Full time in a parked RV in Alaska

[TexanAlaskan]

Hey! Completely new to this, so bear with me. I'm from Texas and got to Alaska about a month ago. This started off as just a fantasy, but then I got to thinking, could I really do it?
The town I'm moving to is Girdwood, Alaska. Basically any housing here is either: a huge, expensive vacation rental home, or (very few) apartments, which are both more than I need.
The "fantasy" is to get an rv (something small, like a winnebago brave), find someone with hookups who would let me rent a parking spot, and never drive or move it. Because it's so common to have dry cabins in Alaska, there are showers in town, so I'd rarely use water. The main thing would be heat.
I feel like it's a little ridiculous, right? I really know absolutely nothing about RVs whatsoever. I just figured, hey, if I find out there may possibly be a way to do it, and I can find someone who does know what they're doing to help, then hey, I'll definitely try, lol. I have the money.

[GordonThree]

BobsYourUncle wrote:
One thing you can do if it gets to something around minus 44F, is you can carry propane in a bucket! Colder than that it remains a liquid.

Not sure I'd want to try it though. Nasty stuff if you make a slight misjudgement! :B

Another useless piece of information that none of us will use....

should work as Long as you're at sea level. as elevation increases the freezing point will decrease further due to a drop in atmospheric pressure. might need to visit Wyoming and their -60F temps to be on the safe side.

[BobsYourUncle]

One thing you can do if it gets to something around minus 44F, is you can carry propane in a bucket! Colder than that it remains a liquid.

Not sure I'd want to try it though. Nasty stuff if you make a slight misjudgement! :B

Another useless piece of information that none of us will use....

[GordonThree]

WyoTraveler wrote:

GordonThree wrote:
A lot of folks equate Alaska with Antarctica, having been only to Alaska, it was nothing like what I imagen Antarctica to be.

Hey, we don't want more people moving to WY either. We tell them it gets 60 below.:B

Same for Northern Michigan, at least 9 months of weather and cold enough to freeze gasoline 🙂

[WyoTraveler]

GordonThree wrote:
A lot of folks equate Alaska with Antarctica, having been only to Alaska, it was nothing like what I imagen Antarctica to be.

Hey, we don't want more people moving to WY either. We tell them it gets 60 below.:B

[Geocritter]

Okay, the way I see it, if the OP’s simply looking for an adventurous experience then he should go for it and he’s already been given several threads to follow that will assist him in his adventure. However, if his plan is to save money he’d probably end up money ahead by renting a small well-insulated apartment or cabin.

As for adventurous experiences, my mother was born in 1905 and grew up on a potato farm in Wendell ID in an uninsulated house with no electricity, central heat or indoor plumbing. She and her brother and sister all piled on to a single horse and rode it to school every day. Perhaps I’m a bit crazy but I’ve often wanted to go to Alaska and spend a year in a dry cabin simply to experience some of the life my mother grew up with as a child.

Steve

[Bumpyroad]

GordonThree wrote:

BobsYourUncle wrote:
Anything is doable with the right attitude and approach.

I was FT for 14 months in Calgary Alberta in a 3 season TT. 2 winters.
Coldest temperatures I lived in were minus 34C (-30F)

While not the coldest on the planet, it's cold enough to require considerable thought and planning to survive.

I love and thrive on challenges, especially when some nimrod tells me I can't do it.

I used all my plumbing including the exposed 3 season waste tanks. I showered, used the potty and everything else.
Yeah my waste tanks froze up. Yes I had pipes freeze. But I am one seriously determined guy and do believe that I can achieve anything I set my mind to. Sometimes it's just to prove some negative doomsayers wrong but hey, that's just me!

I have a large radiant heater and when I needed to dump my tanks I laid the thing underneath for half a day and then dumped. A bit of work, yes but when you make up your mind to do something, you do whatever it takes.

Keeping the thing warm? Well, I gobbled up a pile of propane but I kept warm. Furnace was working overtime. Fan motor quit one day. I had to tear it apart and fix it in about minus 20. Not fun. But I made it work.
Fridge died on me. Too cold to run it. I bought a small bar fridge and parked it on the sofa.
See Pianotuna's excellent information on winter camping. He has done an awesome job of compiling winter tips.
When you are determined you will do anything to keep going.

Then there were things like tearing my frozen sheets off the bedroom wall. Having my laundry frozen to the wall inside the cabinet. Yank yank yank, rrrrrip that sock off the wall. Can't reposition my pillow, it's frozen to the wall. Don't sleep too close to the wall. You may have to extract yourself from your pj's to get up for a pee at 4AM. No water in the kitchen again, pipes frozen. Lay on my side for half an hour with the heat gun for the 13th time this month. Heat gun on the dump pipes. Such fun! Carpet runners all over the floor so I don't get frostbite on my feet.

Would I do it again? Yup! You bet I would! It was one of the best experiences of my camping life! I loved it!

Hey anything is doable!

What price are you willing to pay? How bad do you want to do it?

Excellent post, thumbs up!

Lots of negativity and nay-saying on this site - Is it easier to say "no can do" than "go for it"?

the OP said that he had the money. does he really want to put up with this nonsense full time to save a little of it?
bumpy

[2lazy4U]

Go for it! There's a guy living in the Yukon in his old van using wood for heat. He piles straw bales all around it. Has a blog. Doing fine.

[mockturtle]

As the OP admittedly has no knowledge of RVs and was posing a question about the viability of his idea, some of us answered in the most logical way we could. Negativity isn't always a bad thing. Sometimes it's the truth.

[GordonThree]

BobsYourUncle wrote:
Anything is doable with the right attitude and approach.

I was FT for 14 months in Calgary Alberta in a 3 season TT. 2 winters.
Coldest temperatures I lived in were minus 34C (-30F)

While not the coldest on the planet, it's cold enough to require considerable thought and planning to survive.

I love and thrive on challenges, especially when some nimrod tells me I can't do it.

I used all my plumbing including the exposed 3 season waste tanks. I showered, used the potty and everything else.
Yeah my waste tanks froze up. Yes I had pipes freeze. But I am one seriously determined guy and do believe that I can achieve anything I set my mind to. Sometimes it's just to prove some negative doomsayers wrong but hey, that's just me!

I have a large radiant heater and when I needed to dump my tanks I laid the thing underneath for half a day and then dumped. A bit of work, yes but when you make up your mind to do something, you do whatever it takes.

Keeping the thing warm? Well, I gobbled up a pile of propane but I kept warm. Furnace was working overtime. Fan motor quit one day. I had to tear it apart and fix it in about minus 20. Not fun. But I made it work.
Fridge died on me. Too cold to run it. I bought a small bar fridge and parked it on the sofa.
See Pianotuna's excellent information on winter camping. He has done an awesome job of compiling winter tips.
When you are determined you will do anything to keep going.

Then there were things like tearing my frozen sheets off the bedroom wall. Having my laundry frozen to the wall inside the cabinet. Yank yank yank, rrrrrip that sock off the wall. Can't reposition my pillow, it's frozen to the wall. Don't sleep too close to the wall. You may have to extract yourself from your pj's to get up for a pee at 4AM. No water in the kitchen again, pipes frozen. Lay on my side for half an hour with the heat gun for the 13th time this month. Heat gun on the dump pipes. Such fun! Carpet runners all over the floor so I don't get frostbite on my feet.

Would I do it again? Yup! You bet I would! It was one of the best experiences of my camping life! I loved it!

Hey anything is doable!

What price are you willing to pay? How bad do you want to do it?

Excellent post, thumbs up!

Lots of negativity and nay-saying on this site - Is it easier to say "no can do" than "go for it"?

[BobsYourUncle]

Anything is doable with the right attitude and approach.

I was FT for 14 months in Calgary Alberta in a 3 season TT. 2 winters.
Coldest temperatures I lived in were minus 34C (-30F)

While not the coldest on the planet, it's cold enough to require considerable thought and planning to survive.

I love and thrive on challenges, especially when some nimrod tells me I can't do it.

I used all my plumbing including the exposed 3 season waste tanks. I showered, used the potty and everything else.
Yeah my waste tanks froze up. Yes I had pipes freeze. But I am one seriously determined guy and do believe that I can achieve anything I set my mind to. Sometimes it's just to prove some negative doomsayers wrong but hey, that's just me!

I have a large radiant heater and when I needed to dump my tanks I laid the thing underneath for half a day and then dumped. A bit of work, yes but when you make up your mind to do something, you do whatever it takes.

Keeping the thing warm? Well, I gobbled up a pile of propane but I kept warm. Furnace was working overtime. Fan motor quit one day. I had to tear it apart and fix it in about minus 20. Not fun. But I made it work.
Fridge died on me. Too cold to run it. I bought a small bar fridge and parked it on the sofa.
See Pianotuna's excellent information on winter camping. He has done an awesome job of compiling winter tips.
When you are determined you will do anything to keep going.

Then there were things like tearing my frozen sheets off the bedroom wall. Having my laundry frozen to the wall inside the cabinet. Yank yank yank, rrrrrip that sock off the wall. Can't reposition my pillow, it's frozen to the wall. Don't sleep too close to the wall. You may have to extract yourself from your pj's to get up for a pee at 4AM. No water in the kitchen again, pipes frozen. Lay on my side for half an hour with the heat gun for the 13th time this month. Heat gun on the dump pipes. Such fun! Carpet runners all over the floor so I don't get frostbite on my feet.

Would I do it again? Yup! You bet I would! It was one of the best experiences of my camping life! I loved it!

Hey anything is doable!

What price are you willing to pay? How bad do you want to do it?

[PastorCharlie]

Wear clothing for the location and use proper sleeping bag at night and it will help with cost of heating. Once one acclimates to the climate things are more comfortable. Purchase an all weather RV.

[The_Texan]

My suggestion, having lived in Alaska while in the service and several northern states in the lower 48, is rent an apartment for the first year and see what you are looking at. Then you will know more about the area, the weather and where you really want to live.

Yes, it is very doable, if you prepare the RV properly, which takes time and knowledge and know what to expect. Also, some RVs are better for this living than others. Don't jump into something that may sour you the first month, when taking it slowly, you will learn to love Alaska, like many of us have.

Good luck.

[ncrowley]

The cost of heating the RV will be considerably higher than a well insulated home or apartment.

[GordonThree]

A lot of folks equate Alaska with Antarctica, having been only to Alaska, it was nothing like what I imagen Antarctica to be.