Looking for advice

[Flyingme22]

I’ve been doing some research into becoming a full time RVer and am looking for some advice. We love the idea of a tiny home but don’t own land and it seems to be more expensive. My spouse and I looking into moving to Florida (for a job) and moving into an RV for a couple years. Wondering what you all think are some affordable and reliable models for beginners. We don’t need a ton of space, the main things we need are a comfortable bed and good bathroom setup. We are looking to spend under 30k. Also, what are some other things you come across when you first started that a newbie may not consider? Any advice will help. Thanks

[CALandLIN]

We lived in FL off and on for 23 years. When we started our retirement venture into full time RVing we found a whole new Florida. We were constantly on the move for a little more than 5 years and wintered in FL two months at a time three times.

Florida is saturated with RV Parks & CGs. Many of the well established larger ones cater to seasonal & full time residents. And snow birds, with rigs they take home with them in the summer time.

Some parks have an abundance of residential units that are park models. They are often for sale and worth looking at, as many are well maintained and appointed.

If you plan on traveling in your RV someday you’ll want one that will require a tow vehicle one ton or less. If you’ll have visitors regularly many of the new travel trailers and 5th wheels have comfortable bunk rooms and a 2nd bath.

Florida has an abundance of 55+ senior designated RV Parks and CGs. Their amenities are tailored to that age group. Young visitors are normally restricted to 30 days or less visits.

[Lwiddis]

I wouldn’t advise going from no RVing to fulltime RVing without “testing” the life style. Rent an RV for a week.

[agesilaus]

Yeah look at monthly rates for RV parks in the area you are interested in. Expect sticker shock south of I-4. Rates will skyrocket during the 'season' which runs from Thanksgiving to late spring every year. Florida is packed with RV Sales lots. You can pick up a good deal in a used Travel Trailer especially if you don't not plan to move it once you get it placed.

But I strongly suggest looking at RV Bathroom facilities, they may not meet your definition of a "good bathroom"

And lastly Craigslist for the area you are interested in will probably have very good deals mixed with over priced units by folks with a poor grasp of the market.

[wanderingaimles]

If you know what area your looking at relocating to, research the campgrounds in the area for information on rates and look closely at them and any reviews you can find. Remember you are not just looking at buying the RV and truck, you also have to have somewhere to park it, and then you add utilities.
There are a lot of really nice rv parks in Florida, but a lot of the ones where people live long term are restrictive in different ways, some only accept folks above a certain age. Some place age restrictions on the RV, and the ones that have no restrictions can become run down quickly.
If you don't already have a park in mind, I'd research that before jumping in with a camper.

If you are still of a mind to continue, go to an RV show or a dealer, start by asking about units around 30' For something to be comfortable in full time you will likely want to be in that range, maybe a little more.
For Florida, you will want a well insulated unit with at least a 15k btuh AC unit. and preferably a second AC.

There are quite a few folks in here from Florida, mentioning what area and what amenities in the park you want may net you a lot of local knowledge.

[the_bear_II]

The least expensive RV would be either a Travel Trailer (TT) or Fifth Wheel Trailer (5th Wheel or Fiver). You can find well cared for used units on RVTrader.com, Craigslist or Facebook marketplace for reasonable prices. If you don't plan on moving from one RV park to another often you can hire an RV transport driver to place the unit on your site at an RV park or campground.

New RV'ers tend to choose smaller units because they are often intimidated by the size and ability to tow such a large RV. I always advise to buy the largest unit you can afford because if towing you will become comfortable with the size after just a few trips. My thinking is I would rather be cooped up in a 30 plus foot RV versus a 25 foot or less RV if the weather is so bad you are stuck inside for several days (think hurricane Dorian). Cabin fever kicks in very quickly.

30K will get you a very nice used TT or Fiver plus a truck if you will be towing it from RV park to RV park.

[ependydad]

I have a coupe of posts that may be helpful for you:

#1 - Camping is fun! Why not go fulltime?
#2 - How much does fulltiming cost?

Most any trailer can work, especially if you're going to be stationary. If you're going to travel with it, watch the cargo carrying capacity. I've overloaded a trailer and buckled the frame and it wasn't fun. Not one bit.

Picking a trailer- make a list of "must haves", "want to haves", and "must NOT haves" and work through that list as you shop around.

Your vehicle for towing it will come into play unless you have it delivered directly to your campsite in Florida.