Specialties Agency
Published Sep 25, 2003
tomernurse
2 Posts
Hello to all...I and my fiance' are both ED nurses in Lima, Ohio..and as soon as our son graduated..and goes to college...we are going to travel..something that we have always wanted to do..we are going to buy a motothome and take the stipend for the housing...we need input from others who have done this...please..thanks....Tom nad Lynne...:)
SnowieRN
156 Posts
Well.. I dunno about the RN part but some traveling suggestions.. before you leave.. make sure you have an emergency kit that you keep in there at all times!! I always make my friends/family pack one, and one year it helped
My E. Kit:
Road Flare
60min calling card
band-aids/antibiotic
biggest can of Fix-A-Flat you can buy (This is your home you dont wanna drive on a flat).
Mace
Emergency Info Card (contact number, medical allergies, etc).
Batteries
Flashlight
Glow Sticks (its halloween, best time to buy some, these things work great when you pull over at night and get out to walk around, snap one and hang onto it. Drivers, etc will see you).
Well Im done Everyone always laughed at me but then my grandmother went on a trip.. they broke down in the country (im talkin SERIOUS country.. house every 7miles or so) and she flagged down a care with a glow stick
mattsmom81
4,516 Posts
That's a good list for anyone traveling! :)
My hubby would like to do the same thing..'cept he is NOT a nurse like me...guess he wants to just travel with me...LOL!
I think we will go the route of highest pay, not worry about the stipend. We will form a business, then write off the motorhome's expenses as housing expense.
Lots to think about...have fun planning...we are! :)
Cmyst
64 Posts
I'm keeping this thread going cause I really am interested in this topic, also. In fact, my daughter and I went to an RV show this weekend for that very reason! I love the whole idea of travel nursing, but I hate moving and I have to have familiar "stuff" -- like my computer and online games, say. Plus, I have two little dogs and a significant other with moving issues of their own. It would just be a better option to take "home" with us.
If anyone has some more advice, please share! I have no idea what to expect in terms of repair costs per year, what brands are most reliable, the availability of relatively low-cost low-frills campgrounds, and just the advisability of this lifestyle in certain seasons or areas. For background, I do a lot of tent camping and have done so for years and I am most interested in a gently used motor home as the huge depreciation on a new one would cause me severe psychic pain at this point in my fiscal evolution.
teeituptom, BSN, RN
4,283 Posts
Sounds cool
I had a motorhome when I was young.
A Harley with Saddlebags and a sleeping bag. All I neeeded.
Town & Country
789 Posts
cmyst
i do believe you have awakened the gypsy in my soul, girl!
that sounds like so much fun....what's new?
where are you, have you begun yet?
BadBird, BSN, RN
1,126 Posts
My hubby and I are also looking for a used motor home, and I would just love to travel and take assignments around the country. Check out e-bay they have a good assortment. Good luck. Also, check our delphi forums for travel nursing information.
doobiedo, RN
59 Posts
My husband and I have had a motorhome of some sort for 18 years of our 20 yr marriage. We moved to a class A this time from a class C. We love camping although we are not retired (in my case not for another 20 yrs) and do not get to go camping more than once a month and maybe only 4-5 months a year. One year traveled the coast of Maine....no reseravations...stopped when we wanted to stop and left when we wanted....our best camping trip ever and hope to do it again soon...
Camping is not cheap either...some sites want hotel rates anymore...
Check out the camping shows...they have many different varieties of motorhomes and you can tour all of them and pick out a floor plan to suit you need... (definitely get a walk around bed...easier to make ...trust me) you can get good deals at the shows..the world is your oyster when it comes to wheeling and dealing...the competition is there so take advantage of it..
don't forget with a motorhome you do not have a 'run about' vehicle unless you tow...good and bad about towing however keep it in mind and maybe you would do better with a trailer. We are confined many times to our camp site simply because we don't want to bother to unhook our amenities to just ride into town to look around....I am trying to convince my husband to trade ours in for a trailer but no luck.....
my food preparation is changed when I camp in that I think ahead to easy prepare foods as the kitchen is smaller version then most homes.....buy smaller everything including toiletries to save space
My cousin and his wife full timed for 5 years..had a fifth wheel and lots of storage....they were hosts for the campgrounds in exchange for a free or subsidized campsite....they loved it and only stopped due to health problems....
RV'ing is lots of fun however much to think about and you will have engine issues, maintenance issues etc just like a home, etc just maybe on a smaller scale....make sure you are self contained in case you ever have to dry camp you will be comfortable..
also a generator is a must anymore in case you need to dry camp or just want to stop in the local Walmart or truck stop for the night...
kat29
63 Posts
Im planning to do the same once I get out of nursing school and have a year or two experience.
We're thinking of buying a large tongue pull or 5th wheel camper to pull with our truck. They hold their value much better when bought new as opposed to a motor home that depriciates (sp?) as soon as you drive off the lot.
I cant wait! Alaska here I come!!!
Foxfour
136 Posts
Alaska sounds like a lot of fun kat29.
I know a mother-daughter team who travel around the US, and as far as I know, they still do.