Ohdanigirl Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Has anyone here ever done something like this? Or know someone that has? I just happen to run into some articles about families doing this,went down the rabbit hole, and was left intrigued. Wow! What an adventure. But how do they do it? It seems nearly impossible, unless they have a lot of savings, a website that generates income, or a work from home job. I assume, people find jobs on the road. But how? Do you find them before you leave? Wing it, and hope something pops up? What about people who travel around the world? Not in fancy hotels, but maybe even sailing, or backpacking around the world. How do they support themselves? I just find it so interesting. People's creativity, and sense of adventure just wow me sometimes. Danielle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iucounu Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Life is definitely easier for the wealthy, and that certainly goes for homeschooling. I'm assuming that trips around the world are not financed by transient jobs in foreign countries washing dishes, etc. I would be afraid to try something similar by living in an RV in the US without plenty of disposable income too-- what happens if the RV breaks down and needs expensive repairs? I would travel constantly with the kids if the wife and I weren't tied down by our jobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Homeschooling from an RV would be so cool (as long as it wasn't due to a home loss). I wish we could afford to travel! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arghmatey Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Color me jealous of anyone who does this. My ex and I almost did this, and then we didn't. Some families quit their jobs, sell all their belongings, and do it. Fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest submarines Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 I wish we could sell everything (including the house), buy a older RV / renovate it, invest the rest of the money, and travel across North America. I'm not brave enough, though. I have also one child who is attached to things, and is not in love with changes (though doing better and better with each year.) We still have a vague dream of doing it about 4 years, and have an "RV savings" jar that the kids made after our last camping trip. So far we have only about $30 in, so it doesn't look like we are doing it any time soon. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 I would love to do this. Youngest learns a lot better from untraditional methods. Unfortunately, dh is still AD USAF so nothing like this would work for us now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arghmatey Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 How about a garbage truck instead of an RV? This space is awesome. http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/look/look-small-space-livingin-a-garbage-truck-061030 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest submarines Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 (edited) How about a garbage truck instead of an RV? This space is awesome. http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/look/look-small-space-livingin-a-garbage-truck-061030 Love it! We've been looking into a school bus conversion, even went to an auction to look what was available. http://www.vonslatt.com/bus-main.shtml The problem with RV's is that they don't use the space the way we want to use it. For example, we don't need a bathroom / shower. We don't need that tiny sink. We'd rather use these fascilities at campsites. (Well, if we had the extra $200,000, we wouldn't mind an RV the size of our house with a bathtub, but that's another story). We want a small space, used efficiently to suit our family. ETA: Looks like it is a specialised, German made, all-terrain RV vehicle, not a garbage truck, though: http://www.unicatamericas.com/ Edited December 20, 2011 by sunflowers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lily_Grace Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 I think each person's circumstances are going to be very unique. During DS1's 5th grade year we were lucky enough to be able to live in 3 different countries and visit a few different states. This next year we're considering joining WWOOF and using those opportunities to sightsee around the EU on a tiny budget. It would mean leaving dh behind for a while at a time so we'll have to see how things go and if this is entirely feasible or not. Worst case scenario we start out not too far from home and decide if we like it before committing to more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thea Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 We traveled in an RV around the country for two months this past spring. It is definitely fun--and stressful. There is a yahoo group- Families on the Road (FOTR) - that anyone who is even thinking about an extended RV trip should read. (eta: I did keep a blog and use to have the link in my sig-if anyone is interested. http://bounderbeast.blogspot.com/ ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
higginszoo Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 We were all set to do this -- dh was going to install software at every Army and Navy Hospital in the Lower 48 (actually, he may have done AK and HI and some overseas bases too, but we wouldn't have gone with him). I had campsites staked out for the first dozen or so places (we were looking at 3-5 days per site). At the last minute, the contract fell through (Congressional budget issues), so we didn't actually do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorganClassicalPrep Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 I am so jealous of people who do this. Traveling is actually one of the reasons I chose to homeschool; once I actually get out of school myself and am (hopefully) working as a professor, I'll have long stretches of time off- we'll be traveling! :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 We seriously considered it. We were willing to try, but a job was what held us back. Dh could have taken traveling construction work, but nothing ever panned out. Now dh has health issues that forced him to change professions, so we're in a different place (emotionally, physically, financially, metaphorically, ...:lol:) My biggest concern was going to be books and dealing with a dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 I want to do this - but the price of gas is just so horrible. An RV is a guzzler, so I'm having a hard time justifying it. I am thinking of a station wagon campin/hotel adventure to get to my family's next summer just for the experience of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohdanigirl Posted December 20, 2011 Author Share Posted December 20, 2011 I thought most of the same things you all are saying. Some of these people are talking about how, "there are plenty of on the road jobs out there for Rvers." It just seems to me, that you would need to have a chunk of cash on hand. I would be scared to just wing it, and see what came our way. It looks like so much fun, though. How about a garbage truck instead of an RV? This space is awesome. http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/look/look-small-space-livingin-a-garbage-truck-061030 So cool. Daielle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeacefulChaos Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 I've always just assumed people who do that have to a) have a lot of money, or b) have a job that doesn't require having a set residence. :) I think DH would go nuts living in an RV. I do want to take one when we go out west, though - want to try to hit as much out there all at once as we can. Thought an RV would be a fun way to do it. We would probably just rent one, though - does anyone know anything about renting them? How about a garbage truck instead of an RV? This space is awesome. http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/look/look-small-space-livingin-a-garbage-truck-061030 That's neat. Nice, too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillieBoy Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 We did this for a year when our DD was 4/5 so it was early in our homeschool journey. We had sold our home, bought a huge truck and new 40ft trailer with a bunk room. We thought it was important for her to have her own space. We also brought our DirecWay internet satilite dish, bought a tripod and finder, and we were good. DH is a log home handcrafter, we spent all spring and summer in the wilds of BC, near Kelowna, then traveled all over the NW. It was AWESOME!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mimm Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 I remember someone on this board did that, and I followed her blog link where she talked about how. They were not wealthy but they would stop and work odd jobs every now and then. Gas was their biggest expense. They didn't eat out hardly at all, but cooked simple foods in the RV. They owned as few possessions as possible because space in the RV was at a premium. I think she missed books the most. But you could get e-readers and solve that issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 My next door neighbor just loaned me the book 360 Degrees Longitude about a family who travels around the world. I haven't read it, just picked it up last night... But am fascinated by this! (I don't know that they used an RV for their travels, but it's possible, and if you're interested in travel, it might be a good read!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdventureMoms Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Something like this is soooo on my bucket list. I do think the hardest bit is income while on the road. We're fortunate in that my DW has a career options that would have her working in various different places at different times (while maintaining steady income) but we're not sure that's the route we want to go in the long-term anyhow. If we don't go that route, we will probably save up and do several shorter (but at least a few weeks long) trips. It is normal and beneficial in DW's industry to change jobs every couple of years, so we can generally make it work out so she doesn't start her new job until a few weeks after she's finished at her old job. We might also supplement with income from odd jobs or craft fairs or web-based employment of some kind, but I would want to have at least a small nest-egg for emergencies. We may end up opting for the minivan-and-popup trailer or minivan-and-hotel type of trip though. The increase in lodging costs would be offset by the decrease in fuel costs in a lot of cases, and it would avoid having to deal with getting an RV (or one of it's systems) repaired on the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Give GypsieFamily a yell if she doesn't pop in here. They've been traveling around Oz for over a year, I think. I'm pretty sure her husband is a pharmacist and covers other people's holidays. My aunt and uncle took my cousin around the country as a preschooler (so obviously homeschooling wasn't necessary.) They are both nurses, so they went where there were staff shortages. Usually they camped, but sometimes accommodation was provided. Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoVanGogh Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 DH and I were seriously considering this last year when his company went out of business. He is a software engineer and could - for the most part - work on the road. We decided not to because 1.) our house is paid off and we didn't want to sell it 2.) pets, pets and too many pets 3.) the fear of jumping into the unknown... Our 'safe' alternative - taking 3-4 week long vacations, where we can drive and camp across a chunk of the US. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtnTeaching Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 We have been extremely blessed to have in-laws who are extremely sweet and generous! They have a beautiful bus RV that is set up to pull their Explorer. We have had the opportunity to use it for several months at a time and have taken homeschooling with us. Just pile in the kids, books in milkcrates, laptops, dog, and clothes. It is AWESOME! Homeschooling works for us because we have access to a MiFi and a DirectTV dish with the RV. (This puppy is loaded.) Hubby is a computer guy who works from home anyway, when he is not traveling. It is easy for him to just head out if he works with his schedule ahead of time. Pros: - Experiences!!! Seeing historical or noteworthy places. Museums! - Meeting new people- absolutely love this. - Family becomes so close! This is what the focus is on these trips. There is no worrying about shuttling kids around to activities and the normal screaming-fast routine. - Homeschooling actually works better traveling than at home. It is a HUGE incentive to get up early, get 'er done, and head out to see and do fun things. Cons: - Cost! Gas! Museums and admission costs! RV parks that handle this kind of RV are usually pretty pricey as well. - We usually cook all of our own meals, but sometimes that is tough on the road. - Our particular RV is beautiful, but there always seems to be something that needs repair - and it is usually expensive whatever it is. This is actually a huge consideration when we use the RV because there is ALWAYS something that needs repairing. - Someone has to take care of things at home. That usually costs as well, even if it is the neighbor kid watering the plants and feeding the cat. We love it when we have the chance to do it. I wish I had tons of money because we would do more of it. It really is worth it when we can afford it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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