At 74, John of the Gone with John channel’s biggest fear about RV life isn’t a breakdown, bad weather, or money. It’s the day he might be told he’s done, and has to give up the road for good. That thought sits behind the whole message he shares in the video at the end of this post.
Perhaps you feel the same way. I know these thoughts have crossed my mind from time to time. For John, full-time RV living for seniors isn’t only about travel. It’s about staying part of life for as long as he can.
The fear that matters most: When the body says stop
John says he still feels young and full of energy. Still, he knows there may come a day when his body says no. That’s the part that hits hardest.
A house might be safe. Assisted living might be practical. A nursing home might be the only option at some point. But he can’t ignore how strange that feels to him. He doesn’t want his world to shrink into four walls that don’t feel like home.
For many RVers, the usual fears are clear enough: repairs, storms, fuel costs, and money. John’s fear is different. He worries more about losing the ability to live on his own terms.
Why John wants his last chapter outdoors
John doesn’t want to fade out of his own life. He wants to stay in it. As long as he can wake up outside and see something real in front of him, he feels there is still life to live. For him, the best parts aren’t postcard moments. They’re simple and physical. The smell of the desert after rain matters. So does the stillness of early morning when the light hits the mountains, and everything goes quiet.
That, to John, is what it means to live all the way to the end.
The lesson he took from assisted living
A few years ago, while visiting a friend in assisted living, John met a man who kept walking every day and swam when he could get a ride to a fitness center. When John asked why, the man said he was getting ready to leave. He meant he wanted to be ready if he ever got the chance to go back out on his own.
That line stayed with him. So did the man’s view of daily life there. Meals came, then a return to the room, then the same routine again. It felt like waiting.
John knew that feeling because he had lived a version of it before. Back when he was in a house, life looked fine on paper. He had food, shelter, and no major stress. Yet the days blurred together, and nothing changed. Over time, that sameness made him feel like he was slipping out of his own life.
Why RV life still works for John
On the road, life keeps asking something of him. Things break, so he fixes them. Weather changes, so he adjusts. Plans fall apart, so he solves the next problem and keeps moving. That constant change keeps his mind active. It also keeps him connected. He doesn’t feel like he’s watching life from the side. He feels like he’s in it.
John knows he won’t do this forever. Still, he won’t let that future decide how he lives now. He plans to keep moving every couple of weeks and take the hassles that come with RV life over sitting still and feeling his world close in.
The hardest part of aging isn’t always pain or cost. Sometimes it’s the risk of falling into a routine that feels like waiting. For now, he has made his choice. He is staying on the road, staying active, and staying present.
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RVT1259
My only fear is if something happens to me when camping. What happens to removing the TT from the campsite for the wife. She didn’t want to get involved with driving the truck with the camper. Have AAA RV hope they would take it back home or to a dealer to sell. I don’t think she would feel comfortable driving the big truck back home.
There are services that will get your rig, your spouse, and family back home if/when needed. There’s no need to fear. You can purchase these plans on your own or it’s included in a membership with FRVA. I have that specifically to take care of my spouse if something happens to me while traveling.
We take several long cruises a year, plus long RV trips. We have an annual travel insurance plan by Allianz. In case of a RV trip and you cannot drive your RV home (or to a dealer to sell) they will provide a certified driver to drive it to your designated destination. Lot’s of options out there.
Carpe Diem
Steve H
I just moved into Independent living at age 75. I was living in a good sized house with my wife and as he said in the article it seemed like I was just waiting. I made this move for a couple reasons. First, it gave me a community of very interesting people in my age range to associate with, some of which were still active RVers. Second, it gave peace of mind to our family that we were in a place of safety. Third, it was an active community, always doing something different. Fourth, it gave me a home base I could leave without worrying if something was going to break and need repair. I had my RV in the parking lot and anytime I decided to take off for however long we wanted we could go
Excellent advice and attitude.
There’s one undeniable truth and that is we all come off the road at some time. Time spent dwelling on that day is time wasted not enjoying the day you have.
I can still drive, but don’t want the big rig. I’ll pull our 21′ as long as I feel safe. And stop the day I don’t. I also recognize that prowling the roof of the big rig was no longer safe. It is now on a consignment lot and we are in a new RV tiny home. We love our RV park community. What we have may look like a house – and is certainly as maintenance free as a house – but in actuality, it has no more floor space than the big rig. Most importantly, if I should die before my spouse, she can manage the tiny home. Not true of the big or small rig.
74? That’s really, really, very, very old.
Sarcasm?
I would sure hope so, if not Larry is in the wrong community if he thinks 74 is really, really, very, very old.
My wife and I started RVing in 1985 I’m 81 now and just sold our 2020 TT our 8th rig. After our last 4 month trip I knew it was time to give up our RV travels. Making reservations a year in advance, looking for gas stations with room to maneuver a 32 ft. TT , set up and pack up just was not fun or easy anymore. So now it will be hotels when we travel. Will we miss our RV life, I don’t think so. Lots of great memories but the adventures will continue only this time with room service.
I’m 82 and my wife is 78. We are planning our annual RV vacation of 3 months, to MN and the UP, from South Texas. I have little worries about making the trip myself, but do have concerns about my wife whose health varies from day to day. Nevertheless, we intend to have a great trip. Age is just a number assigned to you based on time, it doesn’t define who you are.
Thanks for sharing, I like your attitude. I’m 79 now with a small truck and small TT. I’ve been solo RVing for 19 years. I’ve worked with computers since the 60’s so as soon as I started to travel, I always did work on the road. I’m not a full timer but now that I’m retired I usually travel 6 to 8 months each year. My goal is always to try to find new places to explore. I also try to meet up with friends all over the country, even though some are already gone. In the last few years I have added international travel because there are still so many places in the world I haven’t experienced. I’m planning to keep on traveling as long as I can, hopefully 85 or more. So far I’m healthy and active.
Hi John. I am 83 and my wife is 85. We are in our 20th year of RVing. If I could RV till 100 I would do it, but that is my BRAIN talking. My BODY says “The hell you will” and that has become the problem.
You know all the things involved in RVing and so does my body. So before I “throw my back out, fall on a hip, pull a muscle, we will end our RVing this September.
However, all is not lost. Ran into a guy that bought his 1st RV in 1985 and sold his last 5 years ago. Now he and his wife go to Campgrounds that have the small cabins (I think the term is Glamping) and they can still enjoy “the out doors & nature” without the set up & tear down of RVing. We look forward to it.
I am 79, DW is 72. Living in our 43′ DP is fine, driving isn’t bad, short days now since her vision makes her reluctant to drive. Setting up in a campground and breaking down to leave is becoming somewhat tiresome. We do stay in hotels occasionally, upside is she can help drive the car, downside is she has to travel with a cooler with her food, her pillow, and a bunch of other stuff to haul in and out of the hotel. I get by with one carry-on. So, hotels without bell-hops aren’t much easier than the RV. Based on my father’s experience, I figure I’ve got probably at least ten more years that I can do this. Not sure I want to do more than three or four.
I’ve been on-the-road fulltime in a tt a few years. I’d give up RVing in a nanosecond if I ever find a nice place to hang my hat until the end. Alas, I cannot envision being permanent at any town I’ve berthed at. In fact, many places are pathetically stoic, but space rent is dirt cheap. Doesn’t take much math to figure out why prices are low. Dying of boredom is slow and painful.
Interesting that after nearly a lifetime of being away, I ended up in the same county in which I was born-and-bred. Some species return to their place of birth, so perhaps that is my calling. I’ll stick around for a while, but ready to split when somewhere else beckons.
To Quote, Dylan Thomas:
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
To Quote my dad,
I want to go one more vacation. He visited all seven continents,
and recently passed away.
To Quote my stepdad,
Always have something to get up for each day.
Thank you for that excellent advice, Dennis. I’m sorry about your dad, but it sounds like he lived a full life. Have a good night. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com