I would love to do it. A few years ago (pre-pandemic), you could get RVs and trailers for really good prices. Afterwards, the prices are STAGGERING. Even the RV parks have gotten more expensive.
There are tons of YouTube videos on living in an RV permanently/for extended periods of times.
Gas prices have also risen, so that’s a factor. If you were going to do this, and it is most certainly doable, you probably should have:
a car. Parking a rig in cities etc is tough if not impossible. Having a car makes things much more accessible.
need to make sure your rig has enough insulation for cold days, depending on where in the US you are planning to be.
I would suggest trying this out with an RV rental for an extended trip. See how you like it. My in-laws bought a great RV…sort of van like…but had never tried it themselves. They knew others who had and figured it would be fun (note…they kept their house. This was for extended long trips elsewhere). Well…they did exactly one trip and even that one they did not go as far as they thought they would. They actually stayed someplace in the florida panhandle for nearly 6 weeks.
They never used it as an RV again. Used it more like a second car (that got poor gas mileage and was difficult to park). They eventually sold it.
This is a good idea. If you want to do it, I suggest you wait until immediately after Labor Day. The rental prices plummet, and it’s still warm enough in the US to test things out.
Speaking of rental companies, these can often be a very good source for used RVs if you go with a reputable rental company. We’ve used a particular company for years, and their fleet is very well maintained.
Before the pandemic, the price of a used late model RV from this company was VERY reasonable. Afterwards, though, I was shocked at the prices, and most of the for sale RVs were quite a bit older than previously.
There is some talk that RV prices will be falling, as manufacturers overbuilt during the pandemic because of high demand. Check the prices carefully, as well as the trends, if you find you want to buy one (and I am envious!)
I have FB friend doing a maiden voyage in their RV and are reporting a great trip. I believe they spend a night in a hotel/cabin/rental every three days. However one wrinkle they learned is that their dog is not allowed in national parks.
I assume the RV would have shower and toilet?
I just checked out RV prices. They are around 25k to 50k. Assuming after depreciation it would cost you 25k, that would give you 125 days at a hotel @200/day. If you didn’t have an RV, you could drive in your more efficient regular car to get to your destination and save more on gas.
There is something called harvest host where you can park for free . I know a couple thst is traveling around the country in their rv. They still have a home though in texas.
We’ve done all manner of camping, from tents to our current 5th wheel. While I enjoy our trips, the thought of living in it full-time gives me the shakes.
If you haven’t used an RV before, rent one to make sure you can handle the limited space as well as the load/unload, set up/take down tasks required.
We bought ours in 2019. Demand skyrocketed during Covid and prices near doubled. They are dropping now and dealers appear to be negotiating, but I doubt the same model we have will ever be sold for what we paid.
If buying a trailer or 5th wheel, you’ll need a tow vehicle big enough to handle it. Many underestimate and end up in an unsafe towing scenario. We have an F350 to tow a 32ft long. The bigger ones need a dually. Diesel is running close to $5/gallon.
With a motor home you’ll have to tow a vehicle behind.
H is mechanically inclined as well as handy, so he’s been able to do some fixes and mods. Work at dealers can take months. Ours has been reliable, TG.
Quality varies a lot. We have a Grand Design which has a good rep. Read forums, reddits, etc to get a handle on what makes and models are lemons. FB groups for owners are good places to start
We camp mostly in state parks. No longer can we do spur of the moment trips to popular places, but being retired helps with not being tied to particular weeks in the summer. Reservations are required in season. Check the private RV parks where you think you might live for longer term stays. Some are really bad.
All in all, though, it’s fun for us and we hope we’ll keep going for more years to come.
We have a camper van (19 ft) we bought in Feb 2021. It has been great for weekend and up to one month trips. It was very valuable to visit the kids during covid and even now. Our price was what they are charging now for a new one. In the past 2 years the prices were outrageous but they are coming down again. It is fully off grid and gets around 17 mpg.
It has 4WD on demand and we did need it in California driving from L.A. to Seattle in January. We winterize it. It has a cassette toilet that can be used year round. Winterizing is the way most people go because it is risky otherwise in the winter weather. It is an adventure van so, no hookups are needed. Solar panels on top help with electricity. It stays warm in the winter with diesel from the tank. The shower we use as a ‘navy’ shower. It is small enough to park in a regular parking spot in the cities we have been to. Currently have 30,000 miles on it. We kept our house and just use it as a vacation, camping, traveling RV, and even did a Habitat for Humanity RV Care-a-Vanner build. It keeps 2 people and a large dog well. It has dinette, kitchen with induction stove, refrigerator, storage.
I follow a lot of you tubers that either live in camper vans full time and work from it, or use it as we do. It has been valuable information to keep us out of trouble maintenance wise.
A couple of things to consider. Some private campgrounds do not permit over 10 year old RV’s. We usually camp at state parks so we can take our dog for walks on trails and they are less crowded and less expensive and easier to get a spot. Sometimes we boondock or stay at rest areas. Have not done harvest host because the planning is difficult- I like to know usually before hand where we are staying the next night. National Parks and National Monuments usually allow you to have a dog at the campsite and you can walk on the pavement area with them, but not on trails.
AC will work for a couple of hours off grid in our type- some people that live in FL have trouble with that unless they are hooked up. Campgrounds can get expensive and most National Parks/ National Monuments do not have hookups. We like BLM land and national forest campgrounds and state parks all of which are abundant in the western US.
We chose a new camper van over a used one to be able to enjoy it and not deal with breakdowns. We had a teardrop (when we just retired and got our dog) before this but it did not have a bathroom. The camper van at 19 ft is nice in that you do not need to pull a car or need to learn how to back up a trailer. We take turns driving it equally.
Most you tubers recommend renting one to see if you like it- they can be $300 a night to rent. During covid we took a leap of faith and just bought it sight unseen. There was a wait list. It worked out for us. Do not pay sticker price. Most are 20-25-30% reduced. Where to park at your place is a consideration- HOA, space, etc. Helps if the condo has an area to park an RV.
We do not regret it and the dog loves the adventures and sleeping with us on the bed. It has worked out very well for us. You can make it comfortable for you. But a sense of adventure is needed.
Even in the National parks that say they “allow” pets, they are often not allowed on hiking trails.
I remember meeting some people who were living in their camper with pets and they said they would up doing more state parks because they tended to be more pet friendly.
Costs for miles can add up, especially if it’s an 8mpg (or less?) guzzler motorhome.
Campsites can be pricy too if you want to stay in higher end / in demand campgrounds. I was stunned by KOA campground prices outside Glacier National Park, when looking for cabin options. Checking now on a fictitious example - about as $200/night (summer, 24’ long with slideout, pet)
Dogs are not allowed in National Park trails (not sure about campground rules). But I think dogs are allowed in National Forest where you can often camp for free (no hookups of course).
It used to be you could camp overnight in Walmart parking lots, but I’ve heard that many (all?) locations no longer allow it.
I do known couples who act as camp hosts at public campground in exchange for free site. It’s a lot of work though. Not sure how competitive, but I have heard that as you’d expect newbies start at the least desirable locations.
I moved from the PNW to the south by tagging along with my retired aunt, uncle and their cousins who were going to the same area. It was very educational living the RV/5th wheel lifestyle for a couple weeks. The cousins with their massive RV towed a small car. They were more limited where they could park overnight but it was easier to balance it on uneven ground. My aunt had a 5th wheel towed by a big truck and could fit in nearly every park but could be difficult to balance on uneven ground. She had opening and closing up the camper for travel down to a science. We slept in truck stops and Walmarts back when you could to save money between destinations. They drove max 8 hrs daily, my uncle got clots in his legs. Neither had pets.
No extra shopping because no room plus you learn quickly how to shower, wash hands and dishes very conservatively to not fill up your tank too quickly. They lived in the 5th wheel for 5 years while building their house in the Oregon mountains but went south for the winter. First thing they built was a pad with full hook ups on their property and on family property in the south. Second thing built was a shed with a washer dryer and big enough to get their stuff out of storage. I loooooved it and saw so much of the country. Would do it in a heartbeat.
Thanks for ALL of these helpful and thoughtful comments. Lots to consider! The price of gas is certainly something to think through.
I’ve looked at various rental RVs and - whew - more pricey per night than some hotel rooms! But makes sense to go that route to figure out if it’s even something we would enjoy.
oldfort - about a year ago hub and I were watching a few “Extreme RV” shows. I did exactly the same math you did and kept saying: “We could stay at Air BnBs for three years for the price of that vehicle!” lol.
But now I’m staying in beautiful western state for a bit and at least 1/4 of the homes in the neighborhood have some kind of RV! (tiny pull ones, large class B/C, conversion vans, etc!). And I’ve met some retirees who do the “RV travel for half the year” thing and love it.
All the financial and logistical aspects are definitely worth researching more. Thanks again!
Every state is different of course, but we have found exactly the opposite to be true…the state parks here are almost impossible to get if you don’t reserve months ahead of time.
When we want a last minute trip we can.almost always find a private campground with some availability. Generally, i am not a fan of.the private campgrounds though simce they tend to pack campers in shoulder to shoulder style.
@scubasue that is interesting. The state parks we have used are TX, UT, CO, WA, OR, ID and maybe other states. I do tend to get lucky frequently last minute openings when probably someone cancelled and we tend to be flexible on dates.
The MD state parks we’ve camped at allow pets. Shenandoah National Park allows pets on many, but not all trails.
We’ve considered a trailer, but we’d have to get a vehicle capable of pulling it. That cost, plus the lower mileage vs our regular vehicle, have kept us from pursuing further. We have thought about renting an RV, but neither of us are terribly handy.
We saw these in AUS & NZ, talked to folks who were using them, and then rented a couple times here to drive up the PCH/go to Yosemite a few years ago. No toilet or shower, but a fully loaded kitchen and functional fridge were awesome.
Our camper is extremely off-road capable. We prefer to dispersed camp in places where there is no one around and regular RVs and cars can’t get to. So, that calculation doesn’t work for us as there are no places to pay for where we tend to go.
A larger RV is basically bus-sized. If you can live in a small RV, that would be more like a full size van (as in Ford Transit or Mercedes-Benz Sprinter converted into an RV). In terms of fuel, there are also diesel RVs.
Having a car can be a convenience to drive into places when you do not want to drive the RV there, but you then have to make provision for towing the car (such a car is called a toad, and there are web sites and RV forum discussions about what cars make the best toads).
The other variant of RV is a truck with a trailer, where you can unhook the trailer and drive the truck to places where driving with a trailer would be too inconvenient.
