Fulltiming - Part 5

Insurance, Money, Communication, & Campgrounds

Insurance. In addition to health and medical insurance, fulltimers need to take a different slant when insuring their vehicles. A fulltiming rig requires unique coverages, including personal liability (much like homeowner's insurance) for those times when your RV is parked, and total replacement coverage to guarantee you a new, comparable unit in the event of total loss. A comprehensive extended service warranty combined with an emergency road service (ERS) plan can reduce owner anxiety when unexpected problems are encountered while traveling. Most RV clubs, motor clubs, and RV manufacturers are offering these extra coverages. In fact, many insurance companies include ERS coverage for free in their RV policies. Shop around for the best deals before you take the fulltiming plunge.

Money. All fulltimers need easy access to their money. No one wants to carry large amounts of cash. With the availability of credit and debit cards, that can be avoided. There are ATM machines everywhere. Just watch out for those fees. They can add up quickly. Fulltimers are advised to travel with two credit cards (one for each partner) and a debit card (many now look like credit cards to vendors), as well as a checkbook. Each partner should keep the other's card number handy in case the card is lost or stolen. Arrange for direct deposit of any income, and handling your accounts on the road should be a snap.

Communication. Keeping in touch on the road is essential to an enjoyable fulltiming experience. There are a number of considerations to keep in mind when planning ways to stay connected:

• Mail Forwarding - fulltimers need to receive their mail in a timely manner. They can use friends or relatives to forward their mail via the post office's general delivery procedure, or professional mail forwarding services can be enlisted through private operations or many popular RV clubs to serve the same function.
• Telephones - having a phone available has become much easier in this day of cellular communications. No longer are pay phones and calling cards the only way to keep in touch. Many campgrounds and resorts have also begun to offer telephone hookups right in the campsites. We recommend carrying a cellular phone and a land-based phone for those times when a campsite hookup is available. To control costs, choose plans that offer the most reasonably priced activation, monthly, airtime, roaming, and long distance fees. Many RV clubs also offer messaging services to make it easy for friends and relatives to keep in touch.

Campgrounds. Campgrounds and resorts will become your primary parking spots when you enter the fulltiming lifestyle. As a result, they will also play a large role in your budgeting plans. Now is the time to explore the various camping options. Look for ways to save money on camping expenses. A Good Sam Club membership will save you 10 percent on fees at affiliated campgrounds. National and state parks can also provide inexpensive campsites for short periods.

For long-term savings, though, you may want to look into membership campground programs. Many, like Coast to Coast and RPI, offer significant savings on camping fees, sometimes as low as five dollars per night. Look closely at the initial membership costs, however. They can be fairly expensive, as they often involve an up-front membership fee as well as costs associated with establishing a home resort membership. If you determine that the long-term savings outweigh the start-up costs, then a campground membership may be for you.

For the ultimate in savings, you can factor in those freebie nights when you use a truck stop, rest stop, Wal-Mart parking lot, or the driveway of a friend or relative as your temporary domicile. Just be careful, though. Your first consideration should always be safety.

We've covered a lot of planning needs in this installment. Keep in mind, however, that becoming totally prepared for the fulltiming experience also requires getting some general RV experience. If you've never traveled by RV, then diving right into fulltiming could be a risky proposition. You may want to rent an RV to gain an understanding of what the lifestyle requires. Read as many books and magazines on the subject as you can find. Talk to other fulltimers. Write to the experts with your questions. Attend seminars at RV shows. Visit the multitude of fulltiming sites on the Internet. Learn everything you can before making such a major commitment.

In our next segment we'll take a look at what makes a perfect fulltiming rig. Should it be a motorhome, trailer, or fifth-wheel? What is the best tow or dinghy vehicle? How much space do I really need? For the answers to these questions and more, move on to Part 6.

Part 6 > Residency, Possessions, Vehicles, & Medical Care