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I have noticed there are literally thousands of gently used Class A motorhomes from 20+ years ago that are selling for as little as 10K-15K. With the cost of retirement housing skyrocketing it would seem a possible alternative to renting and with some work/research opportunity to plug in at some campgrounds as well as via private property owners with acreage. The RV itself can remain fixed while a towed vehicle acts as primary transport. Thoughts?
We've stayed at a hundred campgrounds over the last 3 years and except for the state parks, virtually all of them have seasonal and/or permanent residents. Most are in travel trailers, though. It's clearly do-able.
The caveat I'd throw out is the more often you move your camper, the more things can and will go wrong with it. If you park it and don't move, it will slowly decay (they really aren't built for full time use) but if you move it every few days or weeks more stuff will jar loose or break. Ask me how I know.
1) Unless you are lucky, your RV will be having repair issues. Nature of the beast, most of them are designed to be used two weeks in the year. You'll need a healthy emergency savings account, and you'll need to replenish it regularly.
2) Many of the nicer private campgrounds have a 10-year-old rule. As in, if your RV is older than 10 years, you can't camp there. Which leaves federal/state/county campgrounds. Which are just fine, IMO, but they often have a size limit of around 30-35 feet. That varies, do your own research in the areas you are thinking of traveling. Also, look into boondocking.
3) There are insurance issues. And there are state residency issues. You'll need to research different states.
4) These two websites will get you started. There are lots of sites and Facebook groups out there as you narrow in your desires.
5) Are you a camper now? Living in an RV is more like camping than apartment living. If you like camping already, you are probably going to like vehicular living. If you are not a camper now, do yourself a HUGE favor and start going camping with the vehicle you have and the stuff you have. If you find out you don't like camping, you will have saved yourself both money and grief.
RV living is really not for everyone. But if you are the right kind of person, well - it's great.
So in campgrounds that allow long-term use, is the 10-year rule less of an issue with a travel trailer? I would think it'd be difficult to discern a 15-year-old trailer from a 5-year-old if well maintained? Boondocking doesn't seem desirable with water/waste disposal issues unless there is some kind of get-around I'm unaware of.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Originally Posted by kyle19125
... selling for as little as 10K-15K. With the cost of retirement housing skyrocketing it would seem a possible alternative to renting and with some work/research opportunity to plug in at some campgrounds as well as via private property owners with acreage. The RV itself can remain fixed while a towed vehicle acts as primary transport. Thoughts?
Primary objective? (LT residence... portable or 'fixed'?)
Climate (challenges of living FT in an RV?
Region? (zoning / options / property prices)
Rural or Urban? (Logisitcs)
Mobility? (Most RV's are not too handicapped friendly) https://escapeescare.org/
Options vary,
but many people are building rural Barndominums / shop with apartment and RV cover (Where legally permitted... ~$50k+ land.
hint: buy a trashed mobile home on acreage that already has PERMIT, well, septic, power. road access, fencing, trees / landscape...
One of our locations is non-restrictive in the county (not allowed in town), some acreages still can be found under $50k in this popular area. Lots of people buying acreage along creek and adding 5-10 LT rv sites. ~ $400 / month
Another home location is very restrictive. Can only use an RV on-site 30 days / 12 month period in rural AG zone.
A nearby coastal location does not allow RV resident use ANYTIME (except in established and inspected parks)
Go solar / offgrid.
Vehicle needs to be robust (think school bus / motorcoach / hard side trailer / Airstream (vintage)) and is best to have under cover full-time (UV kills plastics / seams, tires, rubber seals) and air and pest infiltration is problematic. You want to replace RV fixtures and appliances with conservation rated commercial appliances and fixtures. Plumbing should be insulated and made more permanent than temporary (lots of plastic fittings will break eventually.). If in a windy area, you will need 'skirting'. Straw bales will do (annually) but they also attract rodents who love to eat your wiring and plumbing and get inside your RV.
For a Toad (accompany vehicle), I use a Diesel VW Rabbit, light, cheap, economical (free home brew fuel), easy to tow. (manual tranny Honda, Toyota, Subaru.. will do as well) Samurai is popular as a Toad (as are jeeps / vehicles with manual transfer cases and free wheeling hubs. )
e-bike and light motorcycles are also popular.
but... it's very possible to live FT in an RV
I currently have friends living in these places FT in RV. (Some for over 20 yrs)
With the cost of retirement housing skyrocketing ... Thoughts?
Find ways to reduce the individual outlay. Ways that actually cost less.
For ~98% of folks who have an unaffordable situation ... will almost invariably be living alone (hint).
Also you will need to follow warm weather because they are not meant for cold climates. In older ones things are constantly breaking and many parks don’t allow older ones. We used our older motor home for traveling and after a month I was sick of living in it and it was 27 ft for 2 people, one big dog and 3 very small dogs.
So in campgrounds that allow long-term use, is the 10-year rule less of an issue with a travel trailer? I would think it'd be difficult to discern a 15-year-old trailer from a 5-year-old if well maintained? Boondocking doesn't seem desirable with water/waste disposal issues unless there is some kind of get-around I'm unaware of.
Boondocking, you will see much beautiful scenery, find new fishin' holes, & make wonderful memories with many photos.
We bought our 1978 American Clipper C motorhome in 1989, did a lot of fishing, exploring, & camping. We still enjoy using her.
Once in a while stay overnight in a campground & dump your holding tanks.
Also you will need to follow warm weather because they are not meant for cold climates.
^^^This. I lived in a 24ft. class C for a while near Flagstaff, AZ while I was working out there. At 7000 ft. in October, it got darned uncomfortable overnight. Felt like my sleeping bag was wet, it was so cold. The locals who lived year-round out there talked of "winterizing" their rigs. I don't remember what that entailed (extra insulation underneath?), but I never did it. I got out of there before it started snowing.
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