So you’ve finally reached the pinnacle of societal life and you’re now enjoying your retirement, free from the time clock and far from worry. Well, congratulations are in order! But, now what do you do with your time?
Surprisingly, it’s a dream of many to retire and travel the country while living out of an RV. But most retirees don’t know where to begin when it comes to purchasing an RV, or where to travel to.
The United States of America is a great country for traveling the open road, whether by car, bike, or by RV. And with all of the RV accommodations across America, it’s easier than you might think to plan a cross country road trip around the U.S.
Maybe you want to visit every state in the lower 48 and knock that off of your bucket list. Here, we’ll outline a few essentials for RV travel after retirement.
Choosing an RV
If you’ve ever been to an RV dealership, you probably know that the options can be overwhelming. But this is also a good thing because there’s truly an RV made for everyone, from style to functionality, and this is all up to personal taste.
If you’re going to be traveling the country after retirement, you’ll want something that is accommodating and easy to operate. And the last thing you’ll want is to purchase an RV that makes you feel like you’re driving a school bus.
Long-distance travel in an RV is all about comfort, and the more comfortable you are, the better. Consider if you’ll be visiting campgrounds and RV parks, or if you’ll be frequenting motels as well. If so, you might want to look into a smaller model so that you have an easier time getting in and out of RV slots and motel parking lots.
Additionally, you’ll also want to consult your insurance policy, and see if you need to upgrade or shop for new auto insurance in order to cover your RV.
Amenities
Recreational vehicles all come with an array of amenities, and sometimes all of these bells and whistles can be overwhelming.
For example, you might want to have a full kitchen with equipment that’s easy to operate and to cook regular meals in. Well, some smaller RVs might have a small stove, while others will come with an oven, a microwave and a stovetop with 4 burners. But you have to remember, more amenities means a higher price tag, and more to keep up with.
Other amenities to consider is the overall sleeping room of the RV. If it’s just going to be you, or you and your partner, then you’ll at least want to have a queen-sized bed. Other options for those who will want to use the RV for family outings might prefer a larger model that can sleep 6 people or more.
And you don’t want to forget about storage capacity. If you travel light, then this will be a no-brainer, but if not, make sure you’ll have plenty of cargo space in your RV.
Fuel Economy
If you’re worried about fuel economy, an RV comes with a hefty cost, and is quite possibly the worst vehicle on the road in terms of overall gas mileage.
In fact, most average-sized RVs get around 6-10 miles to the gallon with regular gasoline, and this number only bumps up to about 8-12 with diesel-powered engines. And it’s also a rule of thumb to follow that the larger the RV, the less fuel economy you’ll have.
Another thing to remember is that an RV has a fuel tank capacity that is quite large, even on the smallest models.
For example, a Class-A (bus style) RV might end up costing you around $600 to fill up the tank whereas a small van style RV (Class-C) might only cost you around $60. So at the end of the day, choose accordingly!
RV life is truly a lifestyle all its own. You really have to love the open road and living out of a small space in order to truly enjoy it. But, you never know until you try.
