Length of Trips?

[RKassl]

Just wondering what other Long-timers do as far as time away from the stick house and approximately how many times you are gone per year?

Since we are not retied yet our trips are getting longer each time we venture out. In about 24 moths when retire it will be Alaska for 3-4 months. I envision coming back home for a while till we head out again.

Thanks

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

Right now, our longest time it for the winter months, Winter Texans we be! Bout 3.5 to 4 months.

Have gone a month on an extended research trip to Minnesota and Iowa.

Want to do more, but our family and community obligations keep us in the stick built for now.

If you are like us, if you can find a good excuse to go, you will!

[Joyce H]

We are usually on the road from mid September to mid May. Have a vacation home in WV where we spend the summers. Of course we also make some short trips in the Monty during the summer.

[HamRad]

We are on the road about 2 or 3 times per year. We tend to stay out about 8 to 12 weeks at a time.

We left home at the end of May 06 and returned beginning of August 06 on our last trip. Our next trip begins the middle of this month and we plan to be on the road until the end of February or the middle of March at the latest.

Of course we are both retired so we can generally plan just about any length we want. But we seem to start getting the itch to come home after about 2 months or so on the road. How lucky are we all to be able to even consider this type of lifestyle! It is wonderful!

HamRad

[slewis]

At this time in our lives we are gone for one month only. Until husband retires then we plan to be gone for at least 4-6 months during the winter. However, if all the winters in Ohio are going to be like this one we see no need to leave Ohio.
It's been so unseasonably warm. No snow and no freezing temps,either. Who needs Florida when the weather is this mild. Oh, yeah I can't forget to say- GO BUCKS!!!!
Sandy

[richfaa]

This is our first long timer trip. We left Ohio December 12th plan to return @ the 1st week of April. We have a 2 month or so trip planned to Colorado June/July. There will be many short trips also.. weekends to a few days.. We can come and go as we please ..so we will...

[jrgwdenner]

It seems that our trips last around five months with a two month break at the stick house that may involve some time for short trips. We like to cover a large area before returning home so we don't spend more on fuel.

[RKassl]

Thanks for the great responses. Our free time will change once our retirement kicks in. The thing I look to the most at that time is not being on a schedule, e.g. x number of vacation days to do x number of miles. That in itself is stressful.

Thanks

[refocused]

We are usually gone about 6 weeks at a time in the summer - need to escape the humidity here in south Texas - plus 4-7 day trips or just weekends - this year, tho, we are doing the Oregon Trail (33 days) so figure a week to get to St. Louis, the month on the Oregon Trail which ends up in Mt. Hood, OR, and then about a month or 6 weeks to get back to our stick house - wow, that's about 3 months - if that works out, we may consider selling the stick house and going full time until we got our lot in Benson at the SKP park!

[campbud]

RKassl, we dream of having no schedule someday! Till then we take a trip or two and do weekends mostly.

[rrheik]

We took two 3 month trips and two 2 month trips in 2006. We are on a 3 month trip now til March in Gulf Shores, Alabama, and then have a 4 month trip starting in June through September in Montana, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Indiana. We will have some 2 week trips to Tucson, and Fredericksburg, Tx. in between. We are almost ready to commit to fulltiming, since we both really enjoy being on the road.
We just made a 3 month reservation for 2008 at Island Retreat RV Park in Gulf Shores, Alabama for Jan - March.

barb and bob

[Dustytuu]

We go for usually 3 weeks to a month at a time. We also get the itch to come back to stick house to check on everything. The cure for this is selling our stick house.
We plan on staying in AZ this next winter for a few months wheather we still have the stick house or not.

[ossajk]

We do a 6-10 week trips during the year and put in several 5-10 day
trips between. My wife hasn't completly retired yet so we are not doing the all winter vacations yet. I hope to talk her into full retirement for next winter.

[virgil47]

We left in March of 2006 and traveled from Georgia to the Rio Grande then up the Rockies to Banff. From there we went to Alaska and stayed for June, July and August, then returned to Georgia in September. A wonderful trip but I suspect that being out a month or two will be our limit until some family situations change.

[Joe-n-Doe]

We are retired, but still do some contact work, so time isn't an issue. We got into RVing because we had planned a cross-country trip and had pets we wanted to take with us. After a couple of 2-5 day trips to visit our son (not one at an RV Park with hook-ups), on April 1, 2005 we left on what turned out to be a 60 day road trip. We did a shorter version that fall and since then spring and fall are on the road for appx 60 days each time. I belong to 2 organizations that have reunions or conventions in the spring and early fall, so we plan our trips around them.

In addition to the long trips, we make several 7 to 10 dayers throughout the year.

On April 1, 2008 we leave on another cross-country trip that keep us on the road for about 90 days.

[richfaa]

This year we will leave Nov 26 and return @ Mid April or whenever the chance of Snow in Northern, Ohio is over.We will leave again @ Mid June and return @ the first week in Aug. Those are our Winter and summer trips. We will also do several shorter trips(week to 10 days)at cmpventions with the FCRV and the Fall rally In Sept not to memtion long weekend with our local camping group.. All told we are gone from the stick house @7 months out of the year. Could be more if we feel like it.

[stiles watson]

Even though we officially are fulltime, we don't stay on the road all the time. We have a "home base" in Central Texas. Our extended trip (cut shot by Dianna's broken leg) started July 19 and was scheduled to end late October. These extended trips are broken up by month or two stays at the home base for planning, any repairs or upgrades, etc.

[Capt Kidd]

In as much as Sis (traveling partner) and I are not retired yet, another year and a half for her and who know for me as I am self employed, we try for two longer trips a year, usually three weekend and the two weeks or about 16 -18 days. Then several long weekends 4 or 5 days the rest of the year.

We figure we can do all of the US west of the rockies this way and the rest of the country will just have to wait for retirement.

I'm hoping I can get my store manager to be able to handle everything for at least 6 weeks 2 or 3 times a year, and if so I will work for at least another 5 years or so. Toys are so expensive!!!!!!

[timandsusan]

We both retired in June 2006 and have taken two extended trips. One in the fall of 2006 for 9 weeks and then this summer to Alaska for 18 weeks. The Alaska trip was our goal for the past 5 years and WE DID IT! We will go back in a few years. Other than 1 week trips to Denton from San Antonio to see the Grandkids, we have not gotten into a monthly or routine outing plan. We prefer to be totally flexible. We are doing more rallys that we have enjoyed alot--great RVers to meet and lots of fun. We will head out again in the fall of 2008 for 6-10 weeks for more fun--just have to decide the direction to travel.

[simonsrf]

We left in October of 2006, and haven't made it back yet.....wouldn't have it any other way either!

Sorry, just couldn't resist...we're full timers.