Butterfly Tracks
A solo woman in a minivan who started a community of more than 15,000 women.
Adventure, continued.
Retired. Not parked.
For people who finished working and kept going. Real stories, honest numbers, and a very big windshield.
RetireVan is about people who looked at retirement and decided it needed wheels.
Vans. Minivans. Truck campers. Cargo trailers. A school bus named Max.
Some do it full-time. Some do it a season at a time.
All of them found out the same thing:
The road is wonderful. The road is also work.
We'll show you both.
Four reasons, in their own order.
Freedom
In a 2025 survey of more than 2,000 RVers, mostly retired, the top reason was "the freedom that RV life provides." The calendar is yours now. So is the windshield.
Cost
For a lot of people, this is how Social Security stretches. Public land can be free. (There are house rules. We'll get to them.)
Health
Hiking was the favorite activity of 70% of people in that same survey. The trailhead is a lot closer when you park next to it.
Community
The RTR. Escapees. Harvest Hosts. Women's camping groups. You may end up with more neighbors than you had on the cul-de-sac.
39%of RV owners are over 55RVIA/Ipsos 2025About 486,000people live full-time in an RVNBC News, Sept 2025, from RVIA survey data14 daysthe general BLM limit for dispersed camping, within any 28-day periodBureau of Land Management$80for a lifetime Senior Pass to America's public lands, age 62+National Park Service
The honest part
We'll sell you the sunsets. We won't hide the dump tank.
- Small vans are hard on knees.
- Leveling, tanks and high beds are daily chores.
- Medicare Advantage networks don't always follow you.
- Winter freezes tanks. That's why snowbirds fly south.
- Family can feel far away.
- One day you'll need an exit plan.
None of that is a reason to stay home. It's a reason to go prepared.
See the trade-offsSeven honest essays, pros and cons included.
01
Start Here: Van, Camper or RV After 55
The right rig is the one your knees agree with.
02
The Real Budget
What it actually costs to live with a view.
03
Domicile, Mail and Medicare
Home is where you park it. The government would like an address.
04
Following 70 Degrees
Chase the weather. Let it lead.
05
Boondocking and Public Lands
Free camping, with house rules.
06
Community: RTR, Escapees and Harvest Hosts
You left the neighborhood. You didn't leave the neighbors.
07
Solo After 60
Alone, not lonely. Most days.
Follow 70 degreesChase the weather.
Chase the weather.
Let it lead.
Winter
Quartzsite and Yuma, Arizona. Anza-Borrego, California. Big Bend and the Rio Grande Valley, Texas. The Florida Keys and Gulf Coast.
Spring
Utah's Mighty 5. Moab. The Natchez Trace. The Blue Ridge Parkway.
Summer
The Pacific Northwest. The Oregon coast. The Tetons and Yellowstone. Glacier. The Colorado Rockies. Alaska. Canada.
Fall
New England foliage. The Maine coast. The Great Smokies. The aspens of the Eastern Sierra.
They're 59. They're 70. They're 76. And they are not done yet.
I Ride Tiny House Adventures
A couple in their early 70s living full-time in a cargo trailer.
JK and Kim in the Van
A retired couple, 70 and 60-plus, in a van they converted themselves.
Soaring Together RV Life
A couple who retired, sold everything and went full-time in a big rig more than six years ago.
A five-minute gut check.
No sales pitch at the end. Just a clearer picture.
1. Could you live in a space you can cross in three steps?
2. How do your knees feel about climbing into a high bed?
3. Would you rather move every two weeks, or stay put for a season?
4. How do you feel about emptying a tank yourself?
5. Who would you call if the van broke down far from town?
6. How far are you willing to be from family?
7. Have you made your Medicare choice yet?
8. If you had to come off the road, where would you go?
Answer all eight for a result.