Why wait to go RVing in retirement? Working remotely is nice, especially with a great view!
Don’t Wait To Go RVing In Retirement: 8 Reasons To Hit The Road Now
As a child growing up, I spent a lot of time attending weddings and funerals (my father was a minister). I always saw the stark contrast between those starting off on the rest of their life together and those whose lives always ended too soon. There were always things on their bucket list that they meant to do when they retired.
We are all bound by time and money. Sometimes we have the money and not the time, or we have the time and not the money. Or we have neither. On that special occasion when we have both, great things can happen. The nice thing about RVing is you don’t have to have a lot of either to get started, and you don’t have to wait to go RVing in retirement.
No matter where you are at in life, you must cover the basics. You need a roof over your head, you must pay utilities, and you need food and water. Why not in an RV?
Usually, it is the daily job that interferes or the fear of change. Here are 8 very good reasons to figure out how to overcome obstacles and go RVing now!
1. See family and friends more.
Whether you are full-timing, going RVing seasonally, or a weekend warrior, you are still going somewhere. This means picking where you want to be instead of being locked into a stationary home.
RVing gives you more flexibility to see family and friends. It also gives you an opportunity to meet new friends as you travel to your next destination. In the last few years, we have seen more family, stayed longer, and met more new friends than we have at any other time in our lives.
2. Check things off your bucket list.
When we lived in our brick-and-mortar home, I was constantly planning weekend getaways. I couldn’t get enough of traveling, seeing, and learning.
One of the things we had talked about doing for several years was going to Sturgis. We are avid motorcycle riders, and one thing or another had prevented us from going.
One of the first trips we planned in our RV was to Sturgis. We were able to go earlier because we could stay longer, miss the crowds, and enjoy all the great roads on our motorcycles.
Is there a place you have always wanted to go that would be better if you could enjoy it off-season? An RV makes that possible.
Enjoy new roads and access to parks
3. Technology is enhancing.
It doesn’t matter how you RV, we all find ways that make tech an everyday utility for us. Whether it’s for staying in contact with family, working on the road or just for emergencies, we all need a phone and internet connection.
New resources are being added all the time that make it better. We are up to 5G cellular, Starlink satellite internet is available for mobile RVers, USBs are now being added to modern RVs, and the connections keep growing. We can do more on the road today than even just two years ago.
4. There are more remote jobs now.
These days, there are so many remote jobs available, there is no need to wait to go RVing in retirement. One of the good outcomes of the pandemic is a lot of businesses learned you don’t need all employees coming into a central office.
There are so many remote jobs out there–even ones specifically related to being an RVer. You can use any job-hunting tool online now, and many of them have a feature to search for remote job options.
5. There is an RV for you.
Whether you want to RV with family, travel solo, or just work from your rig, there is a specialized unit for you. Manufacturers are on top of the trends and know what baby boomers, millennials, and Gen Zs are looking for.
Do you want to visit RV parks and resorts with hookups, or go boondocking off-the-grid in the middle of nowhere? Decide what kind of RVer you want to be and look for a rig that fits your needs.
6. Grow your hobbies.
I mentioned we enjoyed motorcycling. Even though we still work full-time, RVing has opened up so much time for our hobby as well. In our case, our hobbies also became an entrepreneurial avenue.
You may also find other groups that travel together so you can not only experience the RV life but also share another great interest together.
7. Many places are accessible.
The United States is one of the few countries that have accessibility laws to protect our chances of being able to enter and enjoy places with more freedom.
Unfortunately, aging and time do not go in reverse for any of us. So, get out there right now and enjoy what you can. Don’t be one of those people I heard sitting in a pew and lamenting they had so much more they wanted to do with their partner, family, or friends.
8. More memberships, more resources.
The resources available for RVers are more extensive than they were a year ago. You can use RV LIFE Pro for all your RV trip planning, GPS, and maintenance tracking needs.
Watching several months of RVing YouTube videos also helped us avoid a lot of mistakes getting started. So, join a few groups, get on Facebook, and watch a lot of information videos. These memberships and resources are a good support for getting on the road today.
One of the best parts about RVing is engaging with the community of traveling enthusiasts. iRV2 forums allow folks to chat with other RVers online, and get other perspectives on everything RVing, including products, destinations, RV mods, and more.
Related articles:
- 3 Things That Shouldn’t Stop You From Full-Time RVing
- Is RV Life For Me? 10 Signs You Should Hit The Road
Since 2019 Lucinda Belden has been a full-time RVer and travel writer specializing in topics such as living on the road, working while traveling, RVing with outdoor recreation toys, and discovering unique location experiences. She is also the Program Director for MyRVRadio, a non-stationary radio station for RVers broadcasting news, events, culture, expert advice, humor, and entertainment. As a skilled entrepreneur, promoter and travel industry consultant, she and her husband Will Belden organize national events for the outdoor industry, such as the Direction Wide Open RV & Motorcycle Rally. She draws daily inspiration from the full-time RV lifestyle, motorcycling and world travel expeditions.
I wish I had seen this article a long time ago. My husband and I planned on retiring a long time ago, then it became necessary to adopt grandchilden, and didn’t actually retire until last year. Now, our health has taken a nosedive and we don’t know if we are going to be able physically to RV, even though the motorhome sits in the driveway. Instead of seeing the USA, it’s beginning to look like we can only take short trips close to home. I would advise everyone who is even thinking about it, go ahead and go RVing now. You have no idea what the future holds. Do it while you can.
This is so true. Life sneaks up on us. I’m glad you will still get to do some traveling close to home. Thanks for sharing your support!
Lucinda
Want to do the mostly full-time RVing. Retired, alone, know which RV I want. Issue is how to handle traveling with my main hobby…..guns, shooting, reloading ammo…..shotguns, rifles, handguns……claybirds, Extreme Long Range/High Angle shooting…paper/ringing steel….Precision Rifle Series…elk/bear/deer/antelope etel. Issue: How to travel areas or interest and tour Liberal/Anti-gun/Anti-rights areas while out West or East? Crossing from a free state into a Captive Liberal state instantly renders one a felon in waiting. Leaving LARGE value of firearms/equipment in Free territory to enter Non-Free states is a non-option. Anyone successful with this challenge??
Hi Jim, the laws do vary across the states on whether you should be carrying them in your vehicle or RV and how you carry them – open, concealed, with and without ammo. You will have to do your research from state to state but here is an RV Life article to get you started with other resource links: https://rvlife.com/can-rvers-carry-and-camp-with-guns/#:~:text=Your%20RV%20can%20be%20searched%20without%20a%20warrant&text=The%20clearest%20law%20about%20carrying,peaceable%20journey%E2%80%9D%20across%20state%20lines.
Thanks,
Lucinda
My parents always told me to get out and see the world before something happens that you can’t.
As a kid we camped all over the country and in 71 they bought a class b pop top.
My wife who had never camped wanted a winter home in Florida but after the first RV trip decided that was a better way
Thanks for sharing that Raymond. I agree whole-heartedly!
Lucinda