Year round in a class C?

Tarzan31 wrote:

Has anyone lived year round in a Class C?
Has anyone lived in a cold climate doing so?

For me this is a temporary (year or 3) living situation and I think I would quite enjoy it versus trying to survive it.

Thanks for any insight!

We live seasonally (about 4.5 continuous months) in our 32' Class C with 2 slides and a bunk house. We are a family of 4. I think your main problem will be finding a place in MA that can offer full hookups all year round. Fresh water wouldn't be a problem, but waste water needs to be disposed of safely.

We have camped in below freezing temps (mid to upper 20s) for short periods of time. During that time without electric heaters to supplement, we burn through our 56lb propane tank in less than a week at those temperatures. I'm always a little unsettled about leaving any heater on during the day while we are away. I would certainly not leave a wood burning stove going inside the camper.

As has been mentioned, PEX is a much better choice for cold weather. PEX can freeze without cracking, however, your fittings will crack if they freeze.

-Michael

Hi Tarzan31,

I full time in Saskatchewan in a 29' Class C. If you are attempting to boondock at temperatures below -20 c (-4 f) then a decent power source is pretty much required. I have used my rv at -37 c (-34 f).

DO NOT USE AN UNVENTED COMBUSTION HEATER.

There is a great thread on winter camping and what is needed here:

Winter Camping

Tarzan31 wrote:
I am considering living in an RV for a plethora of reasons. A class C because it is maneuverable enough to drive along with enough space to be comfortable.
I can live in small spaces, and I am mechanically inclined. I have ways of making hot water and cooking without electricity or propane, solar panels can be budgeted for supplemental electricity if need be.
Has anyone lived year round in a Class C?
Has anyone lived in a cold climate doing so?
The heat tape for the water and sewage tanks and lines isn't expensive, and I would re plumb the water lines with PVC and save the stock lines for summer time.
My biggest doubt is finding a winter spot to rent in Central MA. I commute to Boston regularly so I can't be farther than Worcester, MA if I want to remain sane.
I will be able to install a wood stove in the RV with proper ventilation, fire boards, etc so there would be no health risks.

For me this is a temporary (year or 3) living situation and I think I would quite enjoy it versus trying to survive it.

Thanks for any insight!

I belong to an owner's forum that has a large community of fulltimers. Most live in the SW but the group has immense experience with fulltiming in a Class C RV. Check it out...

http://www.lazydazeowners.com/index.php

(And maybe the Lazy Daze brand would be appropriate for you. )

Good luck!

Tarzan31 wrote:

The heat tape for the water and sewage tanks and lines isn't expensive, and I would re plumb the water lines with PVC and save the stock lines for summer time.

I also don't understand, are you going to change the plumbing in the Spring and Fall? That does not make sense.
I would use Pex rather than PVC.

I have lived full time/year around in a 24ft Beaver class C in Idaho . I used a catalytic heater for heat which does not need electricity. In Idaho it is cheaper to live in an RV than renting an apartment .

Anything is doable. Frozen water, 100 dollar a week propane bills are two downers.

It might be difficult to find a park with a year round sewage system.

It's possible. It's not necessarily easy nor inexpensive; RVs are not well insulated at all compared to houses. You'd go through a lot of whatever fuel you use to heat, be it propane or electricity or wood.

It would be very tricky to make a safe wood stove installation in most RVs, if only because it's very hard to find enough space to satisfy standoff requirements even with heat shielding. Setting up a safe chimney would also be tricky; the simplest might be to re-purpose a ceiling vent. I don't know that many campgrounds would allow you to use a wood stove in an RV, even if they do permit campfires, over safety concerns. If you're thinking of being on the move, it will be difficult to bring firewood with you (both in terms of weight and in terms of bans on moving firewood).

Also, if you're planning on traveling during the winter, give some thought to how much road salt will be attacking the underside of your motorhome. Many times the framework that RV builders construct is not especially corrosion resistant, and there are often quite a few exposed mechanical system bits.

Frankly, I think you'd find it more comfortable and quite possibly more economical all told to live in a mobile home or apartment. But it's your call in the end.

You would probably be better off heating with a propane catalytic heater if you don't want to heat with electricity. Don't understand why you want to re-plumb, but PEX would be an easier and better choice than PVC.

It can be done. I spent about 30 nights in my class C RV last year. And some of those nights were very cold. Most RV's in general are not well insulated so when it's real hot or real cold, your AC or heater will have a tough time keeping up. You can do some things like use a lot of Reflectix, possibly insulate the walls or even add one or 2 space heaters. As for the wood stove I would be afraid of fires of weight issues.

After about a week in my RV I am looking forward to my home shower and my home bed.