Retirement on wheels

Choosing to live the rest of life in an RV offers freedoms -- some easier to embrace than others

The Rev. Peter Rupprecht likes to say he has a huge back yard. "It's coast to coast, and I don't have to mow it," he said. The world is Rupprecht's back yard, because he and his wife, Deborah, have joined with thousands of Americans who have downsized their lives and taken to the road, living in a recreational vehicle -- either a trailer, a self-contained motor coach, or a fifth-wheeler (so called because it has a gooseneck hitch that connects to a heavy-duty pickup truck like a fifth wheel). Among people who live the RV lifestyle, it's known as "full-timing."

The Rupprechts are combining their mobile lifestyle with a mobile job. He is serving for a year as interim pastor at St. Mark's Lutheran Church until the congregation can find a permanent minister. Then, he and Deborah will hitch their fifth-wheel rig to their pickup truck and take off for the next assignment -- or they'll travel around for a while until an assignment turns up.

Other pastors serve as interim ministers, he said, but he is one of only a few who can take his home with him when he takes on a new church.

"When we arrived, we came in at 5 p.m. and set up," Rupprecht recalled. "That takes about a half-hour. Then we went out to dinner, and the next morning I went to work, ready to go. There was no unpacking."

Plenty of RV-ers were set up at Cape Camping and RV Park at 1900 N. Kingshighway on Thursday. (Diane L. Wilson ~ Southeast Missourian)

Among full-timers, this is called "workamping." Full-timers search Workamping magazine and its companion Web site for jobs open in state and national parks and private campgrounds.

A variety of jobs abound for people who want to work for a salary and a free camp site and hookup. The Raisches -- she's a retired teacher and he retired from Chrysler Corp. in Fenton, Mo. -- are currently living at the RV park so they can be near their new grandchild.

Otherwise, they might be in Texas working at a national park, or maybe at Johnson Shut-Ins - or somewhere they haven't been before.

"It's a wonderful lifestyle," said Kay Raisch. "We really, really enjoy it."

Both families have camped throughout their marriage with their children and are accustomed to living in small spaces. The Raisches have had other trailers for recreation use and are now living in retired comfort in a large, comfortable fifth-wheeler.

For 20 years, Rupprecht said, his family camped out in tents on vacation trips. They graduated to a pop-up camper, then a trailer they towed behind a vehicle and finally a smaller fifth-wheel rig. When they decided to embark on full-time RV living, they bought the larger rig they're living in now.

"The plan was to do this full time when we retired," Rupprecht said. "We enjoy RV life. We looked at friends and people we knew who had retired with RVs and started asking, 'Can't we do this earlier?'"

Downsizing

Making the decision to live the RV life involves deciding that an accumulation of family stuff has to go.

"That's part of the lifestyle," Deborah Rupprecht said. "It's very freeing."

Full-timers sell their homes, decide which possessions they will keep and sell or give away the rest. While most RVs have cleverly designed storage spaces -- such as under the seat cushions of the kitchen chairs and under the sofa and bed -- there isn't much of it, and the extra weight of sentimental value can overload the rig.

Raisch said she emptied the family farmhouse in Belgrade, Mo. She kept some sentimental items and stored what she and her husband didn't sell or give away.

"You can get by with a lot less things," she said.

Deborah Rupprecht said deciding what to keep and what to sell took a couple of months.

"There are certain things I couldn't bear to part with," she said. "It took forever to pare the books down."

A selection of favorite books are in a bookcase near the kitchen table. Most of Peter Rupprecht's books connected to the ministry are in his office. Deborah said when she and her husband were downsizing, two things were non-negotiable: the two parakeets, Starbuck and Lizzie, and her sewing machine. She gave up quilting; it took up too much room. They brought with them only their clothing, kitchen utensils, linens and a few personal items.

"We got freedom in return," she said. "You don't have to worry about those things. You don't own them any more."

Among the perquisites of RV living, Raisch said, are fewer expenses. Their living expenses are mostly their food and entertainment, cell phone and insurance.

The nomadic lifestyle these people live means making some adjustments. Mail delivery can be done through a forwarding service based in Texas for a small yearly charge, but it means getting mail only once a week. Peter Rupprecht said many full-timers claim residency in one of several states that levy no state income tax to keep taxes as simple as possible. Raisch said she and her husband receive their prescriptions through the mail so there's no need to worry about keeping track of pharmacies. It's often possible to get back once a year to handle medical and dental checkups and voting can be done by absentee ballot. With online banking and bill-paying, keeping the household budget on track is simple.

Deborah Rupprecht said couples contemplating an RV lifestyle should try it for about three months. Retired couples especially would benefit from that, she said. She and her husband are still working and are not with each other 24 hours a day. It's inevitable that two people in such close proximity are going to get on each other's nerves.

"One couple said that there's not enough doors on an RV to slam," she said. "The number-one rule is you have to get along."

She paused and looked at her husband. "I'm trying to think when you got on my nerves, but really I can't," she said. That's the kind of relationship she said couples living in that close proximity need.

Both halves of a couple must be equally enthusiastic about the lifestyle, Raisch said. For 30 years of their 33-year marriage she said, she and her husband have camped as often as possible with an eye toward retiring to that kind of existence. Now that they have a new grandchild, Raisch said her husband is afraid that she won't want to travel with him anymore, but she is still excited about it. A former geography teacher, she said she has always wanted to see some of the areas she taught about, especially Maine and Alaska.

"Now I'm going to get to go," she said. "This is something we have been planning for so long we're just going to do it."

Deborah Rupprecht recalled that a friend of her daughter's said she and her husband were just going through a phase and assured their daughter they would soon be back in a house. As long as they have good health, she said, that won't happen. In fact, her daughter and son-in-law recently moved from Maryland to Virginia and excitedly told them that nearby their new home is a campground. So much for the phase.

"This is much better than real life," she said.

lredeffer@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 160

---

Counting the costs of an RV lifestyle

Gasoline and diesel fuel at more than $2 a gallon has not had much effect on the RV full-timers' lifestyle, nor on the sale of recreational vehicles.

Most full-timers might move their rigs two or three times a year, and they average 10 to 15 miles a gallon. Even if they do spend more for gasoline or diesel fuel, once they get to where they're going, they will stay there five or six months.

Spread out over a year, the fuel costs average out. Other people will still pick up and go but may not go as far.

Rob Christy, a salesman with RV America of Scott City, said business is the best it has ever been. It's good enough, he said, that the company has plans to expand into Sikeston, Mo., within the year.

"Current business the last two or three years has been increasing so much, there has been predicted a 12-year increase about two years ago," Christy said.

Most people buy fifth-wheelers, Christy said, because they're not as costly as the motor homes, but are often roomier and just as comfortable. Christy said he sold his own home two years ago and acquired a 40-foot motor home. In the winter when business is slow, he visits his brother in New Orleans or goes to Florida.

"You can travel anywhere you want to and sleep in your own bed," he said.

Insurance costs are lower for RVs than they are for autos because the accident rates in RVs are so low.

"More responsible people buy them," he said.

Most full-timers own their rigs outright because they bought them with the proceeds from the sale of their homes. Christy said that customers can finance their rigs for up to 20 years at interest rates similar to a house loan.

Like a house, an RV can be a major investment, anywhere from $20,000 to an upscale motor home costing close to $1 million. Unlike real estate, the rigs don't appreciate in value. Christy said it's a trade-off. Property owners have expenses RV owners don't: upkeep and repairs on the house, fences, lawn care and property taxes.

Whether trailer, fifth-wheel or motor home, the layout of an RV makes the most of the available space. Living rooms and kitchens are combined into one area, while the bed and bath are combined in another. In between are storage areas and a closet that houses the washer and dryer. They're small enough that a little clutter really stands out, but they are not without amenities.

RVs come fully furnished, generally with king- or queen-sized beds and comfortable, but light-weight furniture. They have full-size, side-by-side refrigerator/freezer units, zone-controlled heating and air conditioning, flat-screen TV, computer hookups, full-size kitchen range, and built-in microwave.

Heat is either electric or propane gas, and most rigs are outfitted with battery- or gas-powered generators that can provide electricity for a few days in case the owners want to go off the beaten path and camp in the wilderness -- what full-timers call "boondocking."

Water is stored in a holding tank. There are also tanks to hold waste water until it can be properly disposed of. Extras include electric fireplaces, which provides heat as well as ambiance, washing machines and dryers, and central vacuum systems.

When they're serving as homes, the trailers or motor coaches have movable walls that can slide out to create more living space. With the push of a button, they slide back in when it's time to get back on the road. Furniture is strapped in and other items are stashed to prevent breakage.

Christy said that whenever someone buys a rig from RV America, the service manager goes over safety issues with the customer, but doesn't give actual driving lessons. For someone with a motor home, Christy said he thinks there should be some kind of special instructions, perhaps even a special driver's license. Currently in most states a regular driver's license is all that is necessary.

Whether driving what amounts to a bus or towing a trailer, it all boils down to taking it slow, Christy said. It's important for drivers to plan ahead, drive for short periods, and not get themselves into a position where they may have to back up.