know RVers living on very tight budgets who are having the time of their lives, see others living a grand lifestyle and everything in-between. The choice is yours.

What is important in your life? If you can do it while traveling/living in an RV, this lifestyle may be right for you. Jaimie

Photos by George Bruzenak

RV Writing- starter sentence

Today at a writing group we belong to we got a starter sentence. We are to write a short piece and then  share it at the next meeting. It's a good one so I thought I'd suggest it. Set your timer for 5 or 10 minutes, then write. Keep your hand moving. Don't edit. You can always make changes later.

If you'd like to share what you wrote, leave it in a comment on this post.

She was the last person I thought I would see....

RVing lends itself to writing. You have more time. You see beautiful places. You may be thinking of writing your family history for the kids and grandkids. If you are an aspiring writer- for your own pleasure or for possible or eventual publication, take a look at our e-book, Taking the Mystery out of RV Writing.

Hope to see your piece in a comment below! Jaimie

Photo of a writing group taught by Alice Zyetz at an RV rally. Reading their pieces after writing. Photo by George Bruzenak

National Park passes

The federal government has instituted a new system of park passes. The new ones are good at all federal agency recreational locations. The old ones were only accepted at national parks.

The yearly pass, for $80, is called "America the Beautiful - Natonal Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass." Use it for parks that have an entrance fee. With some national parks charging $15-20 per vehicle, it doesn't take too many visits before you save money.

Seniors, 62 years of age or older, can pay $10 for a lifestime pass. This replaces the old Golden Age pass. Besides admissions, it can also be used for a 50 percent discounts on some amenities like camping fees so it is well worth the money.

Those with a permanent disability can get a free access pass. This pass replaces the old Golden Access  pass. It also entitles passholders to a 50 percent discount on some amenities like camping fees.

Neither the senior pass nor access pass provide discounts on goods and services provided by concessionaires. All passes must be obtained in person and identification provided. You  must show identification when you use it.

In addition, if you volunteer at least 500 hours for the Nationl Park Service, you will receive a volunteer pass good for one year at no charge.

See the National Park Service Web site for more details. For seniors this is an outstanding bargain. For those not yet 62, the new pass could still save money, depending on your travel plans. Enjoy our parks and other recreational areas- they are our nation's treasures. Jaimie Hall-Bruzenak

Top photo- George Bruzenak; photo of Old Faithful by Bethany Lippy

Tennessee full-time RVers disenfranchised

A U.S. District Court judge ruled that Bradley County officials who dropped 286 RV owners from the rolls in 2006 did not violate their right to vote or their right to travel. Tennessee allows homeless people who live on a park bench or under a bridge to vote but RVers who have a commercial mailbox address were dropped from the rolls. Tennessee law specifically excludes people whose only address is a commercial mailbox from voting.

In rejecting the argument that RVers are being treated differently from homeless people, the judge stated, "homeless people are residents of the place they live, even if that place is a park bench, while plaintiffs have not clearly pointed to any place they live." The RVers haven't decided whether or not to appeal. (See full article at RVBusiness.com)

In Texas, the Escapees RV Club, which has the largest mail forwarding service in the world, successfully fought attempts to disenfranchise full-time RVers using their service.

Maybe RVers in Tennessee will have to pitch a tent under a bridge long enough to establish residency if they want to vote - unless there is room for their RV. Tax dollars apparently don't count.

Health insurance on the road- be careful

For RVers who want to full-time under Medicare age, finding health insurance is often a challenge. Actually it creates an opportunity for cheaper, better coverage, but that increases the work you have to do.

Health insurance could be part of your decision as to which state to use as your domicile. Since full-time RVers can choose their domicile, they can consider health insurance policies in other states. States regulate companies in their own states, not the federal government, so that means that laws, coverage and prices are different in each state.

Some states do have more protections and assistance - especially for those with pre-existing conditions - so don't rule out changing. However, having a choice means that you need to do even more research. Now you need to find out about the state regulations as well as the record of that company in that state. Getting your coverage dropped because you are costing the company too much is every person's nightmare. Some companies do that. Others have been known to go out of business in that state for a while to dump their expensive clients.

Last week in CA, a judge ruled that Health Net, one of the largest providers in the state, had to pay a woman $9 million. Health Net cancelled her policy in the middle of chemotherapy for breast cancer, saying she had lied about her weight and not disclosed a pre-existing condition. She went without chemotherapy for several months while she searched for a charity to assist her. Getting dropped apparently isn't all that uncommon, so checking with the attorney general of the state and a knowledgeable independent agent can help you uncover that sort of information. See the article in the L.A. Times for more information on this case.)

For resources to help you research health insurance companies and policies, see the three "Health Insurance Options" articles at RVHometown.com. Support Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road also has information.

Time spent in research can save a lot of grief. The woman in CA was very lucky. Had she had an aggressive form of cancer, she could have died before she was able to continue treatment.

What if you die on the road?

We recently talked about insurance that would take care of transporting you if you got sick on the road or had an accident. It would also transport family and your RV in certain situations. But what if you or your spouse passes away while traveling? You may have a prepaid funeral plan in your home area but what if you pass away in another state while traveling? Transporting the body could be very expensive.

While at the Western Gypsy Gathering, we talked with Alice Kyle and Tom Owens of "Final Exit Plan." By purchasing their specialized insurance, you will have the funds for your funeral and associated expenses, but available to spend at any provider's. This money becomes available to your heirs upon your death with no conditions. Final Exit helps you estimate your expenses, depending on your desires. A simple cremation with a relative taking the ashes home could cost as much as $3000. If you set aside money for a service and have your ashes placed in an urn in a Columbarium or vault would, of course, cost more. Embalming, casket, shippig the body to where you want to be buried and a funeral service there even more so.

Once you choose an amount, based on your age, you set aside so much per month/quarter/year. When the policy is in force, if you were to pass away before you finished paying for the policy, you would still have full coverage. The exception is if you have certain diseases like diabetes or cancer. Then you would not have full coverage for two years, though the money you had paid in would always be available.

Alice and Tom are taking this business on the road. Tom is now traveling in his RV, while Alice joins him at RV events. They will be at the Life on Wheels event in Tucson in March and the other LOW events as well.

It's something to think about. My parents prepaid their expenses for cremation and a spot in the Columbarium. It is in a cemetary with a cute chapel where they got married and has beautiful grounds. I have no idea where I'll end up or where I'll be when I pass away. It's nice to think there would be money available to my son and daughter to take care of things.

Barbie has an RV party bus!

Barbie, the doll, has an RV party bus. Who would have thought....

The description at Toys R Us is as follows:

"There's no place like home -and even on the road Barbie doll and friends enjoy all the comforts of home! This RV has three complete room areas and lots of transformation fun with over twenty travel and play pieces. The living room has an entertainment center with a "flat screen TV", swivel driver's chair and a sofa that opens into a bed. There's a pull-down second bed and more! The kitchen area includes a refrigerator, microwave oven, built-in sink, and pull-down dinette table. There's a bathroom with a toilet and built-in sink. Pull down the back of the motor home for a fabulous hot tub that lights up and has fun party music, too. Requires three "AA" batteries, not included."

Actually the reviews at Toys R Us are not that good. But RVs have made the mainstream when Barbie has one. Kids as young as 3 can play with this toy, according to the store.

Will kids having a toy RV have an impact in the future? Kids growing up very familiar with RVs and wanting to have one of their own? Only time will tell. What will they think of next? Jaimie

All electric RVs - a changing lifestyle?

Yesterday Lug-Nut posted about all electric RVs and their pros and cons. It is a well thought out article. Only the newer, larger deisel RVs are being built with this feature. The main advantages are 1) you can have a residential refrigerator and 2) you don't travel with propane. The disadvantages are many.  The main one is that you need hookups, and 50 amps at that, most nights. Boondocking is possible, but more limited. And you'll be running your generator several hours a day.

I began full-time RVing in 1992. We started with a used motorhome. RV friends we made traveled in  simple travel trailers and could live on practicially nothing. They spent months boondocked in national forests and on BLM land. Most of us boondocked a good bit of the time.

In the 15+ years since we started, RVing has gone mainstream. Luxurious RVs costing upwards of a million dollars are being built. The bells and whistles in new RVs are amazing. We modified our MH to put in a desk; newer ones have desks, entertainment centers and elaborate technology. We see people with $200,000 to $500,000 RVs trading them in for even better (translated - more expensive) ones every couple of years. RV park fees are going up. A few charge more than $100 a day and cater to the large rigs. If you motorhome is more than a few years old, forget staying there.

There seem to be two tracks of RVers. One group has lots of money to spend and sees staying in RV parks as the norm. They are tethered to their utility pole. Travel in these rigs can't be spontaneous if you must have a 50 amp hookup and a site large enough to fit your rig. Many in this track may not have the newest and latest but do see RVing as moving from RV park or campground to another. More RVs need 50 amp power. Convection ovens must have electricity to operate and are in most of the new rigs.

Others still look at RVing as a way to see the country and enjoy out-of-the-way places. They choose smaller RVs so they can get off the beaten track. They want to experience nature and quiet. Being clustered in a group of RVs is not what the RV experience is all about. These RVers change their lifestyle. They don't spend a lot of money on "stuff" or even experiences. They go where they can hike, take photos, and enjoy what nature has to offer. It's both free and priceless.

Of course many of us wander back and forth between these two tracks. We stay in parks on our travels, but seek the natural experience. We love finding natural hot springs and hiking in national parks.

If you had to say which mindset fits you the best, which would it be?

In case of emergency

While at the Western Gypsy Gathering in Casa Grande, we met up with old RV friends, Jim and Betty Roughton. They belong to (actually helped start ) the Boomers, a Birds of Feather group of the Escapees. I met them in 1993 or '94 and haven't seen them for a couple of years.

Jim and Betty came across a company called Medical Air Services Assoc. (MASA) and, after research, decided to represent them. Jim says they are the best in the business. What Jim says is different is that they will pay for air transportation even if you are "home." According to the brochure, there are no per incident maximums, no claim forrms, no age limits, no turndowns, no deductibles and no health questions.

This is a service we hope we don't need. However, if your famiy or normal doctors are in one part of the country and illness or accident strikes in another, it causes all sorts of problems. For example, how does your RV get back? Alice and I recommend that women know how to hitch up and drive their RVs, but many don't. If their husband gets sick, they can be stuck. Fortunately, MASA takes care of it.

Jim and Betty have a company they believe in plus they can make some extra money and deduct some of their expenses. MASA is a good deal for them - and, for RVers who have this coverage. You can reach Jim at 214-288-1645.

We're heading out tomorrow

Today was the last day of the Western Gypsy Gathering. We'll be heading out tomorrow. This has been one of the friendliest, upbeat group of people we've encountered at a rally. We've had great fun.

This morning I had a wonderful group at my "Working on the Road: Finding your Dream Job" seminar. Today was rather chilly after two warm days and 9 o'clock comes early but there was a good turnout. Most had not ever done any working or volunteering on the road.

At the Workamper Job Fairs, Alice and I did resume makeovers. We didn't offer the service here because of time constraints, but Jim and Bobbie Chapman tracked us down and did request one. What interesting people. During our interview, I found out that Bobbie lived in San  Diego (I grew up in the area) and also lived in Saguache, CO where my dad was born. They have their summer position lined up as campground hosts in Colorado, working for a Forest Service concessionaire. However, they both have some unusual skills they can use to make extra money. Jim is a mortician and has picked up work at funeral homes while traveling or on his days off. Bobbie loves teaching seniors how to use computers, do e-mail and use the Internet. Now, those are different ways to make money!

We are pretty well packed up. The extra books from the RV Authors' Co-op are packed in Parnassus, Alice's LazyDaze RV. George and I will head off early; Alice probably at the "crack of noon!"

Hope to see you down the road. Jaimie

Photo by George Bruzenak