So in the span of 8 days, i decided i was done struggling to survive and living paycheck to paycheck. I bought a truck, a camper and now finalizing the details on how to proceed. I live and work in NYC but i dont work a traditional 9-5. I work about 16 days per month and i can try to coordinate my schedule so i can have long stretches of days off. In my head, i envisioned long 3-4 day weekends exploring the tri-state area, Catskills, beaches, and reconnecting to myself. All that sounds great, but here's where it gets complicated. Since i need to be in the city about half the time, i had to think about where im going to park the camper during these nights. Initially i figured id be able to do so close to work, and even though i could probably get by without much bother from the NYPD, what really concerned me was the attention the camper gets, and the potential for theft and what have you.So i started looking for a parking spot, i saw an ad for a driveway spot on long island and figured eh, why not (only one person had gotten back to me prior to this point) Guy seems cool, i explain the situation, my goals. Turns out, he owns a marina on the water in Queens , not far from my job. He has land where the boats are stored during winter and he says not only can i park my Camper there, i can park my commuter car for work there too. It all seemed like it was just falling into place.I am excited, i am curious about what the future holds. I know it was incredibly impulsive of me to jump into this head first but thats just who i am. I just hope im not making a mistake.LIke im sitting here watching a movie, in a recliner, and i thought to myself "hmm im not gonna be able to make bread anymore" , and the thoughts keep coming, im not gonna be able to do this or that.and what about girls? imagine bringing some new girl to a marina where my camper truck is parked? i dont know, its deff not going to help my dating life. Although maybe there are some women out there who may find it interesting that i took such a drastic approach.Initially i estimated i could save close to $2000 per month, now after a more realistic budget , its down closer to $1600This is not a permanent plan for me, i want to buy land upstate and build a cabin there and then use the camper to commute down to the city, i know it will feel like its worth it when im off work and exploring, i just dont know how its going to feel to wake up in a marina everyday. Its not exactly pretty, the location is kinda secluded and a bit sketch. I do believe the camper will be safe there, its kind of hidden from view.A few min away it gets much nicer and the beach is close, i can ride a bike there, do yoga, run, really enjoy it, but its winter obv so i gotta long way to go for that.

There is a fulltiming forum and workkamping forum here. You might try there. Btw, if you notify the moderator, you can probably get them to move your post there if you want.

Most folks spend several years getting ready to full-time, then several more months actually doing it. You seem to have gotten a wild-hair and just did it.If this doesn't work out like you had hoped, do you have a backup plan? Seems like if you can sell the camper and truck, you can hop right back into the rental market there in NYC pretty quickly. You are right, most "ladies" aren't going to want to go back to the marina and hop into the back of a truck, but.....if you find the right one.Winter will be your big test. If you can keep warm, keep things from freezing and enjoy it, you are pretty much there. The summers will also be trying when you are cooling the thing down. I hope you have found what you are looking for. You are only young once, so enjoy it.

Living in a camper in NY winters ????????. I have been fulltime since 2006, but spend the winter in the warm south. Total cost between $10,000 and $15,000 per year depending on how much gas I purchase.

No matter where you park keeping the camper warm is going to be a challenge in NY. Will you have electric hookup? Have a place to dump the tanks at the marina? Going to need the camper to keep warm so the tanks don't freeze up.

Hit the YouTube videos,there's several living in a truck camper full time...I have lived full time in different RV's but not a truck camper,wouldn't matter though because full timing in an rv is mental.anyway...Some can do it and some cannot..My advice is watch the videos and read up...

Concerns About Going Full Time | Good Sam Community

56 Replies

adamis
Nomad II
Apr 04, 2021
Lots of creative suggestions and positive trouble shooting ideas. I think I only saw one person mention it just briefly so I thought I would bring it up again and emphasize it even though I don't have any personal experience with it...

Ditch the propane heater and see if you can get a diesel based heating system like the Truman Combi D6

https://www.truma.com/int/en/products/truma-heater/combi-d6

If shore power is unavailable, heating with Diesel I think is the only practical way to make this work for a longer period of time. With the right install, you can be sipping diesel from your truck fuel tank and fill up is just a matter of filling up the truck. Lugging around propane cylinders will get old fast and for the amount of heat you need in the winter, you will be doing it often.

Other two things, definitely go for more solar. I think you said you could get up to 370 watts but if you got creative, you could probably get more. Perhaps a custom fabrication that allows for wings to be folded out that extended past the sides of the camper when parked to provide more solar square footage.

The other thing will be your batteries. They don't like the cold but I'm sure your camper has that taken into account already. If they are lead acid batteries, I would upgrade to LiFePo4. Double the capacity for the same amount of space. The other benefit is less worry about completely discharging the batteries and damaging them. Remember that heaters have electronics and fans that pull power when running. I have a very inefficient heater that pulls nearly 200 watts when running. We don't camp in the winter so it isn't used much but the few times it has been cold enough to need to run the furnace all night it runs down our single LiFePo4. Getting it charged back up in winter can be difficult hence why you will want as much solar as you can get.

As far as the dating thing, maybe I'm old school but I think there is a difference between "dating" (finding a soul mate for life) and one night stands. If your dating in search of someone to spend your life with, you don't be taking them back to the camper right away as you try to get to know that person in neutral areas. By the time they may come to your camper, hopefully you would already would have discussed your living arrangement and given the positives about why you feel it's a good fit for your life goals at this stage. If they are a keeper, she will agree and support it.

On the other hand, if your looking for just hookups and one night stands, get a hotel room. No way your going to be bringing a one night stand to a marina late at night without alarm bells going off in her head and slasher movies coming to mind as they very well should be.
Billius
Explorer
Apr 03, 2021
It always was a problem for me, but let's not talk about it. We need to switch to another topic. What do you think about dating and especially about hookup websites? Here is the ***Link Removed*** for you. I think that it's a great way to get laid without any problems. Have you tried it yourself?
ticki2
Explorer
Dec 20, 2020
I would not even attempt to do what you are trying to do without shore power , you will have enough challenges. Even on your days upstate very few if any campgrounds are open past October. There are other marinas in the region . Start making some calls , perhaps one that is more commercial will have more facilities . Most propane dealers will supply the larger tanks when you contract with them . Good luck
jaycocreek
Explorer II
Dec 20, 2020
You could get 1 or more 100 pound propane tanks, find your parking space next to a pole or something that you can chain them to, then run a hose into the propane compartment of your camper.

This is what i did years ago for long stays in the mountains for work but I didn't have a truck camper then...I have two of them now...Unless your pulling a trailer,there is no way to transport them with a TC..As far as theft goes,if someone really wants anything you have,they will find a way but and I say buttttttttt..I wanna see the guy that can throw a 25 gallon(100#) tank over his shoulder and run down the road...lol

Needless to say...There heavy and hard to move around..
Grit_dog
Navigator
Dec 20, 2020
And plan for your weekend jaunts upstate where it could be -20.
Again, it’s doable, but for a hardy adventurous handy type of person. It’s not like getting a hotel room with a kitchen.
But you’ll get good at peein in jugs or outdoors, taking a poop in gas station restrooms and showering at the local YMCA or Health Club, if they’re even open there.
Bert_the_Welder
Explorer II
Dec 20, 2020
Hemi Joel wrote:
You will want more propane capacity and lower cost. You could get 1 or more 100 pound propane tanks, find your parking space next to a pole or something that you can chain them to, then run a hose into the propane compartment of your camper. The big tanks are way cheaper per gallon to fill.

Any chain and lock is going to be easily defeated if someone wants the tank. Plus the hose can be cut for schits and giggles.
Is your propane sold by the size of tank? We're by the pound. And a pound is a pound no matter if it's a 20 or 100 pound tank.

Maybe a 420lb upright tank. Hard to steal. But needs to be professionally hooked up and still isn't azzhole vandal proof.
Hemi_Joel
Explorer
Dec 19, 2020
You will want more propane capacity and lower cost. You could get 1 or more 100 pound propane tanks, find your parking space next to a pole or something that you can chain them to, then run a hose into the propane compartment of your camper. The big tanks are way cheaper per gallon to fill, and will eliminate the frequent fills. You could probably even arrange to have then filled right there at the marina by a delivery service. Just make sure you get vapor tanks, not liquid tanks. Liquid 100# LP tanks have an internal tube from the valve to the bottom of the tank so they draw the liquid off the bottom. They have external threads on the valve. Vapor tanks draw gas from the top of the tank as it evaporates off of the liquid. 100# vapor LP tanks have internal threads.

Or else you could get a propane supplier to lease you a large tank, 100 gallons or so, and keep it full for you.
notsobigjoe
Nomad III
Dec 19, 2020
valhalla360 wrote:
BurbMan wrote:
LOL it never gets that cold here, you're thinking upstate NY by the Canadian border! We had a cold snap this week with the snow, and it will be 19* tonight, but heading into the weekend and next week it will be 40's during the day and low 30's at night. That's about where winters having been at the last 10 years.

We did have an "arctic blast" where it got down to the -5 range for a day or two, but those are anomalies.

Yeah but you still have to plan for those "anomalies.

Down into the teens just takes a little planning.

Admittedly a bigger and needing more heat but we've been thru a couple of those -5F snaps in a well insulated 28ft 5th wheel...a 30# propane tank per day with 2 - 1500w space heaters running 24/7...and it's still only 55F inside. Even worse on the water, that is probably coming with a storm so you have to consider the wind chill effect.

Again, not saying it can't be done but it's not fun.

If he's also getting electricity from a propane generator, he's going to need more/bigger propane tanks. 100-200w of solar panels isn't going to be close to serving his need if the furnace is running non-stop.

Also what's the backup plan if your furnace goes out? A lot of RV techs take the winter off or go down south to service snowbirds.

We got caught out before driving out of the cold areas we've been in, so we could escape the really cold weather with the electric heaters supplementing (via shore power). The OP is planning to ride it out, so he needs to have a plan in mind...especially with an RV he just bought and of unknown condition.

Burbman is correct, Born and raised in Queens village it really doesn't get that cold in NYC but very icy all the time in winter.

Valhalla, I agree totally! It can be done but away from a dedicated campground with electric heat, water/sewer on demand It's going to be a full time job. It is just a camper. Once the little plastic lines freeze they are totally useless and must be replaced. Propane is not a realistic option outside of a weekly delivery to a 100 pound tank. PITA besides the cost is going to be alot of dollars for the propane alone. The water heater is 6 gallons it's going to run until he shuts it off, will he have to drain it, I don't know. It's gonna be full time work. Anyway it will also be an adventure!!!
Bert_the_Welder
Explorer II
Dec 19, 2020
I guess cold resilience depends on your age and background too. A 75 yr old from Florida is gonna have a different experience then a 20 yr old from Siberia!! LOL
Bert_the_Welder
Explorer II
Dec 19, 2020
notsobigjoe wrote:

No, sorry so vague. I was talking about something like this. Obviously not in NY but for description purposes only.

https://newhaven.craigslist.org/rvs/d/midway-permanent-campsite-on-tn/7249383414.html

ROTFLMAO!!!! "No Rottweilers, Pitbulls or Dobermans!" But little yappy dogs are just fine!
Wonder what happens when someone shows up with an Italian Mastiff? And a black one at that.....