Wishing to learn wisdom and experience from experienced folks

[Nightfog]

Hi,

I'm J.C. and at the point where I have to think about retiring and preparing for it.  

Knowing the time is something I can't revert back, wishing to learn from wise folks in the forum.

 

Totally new to RV life yet, hoping to do most of national parks in both Canada and US,

and play golf around the country in my retirement years.

 

Thanks for sharing your experience and wisdom with me.

/JC

[Steph and Dud B]

Don't wait to retire longer than you have to.  Things can change on a dime and take time away from you. That's my best advice. 

As for RVing, consider renting 1 or 2 and trying the lifestyle before you commit big dollars to a new purchase. Some people find it isn't for them. 

Don't expect a problem-free idyllic RV lifestyle like you see on RV ads. You'll need to be flexible and handy with basic repairs on the road. 

Read, read, read RV forums. 

Good luck. 

[Ollie-Haus]

1 hour ago, Nightfog said:

Hi,

I'm J.C. and at the point where I have to think about retiring and preparing for it.  

Knowing the time is something I can't revert back, wishing to learn from wise folks in the forum.

 

Totally new to RV life yet, hoping to do most of national parks in both Canada and US,

and play golf around the country in my retirement years.

 

Thanks for sharing your experience and wisdom with me.

/JC

Hi J.C.

If you haven't started doing this, start subscribing to some of the popular RV channels on YouTube. There's a wealth of knowledge they share, their experiences and many of them are very honest about the typical obstacles and difficulties that can come up that you should be prepared for. 

Just to name a few, Long Long Honeymoon , Keep Your Daydream, CheapRVliving, Today Is Someday, All About RVs, RV with Tito DIY........ there are many more but these are all good and will give you plenty to watch and learn about. 

Welcome to the forum and good luck.  

[Mike and Carol]

JC, welcome to the forum.  Good advice above.  Take some time to go through posts on this forum and then ask any questions you might have.  There are some smart folks here eager to help.  Mike

[Patriot]

JC,

Welcome to the fourm. And good for you on forward thinking and planning your retirement years. Naturally only you and your financial planner can make the best informed decision on this next chapter in life. You will know when it’s time. 
If you are interested in an Oliver I would highly recommend you initially spend your time reading through Oliver University owners manual and watch the great “how to” videos developed by Oliver. Oliver University is a wealth of information and Oliver has gone to great lengths to produce the videos. Personally I think the videos are invaluable. I can assure you time spent reading on this forum and taking a deep dive in Oliver University will put you in a really better place should you decide to place an order. Oliver also offers factory tours if you’re ever in Hohenwald, Tenn. The tours are awesome! You can also contact Oliver and they will help arrange a showing of an Oliver by a local owner in your area. Many owners are more than willing to spend time with you to show and tell their Oliver. 
Here is a link to get you started -https://olivertraveltrailers.com/oliver-university/

Most of all have fun on here, ask questions, we are all glad to help.
Patriot🇺🇸

[MAX Burner]

23 hours ago, Steph and Dud B said:

As for RVing, consider renting 1 or 2 and trying the lifestyle before you commit big dollars to a new purchase.

@Nightfog:  This is definitely very "sage" advise from @Steph and Dud B!  We've recommended the rental option over the years to several close friends that wanted to start "travel trailering" - some did, some didn't.  Those that decided to delve into the lifestyle, did so in a wide range of rigs.  But all had several attributes in common:

1. Adventuresome, fun-loving;

2. Out-of-doors oriented, golfers, bikers, fishermen, backpackers, etc.;

3. DIY'ers:

4. Pet lovers; and

5. Cold beer enthusiasts, HA!

The cost point for renting a travel trailer or RV for several "ice-breaker" trips falls into the "drop-in-the-bucket" category when considering the initial cash outlay and maintenance costs for a personally-owned rig.  IMHO, 100% worth it.  For example, we started decades ago backpacking, car-camping, transitioned to "pop-up" tent trailers, and finally to hard-sided 4-season(ish) TTs.  It was a flat learning curve for us along the way - especially before the internet days and forums such as the one you're on right now.  Your learning curve about this topic will be much steeper by gleaning information and knowledge from the experiences of the OTT members (or any from other TT forums, for that matter).  Our advise is to try it on for size, and see what happens...  It could be a new and exciting chapter for your retirement years - or an event where you end up on the living room couch for a few nights!  Just drop the hammer and find out which one, brother!

[Nightfog]

@MAX BurnerThanks for the good Advice.

1. Adventuresome, fun-loving; Yes we are. 

2. Out-of-doors oriented, golfers, bikers, fishermen, backpackers, etc.; All of the above

3. DIY'ers: Big time

4. Pet lovers; and : Still getting over with our past dog. Loved her so much but, could fight against time past 18 years

5. Cold beer enthusiasts, HA! : Both of us are allergic to alcohol. (Is this a big problem?)

 

[Nightfog]

@PatriotThanks.  Too many videos to go through though. I'm not sure if I can go through it all before I can retire.

[Nightfog]

@Ollie-Haus Thanks. Started video going on my three monitor setup. 🙂

 

[Nightfog]

@Steph and Dud B Thanks. It make sense to dip the toe first before jump in. Thank you for sharing wisdom.

[mossemi]

1 hour ago, Nightfog said:

Both of us are allergic to alcohol. (Is this a big problem?)

Only you can answer that question!  Are you a friend of Bill's?

Mossey

[Nightfog]

@mossemi : We had first kiss without any help from alcohol and we kept it that way since the beginning... 🙂

 

[Wayfinder]

Welcome @Nightfog.  True about YouTube watching.  It took me 8 to 10 years to pull the trigger. LOTs of "research" for sure.  This group is fantastic and TONS of experience.  I learn from them every time I log in.

CORRECTION: Oliver is my first camper, and maybe my last.  LOL

Cheers,

[topgun2]

28 minutes ago, Wayfinder said:

Maybe my first and last camper is an Oliver. 

"Maybe"

?????????

[Wayfinder]

On 5/3/2023 at 3:10 PM, topgun2 said:

"Maybe"

?????????

There's also van life that has my eye too.