WE Spent HOW MUCH in 2022?? // 💸💲💰🤑 // Year in Review // RV Lifestyle // Fulltime RV //RV Super Show
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- Опубликовано: 11 янв 2023
- We review our expenses in 2022 and you won't believe some of the numbers. I was surprised by a few that Sondra sprang on me. The Police showed up at the boondock campground where we were staying in Florida. Trying to get ready for the Tampa RV Super Show but life gets in the way...
#fulltimerv #tampa #florida #rvlife #glamping #hdt #customrv #customtrailer #spacecraft #boondocking #whataburger
I get my music from:
Epidemicsound.com
If I had an Amazon link, it would be here!
We use the TSD card for diesel fuel and save a bundle each time we fill up our Big Rig. We also use it to fill up our Onan generator.
Vehicles:
2016 Volvo VNL780 "Voyager"
2016 Smart fortwo "Pathfinder"
2019 SpaceCraft Custom built, designed semi-trailer 5th wheel "Orion"
2023 Thor Magnitude XG32 Class C "Curiosity"
2017 Jeep Wrangler Sahara "Artemis"
Coachnet is our roadside assistance company we use but hopefully we don't use them too often. LOL
We are not sponsored by Whataburger but I do enjoy them anytime I can get my hands on one. They used to be just out of Texas but they have expanded to Kansas City, Atlanta, Birmingham, Huntsville, Tallahassee, Pensacola and Tennessee just to name a few other areas.
Thanks for sharing. It’s the first time I’ve seen a channel share their budget with us. It was informative and could help those who don’t know how to plan a budget ,setup categories.
You are so welcome! Part of our channel "mission" was to help those in the RV community who may have questions on this lifestyle. Appreciate your time watching the channel.
Thanks for the comment Doug. We are happy to share and give back to the community who helped us so much in the beginning. I don't want to freak anyone out, so I didn't mention I track about 230 different things including sales tax by state. 🤓
I am in shock and a bit perturbed with my insurance company. You pay 5,300 for insurance etc. on that beautiful rig you have and I pay 2,500 + on a 2011 Ford Focus and $1,800 + on my home insurance, not to even mention the taxes. I have never had a claim on my home or car and no tickets. My problem is, I'm a 74 year old female widow. On top of all that I live in Nevada. What a rip off. I found your channel a few days ago and love it. My husband and I used to travel on and off in a beautiful long, long motor home with the thee slide outs. Loved every second of it. My whole life changed when he passed 14 years ago and your channel allows me to still enjoy the scenery:)😀
Glad to hear you're enjoying the journey with us, Darla. That is amazing the difference in rates. Wow!
Depends on several factors. My semi truck ive driven for many years with my drv is 2880.00 at year.
I'm a newbie to this channel. I'm glad you all have a great sense of humor, I would've cried if I had your expenses, even if I could afford your lifestyle. I don't know why you all are still paying for cell phone use. I'm in my 60's I'm on a seniors plan were I don't have to pay a cell phone bill for the rest of my life. I have unlimited talk, text, & internet. And if I didn't watch television that is a expense that would be thrown out the door.
Lol. Thanks for the comments. 🤪 It does get a little crazy but that's why we review each year. Some of our expenses is because technology hasn't caught up to our needs. There are items we need in this lifestyle that we didn't need while working. We're grateful 🙏 that we can travel in this way and appreciate the fact that you're along for the journey.
Thanks for the comment. I'd love to know what plan you are on. David started the Channel last March and that's when he stopped watching TV and started learning all this RUclips stuff. He will sneak in a Clemnson game now and then. We have annual financial reviews to see what went wrong and what we can do to correct it. Like re-looking at phone/TV/internet plans. 😉
I'm with a company called "Blu Smartphones" powered by Android, a division of "Track phone" which is catered to seniors. I also was sent another free phone by another company. I never activated that phone, I just keep it as a backup if needed. Whenever I pull it out I'll let you know which company it's through.
@@mzyvettecrenshaw9670 very interesting. I have never heard of of BLU but we'll look into it. Thank you. 🤙🤙😎😎
I’m a senior, how do you NOT HAVE A PHONE BILL?
You two are an awesome couple...way to set an example to the world men and women can compliment each other, work well together, love each other and best yet go after big dreams together
Thank you, Steven. It helps to be on the same page as a couple with similar interests and goals. We both really enjoy RV travel.
It's such a joy to watch ur videos and see the joy y'all have on the road
Thanks, Ricky. We really do enjoy the journey part of RVing which is why we don't usually stay in one place for very long. Lots to see and we like the travel days. Thanks for the comment. 😎
FYI-Ventura RV Resort was flooded out in our west coast heavy rains. They did evacuate it. In '95 it was destroyed in similar rain conditions that brought flooding through the adjacent river bottom and washed MANY RVs into the ocean. I guess they will likely be raising their prices.
Marcel, that's terrible about Ventura RV. California needs the water 💧 🙄 but maybe spread it out over a year! Yes, prices will definitely go up. 🤔🤯
That's awful! 🥺 the sad part about our stay is that we never spent any time enjoying their amenities because we were out exploring the area. Thanks for the comment Marcel! 😊
We just found your channel and are having so much fun watching all the past videos. We really enjoyed the Mt Hood episode, we are from Oregon and love that White River parking lot. Your positive attitude and great sense of humor really makes it for us. I loved the last video about costs - we are hoping to do more traveling this year as my husband just retired. Learning how to create a budget is my first priority.The built in soda fountain was the tipping point I love it!!!
We are so glad you found us Tammy and thanks for the comment! Wow, the Mount Hood area is such a special place I don't know if I could ever get tired of it. We are definitely going back! In this lifestyle you definitely have to have a sense of humor. David is much better at that than I am. 🙄🤪. You are so right about needing to set a budget . We did an RV budget seminar at a rally several years ago (before RUclips was even on our radar) and thought we might do a video on that based upon the responses we've received so far on this video. Glad you decided to come along on our journey. 🙂
Great candid video about RV expenses. Thank you for sharing.
You're very welcome. We enjoy sharing our experiences and knowledge in the hopes that others will find it useful. Glad you're along on our journey.
I was thinking about selling my rental property that I own in Wyoming and buy an RV so this video was really helpful. I think I need to do a lot more research before I even have a thought of actually doing it! But all your video are entertaining and very informational. I look forward and enjoy all of them. I am so happy your channel has grown a lot since your last video!! Good job!
Thanks Thomas. We did several years of research prior to going fulltime. We were fairly well prepared but we enjoy traveling and seeing this great country of ours. Appreciate your comments and watching the channel. 😎😎
$200 / month on fast food is actually pretty impressive. Would've expected that number to be much higher. Thanks for posting this vide. Nice seeing someone's budget.
I do get a lot of free burgers with the surveys so that really helps. Thanks for watching the channel. 😃🤙
Thanks Brian. FYI... That $200 per month was for ALL eating out. I probably should not have thrown David under the bus like that, especially since a lot of the overage was spent at the harvest hosts. Oh wait... he did plan those too! 🤣
🤘🇺🇸Yes!!! More Whataburger my brother!
@ronaldstephens1792 oh, yeah! Long live Whataburger.
@@bigtruckbigtravels Truth 🙏🇺🇸😎
Excellent breakdown of yearly budget. Throughly enjoyed this video!!!
You're welcome, Jeremy. We enjoy sharing our experience in the hopes that it benefits others who may be looking into this lifestyle. Glad you're along on the journey. Thanks for the comment. 😁
Just watched your 2022 budget video and WOW OH WOW!!! I knew it would be big just because of the BIG RIG!!! But I’ve watched several other people’s posts about budgets and some were up there, but I do believe y’all have set the bar way up there! Bottom line is that y’all have fun and enjoy. I’ll see y’all in Tampa next week!
Sounds great. Appreciate your time watching the channel. Weather looks like it will be nice.
Thank you David and Sondra. We just found you guys and really appreciate your attitude and willingness to share your experiences. The "pay it forward" mentality is so important for these kinds of adventures and lifestyles, and we were lucky to experience this kind of attitude in the coastal cruising and overland worlds decades ago. Therefore, as we move closer to making the HDT leap ourselves, it is great to find a channel like yours. Safe travels and fun adventures!
Thanks, Todd for the comments and kind words. We may have to talk one of these days about your coastal cruising experience...just saying. LOL. You never know. We've done some presentations at several HDT rallies and enjoy giving back so others may benefit. Everyone was so kind when I was researching and asking A LOT of questions. 😁 Enjoy the journey with us and let's learn a little along the way.
@@bigtruckbigtravels What does HDT stand for?
@@sherisevalentygibb Heavy Duty Truck. It's a semi-truck that is modified in most cases to haul a 5th wheel RV trailer.
Wonderful video and a great summary @ 32:12. Wishing you two the best in 2023 🎉👏
Thanks sooo very much. Hoping your 2023 is great. Appreciate your time watching the channel. 💫😀
Thanks Keenan. Hope you are having a good new year overseas!
Hello, we wanted to stop by and say hello. We saw that this video was sending a lot of traffic to one of our videos and had to check it out. Pearl is loving the idea of tracking what we will be spending on our adventures. We are about 4 winters away from retirement and starting to get ready. We just bought a class A in preparation. (The first video of our RV Hunt was the one getting the traffic.) We plan on part-timing it, got to keep the nest. We enjoyed your video and seeing what all you have done and the cost. Jim & Pearl
That's fantastic. We're very new to RUclips so how did you find out where your traffic originates? That would be cool to know that. Good luck on your journey to part-timing. Hope to see you on the road. Thanks for the comment and for watching the video. 🤙
Just stumbled upon your channel and love it! As a red Jeep Wrangler owner (retired) too, welcome to the club! We did a cross country trip this past summer and "no bueno" driving the dually 1 ton on gravel and dirt roads explorirng. Heading to the Tampa show to consider options of trading in the fifth wheel for something we can tow my Jeep behind! Hope we run into you at the show so we can say hi and give you two thumbs up in person. Continued safe travels and adventures!
Welcome aboard! The Jeep is so neat and very versatile. WE really enjoy it. The Smart does come in handy but we wish there was a way to bring the Jeep with us without double towing. Trying to figure out a way. Love the red Jeep. Had to get used to the "Jeep wave". We forget sometimes when we switch from the Smart car. LOL
You guys are so laid back! You definitely are enjoying life.
Thanks. We're fortunate to be able to enjoy this lifestyle and are in no hurry to get anywhere so it's easy to "take it easy"! LOL. Appreciate the comment and your time watching the channel. 😎
Husband and I LOVE watching you guys! We love the positive attitudes- regardless of what happens. David- you seem like such a good sport, and Sondra- I'm right there with ya on the chocolate and journaling!!!!
Oh My! Another Bujo'er 😮. Sondra and our daughter LOVE it. We may try to incorporate some aspects of it into our video's (in some small way). Thanks for the comment.
@@bigtruckbigtravels What is a "bujo'er"?
@@sherisevalentygibb it's short for Bullet Journal. It's a hybrid between scrap booking and a diary of sorts.
So I assume when you and Sondra were in the corporate world in Greenville SC, Dave was either the Program Manager probably responsible for design and engineers. Sondra was probably the finance/budget PM. Really enjoy your videos, can’t thank you enough for all the work you do. And! being so transparent.
Hi Kevin... lol... I'm the engineer (electrical) of the family and retired from a senior management position in sales. David spent most of his career in logistics and retired from a senior management position at a 3PL. We thought it would be good to share some of our major expenses related to the RV life and "give back" as the HDT community had been so good to us with information. We're glad you enjoyed the video and hope your continue to watch. Thanks for the comment!
Thanks for the comments and appreciate your time watching the channel. We hope it's helpful and fun.
That was a great informative video, probably the best expense video I have seen. And yes I'd like to see the dryer video, has to be a hoot.😁😁
You're killing me, Larry...😒 Unfortunately, I'm an expert at changing the thermostats and heating element now! LOL. Thank you for the kind comments on the video. We really appreciate it.
Thanks for the dryer vote Larry!!! 😁
You guys are great we enjoy your videos 😊
Thank you, we appreciate it very much. We try to show life on the road along with some informative tips. Glad you're along on the journey. 😊
Love the channel and the two of you. David, yes I’d like to see dryer repair lol.
Oh man! LOL...yeah, probably going to have to do a dryer story. It's funny...sad but funny. Thanks for the comment. 😊
Glad to hear you guys enjoyed last year. Thank you for sharing the breakdown of your expenses. But the beautiful thing about expenses is you don't mind paying them if they're necessary and you can afford them. I've done a breakdown of my expenses before and you'll be suprised how much you actually spend. Enough of that. You are such a cool couple, always smiling and interacting with each other positively. I'm suprised that food didn't make the list as a big expense. It's enjoyable watching your channel. Keep them coming. Travel safe.
Hey Joe, and if Sondra didn't enjoy cooking so much, food would be a higher expense for sure. But eating at home really helps with costs. Whataburger is my splurge. Thanks for the comments and watching the channel. 😎
@@bigtruckbigtravels what is Verizon visible?
@stevensaxon8888 Vz Visible is a low cost alternative. $40/month and unlimited Hotspot but throttled to 5 mbs. Otherwise, that is the major difference.
Even though our 2022 Adventure wasn't the same routes as yours, it was so fun to compare our yearly expenses! What a great life we are living!!! We love your topics!!! 🚍💙
LOL...our 2022 route was not very efficient...hmmm...actually, it was pretty circuitous given that we ended up out west and east twice in the same year! It's always fun to compare and gauge but we all are very fortunate and grateful to be able to enjoy this lifestyle. Thanks for the comment. 😎
Hey Rich, great meeting you the other day. I hope you got to your next location safely. Thanks for chatting with us. Aloha 😎😎
I just found your channel. I love the videos. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for finding us, Damon. I'm glad you enjoy the video's and hope you like coming along on our journey. 😎🤙
I am new to the channel but we live in Texas and I totally get the Whataburger and I think he should be eating more 😆. Stop at the one at exit 301 in Baird Texas it also has truck parking it is a super great Whataburger.
Oh yeah! I'm all about Whataburger. Fine dining, Texas style! Thanks for the tip, I'll note it in my travel info. LOL.
Your talking about tires if you can wait till after your trip to Alaska because the roads my not very good and you may have a flat or 2 on the way up and back. If you do change some tires before you go to Alaska you may want to save the best tow for spares .It is cheaper for road service to change tire than have to buy new one. PS. just keep the tire mot new rims.
Hey Tom- that's exactly 💯 what we're weighing out on the tires. They still have tread and no signs of cracking but they are getting up there in age.
We totally agree Tom. 👍
We went to Alaska in 2017. We drove nice and slow and luckily no one in our group of 4 rigs had tire issues.
HI 👋 I’M NEW TO THE CHANNEL
THIS IS MY 4TH VIDEO OF Y’ALLS I’VE SEEN! MAN PRETTY GOOD STUFF, IM REALLY ENJOYING THE ADVENTURE. AND HOW YOU KEEP IT REAL AND THE LAID BACK ATMOSPHERE. THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR JOURNEY! AND I WANNA SAY TO YOU,
“YOU KEEP IT IN DRIVE “🙂
Hey Gregg, our life on the road is definitely not scripted and we just show it like it happens. This started out as our memories traveling and we never thought it would gain traction in the RUclips community. It's been a great journey and we're glad to have you along with us. Let's do this! 😎
Also love me some Peggy Sues. We did an overnight stop there on our way back from WCR.
Nice. It was a great stop, Marcel. We had fun and slept good. Thanks for the comments. 🙂🤙
It was a pleasant surprise for sure. Except for the dust storm getting there! 😳
ruclips.net/video/_d0QDp0qCcc/видео.html
Yes, we want to see the dryer saga!
Ugh...one of these days, I'll probably get that together. It's kind of funny....Thanks for weighing in on it.
Hi guys...can't believe you went downtown Atlanta...we know commercial trucks can't do it....but our hdt friends did and got a citations even after tell the cop it was registered as a motor home...as far as he was concerned..it was a truck ???....good video ...have fun at the Tampa show...wish we were there...stay safe...J&A
Hey J&A. We were surprised that there were no signs on I-75 prohibiting truck traffic. On 85 & 20 there are signs but not on 75. It was great lighting for pics so Sondra was having a field day. Appreciate your comments. Thank you. Safe travels to you.
Hey J&A, we typically travel via I-20 which has DOT signs plastered all over about having to take I-285 around Atlanta. But not on I-75... that we have seen so far. Hope you guys are staying warm and thank you for the comment. 😊
Enjoy your trip videos. We lived aboard a 43' trawler for 12 years and traveled over 18,000 miles. In 2004 and 2005 we did the Great Loop on the rivers Great Lakes and east coast. We had twin 3208 Cat engines, fuel cost for that trip was a little over $17,000 for diesel, highest we paid was in Canada over $7 a gallon. Love your rigs.
Nice, Dennis. That 3208 Cat is a good marine engine. What type of trawler? Mainship, Kadey Krogen or Fleming? I've been wanting to do the loop for years and explore Lake Superior in particular. Marine diesel is usually higher and Canada does you no favors for certain on the price! Did it take you the full year for the Loop? I really like West Bay Sonship, Tollycraft and Nordhavn but they are pricey! Thanks for watching.
@@bigtruckbigtravels Just before I started watching your channel (about a week ago) I started watching a few episodes on YT about a married couple doing the loop on their boat. I knew about the loop (I didn't know that's what it was called but I knew about the route) and always thought that it would be so cool to do :) I have plans to do the loop ... do Van LIfe through the US/Mexico/Canada and maybe sail around the world??? With my husband of course :)
@@sherisevalentygibb that will be fun. Would love to boat around to different locals. Very different.
I love you guys u too are awesome together the lovely bantering ❤❤
You are so kind, thank you. 😊
Let's see the dryer repair!
Lol... you guys are killing me! Thanks for watching the channel. 😉🤪
Thanks for the dryer vote Chadwick!
I really appreciate this episode. We have camped now and again over the years but in the last two years we have been camping much more. We went from travel trailer to 45 ft Tiffin Zephyr. We are going to sell it soon. It is simply too big for the places I like to visit (State and National parks). It's not the spaces - it's the narrow drives with trees that try to reach out and grab you. We camped at Alabama's Tannehill State Park twice recently. We love it, but there are big problems for big rigs. OK, I also want to mention my desire to see your soon to be released video on washer/dryer problem. We have the same brand and the dryer stopped working recently. I didn't try to fix it myself. It was just a belt and the labor cost a lot more than the part.
LOL...I'm going to try and get the dryer video out in the future. It was very frustrating but a funny story. Glad you found this video helpful. We're sharing our 8 years of fulltime experience in the hopes that others may benefit from it as they discover their RV journey. Some sizes of RV's are definitely not conducive to State or National Parks. It really depends on each person's "mission profile" for RVing. Really appreciate your comments and glad you're along with us on the journey. 😊
Good video 😀 I was just Interested in the total of all expenses for the the year 🫢 yes would like to see the repair of the dryer 😀
Gee, thanks Stephen. 😆 we did not give the totals as there are items in there which are unique to our setup and would tend skew the numbers. We felt that giving it individually then people could pick and choose what applies. Thanks for the comments.
Thanks for that dryer vote Stephen. We wanted to share our expenses related to RVing and didn't think people would care about our $400/mo in groceries or the $328 I spent for the year in stickers and scrapbooking supplies. 🤦♀️
Very interesting! Thank you for sharing
You're very welcome, Laura. Thank you for watching the channel.
There is a road down from crystal mt after you pass the greenwater fire department on the left FS RD 70 it takes you to the green water trail head however there is a couple large pull off spots and that’s totally free for 14 days at a time. I’ve camped up there for years. Plenty of room for your rig also. The road is paved also. It’s about 9.6 miles before ranger creek on your way from green water heading up to Crystal MT. Y’all should check it out. Well wishing y’all the best on your journeys ahead.
Thanks, Jake. I'll have to look into that area for camping. Mt Rainier and the Crystal Mtn area are spectacular and we will be back. Thank you so much for the information. 😎🤙
Enjoy your channel. Couldn’t help but notice that you omitted to mention the new Class C and Jeep; but as they are Capital costs I can understand their omission. 😄😄😎😎
Hey Frank- yes, you are correct. Our video was meant as a guideline for monthly expenses and not "one off" capital expenses. Thank you for the comments.
Hi Frank. Very true. We also spent 37 days with our daughter and her family preparing for the 3rd grandchild and that was an expensive stay. I cooked and froze 90 meal (for 4) along with David and I doing some other projects which were one off expenses that came from a special family gifting fund we started before we retired. Thanks for the comment!
Lol!!! You guy's are awesome!!! New subscriber here!!
Thanks, Stan for finding us. We have lots to see and do this summer. Glad you're along on the journey.
I just came across your channel. Nice set up. But you guys are out of my league. If I was a newbie I would be overwhelmed. Good luck and have a great time in Alaska
Be sure to subscribe, we'd appreciate it. Hopefully, everyone can take something away from our video's that helps them in the RV world....maybe what NOT to do sometimes! LOL. Thanks for the comment. 👍
You should look at montana for registration. You only register 1 for trailers or any vehicle over 11 years old. Very cheap. It cost us $378 for permanent tags on our 44' toy hauler. Never need to get new ones
That is a great idea. Thank you very much. 👍👍
Very interesting session and I get it, since I too, am a Spread Sheet freak (retired Accounting manager among other professions throughout my working life). And it can either freak you way out to know where your money really goes and how much you spend on things most people don't even remember and always wonder where the money went! LOL And yes, I keep ALL receipts, cash, card, whatever and have a spread sheet on my wallet (COH)! It's very important, to me, and tends to make me a better money manager. So with all of that said, I just want to say in your case(s), "WHAATTTA BUDGET"!! But you are living your life and I applaud you for it. And in style I must say. The only way to go!
Lol... had a chuckle on the What-a-budget! That was good. Sondra was the EE and I was in logistics. But she loves her spreadsheets. Thanks for the comments.
That's too funny KB! I think you made David's day with that. I keep every receipt as well and log in all our expenses into a spreadsheet. I mean everything! I'm up to ~240 categories. In addition to the various categories, I also keep track of how much sales tax we spend by state and by category (i.e. food, non food, etc). I scan in all our receipts, and we then use them for campfires. Living in an RV we try to minimize filling up storage space. 😉
@@mrsbigtruckbigtravels726 LOL, couldn't resist! .....receipts are pesky, scanning them is a must for the RV life (my 17 years plus experience in three RV's) I do tend to have a lot of 9x12 envelopes in boxes until they get purged only keeping major purchases with a warranty, etc.. And I think you have me beat on some of your spreadsheet info and probably formulas tracking sales taxes, etc.. But there's nothing wrong with being smart with your money! You may have to cut him some slack on the burger budget though ;)
thanks for a helpful video. Re: Alaska. I've ridden motorcycles to AK through Canada more than once. One thing many bikers do to their bikes is spray 'Pam' (the cooking spray) on the undercarriage to minimize the collection of the calcium chloride 'gunk' that gets on the rig. they spray the calcium chloride to keep the dust down. The 'Milepost' book is a great resource for going to AK. Looking forward to seeing your vids from the trip to AK. Are you taking your Class C or the big rig?
I've never heard the Pam hack on the undercarriage but it makes sense. We were there in 2017 and the Milepost was indispensable. We'll probably take the C. Appreciate your time watching the channel.
Thanks for the tip on the Pam! We went to AK in 2017 with 3 other couples and when we got into Watson Lake, our friend had to take a hammer to that gunk so he could get his jacks down! 😬
We just found your channel. We loved hearing the different terminology you use, we live in a caravan full time in Australia and we were very interested to see how you do it in the US. Mind you we would love your RV!!! You would hate to purchase your fuel over here, it would double your budget again!! New subs
Thanks Ozzy for finding us down under! We've always wanted to go to Australia and caravan for several months...I think we'd have to leave our home here in the states though! Appreciate you watching the channel and subscribing and taking time to comment. Thank you very much. 😊
Very informative!! Thank you for that and yes, Dryer Video, Please🥰💜😂🤣🥰💜
Thanks Tanya. I'll have to look into that dryer video. Getting a lot of "yea's" on the video! LOL
Whataburger charges cheaper than a dryer serviceman! Great presentation!
Thanks, Charlie. I know, right? The Whataburger charge is sooo reasonable. Thanks for the comments.
You must have been an accountant!! 😂😂😂
Enjoying your videos.
LOL...NO, She's an engineer though! LOL. Sondra loves Excel spreadsheet so she does that to relax...🤔🤨😂
Just found your channel & subscribed. My wife & I are catching up on your Alaska experience at present. I would LOVE to hear about David’s fight with Goliath (aka the Drier!)
😆 you are binge watching! I've got to do that video... it's a funny, sad story! 🤔😉😆
You two make me laught. My Wife and I are opposite. I love spreadsheeting, expenses and planning. We plan/go on a trip, she packs what she needs and needs to know what time she should be in the passenger seat. Annoying but a losing battle.
LOL...Sondra wants to know a little more...but only to plan on if she brings her parka and ear muffs! 🤨🤣😎 Thanks for watching.
Thank goodness this is not representative of average nomadic life! I could live for a year on your fuel cost alone!
LOL...it's definitely not your typical representation of what's possible to live fulltime in an RV. It is one scenario (that we live) out of hundreds. That's why this lifestyle is so cool. Everyone can and will do it differently. Thank you for the comment. We appreciate it.
I am surprised how frugal you guys are , for example per night camp fees and dining out. And how little in repairs and maintenance considering such big rigs - wonder what your yearly average is so far since you guys started? Thanks for being so open about such a personal subject as money.
We try to always watch the pennies... we've always budgeted. Thanks 😄
A really good show
Appreciate the very kind comments Dean. We tried to make it informative and interesting at the same time. 😎😎
I really enjoy y'all's channel! You're cool people!! Love your❤ pictures and interesting travels! We are in a 2005 Fleetwood Southwind in South Texas for the winter. We will start working our way home at the end of March, visiting on the way. We will get home around the end of April for the summer.
Thanks, Addie. The RGV starts to warm up this time of year so March is a good time to head out. Where's home? It's always nice to take it easy on travel days... weeks?!? Lol. Glad you're along on the journey. This summer will be fun. 😃🙂
Home for us is in North Central Illinois off I80. It's a nice quiet little town and we have awesome neighbors. We have an above ground pool in the back yard to enjoy while we get some work done on our motorhome. Our refrig went out and we want to put in a residential one and add solar. Also I would love to know where you got that cool ironing board!
@addieziegler9842 that ironing board is cool, Addie. We got it at Lowe's and it's made by Rev-a-shelf. Great space saving idea. Sounds nice while you get the RV modified. Safe travels.
PLEASE do a video on the dryer repair! Also, do you have a video out on the spec'ing out of the trailer? You mentioned it weighs 43,000 pounds and as a retired long-haul truck driver I was immediately drawn to the full eight-wheel trailer axles with air ride and the totally flat-floor design of the trailer with full storage under the floor. I have not seen any other such trailer design and would be curious of how you came to this spec. THANKS and carry on! Love the VLOGS!
Really?!? You want to see the dryer repair?!? LOL Thanks Nelson for the comments and watching the channel. There are a few trailers similar to ours out there but each one is unique. WE have a lot of firsts on this build. Video coming up soon. 😁😁
Yep!! It’s gonna happen to everyone at some point (who have washer/dryer), and experiences of others are a great resource to us viewers. 😎
@dbtexas1321 lol... then, in the near future get ready for a great resource on the dryer repair! Lol. I messed with it over 9 mos. The final reason for the failures was not the dryer....hmmm. thanks for watching the channel. 😃
Let’s see that dryer repair !
Grrrr....you guys are killing me on this dryer thing! LOL. Hey, thanks for the comment and watching the channel. 👍👍🤣🤣😍😍
Doing a postmortem on my budget is right up there with doing a weigh in or blood pressure check at my doctor’s office.
Amen to that! Sondra enjoys it... I'd rather be doing almost anything else! Lol. But it does keep us on track. Appreciate your time watching the channel. 💫
Love whataburger too! I use the app too and it must be bad when you walk in and they know you by name. “Chris’ online order ready in the lobby”. Lol. Whataburgers are everywhere here in south Texas especially originating in Corpus Christi. I haven’t retired yet but drive trucks for a living and a rig like you guys have is exactly what I would have. We have a saying that you want the horse bigger than the wagon so that’s the best setup. May cost more but better long term. Glad I found you guys channel!
Ok, Chris, that's pretty bad they know you by name! 😆... one day I'll get there! 😆 We got the truck because anything smaller and we'd have to buy two trucks based on our travels. Glad you found us.
LOL! "Slow, relaxing trip thru downtown Atlanta" - at 5pm on Friday! "Slow" I believe - but....I'm guessing we have somewhat different definitions of "relaxing"! What a great video - loved the insights into all the cool places you've boondocked!! :) And - sounds like the dryer needs its own YT channel!! 😂
LOL...the dryer was definitely in line for it's own channel...whew! It required a lot of my time. Thankfully, I discovered the root cause of the issue. Unfortunately, not before the dryer bit the dust.😒
@@bigtruckbigtravels Isn't that just the way of it! :(
Consider if you can go to Alaska trip then replacement of tires after.
Definitely a good idea. Not a ton of mileage but the roads and gravel are tough on them.
Love your site!! You just did the 125000 checkup did you buy the truck new? How did you select that truck? Look forward to you next video. Hope I can find this one again for your answer
Hi David- our was awesome. We bought the truck new in 2015. We selected the Volvo for several reasons: (1) Interior noise level (2) Dinette/workstation - Volvo was the only one at the time that had this layout (3) Nice ride, smooth and not hard but not "floaty" either. It seemed to strike a good balance for us. Thanks for watching the channel and appreciate your comments. 😎
New to the channel, I think Whataburger should sponsor you guys because next time I fly to the US I'll head to Whataburger and as for the coke on tap, it is a different taste than the can or bottle 🇦🇺👌
Lol...I think they should too! Whataburger for free for life! 🤣 Thanks for watching. I usually get the #1 with no onions. But the Spicy BBQ Bacon burger is delicious as is the Patty Melt and substitute a brioche bun for the Texas Toast. Fountain drinks are definitely better! Appreciate your comments. Safe flight!
I just found you guys and enjoy the videos! In this video you talk about staying at a Wildlife Management Area in Florida. I checked a couple out and they say you can only stay during hunting season. Are there some that you can stay outside of hunting season? If so, which ones, and how do you find them? Thanks and safe travels!
That's the one drawback, Jeff, to the Florida WMA campgrounds. Generally, they are available during the hunt seasons or on the weekends outside of hunt season. We visit in the winter so it works out for us.
Guess i should have watched longer it answered my Question thanks
🤙😊😎
I have a great idea now of the expenses except for Normal Groceries and propane for cooking. Can you give an idea about those expenses? Thank YOU both!!
We don't spend much on propane since we try to utilize electric with our solar setup but it's about $87 for the year. Normal groceries are $400 per month. Hope this helps and thanks for the comments and watching the channel. 😎
Remember the Whataburger in South Dallas,Tx.45&20 has Trk&RV parking.
Thanks, Roger. Good to know. That area normally has inexpensive fuel at the TA so we'd be in the area 😃👍
OMG, it SNOWS in Alabama?! I never knew that!😅. Meanwhile, here in MA, we’ve had no snow yet 😢
Whaaat?!? Sean, that's just not right! LOL. Crazy weather for sure. Thanks for the comment. 😮😂
Notice David was wearing an Oatman shirt. We love oatman! Been there a few times cauae we stayed on bullhead city for a while. As far as budget, we've never set one but kept all receipts. I need to do a budget video. I feel like thats 1 thing everyone does thats so different based on how much someone moves or stays put.
Oatman was a very cool and unique stop in AZ with a peculiar vibe to it. We really enjoyed it during our stay in Lake Havasu area. The budget is something unique to everyone and I think you should do one. Our budget is going to be radically different from the average RVer due to our unique set up and the amount of traveling we do (virtually every week). It takes a lot of effort (which Sondra does) to keep track of all that stuff! Safe travels.
We spend at least twice the amount on dining out than your figure. We are trying to break the habit but after a hards days work we like to reward ourselves. :( Very enlightening information. We need to budget ourselves if we want to spend time on the road. Learning so much from you folks. Keep up the good work.
Thank you, Bill. We enjoy eating out for a specific "taste" but Sondra enjoys cooking so she replicates a lot of our favorite dishes from restaurants... so we eat in more now...except Whataburger! 😆
Do you have a video of how you load and unload your car off the rig? Thanks for sharing your expenses.
I believe this one towards the end has a good segment on loading the Smart.
ruclips.net/video/wf8pCXCoRWU/видео.html
Mmmmm...Whataburger! I really miss that now that I'm up north. First place I ever found that would put jalapeno on a burger.
Oh yeah! Whataburger is awesome. I'm thankful they are expanding beyond Texas now. Thank you for watching the channel. 😁
Excellent. We're in the planning stage and jus discovered your channel. Thanks for being open and practical.
Glad you found us and we hope you enjoy the journey. Good luck on the research and planning. We spent about 6 years planning for our "work exit strategy" and have been enjoying fulltime RV living since 2016. Have fun with it. We appreciate your time watching the channel.
Hi David and Sondra What were your previous occupations. My oldest brother was a retired electrical engineer, working for Hughes Spacecraft.
I thought I heard you talking about NASA. Have a great day. Mark
Hi Mark, I'm an electrical engineer too 😀 and David was in the field of logistics. We love space exploration and thus the name of our rig. Thanks for the comment!
Hey Mark! The closest to a Space agency we got was watching Star Trek. 😆 We love to explore so that's why the naming theme...and we're Trekkies. Sondra is the EE and I was in logistics management. Thanks for the comments.
Ok let's see the dryer saga❤❤
Lol... you just had to bring that up, Jennifer! I'll probably do it at some point. It's funny now...
Been there, done that in Atlanta. But no matter what time Atlanta is a pain the butt.
Oh Yeah! Actually, downtown is really pretty at night on either I-85 or I-75 with all the building lit up. Thanks for the comment. 👍
We will be in Auburndale, FL from 2-10 Feb. Will you be in the area at that time? Would be fun to meet you all.
Thanks. We're going to be in the Kissimmee area during that time. That would be fun.
On a positive thought for you your 19K miles was traveling I did 26K just driving back and forth to work 7 days a week. 534 more days and we will be doing traveling miles as well
That's fantastic, Michael. Those days will go by fast. Enjoy the process...it's worth it.
Interesting to hear the breakdown on expenses. Thanks for sharing. Curious abt why you chose to go w separate truck to haul a trailer instead of something like the big tour buses like Newell, provost, etc and smart car either towed behind or it fit in a basement. Just looking into lots of videos on all this stuff and pondering all of it and that’s the biggest question that keeps going through my mind abt your set up. Thanks! Keep having fun and drive safe!
Great question... that was our first decision on fulltiming. Class A or trailer. We looked at a lot of RV's over 5 years prior to pulling the trigger. For us, a 5th wheel trailer had more living space, a much nicer kitchen (Sondra loves to cook) and it felt more like home. Also, our unit is much, much less expensive than a Prevost or Foretravel or Newell. RVing in a motorhome is the easiest way to travel since they are accepted everywhere and are easiest to maneuver. We went the semi-truck route because it is cheaper to operate, easier to maintain and much safer than a motorhome. It's definitely personal preference and how you want to RV. Hope that helps.
@@bigtruckbigtravels much thanks and surprising to hear those facts. Maybe you can do a video sometime on those, I bet I’m not the only one who would love to hear abt it all , how you made those choices etc as well as other things like was it hard to learn to drive a semi qnd all the maneuvering etc I haven’t come across a video yet abt how you get your smart car up n down. If u have showed that , when u have time, plz. direct me. Thanks much for your reply, all very interesting. 🙏🏼
@@jlfa4720 about midway in this video is how we unload our Smart. Thanks for watching. ruclips.net/video/Tm-auGeoeg4/видео.html
C4U2 🥰
Thanks Duke! 🤩 And you were the first one too! ⭐️
😃😉🙂
I figure that the rig is prob 650k -700k new between truck n trailer build ... and the rig is the ultimate way to travel in my opinion
Kevin, that is a very astute estimate. We love it and feel " it's the only waaay to fly". Thanks for your comments. 😎😎
Just found u thought how rich people flaunting stupid money but watching you two seem real enjoy your videos and you seem real
Thanks, Paul. That was our concern when we started this channel since we didn't want to give people the wrong impression. Yes, we're extremely fortunate to be able to change our backyard with the seasons. But we worked and saved so that we could enjoy retirement. It weeks have been easier if we had won the lottery! But we did it the long way...35 years of working. Appreciate your comments.
No matter how you did it, you were like Elvis, you did it your way 👏.
LOL...thanks, Scott. I got a good chuckle on that one 😂. Appreciate the comment. We worked hard so we figure we can enjoy the fruits of our labor in retirement. Glad you're along on the journey. Aloha
@Big Truck Big Travels thanks for the reply, glad to be along.
Do you have a video on voyager? Love watching your shows
Yes it just released two days ago. Thanks for watching.
ruclips.net/video/ahDVZY23kNQ/видео.html
Now I need to watch it again and keep a tally of the expenses because this is something I'd love to do! Or, maybe you could just let us know the total operating expenses for the year?
I'll have to get with Sondra for the totals...I try not to look at big numbers too often...LOL. Thanks for the comment. 🤙
@@bigtruckbigtravels if you’d rather dm me, my email: quidmaker@gmail.com. Im trying to decide to keep working or go ahead and retire. Lol
I want to see the dryer repair! Sorry Dave…. Haha
Me too!!! Thanks for the comment Kevin! 😊
Ugh... you guys are killing me...lol. Dryer is getting traction...grrrr. 🤔🤨🙃
Thanks for this! We are curious about why you bought the class c. Are you thinking about downsizing? I ❤️ spreadsheets.
Nope! We love our home and will continue to travel in it extensively. We purchased the Class C for trips to Alaska, Mexico and several other areas of the country where our Big Rig is too big (or illegal to drive some of the roads due to size, weight). Stick around as we will get back into our home in the fall after Alaska. Thanks for the comment.
Awesome channel, am a fan of ya from the great state of Alabama
Thanks, Matt. Sondra grew up in Homewood and our daughter lives in Huntsville so we're all about coming and going in Alabama! Thanks for the comment. Appreciate your time watching the channel.
Yvw, am more between Homewood an the Mississippi state line on I22 , ya should come into town an check out Mule day in Sept some yr
@mattbarker7739 we experienced the Peanut Festival in Dothan a few years ago. Similar?
Not sure, this is more around horses, mules, arts & crafts, old vehicles
The problem with dirt in air lines when unhooked cover your coplens
Thanks Floyd for the tip. I usually always covered my truck glad hands but until recently, I didn't cover the ones on the trailer. I do now! LOL. And I drain any moisture from my truck tanks. Appreciate you watching the channel. 🤙
Whataburger…..has the best shakes !!!!!!
and the best burgers, and the best chicken, and the best soft drinks, and the best childrens fruit chews, and the best french fries....🤔😎🤣
@@bigtruckbigtravels lol yeah they have some pretty good stuff. I got hooked on it when I was at Eglin AFB rehab with my son in 2020. When I go back to FLA that’s one of the first places I head for 👍👍
Just watch tv on your phone it’s small but you can link to tvs and stuff
Oh...and I have! I'll look at other options but the phone is one of them. Thanks for the comment.
David, are you running virgin tires on you HDT or caps? Look at buying new shoes for the horse in Oregon. No sales taxes. Since your going to Alaska look at having new rubber going there. Tires up north is very expensive. Make sure you have a spare trailer and tractor with you when you head north. Also if you carry and things that go bang you can't take them into Canada. They would need to be shipped north and then picked up in the big state. Also if your headed north we live in Portland, Oregon.
Sondra I used to love my soda also. Cindy made me give up my Diet Coke. I would rather have it than water😂. Loved your Florida site.
Safe travels and roads Brian and Cindy, "xtreambydesign with passion"
Hey Brian & Cindy, thanks for the heads up on those items. We always run virgin tires all the way around. Don't trust caps. My sister-in-law lives in Longview so we have been up that way. Heading to Alaska this summer so staging in Washington for a few days prior to crossing. Appreciate your comments. Hope we can get together some day. 😊😊👍👍
@@bigtruckbigtravels Longview is just a skip and hop from us. Some good places to camp up there . The old Trojan power plant has a nice campground.
@@brianroth7852 Hey, that sounds like a great idea at the power plant. I'll have to look into that one. Thank you very much. Appreciate all your support. 🤙🤙😁😁
@@bigtruckbigtravels Checked at Trojan and they only offer day camping. 😟😭.
@brianroth7852 I just checked and saw that too. Oh well...
I’m sure that Volvo rig is expensive upkeep! My cousin drives for a living. He has a 2020 Volvo, and got rid of it
Was always breaking down!
Our unit is a 2016 built in 2015, William. We must have gotten a good one because we have had zero issues with it in 7 years. Thanks for the comment.
I’m a new subscriber to your channel!! I like getting to know the people I’m following in the RV world as my husband and I also plan to become full timers when my husband retires. I would love to know your background…bio!! ❤
Thanks for finding us! We've been talking about doing something similar to that with maybe a series of short video's (not shorts). We were in the corporate world (Logistics for me, engineering for Sondra) but we always camped. We moved through company transfers about 8 times over 27 years, so we didn't have a "hometown". Purging was easy since we moved so much so we really never acquired a bunch of "stuff". For us, Fulltime RV life was a natural extension of our normal lifestyle plus you add in camping and we were hooked. The HDT was a process to get to that point but basically it was comfort, safety and truck longevity. We figured we'd wear out an F550 within 6 years! LOL. Good luck in your retirement plans. Fulltiming is a lot of fun. We enjoy seeing new places and being in nice weather...all the time. We're spoiled. Appreciate your time watching the channel and hopefully it will help you guys with your fulltime journey.
Would love to see the dryer video.
Really, Marcy?!? 🤣😂 Yes, I'm getting enough responses that I will probably have to work on that video! LOL. It's a funny story and we did finally get to the root cause of the issue. Thanks for the comment and appreciate you watching the channel. 😊
Excellent video. Interesting breakdown of your expenses and journey. Unfortunately we all have been negatively impacted by these Covid years that nobody could have predicted. Thanks to our governments funding on gain of function research and China’s mishandling of this questionable science. Hopefully those responsible will get theirs.
Most of the places(areas) you’re travels that you spoke about I have visited over the years albeit I wasn’t always camping or on vacation. Thanks to you for showing us your costs and sharing your life. You both show what teamwork can achieve when needed. I’m sure your costs are surprising to many of us and your not including the initial costs. I’m wondering if hotels might be a more cost effective way to go. Of course the life style and some of the experiences would be significantly different.
LOL...Staying in hotels, Air BnB or VRBO is definitely waaay less expensive than what we are doing. But we enjoy the freedom and the ability to always be home...no matter where we land. That to us is priceless. Someone could probably live on a cruise ship for cheaper when you take into account the initial cost of everything. Thanks for the comment. 😎
Thank you for being the only channel to discuss ACTUAL numbers for this sort of lifestyle! I actually did a search and your channel was the first(and only from what i see) that had a video pertaining to this apsect.
I am an AVID user of spreadsheets. My friend calls me the spreadsheet king as i built one to track an investment opportunity. It took me about a month and three different iterations to get all the math correctly in the right spot for tracking purposes! 🤣
May i ask for a blank copy of your expenses sheet please? I know with my financial sheet i have a blank one to keep track of year over year numbers. So im thinking sondra most likely set her up the same?
Im just starting the research phase of going with an HDT setup. My goal is to stack enough cash to buy the truck around early summer next year.
Oh and you also have a new subscriber as well! 😁
Thanks, Jason. We try to be straightforward with the numbers but keeping it in context with what we are living in as our expenses will be on the high side. Sondra is working to clean up the spreadsheets and will put something up later on our FB Group (Big Truck Big Travels). We may slow down this fall to give her a chance to get to it!
@@bigtruckbigtravels awesome! I just submitted a join request in your FB group. Like I alluded to in my comment, I'm about a year and a half ish away from hitting the road so I have plenty of time to design a sheet, but with y'all's experience I'm sure there a lot beyond the 10 things talked about in this video(and the bonus #11 🤣🤣) . Better to get a template from peeps that have been doing it for 7 years now 😁
I feel sorry the WHATBURGERS hit the headlines , may i ask booze budget for the year ? mine would be quite high i suspect Lol !
LOL...Whataburger headlines are good if they are giving away burgers! We're not big drinkers, some wine but it would be less than $100 per year. Appreciate your Whataburger comment. LOL.
On the way to Alaska, dont stop in British Columbia. It really socks here. You don't have to pay anywhere to park giant rigs, it rains non stop, and the cops don't give a shit if your American. Just continue on through and don't tell your friends. Its the worst place on the planet.
LOL...Yes, BC is a horrible place...which is why we won't visit it until another year or two. LOL. Beautiful views of the coast and Victoria...such horrible area's. I'm sorry you live there as it must be a real pain. Enjoy the northwest. Aloha.
I have a classic Freightliner truck that I previously used for my trucking company. I’m considering converting it to a hdt rig. I’ve been looking at the deck on the back of rigs and I like your construction set up. Can you share where you had the fabrication completed on your truck?
Thanks,
Jake
Thanks, Jake. Herrin Welding Service out of Kilgore, Texas did our bed. He was the first one to fabricate these beds years ago for the HDT community. Another source who does a lot of beds is RVH Lifestyle (Jack Mayer). Hope this helps.
Make & post the Dryer video!!😊
Gee...thanks, Scott...just what I want to do is to relive that part of my life! LOL. Appreciate the comment and watching the channel. I guess I'll have to do the dryer video. 🤨😒😂