Hello, I am a 61 year old grandma, planning to buy my first RV for the purpose of full-time living. I will be placing it on my daughter's property in Western WA. Hoping to be a big help to her with her 4 kids.Here are a few questions and any advice is welcome! - Should I buy a roof on poles (Costco has them) to put over the RV, since it is so rainy in Western WA?- I want to buy a good quality brand that will do well in winter weather. Are Arctic Fox or Lance the best?- I thought I would buy a used 5th wheel, year 2014-2016. If I were to sell it in 2 years, how much depreciation should I expect?- If I buy from a private seller, what is the best way to find someone to help me move it/hook it up to my daughter's septic, water & electric, and help build a trench to run the line into the septic? - FYI, I do have permission from the county to live on the property and hook up to septic for a period of 2 years.Thanks in advance for your advice.

What are the temps in the winter?How well do you do on stairsWill you mind dumping the poop tank on your trailer every few days?

Temps in winter are moderate, between 28- 45 usually. Stairs are fine. Will hook to septic.

A.Miel wrote:Temps in winter are moderate, between 28- 45 usually. Stairs are fine. Will hook to septic.Even if hooked to septic you will still have to dump the toilet tank about once a week. You CANNOT leave the tank valve open as you will plug up the tank which is a chore to get unplugged.Otherwise at the temps you state you should be fine. Maybe you will want to look into a large tank that the propane company will come to fill. I do not know your building codes but you may HAVE to get a licensed plumber and electrician. BE sure the electrician knows the trailer is 110 volt only service. Sometimes unknowing electricians look at the plug on the end of the cord and assume 220 service.As for hauling ask a local RV dealer who they use

It's considered best practice to allow your black tank to fill up and periodically dump it as opposed to leaving the valve open to the septic/sewer as you would a house. By allowing it to fill, liquid waste and flush water with assistance from gravity (and a black water flush) will help to push the solid waste contents out of the tank. By leaving the valve open, the liquid waste and flush water will slowly trickle out and the solid waste (including toilet paper) will tend to accumulate in the tank - particularly at the outlet.

Some advice for newby please! | Good Sam Community

darsben1
Explorer
Oct 02, 2017
What are the temps in the winter?
How well do you do on stairs
Will you mind dumping the poop tank on your trailer every few days?
A_Miel
Explorer
Oct 02, 2017
Temps in winter are moderate, between 28- 45 usually. Stairs are fine. Will hook to septic.
darsben1
Explorer
Oct 02, 2017
A.Miel wrote:
Temps in winter are moderate, between 28- 45 usually. Stairs are fine. Will hook to septic.

Even if hooked to septic you will still have to dump the toilet tank about once a week. You CANNOT leave the tank valve open as you will plug up the tank which is a chore to get unplugged.
Otherwise at the temps you state you should be fine. Maybe you will want to look into a large tank that the propane company will come to fill.
I do not know your building codes but you may HAVE to get a licensed plumber and electrician. BE sure the electrician knows the trailer is 110 volt only service. Sometimes unknowing electricians look at the plug on the end of the cord and assume 220 service.
As for hauling ask a local RV dealer who they use
Njmurvin
Explorer
Oct 02, 2017
It's considered best practice to allow your black tank to fill up and periodically dump it as opposed to leaving the valve open to the septic/sewer as you would a house. By allowing it to fill, liquid waste and flush water with assistance from gravity (and a black water flush) will help to push the solid waste contents out of the tank. By leaving the valve open, the liquid waste and flush water will slowly trickle out and the solid waste (including toilet paper) will tend to accumulate in the tank - particularly at the outlet.
A_Miel
Explorer
Oct 02, 2017
Thanks much!
Trackrig
Explorer II
Oct 02, 2017
As for the cover, yes you should have one, but check how much weight it will handle. I don't think the Costco ones will be high enough and they won't support the snow if you get some wet heavy snow.

Bill
kerrlakeRoo
Explorer
Oct 02, 2017
Grnma, how will you doing this be a help to your daughter? At best buy or rent your trailer, set it on a lot in a park and make sure you can live/function in this living circumstance before putting your daughter in a difficult position.
With my 84 year old uncle, I built a 460 sqft "inlaw" suite to house him, a liv/din rm combination, a tiny kitchen because he ate most meals with us, and a 12x12 bedroom. And he was more secure, and we were as well.
old_guy
Explorer
Oct 02, 2017
if the temp gets down to 28 for any time it may freeze your water line so go down to store and by some pipe insulation and first wrap tinfoil around your water hose then the pipe insulation and use drc tape of something to hold it on the hose. remember winter time is hard on TT's and they freeze up easily. My brother had to move out of his house because the pipes in the main house burst and we had his TT winterized so nothing would freeze, by winterized I mean the hose was wrapped not the TT had anti freeze in the lines. we also put bales of straw around the bottom to keep the floor warmer.
they did OK with how we set it up for him.
Second_Chance
Explorer II
Oct 02, 2017
Since you plan to place your unit permanently on family property - and will need utility hookups anyway, look into park model trailers. They are intended for long-stay living and you can often find one that is roomier, better insulated, and doesn't have stairs up to a bedroom like a fifth wheel. Since you would have to connect a fifth wheel to some kind of sewer/septic and have water and electric anyway, you'll have everything you need for a park model without having to worry about dumping waste tanks. The idea about the "in-law suite" is a good one, too, but that can be expensive. Also don't forget to check on local zoning laws first so you don't go to the trouble and expense of setting something up only to find you are in violation of local ordinances or codes.

Rob
donn0128
Explorer II
Oct 02, 2017
Consider a park model or a tiny home. Much better insulation factor just for starters.