So…the housing market has gone crazy, which inspired me to sell a rental house I bought ten years ago while the house value was in my favor. I decided that I would buy an RV to take my granddaughter to National Parks over the years with the profit. I never dreamed that within another week or two, my husband and I would decide to sell our primary residence and embark on an 18-24 month “See the USA in our RV” adventure, thus the evolution of Wherever I May Roll.
Wherever I May Roll is a spin-off of our blog. Taylor’s husband Blake came up with the clever name. Eddie, my husband, and I are leaving Florida in August and working our way north to start our journey and living your dream (more on that later) on the first of September.
Deciding To Become Full-Time RVers
When I decided to buy a small drivable RV, I honestly had no idea how much the price of campers and RVs had grown over the years. Partially due to COVID and because parts are in backorder status. While I had figured on spending several thousand dollars, that couldn’t buy much in the motorhome world. All the while, with my rental house listed and in contract, I watched our primary residence’s value rise on Zillow and rise and rise. Seriously, if you’ve ever considered making a nomadic move like this, give it some real thought and put your ideas and a budget to pen and paper.
When our house value reached a respectable amount, I mentioned the idea of us living anywhere to my husband. We figured out our monthly expenses, minus cable, and internet, since we will need those wherever we go, and the result was shocking. Our monthly costs were approximately $2000, including home insurance and taxes, but get this…we don’t have a mortgage payment. We own our home!
For $2000 a month, Eddie and I figured we could live anywhere, give or take a little. Thus, we decided to live what so many people dream about their whole lives, living full-time on the road. With our careers, we can do that, plus at ages 52 and 55, and not getting any younger, why not? We are fortunate to have this option. We are also physically able to commit now, and I am one of those people who believe in treating every day like it could be your last. So the idea materialized, and we began downsizing.
Learn more about our downsizing in our PODS video.
I must admit that I was shocked that Eddie was so easy to buy into the new lifestyle. He is a creature of habit and loves having his personal space, yard, and room to move around in. Plus, he loves living in Vero Beach, Florida.
Picking Out an RV
We didn’t ponder this decision for weeks, months, years—we simply took the plunge and moved forward the next day. Now is a good time to tell you that we are not campers. Seriously, we are elementary level at best.
Eddie and I have tent camped a few times over the years, but only in a small tent that is absolutely ridiculous to see two people of our size coming out of. He loves setting up the campsite, cooking on the portable grill, and enjoying a nice campfire. On the other hand, I mostly go to enjoy socializing at the campground, be outdoors, and not have to lift a finger because he takes care of it all. And I’m not too fond of the smell from a campfire that permeates your clothing and hair.
So, with that, we visited our first RV dealer—Giant Outdoor World in Palm Bay. We didn’t have any expectations or actual requirements, so we immediately saw one we could live with. While we liked several Class A and Class C drivable RVs, the prices were $100K and even up to $300K or more. Those were way out of our league. We knew at once we would be buying a travel trailer or 5th wheel. We left Giant Outdoor World with a little more knowledge than we came in with and honed in on a particular unit we thought might be a contender.
The second stop was in Sanford at La Mesa RV, where we found another travel trailer we were interested in. We have dealt with La Mesa before on a trip I did with GO RVing for my job. La Mesa gave me a crash course on driving a Minnie Winnie.
We didn’t feel like the salesperson was just trying to make a buck, and he shared valuable insight that we appreciated. We left La Mesa pretty sure that we would buy that unit and with an idea of what we wanted our new home to be.
Finding the One
I was in Daytona Beach for a work trip, which is how we ended up at the last dealership (taking a detour for a good meal in Sanford along the way). One day, we toured The Casements, Rockefeller’s summer home in Ormond Beach. On our way there, we passed yet another Giant Outdoor World. Of course, we had to stop. The salesman took us out to see some units after learning a bit about our plan and lifestyle.
As soon as we stepped onto the Forest River Cedar Creek 5th wheel, we knew instantly that this was the brand for us. While the trailer we were looking at was 39′, I asked if there was a smaller size, because it was way more than we ever intended to pay for this journey. And, with a 5th wheel, we would be investing in an expensive vehicle to haul it. Double whammy, but when it feels like home, you have to decide if it’s worth it or not. We decided it was.
We stepped on the 291RW, a 33′ 5th wheel, and were fascinated by many of the features that were evident and reiterated by the salesman. First, it has 7-foot ceilings, which is great because my husband is 6’1″, and the floor plan was conducive to our liking. Then, it has full-size kitchen appliances. Yes, you read that right! It even had my dream refrigerator with the freezer drawers on the bottom.
Other key features we liked about the Cedar Creek 291RW were the huge shower (with a built-in seat), king-sized bed with room to walk around beside it, an enormous closet, washer and dryer hook-ups, and a kitchen island. The double shades on the windows and app access for controlling many electronics also won us over.
Here is a video showing our brand new baby (RV), Harlow.
Where We Will Roll
Harlow, what we are calling our RV in memory of our beloved cat who just passed, was delivered to us last week. We have closed on the rental house and are waiting patiently for the next week to close on the other. We will start looking for a 350 dually truck at once to pull her, though we haven’t pulled an RV a day in our life…or driven a truck so big.
We (including our deaf 11-year-old King Charles, Priscilla) will leave Vero Beach in early August and begin making our way north to reach Johnson City, Tennessee, for Labor Day. In September, we will explore a new state each month, which may be several towns or only a few, depending on what we are feeling at the time.
Our tentative schedule is Tennessee (September), Mississippi (October), Arkansas (November), and Texas (December). If you have suggestions for the first part of 2022, we would love to hear them.
YouTube Channel
We will record our adventures on our new YouTube channel, Wherever I May Roll, which I hope you will subscribe to. We will also be sharing our stories of learning the ropes for RV life as total newbies, how we keep in touch with our family, how to get to this chapter in life, what we cook, where we explore, and much more. There may even be a special feature about how you live in such close proximity with your spouse of nearly 30 years.
Regardless, I’m are sure there will be many highlights, blooper reels, and life lessons along the way, but for now, we will be living your dream and helping YOU figure out a way to do it, too.
We would love for you to follow along on our social channels. Watch for the #whereverimayroll on our posts. Thanks for reading and happy travels!
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We will be “rolling” to Tennessee our first month. Here is some travel inspiration for the Volunteer State:
Best Places to Eat in Sevierville
Fun Things to Do in Johnson City