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Thread: Fulltiming Cost

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    Site Sponsor Steven@147's Avatar
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    Fulltiming Cost

    I'm sure a lot of folks wonder if they can make it fulltiming and what the costs might be. Well I created an excel spread sheet to track our cost of living since we went fulltime last July. Just to be clear we live well, are not living on a shoestring budget but we like to know where our money is going. Maybe some would get a kick out of our Q4 Q1 cost of living data.

    Our spread sheet is broken down by category then sub category costs per month and then by Quarter average three month total divided by 3.
    RV Expenses - Loan, Repair & Maint, Insur, Propane, License Plates & Road Service
    Camp Expenses - Site and Electric
    Club Expenses - Good Sam, GD Forum, Trip Wizard, Escapee's, Mail Forwarding, Harvest Hosts, KOA
    Truck Expenses - Diesel Fuel, Insur, License Plates, Repair & Maint (No Loan)
    Health Care Expenses - Premiums and Co Pays
    Communications & Internet - Cell Phones, Visable Internet, Netflix, Amazon Prime
    Food & Entertainment - Groceries, Entertainment, Tourist, Amusement, Dining Out,
    Misc - Laundry and anything that doesn't fit anywhere else.

    ---------------2020 Q4 - 2021 Q1
    RV Expenses $992--------$1056------------(still have a loan and had some RV repairs Q1)
    Camp ---------$649--------$691 (or avg 21-23 per night. (mostly private grounds staying by month, but some state parks and short stays or over nights)
    Clubs ----------$36---------$18 (Escapee's mail forwarding service USPS deposits in Q4 and club yearly fees prorated)
    Truck ----------$467------$545 (includes 3500 mile trip in Q4)(truck windshield replacement in Q1)
    Health Care---$1317-------$16 (we had a Cobra policy in Q4 to get us to the end of the year and then went to the health exchange in Q1 BCBS HMO Policy)
    Comm Internet $196------$196
    Food Enterta---$828------$1217 (We eat well, went to Moody Gardens, bought new Roku)
    MiscLaundry---$428-------$165 (we bought a generator in Q4)

    You have to be diligent about inputting the data from your receipts but its nice to know where your moneys going. If you have excel you can you see our spreadsheet and break down. On the summary page I can input fixed cost in the white cells. There is a data page for varying expenses that are transferred to the summary (yellow cells)and totaled red cells.
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    Last edited by Steven@147; 04-14-2021 at 01:52 PM. Reason: formatting
    Steve & Tami Cass - Escapee's, FMCA Members, Texas Fulltimers Since July 2020
    2019 Solitude 3350RL S-Class, 2018 Ram 3500 DRW, Laramie Longhorn, B&W Companion, Texas Class A Non-CDL Drivers License
    Sharing the Fulltime Lifestyle - www.youtube.com/@tsrvadventures3219/videos, Nonprofit Channel

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    Are you figuring in the replacement costs of the truck and trailer?
    2019 F-250 Supercab
    2017 Imagine 2650RK

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    Site Sponsor Steven@147's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jmbopp View Post
    Are you figuring in the replacement costs of the truck and trailer?
    Yes our truck and RV has full replacement cost built in on our insurance policies. The RV is with National General, the Truck is with State Farm. I prorate by month the yearly premiums and insert as a fixed cost per month. Road side assistance for the truck and RV are entered as a separate fixed cost.
    Steve & Tami Cass - Escapee's, FMCA Members, Texas Fulltimers Since July 2020
    2019 Solitude 3350RL S-Class, 2018 Ram 3500 DRW, Laramie Longhorn, B&W Companion, Texas Class A Non-CDL Drivers License
    Sharing the Fulltime Lifestyle - www.youtube.com/@tsrvadventures3219/videos, Nonprofit Channel

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    Site Sponsor Steven@147's Avatar
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    We just like to keep an eye on our expenses and thought I would share. Build your own spreadsheet or feel free to use modify ours, I think all the formulas are correct, But I'm not getting any younger there could be a mistake in there. Recently we been watching our spending because in June we are meeting the kids and grandkids at Disney Ft Wilderness and I know our food, entertainment & camping expenses are going through the roof! Then we will be traveling from Florida up through Tennessee and on to Ohio. So our fuel costs and camping costs will go up.

    Sometime this month, since we are already in southern Texas, we are going to Corpus to visit the USS Lexington. I usually donate money to the preservation of Navy museum ships since I am a Navy Carrier AirWing veteran. We have visited many Navy ships, the Yorktown in Charleston, the Massachusetts in Boston, the Texas in Houston, the Cavalla & Stewart in Galveston and several other ships. My own carrier (Constellation CV64) is now razor blades and Toyota's so I like to see the old Navy ships preserved.

    Anyway, have a great time with your RV and go make some memories. Be safe out there!
    Last edited by Steven@147; 04-15-2021 at 10:13 AM.
    Steve & Tami Cass - Escapee's, FMCA Members, Texas Fulltimers Since July 2020
    2019 Solitude 3350RL S-Class, 2018 Ram 3500 DRW, Laramie Longhorn, B&W Companion, Texas Class A Non-CDL Drivers License
    Sharing the Fulltime Lifestyle - www.youtube.com/@tsrvadventures3219/videos, Nonprofit Channel

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    Long Hauler D2Reid's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steven@147 View Post
    Yes our truck and RV has full replacement cost built in on our insurance policies.
    I am not sure, but I think JMBopp was asking if you figure in depreciation cost of the RV. While we would like to think that these expensive rigs would last 30 years the sad fact is they have a usual life span of only 10 years. Yes, there are a few out there have lasted much longer. And they last even longer if they are not used much. But for a fulltimer you will find the maintenance expenses jump around year 5 or you trade up/down or out. In year 7 we bought a new 5th wheel. We are in year 4 on this one. I am hoping it will last another 6 before I have to dole out another hundred grand.

    Our cheapest year of paying for campgrounds sites was $13 per night. We accomplished this by campground hosting for 5 of those months.

    We eat well also, and maybe drink a little too much wine.

    Being on structured budget our entire life made it fairly easy to ease into full time living. We just stay in our budget, have a few bucks in the bank for the unexpected, save a little, it's been working for a while so we plan on continuing the great adventure.
    Dallas
    2017 Momentum 376TH, 2019 Ford F450, Dual Rear Wheel, 4x4, diesel.
    2015 Harley-Davidson Street, XG750

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    Site Sponsor Steven@147's Avatar
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    Wink

    Quote Originally Posted by D2Reid View Post
    I am not sure, but I think JMBopp was asking if you figure in depreciation cost of the RV. While we would like to think that these expensive rigs would last 30 years the sad fact is they have a usual life span of only 10 years. Yes, there are a few out there have lasted much longer. And they last even longer if they are not used much. But for a fulltimer you will find the maintenance expenses jump around year 5 or you trade up/down or out. In year 7 we bought a new 5th wheel. We are in year 4 on this one. I am hoping it will last another 6 before I have to dole out another hundred grand.

    Our cheapest year of paying for campgrounds sites was $13 per night. We accomplished this by campground hosting for 5 of those months.

    We eat well also, and maybe drink a little too much wine.

    Being on structured budget our entire life made it fairly easy to ease into full time living. We just stay in our budget, have a few bucks in the bank for the unexpected, save a little, it's been working for a while so we plan on continuing the great adventure.
    Dallas I realized He might have been thinking that way after I replied. No we haven't thought about or accounted for replacing the rig under normal or age circumstances. Then again we have never done that with anything we bought through the years, houses, boats, cars, trucks etc.
    We tend to hang on to things for a long time. Our last truck purchase was new back in 2002, then sold it to our Son in 2018, thats 16 years, before we picked out our new 1 ton to tow whatever RV we would eventually buy. We understood we would be keeping it for a long, long time. Same with our RV. We took a long time to pick out the unit we wanted thinking way ahead of our needs, again understanding we would be in it for years, for better or worse. How long will they last or be able to be repaired if they break down, who knows. Like I told the finance guy at the dealership when he tried to sell me an extended repair policy, if it breaks, we'll fix it then. Really no different than when replacing appliances in our various homes or the roof on our houses, we never planed or accounted for that either. Houses' wear out and break down also, require almost constant upkeep but yes their infrastructure lasts a lot longer than an RV. A lot of people have lived for years in Mobile Homes or Park Model RVs also, or a new fad, Tiny Homes. One day when the RV needs a new roof, refrigerator, water heater etc, we'll get it done. We have a nice tidy sum in savings. In any way of living life you have to have something held back for emergencies or repairs. I realize a lot of people now days just cant do that.

    I don't know how long we will fulltime. Eventually we will have to stop due to age, health, death or maybe just getting tired of traveling. We have absolutely no intentions of ever buying another home. Even if you pay off your house you still have to pay property taxes and expenses for upkeep, we know people in Austin Texas that are paying near $1000 in property taxes per month on their yearly property tax bill. If we ever had to buy a new RV, paying $500 to 600 per month, we would still be ahead of the game, I think.

    When we stop fulltiming we'll lite in a retirement facility, apartment, condo etc. At the Escapee's park in Livingston there are a lot of elderly people still living in their old to very old RVs permanently parked just across the street from the Escapee's Care Center.
    Now if we make it fulltime for a period of 10 years, I'll be 75. But we have met others in their 80s that are still going in their RVs. Who knows what will happen between now and then for us.

    This question has been discussed from time to time on the forum. Its a very interesting and meaningful discussion. The wisdom from the really older folks here still going strong is invaluable for us young pups!
    Last edited by Steven@147; 04-17-2021 at 11:29 AM.
    Steve & Tami Cass - Escapee's, FMCA Members, Texas Fulltimers Since July 2020
    2019 Solitude 3350RL S-Class, 2018 Ram 3500 DRW, Laramie Longhorn, B&W Companion, Texas Class A Non-CDL Drivers License
    Sharing the Fulltime Lifestyle - www.youtube.com/@tsrvadventures3219/videos, Nonprofit Channel

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    Long Hauler geotex1's Avatar
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    Nice!

    Figuring RV replacement in 10 years is a good idea. Beyond the age limits in many campgrounds, the last statistic I saw out of Escapees was 8 years on a full-time rig actually traveled. Well cared diesel tow vehicle can easily turn a few hundred thousand miles, but the emissions systems have drastically reduced the lifespan without major maintenance repair to the systems. A good estimate is a $10K reserve for every 5 years.
    Rob & Nikki + Cloverfield
    2020 Grand Design Solitude S-Class 3350RL
    2015 RAM 3500 Longhorn Laramie Crew Cab, Long Bed, 4x4 Dually Cummins/AISIN

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    Long Hauler D2Reid's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steven@147 View Post
    I don't know how long we will fulltime. Eventually we will have to stop due to age, health, death or maybe just getting tired of traveling.
    Sounds like you have got a good handle on things. Our stuff does not sit still much. When we started out we said we were looking for the perfect place to live out our old age, we gave ourselves five years. At the end of the five years we hadn't found what we were looking for, so we extended the plan another five years. So last February we extended the plan once again. I guess we are stuck wandering around until we can't. In the mean time we are having a lot of fun.
    Dallas
    2017 Momentum 376TH, 2019 Ford F450, Dual Rear Wheel, 4x4, diesel.
    2015 Harley-Davidson Street, XG750

  9. #9
    Site Sponsor Steven@147's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by geotex1 View Post
    Nice!

    Figuring RV replacement in 10 years is a good idea. Beyond the age limits in many campgrounds, the last statistic I saw out of Escapees was 8 years on a full-time rig actually traveled. Well cared diesel tow vehicle can easily turn a few hundred thousand miles, but the emissions systems have drastically reduced the lifespan without major maintenance repair to the systems. A good estimate is a $10K reserve for every 5 years.
    Rob, 8 to 10 years, probably a good rule of thumb. After that living on borrowed time? I don't know but curious whether a trailer would last longer than a motor home. Eventually a person might get to the point that its cheaper to replace than to repair. Our 3350s are pretty basic, which I like. Not a lot of whiz-bang stuff to fail, touch screens and the like. Keeping up with just the standard RV appliances is enough. I guess it all depends on how lucky the owner is, but lets not go there.
    The new emission diesel's, yup that has been on my mind as well. We have all probably read the horror stories of some owners. Our old 2002 Ram diesel would have lasted several hundred thousand miles. This new one, ?????? Anything an owner can put back for a rainy day would help.
    Steve & Tami Cass - Escapee's, FMCA Members, Texas Fulltimers Since July 2020
    2019 Solitude 3350RL S-Class, 2018 Ram 3500 DRW, Laramie Longhorn, B&W Companion, Texas Class A Non-CDL Drivers License
    Sharing the Fulltime Lifestyle - www.youtube.com/@tsrvadventures3219/videos, Nonprofit Channel

  10. #10
    Site Sponsor Steven@147's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by D2Reid View Post
    Sounds like you have got a good handle on things. Our stuff does not sit still much. When we started out we said we were looking for the perfect place to live out our old age, we gave ourselves five years. At the end of the five years we hadn't found what we were looking for, so we extended the plan another five years. So last February we extended the plan once again. I guess we are stuck wandering around until we can't. In the mean time we are having a lot of fun.
    Thanks Dallas. I wouldn't say that.
    Good handle on things? LOLs,,,,,,,, maybe not totally but we have a game plan anyway, but monkey wrenches abound!
    Perfect place? Is there such a thing? My sister thought so, they sold their house in Northern Indiana after 30 years, and moved to Pensacola, thought that was the place. Now less than 3 years she says they are moving to Jackson Tennessee. Said Florida was too hot and too expensive. Yup well TN doesn't have a state income tax, but has some of the highest sales tax rates around. A good friend lives in Bristol and they go to Virginia to shop.
    Steve & Tami Cass - Escapee's, FMCA Members, Texas Fulltimers Since July 2020
    2019 Solitude 3350RL S-Class, 2018 Ram 3500 DRW, Laramie Longhorn, B&W Companion, Texas Class A Non-CDL Drivers License
    Sharing the Fulltime Lifestyle - www.youtube.com/@tsrvadventures3219/videos, Nonprofit Channel

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