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| Escape the rat race: Hit the road |
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Although you'll enjoy waving goodbye to your mortgage
payment, property taxes and utility bills, you will have their road
equivalents. If you finance your RV, for instance, you need to factor
in a monthly payment (see banking).
RVers also typically encounter campsite fees; last year, the Sykoras
averaged $7 per night; that's about $210 a month or $2,555 a year.
Though there may be opportunities to boondock with friends, chances
are slim that they'll have the water, sewer and electric hookups
necessary for any extended stay. (And don't forget to budget for
laundromat runs.)
There are a variety of money-saving discount camping
clubs available, however. You can find dozens listed at RV-Clubs.us.
Gas: No surprise, you'll pay at
the pump for your RV lifestyle; the Sykoras average six miles per
gallon. If gas is $2.25 per gallon, it will cost them $225 to travel
600 miles. That's why most full-timers travel with a "toad,"
or towed second vehicle. It's a little easier if you think of your
gas bill as a travel-and-entertainment expense. "Fortunately,
we can control how much we spend on gasoline," says Coleen
Sykora. "We can choose how far and how often we travel. Even
including gas, maintenance and repairs, our annual vehicle costs
were less while full-time RVing than when living in a traditional
home."
- Insurance: The Sykoras count
insurance -- vehicle, trailer, health and life -- as their single
largest fixed cost. But even in this category, they found savings:
"We spend less on health care," says Coleen Sykora.
"I attribute much of that to reduced stress."
- Telephony: Ah, no more landline
bills! The cell phone has been the technological godsend for
perpetual travelers. It not only eliminates the need to hunt
down campsites with phone hookups, a cell phone can double as
your Internet connection as well. The Sykoras use an aircard
from Alaska Communications System that gives them unlimited
voice and broadband-fast connectivity for about $80 per month.
- Wi-Fi Internet access: Logging
onto the Internet is becoming increasingly easy on the road,
thanks to the growing number of RV parks providing free or inexpensive
Wi-Fi access. Private campgrounds seem to have the technological
edge so far, but the amenity is also catching on at state and
national parks.
Service providers such as Coach
Connect, Hotspotzz,
LinkSpot
and Tengo
Internet offer rates from $4 a day to $30 to $35 a month
for access. "Trailer
Life" magazine offers a handy state-by-state directory
of Wi-Fi-equipped
campgrounds.
- Mail: How do you receive your
mail on the road? Many RV enthusiasts rent a box at one of the
national mail chains such as The UPS Store that will package
and ship your accumulated mail to you at your request. It's
not technically forwarded, so you'll be charged for the shipping
cost.
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