Full timing is a term we pass around with out really telling others what it is. Full timing is living and travelling in an RV full time. It is an extremely popular life style. More and more people are going to the full time lifestyle. They are people who are retired, who saved for a few years to get away from the workday grind, people between jobs and houses, people whose job is never in the same place, in short it is all sorts of people who for various reason prefer to live on wheels.

The RV can be anything from a Volkswagen sized van to a 42 foot Diesel powered motor home with whole sections that slide out for more interior room. Some have a home to return to and some only have the RV. Some have a lavish retirement income and some have to work. But the common thing is that they are not just vacationing in an RV but living in one.

Well, here it is. This is sort of a very loose diary of my trip and its preparation. I have been self employed doing custom woodworking and home repair for a couple of years and not bringing in the money I was as a software engineer so we decided to sell the house which was getting difficult to afford. She wanted to move closer to her work and into a cheaper house and I was at loose ends so decided to pursue a dream and travel around the country. The proceeds from the house allowed me to buy a 27 foot travel trailer and financed a half a year on the road. I also do RV repair, custom woodworking, craft shows, and computer assistance in the hopes that I can extend my stay on the road.

As with any endeavor, there are many reasons, some good, some bad. My hope is that I have picked mostly good reasons. I like travel and have in the past travelled around the country by thumb, with a motorcycle, and a car. In the late 60s my brother and I travelled over much of the US and part of Canada in a Corvair Convertible, camping where ever we could find a spot. I have also travelled in a motorcycle with its even greater opportunity for camping spots, along side the road in a small grove of trees, in orange groves, under highway over passes, etc. I even worked for a time in a carnival and camped under various trucks and rides. I drove truck for a few years running up and down the west coast. Then marriage, kids, career, all came along and I set aside many of the delights of cheap travel. I did manage to travel all over the world in my work but that pleasure was somewhat mitigated by it being a business trip. Other than occasional family vacations, travel was limited.

Now things have changed. A combination of age and outsourcing have ended my career as a software engineer. My kids are all grown and making their own decisions. I am at loose ends and wondering what the next step should be. Why not go back to travel? Sleeping on a thin mat on the hard ground no longer holds the appeal it once did and my monetary needs are greater. A friend I worked with moved into his fifth wheel when a company we were with collapsed. He introduced me to the world of full timing.