Our Retirement Environment...

Our Fulltime RVer Concept

All RV lifestyles have many things in common, yet each has a distinct set of characteristics that set them apart.

RV terminology evolves with the rest of our language and meaning can change with time. What one person calls a vacationer another may call a snowbird. My definitions are based on what I consider major categories with easily identifiable characteristics. At the same time, I recognize that the lines between them may be drawn in different places by others. Nevertheless, this categorization will provide the new RVer a good starting point.

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Fulltimer

Fulltimers call the RV their only home. They have no fixed-foundation home to return to and therefore need all the necessities of life contained in the RV. It is debatable how long one must commit to live in a recreational vehicle to be considered a fulltimer—I propose that a minimum of one year is a good starting point. Major characteristics of this RV lifestyle are the following:

• Trip duration
  Fulltimers are permanent RV residents. They may stay in one place for extended periods or roam from one destination to another.
• Activities
  Daily activities of a fulltimer are no different from those living in a house. Many fulltimers are retired and do the things that retired folks like to do. One distinction can be made, though, between fulltimers and their house-dwelling counterparts: fulltimers love the freedom of relocating and traveling any time they wish.
• Housekeeping
  All housekeeping tasks must be attended to. Laundry is a weekly task and needs to be considered when selecting the RV. The exterior and roof of the RV requires occasional cleaning which can be challenging because most parks object to RV washing on their property. A convenient time to wash the RV is during a move. 
• Personal hygiene
  All daily hygiene tasks need to be attended to. It may become cumbersome if the RV does not offer all required facilities, forcing the fulltimer to use the RV park showers. Consideration should be given during the RV selection process to each person's hygiene routine to ensure that the selected model will meet the needs.
• RV & equipment durability
  Fulltimer RV's must be durable enough to withstand constant occupancy. Strong consideration must be given to the floor plan, quality and feel of floor coverings, furniture quality and comfort, quality and workmanship of shower and sink areas, and the overall construction of the unit.
• Local transportation
  In this class, motor homes are too large to be used as local transportation. Fulltimers in motor homes usually take a toad for this purpose. Those living in travel trailers or fifth wheels have an advantage of being able to use the tow vehicle as local transportation.
• Climate
  Fulltimers can reside in all climates, but generally avoid the extreme low temperatures. Equipment is designed to keep occupants comfortable in a wider range of weather conditions, with some models guaranteeing comfortable living below the freezing point. No matter how well insulated, RV's have difficulty maintaining comfortable temperatures as the outside cools below freezing. Heating costs rise dramatically as temperatures drop.
• Keeping in touch
  Fulltimers have no constant mailing address except at a mail forwarding service. Convincing a generous friend to be the mail forwarding service will eventually wear on that person and become a burden—a paid-for mail forwarding service should be put into the budget. Cell phones are the only form of voice communication for the majority of fulltimers. Frequent access to the Internet becomes necessary for email, monitoring financial accounts, and paying bills.