Some restless retire in an RV

from Senior Life - Elko Edition - August 2023

HEALTH SERVICES DIRECTORY

Ah, yes, life on the open road that beckoned all through your working life is just around the corner.

You’ve already picked out or about to pick up that RV — recreation vehicle to the unaware — that will transport you and your spouse to any nook or cranny you feel like ﬁlling on the spur of the moment. You might even drop in on the grandkids on special occasions.

Not only will you be free to roam, you’re dumping all the chores and woes of owning a home — no more mowing the lawn, putting up storm windows, caulking doorways, replacing rugs, repairing plumbing, and on and on.

It’s been reported that some 1 million American households are contained full time in RVs. More than 30 million households own one.

Atop the list of beneﬁts cited for RV living is the lowered cost

Elkhart Place of living. Retirees who’ve dumped their mortgages for the RV life admit they’ve had to make lifestyle changes, but they had to make such changes anyhow since their retirement income didn’t match their working-life income. And they don’t have to pay property taxes.

RVers have found there are plenty of places to park. For example, WalMart, Home Depot and Lowes offer overnight stays in most cases. Passes can be purchased for national parks that often provide electrical, water, sewer and cable hookups. Seasoned on-the-roaders have also volunteered their time and talents to national and state parks in exchange for free parking.

You can take the road lesstravelled but you also have to take less stuff since space in your mobile home is limited, which means you’ll spend less money acquiring more stuff. Exploring the highways and byways gives you the opportunity to plan where you want to go and want to see, although you’ll have to make sure you’re backroad doesn’t pass under any low-lying bridges.

You’re also able to move with the weather. You can ﬁsh the northern lakes in summer and zip by colorful autumn leaves to sip seltzer by a southern seashore in winter. You can visit the grandkids en route or they can come camp with you wherever you are.

You can visit those places you’ve always wanted to see whenever you want and stay as long as you want.

Modern technology makes your mobility much easier as GPS has mapped out most of the land. It also can direct you to a host of wineries, museums, parks, post ofﬁces and eateries ahead of you.

Which gets us to the subject to food — you can slurp down fresh New England lobster, cram down crab cakes or Cajun food a few days later, and feast on Mexican fare that weekend. And you don’t have to stay “home” since you have motoring access to Canada, Mexico and beyond. Just keep your passport up-to-date.

Before you leap into any new venture, you should take a long look at both the up and down sides.

Right off, there is an assortment of RVs. They range from mammoth bus-sized motorhomes to bouncy twowheeled pop-up trailers towed behind your car or pickup. The ones you can drive are the most expensive. And driving either a bulky bus or a vehicle towing a trailer is hard work.

Veteran RVers have complained they had to spend a lot of money redecorating and upgrading their quarters.

Insurance coverage gets dicey and pricey depending on what type of vehicle you settle on and, whether you’re towing a trailer or driving your mobile home, your gasoline bill is going to balloon higher.

The cost of health-care insurance and availability of medical care are major factors to review, especially if you have any preexisting conditions. How do you get to a doctor if you have a heart attack on the road, and how much will it cost? Where do you pick up your medications?

You also have to monitor and maintain the levels of your shower, sink and drinking water. Just as important, you’ll have to map out the location of sewage dumping stations because you don’t want that tank to back up.

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