Personal Passages: Bob and Diana Beatty
The RV Life
Since April 29, 2013, Bob and Diana Beatty have been living out of an RV. They took care of nuts and bolts, like mail services and finances, and eventually sold their house. As Bob puts it, “We are houseless but not homeless.”
They’ve learned a few tricks of the road, like taking “maintenance days” to attend to tasks like laundry and bills; sharing the driving; and wintering in one place. “We have made some great friends and become involved with some things [in Mesa, Arizona],” Bob says, which gives them the sense of community they used to get from church and neighborhood involvement in Richmond.
Typically, the Beattys travel two to four hours a day and stop for a few days or a week, maybe longer. They have a plan, “but the plan is very fluid and flexible.”
In Bob’s words:
We both love to travel and hate living out of a suitcase. We had two options: not travel or to buy an RV. This was a no-brainer.
Our situation was ideal for the journey. Both our parents are gone, our only child lives on Maui and our siblings each live in a different state, so there was nothing keeping us from doing this. That said, we have met lots of full timers who do have adult children and grandchildren who have found a nice balance of travel and family.
We are so blessed to be able to do this. We have now each been to all 50 states. The RV, which is named Harvey, has been to 36 so far. We have been to all 30 MLB stadiums and all spring training facilities (we are both baseball fans), over 40 national parks, reunited with friends we had not seen in years and made some great friends on the way. And so much more.
The original plan was to travel for three to five years and then maybe settle down. Now the plan is to travel until one of us is unable. Depending on which one it is, they may be left by the side of the road.
We love this lifestyle. Honestly, the best part of the journey has been sharing it with each other. I know that sounds corny but we really enjoy each other’s company. When you live in a small space you’d better get along.
