RV's anyone???

Specialties Travel

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Haven't traveled for almost 7 years. Am contemplating a return. Don't want to do the extensive move every thirteen weeks thing I did in 1990's and am thinking I want to purchase a "Toy Hauler" to bring my garage and toy's with me. I know the price of fuel will almost equal the cost of the vehicle per year but I just remember how much I hated to pack and unpack with every new assignment. I know some who travel with a suitcase, a plate, fork, spoon and some bed linens but I just can't. I even shipped my Kitchen stuff to Hawaii when I did that assignment. What's it like out there now?

Specializes in Obstetrics.

There is an oil boom in the Dakotas... As for the lot rent...It is in a very small town, 20 minutes south of Williston. So that's why the low price.... Some lots in south (snowbird area) Texas are $250/month. I got the job and I'm leaving July 18th, starting around 25th or 26th... I can't wait for small town America!!!! Here's a pic of our Rig....

myknittingpassion.blogspot.com

Hoping to start traveling by Jan, can anyone tell me if you can claim your RV as a primary residence so you don't have to pay tax on the stipens. House is up for sale and don't want to keep it unless we can't sell.

Specializes in Paramedic,ER, House Supervisor, OR, CVOR.

No, you must have a home away from your travel assignment and it must qualify as a tax home to be able to deduct expenses and some of the taxes. Contact a Tax Professional before allowing an Agency to talk you into an"Tax Advantage" program. In my experience the only tax advantage if for the Agency. Let us know what your tax professional tells you.

Rod

Specializes in Paramedic,ER, House Supervisor, OR, CVOR.

Good morning all,

No activity on this for a while so I thought I'd give it a bump.

Have an option of parking my RV on a piece of private property during my next assignment. Not sure how to approach the rental agreement. Do I just do a verbal agreement (if a rental agreement isn't supplied by the owner) or should I have something written up and ready? I haven't looked at the property yet (other than on Google Earth) and don't know if I will agree to stay there once I see it in person. Have other options in the area so it's not a last resort type of thing. One of my concerns are the "gravel roads" leading to the property. It may be less than the park I stayed at last year (and I hated the gravel) but it may be more. Thank you in advance for any comments, suggestions or concerns.

Rod

Specializes in MedSurg, OR, Cardiac step down.

Glad I found this thread, my boyfriend and I hope to travel when I graduate and get some experience. I graduate in december. So excited, already looking at RV's haha-I should just focus on graduating first! I hope the travel market is good in 2 or 3 years! It's good to find a thread that doesn't scare me about travel nursing. I hear many horror stories. It will be just be me, him and our small dogs. We will keep our home and travel back and forth between here and where our other family lives. I hope it's do-able on my income, with a mortgage and travel expenses. Getting an RV would be easier on us with our furbabies and not having to pack up every 3 months. It's not too soon to start dreaming about RV's is it?

Specializes in Paramedic,ER, House Supervisor, OR, CVOR.

Congratulations on your pending Graduation and good luck with boards. Have you decided what specialty you want to do? That's the first major decision in becoming a Travel Nurse. You will need to be very schooled and comfortable with almost any situation you will come across in your unit. As a Travel Nurse you are expected to pick up and go on a one to two day floor orientation. You will not get a Nursing Orientation, (you are already a nurse) you will be oriented on where to find your needed items to provide care. You might be given an orientation to the charting system, but you might have to do your own too. Ask a lot of questions but don't just let someone do it for you (some will and then you still won't know how to do it the next time.)

Dream away about your RV. Look at a lot of them. Rent a couple, if you can. Even better take a week or two vacation in one. Decide if you can live in the space provided. Can your dogs tolerate being confined in such a small space. How about if the power goes out and the A/C stops working. An RV can heat up very quickly, just like a car. I don't travel with pets, because I travel alone. If there was someone else in the RV I might consider a pet, but with my occasional 16 to 20 hour shifts it just wouldn't be fair to the animal.

As far as income, I have to say that a staff nurse who has been at the same hospital for at least 5 years will be making as much if not more than you will as a travel nurse. No, not per hour, or if you count the housing, but look at the PTO, and other benefits there are for long term nursing jobs. As a Travel Nurse, if you don't work you don't get paid PERIOD. I try to not travel every three months anymore. I won't stay anywhere more than a year, but I have gone back to the same place for the last 5 years staying 5 to 9 months at a time. I'd love to find a summer job (in the mountains) and another job somewhere else and then just go back and forth. I would consider getting two studio apartments and maybe saving a bit more money so I could retire someday and really travel. Now I'm dreaming.

Rod

Hi Rod,

I've been following your thread.

What has changed? Getting tired of it?

I have often thought about two places as well. Kind of like being a paid snowbird.

Specializes in Paramedic,ER, House Supervisor, OR, CVOR.

Not really, maybe just a bit lazy. I come back to Florida to be near my youngest daughter. Have been to the same facility for the past 5 years and it's pretty easy to fit back in. Am doing a return in Iowa this spring and have done several other return assignments. It's just easier.

The problem comes when they beg you to stay. It's very nice to be wanted but if it starts causing guilt that you are leaving maybe you have been there too long. I strongly believe I will continue to be a Travel Nurse until I am no longer able to travel. Staying at least 6 months in a position seems to be a little more financially smart though. The amount paid to "Travel" from one place to another hasn't changed in the 20+ years I have been doing this, but the price of fuel and other things certainly have. I guess when I wrote the previous post I was thinking of the $1000 in fuel I will need to move my home from Florida to Iowa. I won't use it all but I'm sure I will spend that much filling it up once enroute and again at the end. In 1989 I got $300 to go from Iowa to California. Drove a Toyota Celica pulling a trailer and probably had a couple bucks left at the end of the trip. Still get $300 travel money and it won't fill the fuel tanks even once.

Rod

Specializes in Postpartum, Antepartum, Psych., SDS, OR.

Yes and that is one reason my RV is parked. However I miss not being in my own place with all my own stuff.

Specializes in ER, HH, CTICU, corrections, cardiology, hospice.

looking to get RV for locums positions before wife leaves me.

Here are some more photos of the rig. Still a work in progress but hopefully nearing completion soon. Considering the final toyhauler but need to wait a bit to determine what else are "have to" projects.

Rod

https://picasaweb.google.com/101351212510298499646/JuneRigPhotos?authkey=Gv1sRgCLa2r6zbiOvx7wE&feat=directlink

O.M.G. That is quite possibly the coolest RV set up I have ever seen. Even my husband was like WOW.

That takes travel nursing to a whole other level!

Specializes in MedSurg, OR, Cardiac step down.
Congratulations on your pending Graduation and good luck with boards. Have you decided what specialty you want to do? That's the first major decision in becoming a Travel Nurse. You will need to be very schooled and comfortable with almost any situation you will come across in your unit. As a Travel Nurse you are expected to pick up and go on a one to two day floor orientation. You will not get a Nursing Orientation, (you are already a nurse) you will be oriented on where to find your needed items to provide care. You might be given an orientation to the charting system, but you might have to do your own too. Ask a lot of questions but don't just let someone do it for you (some will and then you still won't know how to do it the next time.)

Dream away about your RV. Look at a lot of them. Rent a couple, if you can. Even better take a week or two vacation in one. Decide if you can live in the space provided. Can your dogs tolerate being confined in such a small space. How about if the power goes out and the A/C stops working. An RV can heat up very quickly, just like a car. I don't travel with pets, because I travel alone. If there was someone else in the RV I might consider a pet, but with my occasional 16 to 20 hour shifts it just wouldn't be fair to the animal.

As far as income, I have to say that a staff nurse who has been at the same hospital for at least 5 years will be making as much if not more than you will as a travel nurse. No, not per hour, or if you count the housing, but look at the PTO, and other benefits there are for long term nursing jobs. As a Travel Nurse, if you don't work you don't get paid PERIOD. I try to not travel every three months anymore. I won't stay anywhere more than a year, but I have gone back to the same place for the last 5 years staying 5 to 9 months at a time. I'd love to find a summer job (in the mountains) and another job somewhere else and then just go back and forth. I would consider getting two studio apartments and maybe saving a bit more money so I could retire someday and really travel. Now I'm dreaming.

Rod

thank you! those are good suggestion. WHen traveling my man will have to give up his job so the dogs wouldn't be alone for too long of periods at a time. We have also tossed around the idea of staying in one place for 6 mos at a time, less packing up and moving. I plan on 2 yrs minimum before planning on even applying to travel. I used to think the 1yr but after some research and a lot of reading on here, I think 2 should be minimum for sure.

Thanks for all your input!

" I have to say that a staff nurse who has been at the same hospital for at least 5 years will be making as much if not more than you will as a travel nurse. No, not per hour, or if you count the housing, but look at the PTO, and other benefits there are for long term nursing jobs" is this a good thing or bad, Can you elaborate on this? PTO?

also I am not sure what specialty yet, but I do know I want to do some good hard time in medsurg after my graduation.

:)

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