How We Made our Adventure - Finances

 

Summer Lily Pad

Roadtrek - our travel machine

Mondo-Condo

Our winter lily pad

 

 Finances and related decisions

Nothing in planning is automatic. When we began designing our plan more than two decades ago, we had to put together "the framework for the plan" and we had to determine how to finance it. We also had to pay the bills for the two decades in the interlude before we could hone and execute the plan.

There were all kinds of constraints. Income limitations, work, kids college, paying off debts, saving, and so on. We had obligations to meet, and that included retirement financial planning.

To meet all of the obligations,  it did require that we take steps to live below our means. The financial obligations were at cross-purposes. So G and I lived for a time in a small apartment at about $650 per month; we then went "upscale" at about $770 a month; heat included. We then bought a small condominium which was half the price our "friends" were buying.  WaHoo! Living Large!  But we also had lower debt,  lower real estate taxes, lower heating and cooling costs, lower HOA fees, and so on.

We did want our own place (my home was surrendered in an earlier, nasty divorce, and it was promptly sold at a large discount and then torn down to make room for two homes). But, there were the current realities to deal with. We scrimped and saved so we could buy a small, inexpensive condo; we needed somewhere to live for 10-20 years prior to retirement.  That decision allowed G and I to devote a substantial amount of our time to productive, income producing work with minimal time devoted to home maintenance and related expenses.   When the children graduated from college I gave each a $5,000 "grubstake loan" to get them started in their road to independent living. G and I continued to work, and save and plan.

13 years after beginning the formulation of our plans G and I had began putting the major pieces into place. That included 1) What we were going to do, 2) How we were going to do it, 3) When we were going to do it, 4) Where we would do it and 5) How we were going to pay for it.

Some of our friends and acquaintances were quite surprised by our speed, once we began to execute.  But because of the years of planning the gun was "cocked and loaded" and in December, 2013 when we pulled the initial trigger, the pieces fell rapidly into place.

Looking at Costs

Here are the 2020 numbers. The costs of each of our "lily pads" is in percentages. These numbers don't include health insurance, cell phones, website fees, etc. which are not directly attributable to any specific location.

Each year we live about 6 months in Arizona, 5 months in Michigan and a few weeks at the condo.  Our contractual agreements allow us to live up to 6 months each year at our site in Michigan, and 12 months in Arizona. Keep in mind that we maintained the condo as our legal domicile and primary storage location.  We are fully aware that it is time to jettison it.  We could rent it, but I've had previous experience as a landlord and I am not inclined to take that path.  Local and our national governments, and the courts tend to manipulate landlords, to the disadvantage of the landlords.

The numbers for each location include any real estate taxes, fees, rent, utilities, insurance and repairs attributable to each location. The numbers do not include the cost of purchasing the abode, be it the purchase price of a condo or RV, or any condo mortgage.  For the Roadtrek, it includes repair costs and insurance, but does not include gasoline which is dependent entirely upon miles traveled.  The Roadtrek costs include new tires purchased in 2020 as well as other maintenance  including oil changes.

These are rounded numbers which will not add up to 100%:

Condo 38.9%

Arizona 38.7%

Michigan 13.5%

Roadtrek  9.0%

If I were to ignore the annual costs of the condo, then this is the actual distribution of costs for the lily pads we visit via the Roadtrek:

Arizona 63.2%

Michigan 22%

Roadtrek 14.7%

It is obvious that we can reduce our annual "out of pocket" location living costs by more than 38% if we jettison the condominium.  Which is exactly what we intend to do.  

We are currently looking at which state we will "domicile" in. So long Illinois!

  Original material http://roadtrek210.blogspot.com/

 

How we made our adventure - Part 10

 

 

G's broken finger required 3-pins

 

 

 Our first year with all the lily pads in place

We think of the "year" as beginning with the fall season; that's when we trek to the Southwest. Our first year with all of the pieces in place was the Fall of 2016 to the Fall of 2017.

However, there were some bumps.  G experienced a fall which resulted in a concussion and broken bones.  Recouping in Arizona was a plus. Once G was feeling better we did a lot of sight-seeing.

When she was healthy I continued my work and did a few related trips. 

Another airline ride

I did also fit in a few projects with the RV and the site.

I did add shelving to make the 5th wheel bunk area a small office/hobby room. The room was also suitable for a guest with a tinted glass door to the main living area, couch-sofa bed, dresser, and private 1/2 bath.

Bunk area rear wall, ready for our tech.

Bunk area rear wall, shelving and tech added

Stairs and porch, added

At the end of the season, we took the "shortcut" via the Florida Keys and visited friends:

Islamorada

Sunset in the Florida Panhandle, from the RV site

We trekked to Michigan and began to enjoy the warming Spring weather and the lake. The hummingbirds, swallows, and herons had returned.

Three Oaks Sesquicentennial Play

Cormorants migrating - October 2017

We had decided to add a deck on the MI site.  The campground allows this.  Our site is sandy and slopes toward the pond. That's a good thing. We did some planning and settled on an approximate 12 ft x 16 ft dimension.  I was considering the project for the fall, at the end of the season.  As luck would have it, a site was being vacated and the new tenant wanted that deck removed. I discussed with the existing tenant, the new tenant and the camp ground owner. All agreed I could remove it and relocate it to my site.  On the last days of October, with the site vacated I did just that.

It was easier said than done.  The decking was nailed in place with more than 600 rusty nails. To make the work more difficult, it was very wet, the wood was damp and had expanded, tightly gripping the rusty nails.  This was a project for a dry August, but no such luck.

With a Wonderbar and hammer I removed all of the deck boards then cut the support framing into three sections. G and I carried these with the help of a maintenance worker to our site.  In the Spring I would re-assemble on our site.

Stored for Spring, ready for tie-down

   Original material http://roadtrek210.blogspot.com/

How we made our adventure, part 8

 

Roadtrek Office

 

Winter 2015-2016. 110 days in the Roadtrek. 

We began looking for a suitable  "Mothership" for the Arizona site - Step 2

In the early winter of 2015 we settled in and set up house keeping on the new site in Arizona.  I continued to perform my consulting work,  using the Roadtrek as an office. However, the shed could have been set up as an office. In fact, I continued to work for another 4 years.

While I was away on a business trip G began researching 5th wheel RVs at nearby RV dealerships. Upon return from a business trip, I joined her in the search.   I did a lot of online research of manufacturers, floor plans and we discussed pros and cons, ad nauseum.  We spent a lot of time at a consignment website.  Their floor plans, descriptions and prices were very helpful.  We decided if we couldn't find anything locally that we would head to Texas and see what was available.

However, after 110 days in the Roadtrek we were ready to return the Roadtrek to its primary role as exploration vehicle.

We did a lot of outdoor cooking. For one thing, we are both good cooks, and we have different styles and cuisines which complement one another.  G has an Italian background and I a German one.  We can both bake, too.  G favors the Mediterranean approach with olive oil, and I go toward butter.  But we're ambidextrous; for example, I make an awesome ratatouille and G's rum cake is very popular. 

Cooking outdoors reduced the clutter in the Roadtrek, and made housekeeping easier.  We could do clean-up in the shed. 

 Breakfasts were sometimes made indoors.  Mornings can be cool.

At those times we didn't feel like cooking, we could go to the resort bar and grill. Of course, there were lots of nearby restaurants, too.

 

 

Prime rib special at the resort bar and grill

We had the option of making some extensive modifications to the shed, but I didn't want to convert it to a living space.  

Shed

  We also did a good amount of sightseeing and exploring of the area.

Meanwhile, I continued my work related travel, sometimes by air and sometimes by rental car

Consulting, sometimes at the customer's site. Several locations:

Original material http://roadtrek210.blogspot.com/

 

How we made our adventure, part 9

 

Shopping

 

Shopping for the 5th Wheel for the AZ site - continued

We continued looking for a 5th wheel for the site. It was now spring 2016. We had agreed upon some criteria for that RV and were willing to accept trade-offs. A brief list, in no particular order:

1. We did not want a Park model at a resort. We would most likely keep a larger RV on the site for 5+ years, but we wanted the ability to move it, when or if, we decided to do so.

2. We had an ideal budget and a maximum budget.

3. Prefer 1-1/2 baths. Larger shower.

4. Prefer rear bunk/office area with no rear facing windows. Our site had a western exposure for the rear of RV.  In AZ the sun heat load can be a lot.

5. 37 ft. minimum length, 41 ft. maximum if it has rear bunk/office area.

6. We did not want a large residential refrigerator. These can be an issue to remove if there is a problem. Furthermore, if there is a refrigerator issue, it may be problematic getting a tech to work on it. A 120 V AC  only refrigerator with inverter acceptable.

7. Good kitchen with propane stove/oven and microwave. Food preparation surfaces. We wanted sufficient room for our cooking and baking.

8. 2-interconnected A/Cs and one to be a heat pump. 

9. Queen or king bed.

10 Prepared for laundry washer/dryer.

11. Outdoor cook station.

12.  The usual 5th wheel amenities including ceiling fan and 3 or so vent fans.

13. New RV preferred, rather than used.

14. Must fit within the confines of the site overhead structure and existing supports.

With spring 2016 nearly upon us, we had narrowed down our search after reviewing hundreds of floor plans and models. The most suitable from a criteria perspective was a Redwood Cypress and we had found a less desirable, but workable alternate. 

The Cypress was at the maximum length and budget. However,  it met all the other criteria. I took a lot of measurements to assure the site would accommodate it. The various supports of the site covering would have to clear the slides, entries and so on.  We could make modifications but it would be best if the supports weren't an obstruction. 

The dealer had two new 2015 models of the Cypress that we were interested in. By the time we had completed the measurements, one had been sold. We returned to the dealer, discussed the total cost, and decided to purchase the alternate. I told the dealer "We really want the Cypress, but we can't reach that price point." We had a budget and it would be too great a financial stretch. The Cypress was also a bit over 41 ft. in length. This was doable, but might require future modifications to the site supports and the lower bay covering.

The salesman and the manager held a short conference. They returned and gave us an adjusted price for the Cypress. It met our criteria! We sat down and completed the paperwork and arranged for the delivery. The dealer offered to include the delivery in the selling price. I don't own a truck and we didn't intend to move this RV for a number of years, unless we decided on a different resort. On March 24 the dealer set the Cypress up at a nearby KOA so we could try it for the night and determine any issues. We made a short list and established the delivery date. We had already notified the resort. On March 27 the Cypress was delivered and put on the site. 

This time, I photographed G accepting the keys:

 

Delivery

G accepts the keys

 

in place

 

Main living area

Bunk area rear wall, ready for me to install our tech.

The line-up. The Mothership had landed

Floor Plan - 5 slides, 1-1/2 baths.

We barely had time to set up the 5th wheel and it was time to depart AZ.  On April 10 we spent some time at  the Big Texan in Amarillo, en-route to the condo and our summer location. But, we were looking forward to winter 2016-2017.

 

Dining Hall at the Big Texan

 

 Original material http://roadtrek210.blogspot.com/