Define "Fulltiming"

I consider myself a "Fulltimer" because my home is a 1993 Winnebago Vectra and I carry everything I own with me. I own no sticks and pay no school or property taxes although I do pay highway use fees and vehicle registrations.

The insurance industry describes a "Fulltimer" as someone who lives in a "Recreational Vehicle" more than six months out of each year. That sounds like a "Halftimer" to me.

I also tend to refer to "the Coach" or "the Motorhome" rather than refer to it as a "Recreational Vehicle." I use it not only for recreation but for everything else that I do.

And then there is "Camping". We don't generally "camp". We park or stop or rest while enroute to a destination but "camping" for us includes campfires and smores and horseshoe tourneys and miniature golf and the other amenities of a "campground." Camping is sort of a vacation from our Fulltime lifestyle.

We fulltimers get lumped in with campers and that often causes confusion, like when we are taking an overnight safety break in a Wall*Mart parking lot. We are not camping and anyone who "camps" at Wal*Mart is taking advantage of their kindness.

Anyone else have a better (hopefully shorter) definition of "Fulltiming"?

Glenn

My wife and I have had this same discussion many times, usually after someone uses the phrase, "A REAL full-timer..." -- and then insert the wording that "proves" conclusively that we are not full-timers. The point I guess is that "full-timer" is what you think it is and there are as many definitions as there are people doing it.

Some examples: "A real full-timer...

• owns a 5th wheel
  has no stick home
  has no storage locker
  owns a diesil
  owns motorhome with a tag axle (Yeah, I know, "HUH?")
  has grandchildren
  never stays less than two nights in any place
  and so on, and so on.
  
  

Personally, I'd say that anyone that lives in an RV/5th wheel/trailer/motorhome/whatever full time is a full-timer. I recall the first Escapees rally we went to that one person patronized the hell out of us because we were new to full-timing (2 of the bullets above came from her) and on the last day of the rally we learned that they have two homes and "full-time" their way from one to the other. You learn to just shake your head and laugh about it later.

Got to add that we "camp" all the time and love it. But I'm talking about boondocking in the open desert, or national parks/forests/state parks and the like, not KOA and the like with all those "amenities", which we feel is grossly over-priced. Can't say we really care for that kind of park either. We tried Wal-Mart camping once, in Whitehorse, and will most likely never do that again!

Anyway, fun discussion!!

We keep getting back to the 365 day thing which about covers it for us. Hell, you can fulltime in a VW bus if you want to, it's just it needs to be your home, not your hobby.

We NEVER "camp" at Wal*Mart or FlyingJ. We make one or two night "safety stops" do not drop the jacks or un-furl the awning. These are never, and should never be, destinations. Those who exercise their "rights" and camp at these facilities will ruin it for the rest of us.

See ya down the road.
Glenn

Glenn,
My wife and I are somewhere between weekenders and half-timers, I call it (want-a-be'ers). You made me curious so I went to my Funk & Wagnalls. The word (fulltimer) does not appear. I then went to the Thesaurus and this is what I found: around the clock (adjective): permanent. Is that short enough? Perhaps some people get tax shelter (do you support it more than 6 months out of the year) confused with housing shelter (permanent).

I agree, we should not camp at Wal-Mart or the like. We don't feel safe at these places anyhow, even on a safety stop.

LOL, thats what we are "Wan-a-be'ers". I am so jealous of you guys.

Hey ...wife

Don't be jealous, just do it.

Since we started fulltiming we have said frequently that we should have done it years earlier. Soooooo many benefits, so few complaints. It's actually cheaper on the road that it is maintaining sticks and paying to educate someone else's kids.

You might like the fulltiming part of my personal website. 4merMarine.com/Campgrounds.html The fulltiming info is after the list of campgrounds we have visited.


See ya down the road,
Glenn