New Guy, Basic Questions on Full Time Cost

[openroad39]

Just wanted to see if anybody has any advice for living full time in a Fifth Wheel or TT? I am seriously considering it, but not sure about the repairs involved, electricity, costs, etc. I am willing to learn. What concerns me is that the costs for a few RV parks that I have checked where I live that are not a complete dump cost at least $400 a month (I currently pay $800 for my studio apt, not including electricity). When you consider that, and the cost of the Trailer itself plus future repairs, its really not that much cheaper than an apartment.

I have also looked into just laying a trailer down on land in the country, either renting space from somebody or buying land myself (boondocking?), but unsure about land-use regulations for that. Thank you.

I also plan on buying a nice truck in the next year, possibly a Silverado or Tundra, something that is great for towing and also allows me to do some landscaping.

[C-Bears]

Dog Folks wrote:
Simply put without fancy spread sheets or accountants: When we had a 1600 square foot house it cost $4,000.00 a month for everything.

Full time in our travel trailer, and traveling: $2,000.00 a month.

Deprecation does not enter the equation as we will not be selling or trading our unit. We will be in it until we die.

Houses do not ALWAYS appreciate.

30 days after we sold ours, and the real estate bubble burst, the house DEPRECIATED $163,000. !!!!!

Very good point on the real estate market. We were in our last house for 10 years. We only made $60,000 appreciation when we sold, but did we after paying almost 100,000 in interest over a 10 year period?

I am not an accountant, but couldn't you be better off if you could save $25,000 a year for 10 years and then just go pay cash for a $250,000 house?

We are on pace right now to add an average of $30,000 to $35,000 a year to our savings account. We sure couldn't do that when we were Homeowners and living the American Dream!

[openroad39]

amandasgramma wrote:
We're in a VERY nice RV park in Salem, Oregon --- we're paying $379.00 a month. If we were to be staying more than the month, then electricity would be included. Let's say you have to pay another $100. a month for electricity. If you travel short distances and go from one area to another, then it's NOT all that expensive. If you're still working, then the RV IS cheaper. There are a # of full-timers in this section of the RV that are still working. The problem lies in having an RV that is not more than 10 yrs old (or 15 at this park). 🙂

As for land use rules. We lived outside of Bend. My SIL was considering buying a lot in the same subdivision we lived in. Found out the county would only allow someone to live in a trailer on their land for 30 days....then she'd have to pull the trailer out for a week, then go back to her land. If she bought a "building permit", it was $800 the first year and $20. every year after. They admitted they don't go out and check on whether you are really building. 🙂 EVERY county is different on the rules...and definitely EVERY state is different.

I sent you a PM on Central Oregon

[openroad39]

hitchup wrote:
I can't stand living in apartment complexes. Would rather live in a MH Park in our RV any day of the week. Neighbors are quieter and have more windows to see the views instead of a parking lot.

We stay 4-7 mos in one spot. Recent long-term sites, since last year -$400 a mo plus elec in NC, $500 a mo elec included in MN, $350 plus elec in KS and $400 elec included until Nov. 1 when it went up to $450 in IN. Many CG's drop in the Winter, but this place assumes you use electric heaters.

Thank you this is the kind of info I am looking for. When an RV park includes electric, what is typically the allotment per space?

That was great info on prices in the midwest/upper south, what about Phoenix, Southern Cal, Deep South/Arkansas?

[Dog_Folks]

Simply put without fancy spread sheets or accountants: When we had a 1600 square foot house it cost $4,000.00 a month for everything.

Full time in our travel trailer, and traveling: $2,000.00 a month.

Deprecation does not enter the equation as we will not be selling or trading our unit. We will be in it until we die.

Houses do not ALWAYS appreciate.

30 days after we sold ours, and the real estate bubble burst, the house DEPRECIATED $163,000. !!!!!

[C-Bears]

Here is how I break it down in my mind. We are spending 5 months every winter in Florida. The rest of the time we are traveling around the U.S. We have traveled through about 24 or 25 states so far.

Since the house associated expenses we used to pay are pretty much covering our annual lot rents, then we are paying for maintenance on our 5th wheel and truck. Everything stayed about the same, food, insurance, etc.

However, we are traveling and seeing everything we ever wanted to see, plus spending every winter in warm temps.

Now if we were not full timing in our RV, still had the house, and were traveling all the time plus spending 5 months in Florida, we would be spending a fortune!

[Chrisatthebeach]

I did it for 4+ years for work relocations. 3 years in northern Kentucky through some of the worst winters and snows, 1 1/2 years in coastal SC which was wonderful and that is where we are for good.
I could have done the 3 years in KY in an apartment for not much more than campground fees, however the apartments in that range were not luxury, not necessarily crime ridden, just not anywhere scenic to walk around or be able to campfire or grill out. Same with getting back home for the time before we sold the house and moved to the new one, no apartments near the water that were affordable, and the campground I found worked out to about 13.00 per day including electricity, water, 68 channels of cable and wi-fi.
Every experience and location is different, you just have to do your research and decide for yourself.
My costs ranged from 450.00 per month for water-electric-sewer, no cable, no wi-fi and I bought the propane for the cold of the KY winters, to the low of 325.00 per month in SC for water-sewer-cable-wi-fi, and an average electric bill of 35.00 per month and a warm enough winter that I hardly used any propane.
My trailer and truck both were/are paid for as well. If you go out and purchase brand new truck and trailer, by the time you figure payments, taxes, and insurance on those along with fees you can get buy a house for less.

[arhayes]

Don't get into Full Timing to save money because you will not. FTing is about enjoying the lifestyle and the ability to change locales when YOU decide, but you ARE going to pay for it!

[hitchup]

I can't stand living in apartment complexes. Would rather live in a MH Park in our RV any day of the week. Neighbors are quieter and have more windows to see the views instead of a parking lot.

We stay 4-7 mos in one spot. Recent long-term sites, since last year -$400 a mo plus elec in NC, $500 a mo elec included in MN, $350 plus elec in KS and $400 elec included until Nov. 1 when it went up to $450 in IN. Many CG's drop in the Winter, but this place assumes you use electric heaters.

[Jayco-noslide]

It could be cheaper but only if you are going to have the RV anyway and look for ways to reduce rent and fuel costs, such as staying put and using public and low cost campgrounds. Many forget or ignore the long term costs of depreciation of the RV instead of appreciation of a home or neutral cost of an apartment.

[C-Bears]

Mandalay Parr wrote:
Who ever said it was cheaper?
Costs me the same as living in a house.

Our house was worth twice as much as our fiver and truck put together. The taxes, utilities, and insurance for the house is about the same as what we spend per year on lot rent, and we travel a lot.

So, depending on how you look at it, full timing in an RV could be much cheaper than living in a house.

[amandasgramma]

We're in a VERY nice RV park in Salem, Oregon --- we're paying $379.00 a month. If we were to be staying more than the month, then electricity would be included. Let's say you have to pay another $100. a month for electricity. If you travel short distances and go from one area to another, then it's NOT all that expensive. If you're still working, then the RV IS cheaper. There are a # of full-timers in this section of the RV that are still working. The problem lies in having an RV that is not more than 10 yrs old (or 15 at this park). 🙂

As for land use rules. We lived outside of Bend. My SIL was considering buying a lot in the same subdivision we lived in. Found out the county would only allow someone to live in a trailer on their land for 30 days....then she'd have to pull the trailer out for a week, then go back to her land. If she bought a "building permit", it was $800 the first year and $20. every year after. They admitted they don't go out and check on whether you are really building. 🙂 EVERY county is different on the rules...and definitely EVERY state is different.

[valhalla360]

As others have said, compared to an inexpensive apartment, it's not going to be cheaper.

Now if you compare it to a nice $250k house, it probably is cheaper but at the cost of space and amenities.

Full time makes sense if you want or need to travel.

[beemerphile1]

openroad39 wrote:
Just wanted to see if anybody has any advice for living full time in a Fifth Wheel or TT? I am seriously considering it, but not sure about the repairs involved, electricity, costs, etc. I am willing to learn. What concerns me is that the costs for a few RV parks that I have checked where I live that are not a complete dump cost at least $400 a month (I currently pay $800 for my studio apt, not including electricity). When you consider that, and the cost of the Trailer itself plus future repairs, its really not that much cheaper than an apartment.

Correct, in fact the RV will probably be more expensive.

openroad39 wrote:
I have also looked into just laying a trailer down on land in the country, either renting space from somebody or buying land myself (boondocking?), but unsure about land-use regulations for that. Thank you.

I also plan on buying a nice truck in the next year, possibly a Silverado or Tundra, something that is great for towing and also allows me to do some landscaping.

RVing is really a chosen lifestyle, not a money saving way of life.

The only way it will save you money is to buy a cheap/old RV and park it on family or friends land for free/cheap.

[Old-Biscuit]

Mandalay Parr wrote:
Who ever said it was cheaper?
Costs me the same as living in a house.

Bingo!

Full Time RVng is about the lifestyle.

[Mandalay_Parr]

Who ever said it was cheaper?
Costs me the same as living in a house.