Sad stories from RV travelers....

Topic: Sad stories from RV travelers.... (Read 2351 times) previous topic - next topic

Sad stories from RV travelers....

February 10, 2018, 03:31:37 pm

Many older Americans are living a desperate, nomadic life - MarketWatch

Re: Sad stories from RV travelers....

Reply #1 – February 10, 2018, 04:08:38 pm

I remember in 2004 selling a couple that had $15,000 and their trade to upgrade to their "dream" Winnebago gas powered Vectra. After a couple days we made a deal. They honestly laid out their finances and budget for fuel, living expenses, repairs, maintenance, and for updating, to me, and we made it work, cash deal, no financing. They were truly one of the nicest and happiest customers I had the pleasure of working with. His hobby was model gas engines, they did camp hosting almost full time. He fascinated me with his intelligence.

And yes, not all I worked with were so happy. The hardest for me were the folks coming in with 2-5000 cash and they needed a home that day. I was employed by a rv dealer carrying over the years new Country Coach, Monaco, Newmar, Winnebago, etc., costing from $80,000 to $900,000, our used started at about $25,000 with anything I felt was safe to sell someone. Tires, service (not maintenance), batteries, roof seal, mechanical issues on used averaged around $10,000 on every rv sold.

Re: Sad stories from RV travelers....

Reply #2 – February 10, 2018, 04:50:59 pm

Whenever I read stories like that, I'm reminded of the Joads in "Grapes of Wrath"; there are still poor folk, not losers, but victims of a bad situation. They are shunned in most parks (the main reason for the "10 year rule") and asked to move on by the local cops. As Jack said, there are people where the camp hosting gig appeals; they have a small income, a together coach, are smart, get along with people and are in good physical shape. We've done it, and enjoyed it, can't make a living, but met some nice folks. KOA runs a tight ship, they want to know all about you before a hire, but they are fair and the work load is not overpowering. The hosts at our park have been here close to ten years, come summer they go north. Perfect for most of us!

Re: Sad stories from RV travelers....

Reply #3 – February 10, 2018, 04:57:07 pm

Read the book of the story of Air stream. It's what helped make the company during the great depression.People buying them to live in.

Re: Sad stories from RV travelers....

Reply #4 – February 10, 2018, 05:10:14 pm

I met the owners of this one: they were standing on the corner with their two kids holding a sign that said, "will work for food and gas." I gave them $20.00, all I had in my pocket.

Re: Sad stories from RV travelers....

Reply #5 – February 10, 2018, 05:41:25 pm

I read that book. Really eye opening. With 50% of Americans living week to week it's not surprising that many can no longer afford a traditional home. I count my blessings. Well worth reading .

Re: Sad stories from RV travelers....

Reply #6 – February 10, 2018, 07:42:21 pm

It's the new American tragedy. We can look back and imagine how one or two decisions could have propelled us down that other road. If I had realized my dream career of being an airline pilot, I would be a lot worse off, pension wise. Many people who had pensions lost them due to forced buyouts, company bankruptcies, plans being sold off, etc. If you lose your job, you lose your medical plan. If you then get sick, lose your home due to the medical bills, if it wasn't already lost due to layoff. In the meantime, 401ks have been cashed out and people will never be able to catch up, if they do find a new job.
Most companies no longer offer retirements (San Diego FD is one) and congress is talking about changing "entitlements" because they cost too much. It is bad for our generation, but it will be a lot worse for the younger ones. They will likely have to depend on inheritances for their retirements.
During our travels in 2013, we stayed at a nice RV park in Orlando, not far from Disney World. We were told to avoid a part of the park. When we walked our dog, we saw what looked like a scene from Grapes of Wrath. Long term renters in old RVs with household goods piled up in small sheds. We felf very fortunate, not superior.

Re: Sad stories from RV travelers....

Reply #7 – February 10, 2018, 09:23:47 pm

My wife and I retired early in 2009 at age 52 to fulltime RV travel. We knew we wanted to full time, had traveled in the military, and had a couple years of RV vacation experience. The final catalyst to retire early was when our younger male next door neighbor who was getting setup for fulltime salt water sailboat living died in his sleep. His wife then gave up the dream and continued to work. We wanted to fulltime while younger and healthy. We wanted to stretch our budget, so we planned to work around 1/4 of each year as we traveled.

My wife and I both left good paying jobs with benefits (it was my 2nd career), to full time on 1/3 the previous income, (using my military pension (very good pension with medical), with some savings and 401Ks for backup). We sold the house, downsized, and went to one car only, so our monthly expenses also plummeted.

The following were from 2009 to 2015.

Our first workcamping was a private campground in WA state on the coast through a winter, exchanging work camping for site and propane, plus small end of gig bonus. Weather was lousy, but they hired a lot of couples so it was a very relaxed work schedule with many days off in between the few days per month on duty.

Our 2nd and 3rd workcamping experience (unpaid) were great, both in the same location. We were the only RV inside a 312 acre Nature Conservancy preserve in southern AZ (Patagonia), with the preserve manager living off site nearby. It was open 5 days a week for nature lovers and birders to visit, and our hours were not bad, and easy. The wildlife was incredible, and we had a 312 acre RV site/yard. Loved that place, plan to visit it this year a couple of times with a day visit.

The 4th workcamper gig was pretty bad, in Kansas. They misrepresented what they needed, asking for hosts, when in reality it was building up a campground from scratch with lots of physical labor. We gave 2 weeks notice one month in and left.

5th was a Corp of Engineers park near Hot Springs SD, a fine assignment with light duties.

And last was paid work and free RV site, Amazon for the Christmas season. Night shift, horrible management and working conditions. First assigned job was tolerable, then they announced they would be closing the location after the holiday season and re-assigned us to a different work task we had not agreed to in advance. We gave notice and left early. I can say we would never again consider Amazon as a gig.

We pretty much decided we were done workcamping after that. We saved money when we needed to by using Thousand Trails campgrounds, monthly rates at Escapees parks, and stays on military bases at campgrounds. My social security kicks in in May, wife in December. We can't envision work camping again unless something great just happens to pop up and for a short term (we were once offered a light house gig in Oregon during a visit there, but had solid travel plans and passed it up).

Unlike those in the article above we have never been desperate nor forced into the lifestyle. Always had money in the bank, full fuel tanks, able to maintain rigs, have healthcare/dental plans etc. In our travels we have met some fine people that ARE in the situation in the article. They have to workcamp, budget tightly, and/or stay in Thousand Trails parks year around. Some are making it on social security alone, and in aging lower end RVs. None of them complained or seemed unhappy.

It could have happened to us had we made different decisions in life, or if some type of tradgedy/medical conditons had affected us.

Re: Sad stories from RV travelers....

Reply #8 – February 10, 2018, 10:07:11 pm

It's not just older folks. I see many young ones living in small, inexpensive RVs because that's all they can afford. As I write this I'm in the local park in Nac. The majority of units here are younger folks with kids living in older 30 ft., or smaller, bumper pull trailers because that is all they can afford.

Many are living the "Grapes of Wrath" over again.

Very Sad!!

Re: Sad stories from RV travelers....

Reply #9 – February 11, 2018, 09:21:03 am

It's a tough world out there economically speaking, for the working class. Not many of the types of jobs that provided lifelong security for our generation for those willing to stick with it. The sense of loyalty and responsibility from both employee and employer has fallen victim to changing times I guess.

It's hard to have a long term view when you're a kid, but young folks might want to get past their preconceptions and strongly consider a military career.

Yeah, living in an rv might not be ideal, but having had the benefit of being raised internationally gives a good perspective on how the vast majority of the rest of the world lives. Beats a cardboard and tin shed.

Re: Sad stories from RV travelers....

Reply #10 – February 11, 2018, 10:38:46 am

My sister and brother in law traveled for 5 years with their 9 & 12 year old kids.They home schooled both of them. Both kids turned out fine. They traveled with a cargo trailer, selling RV satellite dish's, back in the day of the 5' & 6' 'C' band dish's. My sister followed in a mini pickup for there wheels.
They did it because they liked it, but did make a living at it.My sister sold patio mats, my nephew sold his services as a computer tech. He was smart as a whip at it.
They were members of Thousand Trails, so they stayed mostly at those park's, unless they were doing a RV show.
Chris

Re: Sad stories from RV travelers....

Reply #11 – February 11, 2018, 11:14:27 am

It seems like just yesterday that I was stumbling through life, an ADHD poster child (before anyone knew about ADHD) that had flunked even elementary school. I was super lucky to get a job with our fire department (my dad was 42 yrs FD and had connections). After forced retirement on a disability while only half way though a career, I had a meager pension and no Medicare or any other health insurance. I was fortunate to have another business but then the dollar died along with my business and my marriage.

After several years, I met my wife Gaylie who had many of the same experiences. Together, we have navigated through the many minefields of life without stepping on too many cow patties. Just when I started to encounter some medical issues, Gaylie claimed her SS early so I could qualify for Medicare. So nice now to be able to get a secondary insurance without having to fill out past medical history that would have previously disqualified me. That and a couple of windfalls have seen us through. Lucky, lucky, lucky!

My daughter saw the light and became an Australian citizen while my son and his wife are now doctors. The downside for them is that they owe a million dollars in medical school loans. Yes, a million dollars.

I love our U300 as it's such a wonderful rolling cabin. The view from way up high is outstanding but I can no longer drive down the valley to Bakersfield and then the Imperial Valley. From our tall seats, we can look down at all the homeless camps filled with people, no less bright or hard working or anything else. They are there only because they stepped on a few more cow patties than we did. Our positions could have easily been reversed. While I write this in the comfort of a warm home with a full refrigerator. a loving wife and dogs, I take no satisfaction in where we are today, only a solemn reflection on today's times. It's almost like we survived D-Day but can't get the memories of those who didn't out of our thoughts for very long.

Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?

Pierce

Re: Sad stories from RV travelers....

Reply #12 – February 11, 2018, 12:03:07 pm

The light at the end of the tunnel is when folks wake up and elect people who care about them and not their paymasters and themselves. If that's a political comment then so be it. Apologies for saying it but as an Englishman it grieves me to see the country that was a shining light to us in Europe, and to whom we owe such a debt not so long ago, has come to this.

Keith

Re: Sad stories from RV travelers....

Reply #13 – February 11, 2018, 12:13:08 pm

Re: Sad stories from RV travelers....

Reply #14 – February 11, 2018, 12:43:48 pm

I remember my Dad telling me , Study hard get a education, Go to college, You will appreciate it later. Use your head and not your back so much...on and on . I remember replying ,You Don't Know, I know what I'm Doing.......I Know, I Know.. He had been a Eagle Scout, VMI, Marine Corps Okinawa, Korea and had a MBA From Harvard....But my reply was I Know I Know..... As I have aged I now realize how stubborn and dumb I was and How Smart he was.......He Tried Though......I Defied....Sounds like a Country Song...

Lord knows where I'd be if I had listened..

Re: Sad stories from RV travelers....

Reply #15 – February 11, 2018, 01:38:13 pm

in 1978 I landed at JFK with $100 and what I could carry, I had 2 jobs on the hook based out of New York but after 5 days in Manhattan I'd seen enough of "the Big City". Following the advice Go west young man I washed up in Michigan working for Oldsmobile, I'm glad that I left there after 1 year as the house we had, sold for less a couple of years ago than it's 1979 price.
I worked all kinds of jobs over the next decade all over the west and finally settled and retired in Colorado.
Is it luck or good judgement, I don't know. This country is the easiest place in the world to make a living and a good living at that. I'm not being purposely "thick" but how with all the opportunities here can one fail !
Like Peirce I had ADHD before it was fashionable, had to leave school at 16. So with little or no education I made a great life here.
It saddens me to see the stress and worry that is OUR society now and the casualties produced by it. PUZZLED

Mick

When I got to Michigan on Tuesday afternoon I went to work as a janitor buffing floors on the 'graveyard shift' at a nearby hospital ......the next (Wednesday) night.

Re: Sad stories from RV travelers....

Reply #16 – February 11, 2018, 02:30:49 pm

Have a couple of friends that live out in the sticks near Austin. They both have self-built "tiny houses" with water and electricity. One has a septic tank and indoor toilet, the other actually has an outhouse. [Has to dig a new hole every couple of years] Both are licensed marine mates and when they want to work, usually will make $400+ per day. They do not have big motorhomes or nice cars or 60" tv's and do not need or desire them. Both are as happy with themselves, and as content with life, as anyone I have ever met.

Re: Sad stories from RV travelers....

Reply #17 – February 11, 2018, 03:06:22 pm

When they want to work, seems to be a shortage of that. I recently visited my college campus on a business trip and went to a business lunch at Olive garden so $10-12 lunch plus tips and tax. The place was 3 miles from campus and chock full of students enjoying the good life with plastic flashing everywhere. It isn't books and tuition that are driving up the cost of "education".

Re: Sad stories from RV travelers....

Reply #18 – February 11, 2018, 03:29:29 pm

The issue as we (DW & me) see it is that 30 hour work weeks are trying to become the norm. And you can't repeat can't live on that, let alone get a little ahead of the game. Employees at our ( now sold) coffee shop were to busy socially to work 40, let alone 80 hour weeks. Too many birthdays and get togethers or disk golf games to W O R K, like it was a 4 letter word. The whole experience has left me a little bitter towards the younger work force. If you have to work 3 or 3 jobs, that's what you do instead of trying to "make it " by living in an RV and standing on the street corner with a cardboard sign.

No college education here so I had to do the 70,80 hour thing. ( we also leveraged everything we could, everytime we could to grab more real estate instead of refinancing for the new boat).

Sorry bout the venting but there's way to many opportunities in the glorious USofA to be poor, unless you choose a meager lifestyle. And that's ok if you aren't a drain on the system.

Re: Sad stories from RV travelers....

Reply #19 – February 11, 2018, 04:53:44 pm

Reading these posts has me thinking "there for the grace of god go I" but in reality it is the same all over the world these days and alot worse in many.
What has been mentioned above is really the older generation way of doing things- "go get any work as every little helps to put food on the table". How many times do you look at the unemployed (and the not interested in working people) smoking, smart phones etc, yet crying the blues and wanting hand outs? This is what ticks me off these days.
Go get a job in the fields or sweeping the streets or? but no, that is not what I trained for or below their dignity!!! Yet people who are willing to do this are told they are stealing jobs!!!
There is nothing owed to you, we have to go out and work for what we want, and to me that is the underlying factor these days. Sorry to say, many think the opposite and decide to take it out on all if they are not given what they think they are owed.
Some residents in countries have been poor all their life while others ebb and flow like the NYSE.
Depends what you want and are willing to strive for.
JohnH

Re: Sad stories from RV travelers....

Reply #20 – February 11, 2018, 06:04:03 pm

John,

There are some big differences today. When I finally got it together to go to college, it cost almost nothing. I remember being incensed that medical insurance was mandatory. It cost me $8 a semester. Books were cheap then. No college loans like today. This is one of the big reasons Europe is so far ahead today. Free college including books. Denmark even pays $900/mo for 5 years if it takes that long. How do you ever pay off your college loans? Almost 10,000 Americans go to German universities for free with all classes for them in English. How about their technical schools? Everyone gets a shot at good paying jobs, not hanging out in Safeway parking lots. A master's certificate on the wall has the same social standing as someone with a BA.

The cost of health care is astronomical now with 70% of bankruptcies here as the result of medical expenses. All this for being 37th in the world for health care with millions still uninsured. One trip to the hospital even for a day and you are broke if you don't have insurance. France/Italy with single payer are number 1/2 while Germany, Switzerland and The Netherlands all with private health insurance don't do badly either. Everyone pays unless you below the poverty line.

The cost of housing is the other killer. In order to have an average apartment and not spend more that one fourth of your income, you have to be making $30/hr. Thats why so many kids have come home to live with parents. Unless you inherit, buying a house is very difficult.

CEOs make 22 times more than workers in the U.K. In France it's 15 to 1 and Germany 12 to 1. Here it's 250 - 400 to 1. CEO Compensation in the US Vs. the World | Chron.com

Pierce

Re: Sad stories from RV travelers....

Reply #21 – February 11, 2018, 06:12:06 pm

I paid my guys $15.00/$20.00 a hour 15 years ago, top dollar then. I notice that many don't make that much even today!

Re: Sad stories from RV travelers....

Reply #22 – February 11, 2018, 06:18:09 pm

There are actually people out there who work for a living and don't expect others to look after them. They may live in that crummy old trailer at the back of the rv park, and only work 40 hours a week, in a low paying job, but they do not consider themselves poor, or disadvantaged, and are quite happy with their state in life.
More power to them.

Re: Sad stories from RV travelers....

Reply #23 – February 11, 2018, 06:30:50 pm

This thread is depressing, but too true. I do think there has been some sort of change in our society in the past 50 years. The "the government should be there to give a helping hand" kind of thinking has become stronger than the "if you need a helping hand look at the end of your own arm". Sadly safety nets seem too frequently abused, both by individuals, businesses, and corporations. For me, being unemployed was something that happened from time to time, but I never resorted to any aid, there was always a convenience store nearby that needed a clerk on the overnight shift. I was seldom unemployed for even 48 hours, usually hired before I even filled out an application. The jobs were there, they just kind of sucked. I think too many folks today won't settle for anything less than exactly what they are looking for. Have I handed cash to someone on the street corner? Yes, of course. Did they always deserve it? No, I am sure some did not, but the giving is in no way diminished by the true need of the receiver.

Sometimes I think poor is a state of mind, not a financial situation. You can have nothing and not feel poor, or millions and feel like a loser. Too much we tend to define ourselves by what we have, not what we know, or who we are. I am afraid there is a great reset in the future and it isn't going to be pretty. Plague, pestilence, or revolution, the current situation is not sustainable.

Re: Sad stories from RV travelers....

Reply #24 – February 11, 2018, 07:25:03 pm

Local government has fines for panhandling at intersections and are enforcing it, with fines for both the panhandler and the driver of a vehicle that stops to make donation. Panhandler cannot go out on street.

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