Could You Spend a Year With Your Wife Traveling in an RV?

Craig T · 08:34 PM

My wife and I are struggling with our retirement life-change coming up in November. We know we want to leave CA, but can't decide where to land. A friend suggested we take his RV on a year-long "Follow 75 Degrees" RV trip around the country, spending a couple weeks in each desired area to see if we really like it.

That would mean driving up the Pacific Coast in spring, Yellowstone to Maine in summer, down New England to Asheville NC in Fall, and Hilton head to the FL Keys in Winter, heading back via Nashville, Moab, Phoenix by spring.

The RV is a 2017 34' Newmar Ventana diesel, and I would be flat-towing a Jeep Wrangler. Has anybody done anything like that? Can it be done without killing, or being killed by, your spouse?

911boost · 911boost's Garage

That would be awesome.....

Spend some time in a few places on your retirement list and see what you think.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Sure

LakeCleElum · 01-10-2019, 08:58 PM

I have a several friends that have recently done this......They like it for a year or so. Then they usually want to buy a house somewhere and find the prices have risen and they can't afford what they want......

Not for me......With over 700,000 motorcycle miles, I kind of have the feeling I've seen it all....I need my big garage and my 3 acres to be happy.......

Danimal16 · 01-10-2019, 09:13 PM

Craig, Go for it. What have you got to lose?? I mean really, you love her, she loves you??? So let the adventure begin, and remember that you two have figured it out to this point, you can figure it out going forward!!

Danimal16 · 01-10-2019, 09:14 PM

Oh and if you need to take a break, go to a great hotel or resort!

Arizona_928 · 01-10-2019, 09:22 PM

If you haven't been across the country. What's to lose?

jyl · jyl's Garage

When my daughter was 6 mo, my wife and I quit our jobs and traveled around the world for a year. It worked.

WPOZZZ · 01-10-2019, 10:03 PM

Would you miss your wife in that 1 year she is traveling?

KFC911 · 01-11-2019, 01:20 AM

A fabulous trip imo.....DO IT! But as I've posted before....one season for a few daze is just a crap shoot around these parts imo. But y'all are gonna win the "crap shoot" no matter how the dice roll....and I don't gamble

.

Methinks it might open your options as to what will make you (fishin' is fishin', golf is golf), and the missus happy ridin" east into the sunset years

.

ckelly78z · 01-11-2019, 02:13 AM

34" is big enough for some separation if neccesary, but what about your freind who will be without his RV for a full year, and get it back with an extra 10,000 miles on it with wear, and tear.

My wife and I could do this in our 32' travel trailer, but we like to hike, and bike, not just sit around relaxing.

rfuerst911sc · 01-11-2019, 02:23 AM

I really don't see many negatives to this plan . A great way to see the country , meet new people and possibly scope out potential places to live . You may even find out that RV living is right for you . The goal here though is not to just pull into a campground or RV park and just sit in it and watch TV , you get out and explore ! Whether that means hiking in the woods or going to an antique shop you need to venture out . There are a lot of great things to see in the U.S. and some great people to meet . And ALWAYS be aware of the height of the rig , put a piece of tape on the dash and write the height of the rig on it . There are many places in small town USA that have low bridges and overhangs ............. make sure insurance is up to snuff

oldE · 01-11-2019, 02:34 AM

Having driven trucks for a part of my career, I have pondered the seeming obsession of some folks to get behind the wheel of a massive, ill handling beast and drive it on unfamiliar roads. On top of that, you have to handle the logistics of looking after yourself wherever you go.
Not for me. I'll drive a fun car and enjoy the mints on the pillow.
Best
Les

T77911S · 01-11-2019, 03:02 AM

sure, not a problem....I would miss my girlfriend though.

unclebilly · unclebilly's Garage

When we bought our farm and built our house, we sold our house in the city and bought a 34’ Alfa Gold travel trailer. It was 400sqft all folded out.

It was our home for 2 years 2 months and 22 days.

We survived through 2 of the coldest and most miserable winters in recent times and moved into the unfinished house the day my newborn son came home from the hospital.

We joke about it now, it was stressful at times but overall it was a good experience for us. I think the key was having a very fancy, large, and well equipped trailer. If only the heat / insulation in that thing was better.

drcoastline · 04:23 AM

Go for it. Worst case scenario it doesn't last a year and you cut the trip short. Go back home, regroup, revise the plan and resume the following year.

My wife and I have a similar plan. We have a home base so all travel will begin and end at that point.

We have a 53 foot boat so we will be travelling up and down the East coast and Caribbean and doing the Loop. Our boat isn't fast enough to do the loop in a single season so it will be a two maybe three season adventure. NJ North to NY up the Hudson River through the NY lock system into Lake Ontario. Then West through the Great Lakes. We will Travel as far as we can until winter holds us up. We will leave the boat where ever it is and go home for the winter. Resume the trip the following Spring. From Chicago, to the Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico. Around Florida and back up the East Coast.

During the down time. We will travel via a van equipped similar to a Sportsmobile. Generally it will look like a regular van not a camper. A camper seems a little cumbersome. The plan isn't so much to camp but be able to travel have all our clothes in drawers or hanging and not living out of a suitcase., be able to use the restroom without stopping, take a nap with out stopping, etc. We will stay in hotels/motels most of the time. But, if we find a great spot and want to stay a night or two we can. We will have basic cold food storage, water, a bed, toilet. Those trips would last a few weeks at a time.

T77911S · 01-11-2019, 03:59 AM

my neighbor lived in a small bumper pull camper with 2 kids, one was autistic while he built his house. I would guess maybe 14 or 16 ft long.

porsche tech · 01-11-2019, 04:01 AM

Sounds like fun to me but my wife says "You can't say 'camping and vacation' in the same sentence"!

p911dad · p911dad's Garage

We were just doing the math on that idea. It might be a toss-up to just fly between the good places, stay in nice spots and rent vehicles and skip the endless, boring driving or buy the monster RV and do all that. A year is a long time.

onewhippedpuppy · 01-11-2019, 04:07 AM

Hell yes, sounds like fun. But I’m more like Les, I would probably lean towards a fun car and staying in hotels or VRBOs. I also consider my wife to be my best friend and we basically do everything together. But I know plenty of couples who need their “me time”, which would be problematic in Western KS at the tumbleweed RV Park.

That’s the part that only you can answer!

When you make the trek through flyover country, swing through KS and I’ll give you a guest room, a hot shower, and plenty of beer.