You two have experienced more in 5 years than many will experience in a lifetime. Do what makes you happy. Your followers will understand regardless of the direction you choose.
The only thing that's permanent is change! I've been watchingcyou for about a month and enjoyed every minute.you are quite the comedy team with dexter! These rv's are not made to last being on the move constantly . You guys gotta do what makes you happy ! Your lives will have changes in stages as you age .lo ve each other well and you can face anything together . From 1 RN to another.
We kept our home and spend winters in a warmer climate. For us 3 months on the road is enough and we look forward to coming home. Once we're home, we look forward to our next trip. Choice is a luxury.
this is our plan for next summer and hopefully summers after that :). home when weather is nice, away when it's absurdly hot. best of both "worlds", hopefully!
Travel burn out is so incredibly real. I got kicked out of an rv group on fb for saying that. In some of those groups they only expect you to post positive stuff but the reality is everything you said is true.
Hanks, we love watching your channel. Your channel is called Happily Ever Hanks, well tune in if you keep inviting us to share a part of your story. It doesn’t have to be RV or travel, I just love your vibes. This is one of most positive channels on RUclips.
HI guys. We're in our 14th year fulltime in our 31-year-old diesel motorhome. In those years we've been out exactly one night for repairs; we've also spent 12 nights in a shop's parking lor, and on another occasion, four days next to a garbage truck. Fairly early on we learned that go-go-go is a fun-killer, so we go to a location or area for the winter and spend two to three months to enjoy the area and rest, repair and refit, then we do the same for the summer. Spring and fall are our go-see times with frequent traveling. That way we don't get burned out traveling and don't get burned out on an area. If you feel that you need to slow it down, then slow it down. If you feel that you need to take a pass on visiting family, then take a pass; they'll never really undertand what's involved in visiitng them but they'll get over it.
We’ve been in our RV for 4 years. We just bought a lot on the gulf shores - less than 1000ft from the beach. We built an RV cover with a covered deck above. We plan to winter there for 4-5 months and then travel the rest of the country. Even with the cost for property and utilities, we will save money being there. Plus we have a place to stay in place and do repairs/maintenance to the Rv. So we still RV full time, hit stay in place longer.
WE keep our motorhome in an RV resort in central Florida. We have an RV port (cover) and an attached 400 ft executive suite with full kitchen, sitting/TV area, full bathroom, and storage area with washer/dryer.
I wonder how many people had their RV damaged or flooded in the latest hurricanes. Never will I park my vehicle or live in any coastal states. The 100 year hurricanes will be happening much more frequently.
My husband and I were part time RVers for 10 years, and had the exact conversation that you're having now. We toyed with the idea of going full time but came to the conclusion that not only didn't we want to go full time, but we had had enough of the repairs, work and issues that inevitably occur. We got to the point where instead of enjoying the travel, we were holding our breath that something else wasn't going to fail. We sold our class A at a loss, but we've never had a moment of regret. As I write this, we are in Oslo, Norway, having just completed a tour of Ireland, and before that Switzerland. Now when we walk away from a cruise, hotel or rental, that's the end. No more hassles. Don't feel like you've failed or let anyone down if you decide you're ready to move on from this.
It's great to have a modest home in a great location, and an RV. If you are doing renovations in your home, you can stay in the RV. If your RV needs repairs, you can live in your home. And you can take off anytime, and come back home anytime. Best of both worlds.
My late husband and I had a 30 ft. Travel trailer at Myrtle Beach. We would live in our trailer for 3 months at a time. I loved the RV life and miss it. I wished I never would of sold my trailer now. Cassie❤
Keep in mind, we would certainly miss you, but you HAVE to do what YOU need to do. I'm sure you will make the right decisions, whatever they are...😊 Scratch Dex's head for me!❤
Lived full time in a travel trailer two years in Texas. After two tornados and many hail storms I needed to replace to roof. Found black mold. Now I live in an apartment first apartment I’ve lived in thirty years. It’s actually great. Missed the bathtub a lot.
First off you guys are not just full-time RV'ers you are Content Creators as well, and that has it's own level of burnout that you have to deal with. We know that because we do it as well. The constant need to feed the beast can be exhausting, no matter how much you enjoy doing it. One of the things we do is set aside a day or two while in a location to just be a tourist. No cameras, just us and the area we are in. We try to do this early in our stay in an area because it can also give us ideas on what to film. Your idea around taking break and staying in one place for a bit is so spot on. We are forced in a way to do this each year because we still have a business in the town we grew up in. We have to go back there every year to work with clients. This puts us in one place for 4 to 5 months. And trust me, a couple months into it we are chomping at the bit to get back out on the road. This is a great way to battle the travel burn out. Of course this partial stationary life may pose an issue for you assuming RUclips is your main source of income. How do you feed the beast if you're not traveling and producing new travel content? Maybe use that time to produce more review, or how to content? That's what we try to do when we're stationary. Honestly, we don't produce as much as we want because the client work keeps us so busy. Ney Ney - You are absolutely spot on when you say that you need to be a little outside of your comfort zone. This is what keeps us growing and learning. But, taking some time to be in that comfort zone is also needed so that you're not always on edge. Make some time for that too. Also keep in mind that no matter what you decide to do, nobody can take away the last 5 years of adventuring that you two have had. You have seen and done things that most people only dream about, and you have done it while you are young. It took Toni and I until we got into our 50's and had a tragic life changing event to do this. We envy your courage and adventurous spirit. Most importantly, oo what is right for the two of you, because that's what matters most. Whatever you decide to do just know that we send much love and positive vibes your way.
One of the most frustrating parts is when we have time, we can't PLAN, because: 1) weather 2) breakdowns 3) health issues. You don't actually meet terrific people while driving - you meet them while making camp, breaking camp, or crawling on your back in 100F heat in fire ants to fix a NEW coolant leak. LOL But your zaniness is what puts things into perspective!
@@purselmer5931 Harumph! That is not true - if only because you can lay out dependencies and keep more tools and parts around the garage. However, a year after full-timing, I surrendered all hope of planning, and my life is ... better.LOL
@@mikebrant192 LOL, if only I had a garage. Oh, and "tools" and "parts" to keep in it. Unfortunately, I don't have any of this. (Lots of houses come w/out garages.) 🙂
Hallelujah guys, thank you for bringing the reality to RV life! The RV life is not all peaches and cream at all times, but rather it has its those icky times far to often. Yes absolutely, you need to take things slower once every few months in order to recharge and recover from all the hustle and bustle of traveling. If you don’t, you will burn out quickly! RV life isn’t easy, and everyone needs to face that reality, wether young or older. Take the time to be with family and relatives, and friends to bring balance back into your lives . Everybody involved in the RV life has had the same conversations on occasions as you two are doing. What I see is a long overdue change in your RV life, so take the needed time to reevaluate how you want to travel, RV life, and your willingness to begin a family!! As always, take care and enjoy this downtime together ❤
I've long thought you guys were burning the candle at both ends; I would've burnt out on your schedule. Rest, take time, breathe, and travel more slowly. Sending happy thoughts your way!
It's too bad Grand Design didn't take this opportunity to have you guys do some product reviews over at the Elkhart campground for the time you were in the shop. Both sides would have benefited. If you are thinking of a new RV, I heard Alliance might have a brand ambassador spot open.... just sayin, we'd love to have you as part of our famAlly.
Yea...going to miss The Wags for sure. We have an Alliance and have been to two National Rally event and hung out with them. Great people, but life happens and they made the right choice.
I’d go with a Brinkley if you want to stay with an Indiana rig or branch out & get an Outdoors RV. No mysterious screws showing up or iron twisting (frame). A solid rig. The Alliance looks good and I’d go for one but finding out that the I beam is actually two I beams! Two different sizes so that’s a weak spot!
Wow! You two just touched on so many of the things we have been feeling after 4 years of FT RV living!!! It was fun to watch and see that we are not alone. 😊
We all know your not going to quit, it's in your blood. And you guys do the RV life so well. If you are going to quit, buy some land and set the RV on it. It's your home.
I really relate to the decisions you are facing. Face it guys, in your RV life, you aren't on vacation, you are living life. Being in the AirBNB is a vacation for you. Enjoy your time in a stationary location. You have a few weeks to decide what direction you want to go. Enjoy the change and don't over think it. You will do what works best for you. We retired in 2017 and have been FT ever since. We spend 4-6 months every winter in deep South Texas and the rest of the time we travel the country, with an emphasis on trying to see a baseball game in every MLB park. After 7 years, being in our 70s, we realize frequent relocation is getting old during the summer. So, starting next summer, we will also be looking to spend 3-4 weeks in each location and moving far less. Thousand Trails/Encore helps greatly with that scheduling. We have family in Denver, Michigan and Tennessee so we are also driving across the country every year to see family. I am a planner so I want to know where I will be parking every night we're on the road. There is some stress there but it's also a challenge that keeps me thinking. We plan on another 3-5 years but that will certainly be influenced by our health and RV/Truck health. Lots of variables but also very exciting. Hang in there. You will figure it out
Everyone needs a home base. I've ben staying in my r.v. due to a slab leek in my home. The insurance had taken 5 months and the house is still torn apart and unlivable. The insurance would pay for a hotell but with the pets it is better staying at home with the backyard ect. I own an older A class and I perform repairs myself however I haven't had to repair much. Maby look into some cheep land to do an off grid home base when repairs pop up. I know a lot of people would like to see how you guys would build a home base for the rig. I always look forward to your videos. 😊
I think the keys to avoiding burn-out are a) finding the right pace and b) having a purpose. We've been full time for 2 years and work remotely. For us, we've found that moving every 2 weeks is the right pace to balance between touring/adventure and living life (working, maintenance, bills, downtime, planning, etc). We can do weekly moves for a while, but our to-do list gets longer rather then shorter which increases stress. After 3 weeks we're getting anxious to move and bored. We have a 7 year plan and will continue the 2 week pace to complete the states & provinces and see all the National Parks (ie, our purpose). But like you, we're not exactly sure what we'll do after the 7 year plan, but we know it's important to set new goals, otherwise life becomes boring and/or meaningless. But I can guarantee you that our long-term plans will include avoiding the hot Texas summers - we're WAY spoiled following the 60/70 degree weather and can never go back!
Let me start by saying - I appreciate all you guys have done for the RV community through your channel, whatever you ultimately decide to do. When my wife came to me and said, "What would you think about taking our jobs remote, moving into an RV, and roaming the country?" my first thought (after "Who are you, and what have you done with my wife?" since her idea of camping was a hotel that didn't have room service...) was that we needed to look at what that really meant, do the research, and your channel was one of a very few (you, Today is Someday, Changing Lanes were must-watch, several others that we'd look to for specific things) that led us to the choice to do it. Part of our personal philosophy, long before that, was "F*ck yeah, or hell no." If the response to "Do you wanna...." isn't one of those two answers, it's a soft no and can be discussed to move the needle one way or the other, but either of those two only left room for one kind of followup discussion - what do we have to do to make it happen? So, day one of the question it was a soft no, but we looked at it. Made the decision after about a month of looking at different things to move forward. One of the driving factors was having watched both our parents and grandparents do the "Someday, when we retire...." thing, only to get to retirement and for one reason or another not be able to do the fantastic things they'd put off till "Someday..." We bought an Alliance 5th wheel, and started on the road in May of 22. Our agreement was one year. We were going to do this for a year, see how we feel about it. If we're loving it, we keep going, and if we hate it, we'll pick a landing spot and get out of it. And watching you guys, and some of the others, and the pace you were keeping up, we set a minimum time in place of two weeks to avoid the risk of travel burnout. Unless circumstances dictated otherwise, we were going to travel over the weekend, preferably one day of travel, stay for at least two weeks in each spot, and have at least one free weekend that we could go do the things, see the sights, and visit the people that brought us to that area. And it was fantastic. By December, we had our 2023 schedule roughly mapped out, sites booked through July, and had a conversation about long range plans 5-10 years out - stick with the 5th wheel? move to a Class A or Class C? Two days after that conversation, my world imploded. My wife passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. I won't go into detail here, but the timing with our holiday plans let me get through the worst without having to deal with moving the RV right away, and the first couple of months of 23 were long enough stays at each location, with short enough travel days, for me to get back into a rhythm. The advice I'd gotten right away was to not make any huge life changing decisions for a while, and since we'd planned things, staying moving was an easy(ish) choice. Over time, it became clear to me that staying in the rig wasn't going to be good for me, alone. I started looking at where I wanted to land, picked a spot near Houston, and just a little over a year after moving into the RV, signed a lease on an apartment, moved out of the rig, and sold it. I'm in a much better place emotionally, socially, and physically now, doing well. And if you've read this far (I didn't really start off intending to write a novel here...) - all of that leads to this: Thanks to your willingness to show not just the super happy fun times in your RV, but to film and put on display your hard times in the rig, thanks to your willingness to invite a few hundred thousand strangers to watch it, we entered the RV life with realistic expectations and set reasonable goals, and I get to move forward without the regret that so many in my position have - I will never have to think, "I wish we'd done more." We did the things, and the things we didn't get to, well, we just ran out of time getting there because we were doing the other things. Thank you.
@michaelkleymann9561 I'm so sorry for your loss. What a wonderful experience you and your wife had together before your tragedy, leaving you with precious memories. My husband and I are about to embark on the same with the same idea from my parents wanting to live an RV life but their health and delay taking it from them. We are in our 60s and looking forward to this. The Hanks, Changing Lanes, Grateful Glampers, Today is Someday, and Discovery Bound have been our go-to RVers. Prayers for peace for you, and if you have faith in your life, that the knowledge your wife is in the arms of the Savior brings you comfort. Hugs.
WOW; quite the story, sir. My heart goes out to you, its good you guys got to do the full time RV life for a while and enjoy it! I hope you will keep company with many friends who will hold your hand going forward. Keep the Lord in your heart and obey His word, so you will re unite with your partner over on the other heavenly shore. Amen to you Sir.
Totally get what you guy's are feeling. We've been full-time for five years , and have experienced everything you mentioned. We've been home since March and I have itchy feet and want to get the wheels rolling.
I'm rather new to your channel but I love your videos because they DO tend to show real life in an RV. We purchased a RV when I retired 4 years ago and do want to go, go, go, but we're finding life doesn't let us with parents aging and our own limitations. Thank you for your honest presentation of RV life as it helps us be realistic in our own expectations.
A possible consideration is finding a home in a location of your choice, but also keeping your RV so you can have both. It would allow you to scratch both itches at the same time.
You both speak very well in clear language without a lot of junk. I was just listening to another young couple (no kids) who talked about burnout & all the driving required plus the constant problems with their vehicle (home). They finally sold it & bought some land in Texas to settle down, then switching their channel to renovation & DIY. -- I'm a first time viewer.
I completely understand where you both are coming from. You should never feel guilty for traveling as many times traveling can sometimes be more stressful than living in a sticks & Bricks. You are my favorite two people on you tube in the Rv community. You both are real and never fake. You both really are a cute couple and love you guys. I hope to meet you both one day including Dexter. God bless you all…
I smell a new RV coming! If I were the prez of that company, I'd give y'all the best out there. If anyone deserves this, it's you guys. Love your videos and outlook on life!
Glad you are getting the work done that is needed to your RV. One unique thing about Airstream repairs done at the Mother Ship is, full timers can still live in their RV because it is brought out of the shop every night for them to sleep in. Enjoy being in one place and seeing the sights where you are. Michelle
No matter what you decide for your future, you have entertained us, kept it real, and I speak for a lot of people when I say Thank You. Even if you go Air BnB full time, or buy a sticks, and bricks home, we would still love to check in, and see how the Hanks are doing. You don't know a lot of us, but a lot of us out here consider you family. Stay Safe family Hanks. 🙂
We/ve been with ya since before you hit 1000. Love yall! We hung up our full time wheels in October and honestly it took a bit of time for us to feel like our home base was "home". We made an agreement when we went full time that if either of us called it, we'd come off the full time road life. He called it, I honored that. Each situation if different, but we so love how transparent you are. Be well! Dave and Lorrie
We plan a 5 week camping trip once a year Mid Jan to March and try to camp several times for the summer. I own my home and am happy not RVing full time. I wish the best for wherever life takes you two.
We love you guys! RVing is hard and lots of work! When you "move on" we will miss you. I know you must be great nurses. So fun, warm and caring. Best wishes! Thanks for sharing with us!
What I see is two great young people growing up. All that really matters is yesterday, today and tomorrow. Love the channel, your adventures and what's to come you you three.
Well....keep doing your RV life, keep traveling on your RV but buy a lot in a nice RV park. Somewhere you can declare your own to rest, recharge and recover, re group, and continue driving to your goal of 50 states. Get a lot, buy it ! have a base where you can come back and relax.
It’s nice to see you take the time to reflect on your journey, reason with yourselves about the future, and share your perspective. A bright future always awaits those that follow their heart.
Been watching you guys for a long time! Always somewhat envious that you are seeing so much of the country at a young age. I'm almost 80 and it took me a life time to see what you have seen although I have been to Hawaii 3 times and you can't drive your RV there lol. Seems to me that the prime issue is how you make your living which everyone has to do to just get through life. RVing was probably perfect for the travel nursing jobs however there are more ways to travel between the gigs as you well know. As far as family goes they have those things called airplanes and rental cars to handle that. Your financial future should also be a consideration and sticks n bricks houses appreciate and RV's DEpreciate. If I were in your position I would come to an agreement on how much longer the current RV will service your needs and then find a Brick n mortar house, maybe half way between PA and CA . Good luck with whatever you choose!!
We are full time, we do 2 or 3 week at a time. Our rv is in the middle of repairs at the moment, it still ready but the nickel and dime is just around the corner. Your comment about prices is so true, and finding a place to go even for a night is very expensive too
This is a really good point. I feel like it is a common misconception that full-time RV life is a cheaper minimalist lifestyle. You actually need to be fairly wealthy...
So relatable! Challenging to get repairs to an RV when you are full-timing especially if you need dealership repairs. Hope you hear good news about Solly soon! We remind ourselves on a regular basis, this isn't vacation, this is our life. Sometimes you have to rest. Y'all are amazing! Take some time, rest, rejuvenate - you've definitely earned it! ♥
We went full-time in November 2023. My wife is a travel nurse, and I'm retired after 30 years as a repair tech at AT&T. We are currently in Monroe, Michigan, after spending 6 months in Fort Myers, Florida. We upgraded from a 312BHTS to a Big Mo 395ms. We appreciate your transparency on things breaking and the maintenance involved. My things to do checklist is long, but if I put one ✅️ a day, then I'm happy. We waited four weeks for a site with sewer. The daily honey wagon trip destroyed my back. We love your channel!
We used to have the 312BHTS!!! Loved it! We did need to upgrade tho. We now have a luxe toy hauler since we live in it 2-3 months at a time w our kids as well as guests
Not necessarily. My wife and I sold our property and moved into an RV permanently. The difference between us and most full time RV folks is that we don't travel. Our trailer is parked in one place and we haven't moved it, yet. We did it to downsize, not to see the country. It's parked on a 100' by 35' lot in an RV community in the southwest. We may move it, eventually, to visit our children and grandchildren in Colorado and Montana. But, for the most part, we just stay here.
My husband and I love your video. We are 67 we retired at Covid......We soon realized that A home base in Quartzsite Arizona was the only thing we could do. We live our lives. Doing the best we can. You 2 have done what we wanted to do but we may not ever get to do it but. Thank you for your Video. We look forward to your videos. We look forward to seeing what we may never get to do. What you both are doing. We are ok with our RV life. We had to do what we had to do and we call you our kids. At 67 and A hard life....we thank you for being honest about your journey. Youth is on your side .
I agree. We keep our motorhome in an RV park in Florida where we own the lot. We have an RV port and small executive suite that has a full kitchen, sitting area, full bathroom, storage area with washer/dryer.
Absolutely agree. We always thought our RV was our safety net but, when COVID hit, we found there was no place to park it or store it so, instead of a safety net, it became an albatross. As a result, we bought a small RV site in deep south Texas where we winter. If the world goes crazy again, at least we have a place to live or store the RV that is safe.
Been watching you guys for a few years, actually bought my 5th wheel because of you guys and I love it, I am actually stationary in an amazing park in the north west Arizona area and wouldn't change it, thanks Hanks!!
Think about a home base-I can’t imagine that you two would give up the Rv life all together. We are retired, have a home, but RV 6 months out of the year. Whatever you do, have fun, enjoy life!
Love watching you guys. We just bought a Class B and stumbled upon your channel. We are getting ready for our first road trip and have learned a lot from you.
Even if the Hanks quit the RV life, totally understandable. They’re young and probably would like to start a family soon. They have more memories of traveling from the last 5 years that most people don’t see in a lifetime so they’ve done very well!
Well said! We just started 7 months with both feet in and if you aren't cleaning something, your fixing something, if neither of those, you're pulling it. going out and having fun wherever we are make up about 20%-30% of our time in an RV.
We have been on the road for two months. We left SC (home) visited 9 states. We had a blowout tire on the trailer. We decided to get all new tires, the truck lost power in a small town of Marquette MI 🤦🏾♀️we had to stay in a campground for an additional three days until the truck was fixed. Now we're noticing our slide out cable is loose on the backside (pull behind RV). The refrigerator isn't cooling well due to a power incident. Our black and gray tanks continue to show full even though they're emptied. We're so thankful we have the finances to pay for these incidentals. We're close to home (one more campsite) Should be in SC Wednesday. So, yes as the Hanks has stated. We have a home to go back to but after getting a checkup with our RV which includes the under belly where the tire blew out. We will return to the road 👏🏾👏🏾 Happy Camping all.
As a long haul truck driver I see so many people getting burnt out and I myself am ready to start rv life next year full time because after 30 years I am completely burnt out thank you so much for this video
This should be required viewing for all the people that have recently posted in the RV groups I’m in that say they have sold their house and hitting the road. I think most of these people have never RVd before and don’t have a clue about how hard and expensive it is. Good video.
We’ve RVd for 35 years and love it. I’ve never been ready to come home from vacation, but even with that selling everything is huge. I can’t imagine it for a person that has never end or camped.
Thank you for your honesty. Like a few others have said, too many YT'ers only show RVing in the best scenarios. Life happens and Murphy's Law-man makes sure it's at the worst time. A base of just a lot size in an area that's comfy weather, close to the fill up / dump until you're ready again. Either way you two decide is yours alone. Good luck🙂
I am so grateful to have been able to watch you both and you’re a beautiful cat travels across America to show us beautiful campsites, and give us all the lowdown on the truth about RV life. You have educated us all and giving us all such useful knowledge and showing us beautiful places to travel to, we have enjoyed your relationship, which is so beautiful, so loving and educational we cannot thank you enough for all you have given us and even if you stop RVing, we know you will on the side and we hope you will keep us in touch with your travels because you are loved by many thank you for all of your knowledge and experiences, and please keep sharing go go go
Awesome explanation, burn out is real no matter what you are doing. glad that you share this with us. Just remember the weather gets a little sketchy in the North East in the fall.
This video just popped up. I see it is 3 months old. Still very relevant today. We were sailors dreaming of living on a sailboat. Sailing the world. A change in jobs. Lead us to sell the boat. We now have an Rv. Watching this reminds me of our past dream. We never gave up our stick and bricks. But really dreamed of it. The reality is. It is not really cheaper. A lot of work. But the biggest. As you get older. If you get very sick. Hard to really recover from a major illness in a boat or RV. We are much older than you. We now realize it is best as a hobby. This was the best video that I have seen about the lifestyle.
Look, your channel isn't called "HappilyRVHanks", so do what makes y'all HappilyEVERHanks. You're young, smart, and have tons of potential. Do what you two want to do, no-one else gets an opinion. Cheers! 🥂
This video needs a love button, not just the like button. 💖 You've always had a straight forward approach. That's what makes you special. Follow your heart and we'll support you 100%.
Glad you’re able to get some real rest…important lesson we all need to learn. As nurses (RN here of 45 years) I’m sure you are have taught your patients about energy conservation during the recovery process. Sooo…I’m instructing you to “do a little bit and rest, then do a little bit more”…😊
Thank you so much for this video. Watching, I could feel what you are going through. If your 5th wheel is not repairable to your satisfaction, maybe another one or a class A if the pocket book allows, like Phil and Stacy. Maybe they could weigh in on your situation? You hit it when you said how much you’ve packed in to these last months, and it’s a good thing to stop and catch your breath. To me, your channel is just terrific. Selfishly, I would hate to see you give it up as I get so much entertainment in watching- as I’m sure so many others do as well. Get some rest and I already look forward to next Thursday. God bless.
This video is packed with great information! We can relate to many of your stories. We've been living full-time in our RV for two years and moved on average every six days for the first 18 months. We had to stop and slow down because we were definitely getting burned out. If anyone is considering full-time RV living, everything mentioned in this video is spot on!
I just did 4000 miles with my dog Skye and cat Galileo. I appreciated the 4 days here and 4 days there . Moving and going every night/ day was not conducive to less stress. Thank you ! Love your in sight going to stay longer and plan better
Love this talk! One thing I related to is finding a monthly rate, not easy. I’ve been a travel nurse and now taken a staff job in Raleigh- not easy finding a spot for my little apartment on wheels. I love my RV and having the option of moving around but finding a place to park it is a challenge
Your content is always so real-I’ve appreciated that. My partner and I traveled about ten weeks (not conservatively) one of the past six years. It became quickly apparent that we could never adapt to full-time RV living. The romantic vision of “freedom” was quickly squashed when attempting to schedule reservations at campgrounds for our first year/season out: Most RV campgrounds fill their weekends when they first release their spaces at the first of the year, and we quickly realized that weekenders take away many week-long booking opportunities. Our travels became dictated by where there were one and two-week site openings-especially when searching for sites with sewer hookups. Even then, we often had to stay in state and national parks with NO sewer connections and rely upon mid-trip black-tank emptying with our Rhino tank. We sold our RV after six years. He was tired of towing. I was tired of managing the black tank. The setup and breakdown became tiring. But I do miss it. Good luck figuring out your next adventure, and crossing fingers that your RV holds up. Let’s face it: They aren’t build to withstand travel, despite being marketed as such. If they were built the way they need to be to stand up to the rolling earthquakes to which they are exposed, they’d be too heavy to practically tow. 🙁
We've been RV-n for 45+ years, but not full time. Pretty much weekend warriors except 1x a 12 week x-country trip. 5 years ago things changed. We go out ~1x a month year round for 4-6 days & 2-3x a year out for 10-14 days + one snowbird trip for 4-6 weeks. We find after 4-5 weeks out we're wanting to get back home. We will not sell our home. Need our base station & space. Yes, the anxiety has been the last few years getting a spot when we do not know where we'll be. I don't like being on a set schedule that comes with making reservations 3-4 months in advance for every night. We do boondock ~70% of the time though, but that can have its challenges as well. Keep moving forward, it's a path to somewhere.
I love how honest you both are! We experienced break-downs with our RV recently (we're also full-time) & it was very hard to go through! Love watching your videos!
Whatever happens, I hope we get to keep following you for what comes next. Be it, your purchase of sticks and bricks for part time RVing, purchasing an RV lot, maybe getting a new RV, who knows?! My point being, I hope you keep your channel active and continue to put out new, excellent content. ❤
You guys are the best! Thank you for being real with all of us!! I pray Sully is back stronger and all healed up and ready for new adventure! You guys are the best and always make us smile! Thanks, Hanks for that! Hope to meet up along the way, some day!! Enjoy every moment! The McCowns
68 & 66 yr old couple. We will likely sell the house and live in our 24ft TT. We’ve done 2 and 3 month trips and love it. At our age, it’s a choice: we can sit at home and do the same things everyday or live in our TT in different places every week or so. We have no desire to “travel” as we’ve already seen many great wonders of the USA. We live in the deep South, and there are hundreds of Corps of Engineers campgrounds from which to choose, and they are always on some body of water, so the sights are nice. And, with our Senior Lifetime pass, the daily fee is between $9 - $16. We typically drive 100-250 miles to our next site and stay a minimum of one week.
It’s so true! When you’re travelling you see and live all the wonderful thing! You’re so excited… trilled! It is hard to step back. But you’re right! You must keep yourselfs some time that you just do nothing. … to absorb what you just lived and give you time to rest/prepare for your next “adventure”.
We are retired and as much as we like getting out camping which we have done for decades, we also like coming home. I believe one needs that balance and just enough change to make life interesting. By the way don't stress, just learn from mistakes and grow stronger. Love being subscribed to your channel. You are two beautiful people.
Thank you so much for the kind words and for being subscribed to our channel! We completely agree-balance is key to enjoying life and all its adventures. We really appreciate your advice about not stressing and learning from mistakes. It’s something we try to live by, too. Thanks for watching all of our videos, we couldn't do it without your support ❤️ - The Hanks Family
I fully appreciate that you’re wondering about what’s next. Finding a place to call home, if only a few months in the year sounds great. I’m in the same situation, though only on year 3, Europe is very complicated. While last year was spectacular, we are now 6 months into issue after issue with residency, changing rules in different countries, family passing away, work/life balance, growing kids. I’m considering going back to my own country for several months (the summers) each year just to see family, get needed work done, and plan our next months instead of always on the move. But it’s hard as we were trying to get away from there and are afraid to be sucked into our old lives again. So good luck and whatever you guys do, you’ll be killing it.
Kyle you look too natural on that couch. I have binged all your videos and am up to date. Y’all have have provided me with so much want to and so much you couldn’t pay me to go there. We have been retired now for 7 years and really enjoy monthly stays when we can and usually average 2 week stays when we travel. I have watched and learned many things from your travels and greatly appreciate all y’all have done over the years. I guess my biggest take away is not go go go but go relax stay and move on. Thank you for all you have done, Rick and Kathi
Thanks for the heartfelt discussion. Y’all will figure it out, and have no guilt. The burnout issue is real and you’re right, downtime is important. Take care. Love you guys!
I'll echo someone elses comment that the Class A is an easier life. We travel in the RV and tow a jeep to explore the area around us. We mostly only move a couple hundred miles at a time. We plan our general route for the year, and usually plan sites a few weeks out. We have found that planning ahead for what we will do in the area dictates how long we stay at each stop. Most of the time, it's 5 days, but can be longer when its a large area and we have lots to see. For Glacier we are staying about 12 days. This is our third year, so we don't have the experience you do, but this seems to be working best for us. We think we have 2 more years ahead of us, but that could change if either of us wants out of the life style.
This perspective is ON POINT. My wife and I are on the road but stick and bricking it. She is a travel tech and we loooove the travel life but stresses that come with travel life are still stresses. Love this guys!!!
You two have experienced more in 5 years than many will experience in a lifetime. Do what makes you happy. Your followers will understand regardless of the direction you choose.
The only thing that's permanent is change! I've been watchingcyou for about a month and enjoyed every minute.you are quite the comedy team with dexter! These rv's are not made to last being on the move constantly . You guys gotta do what makes you happy ! Your lives will have changes in stages as you age .lo
ve each other well and you can face anything together . From 1 RN to another.
I feel the Hanks need to open their own RV Park!
I second that !!! How much fun would that be !?
I agree! It would be awesome!
I would totally go for it!!😂😂😂
GREAT idea!!!!
Or buy a place where they can host boondockers and still do there rallies!!
My wife has used a saying for years now "no expectations, no dissappointments". Truth. 😀
We kept our home and spend winters in a warmer climate. For us 3 months on the road is enough and we look forward to coming home. Once we're home, we look forward to our next trip. Choice is a luxury.
this is our plan for next summer and hopefully summers after that :). home when weather is nice, away when it's absurdly hot. best of both "worlds", hopefully!
And stop shitting in my desert.
Travel burn out is so incredibly real. I got kicked out of an rv group on fb for saying that. In some of those groups they only expect you to post positive stuff but the reality is everything you said is true.
Britt, we like real world comments like this
Time to have some babies
Same thing happened to us on fb. Like a reality show scripted not real life.... Thank you for your comment...
Very true, we like to travel for a while then sit still for a while to manage the get up and go burnout
Kicked out for honesty. Sounds like a group I wouldn’t want to be in anyway 😮
I’ve been following your channel for several years, this 70 yo fart sends you a heartfelt thanks! What ever happens I wish y’all the best!
Who cares what you say old man
Hanks, we love watching your channel. Your channel is called Happily Ever Hanks, well tune in if you keep inviting us to share a part of your story. It doesn’t have to be RV or travel, I just love your vibes. This is one of most positive channels on RUclips.
HI guys. We're in our 14th year fulltime in our 31-year-old diesel motorhome. In those years we've been out exactly one night for repairs; we've also spent 12 nights in a shop's parking lor, and on another occasion, four days next to a garbage truck. Fairly early on we learned that go-go-go is a fun-killer, so we go to a location or area for the winter and spend two to three months to enjoy the area and rest, repair and refit, then we do the same for the summer. Spring and fall are our go-see times with frequent traveling. That way we don't get burned out traveling and don't get burned out on an area. If you feel that you need to slow it down, then slow it down. If you feel that you need to take a pass on visiting family, then take a pass; they'll never really undertand what's involved in visiitng them but they'll get over it.
now everyone is wanting to know the BRAND of your motorhome eh!!
The quality of manufactured RV’s has taken a nosedive since your RV was made….
We’ve been in our RV for 4 years. We just bought a lot on the gulf shores - less than 1000ft from the beach. We built an RV cover with a covered deck above. We plan to winter there for 4-5 months and then travel the rest of the country. Even with the cost for property and utilities, we will save money being there. Plus we have a place to stay in place and do repairs/maintenance to the Rv. So we still RV full time, hit stay in place longer.
We live in Baldwin County! We also own in Gulf Shores. I bet I can guess where u bought lol.
WE keep our motorhome in an RV resort in central Florida. We have an RV port (cover) and an attached 400 ft executive suite with full kitchen, sitting/TV area, full bathroom, and storage area with washer/dryer.
I wonder how many people had their RV damaged or flooded in the latest hurricanes. Never will I park my vehicle or live in any coastal states. The 100 year hurricanes will be happening much more frequently.
If the hanks open up their own RV park, I’m coming
Your honest reactions on RV life is appreciated.
My husband and I were part time RVers for 10 years, and had the exact conversation that you're having now. We toyed with the idea of going full time but came to the conclusion that not only didn't we want to go full time, but we had had enough of the repairs, work and issues that inevitably occur. We got to the point where instead of enjoying the travel, we were holding our breath that something else wasn't going to fail. We sold our class A at a loss, but we've never had a moment of regret. As I write this, we are in Oslo, Norway, having just completed a tour of Ireland, and before that Switzerland. Now when we walk away from a cruise, hotel or rental, that's the end. No more hassles. Don't feel like you've failed or let anyone down if you decide you're ready to move on from this.
It's great to have a modest home in a great location, and an RV. If you are doing renovations in your home, you can stay in the RV. If your RV needs repairs, you can live in your home. And you can take off anytime, and come back home anytime. Best of both worlds.
Nobody cares what you do go away
But need to have a plan for what you'll do if the RV breaks down 2,000 miles from home.
My late husband and I had a 30 ft. Travel trailer at Myrtle Beach.
We would live in our trailer for 3 months at a time.
I loved the RV life and miss it.
I wished I never would of sold my trailer now.
Cassie❤
Keep in mind, we would certainly miss you, but you HAVE to do what YOU need to do. I'm sure you will make the right decisions, whatever they are...😊 Scratch Dex's head for me!❤
Lived full time in a travel trailer two years in Texas. After two tornados and many hail storms I needed to replace to roof. Found black mold. Now I live in an apartment first apartment I’ve lived in thirty years. It’s actually great. Missed the bathtub a lot.
Don't stop we gotta have the hanks.
First off you guys are not just full-time RV'ers you are Content Creators as well, and that has it's own level of burnout that you have to deal with. We know that because we do it as well. The constant need to feed the beast can be exhausting, no matter how much you enjoy doing it. One of the things we do is set aside a day or two while in a location to just be a tourist. No cameras, just us and the area we are in. We try to do this early in our stay in an area because it can also give us ideas on what to film.
Your idea around taking break and staying in one place for a bit is so spot on. We are forced in a way to do this each year because we still have a business in the town we grew up in. We have to go back there every year to work with clients. This puts us in one place for 4 to 5 months. And trust me, a couple months into it we are chomping at the bit to get back out on the road. This is a great way to battle the travel burn out.
Of course this partial stationary life may pose an issue for you assuming RUclips is your main source of income. How do you feed the beast if you're not traveling and producing new travel content? Maybe use that time to produce more review, or how to content? That's what we try to do when we're stationary. Honestly, we don't produce as much as we want because the client work keeps us so busy.
Ney Ney - You are absolutely spot on when you say that you need to be a little outside of your comfort zone. This is what keeps us growing and learning. But, taking some time to be in that comfort zone is also needed so that you're not always on edge. Make some time for that too.
Also keep in mind that no matter what you decide to do, nobody can take away the last 5 years of adventuring that you two have had. You have seen and done things that most people only dream about, and you have done it while you are young. It took Toni and I until we got into our 50's and had a tragic life changing event to do this. We envy your courage and adventurous spirit.
Most importantly, oo what is right for the two of you, because that's what matters most. Whatever you decide to do just know that we send much love and positive vibes your way.
One of the most frustrating parts is when we have time, we can't PLAN, because: 1) weather 2) breakdowns 3) health issues. You don't actually meet terrific people while driving - you meet them while making camp, breaking camp, or crawling on your back in 100F heat in fire ants to fix a NEW coolant leak. LOL But your zaniness is what puts things into perspective!
Guess what? Can't "plan" much in sticks and bricks either, lol.
@@purselmer5931 Harumph! That is not true - if only because you can lay out dependencies and keep more tools and parts around the garage. However, a year after full-timing, I surrendered all hope of planning, and my life is ... better.LOL
@@mikebrant192 LOL, if only I had a garage. Oh, and "tools" and "parts" to keep in it. Unfortunately, I don't have any of this. (Lots of houses come w/out garages.) 🙂
@@purselmer5931 I'm soooo sorry. We lived in one BR apts for decades.
Hallelujah guys, thank you for bringing the reality to RV life! The RV life is not all peaches and cream at all times, but rather it has its those icky times far to often. Yes absolutely, you need to take things slower once every few months in order to recharge and recover from all the hustle and bustle of traveling. If you don’t, you will burn out quickly! RV life isn’t easy, and everyone needs to face that reality, wether young or older. Take the time to be with family and relatives, and friends to bring balance back into your lives . Everybody involved in the RV life has had the same conversations on occasions as you two are doing. What I see is a long overdue change in your RV life, so take the needed time to reevaluate how you want to travel, RV life, and your willingness to begin a family!! As always, take care and enjoy this downtime together ❤
I've long thought you guys were burning the candle at both ends; I would've burnt out on your schedule. Rest, take time, breathe, and travel more slowly. Sending happy thoughts your way!
It's too bad Grand Design didn't take this opportunity to have you guys do some product reviews over at the Elkhart campground for the time you were in the shop. Both sides would have benefited. If you are thinking of a new RV, I heard Alliance might have a brand ambassador spot open.... just sayin, we'd love to have you as part of our famAlly.
Yea...going to miss The Wags for sure. We have an Alliance and have been to two National Rally event and hung out with them. Great people, but life happens and they made the right choice.
We agree!
I’d go with a Brinkley if you want to stay with an Indiana rig or branch out & get an Outdoors RV. No mysterious screws showing up or iron twisting (frame). A solid rig. The Alliance looks good and I’d go for one but finding out that the I beam is actually two I beams! Two different sizes so that’s a weak spot!
@@Elizabeth-rq1viBrinkley for sure!
I think both of you look the most rested you’ve been in a long time!
Wow! You two just touched on so many of the things we have been feeling after 4 years of FT RV living!!! It was fun to watch and see that we are not alone. 😊
Aww we are glad that this could shed some relatability. 4 years for you guys!? That's awesome!! Thank you for all your love and support ❤️
We all know your not going to quit, it's in your blood. And you guys do the RV life so well. If you are going to quit, buy some land and set the RV on it. It's your home.
I really relate to the decisions you are facing. Face it guys, in your RV life, you aren't on vacation, you are living life. Being in the AirBNB is a vacation for you. Enjoy your time in a stationary location. You have a few weeks to decide what direction you want to go. Enjoy the change and don't over think it. You will do what works best for you. We retired in 2017 and have been FT ever since. We spend 4-6 months every winter in deep South Texas and the rest of the time we travel the country, with an emphasis on trying to see a baseball game in every MLB park. After 7 years, being in our 70s, we realize frequent relocation is getting old during the summer. So, starting next summer, we will also be looking to spend 3-4 weeks in each location and moving far less. Thousand Trails/Encore helps greatly with that scheduling. We have family in Denver, Michigan and Tennessee so we are also driving across the country every year to see family. I am a planner so I want to know where I will be parking every night we're on the road. There is some stress there but it's also a challenge that keeps me thinking. We plan on another 3-5 years but that will certainly be influenced by our health and RV/Truck health. Lots of variables but also very exciting. Hang in there. You will figure it out
You guys are amazing, you are funny and you never hide the reality of Van Life
❤
Everyone needs a home base. I've ben staying in my r.v. due to a slab leek in my home. The insurance had taken 5 months and the house is still torn apart and unlivable. The insurance would pay for a hotell but with the pets it is better staying at home with the backyard ect. I own an older A class and I perform repairs myself however I haven't had to repair much. Maby look into some cheep land to do an off grid home base when repairs pop up. I know a lot of people would like to see how you guys would build a home base for the rig. I always look forward to your videos. 😊
This is a really good idea for the Hanks, hope they consider it.
couldn't be a better time for an rv break ... crazy weather and everywhere is just jam busy. God makes everything good.
I think the keys to avoiding burn-out are a) finding the right pace and b) having a purpose. We've been full time for 2 years and work remotely. For us, we've found that moving every 2 weeks is the right pace to balance between touring/adventure and living life (working, maintenance, bills, downtime, planning, etc). We can do weekly moves for a while, but our to-do list gets longer rather then shorter which increases stress. After 3 weeks we're getting anxious to move and bored. We have a 7 year plan and will continue the 2 week pace to complete the states & provinces and see all the National Parks (ie, our purpose). But like you, we're not exactly sure what we'll do after the 7 year plan, but we know it's important to set new goals, otherwise life becomes boring and/or meaningless. But I can guarantee you that our long-term plans will include avoiding the hot Texas summers - we're WAY spoiled following the 60/70 degree weather and can never go back!
Let me start by saying - I appreciate all you guys have done for the RV community through your channel, whatever you ultimately decide to do. When my wife came to me and said, "What would you think about taking our jobs remote, moving into an RV, and roaming the country?" my first thought (after "Who are you, and what have you done with my wife?" since her idea of camping was a hotel that didn't have room service...) was that we needed to look at what that really meant, do the research, and your channel was one of a very few (you, Today is Someday, Changing Lanes were must-watch, several others that we'd look to for specific things) that led us to the choice to do it. Part of our personal philosophy, long before that, was "F*ck yeah, or hell no." If the response to "Do you wanna...." isn't one of those two answers, it's a soft no and can be discussed to move the needle one way or the other, but either of those two only left room for one kind of followup discussion - what do we have to do to make it happen?
So, day one of the question it was a soft no, but we looked at it. Made the decision after about a month of looking at different things to move forward. One of the driving factors was having watched both our parents and grandparents do the "Someday, when we retire...." thing, only to get to retirement and for one reason or another not be able to do the fantastic things they'd put off till "Someday..." We bought an Alliance 5th wheel, and started on the road in May of 22. Our agreement was one year. We were going to do this for a year, see how we feel about it. If we're loving it, we keep going, and if we hate it, we'll pick a landing spot and get out of it. And watching you guys, and some of the others, and the pace you were keeping up, we set a minimum time in place of two weeks to avoid the risk of travel burnout. Unless circumstances dictated otherwise, we were going to travel over the weekend, preferably one day of travel, stay for at least two weeks in each spot, and have at least one free weekend that we could go do the things, see the sights, and visit the people that brought us to that area. And it was fantastic. By December, we had our 2023 schedule roughly mapped out, sites booked through July, and had a conversation about long range plans 5-10 years out - stick with the 5th wheel? move to a Class A or Class C? Two days after that conversation, my world imploded.
My wife passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. I won't go into detail here, but the timing with our holiday plans let me get through the worst without having to deal with moving the RV right away, and the first couple of months of 23 were long enough stays at each location, with short enough travel days, for me to get back into a rhythm. The advice I'd gotten right away was to not make any huge life changing decisions for a while, and since we'd planned things, staying moving was an easy(ish) choice. Over time, it became clear to me that staying in the rig wasn't going to be good for me, alone. I started looking at where I wanted to land, picked a spot near Houston, and just a little over a year after moving into the RV, signed a lease on an apartment, moved out of the rig, and sold it. I'm in a much better place emotionally, socially, and physically now, doing well.
And if you've read this far (I didn't really start off intending to write a novel here...) - all of that leads to this: Thanks to your willingness to show not just the super happy fun times in your RV, but to film and put on display your hard times in the rig, thanks to your willingness to invite a few hundred thousand strangers to watch it, we entered the RV life with realistic expectations and set reasonable goals, and I get to move forward without the regret that so many in my position have - I will never have to think, "I wish we'd done more." We did the things, and the things we didn't get to, well, we just ran out of time getting there because we were doing the other things. Thank you.
❤❤😌 Read your post, and many hugs to you. It is good you got to try this with your wife when you did. God bless you.
I’m sorry for your loss, and congratulations on finding your new normal in a very tough world right now. May God bless you. 😔🙏🏻💖
@michaelkleymann9561 I'm so sorry for your loss. What a wonderful experience you and your wife had together before your tragedy, leaving you with precious memories. My husband and I are about to embark on the same with the same idea from my parents wanting to live an RV life but their health and delay taking it from them. We are in our 60s and looking forward to this. The Hanks, Changing Lanes, Grateful Glampers, Today is Someday, and Discovery Bound have been our go-to RVers. Prayers for peace for you, and if you have faith in your life, that the knowledge your wife is in the arms of the Savior brings you comfort. Hugs.
WOW; quite the story, sir. My heart goes out to you, its good you guys got to do the full time RV life for a while and enjoy it! I hope you will keep company with many friends who will hold your hand going forward. Keep the Lord in your heart and obey His word, so you will re unite with your partner over on the other heavenly shore. Amen to you Sir.
Totally get what you guy's are feeling. We've been full-time for five years , and have experienced everything you mentioned. We've been home since March and I have itchy feet and want to get the wheels rolling.
Speaking on behalf of the majority of your 223k subscribers (I'm guessing), we love you guys and thank you for everything you have shared.
I'm rather new to your channel but I love your videos because they DO tend to show real life in an RV. We purchased a RV when I retired 4 years ago and do want to go, go, go, but we're finding life doesn't let us with parents aging and our own limitations. Thank you for your honest presentation of RV life as it helps us be realistic in our own expectations.
A possible consideration is finding a home in a location of your choice, but also keeping your RV so you can have both. It would allow you to scratch both itches at the same time.
You both speak very well in clear language without a lot of junk. I was just listening to another young couple (no kids) who talked about burnout & all the driving required plus the constant problems with their vehicle (home). They finally sold it & bought some land in Texas to settle down, then switching their channel to renovation & DIY. -- I'm a first time viewer.
Thank you very much for you support in watching. It mean so much to us ❤️
I completely understand where you both are coming from. You should never feel guilty for traveling as many times traveling can sometimes be more stressful than living in a sticks & Bricks. You are my favorite two people on you tube in the Rv community. You both are real and never fake. You both really are a cute couple and love you guys. I hope to meet you both one day including Dexter. God bless you all…
I smell a new RV coming! If I were the prez of that company, I'd give y'all the best out there. If anyone deserves this, it's you guys. Love your videos and outlook on life!
Glad you are getting the work done that is needed to your RV. One unique thing about Airstream repairs done at the Mother Ship is, full timers can still live in their RV because it is brought out of the shop every night for them to sleep in. Enjoy being in one place and seeing the sights where you are. Michelle
No matter what you decide for your future, you have entertained us, kept it real, and I speak for a lot of people when I say Thank You. Even if you go Air BnB full time, or buy a sticks, and bricks home, we would still love to check in, and see how the Hanks are doing. You don't know a lot of us, but a lot of us out here consider you family. Stay Safe family Hanks. 🙂
We/ve been with ya since before you hit 1000. Love yall! We hung up our full time wheels in October and honestly it took a bit of time for us to feel like our home base was "home". We made an agreement when we went full time that if either of us called it, we'd come off the full time road life. He called it, I honored that. Each situation if different, but we so love how transparent you are. Be well! Dave and Lorrie
We plan a 5 week camping trip once a year Mid Jan to March and try to camp several times for the summer. I own my home and am happy not RVing full time. I wish the best for wherever life takes you two.
We love you guys! RVing is hard and lots of work! When you "move on" we will miss you.
I know you must be great nurses. So fun, warm and caring. Best wishes! Thanks for sharing with us!
What I see is two great young people growing up. All that really matters is yesterday, today and tomorrow. Love the channel, your adventures and what's to come you you three.
Maybe @BrinkleyRV could use some ambassadors? Love your honesty and presentation. Do what feels right for both of you.
I appreciate your insights and your honesty. I hope you keep on living the RV life.
Well....keep doing your RV life, keep traveling on your RV but buy a lot in a nice RV park. Somewhere you can declare your own to rest, recharge and recover, re group, and continue driving to your goal of 50 states. Get a lot, buy it ! have a base where you can come back and relax.
It’s nice to see you take the time to reflect on your journey, reason with yourselves about the future, and share your perspective. A bright future always awaits those that follow their heart.
Been watching you guys for a long time! Always somewhat envious that you are seeing so much of the country at a young age. I'm almost 80 and it took me a life time to see what you have seen although I have been to Hawaii 3 times and you can't drive your RV there lol. Seems to me that the prime issue is how you make your living which everyone has to do to just get through life. RVing was probably perfect for the travel nursing jobs however there are more ways to travel between the gigs as you well know. As far as family goes they have those things called airplanes and rental cars to handle that. Your financial future should also be a consideration and sticks n bricks houses appreciate and RV's DEpreciate. If I were in your position I would come to an agreement on how much longer the current RV will service your needs and then find a Brick n mortar house, maybe half way between PA and CA . Good luck with whatever you choose!!
We are full time, we do 2 or 3 week at a time. Our rv is in the middle of repairs at the moment, it still ready but the nickel and dime is just around the corner. Your comment about prices is so true, and finding a place to go even for a night is very expensive too
a big difference in owning a home and a R V is the home will increase in value the R V will depreciate value rapidly 👍
Not necessarily. Lot of people went upside down in their homes value.
💯
Fact ,a r.v. is a no win financial investment .
This is a really good point. I feel like it is a common misconception that full-time RV life is a cheaper minimalist lifestyle. You actually need to be fairly wealthy...
@@4rebeln8 RV's are toys. That rear out and lose value at a rapid rate. 10-15 years are mostly junk.
So relatable! Challenging to get repairs to an RV when you are full-timing especially if you need dealership repairs. Hope you hear good news about Solly soon! We remind ourselves on a regular basis, this isn't vacation, this is our life. Sometimes you have to rest. Y'all are amazing! Take some time, rest, rejuvenate - you've definitely earned it! ♥
Your rv needing repairs is giving you a nice break! Change of scenery is good!
We went full-time in November 2023. My wife is a travel nurse, and I'm retired after 30 years as a repair tech at AT&T. We are currently in Monroe, Michigan, after spending 6 months in Fort Myers, Florida. We upgraded from a 312BHTS to a Big Mo 395ms. We appreciate your transparency on things breaking and the maintenance involved. My things to do checklist is long, but if I put one ✅️ a day, then I'm happy. We waited four weeks for a site with sewer. The daily honey wagon trip destroyed my back. We love your channel!
We used to have the 312BHTS!!! Loved it! We did need to upgrade tho. We now have a luxe toy hauler since we live in it 2-3 months at a time w our kids as well as guests
I believe every RV needs a home base.
I agree, home base or purchase RV lot or work at a Hospital and stay in their parking lot😎?
Not necessarily. My wife and I sold our property and moved into an RV permanently. The difference between us and most full time RV folks is that we don't travel. Our trailer is parked in one place and we haven't moved it, yet. We did it to downsize, not to see the country. It's parked on a 100' by 35' lot in an RV community in the southwest. We may move it, eventually, to visit our children and grandchildren in Colorado and Montana. But, for the most part, we just stay here.
My husband and I love your video. We are 67 we retired at Covid......We soon realized that A home base in Quartzsite Arizona was the only thing we could do. We live our lives. Doing the best we can. You 2 have done what we wanted to do but we may not ever get to do it but. Thank you for your Video. We look forward to your videos. We look forward to seeing what we may never get to do. What you both are doing. We are ok with our RV life. We had to do what we had to do and we call you our kids. At 67 and A hard life....we thank you for being honest about your journey. Youth is on your side .
I agree. We keep our motorhome in an RV park in Florida where we own the lot. We have an RV port and small executive suite that has a full kitchen, sitting area, full bathroom, storage area with washer/dryer.
Absolutely agree. We always thought our RV was our safety net but, when COVID hit, we found there was no place to park it or store it so, instead of a safety net, it became an albatross. As a result, we bought a small RV site in deep south Texas where we winter. If the world goes crazy again, at least we have a place to live or store the RV that is safe.
Been watching you guys for a few years, actually bought my 5th wheel because of you guys and I love it, I am actually stationary in an amazing park in the north west Arizona area and wouldn't change it, thanks Hanks!!
Think about a home base-I can’t imagine that you two would give up the Rv life all together. We are retired, have a home, but RV 6 months out of the year. Whatever you do, have fun, enjoy life!
Love watching you guys. We just bought a Class B and stumbled upon your channel. We are getting ready for our first road trip and have learned a lot from you.
Thank you so much for your amazing support! Congratulations on your new Class B 😃 Live it up to the fullest!
Even if the Hanks quit the RV life, totally understandable. They’re young and probably would like to start a family soon. They have more memories of traveling from the last 5 years that most people don’t see in a lifetime so they’ve done very well!
Well said! We just started 7 months with both feet in and if you aren't cleaning something, your fixing something, if neither of those, you're pulling it. going out and having fun wherever we are make up about 20%-30% of our time in an RV.
We have been on the road for two months. We left SC (home) visited 9 states. We had a blowout tire on the trailer. We decided to get all new tires, the truck lost power in a small town of Marquette MI 🤦🏾♀️we had to stay in a campground for an additional three days until the truck was fixed. Now we're noticing our slide out cable is loose on the backside (pull behind RV). The refrigerator isn't cooling well due to a power incident. Our black and gray tanks continue to show full even though they're emptied. We're so thankful we have the finances to pay for these incidentals. We're close to home (one more campsite) Should be in SC Wednesday. So, yes as the Hanks has stated. We have a home to go back to but after getting a checkup with our RV which includes the under belly where the tire blew out. We will return to the road 👏🏾👏🏾 Happy Camping all.
As a long haul truck driver I see so many people getting burnt out and I myself am ready to start rv life next year full time because after 30 years I am completely burnt out thank you so much for this video
This should be required viewing for all the people that have recently posted in the RV groups I’m in that say they have sold their house and hitting the road. I think most of these people have never RVd before and don’t have a clue about how hard and expensive it is. Good video.
We’ve RVd for 35 years and love it. I’ve never been ready to come home from vacation, but even with that selling everything is huge. I can’t imagine it for a person that has never end or camped.
These two always seem to have reasonable discussions. Great points. 💯💯
Thank you for your honesty. Like a few others have said, too many YT'ers only show RVing in the best scenarios. Life happens and Murphy's Law-man makes sure it's at the worst time.
A base of just a lot size in an area that's comfy weather, close to the fill up / dump until you're ready again. Either way you two decide is yours alone. Good luck🙂
I am so grateful to have been able to watch you both and you’re a beautiful cat travels across America to show us beautiful campsites, and give us all the lowdown on the truth about RV life. You have educated us all and giving us all such useful knowledge and showing us beautiful places to travel to, we have enjoyed your relationship, which is so beautiful, so loving and educational we cannot thank you enough for all you have given us and even if you stop RVing, we know you will on the side and we hope you will keep us in touch with your travels because you are loved by many thank you for all of your knowledge and experiences, and please keep sharing go go go
Love your openness and honesty. Hope your rv days are not over. We went stir crazy when our rv was in the shop for 6 months.
Awesome explanation, burn out is real no matter what you are doing. glad that you share this with us. Just remember the weather gets a little sketchy in the North East in the fall.
Preach it!! I hope everyone really hears you. Burn out is real
This video just popped up. I see it is 3 months old. Still very relevant today. We were sailors dreaming of living on a sailboat. Sailing the world. A change in jobs. Lead us to sell the boat. We now have an Rv. Watching this reminds me of our past dream. We never gave up our stick and bricks. But really dreamed of it. The reality is. It is not really cheaper. A lot of work. But the biggest. As you get older. If you get very sick. Hard to really recover from a major illness in a boat or RV. We are much older than you. We now realize it is best as a hobby. This was the best video that I have seen about the lifestyle.
Look, your channel isn't called "HappilyRVHanks", so do what makes y'all HappilyEVERHanks. You're young, smart, and have tons of potential. Do what you two want to do, no-one else gets an opinion. Cheers! 🥂
This video needs a love button, not just the like button. 💖 You've always had a straight forward approach. That's what makes you special. Follow your heart and we'll support you 100%.
Glad you’re able to get some real rest…important lesson we all need to learn. As nurses (RN here of 45 years) I’m sure you are have taught your patients about energy conservation during the recovery process. Sooo…I’m instructing you to “do a little bit and rest, then do a little bit more”…😊
Glad for the honesty. RVing is relaxing. I enjoy going south in winter.
Have a base camp and take short RV trips.
It’s time for the hanks to take the next step for the hanks. Hope you take us all with you!! If not, we’ve really enjoyed the ride!!!
Thank you so much for this video. Watching, I could feel what you are going through. If your 5th wheel is not repairable to your satisfaction, maybe another one or a class A if the pocket book allows, like Phil and Stacy. Maybe they could weigh in on your situation?
You hit it when you said how much you’ve packed in to these last months, and it’s a good thing to stop and catch your breath.
To me, your channel is just terrific. Selfishly, I would hate to see you give it up as I get so much entertainment in watching- as I’m sure so many others do as well.
Get some rest and I already look forward to next Thursday.
God bless.
This video is packed with great information! We can relate to many of your stories. We've been living full-time in our RV for two years and moved on average every six days for the first 18 months. We had to stop and slow down because we were definitely getting burned out. If anyone is considering full-time RV living, everything mentioned in this video is spot on!
You guys should consider being on RV Unplugged for season three!
I just did 4000 miles with my dog Skye and cat Galileo. I appreciated the 4 days here and 4 days there . Moving and going every night/ day was not conducive to less stress. Thank you ! Love your in sight going to stay longer and plan better
Love this talk! One thing I related to is finding a monthly rate, not easy. I’ve been a travel nurse and now taken a staff job in Raleigh- not easy finding a spot for my little apartment on wheels. I love my RV and having the option of moving around but finding a place to park it is a challenge
Your content is always so real-I’ve appreciated that. My partner and I traveled about ten weeks (not conservatively) one of the past six years. It became quickly apparent that we could never adapt to full-time RV living. The romantic vision of “freedom” was quickly squashed when attempting to schedule reservations at campgrounds for our first year/season out: Most RV campgrounds fill their weekends when they first release their spaces at the first of the year, and we quickly realized that weekenders take away many week-long booking opportunities. Our travels became dictated by where there were one and two-week site openings-especially when searching for sites with sewer hookups. Even then, we often had to stay in state and national parks with NO sewer connections and rely upon mid-trip black-tank emptying with our Rhino tank.
We sold our RV after six years. He was tired of towing. I was tired of managing the black tank. The setup and breakdown became tiring. But I do miss it.
Good luck figuring out your next adventure, and crossing fingers that your RV holds up. Let’s face it: They aren’t build to withstand travel, despite being marketed as such. If they were built the way they need to be to stand up to the rolling earthquakes to which they are exposed, they’d be too heavy to practically tow. 🙁
We've been RV-n for 45+ years, but not full time. Pretty much weekend warriors except 1x a 12 week x-country trip. 5 years ago things changed. We go out ~1x a month year round for 4-6 days & 2-3x a year out for 10-14 days + one snowbird trip for 4-6 weeks. We find after 4-5 weeks out we're wanting to get back home. We will not sell our home. Need our base station & space. Yes, the anxiety has been the last few years getting a spot when we do not know where we'll be. I don't like being on a set schedule that comes with making reservations 3-4 months in advance for every night. We do boondock ~70% of the time though, but that can have its challenges as well. Keep moving forward, it's a path to somewhere.
I love how honest you both are! We experienced break-downs with our RV recently (we're also full-time) & it was very hard to go through! Love watching your videos!
Whatever happens, I hope we get to keep following you for what comes next. Be it, your purchase of sticks and bricks for part time RVing, purchasing an RV lot, maybe getting a new RV, who knows?! My point being, I hope you keep your channel active and continue to put out new, excellent content. ❤
You guys are the best! Thank you for being real with all of us!! I pray Sully is back stronger and all healed up and ready for new adventure! You guys are the best and always make us smile! Thanks, Hanks for that! Hope to meet up along the way, some day!! Enjoy every moment! The McCowns
68 & 66 yr old couple. We will likely sell the house and live in our 24ft TT. We’ve done 2 and 3 month trips and love it. At our age, it’s a choice: we can sit at home and do the same things everyday or live in our TT in different places every week or so. We have no desire to “travel” as we’ve already seen many great wonders of the USA. We live in the deep South, and there are hundreds of Corps of Engineers campgrounds from which to choose, and they are always on some body of water, so the sights are nice. And, with our Senior Lifetime pass, the daily fee is between $9 - $16. We typically drive 100-250 miles
to our next site and stay a minimum of one week.
It’s so true!
When you’re travelling you see and live all the wonderful thing! You’re so excited… trilled!
It is hard to step back.
But you’re right! You must keep yourselfs some time that you just do nothing. … to absorb what you just lived and give you time to rest/prepare for your next “adventure”.
Thanks Hanks!
We are retired and as much as we like getting out camping which we have done for decades, we also like coming home. I believe one needs that balance and just enough change to make life interesting. By the way don't stress, just learn from mistakes and grow stronger. Love being subscribed to your channel. You are two beautiful people.
Thank you so much for the kind words and for being subscribed to our channel! We completely agree-balance is key to enjoying life and all its adventures. We really appreciate your advice about not stressing and learning from mistakes. It’s something we try to live by, too. Thanks for watching all of our videos, we couldn't do it without your support ❤️ - The Hanks Family
We lived in a boat for three years. Talk about expensive. We are now 10 months into full time. We watched you guys all the way.
Ha ha! Yeah, we lived aboard for 30 years - I get it!
I fully appreciate that you’re wondering about what’s next. Finding a place to call home, if only a few months in the year sounds great. I’m in the same situation, though only on year 3, Europe is very complicated. While last year was spectacular, we are now 6 months into issue after issue with residency, changing rules in different countries, family passing away, work/life balance, growing kids. I’m considering going back to my own country for several months (the summers) each year just to see family, get needed work done, and plan our next months instead of always on the move. But it’s hard as we were trying to get away from there and are afraid to be sucked into our old lives again.
So good luck and whatever you guys do, you’ll be killing it.
Heres a shot in the dark. New content with a new RV. Get after it.
Time to continue your adventure and follow the Wynns!
Remember this phrase . . . "Happiness is reality divided by expectations".
Damn am I the only one trying to do a math here...
Even the Starship Enterprise has to go be docked and repaired. The crew always enjoys the time off the ship too!
Kyle you look too natural on that couch. I have binged all your videos and am up to date. Y’all have have provided me with so much want to and so much you couldn’t pay me to go there. We have been retired now for 7 years and really enjoy monthly stays when we can and usually average 2 week stays when we travel. I have watched and learned many things from your travels and greatly appreciate all y’all have done over the years. I guess my biggest take away is not go go go but go relax stay and move on.
Thank you for all you have done,
Rick and Kathi
Thanks for the heartfelt discussion. Y’all will figure it out, and have no guilt. The burnout issue is real and you’re right, downtime is important. Take care. Love you guys!
I'll echo someone elses comment that the Class A is an easier life. We travel in the RV and tow a jeep to explore the area around us. We mostly only move a couple hundred miles at a time. We plan our general route for the year, and usually plan sites a few weeks out. We have found that planning ahead for what we will do in the area dictates how long we stay at each stop. Most of the time, it's 5 days, but can be longer when its a large area and we have lots to see. For Glacier we are staying about 12 days. This is our third year, so we don't have the experience you do, but this seems to be working best for us. We think we have 2 more years ahead of us, but that could change if either of us wants out of the life style.
This perspective is ON POINT. My wife and I are on the road but stick and bricking it. She is a travel tech and we loooove the travel life but stresses that come with travel life are still stresses. Love this guys!!!