Travel nurse thinking of buying a TT....advice appreciated!!

Welcome to the Forum...
Lots of questions, lots to consider.
First, I have a question.
What are you going to do with you dog for the 12+ hours a day that you are going to be gone?

downtheroad wrote:
Welcome to the Forum...
Lots of questions, lots to consider.
First, I have a question.
What are you going to do with you dog for the 12+ hours a day that you are going to be gone?

X2 Most campgrounds will not allow that, and if you are gone and power goes out, you will have a cooked dog in the summer.

He would have to stay in the trailer while I am at work.....this option is not looking very promising

I would recommend an OpenRange TT's. Big but Small. And they are commonly found with 2 Air conditioners already installed and have a homely feel and lots of good features at a reasonable price. And A Tundra will pull up to 10,000 pounds. So get a TT with a dry wight no more than 7,000 pounds because gear adds up weight fast.
And asfar as MODS, all you would need is a weight distribution hitch and I would recommend sway control bars. And all that installed would be under $500, and your good to go.

Hello; my wife is a nurse at UCH and is considering turning into a traveler some day. You don't say where you are at in Colorado, but there are plenty of dog daycare places around the Denver area.

Miles

It's true that many campgrounds prohibit leaving a pet unattended, but most of those are geared towards short term "recreational" use. Public facilites are a good example, but you likely won't be using those much anyway since nearly all have length-of-stay limits too.

On the other hand, leaving a pet unattended at a "long term"-type RV park is likely no more problematic than doing so at a motel or other housing like you're presently using. You just have to shop around. And since all such facilities have power, keeping the dog warm/cool as necessary should be no problem.

It's really sorta hard to say though if this will prove to be a money saving thing- buying and maintaining a decent trailer doesn't come cheap, and neither does parking one, even by the month. Guess it depends on how those expenses compare to whatever your rent is costing you right now.

1) Typical trailers are not "designed" for full time living, you can do it but things may require a lot more repairs. There are TTs which are designed more for full time living but they tend to cost much more.

Many Rvs are not well designed for WINTER LIVING, this can be a real headache if you are dealing with the likes of Alaska or even some of the Northern States during the winter. Water systems can and will freeze up easily, furnaces are not very efficient and you could expect to use a 30lb cylinder of propane in a matter of a few days.

2) quite subjective and very hot subject, I will allow the weight police tackle that..

3) Things happen anywhere, campgrounds are no exception. While most "campers" are pretty friendly and easy going but it only takes one rotten apple to spoil things. (I have had the pleasure of a team of drunken rednecks partying until 2AM every day for a week).

Campgrounds CAN and do get noisy during daytime hrs (kids screaming and having fun, cars and vehicle traffic not to mention the folks who are showing off their megawatt stereo systems in their vehicles for hrs at a time and so forth), something to think about if you get stuck on a night shift and NEED to sleep during the day.

Campgrounds vary in availability and it may be difficult to locate one near your assignment each and every time. Not to mention many campgrounds in cold climates will close for the season further making it more difficult for you (I don't know of any around my area which stays open past September).

As far as break ins goes, well it can happen, folks have lost generators over the years I have been visiting this forum. For the most part it is common sense, don't leave valuables in plain sight and hopefully no body will mess with the trailer.. For you 12hrs of no one around daily "could" be a tempting invitation for an unwanted house guest.

4) Varies a lot, some campgrounds get extremely busy "in season" and will require an advanced reservation of months or even a year ahead and those may require a weeks stay.. 13week stay might be doable in one place and not in another..

Price can vary from $20 upwards of $100 per night depending on location and if it is a State Park or a private "resort".

Electric, water, sewer, cable, phone service all varies from none to full with State Parks leading the way for pretty much nothing, no hookups to if you are lucky one with some electric and water. If you want full hookups you will be ruling out State Parks for sure (you will not want to work in VT their state parks do not have ANY hookups and the use of generators ARE FORBIDDEN and private parks are very few).

5) New or used?

Used you can find trailers for a few hundred up, new, well the sky and your pocket book is the limit..

6) Personally if you are attempting to save money, forget about a RV.. For a new TT you can expect to spend $20,000 and up then you are going to pay per day for the campground, plus your laundry, food, PROPANE ($$$), some campgrounds also meter the electric service for long term campers on top.

I think you will find the cost of owning a RV will exceed the cost of hotel lodging unless you are planning to be the minimalist using candles for light and heat and plucking your meals out of a river..

I wish you good luck..

I worked as a traveling nurse for a few years but my husband was alive then and looked after our dog. Your only option for your pet is to find a 'doggy day care' in the area where you work.

Your Tundra can tow a small, lightweight TT. A Casita would be a good choice, IMO.

Most campgrounds are very safe. That would be the least of my concerns.

mockturtle wrote:

Your Tundra can tow a small, lightweight TT. A Casita would be a good choice, IMO.

Are you sure you're not thinking of the Tacoma, Mockturtle?

I ask because I believe the 2013 Tundra equipped as described in the threadstarter has around 8,000 pounds of tow capacity- enough for a trailer a good deal heavier than a Casita!

In my opinion, owning an RV can only be one of 2 things: A lifestyle, or a hobby. Nothing else.

If you buy one for any other reason, you'll probably be dosappointed. The entry fee is very high for just purchasing an RV, the extra cost of fuel and everything needed to outfit a trailer generally offset any savings over a hotel.

If you're looking to save money, I don't think an RV will do it.

That said, many people do full time RV. It's their lifestyle and wouldn't have it any other way. If that lifestyle is for you (and it's a unique one) I'd try hitting up the full time RVing forum here. They may have more advice.

In my area the natural gas industry is booming, new wells being drilled daily. Workers stay for several weeks then move on to another area. Our area is very well equipped for them staying in RVs. Many people have even built lots next to their homes to rent out to workers who stay in RVs. They generally have very large 5th wheels ($70k+), with 1 ton trucks. They often travel with their wives and young children, as they advice not here more comfortable in an expensive 5th wheel than an average hotel (which there are very few around here). They often spend $700 a month on a payment of a 5th wheel, but to them it's worth it.