We’ve now been back to the US Mainland for about a week, after our 5 months in the US Virgin Islands. There has been some element of culture shock for us, and definitely things we’re missing about island life. Namely the pace of life and crunchy grouper sandwiches!
The biggest thing that stands out is all the traffic. We’re currently based in the Orlando, FL area – and wow. I always knew the traffic was pretty bad here, but it’s extra frustrating after having been so far removed from it.
The other shocking thing has been all of the concrete shopping centers. Sure, I noticed them before as part of the American suburban landscape. But now these concrete jungles really stand out.
Of course, this abundance and ease of access to consumer goods has a plus side. 
In the islands it was always hit or miss as to what might be available. I had to really re-callibrate my expectations that other day when we took our truck in for a new battery, as I was anticipating it to be an ordeal. But it just took pulling in and having it handled in well under an hour, including an oil change. These conveniences are things I used to take totally for granted.
We’re also re-adjusting to the concept of locking doors. After living on a glorified screened in patio with no locks, and a Jeep with no windows – we had grown quite used to never really worrying. That’s not to say theft and crime on St. John didn’t happen, but we certainly didn’t live in fear of it. Getting used to gated communities, security alarms, obsessive locking of doors and heck, vehicles with doors that lock – has been interesting.
And of course – we are enjoying food at a constant half-off sale!
Contemplating what’s next
While our time back has been focused on catching up with family and friends and unpacking, we have also been putting a lot of effort into figuring out what is next for us. Returning to our little Oliver Travel Trailer has shown us that we’re ready for a bit more space to spread out. We know we definitely want to slow down our pace of travel, and having a mobile space that is more amenable to being still for weeks or months at a time is a definite new desire.
The Oliver is not that, at least, not anymore for us. 80 square feet is just not enough for two homebodied nomads.
We’ve been putting thought into what might be our next ideal home-on-wheels, and some of our thoughts include:
- Two separate living areas – some division between the bedroom and other areas of the space is a definite.
- A bed configuration that doesn’t always require us to climb over each other.
- A little more kitchen counter space.
We’re also fairly certain that we don’t want a trailer again, and smaller motorhomes have been catching our eye.
Trailers are great, don’t get us wrong. We’re just simply ready for change. We don’t want to tow anymore (and would likely go toadless with a motorhome and instead carry electric bicycles, and rent a vehicle when needed), and we’d like to not be separated from our living space while in motion.
After touring some RV lots around town, we seem to have found a sweet spot in the 26-27′ range. The Winnegabo Vista 26P in particular caught our fancy as far as a layout. A new one is probably more than we want to spend, and the style too generic for our tastes. But touring it did give us some firm ideas of the type of space that appeals to us.
Next we were led to the classic ‘hot rod with plumbing’ 26′ GMC Motorhome over the weekend, and discovered one of the main refurbishing co-oops is right down the street from us here in Orlando. We couldn’t let that serendipity go to waste, so we spent an afternoon over there checking a few out, picking the brain of the owner and became quite intrigued
The styling is awesome, and they’re really well thought out. With one of these, we’d be able to refurb one to be our exact preferred styling – and we’d have a heck of a lot of fun shopping at vintage clothing shops to get a 1970s wardrobe to match!
So we’re keeping our eyes open for other stylish options in this size range. We’d also like to check out some smaller bus conversions as a possible next step.
And of course, we’d greatly appreciate ideas and leads – so bring it on!
The current thought
In general, we’re contemplating splitting our time between RVing in North America and then parking our home-on-wheels for a couple months at a time (and finding temporary homes for Kiki) while we do some international travel. It seems like it might be a good balance for us, as we do greatly value our US-based communities and family, and want to remain connected to them too.
But we’re also not set on this idea either, and keep other options on the table. Basically, expect us to keep trying on ideas for a while as we explore our options. 🙂
Yeah Orlando traffic is just horrible if you have a chance to step of it for a minute then re-enter it just makes it seem worse. I hear that getting the older ones actually are better especially from a pricing stand point.
Read with interest all of the comments on your search for a larger space. We started out with a tent trailer, then moved on to a 26′ class C, then, ultimately to a 36′ class A, which we currently live in full time. We really liked our class C until we began to spend longer periods of time in it. After a 2 1/2 week trip to Yosemite, Lake Tahoe and Mammoth Lakes about 4 years ago we found ourselves wishing we had a little more space. Our goal was to eventually begin fulltiming, and we could not see ourselves living in a 26′ motorhome for long periods of time. We began our search about 4 years ago. We visited RV shows in Southern California. I spent a lot of time visiting RV for sale sites, and even Craigslist, which is where we found our 1982 Newell 36′ class A diesel pusher. We were looking for a used unit, but I was not thinking 26 years old! The Newell Corporation is in Miami, OK and manufactures from the ground up about 25-30 coaches a year. Current models are around 45′ long, and cost in excess of $1.5 million….WAY, WAY too big, and expensive for most. Their coaches are well known for the quality of construction, and hold up quite well to full time living. They are built to go a million miles. Ours has no squeaks, or rattles after 124,000 miles of use. Our coach cost $300,000 new in 1982. We picked it up 3 years ago for a fraction of that. We have put on 21,000 since we bought it in 2008. We have had minor mechanical issues, which any motorhome will have, but the major mechanicals are sound. I could go on, but just keep an older, very well built unit in mind. Like any brand of motorhome, you will find Newell fanatics out there, just as you will GMC, Foretravel, Prevost, etc. One of the side benefits of buying a Newell, just like GMC, or others, is you not only get a great motorhome, but you gain a large circle of new friends who are more than eager to help you with any issues that may arise!
We’re definitely considering older units. In fact.. the past few days has been focused on 1950s & 1960s vintage buses. Some great values out there, but of course.. potential money pits too.
Welcome back!
Thanks! Can’t wait until our paths next cross. Miss you guys!
Neat to hear of your new plans! There’s nothing wrong with switching things up to keep it fresh!
I don’t have any advice on that size motorhome but look forward either to the final selection or maybe you’ll let us tag along virtually with the different models you consider? Speaking of vintage, the classics I like are the shiny Airstream motorhomes! I’ve seen the trailers in person, but the motorhomes only online! I’d be a little concerned about getting something like that when needing serviced but it is neat.
The idea of towing a car doesn’t excite me. I think the idea of just renting a car when you need it makes sense, kind of like getting a Zip Car when you live in a city instead of paying to own a car.
And of course, I LOVE international travel, so I think the idea of extending your nomadism is great! The reader suggestion of trading your RV here for their house is even cooler – someone should totally start a website for that kind of like couch surfing! Ha!
Best wishes, look forward to hearing where this goes next!
Thanks Mark.. it’s been fun so far to be looking at all our options. We are sharing more of the day-to-day research and considerations on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/technomadia). This week seems to be our vintage bus week. Who knows what is next…
But yeah, definitely getting something suitable for being still in longer, and then flying away somewhere international for a couple months a year is looking like a nice balance for us.
Love your blog! I just included it in my 10 Digital Nomad Blogs You’ll Love.
Thanks a bunch!
Traded our T@B for a 28′ class C love the extra space and the big bonus of not making the bed to eat.
Question will you need four season water system? Frozen pipes and …
Are you going to tow a car? Haul motor scooters? Moving the motor home for a trip to the store is a pain. Touring in a city with a big Ass motorhome is a royal pain. We camped outside of Boston and took the train in, that will not work for Santa Fe.
We’re still considering all our options, so nothing is decided or firm at this point. We’d like to try not towing a vehicle at first (and perhaps renting when we really need one), but whatever we get will have the ability to do so if/when we change our mind.
SWEET looking rig! I think 26 feet is a really nice size. Of course this is coming from the people who chose a 40-foot “beast”, but I wish in retrospect we’d gotten something smaller so we could get into more of those exotic camping sites we keep stumbling across. Around 25-27 feet gives you alot of “out there” camping options while still giving you decent living space. Cool!
Nina
That size range definitely is a sweet spot. Of course, now we’re looking at 35′ vintage buses. Hah. 😀
What a fantastic vehicle! I’m so jealous.
The GMC Motorhomes are super cute and very well thought out. And pretty darn affordable too. It’s on our list of considerations. We’re now moving on to looking into vintage buses too.
Cherie, welcome back. I have an idea about your shock in returning. 3 years ago I moved to Thailand to teach. I lived in a room in the teacher’s dorm of my school (yes, one room) with a small bathroom, small terrace, and a gecko for a roommate. Roomie would screech loudly if I had the lights on after 10pm but didn’t seem to mind the glow of the laptop screen.
My first few weeks back in the states were real culture shock and it took months to get used to the hectic pace and rush here compared to the laid back small fishing village I had become accustomed to. The other shock was moving back into my 2,000 ft. home. Finally I have found what promises to be a happy medium for me: a 2003 Itasca Spirit 24F. No separate bedroom space but plenty of room for me and my small dog. And like you guys, I like being able to get into small state parks and quiet corners of national forests.
Keep writing as I really enjoy your adventures and learn a lot. I’ve bought State Lines and a few of the apps you’ve recommended. Oh, and I spend a lot of time in Hohenwald since my grandkids live there.
Congrats on your rig, Vickie! Hope the road is treating you well,and you’re able to find spots with the right pace of life.
What I went with is a 28′ Rexhall Aerbus Class A. Lazy Daze was pretty much the only contender for a class C for me, but they were all either to old or to expensive. Like Lazy Daze, the only way you can buy a new Rexhall is factory direct. (Both are made in southern California — Lazy Daze in Pomona, Rexhall in Lancaster.) However, if you want a no-slide unit like mine you’ll need to look for an older one. For pictures see the “rv-mine” tag on my blog.
That’s a nice looking rig, Blars. Thanks for sharing.
We recently moved from a small 5th wheel to a classic Motorhome. My strategy was to find a top of the line coach from a previous era. Similar to the GMC you are looking at, we ended up with an FMC. Sometimes a quality coach 30 years old is better than a new coach; and the price difference is dramatic. If you do it, find one with a good online community for information and support.
Definitely seems to be great advantages in a solidly built older model. Cheaper prices also means you can put more into refurbishing and customizing. 🙂
Hi guys:
Welcome back! As a fellow T@Bber, I too started out small and wanted to keep it that way, but when I realized that my small trailer was actually limiting my travels rather than offering the options I wanted, it was time for an upgrade.
I’ve had a diesel-powered Winnie View for 2 years now, and while I sometimes lust after an even larger Class A, I don’t want to give up the “go anywhere” mobility of a smaller skinny motorhome just yet (nor the MPGs and power of the Mercedes turbo-diesel!). The biggest advantages I’ve found of moving to a mini motorhome– 1. You can easily drive it during the day to dump/refill tanks or go in town to find stronger cell signals for work, and then return at night to a scenic, quiet site in the boonies. 2. It’s the ultimate touring vehicle– while one drives, the other can access anything in the house! Or if you find a pretty spot on the side of the road, it becomes your instant rest stop/luncheonette! 3. Ridiculously fast setup once you find a place to park for the night. 4. You don’t have to think too much about height/width/length– it handles like a big van or pickup truck and goes anywhere or turns around as easily as they would.
I’m a toadless e-biker as well. Here’s a post I did showing some pics of my setup and “toad-less” options: http://bit.ly/hKQe8h
But for all those advantages to my 24ft Class C, if I were full-timing with another person, I’d kill for an extra 5 feet and a separate living area. I looked at a real nice Vista 26P in Ft.Myers last winter that had a sofa in place of the dinette. Loved the inside, but hated the wasted space in the exterior bays, and limited CCC. Also heard others complain about possibly too-short a wheelbase for good handling. The new Winnebago Access/Impulse 26QP looks interesting (Class C with a huge cargo bay in the rear and 2 nice living spaces) but it’s a new model so still pricey.
As others have mentioned, the Lazy Daze units are legendary for quality, large windows, and floorplans. Like the Winnies, they have modern engines and chassis which will be welcome if you ever break down in the middle of nowhere and need a knowledgeable mechanic and parts quickly.
A few View owners (and I’m sure LazyDaze and BornFree owners too) have shipped their units to Europe & Australia, have ferried them to Newfoundland, and driven them from Alaska all the way to South America! So, not only can they easily stay parked in a driveway somewhere while you’re gone, you can take them with you if desired 🙂
I’m sure you’ll find something that clicks…and that isn’t a boring white box!
We love the View, and for a long time we thought it would be our ideal setup if we were to go motorhome. But now, we really do want that separate living area that a few extra feet of space affords. We did look at the Access this week too, and liked it. But really preferred the more open feeling of the Vista with the way the windows are setup. We also looked at a Via (on the diesel chassis), and it looked pretty sweet – but way pricey.
Thanks for the reminder about BornFree, we’ve heard good things about that company as well, and they should be on our list to keep an eye out for too.
Thanks for chiming in 🙂 Nice to hear from others who started in small trailers making similar choices.
I think having two separate living spaces (the main part of our RV and then the bedroom) has helped us preserve our sanity this year. And of course, it’s extra convenient when one person wants to stay up all night and watch movie or work. 🙂
Sounds like you’re having fun checking out the options — I thought that was one of the most enjoyable parts!
Yeah, we do tend to have slightly different sleep & work schedule preferences. For a long time, our Oliver set up was fine, as we were moving around a lot. When we’re still for more than a week or so, it starts to become a noticeable annoyance.
Checking out the options is both fun.. and overwhelming 😀
Overwhelming is right! We just put a deposit down on a motorhome and picking the right one has been a chore! The end result will be worth it all though 🙂 After living in our popup for a year I don’t think we’ll know what to do with all the space in our 34ft MH! 😀 Can’t wait to see what you guys get! 🙂
Cherie and Chris,
Jamie and I have been contemplating those things about transportation ourselves. As you two have just noticed and us also, we do like stopping in for a couple months if possible at a destination. In regards to that we’ve been in Austin for just over 1 month and we’re looking to our next destination already but one we might like to be in for about 3 months.
On the topic of workspace we’ve realized that our shop gear which we absolutely require for work/play purposes, (ergo electronics bench, fabrication supplies, light power tools, etc) need a readily accessible place for us to use them and so we’re looking to upgrade.
On the topic of living adjustments, we were on Ibiza for a bit earlier this year and are solidly considering having a apartment there part of the year. This in itself presents a different lifestyle and habits that we’ll pick up, compared to those in the US or even mainland Europe. Then again I feel a lot of nomads are perfectly adjusted for making course corrections rapidly in their new environments.
Thanks for the great post, and you had some interesting tidbits I hadn’t considered yet.
Great post, keep’em coming!
Cheers,
-Eric & Jamie
Finding and adjusting to new living spaces is part of the fun of nomadism for us – and definitely do love the variety. I think the realization that no choice is ever final (and fairly easy to change) gives a lot of freedom. Hope you guys find somewhere awesome for your next stay!
Just stepping out of the workplace has caused some bit of cultural adjustment. Not shock, perhaps, but still — everyone is in such a danged hurry! Just driving around for errands or wifi or whatever seems to put us in the path of so many road ragers! Good grief.
No kidding there – there’s definitely a shift when you start working outside of the ‘norm’! Hope your new life change has been awesome !
I’m intrigued by this one, http://www.goitasca.com/products/2010/navion_iq/floorplans/, because I love the mileage the Sprinter chassis gets. But I’m concerned about how much carrying capacity it has.
I think that’s Itasca’s version of the Winnebago Via… and we did look at those this week. They’re pretty darn sweet with a nice European design, and I too was concerned about the carry capacity. We don’t need much, but would like a place to comfortably carry some electric bikes and camping chairs. Continuing to carry the paraglider wing would be nice for Chris too.
And wow.. the Via/Navion is pricey!
Good to hear what you guys are up to! I imagine it’s definitely an adjustment being back on the mainland. “Homebodied nomad” – that’s exactly how I’d describe myself, too! When you’re ready to go international, maybe we can do a swap – my apartment in Buenos Aires for your RV in the States. 🙂
We are definitely open to swapping our home-on-wheels for a homebase in other countries. That would be awesome!
Look into Lazy Daze motorhomes. our family of 5 has wandered from NC to CA in a mid-bath with 3 separate living areas. Full time for 2 would be spacious. Google Andy Baird skylark for some neat ideas. Watch carefully and you can find older models with lots of life left on them.
Sweet… thanks! Love small independent manufacturers. And they seem to have some great smaller motorhome floorplans. Will definitely keep an eye out for them.
You must be in Kissimmee, near Golby Motors!! We live in Winter Park. Hope to meet y’all before you head out!
Not sure what Golby Motors is, but we are in the Kissimmee area right now. We’ll be moving up to Altamonte Springs for the remainder of the week, back to Kissimmee over the weekend… then out to Melbourne next week.
If you’d like to meet up, let us know.