Barbaraok

I suppose so, again we have hydraulic brakes so I would have no experience with this. Why the hurry to dump air? Also, do you have a system for automatic leveling that would dump air as needed?

Why would you do that?

Do you have air leveling or jacks (either electric or hydraulic)? How much you dump is dependent upon how the leveling system is set up. IIRC they don't do the air brake test for Class B non-CDL licenses. Notice I said, if I remember, because it has been YEARS since I took my test (2006) and since we have hydraulic brakes it was a non-issue for us. When we get read to leave, the LAST thing we do is starting the engine and retracting the jacks. The alarm goes off because the levelers are down in addition to the air bags filling. But that's ok, because I'm out the door collecting the pads underneath the jacks, and the air bags usually are full before the jacks are all completely up.

Wonder how any of us with motorhomes ever manage to get on the road. 😏

We went in and tested for a Class B. It was only after that we found out that they gave us a Class A license. This was 12 years ago and they knew we towed a car. It might have been a thing with the Tyler office.

We were given a Class A when we took our test. We didn't ask about it - but have friends who also got theirs in Tyler and went they got them noticed it was Class A. I think everyone that went through Tyler at that time (2006) who tested for Class B just got a Class A since the driving test was the same route and the written tests are identical. With the new testing arrangements, things are probably different now.

Remember that the retirees you see on this forum tend to be a little healthier and have better retirement planning than our age cohort as a whole

My mom's going strong at 96. Her two sisters are 90 and 95. So I'm going to assume I inherited those genes and plan accordingly.

“Never again” our thoughts EXACTLY.

When we moved from Ohio to Michigan is 1983, we had experience with being long distance landlords (height of recession, couldn't sell the house). It ended up being very costly for us when the renter lost her job and it took us MONTHS to evict her and then had to correct the damage done to the house. We sworn never again to get into that position - but I do know that some people have had success with that type of arrangement. We set aside funds for whatever comes later like Kirk did - - we just keep moving later down the road.

The trick is to recognize the "that is similar to a Class A or Class B ...." means that if your state is okay with having Class C licenses good for 50,000# RVs, then Texas recognizes that they are "similar" and you can drive your RV in Texas during your visits there. And other states have different interpretations of when to require enhanced licensing - for example it is length in California, not weight.

You do need a Class B license in Texas for a motorhome over 26,000#. I know, I have one. IT IS NOT A CDL LICENSE. Texas licenses for private drivers are Class A, Class B, Class C and Class M. CDLs are another subject and only people who drive commercial vehicles need those. And as long as you are licensed correctly in your home state, other states accept that license. It is beyond me how so many people can screw up something that is relatively straight forward if one has the ability to read.

FYI - welders are in demand in the PNW. There is a building boom in the greater Seattle area (meaning from Eugene, Oregon to Vancouver, BC) and they are hiring. Also, many biotech firms are locate in areas on the east side of Seattle, like Auburn, Kent, Bellevue, etc. Still higher priced rentals in those areas, but not everyone has to go downtown Seattle to work in the area. Again, your degree comes first - - that is your first priority. I realize you think that you have it all in hand, but there are so many things that can rear their heads (like your major professor getting a new job and moving) that you need to get your research done and most of the dissertation finished before you start focusing on what type of living arrangement in some far off place you will need.

Wait, you have a husband? Would he also be moving? What is his field. You need to slow down and get that degree and then see where the jobs are.

We're chemists, and I really don't know what they will be looking for at Western in the next few years. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't look at the school in detail - as with a lot of other schools that you might want to look at all over the country. If yo want to stay in academia, you will have to go to where the jobs are - - which is what we did for 40 years. Yes, you might be a long way away from your parents - but that is the way things go when you pursue education. There are also a lot of biotech firms in the greater Seattle area as well as in the Tri-Cities areas (Richland/Pasco/Kenewick) on the east side of the Cascades. Yes, the DMV will accept the RV park addresses where you have annual stays. Barb

If your parents are in Vancouver, BC then I would suggest you would want to look at Bellingham (assuming you want to stay on the US side of the border). What field of study are you pursuing. There is a terrific university in Bellingham (obviously terrific because Dave and I went there!) if you are looking for academic job. Lots of other things in the area and things are much, much cheaper than in the Seattle area. And there are a lot of RV parks on the north side of of Bellingham - that's where we spend 6-8 weeks each summer. Barb

Look at getting an annual site at Tall chief in Fall City. Lake Pleasant in Bothell and Lakeside in Everett have annual sites, but also have a waiting list. As to land, you will be will be way out from the city. Finish your degree than see where you are. A lot can change in a few years, including where the jobs are going to be.

When we bought our coach (diesel pusher) I put 10% of the purchase price into. MAINTENANCE/REPAIR fundand and add to it every month. I also set aside 1/12th of any annual bills into another fund. Thus, when bills come due, we have the cash to pay for it. Not everyone can do that, but if you can you will be ahead in the long way. Remember that maintenance will also include replacing batteries and tires on your rig. We always try to do that when in Oregon to save a little on sales tax. One of the best things you can do is read the blogs of people who post on the different RV forums. There is a wealth of information out there and you will be amazed at all the different ways to fulltime and all of the places people go!

Since you have about 10 years before retiring (correct?) you will have a better feeling about 2 years out. The biggest question will be health care and how you will cover your spouse and any dependents that haven't left the nest by then. Other parts of your budget will be similar to what you do now. While it is commendable to make charity part of your budget, I would suggest that you make sure you have at least 6 months worth of donations always in reserve so that you can cover any needed repairs - AND THERE WILL BE REPAIRS. It isn't a question of "if" but of "when" repairs will be needed. We always give at the end of the year knowing that if something needed to be covered at the first part of the next year, we can use our RMD withdrawals to cover it.

Loads of people stay in stressful jobs for all sorts of reasons. And I would venture we all know people who talked of working just one more year to make just a little more for retirement and then dropped dead never getting to enjoy what they had worked for. I guess I’m confused by why people criticize those who take early retirement for whatever reason.

Did I say anything about being inactive? We may have slowed. Down a little after 12 yrs, but inactive is not something I associate with any RVer. After decades in high Ed administration, the stress reduction was palatable. Just being able to sleep all night with no interruptions was WONDERFUL!

We also took retirement at 62 and did it all wrong. Guess many believe it would have been. Better for Dave to keep working so he would have been dead by 70. Fortunately we listened to our inner. Voices and, having each survived a life threatening illness, made sure we had time to enjoy our retirement. Turns out, retiring early helps your body to last longer. 😃

We have been with Vanguard for over 30 years, you made a good choice. Don't worry about the thread, it will 'close' itself over time.

I agree with Kirk . From the number of times over the past few years we've seen people come and ask this question regarding Schwab, I'd just get the transfer of funds going and be done with them. And what state are you in - if it is one with a state income tax, that simple letter could end up cost you a lot of money.

I would run, not walk, my money away from Schwab. We use Vanguard and have never had a problem, including opening joint accounts as we began taking RMDs each year.