Your RV Lifestyle

Jose and Jill of your-rv-lifestyle.com travel North America by RV. It's a lifestyle that satisfies their desire to travel and gives them the freedom to stay as long as they like.

Thank you to Jose and Jill for taking time out of your active and adventurous travels to share your experience and tips in this interview with WhyVancouver.

WhyVancouver.com: Tell us a little about yourselves... how you got involved in the RV lifestyle and what inspired you to create Your-RV-Lifestyle.com?

Jose and Jill: We first became intrigued with the idea of RVing because we wanted to travel and to see the USA and beyond. We couldn't see ourselves settling in one place. We'd rather see the scenery and communities across the USA, Canada and Mexico. We wanted to see different landscapes, small towns, farm country, National Parks, State Fairs and local festivals.

We weren't interested in accumulating more stuff or a fancier house. We wanted a more adventuresome lifestyle. We knew we could continue our interests in golf, bicycling, hiking and line dancing wherever we went, and that it would be even more fun to do these things in different parts of the country.

We retired early to pursue this lifestyle, and knew we would need to supplement our income as we traveled. Our website is a perfect way to earn some extra income AND share our experience in the RV lifestyle.

WhyVancouver.com: You have a great RV checklist on your site, what are some of the best things that you've personally used/gained from the e-books that you have listed?

Jose and Jill: We can't say enough about how RV books helped us when we started out on our RV lifestyle. In the very beginning, we read about those who were living our dream - to get ideas, to validate our thinking, to learn. And then we read more to increase our knowledge and get different perspectives. For us, the learning phase is all part of the journey. It is fun and rewarding. We think it helped us make well-informed decisions and it definitely inspired us to move ahead in the pursuit of our dream.

Throughout or site, we reference a wide assortment of books, ebooks and DVDs that cover the basics of RVing, camping and campgrounds, the fulltime RV lifestyle, buying an RV, RV maintenance, travel, technical tips and even recipes for the road. We encourage all RVers and RV wannabees to take advantage of the personal experiences and expertise of those who have "been there, done that". We continue to read and learn as part of our ongoing adventures.

WhyVancouver.com: Can you give us a list of your top 5-10 "must have" RV products for the person or family that wants to give the RV Lifestyle a try?

Jose and Jill: Wow - this is tough. We mention many different RV products throughout our site and we prefer to leave it up to individual RVers to choose. Product choices depend on personal preferences, how frequently you RV, how the RV is already equipped. We will make a few suggestions/comments:

1. Get adequate insurance on the RV (including fulltimers coverage if you fulltime).
2. Get an emergency road service plan that will cover unforeseen mechanical breakdowns.
3. For us, internet access is important. We have an unlimited wireless data plan and USB modem for our computer so that we can always get online. This may not be important to others, but as fulltimers with a website, it is critical.
4. Get outdoors. Whether hiking, bicycling, walking around the campground, sports or whatever outdoor activity you enjoy. Depending on your interests, the most important RV product for you might be a good pair of shoes, or a bicycle, or golf clubs, a tennis racquet, something for your RV patio, etc.
5. Indoors, decide what works for you. If TV is important you will probably want a satellite dish and plan. Think about how you will cook to decide if you need a crockpot, electric skillet, toaster oven, grill or specific type of pot. Bring/buy just what you need. You can always tweak things later.
6. Learn with RV books and DVDs - especially in the initial planning phases. Make sure you know how to run the operating systems of your RV and have the products you need to run them properly.

WhyVancouver.com: Since you two started off with a gradual transition from your townhouse to your motorhome, what advice can you offer visitors to Your-RV-Lifestyle.com about the accommodation benefits there are comparing the RV lifestyle to say staying at a hotel or pitching a tent at a camp ground?

Jose and Jill: In the past, before we were fulltime RVers, vacations meant staying in a hotel or condo, traveling to the destination and so on. Even now, we sometimes take a trip that takes us away from the RV. Our biggest gripe about traveling without the RV is that we have to pack!

As fulltimers, when we travel in the RV, we have everything we might need with us. It is a great benefit! We can also choose to cook at home vs. eating out. We can sleep in our own bed and are more flexible about when we arrive and depart a location.

On the other hand, we have nothing against flying to an international destination and seeing other parts of the world. However, budget constraints are a big factor and we do hate to pack. If money were not a factor, we would love to rent an RV in a foreign country and travel that way for an extended period of time.

We haven't done a lot of tenting, but we have made a few tent camping trips on the motorcycle. While we were in Cody, Wyoming, we made a few trips on the bike into Yellowstone National Park and to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Those trips were fun and a nice change of pace, but it is certainly more convenient to have your own kitchen, bed and bathroom at the end of a day.

WhyVancouver.com: What in your opinion are the most interesting places you've been too so far (of course, Vancouver will be one of your future favourites) and what made them special to you?

Jose and Jill: We have a list of the many places we have visited on our website. And we have many more (like Vancouver, Alaska, more travel in Mexico to name a few) on our wish list. Since the charm for us is to see different places, it is difficult to pick favorites. We enjoy the variety.

We do suggest the Grand Circle of National Parks in Utah, and the other colorful state and federal lands in that region. Also just about any other National Park - especially if you can visit outside the height of a given park's tourist season. We love the Oregon coast as well as the Southwest. If we keep thinking about it, we will probably mention every place we've been! :-)

WhyVancouver.com: Are there any specific kind of RV models, RV clubs or places to visit that you'd recommend to visitors who want to try the rv lifestyle should take when first starting this adventure living?

Jose and Jill: Our primary advice is to learn for yourself and enjoy the learning. There is a ton of choices in the type of RV. It depends on how you are going to use it and budget. People have different likes and dislikes. One person's idea of the ideal RV might not suit another individual. And buying an RV you can't afford will probably not make for happy days ahead.

We definitely suggest joining a few RV Clubs and have a page on this subject on our website. Join Good Sam RV Club - even if you don't yet have the RV, the magazine is a great way to learn a few things. Escapees is a great club, especially for those who plan to RV fulltime or for expended periods. Motorhome owners (any size motorhome) should definitely join FMCA (Family Motor Coach Association). And there are lots of special interest clubs and chapters - geared to a particular geography, RV brand, hobby or other interest.

WhyVancouver.com: What is the most memorable time you've had or your readers have told you about that stand out as "special"? to you?

Jose and Jill: All good memories, too many to choose. We tend to like places with beautiful scenery and opportunities to hike. We enjoy the friendly character of small towns.

We have had some memorable misadventures as well - such as the day our truck burned to the ground, or our first few winters as new RVers in the snowy Northeast. Not exactly the perfect RVing experiences, but memorable nonetheless.

And... it was a very "special day" when we got a call from The Oprah Winfrey Show, which led to us driving our RV into downtown Chicago to be on the show! More adventures in fulltiming.

The most special thing about RVing is the people we meet along the way, everywhere we go. And our fellow RVers are a caring and interesting bunch that really make the RV lifestyle!

WhyVancouver.com: What kinds of costs are involved with getting started in an RV lifestyle and would you suggest that people try this kind of lifestyle (or vacation lifestyle) by renting or leasing an RV first or should they just jump in with both feet?

Jose and Jill: There is plenty of information on our site about all the factors to be considered - financial, personal preferences, logistics and so on. Our home page summarizes the planning process we recommend and other site pages go into further detail. The bottom line is that we encourage people to carefully think through decisions...and to enjoy the planning phase. We discuss financial considerations such as RV costs and fulltimer expenses.

Aside from the quantitative factors, we suggest people think through individual expectations. Things like why you want to do something in a given way, why does a particular RV interest you, how you envision the RVing experience in your mind. Getting down to what motivates you is important. And then try some things out. Renting an RV is worthwhile for those, like ourselves, who had never been RVing. Be sure to go to RV shows to explore the different types of RVs. Join some RV clubs, do some reading, talk to RVers.

WhyVancouver.com: If you could sum up living the your rv lifestyle in one phrase, what would that be and what memory do you most want for people who visit your site Your-RV-Lifestyle.com?

Jose and Jill: Put a Smile in Every Mile!

WhyVancouver.com: Is there anything additionally you would like to tell our readers about Your-RV-Lifestyle.com?

Jose and Jill: Aside from everything we've covered here, we often get questions about the website itself. We had no background in websites when we started, so we are proud of what we have created. More about the making of Your RV Lifestyle.

WhyVancouver.com: If you'd like to know more about Jose and Jill or living the RV lifestyle visit their website at http://www.your-rv-lifestyle.com for more information.

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