Living in an RV Park?

[ASLnuts]

Hi there!

Not sure where to post this or even if it's the right forum/website to bring it up but -

I'm considering living full-time in an RV park. Not one "out on the road" but rather just an RV park near where I work. Does anyone or has anyone done this before? If so, I'd love to pick your brains and ask questions about what to expect, what kind of travel trailer would be best for my needs, what I should watch out for, and any other helpful information you can share.

I would GREATLY appreciate it. Thanks so much!

[valhalla360]

Done smartly, living in an RV can be relatively cheap, though a cheap apartment can compete in many areas.

Most long term sites have you paying for electricity and you have to pay for your propane.
- 6 months summer in Michigan our bill totaled $176. Texas summer would be higher but probably not more than double.
- In winter, you will probably go thru a 30lb tank of propane every couple weeks unless you hit a cold snap in which case you will burn propane faster. In -5F, we've gone thru a tank a day but in 15F, it might be a week. Hard to say exactly as how much you open the doors, thermostat setting and wind can significantly affect it.

If you are on a budget, don't worry too much about 4 season. It's nice but not critical. Unless you go big (probably not an option on a budget) a standard air/con should handle the heat OK.

10yr rule has nothing to do with durability of trailers. It's just a way they can screen out old beat up units. If the trailer looks nice, they forget to ask the age. If it looks bad, they ask the age and then tell you it's a rule.

$5k is realistic but you will have to shop around and really check out things before buying. That should get you something in the 25-30' range about 10yrs old. Biggest thing to look for is water damage. After that make the plug it in and run every appliance and plug into every outlet. If that all turns out good, you are probably fine.

[Chainwright]

ASLnuts wrote:

DownTheAvenue wrote:
The first thing to consider is the weather. Extremes, hot and cold, as well as severe weather can create difficult obstacles. Secondly, it is not cheap living. RVs are not designed for full time living, so utility costs will be greater, and routine tasks such as laundry, using a coin laundromat, becomes expensive and a burden.

You mention that it's not cheap living. other than electricity and space rent, what other costs/expenses do I need to be worried about?

Roughly how much would utilities cost?

This is in Texas, so the weather will basically be hot during the summers and some cold days during the winter.

At the end of the day if your:
RV Utilities+Vehicle registration(taxes)+inspection +Insurance+ Yearly avg Maintenance cost+Camp Ground Pad rental
EXCEED
what you would pay in Annual Property Taxes+1 yr of Utilities+Home Insurance+ (Swimming pool maintenance,HOA fees, Apartment Building Maintenance fees) in your Original Stationary home neighborhood, then you know you're not better off than before.

For many Texans the RV life is the way to go because Tx has the 3rd highest Property Taxes in the nation. In San Antonio living in a 200K home cost you 5.5K property taxes. If you have a 500K home you're paying 14K a yr. And some of those 500K homes are definitely not breath taking mansions. Do your calculations. You'll do ok.

[HTElectrical]

ASLnuts wrote:
At the high end, (no fancier) maybe something like this:

https://austin.craigslist.org/rvs/d/2004-sunnybrook-bumper-pull/6288177419.html

That trailer has a rebuilt title, so be wary, you do not know what damage occurred to cause it to be totaled.

[SDcampowneroper]

ASLnuts wrote:
Thanks for the reply.

The place I'm thinking about staying in is this one:

http://www.sunnyhillrvpark.com/index.html

Definitely not fancy at all - they barely have a website and don't even have email or anything else other than cell phones to contact them.

This particular RV park doesn't say anything about trailer age restrictions but there is one I saw a little farther away that says no older than 10 years. Does that mean that after 10 years trailers start to deteriorate pretty fast?

There's just me, so I don't need a big, fancy trailer. Just something comfortable enough to live in. At the high end, (no fancier) maybe something like this:

https://austin.craigslist.org/rvs/d/2004-sunnybrook-bumper-pull/6288177419.html

I'd love to get something for $5,000 or less (if that's realistic). But basically have no clue as I've never owned a trailer before and am definitely open to any and all pearls of wisdom.

Is there anything I should be looking for when buying a trailer to make sure I don't get taken or buy a lemon?

Important questions that I might need to ask a park owner?

Thanks!

Yes. Not about the unit, but about actual costs. Rv ownership is a depreciating value unit. Couple that to rent, utilities, license, it is likely financially and more comfortabaly wiser to rent an apartment.
Should you be moving around for work every month or 4 in a while, an rv does make good sense. Done it.
Max

[OutdoorPhotogra]

Artic Fox makes one of the best four season TTs but they can be hard to find in TX. You may find one. You never know.

[ASLnuts]

AFChap wrote:
Parks that have a 10 year rule are trying to avoid having old broken down units on the premises. They normally make exceptions based on appearance, but may not be interested in long-term residents. The age of a unit has less to do with how well it holds up than how the owner has cared for it does.

When buying a used unit one of the most important things is checking the ceiling & walls for any evidence of water leaks ...inside cabinets, closets, etc. Water marks, water stains, bubbling wall coverings, soft spots in walls or floor, mold ...all are danger signs. Broken appliances, etc can normally be repaired, but structural problems & water damage can be very difficult or impossible to repair.

The one I'm looking at seems to have a mix of all types of trailers - some newer some older. So I'm guessing it's not an issue there.

I'll definitely look for structural integrity as well as working appliances, etc. I'm not looking to have to replace anything broken. If it isn't in good shape (inside and out) I don't want it.

[ASLnuts]

OutdoorPhotographer wrote:
Ask if the site has it's own electric meter.
Ask about length of stay restrictions.

TX is a big place. Panhandle or SE? Different weather patterns. Any shade?

Do you have a tow vehicle or looking for dealer//friend to tow it to the RV park?

Cheaper travel trailers are not meant for full time. The better trailers are four-season rated and heavier with a correspondingly higher price. You want four season to provide some insulation in summer and winter.

They do have long-term options for people looking to basically live there. This is in central Texas, just north of Austin.

I have a 4-banger truck with a tow limit of 3,500 pounds so will likely have to have a friend tow it for me.

Four-season... good to know. I'll look for that as well.

[AFChap]

Parks that have a 10 year rule are trying to avoid having old broken down units on the premises. They normally make exceptions based on appearance, but may not be interested in long-term residents. The age of a unit has less to do with how well it holds up than how the owner has cared for it does.

When buying a used unit one of the most important things is checking the ceiling & walls for any evidence of water leaks ...inside cabinets, closets, etc. Water marks, water stains, bubbling wall coverings, soft spots in walls or floor, mold ...all are danger signs. Broken appliances, etc can normally be repaired, but structural problems & water damage can be very difficult or impossible to repair.

[OutdoorPhotogra]

Ask if the site has it's own electric meter.
Ask about length of stay restrictions.

TX is a big place. Panhandle or SE? Different weather patterns. Any shade?

Do you have a tow vehicle or looking for dealer//friend to tow it to the RV park?

Cheaper travel trailers are not meant for full time. The better trailers are four-season rated and heavier with a correspondingly higher price. You want four season to provide some insulation in summer and winter.

[ASLnuts]

DownTheAvenue wrote:
The first thing to consider is the weather. Extremes, hot and cold, as well as severe weather can create difficult obstacles. Secondly, it is not cheap living. RVs are not designed for full time living, so utility costs will be greater, and routine tasks such as laundry, using a coin laundromat, becomes expensive and a burden.

You mention that it's not cheap living. other than electricity and space rent, what other costs/expenses do I need to be worried about?

Roughly how much would utilities cost?

This is in Texas, so the weather will basically be hot during the summers and some cold days during the winter.

[ASLnuts]

Thanks for the reply.

The place I'm thinking about staying in is this one:

http://www.sunnyhillrvpark.com/index.html

Definitely not fancy at all - they barely have a website and don't even have email or anything else other than cell phones to contact them.

This particular RV park doesn't say anything about trailer age restrictions but there is one I saw a little farther away that says no older than 10 years. Does that mean that after 10 years trailers start to deteriorate pretty fast?

There's just me, so I don't need a big, fancy trailer. Just something comfortable enough to live in. At the high end, (no fancier) maybe something like this:

https://austin.craigslist.org/rvs/d/2004-sunnybrook-bumper-pull/6288177419.html

I'd love to get something for $5,000 or less (if that's realistic). But basically have no clue as I've never owned a trailer before and am definitely open to any and all pearls of wisdom.

Is there anything I should be looking for when buying a trailer to make sure I don't get taken or buy a lemon?

Important questions that I might need to ask a park owner?

Thanks!

[AFChap]

I suspect there are as many OR MORE people living fulltime in "rv parks" than there are traveling. We see permanent and semi-permanent in almost every park we visit. Many are simply living in whatever trailer they found at the time they needed it. In parks that were created with that in mind, many have what is called a "park model" trailer that is more designed to be kept in one place than it is for traveling.

Which trailer would be best depends on many variables .. climate, and what might be required by the RV park would be primary factors.

[DownTheAvenue]

The first thing to consider is the weather. Extremes, hot and cold, as well as severe weather can create difficult obstacles. Secondly, it is not cheap living. RVs are not designed for full time living, so utility costs will be greater, and routine tasks such as laundry, using a coin laundromat, becomes expensive and a burden.

[Dick_B]

I'd first check to see if they allow that type of arrangement. Not all do.