Contemplating full time RV living- need advice

[misshaberdasher]

Hello!
I'm a 24 year old woman that has been considering leaving my apartment behind for a full time RV living. I've compiled a list of pros and cons as far as I'm aware of, and I'm not intending to jump in to this with both feet without tons of research. As far as why I'm so eager about this, despite not having much experience in this world, is that I'm antsy, always on the move, and with my job being 45 minutes away from me, this will make life a lot easier. I can camp on the weekends in the mountains and move around with my job. On top of that, I'm gluten and dairy free, so this will make road trips a LOT less stressful. And if I ever feel like moving out of state, it won't be a huge ordeal with apartment hunting and moving. I just want that freedom of being able to move everywhere yet be home at all times. I just had a few questions, before I move forward with this...

1. It's just going to be me and my cat. What are camping grounds or RV places like, as far as people go (of course, this is different with every region but for the most part - are people generally friendly?)
2. Does cost almost balance out when comparing RVing full time and apartment living?
3. What should I look for in an RV? I live by mountains, so, winterizing for sure... what else is there?
4. What questions/answers should I be asking/expecting at any time I look at an RV? Things to look out for as far as performance, durability, etc.
4. Any general words of advice for me?

I've recently found a 1996 Safari Trek Pathmaker diesel for sale at about 15k, and I was hoping to get it before someone else does. Unless, of course, it just doesn't work out.

[Jean_S]

Hi. Is your cat leash-trained? I know this sounds odd, but cats can wander or get lost or get into trouble or just not be home when you want to move on. An RV is going to be smaller than your apartment. You'll want to be able to get your cat out for exercise.

[restlesswind]

I addition to the above advice,I would suggest that you spend some hours at the "Beginning RVing" section of this forum,
You will be able to get those tons of information over there.
It's a big change of lifestyle.Not meaning that in a negitive or positive way,
just something you need to be completly aware of.

[rambotheshark]

Full timing at 24? I say go for it if you can find a unit that does what you need it to do, but be prepared to be the youngest person in the neighborhood. I am 37 and rarely at a park do I have neighbors within a decade of my age. So if living with people closer to your age group is of importance you may want to consider this.

That being said, all my neighbors have been truly wonderful people regardless of age, just usually a decade or two older.

I also wish I jumped into the full-time RV lifestyle earlier as I have saved a good chunk of change over the past couple years.

[Rlaubert]

I have two articles on RV vs Apt living. They are available online at ezinearticles.com Search for my name as author or email me and I will send them to you.

[Golden_HVAC]

Safari is a wonderful brand of RV, and most are really well built, expensive units. However those are the diesel pushers, or the gas powered Treks on the John Deere chassis with a 460" gas engine.

The John Deere chassis has several problems of it's own, so I would not recommend one of those either.

The 3.9L Izusu is a wonderful city delivery truck, and will see many hundreds of miles before failure. However it would be considered underpowered for a 12,000 pound RV, with only about 140 HP. If you don't mind the low power, it can work out fine. Slow but fine.

Also the RV is only about 90" wide on the outside, so about 88" on the inside. Many new RV's are 102" wide on the outside, and 100" wide on the inside, or about a full foot wider. This makes them feel so much larger. And most now come with slide outs. Not to say it would not make a great full time unit, but combine that with living in a area that goes way below 10F, and the low power, small interior size, and other "Minor" problems, they all add up to something that you will not enjoy living in during a cold winter storm, where the water filler will freeze solid, you can not drain the tanks for a couple weeks, ect.

If you wanted to live in a area that was always over 10F, then it might work well. If you can stand being in a space that is about the size of your current bedroom, for all your living, cooking, bathroom, ect.

By the way, I have lived in a 30' Bounder, 102" wide, gas 460" power on a Ford chassis (much improved over the John Deere chassis.) I lived in it for 7 years. The first two, I was traveling around the country, then 4 years parked in a RV park (9 months) and then on a ranch (4 more years).

It never really seemed to small for me, but I also could not bring a date back to the RV. I had to live with a minimal amount of stuff, it all had to fit in the RV when I moved from one area to another. I had a subscription to Direct TV, and did not mind being alone for months at a time. I could camp for 3 weeks in one location (rent free) and take a daily shower, still not be bored, go sightseeing, bring home 2 each 7.5 gallon containers of water, and refill my 100 gallon tank, so I only needed to go to campgrounds every 3 weeks or so.

I have a 415 watt solar system, with a 1,500 watt inverter, but mainly use the 300 watt inverter to convert the 12 VDC into 120 VAC to run the TV, VCR, DVD, charge the laptop, ect.

The refrigerator runs on propane. My 18 gallon tank lasts for about 6 weeks when running the furnace a little bit, run the refrigerator, and water heater only when needed. It would last about 3 months of summer between refills, due to needing to heat the water less, and not running the furnace as much.

The typical RV uses 35 AH daily, and that can be made up with a 120 watt solar panel, they put out about 7 amps, X 5 hours, and you get 35 AH put back each day. (taking into consideration that the sun is not noon bright all day long, and you get about 5 hours worth at the maximum rated input on a good sunny day.) Higher elevations and cooler temps increase the solar panel output, while at the same time increase the need to run the high amp draw furnace.

To heat my RV in the winter, I mainly used my Olympic catalytic heater. It does not produce much CO gas, while heating the RV without using any 12 volt power. It is a glowing red flame, and you need to leave a window open a little bit.

Anyway feel free to ask more questions. I am sure that someone will answer them.

Escapees.com is a group that owns a few campgrounds, and also has a mail forwarding service. Started by a couple that full timed in a RV while her husband worked as a electrician in various states across the country.

I guess my next piece of advice is to discourage you as much as possible. However if you are determined to give it a try, despite me saying it is not for everyone, you might be the type willing to full time in a RV. Please consider moving out of Colorado, at least in the winter.

Fred.

[VoodooMedicineM]

Good Luck!

[Eycom]

misshaberdasher wrote:
I've recently found a 1996 Safari Trek Pathmaker diesel for sale at about 15k, and I was hoping to get it before someone else does.

WHOA, Nelly!!

misshaberdasher wrote:
1. It's just going to be me and my cat. What are camping grounds or RV places like, as far as people go (of course, this is different with every region but for the most part - are people generally friendly?) Campers at an RV park are a composite of personalities you'd find across the land. You'll generally find that which you seek.
2. Does cost almost balance out when comparing RVing full time and apartment living? Depending on a number of factors, it can. With a RV, you have something tangable for your expense other than rent receipts. However, you will have maintenance and eventually, replacement costs. Further, your selection of campgrounds and your length of stay will be determining factors in your costs. Generally, Government parks offer better daily rates for short term camping of 7 to 14 days. Private parks that remain open year 'round offer monthly rates that are reasonable relative to their location and amenities. When considering costs, popular areas are best visited during their "shoulder" season.
3. What should I look for in an RV? I live by mountains, so, winterizing for sure... what else is there? If occupying a RV in extreme weather, I'd want a 4 season unit. Traveling on business, I've used mine in the N.E. winters when campgrounds are closed. Although my excursions have been in the neighborhood of a week to ten days at a time, the trips wouldn't have been possible without a generator and propane refill stations. Conservatively, I need between 4 and 5 gals. of water per day to live, look good, and smell good. A winterized RV wouldn't cut it.
4. What questions/answers should I be asking/expecting at any time I look at an RV? Things to look out for as far as performance, durability, etc. Will the RV meet my needs in the manner in which I intend to use it?
4. Any general words of advice for me? First, your commitment to a job in one location negates one of the big advantages of full time living, ie. freedom to travel/follow the sun, in a RV. Secondly, you'll need to research the local area for parks that are open year 'round and can provide you with electric, water, and sewer. Thirdly, purchase a camper that will meet your day-to-day living needs. Good luck.

[misshaberdasher]

Golden_HVAC wrote:
The Trek, is that the one on a 3.9L Izusu engine, with a overall width of only 90"? That Safari is about bottom of Safari line, so $15,000 might be a bit high for that RV. I am pretty sure it is a front engine diesel, so be sure you can put up with the engine noise while driving.

Do you plan on towing a car to commute back and forth to work? there are many cars that can be towed 4 wheels down.

Always remember that the RV is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it. If they really wanted to get say $12,000, they will not ask - advertize it at $12,000, they will ask for $15,000 or $18,000. You can offer something like $10,000, and once you offer that much, you can not go lower amount, (unless you find a mechanical problem during a inspection.) So find out the low and high bluebook values before making a offer, and always make the offer contingent on the RV passing a mechanical inspection.

The RV inspection should include test firing the water heater, refrigerator, other things in the RV, testing all the lights, microwave, generator, and other items.

Check the motorhome performance. See if the fuel filter has any water in it. How full is the fuel tank? A tank left 1/2 full or less for more than a year can collect water vapor in it, and absorb a lot of water, contaminating the fuel.

Has the RV been stored for a long time? That can result in bad fuel, leaking seals, ect.

Trek is one of the better RV's to full time in where it can reach 10F overnight. I don't know if anyone really wants to camp in -10F weather to much.. The insulation is not so good. You might want to consider moving to New Mexico, Arizona, or some other warm location in the winter.

Also consider most Colorado campgrounds are closed before the temps stay at 30F in the daytime, and usually will not open until April or May, when it is possible to refill all the water lines without them freezing and breaking.

If you plan on saving money, then consider dry camping a lot more. With a couple large 100 - 150 watt solar panels, and a small 120 volt inverter (100 - 300 watt range for about $45) you can keep the battery full without running the generator a lot. If it runs on LP gas, it can go through a lot quickly.

Lucky you, Colorado gets great sun, especially once above 5,000' elevation, the sun is much brighter.

SunElec.com

Fred.

Wonderful information, thank you!!

[misshaberdasher]

MiPaJacks wrote:
Please SLOW DOWN!
It will take you a year of reading on here to be informed enough not to make a mistake.
Then go for it.

Realistically, I'm still on a lease for another 7 months. I was planning on staying for my full lease and renting for a month or few (though that looks crazy expensive from a single quote I got... I'll have to make a few calls) but when I saw an RV in my price range, I got pretty excited, ha. I'll take your advice!!!

[BarbaraOK]

To live year round in an RV is not easy to do, especially in Colorado. In fact in a lot of states parks aren't open in the winter.

You are sure, at 24, that you are never going to meet someone who will become your life partner?

If you want to get away for the weekends, start with a tent. Great areas with dispersed camping in the Colorado mountains. Then look at a popup trailer that your current car can pull if you don't want to sleep on the ground.

Now if your job took you to areas where you could easily live in an RV year round (coasts, southern states) then go for it.

Barb

[mockturtle]

If you live in Colorado, it may be impractical to full time. Yes, you can winterize your RV but you won't be able to use the water systems. If you live in an RV park you can use their facilities but it might get a little bit inconvenient.

[RoadLife]

You will not want a front diesel. Hot and noisy. My take is keep looking. I would hesitate about wintering in Colorado in an RV but am sure folks do it. That was good advice about going to the RV parks and talk to folks. THey can give you good advice about winterizing and which rvs have good insulation. And yes, folks are generally friendly.

[MiPaJacks]

Please SLOW DOWN!
It will take you a year of reading on here to be informed enough not to make a mistake.
Then go for it.

[Dutch_12078]

As far as campground users go, after many years of RV'ing I've determined that all campgrounds have a ratio of about 10 really nice people to one grump that complains about anything and everything to anyone that will listen. Just avoid the grump and you'll be fine... :B