Retirement Where ?

WAIT TIL JACK & NANCI GET BACK TO NC…
…from their annual “Florida Swing” around the middle/end of March.



Jack’s a retired engineer and Nanci, a retired teacher. Both are full-time adventurers, and take to the road with their travel trailer every year from their delightful home base in the western Carolina mountains near the Tennessee border. They usually live around 3 months in their trailer, traveling from state park to state park here in the Sunshine State, and badger the likes of Looneytick up in North-Central Florida, to Sally & me here in Coconut Grove (Miami), to Grayhawk in the Keys, and others up and down the byways along the way.



They seem to enjoy the heck out of themselves, pulling their comfortable travel trailer and carrying their twin QCCs and a canoe on top of their pickup, and a pair of bikes in the back.



They’ve been not only down south to warm regions like Beautiful Biscayne Bay here on Miami’s shores, but have taken their trailer north to cooler regions, too: they’ve taken to the road to Alaska as well, and had a blast trailering for an extended travel up there as well.



So see what they might add to your considerations when they return back home in another month or two. They’re great references for one way to get out on the water a little more often, and to, even in winter, more temperately to



PADDLE ON!



-Frank in Miami

Might be a good

Unfortunately, being retired means
being old enough to retire. You don’t want to move off to a place by yourself away from family and friends. Think about if/when you can’t move around too easily. Do you want to be off by yourself when that happens? I spent most of my working life overseas. I had no home except where I was sent. My kids settled in Florida and Alaska (one daughter married an Air Force service man). I retired in Oregon. I was hoping my kids settled near, but it didn’t happened, and now I either have to drive a thousand miles or more to visit, or my wife and our dogs spend the holidays alone. I drove over four thousand miles this Christmas. I sure wish I was closer to visit the grandkids more than once a year.



Retirement is great. Don’t fear it, but be realistic. You can travel all you can afford, but eventually you will have to stop traveling. It’s nice to have a home to come back to and friends and family waiting.



This is the time in your life if you have an itch, scratch it. However, you must think about the time when you will slow down. Don’t leave yourself with no options.

right track
Dennis I believe you are on the right track but I would avoid a time share. Keep your home in Oregon and travel in the winter. We moved to AZ to get out of the humid winters. We had our coldest winter since 1979 and it got down to 32 at night at our house. A little colder at the lake. Days were in the 40’s. We were still paddling with a wet suit. Today the low is 50 and it is supposed to hit 78. The lake temp has already come up from 45 to 50. They just had a bass tournament. Summers here are a killer.

We run a 5th wheel trailer and I carry 2 kayaks stacked on the truck. We get about 12 mpg on diesel. Last year we were in CA, NV, ID, MT, WY and UT. Fuel was high but campgrounds were cheap using feds and the Golden Eagle. Yellowstone was $8.50 a night. We mostly look for places we can paddle. This year we are looking at NM and CO. If we ever find a place we would like to spend the summer, we will find a trailer park with monthly rates.

Last year we turned down 2 offers to camp host. Both had free full hookups and a small salary. There are a lot of opportunities for free sites as camp hosts. Some are volunteer and some get some pay. The ones with pay usually involve services like cleaning, maintenance or kiosk. They like husband and wife teams. 2 for 1 space.

here !!!
I live in paddler’s paradise …



our country has many such places, but you need to figure out where one is on your own, because we don’t want you moving here and screwing things up, as any paradise is inversely propertional to the number of people who live there!

house boat
Upstate NY is great in summer so I know a guy who put a camper on a pontoon boat and lives on pontoon boat for summer. He has a house down south. Suppose you rent your house in oregon for a year and live on house boat in oregon for summer and go south for winter.

Some thoughts …
Congrats on your retirement.!

I read your post yesterday, but we are at a campground and can only get on the net when we get to a place where they have wireless, and then usually just can spare only a few minutes to read some of the posts.

So, with that said, I am writing this on “word”, sitting in our “little cabin on wheels” and when we get back to the magic of wireless, I’ll transfer it to a reply on P-net.

I use to sign off my P-net messages with “carpe diem” since that is how I have lived most of my adult life and I still seize the day, and hopefully will be able to for many years to come.

We retired five years ago, and like you, were not sure where we wanted to spend the rest of our days.

We love our house in the NC mountains, but I also love Florida and was leaning toward a place in Florida. The big problem with retiring in the large state of Florida was “what part”, and then my wife suggested why not stay where we are and get a small travel trailer, and in that way we can travel north, east, south or west and stay as long as we want, wherever we want to go.

That is what we have done, and so far in the past five years it has worked wonderfully for us.

In order for it to work, there has to be some conditions though and I’ll try to list them here:

  1. And the most important: you and your wife have to be 100% compatible. If she does not like to go paddling, biking or whatever your likes are, with you then I am sure she won’t enjoy being cooped up in an RV while you are out playing.

    The only time we both stay in the trailer is during bad weather, and the rest of the time we are together either out on the water or on the bike trails.
  2. Be 100 % debt free, (no mortgage, no credit card debt, no loans) and have enough stash that if the RV, or truck or kayak or bike breaks down you can either get it fixed or get a new one.
  3. Be willing to “carpe diem”



    Someone mentioned “depreciation” - Why in the hell, at my age would I be worried about my truck or my RV depreciating in value?

    I didn’t buy it for an investment, or to leave to my kids, or to keep in mint condition so I could trade it in for the next guy to get a good deal on. I bought it strictly for my wife and I to allow us to enjoy ourselves as long as we possibly can.



    Since we have had it we have fulfilled several dream trips one being a four month trip to Alaska, others heading north and others allowing us to be in just about every part of Florida during the winter. Then we still can go back to our house in the NC mountains to plan our next trip.

    I have already found out that the grass isn’t “always greener”

    For instance: Alaska was a fantastic trip, and we paddled in just about every place we could get to, climbed a few mountains, climbed on glaciers, and I would go back in a heart beat, but I would never want to live there permanently.

    As you can see by other posts, the folks that live in sunny flat Florida are lusting for some mountains, and the ones that are in the snow belts would love a warm climate.

    For what it is worth, our little travel trailer is one of the much smaller ones, but yet still has all the comforts of home and I would turn down a big one or a big motor home if someone wanted to give it to me free.

    I pull it with a pick up truck which I would have even if I wasn’t pulling a trailer.

    I have a cap on the truck, and our two kayaks and our canoe are on the cap roof, while our two mountain bikes and all our gear including back packing gear go in the truck.



    So “carpe diem” but for now keep your home to come back to.



    Cheers,

    JackL
















Alotta wisdom from JackL
Nearing “retirement” some year myself I have thought the same things. I have a small travel trailer and pickup with topper. One can really get quite comfortable in this arrangement. Before I would ever sink the $ into a motorhome I would have to upgrade to one of those small Airstreams. Cost less, very comfortable, and better long term value. One place I hope to take my trailer is to Oregon. From what I have read it’s a place to go, not leave. If it is anything like Washington (as it seems) its got a little bit of everything I would want.

Belize or Texas

– Last Updated: Feb-05-07 5:26 PM EST –

Belize is a popular retirement spot for Americans with less grand means. I don't just mean for Americans who don't have the money to retire to St. Barts, but for those who are afraid they don't have the savings to have decent golden years in the states. Cost of living is very cheap but very good down there. Also, belize not only has the tropical seaside, but the mountains in the interior stay cool all year round - even a little chilly at night.

If you want to stay in the states, Texas is probably the best retirement location in the states - low cost of living, mild winters, plus the longest coastline of the 48 contiguous.

If you want to do the living in Oregon, winters in an RV somewhere warm, the Valley in Texas is very popular for that.

Here’s a good website
http://www.wintertexans.com/



Check out the entire website, but especially “RG Valley” Region section.

Why depreciation matters
I was the one who referred to the depreciation question.



For someone who doesn’t know he really wants an RV, it matters. He might decide to sell it after a short time and put the money into a better choice for him. Somebody else posted details above about doing exactly that. The depreciation question is even more important for someone who retired fairly young and doesn’t have the “spend it before I die” attitude.

Good advice.
We retired over 10 years ago and we’re doing pretty much the same thing on the west coast. We tent camp most of the time though we have a camper for long spells of bad weather.

I hope we get a chance to meet and perhaps paddle with you and Nanci someday. Your enthusiasm for life is apparent.

Pam and Ray

retirement financial guide

– Last Updated: Feb-05-07 10:03 PM EST –

Dennis,

Wherever you decide to retire should be influenced first be being near what you want and need in your retired life. Additionally it helps a great deal to take into account the financial aspects of where you will live. It can mean being able to do a lot or only a little of the extra things that will make retirement more enjoyable. I found a good financial magazine on retirement put out by Kiplingers several years back. I found it in the magazine section of a book store and have seen it there several times since. It divides all the states into three groups; most, middle, and least expensive states to retire to. Found it very helpful. If you have any questions e-mail as I spend little time here.

Hope this helps.

Mick

BTW: Did the motorhome bit for both business and pleasure. We had a small class A for years. Would not ever do it again. It is expensive and a life style in itself. They breakdown a lot. Think of all the systems in your home traveling over the roads, smooth and rough! I did not like the RV bit. They do not have much load capacity and are hard to pack. Have a full size van now and like it much better.

JackL - what camper do you have?

staying put
We are selling our home, have an offer pending now. As I am a carpenter and have built our homes will be building a smaller one with cash and have some saving left over, not huge but enough for emergencies. We will be staying in Corvallis ,Oregon mostly because of many other family members in the area, and yes we do like the area. I have a fair pension from my work plus social secuirty. The wife works for the school district and is younger and won’t be retireing for three years. So for now our traveling will have to be during the summer and her Christmas and spring break vacation.

I apreciate every ones answers, they are helpful.

At this time after building our retirement home, I am thinking that a motor home is still the best way to go, but I am refering to a very small one, just large enough to tow a trailer with a smalll car and two kayaks, a camper van and a kayak trailer could be a possible way.

I don’t think I would want the truck and trailer route because of the hight to lift the kayaks plus not being able to raid the refregerator or what ever with out stoping.

Dennis

Class A 27’ Pace Arrow on a '84 Chevy

– Last Updated: Feb-11-07 2:30 PM EST –

frame was what I had. Tons and tons of engine and systems trouble. Limited capasity and hard to pack. Ate tires for awhile till an old tire man showed me how to properly take measurements and calculate needed pressures. If you are doing anything but traveling normal and light, simple PSIG does not get it until after height measurements (hard to find the tables these days) are taken under load and PSIG adjusts made.

Since '95 have traveled in full size (E-350 and E-250) vans.

>:^)

Mick

Here’s a business opportunity, DH.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/TATTOO-BUS-RV-CAMPER-GMC-WITH-GENERATOR_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ50057QQihZ014QQitemZ330086407738QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW



Solves many of your issues: mobility. Extra income. Artsy side. And getting a little when the “skin hunger” hits.



Really a win-win-win-win.

Seriously, DH, try Roadtrek.

– Last Updated: Feb-11-07 10:45 AM EST –

http://tinyurl.com/246pkf


Check out these listings particularly the 2007 at the top of the list. Look at the pictures. If you are like my wife and I, we just want a place for comfort when we travel. We may well stay in hotels many times, but like the option of outdoor stays at Wal-Marts or campgrounds in a pinch. This is KEY: With the depreciation and gas alone on a bigger RV, we could stay in Marriott's Fairfield Inns for the rest of our lives. So we just want a low gas consumption, comfortable package with a pooper, a shower (has outdoor shower rv-side too, I hear those are curtained and used frequently), a small microwave and of course bedding and space. I have heard also good things about the Rialta (eBay search that too), but VW Winnebago stopped making them in 2005.

These Roadtreks are the fastest growing small RV in terms of sales, and is on a tried and true USA built GM frame and engine. They have been around for over a decade, so the company has a track record, but they are hitting stride now as many retirees are saying what you and I are saying--I don't want or need a megabus, I don;t want depreciation on a $150k+ vehicle (which can be as much as $12k per year, or a thousand a month is initial depreaciation for the first 3-4 years alone--thats $50k down the tubes until the resale price stabilizes), and I can afford to spend $50k-$60k new (less than the price of a tricked out Yukon or Tahoe) to ride in luxury with space. These are about $30k used. Total. Less insurance cost, and certainly less gas cost than a "bus".

I do not yet own one, but looking into them seriously. You should consider. I am not an RV dealer, by the way. I am still working, so if I was retired I buy one instantly.

P.S. manageable size, so no need to pull a car, although you could pull a small car likea Chevy Aveo is you desired.

P.P.S. I think it'd be too small to run a tattoo busines out of though. See, it does have one downside. :-)

http://www.roadtrek.com/
This is the offical Roadtrek site, and it is quite impressive what they can fit into a tidy package. Much more envoronmentally friendly than a mega-RV.

Rock on, Dennis H.

A good questionaire to answer where?
As a result of this thread a couple of us were kicking around just where might be the besr place to retire for each of us. One said that not too long ago he run into an online comprehensive questionnaire about retirement wants, needs, dreams, etc. After answering all the questions it spit out a list of places to look. He said it was a comprehensive list that contained some surprising places, well worth the time to go through it. Could not remember where he found it. Hopefully someone else has come across it and can post it here.


:^)



Mick

small is ok
We had one of the first Chev Astro Van conversions and at the time were doing a lot of scuba diving, the kids staid in a tent and we slept in the van, it worked quite well. Hey the kids liked having thier own tent.

I guess right now it is trying to decide between a camper van, or pickup and smaller trailer, we are not going to be making the purchase untill toward the end of the year so have plenty of time.

Also looking at the thule hullaveter, this really solves the problem of haveing to lift the kayaks so high, it makes the lift hieght three feet lower.

Thanks every one for your input

Dennis

Sprinter Van Class "B"
The dodge Sprinter van is getting very popular as the basis for a small class B RV



I put about $10K into a '92 Chevy conversion van just for weekends at the beach, but Want to move up in a few years