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| Wall Street Journal Article - September 19, 2021 |
If you have a WSJ online account, or know someone who does, this article series may be of interest. Here's a brief excerpt and I've included a link in this post.
The Wall Street Journal echoes what I've been telling people for years. First, not everyone is cut out for this, and some vandwellers may do this because they see no alternative.
For those who decide to "dive in" I also suggest that one consider longevity of the engine, transmission and other chassis and coach components before purchasing a used vehicle. Yes, there are Class B RV's, specifically Roadtreks on Dodge and Chevy chassis that are 30 years old, are running and some are for sale. But one has to be realistic when purchasing such a vehicle. Yes, the sale price may only be $16,000 but one should expect some maintenance issues. Even 21 year old Roadtreks are being sold for $30,000. My 2013 210P could probably be sold for about $68,000, which is the current going price at:
https://www.roadtrekchapter.org/roadtreks-for-sale/
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| Roadtrek 190, 2000 model year, 138,000 miles, sale price $30,000 |
I advocate renting before buying, but I also advocate that one have a real purpose and plan before purchasing. G and I made the decision jointly and it would not have happened if she was not sufficiently on board. We did have concerns. But we also realized that expression: "Life Begins at the End of Our Comfort Zone". In fact, when we purchased our Roadtrek 210P G took a photo of me accepting the keys and she remarked "This will transform our lives". And it has, in many good ways.
I was a ground camper with experience backpacking, wilderness canoeing and tent camping from -25F to +100F, so Roadtreking was a real comfort improvement. My work experience included outdoor environments of -65F wind chills and the Arabian desert, the swamps of Louisiana, the Florida Everglades and even hurricane Hugo and the events leading up to and the aftermath of Katrina; I left NOLA on the last flight out prior to hurricane landfall. Then, I returned to rebuild industry back to normal. Yep, RVing would definitely be a glamping experience. I'm going to digress for a few paragraphs and then return to the theme of this post. The reader can skip ahead to the main theme of this post.
Some reminiscences of hurricane Katrina.
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| Working long into the night to design and prove the systems to return an industrial facility to operation, after Katrina. That facility provided the materials to build the levies for protection of New Orleans from future hurricanes |
In the photo above, I was working in a trailer at night in which the mice danced around my feet. I had designed and built the control technology to resurrect a critical component for the facility. I transported this to NOLA after assembly in Illinois. I was making final tests to prove the resilience and ability to achieve the requirements. I had one of few motel rooms available because before I left NOLA which is prior to Katrina landfall, I had made a reservation for 30 days. When I arrived at the motel, people were sleeping in sleeping bags on the floor of the lobby, which was completely filled with occupied sleeping bags. Some businesses had arranged for rooms and were working people 24/7. The workers got up in the morning and were replaced by the workers who had worked all night and then occupied the same beds. There were few places to get food. I had driven my own food stash for myself and for others, all the way from Illinois. One night I went into a Subway in Slidell LA for a dinner sandwich; that was about 8:00pm. I made it a point to get there before closing, because it was the only food establishment open; the Sonic ran out of buns or hot dogs or whatever on alternating nights. I could return to the facility after "dining" and I did. I worked long into each night. At the Subway the exhausted young woman who made my sandwich was sobbing. I comforted her and she told me that she had been working, alone and continuously since 7:00AM that day and was at the end of her resilience and capacity. I thanked her for her willingness to be of service to others, such as myself. I thanked her for her commitment, and the sandwich she prepared for me. I told her emphatically that if she wasn't there I would not have had anything to eat that night. I acknowledged that I was aware how difficult this was for her, and I told her that if she couldn't do this it was okay with me. Yes, I was grateful for her service, but we each must care for ourselves. She calmed down, and I took my sandwich. She is one of many inspirations in my life. God bless her. This is one of many reasons I have little capacity for shirkers. There are some really good Americans and then there are assholes.  |
| Electricians resorting to "low tech" fans to dry the Process Control remote I/O after cleaning out the cabinets after Katrina. One of many such electronic cabinets. |
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| Hazmat garbed worker, cleaning out the office after Katrina |
Returning to the theme of this post and the WSJ article
I did spent a lot of time, years actually, researching this RV lifestyle. I researched, discussed thoroughly with G and provided her with online resources. Using our conclusions we rented a Class B and learned from that experience; I had never before had any kind of RVing experience, other than walking around a few shows.
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| Morning Coffee in Arches National Park from our Rental RV |
When we purchased the Roadtrek 210P in December 2013 I took a year to climb under it, took some of it apart, and studied all the manuals including the various bits and pieces, while we trekked when time was available. We've transitioned to full timers but still maintain a "sticks and bricks" abode I call my "furniture storage unit". It has taken time to transition to full time RVing and downsize and throw out, donate and give away a lot of stuff.
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| A sampling of the manuals provided with our Roadtrek. I downloaded even more. |
I took on the Roadtrek as a long term project. It was about management by objective, an arcane philosophy.
After purchase of the Roadtrek we took an inventory of all of the stuff in the coach. We logged manufacturer, model and serial numbers. I then downloaded dozens of specific maintenance manuals for everything I could find, from the furnace to the Tripplite inverter-charger to the 3-way refrigerator and Onan generator and all of the electrical components, etc. I read and studied them all and compared to what was actually in the Roadtrek. It was an education and it still is. I evaluated the purpose of each and every component and how they each contributed to our trekking experience. I identified possible improvements and the weak links in the chain. I then implemented improvements to strengthen the whole so as to make our trekking a better experience. Of course cost of improvements was a consideration. My thorough, methodical and cost-conscious approach has resulted in a better RV and better trekking experiences. I put what I can in this blog.
RVing is for us a life of continuous education and discovery. For me, I approached home ownership the same way, and maintained and improved the house and condo I owned using "sweat equity". I've remodeled entire bathrooms and kitchens, for example. Added a Japanese Garden, expanded a garage to add a work room-potting shed, etc., etc., etc. All of this provided me with more and more skills layered on top of my work experience which included finance, business, electrical, mechanical, very high tech and so on.
I began this blog to share what I have learned, etc. For our Roadtrek I purchased spare parts and made a number of improvements slowly and incrementally, in part based up our trek when we rented a Sprinter based Class B, things about the Roadtrek which we identified before purchase decision, and then using our travel and living experiences. We have lived in it for up to 110 continuous days, and we have no illusions about the limitations or the benefits of the ownership and lifestyle. We also understand the financial costs of ownership and maintenance. I keep a maintenance log and I am of the opinion that these costs have been acceptable. There is a cost-benefit analysis to make and to consider.
It is to be expected that the more we drive, the higher the operating and maintenance costs. We balance the cost of driving with the cost of camping. For example, at 15MPG, a 300 mile driving day consumes 20 gallons of gas. At $3 per gallon, that's $60 per day, plus the wear and tear on engine, transmission and consumables such as tires, oil, brakes, shocks and so on. If stationary we live in a camper which was not designed for full time living, yet we have camped with nighttime lows of about 5F and daytime highs of about 103F (in the shade) and we have done so for up to 110 continuous days. I continued to work remotely from the Roadtrek while we did this.
In view of our expectations for our treks, we decided that it makes more sense to us to travel a reasonable distance and then camp for a while. But that's merely our perspective, and I suggest that one of the ways to create a positive experience is to have have reasonable and realistic expectations and then a payback for each trek, be it a unique location, something of historical significance, or a fun restaurant or even a resort campground. We design a purpose and outcomes and then strive to achieve them.
Another component is to learn from our experiences. Our Roadtrek is not an automobile, although it is extremely comfortable. Bouncing down the highway does stress the coach components. So it is to be expected that things will break. We save and prepare for future maintenance and we do know the proper maintenance intervals. The Roadtrek is built on a well-known Chevrolet 3500 chassis. There is a wealth of information available for that vehicle. With all of the internet resources available, the FMCA Roadtrek Chapter and various forums, there also a wealth of information available for the modified coach. Caveat: there is also a lot of baloney and some mis-information, too. Critical thinking skills are a real plus for the RV owner.
"𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻 𝗥𝗩 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗿: 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 - 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁." - WSJ Sept. 19, 2021
"...Yes, we have talked with retirees who have taken this route, most of whom find life, and work, on the road immensely rewarding. But they also caution that rookies need to navigate, simultaneously, two steep learning curves: how to live successfully in an RV, and how to think and operate (as one expert told us) like a “nomadic entrepreneur.”
To start, we’ll assume that you and your wife—as almost every expert recommends—already have rented an RV for one or two weeks (or, better, one or two months) to gauge whether living in a vehicle does, in fact, agree with you.
“It sounds romantic,” says Joel Cawley, a 61-year-old retired IBM executive who began RVing in 2020 and now writes books from his Winnebago. “But you don’t think about all the practicalities involved.”
Mr. Cawley offers a partial list:
Learning how to maneuver the vehicle. (“Gas stations are tricky,” he says.)
Mastering (and, ideally, being able to repair, as needed) an RV’s various electrical and mechanical systems, particularly Internet access.
Finding the balance between travel and stationary days.
Deciding what you’re going to use to explore and run errands while your RV is parked. (This will help you decide what type of RV to buy in the first place.)
For beginners, Mr. Cawley says, “there’s plenty to stress about.”..........."
Here's a link to the article, which contains links to other resources:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/working-living-in-rv-camper-what-to-know-11631735215?
WSJ.com content copyrighted by the Wall Street Journal 2020
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