Loneliness Fulltiming - Montana Owners Club

jwedell · 03-10-2009, 01:30 PM

Hi everyone; Soon we will be retireing and traveling full time in our 3500RL. We have no problem with repairs, insurance, etc except for 1, loneliness. There's only so many sights you can see and eventually it comes down to living at a campground with your spouse and no family or friends to visit. Any advise or experiences would be greately appreciated because it's a little scary.

Mrs. CountryGuy · 03-10-2009, 02:03 PM

My observation, the people that do really well at full timing have a very good knack at making friends easily, never met a rver/camper we did not like kind of attitude.

What do you do when you are in the stickbuilt when you are not visiting friends or family?? Read, sew, compute, watch old movies, craft, etc?? Do the same in your home on wheels.

Many have said, the main differences in the stick built and your rolling estate, is the rolling factor, you can pick up and move on pretty easily and the difference in square feet you have to live in.

You will be living the dream of many, good luck and enjoy every minute!! Smell the roses.

H. John Kohl · 03-10-2009, 02:08 PM

If you are introverts you are correct. If you are extroverts you will make friends everywhere. MOC is a great place to start make friends. If you are inclined to attend rallies it is another great place. Besides the MOC Rallies there are Good Sam, Escapees, SMART (military) and many more. Great question.
Welcome to the forum.

richfaa · 03-10-2009, 02:52 PM

We are not full timers but long timers and spend 8 or more months away from home. We are now 6 months in Florida for the winter. yes we miss our family and good friends when away for long periods of time but we have made hundreds of new friends across the country. It is never boring and we are never lonely.. and we can go back home///

SAndreasen · 03-10-2009, 03:27 PM

I'll agree with Rich. We are long timers now that we are retired. 4 months in AZ than traveling around for 2 months. We've met some GREAT fellow RVers in our travels (including Rich & Helen). Just spend time under your awning and people will stay "Hello". We really enjoy meeting new people!

Glenn and Lorraine · 03-10-2009, 03:47 PM

"Loneliness Fulltiming"???? Hardly! Been Fulltiming going on 7 years and are hardly lonely.
It would take many many years to see all the sites there are to see across the USofA. Than there is Canada.
We mostly travel (and make new friends) all summer. We attend as many MOC rallies that will fit into our game plans. We do get to see our families during these months. We see many old and new attractions and to be honest we look forward to the winter here in Florida. Winter for us is "break time" from all the summer traveling. Winter is where we settle back and enjoy our new fellow Snowbird friends and take in and participate in the many various activities here at our park as well as the rest of the state.

"Loneliness Fulltiming"???? Hardly!

boylanag · 03-10-2009, 03:59 PM

We are long timers, 10 months last year. Because of a surgery for Carol, this year will not be nearly as long as last. All of the above comments apply quite well. The MOC is a fine place to, not only learn about how to take care of our Montanas, but also to meet a great group of people. As mentioned, Rallys are a great place to meet friendly people with similar interests as are campgrounds. Many want to show off their rigs and some are just waiting to be approached. It is difficult finding an RVer that is not friendly. We are leaving for a few months travel starting in Mid-April and have been invited to say "Hi" at several stops along the way by fellow MOCers. With this forum, you never have to be lonely. Enjoy!

HamRad · 03-10-2009, 05:46 PM

John and Dale,

The problem you will find is that you simply do not have time to be lonely! At least that is our experience. As everyone above has indicated just say hello to a fellow RVer and look out. We have made so many new friends here on the MOC that we would have trouble saying hello to them all! And places to see! Oh, my! As Glenn indicated. There are just so many interesting places to see that I doubt you'll ever run out of places to go and see.

Find a nice little CG somewhere and sit for a week or four. Drive around and you will meet the most interesting people and find the most interesting little places!

Enjoy your upcoming freedom and seeing new places and meeting new friends.

Dennis and Mary Kay

adelmoll · 03-11-2009, 01:53 AM

Not only do you make tons of new friends but you have something in common with them all. What I really love about our new friends is the big verity of ages. Some of our best friends on the road are younger than our children but it makes no difference. Some are a lot older than us and we can still learn from them. It's a GREAT life and there is no time to get lonely.

Helen

simonsrf · 03-11-2009, 04:30 AM

As fulltimers, we have more friends now that we have met on-the-road, and at MOC rallies than we ever had when we were working. We have spent more time with some MOC members than we have with our own kids. Those friends are our very best friends, we share a lot with them and they with us. We cherish those friendships.

Our problem is that there are just too many people we like to spend time with, and with a "not-busy" schedule, we just can't seem to find the time to get it all done, and see everyone.

At first, you may feel a bit lonely while learning the RV ropes and finding people who have like interests, but like others have said.....later, you'll wonder how you're going to get to see all your new found friends.

Give retirement some time, it takes a while to learn to relax and go wtih the flow.

exav8tr · 03-11-2009, 04:43 AM

My suggestion is to find a hobby that you can do outside your rig in the beautiful sun and sometimes rain. People are naturally curious and will always want to see what you are doing. Attend as many park functions i.e., potlucks, luncheons, garage sales, parades, sporting events, etc. Great way to meet people. We have found that we meet many like animal owners in and around the parks, people always want to talk about their pets, similar to talking about grandkids. People with like rigs, such as other Montana Owners are always willing to share some speak time. Heck, organize local trips for folks also, give aid to the elderly, there seems to be enough of them in these parks. I think most of all, be open and honest and learn to care about other people, not just yourself... As always, the usual disclaimer applies: This is just my humble opinion and somethings I have found works for us. Start a Geocache club at your local park, great fun!!!!

sreigle · 03-11-2009, 07:11 AM

Welcome, John & Dale. Fulltiming can be as fullfilling or as lonely as you make it. I chuckled at your comment about there are just so many sights to see. We've been at it for six years (as of the 21st of this month) and feel we've just scratched the surface. Well, maybe that's an exaggeration but not by much. This is such a beautiful country and there are so many things to see and do that we never realized even exist. Please take a look at our website for some examples. Click the link below, Our RV Travels. Maybe that will give you a few ideas.

Our travels changed over the years. At first it was go-go-go, get there quickly, see as much as we can as fast as we can, then on to the next place. We call that vacation mode. It's a natural extension of how we traveled while working, when we had limited time to vacation.

Over time we learned to slow down, to enjoy the journey to get to our primary destination, to take the time to experience an area, not just see it quickly. We now spend more time in places, take more time getting there (we prefer no more than 250 miles on travel days), and find we enjoy it more. For example, we planned a month next to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We enjoyed the area so much and had so much more to do (we did a lot of hiking to waterfalls) that we ended up staying a total of seven weeks. That's just one example.

Fulltiming has, for us, been a wonderful and truly enjoyable experience. It may not be for everyone but for us it is a terrific way to see this country. Our website is a compilation of e-postcards Vicki sends to family and friends who want them. I put them on the website for those who have a slow connection or prefer to follow them that way. Maybe they could give you some ideas of what there is to see and do in an area.

If there is anything I can help you with, please feel free to click the envelope icon above this post and email me. I'm not an expert but we do have a little experience with this.

As for friends, we have had the pleasure of meeting well over 250 MOC members. Many are friends, some close friends. We have visited several in their homes. We've run across others around the country. We first met many of them at the MOC rallies but others we met on the road. We also have made good friends with non-MOC people we met in RV Parks around the country. Some are more like acquaintances. Some have become friends. Others have become good friends and we stay in touch. I can truly say we have made more friends while fulltime RV'ing than we ever did during our stick home career days.

ols1932 · 03-11-2009, 07:59 AM

We have more friends now since we started full timing than we ever had when we lived in a stick house. "If you want a friend, be a friend" is what we live by. If we meet someone we always greet them, ask them where they're from, how long are they staying, where are they going, etc. Most people enjoy talking and sharing about the RV lifestyle. You shouldn't have any lack of friends, UNLESS you stay cooped up in your rig. Get out and mingle with the rest of us.

Orv

CanDo · 03-11-2009, 11:53 AM

Agree with previous posts. We often wonder how we ever had time to work! We sightsee, play golf (new for Chris), have hobbies for those cold or rainy days. And you have those everyday chores such as grocery shopping, laundry, cleaning. Living with an ever-changing view out the window is a real joy. We have made some wonderful friends in our two years on the road and developed closer relationships than when we were working because we have a common bond and have the time to nurture these relationships. It's a great feeling to pull into a campground and recognize folks you met last year. It's a great way to live. Enjoy!

MacDR50 · 03-11-2009, 12:57 PM

Any member of the MOC has an open invitation to meet and chat if you visit Newfoundland. I like meeting new friends.

stiles watson · 03-11-2009, 02:00 PM

The fact that my wife is my best friend contributes to our not being lonely. We enjoy meeting people and are able to initiate contact. We enjoy hearing what others do (or did) and where they have been. I like getting with other rig owners and doing projects, like shackle jobs or just dining together.

There is a difference between being alone and being lonely. Learning how to be alone without being lonely is a measure of self acceptance.

8.1al · 03-26-2009, 04:21 AM

I think everyone has pretty well said it all. You will only be as lonely as you let yourself be. This is a wonderful country full of many nice people, get out there and enjoy it. When in a new campground raise the hood on your truck and stare in there for a while, that'll usually bring the men out to talk.

capn chris · 03-26-2009, 05:59 AM

Because of my job, I met people all over the country. So, we plan some of our trips to visit family and friends that do not live near us. It's sure been fun for us. Like others have said, we've made many new friends while RVing, both MOC and others. When in a new area, we like to ask "Where do the locals eat?" Find some neat eateries and hang out w/the locals. Surprising what you can learn that way! Enjoy. You'll do fine.

jwedell · 03-26-2009, 01:29 PM

Thanks everyone for all the helpfull information, that took a lot of streess off our minds. We set a date of January 31, 2011 for both of us to retire. We'll start making reservations this winter for next and will also work MOC rallies into the schedule. This is a great site. I've been keeping tabs on the site since 2006 and you really are the friendliest people. Looking forward to meeting many of you in the future.

simonsrf · 03-26-2009, 01:33 PM

John and Dale,

You don't have to be retired to make it to a MOC rally!

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