Welcome to the Association of Cross Country Adventurers, a group of adventure seekers that love traveling the country in our RVs and campers. Founded by a group of friends in Central Ohio, we now have a network of members nationwide who share our passion for exploring the great outdoors in their RVs. While most of […]
The prospect of moving to another home can be a stressful enough experience for many individuals. Those planning to move into an RV full-time or just smaller house than the one they have currently been living find that this transition can be particularly challenging. Years of accumulated household items can rattle anyone’s emotions when considering how to pare down or downsize your belongings before moving into a more modest sized house. This dilemma is common for older couples wanting a smaller home after raising their families. There are some simple and practical strategies to get everything ready for the upcoming move date.
The stress of move preparations happens when the moving individuals realize how much they have to accomplish in a short period. Many underestimate how long this paring down process can be. When individuals have a practical plan of action, they are far less stressed and better prepared.
Consider giving away some sentimental items that are taking up a lot of storage space. Give family heirlooms, old baby clothes and supplies, cherished Christmas decorations and other important items to grown children or others that would want these items. Remember that common household items like dishes, good smaller kitchen appliances, and clothing are all needed and can be donated to local women’s shelters and other worthy community organizations.
Most people dislike throwing out or getting rid of items that they have paid good money for. This can cause a problem when trying to pare down household items into a smaller amount. Rather than stress over the decision right away, place these items in a safe spot to wait for a while. For example:
Sometimes, just having someone there to bounce ideas off of can make this job go easier. Try to enlist someone who is a good organizer and knows your tastes and habits.
Start packing those items you will be keeping but don’t need currently well in advance of the move date. Label each box and which room it belongs in. Enlist the help of a local or cross country moving company if needed. Many professional relocation companies offer partial and full-packing assistance if you find the job too stressful to do alone.
Give yourself enough time to clean up everything. With proper preparation plans, your move can be smooth, peaceful and less stressful.
If you are full-time RVer, make sure you have adequate insurance coverage. Full-time RV insurance needs to cover personal items, the RV, and components, and provide coverage anywhere the RV travels. Think of it as a hybrid combination of an automobile and home insurance policy.
Because your recreational vehicle is your principal residence, you will want personal liability insurance. Personal liability insurance covers people injured in your RV. The liability insurance will cover medical and legal bills. This type of coverage will also take care of any accidental damage done to other people’s property inside your RV.
When selecting liability coverage, consider how quickly medical bills and attorney fees can add up. Choose the coverage amount that protects your finances and assets. Be sure to have a solid understanding of how much the policy covers if an accident occurs. You may be responsible for the rest of the expense. For more advice on RV, liability coverage go to Good Sam Full-Time RV Insurance.
If you get into an accident with the RV, collision coverage will pay for the repairs. Comprehensive covers damage not caused by a collision, such as theft of the RV, vandalism, fire, and other natural disasters.
Most collision and comprehensive plans have a deductible. A deductible is the amount you will pay. If the RV is a fender bender and it cost $3,000 to repair it, and you have a deductible of $500, your check from the insurance company will only be $2,500.
This type of insurance protects you if you are involved in an accident with someone who is uninsured or underinsured. Most states require vehicles and drivers to carry a minimum amount of coverage, but that may not be enough to cover a major incident. This will protect you against the other driver’s lack of coverage.
Personal injury protection is similar to medical coverage, but different states and different insurance agencies require it. Make sure your coverage travels with you to the areas you visit. Medical pays for healthcare bills no matter who is at fault.
RV insurance is a little different in the fact that your principal residence could break down and leave you stranded. If you break down, your insurance agency will calculate if the distance is more than 100 miles from your address on record. If it is, you may be entitled to help with meals and a hotel.
If you get a new physical address, notify the insurance company. Be sure to review your policy often. For information on RV, insurance agencies visit Consumer Affairs. Also, ask your agent to look for any discounts you may qualify for. Bundling your RV and car insurance might save you some money. For more on RV & motorhome insurance coverage, check out Upside Insurance Greenville, the Arizona Group, and Florida Insurance Agency.
Whether you are a vacationer making a single trip, or an intrepid nomad living in your RV full time, there are many things you can do to relieve the pressure on your budget. Fuel Pricing While your RV gets incredible mileage for a house, as a vehicle it is less than ideal. This means that […]
John and Lilly Davison recently joined ACCA after looking for something to pass the time in retirement. “A couple of years ago, John passed off his dental practice to our eldest son,” Lilly told us. “He was always so occupied with his work that he didn’t know what do to with himself after retirement. While we love spending time with our grandkids and friends, we also wanted to pick up new hobbies to keep us entertained in retirement. We wanted a hobby we could enjoy together during our Golden Years.” Long time travel enthusiasts, the Davisons used to vacation to exotic locales like Morocco and South Africa, but realized they really hadn’t explored much of their own country. “America is so vast and has so much variety of landscape. It’s incredible that we have so many preserved parks and national forest areas open for the public to explore.” John was reading about the National Park Service’s 100th birthday celebration in a travel magazine, when he got the idea of trying to go see all 58 national parks in retirement. Lilly was on board, and before they knew it, their lives had completely changed.
“We had an unnecessarily large home that was only ever fully occupied except for when all the kids and grandkids came home for the holidays. So, we started downsizing. There was no point of maintaining a home if we were going to be on the road for an extended period of time over the next few years.” So they packed up the entire house, save the essentials, and enlisted the help of movers to get everything moved into a nearby storage unit. “After the moving truck left, we sat on the floor that night eating Chinese take out laughing at how crazy we were. We never would have imagined giving up our brick and mortar home to go drive around the country like a couple of reckless kids.” But the experience thus far has been truly transformative.
After selling their home of 30 years, the couple put money down on a brand-new Entegra Anthem. They admit that this high-end motorhome was a splurge, but it was something they could afford after parting with their house. They wanted a place that felt comfortable and homey for their upcoming travels. After hearing about ACCA from a friend, they joined and started seeking out advice and tips from fellow members. Equipped with insights from their new RV-loving friends, the duo set off on their first adventure this past winter to Everglades National Park. While Lilly found the idea of crocodiles and alligators a bit unnerving, she admits that getting to soak up breathtaking sunrises and sunsets from their campsite at Flamingo Campground made the journey worth it. “It was by far the warmest and sunniest winter we’ve ever had. We will definitely be spending lots of our retirement time in Florida.” While they were there, the couple also spent a few nights at Florida’s other two national parks, Biscayne National Park and Dry Tortugas National Park, all the way out on the tip of the Keys. With 3 down and 55 to go, the couple has plans to tour all over the northwest this summer, with stops including Glacier National Park, Mt. Rainier National Park, and several others.
What do they think of their journeys so far? “I think RVing together has brought back that sense of adventure we had early on in our marriage, before we got weighed down by kids and career. It’s a time to find ourselves again and to enjoy just being together without any stress. I feel like it’s taken years off my mental age.” “I feel closer to John than I have in years,” Lilly chimes in. “Living in such a small space has simplified our lives and stripped away some of the stuff that used to drive us apart.” Seems these two love birds are completely satisfied by their cross country adventuring.
Our daughter recently gifted us a one-week subscription to a meal delivery service during one of our months off the road. There are a number of companies doing this now including Hello Fresh, Blue Apron, and Green Chef, just to name a few. With your subscription to one of these services, you get a box […]
If you’re new to RVing, all of the jargon and phrases might be a bit confusing. What’s the difference between an RV and a motorhome? Is a Class A bigger or smaller than a Class C? What in the world is a toy hauler? Here we’ll outline the basics of what you need to know […]
Memorial Day is right around the corner, which means summer is almost here! As the weather warms up and school lets out, more people will be hitting the road on vacation. Here are 5 of our favorite National Parks to get away to in your RV this summer: 1. Acadia National Park Tucked up in […]
