PARAGON is pleased to include an article from our guest blogger Ali Tilley.

Research done by the American Association of Retired People (AARP) found that 49% of baby boomers said that they want to travel once they retire. Purchasing an RV can give you the freedom of a road trip, stopping when you want to, and having an extended vacation with no agenda. Even better, it is completely possible to live off-grid, meaning that you aren’t reliant on mainstream energy sources. Perhaps you’ve always wanted to travel the East Coast? Or maybe you’ve always wanted to drive the 2,448 miles that make up Route 66? When you’re retired, the world is your oyster - you just need to drive.

Planning your journey

RVs are built for highways and tarmac, not for off-roading, so make sure when you are planning your trip that the roads are good quality. It is perfectly possible to live off-grid as long as your RV has solar power panels to charge the batteries and run any appliances that you need, such as a fridge. If you are doing this, you won’t need to rely on electric hook up when you are camped for the night. You should make sure that your RV has self-contained plumbing too, especially if you are free camping on public land. When you are researching your trip, consider how many miles that you want to do each day and make sure that there is somewhere appropriate you can stop to rest in the evenings.

Funding your RV trip

The cost of purchasing an RV motorhome generally starts at around $100,000. Think of this as an investment that you are making into your retirement. Even though you are retired, you may still be eligible for a mortgage if you have a regular income stream. This means that you can start your travels sooner rather than later. You could even consider renting out your RV when you are not using it and putting that income towards your mortgage.

Booking your campsites

One of the biggest advantages of an American road trip is being able to park up at some of the incredible state parks and national park campsites. Many of these sites are incredibly well-equipped and have full cooking facilities, hot showers and laundry rooms. If you opt for a privately run RV campsite, you may even find that there is Wi-Fi.

From mid-June, through to the end of August is the most popular time for vacations, as the children are off school, so if you’re planning a quiet road trip, you may want to avoid this time of year. The most popular campsites are often booked up months in advance, so if there is somewhere spectacular that you want to visit, for instance Yosemite, make your plans early. Coastal sites are also generally the busiest too, so you may want to search inland.

A luxury RV is the perfect way to explore America. From a trip to the Florida Keys, to a tour of Yellowstone park, there are some incredible adventures you can have in your own accommodation on wheels.

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