Start RVing part-time by renting my house

Sell the house and be Done with it. Renting sucks and renters don't give a #### about some one else's prooerty. Sell and be free. This coming from experience. Cost us $45,000 FOR damaged property and lawyer fees to get the bums out, and then even with a court order they had to be thrown out.sell and be done withe house.

can't advise you on the renting part.
re the working on the road part, you can find AT&T or Verizon service along the interstate highways, but once you get away from them or other main state highways, you will find wifi service gets poor or non existent. I'm speaking about the western area of the country.
If you will need it every day, you'll have to pick your rv sites with that in mind.
it shouldn't be a problem.

I own five nightly rentals in Branson, MO. I use VRBO for all my rentals. Most stay 3-7 days and I have had very few problems. Nightly rentals are totally different than monthly rentals. First, you get paid before they get the door code, so you never have to chase rent. Secondly, after they leave the place is cleaned and everything is always in great shape.
Check the other nightly rentals on VRBO in your area. Find similar properties and view their calendar. That will tell you how many nights a year you will rent, and it will give you a good idea about rental rates.
Also with VRBO you can block the calendar to allow you to use your own home when you need to come home.
I have one of my rentals that is my personal preference, so I just rent it in the summer months (full all the time) because Branson is too busy for me in the summer, then I block out spring and fall and use those months for myself, family and friends. The rent from the summer months pays all the expenses for the entire year. For me it's a win-win. Also, I manage the rentals from my home in Oklahoma. I have a cleaning crew and maintenance man that take care of the rentals.
Good luck, nightly rental is way better than monthly rentals. Enjoy your travels.

breeves2245 wrote:
I'm a single Joe, no wife, no kids. So that simplifies things. I've been a landlord for 20 yrs, so renters are not such a scary proposition. This is a location that would attract a mature crowd. Guys on a golf outing, crafters in town, etc. We have a local company that is full service or I can go the DIY route with a VRBO type setup. No intention of full timing, just want to stick my toe in the water and see if I like visiting parks in a camp like setting. Truck camper allows me to easily pull my boat. So fishing and golf would be the main hobbies. Some bike riding as well. I figure I could start in my own state of Arkansas and hit the state parks. Who knows, it may not be for me. I may even give it a go with what I have now, a 2002 Silverado 1500. The payload will not come close to hauling a truck camper. I have a brand new truck tent made for this model that has a custom fitting mattress. May just head out next weekend while the weather allows and see what I think. I can give the laptop connection a test as well.

As I understand, you are not planning to test out for full-time RVing. You want to test RVing in general.

It sounds like you've thought all angles out and I would say your plan would work for you. The biggest issue is your internet plan. For doing work it will be costly unless your company will pay for it. It's amazing the places you can get a connection nowadays. We've been deep in the boonies of mountains and deserts and still received connection. We know of many long-term/full-timers who are very comfortable in a van or truck camper. If you feel you would be then go for it! Not everyone needs lots of space.

Good luck and hope it works for you!

djgarcia wrote:
If the decision to full time in 4 years has been fully discussed and the family is in agreement that this what they all want to do, I would sell the house and use the money to buy the RV rig of your dreams, spending as much as the $$$$$ will provide. I would not start with the idea of buying an entry level RV with the intent of buying/trading in for a bigger unit in the future. You might get lucky with renters for 4 years or it could be a nightmare for 4 years!!!!!!! In either case you have already made your decision to live in an RV after retirement.:):)

I agree with dj, IF you've already decided to go full time, I'd unload the S&B and the head aches of it along with it, worry, upkeep, & TAXES, nothing to tie you down, get out & enjoy your new life & don't look back.

midnightsadie wrote:
your going to open a real can of worms renting short term, the people just don,t care what they do to your house, like this, two nice young people stop at the rental office sign for a three month lease, AND PARTY EVERY NIGHT with there bike gang.

While there are a few extreme exceptions most renters are actually good people. I own/manage eleven rentals and it has been a good business. Have seen some raise their kids and welcome grand children paying rent the whole way. There are plenty that just want to live a quiet life and not worry about the big expenses and who to hire or how to fix stuff.

To the OP: if you will be travelling for extended periods I recommend you hire a professional manager. Keep in mind the rent is not immediate spending money as there are a multitude of expenses.

I'm a single Joe, no wife, no kids. So that simplifies things. I've been a landlord for 20 yrs, so renters are not such a scary proposition. This is a location that would attract a mature crowd. Guys on a golf outing, crafters in town, etc. We have a local company that is full service or I can go the DIY route with a VRBO type setup. No intention of full timing, just want to stick my toe in the water and see if I like visiting parks in a camp like setting. Truck camper allows me to easily pull my boat. So fishing and golf would be the main hobbies. Some bike riding as well. I figure I could start in my own state of Arkansas and hit the state parks. Who knows, it may not be for me. I may even give it a go with what I have now, a 2002 Silverado 1500. The payload will not come close to hauling a truck camper. I have a brand new truck tent made for this model that has a custom fitting mattress. May just head out next weekend while the weather allows and see what I think. I can give the laptop connection a test as well.

monkey44 wrote:


What makes you say "Truck Camper" won't work for more than a few days. Ten or so years ago, I spent almost two years in mine - between marriages - and had a great time. Traveled all over the USA and Canada, and worked on the road as well (One person, you say? No issue). Even now, Genie and I spend months at a time in our truck camper from Florida to the SW and NW every year, come home and wind down, and take off for months again. Even when we're home, we take shorter trips, few weeks. So, a TC is not unreasonable - we have 4x4, of course, so we can go pretty much anywhere we want.

Reading the OPs post instead of disagreeing with me you will see that the OP will be working on the road. To me that means he will want space to spread out books,manuals, or other paper work necessary for his job. Campers, no matter how big they are just dont seem to lend themselves to doing a lot of work. Maybe Im missing something here, but working 40 hours a week also seems to indicate he will need reliable wifi and cell phone. Both of which might not be available places like truck camper people tend to go. I agree with you, a person could live in 100SQFT for extended time, but why when for the same money he could live in 300SQFT?
Assuming the OP is considering a new truck camper for a minute, lets look at costs. A truck camper in the 8-1/2 to 9 foot range will cost him around $40K for 72 SQFT. A 25 foot TT will cost him around $30K for around 200SQFT. The camper will have very limited closet and storage space and no dedicated desk space. A 25 foot TT can have a decent closet, a bed he does not have to crawl into, a decent bath room and possibly a dedicated area for an office. That is my reasons for my post.

donn0128 wrote:
Truck camper? Great for getting off the beaten path, or towing a boat/atv behind, but really lousy for living in long term. Or even for more than a weekend. Remember, wifi is likely not going to be available in the woods. So why not get yourself a decent sized trailer and go. As for the house? I would not short term rent it. Unless you contract with a service and they take care of everything including repairs, you could wind up on the hook for thousands in repairs. Long term rental? Maybe, but then your stuck without the use of your house.

What makes you say "Truck Camper" won't work for more than a few days. Ten or so years ago, I spent almost two years in mine - between marriages - and had a great time. Traveled all over the USA and Canada, and worked on the road as well (One person, you say? No issue). Even now, Genie and I spend months at a time in our truck camper from Florida to the SW and NW every year, come home and wind down, and take off for months again. Even when we're home, we take shorter trips, few weeks. So, a TC is not unreasonable - we have 4x4, of course, so we can go pretty much anywhere we want.

Truck camper? Great for getting off the beaten path, or towing a boat/atv behind, but really lousy for living in long term. Or even for more than a weekend. Remember, wifi is likely not going to be available in the woods. So why not get yourself a decent sized trailer and go. As for the house? I would not short term rent it. Unless you contract with a service and they take care of everything including repairs, you could wind up on the hook for thousands in repairs. Long term rental? Maybe, but then your stuck without the use of your house.