Empty nesters Renee and Kelley Hayes, 58, downsized from an over 2,000 square-foot home in Texas to a roughly 45-foot RV.
“We may be living tiny, but we’ve got the world’s largest suitcase,” Kelley said.
Kelley dreamed of living in an RV and traveling the country full-time during retirement. However, he and his wife got to embrace this goal a few years earlier than intended.
They loved raising a family in their Texas home with a three-car garage and a pool, but they’re happy exploring the US as retired empty nesters in their RV. They get to see what different states offer, such as the Grand Canyon in Arizona and the hot air balloon festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
“We camped right on the grounds where the balloons took off, so every morning the balloons would fly over, right over the RV itself, and at night they would have the glow,” Kelley said.
Amber Hayes
Renee and Kelley purchased an RV for roughly $82,000 in August 2018, while their kids attended college. They were looking for something to do as new empty nesters. A few months later, Kelley, who worked for General Motors before his retirement in 2022, was transferred to an office in Georgia, which meant leaving Texas and figuring out their next home.
The family spent the 2018 holidays on the road and then visited Twin Lakes RV Park, a campground in Georgia, right after Christmas.
Kelley looked at some houses in January, but nothing caught his eye. Plus, Renee said, housing prices were expected to drop in Georgia, which could have meant selling their next home would be tougher. “We knew we were only going to be there three years, so we thought instead of taking that risk, we can just live in our RV,” she said.
Renee went back to Texas to downsize and work on selling their home, while Kelley stayed in Georgia for work, residing in the Twin Lakes RV Park. They listed the home for $399,000 in January 2019, and it sold in March. Renee rejoined Kelley at the campground.
They traveled during COVID when Kelley’s job at the GM regional office went remote, and then Kelley retired at 55 in 2022. He said he still did some contract work until last year. Since Kelley retired, they have split their time between traveling and caring for Renee’s family farmhouse in Michigan, enjoying alternating between being fairly stationary in the summer and traveling for the other half of the year.
Kelley and Renee still make some money. They earn from social media content, and Kelley said he does “odds and end jobs up there in the summertime, working for farmers” or Renee’s father.
Renee and Kelley Hayes
They use Harvest Hosts, a membership for overnight stays at wineries, golf courses, and other places. They stay at campgrounds, parks, and park in friends’ or family members’ driveways, among other places.
“We do it to see things and have adventures, but also to spend time with friends and family,” Renee said.
What RV life is like and how to plan it
There are a lot of logistics that can come with living on the road, such as whether you sell your home, what kind of RV to live in, and how to maintain it. Renee suggested people downsize before jumping into RV life and start early because it can take a while to go through all the items accumulated over the years.
Renee and Kelley still have lots of space to live in their model. Kelley said the back is basically a multipurpose room. “It’s our mud room, it’s our garage where we house our bikes, our kayaks, our tools, it’s our secondary bedroom for when the kids come to stay,” he said, adding they also eat there, and it opens up to a patio.
Renee said fuel can be expensive, potentially adding up to hundreds in just a month. “The slower you go and the longer you stop and are stationary, that helps keep your costs down on fuel,” she said.
However, they don’t have to pay for Texas’ property taxes, which tend to be high. They also don’t have to pay for other home expenses like homeowners’ association fees and house upkeep.
Although they are saving on home costs, they still have expenses that can add up. They said they pay for medical, two phones, internet, insurance, groceries, entertainment, and subscriptions to RV and travel-related apps. Tire replacements can also be costly. The couple noted they spent hundreds of dollars between September and November to stay at multiple RV parks.
Renee and Kelley Hayes
The couple, who post about their travels on social media, sometimes stay for free in exchange for promotional content.
Because living in an RV can require a lot of maintenance, Renee recommends taking some courses to learn how to repair things on your own. “If you’re not mechanical or if you’re not handy, this could become very expensive,” Renee said. “Luckily, Kelley’s handy and he’s able to pretty much repair or replace things as we go.”
She also suggested renting an RV before buying if you have never been in one before, to see what it’s like. Kelley said there are RV shows that people can go to so they can figure out what they want to travel in, because finding the perfect way to travel for someone can take time, just like finding a home.
Ultimately, the couple thinks people interested should just take the leap and do it. The couple said they are happy to help answer people’s questions.
“There are so many people when you get to a campground that will help you,” Kelley said.
The couple plan to continue this lifestyle for as long as they’re able to, even if it means downsizing further. Renee said she doesn’t drive the truck with the 45-foot RV attached, but would be able to if they had a smaller vehicle.
“Our priority right now is to see and do stuff rather than to accumulate stuff,” Renee said.
