Since I had some time on my hands, I thought I would take a few moments and give some updates on the RV Dreams Class of 2014.  As many of you know we started this journey by attending an RV-Dreams rally back in the spring of 2014.  While we were there we made friends with a large group of people who were all planning on going on the road that year.  Although I have lost track of some of them, I wanted to take a moment and provide updates to show that this lifestyle really varies wildly for everyone in it.  I do see some patterns so it seemed fitting to take some time to commemorate six years from the event.

It is important to note that there were two rallies that year and many people went on the road that I either met later or never met at all.  As able I will talk about those folks as well, because their journeys often intersected ours and again they help show the trends and variation.

Front row from Left:  Ben, Jo, Eileen, me, Cori, Deb, Sue, Eileen,and Guy.  Back row from left: Craig, Lee, Gene, Steve, Greg, Linda, Scott, Kelly, Bill, Pam, Red, Jo, and Mario.

First and foremost I should mention that after 12 years on the road Howard and Linda from RV-Dreams have finally settled into a home.  They downsized to a Class C and traveled in it for awhile and ultimately ended up in the Villages in Florida.  They still are having rallies (COVID has slowed that down) and provide mentorship to couples.  Linda has started her own business and Howard just got his real estate license so they are definitely keeping busy.

Another couple who has had a significant impact on us is Bill and Nancy.  We met them at the first rally and several times since, and they have been extremely supportive to us over the years.  They downsized their Class A into a smaller model and are also living in Florida.  I know they are staying busy, because I have rarely met people with more energy and we are very happy for them.

But onto our group, and these are listed in no particular order.

Lee and Tracy – We are still in our original fifth wheel, and although occasionally we talk about changing out we have so many upgrades in this one it doesn’t make a ton of sense for us.  We had our first grand baby this year and have talked about buying a piece of property, but again the location is an issue.  We have three kids in three states and our parents are in two others.  Having the ability to travel actually works best for us with family time.  We have talked about stopping, well I have, but Lee like Deb could do this forever.  We worked multiple seasonal jobs on the road, but recently I started a corporate job again and we are going to see what traveling with the new job looks like.

Cori and Greg – We bonded over Cori and I working on the road and we were super sad when they finally sold their Class A.  It was a second home to us and we had many wonderful gatherings in it.  They downsized to a Chinook and have traveled successfully in a much smaller space and have bought a piece of property that Greg refers to as the Center for Mental Wellness in Texas near Cori’s dad. Cori has worked part-time for her employer this entire time and Greg has been running a very successful solar business.

Kelly and Bill – They like us are first time grandparents this year and once again our lives are following strikingly similar paths.  They are one of the few couples that are still in their original rig and they seem completely happy with their choice.  Although having conversations around buying a piece of property they have not decided on where, although location of their grand daughter is definitely a factor.  Bill is installing solar for Greg which allows them to travel and generate income.

Steve and Deb – Steve has kept his corporate job this entire time and has managed to work and travel very successfully.  Most of the credit goes to Deb who plans all of their routes.  They have definitely logged the most miles of all the couples, although with a brand new grandson and kids getting married they are staying mainly on the west coast this year.  They are also still in their original rig and again seem very happy with their choice.

Jo and Ben – Traveling nurses they worked for several years in various states and eventually sold their RV and moved back to Colorado.  That wasn’t a perfect fit though so they bought another RV and started talking about going back out on the road at least part time.  They have also talked about buying a piece of property, but location has not been finalized yet.  When you have the whole country to choose from and family members spread out picking one place is not always an easy choice as many of us have discovered!

Ellen and Mario – Ellen and Mario sold their house and went on the road and then left the road when they found their dream house in Florida.  They bought another RV and part time now and Ellen has worked on and off corporate jobs through the years.

Eileen and Gene – They sold their Class A and then bought another one, but ultimately settled in Florida to take care of Gene’s mom.  Rose is in her 90’s and going strong but Gene as the only child wanted to be closer to her.

Sue and Guy –  They sold their Class A and bought a toy hauler and have been traveling full time with some stops for health issues.  The last two seasons they tried work-kamping and really liked it and are traveling as we speak. They bought a piece of property in Georgia near their kids pretty early on but as of yet are still living in their RV.

Jo and Craig – They switched from a fifth wheel to a Class A and although I have largely lost track of them last I heard they are traveling between PA and Texas.  They have a pretty regular route as far as I know and are still living full time in their RV.

Pam and Red – They changed from a fifth wheel to a toy hauler pretty early on and have had a piece of property in Arkansas from the beginning.  They have made lots of improvement to it over the years and spend time in the summer leading RV caravan trips which they love.

Linda and Scott –  I know the least about what they are doing other than the fact that they switched from a fifth wheel to a Class A and spent several years working in Texas.

That covers the folks in the pictures but here are updates on others we have met along the way.

Sharon and David – They changed fifth wheels pretty early on and are currently taking a travel break while they take care of Dave’s mom who broke her hip.  They like to stay close to her because of health reasons, and have worked a variety of seasonal jobs

Jim and Diana – They kept their RV the entire time, but have recently bought property in Michigan.  They love to winter in Florida and have worked a variety of seasonal jobs and volunteer jobs to supplement income throughout the years.

Jim and Barb – They downsized their RV into a truck camper and have bought a piece of property in the Dakotas.  They were the first of the group to build a Barndominium and inspired many others to do something similar.

Linda and Steve – They get the most adventuresome award as they sold their Class A, moved to Europe, and are traveling in a Class B.  They stayed in France through Covid but have just started traveling again.  Very cool.

Dino and Lisa – They changed RV’s, got off the road awhile, came back on the road, and are buying a piece of land.  They are working a variety of seasonal jobs along the way to supplement their income.

Rick – Rick has soloed with his dog Maxine for several years.  He upgraded to a new to him Class A and had worked several volunteer jobs throughout the country.

Bridget and Pat – We all met at the RV-Dreams rally and for several years they talked about full timing.  They were taking care of elderly parents, but very recently they put their house up for sale and have gone on the road.  They are a wonderful example of it not really mattering how long it takes for you to get out there.  Sometimes things just take a little longer!

That is the updates and again I think the most important thing is this clearly shows there is no one true way to full time.  I think we have all learned that it is a set of decisions that create a path just like any other life.  One of the beauties though is there are many more decisions because of the freedom the lifestyle allows.  Sometimes though it can definitely feel like too many choices and of course other factors in life often prescribe our choices.  We’ve been blessed to stay in touch with most of these folks over the years and I wanted to end by sharing a few pictures of those large group meetings. We’ve had tons of smaller gatherings of course but its really special when a big group of us can get together.

 

 

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