My wife and I are looking to sell our house and move into our 34ft Starcraft travel trailer. I work in north Phoenix and therefore would look to find a cheap park north of anthem area. This is not financial. Just looking to get away from home ownership and the more complex life we have weaved with all the house projects , landscaping and consumption of stuff. We are looking to strip down to the basics and maybe enjoy an area a little north of the valley.We are not looking to travel for now, although may do so on and off. I need to be in the office near 101 and i17 three to four days each week.Couple things ...Anyone have experience with Rv parks in that area. Something that won't cost $1000/mo.Any general advise for those looking to move to full time but not to travel.If you'd like to know a little more about our journey and or want to comment on what we are doing, check out my ramblings:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTw5oNurPyGXEHizIzwUCAgNot trying to sell another channel ... Sincerely interested in getting better perspective on what we are doing or planning to do.Thanks.Kirk

It is your life and your money you decide what is best.Personally because of summer heat etc I would look at an apartment.It can be hard to a/c an RV in the summer in Phoenix. That is why us snow birds leave. I believe if you do the research that an apartment will be more cost effective in than the rent at an RV park and the added costs of heating and cooling an rv.

Just be sure you have accurate estimates of all real costs involved. AC in AZ in summer can be expensive. Project costs for a year in advance and then evaluate the actual vs the projected to see how close you are.

darsben wrote:It is your life and your money you decide what is best.Personally because of summer heat etc I would look at an apartment.It can be hard to a/c an RV in the summer in Phoenix. That is why us snow birds leave. I believe if you do the research that an apartment will be more cost effective in than the rent at an RV park and the added costs of heating and cooling an rv.Great point. 30-40m north of the valley it's usually 10-15 deg cooler. I should add that we are interested in one day full timing and see this as an intro.Thanks for the feedback!Kirk

SuGar Shack wrote:Just be sure you have accurate estimates of all real costs involved. AC in AZ in summer can be expensive. Project costs for a year in advance and then evaluate the actual vs the projected to see how close you are.With my house, I am paying a fixed $375 every month. I suspect it would be less for an RV a little further north. The trailer also has the foil insulation ... I wouldn't expect it to solve all my AC issues but expect it helps to have.My other option is to use solar (1000 watt maybe)' to supplement my power consumption. Thoughts? Experience with high AC bills?

Again AC in AZ. In a RV. Can get expensive and uncomfortable and noisy. Might ck. Into a " Park Model" , or a apt. Especially if you are not ready to travel.34' might be a bit small for full timing. Up keep and repairs on a RV is no small thing. Most RV dealers want you to bring into the dealership for repairs. Especially under warranty. We are in a 40' MH. And full time. Also sold the house Five years ago when I retired. Lots to think about.

Selling house to full time - thoughts | Good Sam Community

Nutinelse2do
Explorer
Jun 10, 2020
Try Rivers Edge in Black Canyon City
petercasts
Explorer
Jun 10, 2020
Hi there, did you sell your house. I want also to sell mine, and to travel with a RV. Of course, I will wait until the virus situation is over, and then I will go in a trip. This is my dream that I hope to realize. I've even found a company that would buy my house. thepropertybuyingcompany.co.uk. They're thepropertybuyingcompany.co.uka leading genuine cash buying company who purchase residential or commercial property. They offered me the best price on the market for my house. I had to refuse, but I hope that soon I will be able to accept their offer.
ol__yeller
Explorer II
Mar 20, 2016
Capital Gains taxes have been modified for many years now. There is an amount that is tax exempt and then after that benchmark is reached then Capital Gains applies. Not sure, but I think it is like $250,000 an individual and $500K for a couple. A tax advisor can tell you the amounts. One doesn't necessarily have to reinvest home sale profits in a new home to avoid Capital Gains Tax.
Roy_Lynne
Explorer
Mar 19, 2016
I don't know if this has been mentioned and I really don't know the answer, but if you make some money on your house, if you don't reinvest it you will need to pay taxes on the profit, I don't know if putting the money into an RV would qualify. You would need to talk to someone who would know. I spent a summer in Southern Calif desert in my RV and it was tough keeping the rig cool, but with a lot of insulation, fans, AC and silver paper for the windows it wasn't bad. If you have pets, it might be a BIG issue.
Would I give it a try. In a heart beat. Or maybe look into those tiny homes.
GoPackGo
Explorer
Mar 19, 2016
I've been full timing for over 2 years now and spent last winter near Phoenix (Goodyear). I left on 1 May to travel. It was already getting real hot. I really wouldn't want to stay in any RV during the summer in most of Arizona. The high temps and unrelenting all-the-time sun would combine to make cooling any kind of RV an adventure.

Any insulation will help, foil or otherwise. I don't see how solar will help much as your major expense will be because of running AC 24 hours/day and you won't be doing that off battery power.

FWIW, I talked to a few people who did live in a TT during summers in the park I stayed at. They added window AC units because they are supposedly much more efficient then RV rooftop units. They also foiled their windows.

I did see RVs under freestanding carport shades that were being lived in. I would think this would help a lot, just keeping the sun off the rig.
Halfmast
Explorer
Mar 18, 2016
Even after owning it for ten years, my Atlanta-area house was worth two-thirds of what I paid for it. Plus, I wasn't sure about Full-Timing.

I used a Property Management firm (a Re-Max Realtor) to handle renting out the house. They locate and screen tenants - charging one month's rent - then handle everything else for 8%, depositing the rest into my bank account. A Home Warranty covers repairs if needed.

I am an absentee landlord wherever I decide to pull my trailer and have a place to return to if I change my mind about FT'ing or get ill. As my mortgage was paid off, it's a comfortable little monthly income.
rockhillmanor
Explorer
Mar 11, 2016
rvexodus wrote:
SuGar Shack wrote:
Just be sure you have accurate estimates of all real costs involved. AC in AZ in summer can be expensive. Project costs for a year in advance and then evaluate the actual vs the projected to see how close you are.

With my house, I am paying a fixed $375 every month. I suspect it would be less for an RV
a little further north. The trailer also has the foil insulation
... I wouldn't expect it to solve all my AC issues but expect it helps to have.

My other option is to use solar (1000 watt maybe)' to supplement my power consumption. Thoughts? Experience with high AC bills?

You REALLY need to research this thru thoroughly BEFORE you sell your house if you think you can live in an RV for less than $375.

Trailer parks and CG's charge 'extra' for electricity and as everyone has posted the heat where you are planning to stay will be VERY uncomfortable in an RV. AND the electric bill costly. Foil insulation will not do squat. Any trailer and/or a MH is nothing more than a box sitting in the blazing heat. There is a reason snowbirds and full timers do not stay there in the summer!

Good luck on your endeavor. But do some serious research on the CG's in the area you think you would being staying at before you leap.:C
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Mar 11, 2016
We FTd in a 34' 5th wheel for 7 yrs.

Any temp above 100*F and one A/C Unit will NOT be enough to cool inside down.

Living space was 280 sq. ft. and that is with most of it being living room with opposing slides.

Month to month rentals are best deal vs site cost but that usually means metered electric (site plus electric).
Some places it ran $150/month just for electric

It was a great adventure..........but not really cheaper than when we lived in a 1700 Sq ft home.
Best part was the fact that we TRAVELED.

Being parked ..one spot. That would have to have been in a 'park' model at minimum
westernrvparkow
Explorer
Mar 11, 2016
Any "cheaper" comparison falls apart when you consider the depreciation and deterioration of the RV. There are millions of homes and apartments built prior to 1990 that are in perfect condition and function flawlessly as residences. You can't say the same for Recreational Vehicles. The rig will eventually fall apart and you will have to replace it, and that costs big money. Most of the living components in an RV are simply not as durable or as high quality as those in normal residences. That means the TV, the Microwave, the Stove, The Refrigerator, the heater and air conditioner, the plumbing and everything else will be much more likely to fail. That costs money as well. And most importantly, can you live with your spouse in less than 400 square feet of space? I couldn't. It's one thing to travel, tour, sightsee and have adventures in the small confines of an RV, it's something totally different living day to day in the same space.
2lazy4U
Explorer
Mar 11, 2016
I would rent a house or apartment, rather than living in an RV. RV parks are tight and you're usually elbow to elbow with your neighbor, plus they can be noisy. Things may change before you decide to fulltime and then what? Health or other interests, etc. It's one thing to take off fulltiming for a year or two and another to live basically in a mobile home park.

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