Hello! We are Debbie & Dale Tatum from Chesterfield, VA. We began tent camping after we were married in 1979. After our first child we decided a travel trailer would be better so we got ourselves a small one. After our second child we upgraded to a larger one. Our children enjoyed camping as much as we did, and it was an affordable way for our family to visit more places during vacations. We used to admire the motorhomes we’d see at the campgrounds. Once we met a couple who had an Alfa See Ya motorhome, and they offered to show us the inside. We thought it was awesome! From that point on we paid even more attention to motorhomes, began reading about them in magazines and on the internet, and started attending RV shows. It was some years later when we first heard the term “full-timing.” The more we learned about that lifestyle the more it peaked our interest. And we decided we were going to give it a try when it was time to retire. Then when we’d see a motorhome going down the road we’d say, “That will be us someday!" We told family and friends about our dream, but we didn’t feel like most believed we’d ever pursue it. After all, it sounded rather crazy giving up a big home on 8 acres to live in a 400 square foot motorhome. Not to mention living on the road with no stability. Most couldn’t comprehend that idea, but we thought it would suit us as much as we loved traveling and seeing our beautiful country. So as retirement got closer and closer we seriously began researching makes and models hoping to make a wise decision. We purchased a Winnebago Journey and a vehicle that we could tow (because many cannot be towed). Then we had the towing and braking systems installed, finished up some personal business, and we were finally ready to begin our long time dream. We “hit the road” on June 13, 2014, so we recently celebrated six years of full-timing! We personally have no regrets although we realize this lifestyle isn’t for everyone. But, if you are the least bit interested, we encourage you to find out more about it.
Since hitting the road we’ve traveled to 49 states, 6 Canadian provinces and Puerto Penasco, MX. We’ve driven about 150,000 miles which includes our motorhome and tow vehicle separately. We’ve made 267 stops ranging from one night to 3 months. We’ve visited 94 national parks, monuments, wildlife refuges, preserves, etc., numerous state parks, and toured 36 state capitols. We’ve explored countless hiking and biking trails all over the country. We’ve taken our motorhome on three different ferries, driven up to the Arctic Circle, flown around Denali, landed and walked on a glacier, ridden on an airboat in the Everglades and New Orleans, driven up Pike’s Peak and Mt. Evans (the highest paved road in North America with a summit of 14,130’) in CO, driven up Mt. Washington (the most dangerous mountain in America and the home of the world’s worst weather) in NH, taken a few scenic train rides, visited several islands, toured numerous museums, factories, caves, and so much more! We enjoy learning about the culture and food of different areas and seeing the ever changing landscapes as we travel.
Some points we’d like to make about full-timing are:
You can full-time in any type of RV. It’s really about what you prefer.
Statistics say that the majority of full-timers are retired couples over the age of 50, but that is rapidly changing. More and more singles, brothers, sisters, best friends, young couples, and families are full-timing. Many work remotely, and most families have one parent who home schools. Just be sure it’s someone you are compatible with because you will be spending a lot of time together!
It’s also good to find someone whose been living this lifestyle to talk to and ask questions. We are very fortunate to have a couple of mentors who were on the road for 20 years before recently settling down again at the ages of 80. We just called them to ask a question the other day. It’s easy to find people to talk to because there are way more full-timers than most realize (in the last month alone we've met three couples who just started full-timing). And the majority of full-timers we meet are more than willing to share their experiences (whether good or bad).
Last, but not least, is that you don’t have to dream and plan as we did for years. We meet so many people who just decide to give it a try on a whim and learn as they go. Actually, we all continue learning along the way regardless of what we know when we begin.
So whether you are a full-timer, considering it, just enjoying trips out with your RV, or something in between, we wish you Happy Wanderings!
And we hope to see you down the road someday.
Debbie & Dale |
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