All ActivityMost RecentMost LikesSolutionsRe: Beginning RVer: Is this Scenario Doable?Thank you for all the good info. My local credit union gave me some grief over having just started a new job (in the same field I've been in for several years--whatever :/) and that my debt-income ratio was too high because of rent, but maybe the dealerships can offer financing that I'll qualify for.Re: Beginning RVer: Is this Scenario Doable? Rice wrote: bsteinagel wrote: I am just beginning my research process into RVing full-time. My plan is to live in Wisconsin half the year and in Arizona during the winter traveling between the two a couple times a year. This isn't related to your question about financing, but since it appears that you are young, you should be aware that in parts of Arizona, it can be tough for people under 55 to find a place to stay for extended periods. In the Phoenix area, the vast majority of RV parks where people snowbird are age-restricted. Those parks are allowed (but not required) to let a limited number of under-55 people stay, but I would assume they're less likely to make an exception for someone who's 50 than someone who's 30. In the whole Phoenix area, among the dozens (hundreds?) of private RV parks, there are only about five that aren't age restricted. I think the ratio is a little better in Tucson, but Tucson doesn't have all that many RV parks--certainly nothing like Phoenix. And some of the big ones are age-restricted. State and regional parks are obviously open to anyone, but they generally have two-week limits, and weekends get reserved way in advance, so it's hard to rely on those without significant planning and reservations in advance. Plus they are usually electric-only, which will be less of a disadvantage if you have to leave after 14 days anyway, but still something to take into account. And age is not an issue if you're planning to boondock on BLM land, but that presents a whole other slate of issues. Just throwing that out there in case you're not aware of the possible challenges down there for someone who's under 55. I'm 42 so this is good info. Thank you, Rice! Hopefully there are enough places out there that cater to younger people. Once I find a good campground my plan is to rent it out for the season and return every year so basically I'll be traveling between just a couple different spots every year.Re: Beginning RVer: Is this Scenario Doable? valhalla360 wrote: Unless your parents co-sign or otherwise materially participate in the loan contract, there is no reason they could be liable for the loan (I assume you are an adult and not under any special guardianship to your parents). The easiest would be to get the loan while you still have the apartment. How will you be paying the loan? Will it include changing jobs? Is the income to payment ratios reasonable? It's quite reasonable for the bank to have questions if your financial situation is changing drastically and you are purchasing an item that can disappear or be destroyed in a heartbeat. My thoughts exactly. I talked with my credit union last month about a travel trailer loan and one of the things they asked was how much I payed in rent, which affected my debt-to income ratio and they denied the application since the rent figure made it too high. But I wouldn't be paying rent if I got the trailer. I don't know if it's possible to use my apartment address and tell them I pay zero rent. That could look suspicious?Re: Beginning RVer: Is this Scenario Doable? RetiredRealtorRick wrote: Surely you'll purchase it while you're still in your apartment (although very near the end of your lease) -- use that address. Yes, but my credit union denied my loan application last month because they asked how much rent I paid and figured that into my debt-to-income ratio. That made my ratio too high and they denied the loan. I could re-apply and list my apartment address and rent as zero but that might look suspicious perhaps?Beginning RVer: Is this Scenario Doable?Hello, I am just beginning my research process into RVing full-time. My plan is to live in Wisconsin half the year and in Arizona during the winter traveling between the two a couple times a year. I would like to purchase my RV after my lease is up in my apartment next year. My main concern is: will a bank or other financial institution give me a loan for a travel trailer without a permanent address? For those of you who RV full-time and don't have a permanently located home, how do you do it? My parents said I could use their address as my permanent home, but my concern is that this may make them financially liable for the loan if something happens and I'm unable to make payment and I don't want to do that to them. Thanks in advance for any light you can shed on this! I hope this is doable but am concerned I may be missing something here. BradRe: Advice on Best Type of Internet valhalla360 wrote: If you will be stationary for 6months then stationary for 6months, a lot of parks, you can get a landline brought to the trailer. This is your best bet. If you will be moving around, cellular is likely your best bet. Big question is beyond reliability, how fast and how much data do you need? Just because you are on the computer all day doesn't necessarily mean you need a plan that is really fast or needs massive amounts of data. I agree. I think reliability is more important than speed in this case. I think a land line is the best option if I'm stationary for extended periods. Seems to be the most reliable option.Re: Advice on Best Type of Internet wires wrote: I RV fulltime and work remote spending an average of 4 hours every day on Teams meetings. I also frequently need to send and receive very large files. I currently use Starlink along with cellular data as a backup. I use a Pepwave Max Transit router and it can be programmed to use the cell data in tandem or as a fallback if Starlink is down. I've been running this configuration since December and have travelled from Nevada to Indiana. So far it has been rock solid and works as well as the hard-wired DSL in my former home. I'd rate my Starlink connectivity 99 out of 100. Based on data from its configuration app and also from my router logs I average less than one minute of down time per day. The only time I've seen the connection drop from rain has been if it's a torrential downpour and then usually only for a very brief time. For normal-to-heavy rain I haven't observed any interruptions. For 'normal' use I run my cell connection in a backup configuration. If Starlink has an issue my router will almost instantly changeover so a Teams call might hang for a few seconds then it's back online. For 'important' calls (i.e. presenting to a large audience) I can set the router to run Starlink and cell in tandem. The data is split across both connections and if one drops packets you don't notice because the other path was still intact. The router I use is also configurable for traffic routing. I have mine set up so that the TVs and Directv receiver can only use the Starlink connection. That way video streaming can only utilize the unlimited Starlink data. My cell data is reserved and can only be used by my PCs. Before I received my Starlink setup I had the Pepwave router, but the model I have only supports a single cell connection at a time (with another carrier as a backup). Over an average day I would typically run into a couple of disconnects/reconnects which caused brief interruptions in my Teams calls. Based on my experiences, if you need 100% rock solid connectivity for work I suggest a system which supports two simultaneous connections. You'll either need a cell router which supports two active cell connections, or Starlink into a router with a cell backup. If you'd like to discuss hardware or configuration in more detail please feel free to PM me. This sounds like a very intriguing option. I'm comfortable with technology so this is something that is doable for me.Re: Advice on Best Type of InternetWow! Lots of good advice here and lots of responses. Lots to think about. Thank you!Advice on Best Type of InternetHello Everyone, This is my first post on the forum. I am in the beginning stages of exploring RV living. I am fortunate to have a job in the healthcare industry that is 100% work from home. This requires that I have RELIABLE internet at all times. I am currently exploring satellite internet options. StarLink is very intriguing, although currently not available where I'm at in southern Arizona, although that will change in the future. My plan is to spend winters in AZ while spending the summers in WI so having an internet option that is flexible with location is a must. I've heard that satellite internet only works in certain regions--if you travel outside of your region your equipment won't work anymore. Can anyone confirm this? Also: If any of you have satellite internet, how reliable is it in overcast/rainy weather? If satellite isn't the best option, what would be a better alternative? I'm curious to hear others' experiences with internet and what works best for them. Thank you in advance for your time! Brad
GroupsRV Newbies We all start out new. Share lessons learned or first-time questions!Jun 15, 20174,026 Posts
RV Newbies We all start out new. Share lessons learned or first-time questions!Jun 15, 20174,026 Posts