 |
|
 |
|
With effective "stuff reduction,"
a surprisingly small RV can be plenty big enough
to call "home." |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
A larger RV offers all the amenities
of home with a wonderful added feature: you can
drive it! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Life on a roll: enjoying the Pacific
Ocean |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Home on the range: "boondocking"
is one of the many delights an RV lifestyle offers,
and it can be a money-saver, too. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
With the right rig and appropriate
support, physical challenges are no reason to
give up on your dream of life on the road. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The beauty "out there"
is yours for the enjoying. |
|
|
|
|
|
Yes, it's that
time of year again -- 2008 New Year's resolutions. Eat less.
Exercise more. Get organized. Looks a lot like 2007, doesn't
it? This year, try something new. Plan to retire to an RV.
1: Live the American Dream
America was built on the backs
of pioneers. The first group headed west across the Atlantic
Ocean. Their descendants continued to head west of the original
13 colonies until eventually their children reached the Pacific
Ocean.
RVers thrive on the open road.
In the words of Willie Nelson, they are "goin' places
I have never been; seein' things that I may never see again."
Rather than rush through two weeks of intensive vacation sightseeing,
you can have years to explore our magnificent country, its
natural beauty, historic
sites and treasured landmarks.
2: Save Money
Even with fuel prices as high
as they are, you can retire to an RV on a limited budget (unless
of course you buy a million-dollar Prevost and tow a Beamer).
You can purchase a gently used RV from $10,000 to $100,000.
Especially in the western states, you can camp for free or
next to nothing on public lands administered by the Bureau
of Land Management or the U.S. Forest Service. A number of
campgrounds belong to various networks and charge only 50
percent of their regular rate to their members. You can also
join membership
campgrounds.
Clothing is definitely cheaper.
All you need are one or two nice outfits for the occasional
wedding, funeral or bar mitzvah that comes along. Food is
about the same. Home insurance is not needed but you are insuring
all your vehicles. You can reduce your energy needs by going
solar. You no longer buy as many toys and gadgets because
there is no place to put them. Although an increasing number
of RVers are buying iPods and high-definition, flat-screen
TVs, you can make choices about where to put your extra money.
3: Simplify Your Life
Reduce your possessions. Do
you really need six vegetable peelers and five hammers? Eliminate
the clutter in your life by not having all those THINGS .
You can always rent a storage unit for the special mementos
that are irreplaceable. Or pass them on to your kids so they
can enjoy them now.
4: Get Close to Family-But
Not Too Close!
The beauty of having your own
RV when you visit your children and other relatives is that
you see each other as long as you like, but at the end of
the day, you retreat to your own space with your bed
and music and peace and quiet. Makes for a lovely relationship.
Or give your children some respite by letting the grandchildren
have a special sleepover in your rig parked in the driveway.
5: Give Back to Society
-- Volunteer
Many opportunities exist for
RVers who want to do volunteer work in different places around
the country, and you will usually save money by having a free
or inexpensive site to park your rig. Since you'll be in one
place for a while, you'll save money on fuel. You might also
be invited as a guest to places of interest nearby. In addition,
you'll experience the joy of sharing your time and knowledge
with others. Another benefit: the camaraderie among the volunteers
often provides deep and lasting friendships.
Here are a few volunteer opportunities:
6: Make New Friends
The biggest problem on the road is having
too many friends! People seem to have more time to
socialize when they are no longer stressed by job responsibilities
and other obligations. No longer stuck in their old roles,
everyone starts fresh and is open to meeting new people, exchanging
ideas about the RV, discovering places to visit, traveling
together, participating in activities together like golf,
hiking, boating, fishing, tennis, shuffleboard, music, crafts
and so on.
And of course, there's always
eating. The potluck was practically invented for RVers, who
can never accommodate more than four to six people in their
RV. But just pull the picnic tables together and dinner is
ready.
7: Travel Despite Physical
Limitations
A legally blind RVer traveled
the country by himself -- with the aid of a transportation
company to move his RV from campground to campground. An RVer
with a heart transplant traveled by herself for five years
in a truck and trailer. When her kids finally prevailed on
her to change to a less physically demanding motor home ,
she traveled for eight more years.
As a result of the Americans
with Disabilities Act of 1990 and increased awareness of disability
issues, campgrounds have built more ramps, paved more pathways
and created handicapped-accessible bathrooms and showers.
In addition, some RV manufacturers offer wider doorways, wheelchair
lifts and barrier-free floor plans to accommodate their customers
with disabilities.
You can join the legions of
disabled RVers and enjoy the outdoor life and the freedom
of the RV lifestyle. A huge network will help you make the
transition and provide ongoing support. Begin with the Handicapped
Travel Club, which was formed in 1973 to encourage RV
travel for people with a wide range of disabilities. Check
out the resource information and links for a comprehensive
view of the lifestyle -- everything from lists of companies
that modify rigs to listings of used rigs for sale, traveling
suggestions and general support to ensure that the disabled
traveler is never alone out there.
8: Travel Solo
Say "RV" and most
people visualize a couple decked out in matching T-shirts
and plaid shorts, with their tiny dog on a leash. Banish the
stereotype. RVers come in all sizes, ages and ethnic backgrounds.
They also come one at a time. In fact, more women travel solo
than men.
Some of the key concerns for
solo travelers are inexperience with large vehicles, loneliness
and safety. A number of singles groups and Web sites provide
the support and information needed. One of my previous columns
dealt with safety
on the road for solos, and Jaimie Hall-Bruzenak and I
have written an e-book/CD for the solo woman traveler; contact
RV Hometown
to order the e-book/CD.
Here are some helpful links
for solo travelers:
9: Enjoy Freedom
We live in the land of freedom
and yet spend much of our lives having to do things at prescribed
times: go to work; come home; pick up Janie from day care,
Buster from the vet, your pants from the cleaner; use your
two-week vacation to see all of America.
RVing is freedom -- the freedom
to choose where you want to go, how long you want to stay,
whether you want to volunteer or sit back and just enjoy the
scenery, visit every state park or your ancestors' gravesites,
travel Route 66 or read all the Great Books. You can work
at fun jobs -- be Mickey Mouse at Disneyland or join a traveling
circus. Yes, you can make any decision you want. How delicious.
10: Live Like a Celebrity
After all, if RVing is good
enough for movie stars Matthew McConaughey and Jeff Daniels,
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, NASCAR driver
Jeff Gordon and other
celebrities, why not you?
Even if you're not quite ready
to retire in 2008, you can think about it and begin to collect
information. Check out our
Web site and blog,
and you might just put in for early retirement.
Alice
Zyetz
1/11/08
More
RVing Articles>
|
