Pookie and The Bear: Building An Off Grid Homestead

We got the idea to full-time RV because we wanted to move and didn’t know where to go. Melinda spent 30 years living in this town and we needed a change. Our dog was also getting older and had been diagnosed with cancer so we wanted to take him on a grand adventure. We thought RVing was only for the rich and retired until we stumbled on some YouTube videos late one night. We realized we didn’t have to be stuck in our town and we didn’t have to make a decision where to go right away. Choosing to RV full-time gave us the ability to travel until we find somewhere that we don’t want to leave.

Our Set-up

We wanted a class A for minimal setup and ease of use. We also wanted something without payments that we could renovate. Our VW makes the perfect tow vehicle. We can basecamp the RV and overnight in smaller places with the VW. Not to mention she’s cool!

Our Lives Before RVing Full-Time

Melinda is a SQL developer and Eryk is a mechanic. Before we went full-time we both worked for local companies. Melinda worked for a manufacturing company and Eryk was the mechanic at a local bicycle shop. We knew with our skills we would be able to adapt it to the road. Melinda still works full-time remote for a corporation and is able to work from the RV. As long as we have internet, we can go anywhere. Eryk work amps and fixes bicycles on the road. This has proved to be an amazing combination. With Eryk’s highly desirable skills, we have been able to stay in National Parks for the summer while he work camps. Last summer Eryk was the mechanic at a Bicycle Shop in Acadia National Park and next summer he will be a mechanic for Glacier National Park’s tour bus fleet!

Acadia National Park

Being able to stay somewhere and live like a local has been amazing. Not only do we get to explore so many places, we have the ability to truly experience it. When we used to vacation everything was rushed and we only got to experience the tourist type things. We have the ability to slow down and really get to know an area, including nature. When we lived in a house in the suburbs we never hiked or really explored nature. Living in the RV we have made it a point to explore the natural wonders of everywhere we go. Having Acadia National Park as our backyard was amazing.

Staying Connected and Living on a Budget

Redundancy is key! If you need internet to work, do not rely on campground wifi. We depend on two different carriers, a booster, and an external antenna to stay connected. We always do our research before we go somewhere. We check multiple sources before we commit to a location including websites like Compendium and apps like Coverage by RV Mobile Internet.

One of the best things about RVing full-time is that we are in control of our expenses. We aren’t tied to a costly home that has fixed expenses. We can choose to go to more expensive locations like RV Resorts or State Parks to splurge and then the next month we can lay low on the Thousand Trails network and save money. We would not be RVing without Thousand Trails. Our Elite membership is what affords us the ability to live full-time traveling on the road.

Maintaining Our RV on the Road

RVs are always going to need repairs, old or new. You either need to be handy or have deep pockets. We have an older RV that we renovated to suit our needs and Eryk does most of the work on it. To date, our most costly repair has been having the roof repaired and recoated. During this repair we sprung to put all new fans in, bringing the total to just under $5,000.00 We can not stress enough how important it is to have an emergency fund. Every time you drive down the road it’s like an earthquake in your house and something always needs to be repaired.

Working Remotely

There are so many opportunities on the road. You can work remote, you can get a workcamping job or find work where you want to be! Every tourist town we’ve been in during season has tons of open jobs. In Bar Harbor, it seemed like every shop and restaurant was hiring.

Working remotely you can either be an entrepreneur or freelancer and every day more companies are jumping on the remote bandwagon. Melinda works for a large corporation 100% remote. We even adapted our RV to have an office!

Where we are Headed Next

We originally planned to try it out for one year. We are currently at 11 months and we have no desire to stop! Exploring nature, our beautiful Country and meeting amazing people is something we want to continue for as long as we are able to. Our next adventure is Mardi Gras in New Orleans, LA. After that, we are headed North to spend the summer at Glacier National Park! One of the beautiful things about RVing is that the adventure can change at a moments notice! We usually plan a few big stops and then in between that, we like to wing it and see where the wind takes us. Being open to the uncertainty of adventure has never failed us in delivering amazing experiences!