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I know some motorhomes have showers and otherwise you could join a gym to cover that. You can get mobile internet. Could set up a PO box for mail. This sure seems like a cheaper and semi-efficient (flexible commuting!) way to live for a while. But then again, I am an idiot who doesn't even know where you would empty a septic tank.  Things I'm wondering about :
(Hope it's okay to make this its own topic - the "Gooncave & Gardens" megathread seemed to be focused on living in actual buildings.)
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Jun 7, 2015 10:06
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Thanks for making this thread, I'm also really interested in living in a vehicle! I've lived in a Honda Accord for a short while and it was mind numbingly boring just sitting in a car so much, I couldn't handle it. I'd recommend checking out the YouTube channel kirstendirksen, her channel is all about alternative housing, she's awesome
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Jun 8, 2015 12:25
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VagueRant posted:I know some motorhomes have showers and otherwise you could join a gym to cover that. You can get mobile internet. Could set up a PO box for mail. This sure seems like a cheaper and semi-efficient (flexible commuting!) way to live for a while. But then again, I am an idiot who doesn't even know where you would empty a septic tank. I live in a camper from May until November every year. We move to a new spot one a week. While my camper is a travel trailer and not a motor home most of the stuff is the same. Motor homes and travel trailers actually require about the same amount of maintenance as any other vehicle. There's just more vehicle so more maintenance. You have to pay attention to your roof coating to avoid leaks, we revisit ours every year but we tend to hold on to equipment and maintain it for longer than most. Basically you are brushing a coating on the seams and any other areas that look low. Keeping an eye on your air conditioner filter is important to keeping it running. The rest is really just not tearing up your home. Motor homes will be more expensive to have a dealership or mechanic do maintenance on because most of the time it's tight quarters to get to anything. You learn real quick how much you can take with you and how much you can't. My camper is 36 feet long and my wife and our children all pretty much have room for all the stuff we need and some room for extras. A lot of things aren't practical to bring and you really don't need them any way. All in all I don't feel like we don't have room for anything we need or really want. All the doors and cabinets including the fridge and stuff all latch very well for travel. All I have to do inside is take two tv's down and put them in my bed and couch and cover them with a blanket so they don't move, place the shower supplies on the shower floor, (they'll end up there if you don't and they may break open) and make sure the table and counters are clear. I can't comment on the small space claustrophobia issues as we have none. Air conditioning and heat is built in and is not usually an issue. But you do need it to be comfortable. Air runs on electricity, you plug your unit in wherever your at to get it and heat is propane. My camper will run the fridge and hot water off of propane if needed. The poop goes into an onboard tank and is called "black water". Any water that goes into a drain (sink,shower) is in a different tank and is called "grey water". They both empty at the same spot on most campers and most places that you can park at have a dump station. If not a lot of truck stops do. My black water gets dumped about once a week or two weeks of we have to stretch it and the grey water drains from a hose daily. Hope this helps and feel free to ask any other questions.
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Jun 12, 2015 21:55
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I own a '63 Airstream, and I can speak a bit to travel trailer living. If you own a home, you're aware of all the maintenance it needs. Now, instead of being absolutely still and never moving, imagine bouncing your house (complete with water pipes, gas lines, electrical, windows, doors, and furniture) up and down for several hours at a stretch a couple of times a week. The amount of maintenance goes up. Hard to really put a point on it, but the major systems (water, waste (drain), electric, and gas) as well as the general structure and furniture all need maintenance pretty much constantly. You need less poo poo on the road than you do at home (as long as you have home to come back to). Years ago I went to Europe with a 60lb duffle bag and drug it all over Europe with a friend who had a 15lb duffle bag. It was a total pain in the rear end. I got home and sold the bag at a garage sale. Now, when I travel, be it for 3 days or 3 months, I go with one pair of shorts, one pair pants, two long sleeved shirts and two short sleeved shirts. If you take that route camping, you'll be fine. If you want to have ten pair of shoes and fifty options for outfits, you'll always be searching for space. If you alternate shirts M/W/F and T/R, you'll be fine. Things falling down while you're driving, once you get the hang of doing a walkthrough before you leave, is pretty much nonexistant. If you are with another person, there is no where to really "get away", except for outside. If you are camped where there is vast outside, there is no problem. If you are on a highway pull off, it can be frustrating. Think about how well your car is insulated. On a blazing hot day, once the A/C has the car to a decent temperature (say, 72F), turn off the A/C and see what happens. In about 10 seconds it won't be cold anymore. In about 2 minutes it'll be noticeably warm. In about 5 minutes you'll want to take off your shirt. In about 10 minutes it'll be hotter in the car than it is outside. This is about what life is like in your trailer/RV. Heat works about the same way (but is less noisy). A/C operates ONLY on 120V power, when you're plugged in - in RV parks. Heat probably runs on propane, so you aren't as constrained, but for the fact that you need to replenish propane every few days. Day-to-day depends on how tough you are. People "boondock", i.e live without power, water, waste, etc - for weeks at a time. If you can piss and poo poo in the great outdoors, and ration water, and live somewhere temporate (no heat / AC), you could go a week, maybe two without pulling away. For power, except for using the A/C or heat, it's not a concern. With LED technology (which has come a great distance in the last few years) and 12V batteries (which haven't evolved at all in 100 years), you can go weeks/months without needing power. One of those dinky flashlights you get at Home Depot lasts 12 hours on a watch battery. Imagine how long LED trailer lighting would last on a car battery. A long time. If you're plugged in (power) and have water/waste, you could pretty much stay forever if that suited you. Flushing poo poo, once you get the hang of it, isn't that bad. You need piss (or water) to flush the poo poo. So if you're making GBS threads in the on-board toilet, might as well pee in it. Pee/poo has a distinct smell that you will start to notice about 5 minutes after you do your first duty in the RV. IMHO you can't live with it longer than a few days. Cost wise (you didn't ask about this), if you are staying in campgrounds/RV parks, and you paid something for your trailer/RV, and you amortize that over the amount of camping trips you take, and you go camping a normal amount (a few weeks a year), you would do better staying in 3* hotels. Figure RV parks $40 or $50 a night, and your trailer will be $20 or $30k which will last you maybe 10 years and be basically worthless at the end of it (like a car).
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Jun 14, 2015 08:46
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photomikey posted:I own a '63 Airstream Was your Airstream restored? Are Airstreams actually worth the price? We visited an Airstream dealership recently and of course they tried to sell us on the fact that Airstreams don't use wood/formaldehyde, last longer, etc. I love the interiors, but for half the price we could buy any other travel trailer and spend $5k updating the interior to our liking. I'm seriously considering full timing next year, but I'm having a hard time choosing between travel trailer, fifth wheel, and motorhome. One of the problems we're struggling with is we still need a car that my wife can drive around town. I'll be working remotely, so it's a must that my wife and daughter can take the car to get supplies and just get away from my "office" for a couple hours each day. Neither of us likes big trucks, so we also don't want to own a car that we'll hate driving if we stop living in the RV after a few months.
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Jun 19, 2015 16:32
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My airstream is mostly original with a few upgrades. I paid ~$10k for my Airstream. In 10 or 15 years, it'll be worth ~$10k. Maybe more. A used (any other) trailer would be more ($20k?) and in 10 or 15 years it'll be worth zero. Other brand trailers that are 10-20 years old look like poo poo. People stop me on the street to ask if they can look in my 50 year old Airstream, and take pictures with it in gas stations. The new ones are like $50k or something, and the economics are different. But the old ones (if you get one in decent condition) are quite reasonable and don't depreciate. You can rent RVs from the RV rental places in the offseason for a bargain. Go take one for a week or two. You'll learn a lot. Going from never having been in an RV to living full time in an RV is a terrible idea.
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Jun 20, 2015 05:52
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When you're at a hookup, it's tempting to leave your blackwater tank open so it just drains. That's a bad idea, because the liquid will drain just fine, but the, er, solids, won't, and then they'll start stinking things up. You need to get the solids to dissolve, so keep your tank closed until it's full or you're about to pull out. They make blue water additives for your blackwater tank - usually labeled as a deodorizer or enzyme additive or somesuch, but it's literally the stuff they use to make blue water in port-a-potties. Ignore the directions on the bottle and dump in one whole bottle per week, and it'll help dissolve the solids and keep the stink under control. Don't get it on your skin, it's full of formaldehyde and other nasty stuff. The only toilet paper that should go down your toilet is the quick-dissolving stuff specifically for RVs. If you insist on using regular toilet paper, bag it and trash it. When you do dump your blackwater tank, fill up a couple of five gallon buckets with water to pour down the toilet. Two or so to rinse it, then a third plus a fresh bottle of blue water additive. Be sure to close the greywater tank before you open the blackwater tank. Remember that your RV is much more lightly insulated than a house, so you're going to be running your A/C or heater much more. Fortunately, it's a small space, so it heats and cools much faster. If you're at a hookup, electricity is included in the price, so go hog wild. You can save on propane if you buy an electric heater and use it solely while hooked up. Speaking of propane, most RV's come with two seven-gallon tanks. It can be tempting to trade them in at a place that deals in Blue Rhino tanks (or whatever your local equivalent of a franchise-based propane exchange service is). Don't do it. A quick bit of Googling will give you directions to a propane dealer, and you'll get a much better price (twenty-eight bucks to refill my two 5 gallon tanks versus forty through Blue Rhino). You shouldn't have to worry about the certification or valves, but if you do wind up with tanks with the older style valves, it's worth the money to have the propane dealer replace the valves and re-certify the tanks. If you're going to be at a hookup for a couple of months, most propane dealers also rent out 30 gallon tall bottles and will come to you to refill them, and while not any cheaper it's a lot more convenient (and you run less risk of those mornings where you go to take a shower and discover the hard way that you ran out of propane in the middle of the night). You should have three, possibly four pilot lights: one for your fridge (if it's an ammonia fridge), one for your hot water tank, one for your heater, and possibly one for your stove. It can take 5-10 minutes to flush air from the lines when you swap bottles, so just keep your hand on the pilot light button and a flame on the pilot light until it catches. Don't give up. Also, buy barbecue lighters by the dozen, you'll never have one at hand when you need one, and you're going to need one for the next time a gust of wind catches your RV wrong and blows out your pilot lights. I'm currently living in a 30' Prowler trailer built in the 1980's, so feel free to ask any other questions!
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Jun 21, 2015 20:48
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^^ all that stuff is true. When you're dumping 5 gal buckets of water into your toilet to flush it out, close the black tank and dump a 5gal bucket of water (or two) in, before you depart. Then drive to your next destination while that water sloshes around and cleans out your black tank. Dump when you get there and you'll at least start without the pee smell.
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Jun 22, 2015 01:17
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Meh, we use regular toilet paper and we flush it. We just use as little as we can to be clean and wash our hands when finished. We also use a big bottle of chemical and dump weekly usually. We also bought the blue rhino tanks. For us it's much easier. We don't have to find somewhere to fill the propane and blue rhino is everywhere at all times of day or night. It is more expensive but worth it to us for the convenience.
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Jun 22, 2015 03:49
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I'm very late but I had to say thanks for the replies. I appreciate you guys answering all my questions. I get the distinct impression that trailer/RV parks are a lot more important than I thought though. I guess city living in a motorhome isn't a practical situation?
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Jun 30, 2015 10:18
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Parking on a city street with your RV and sleeping in it is illegal most places. It's called "boondocking", you can google it and find lists of places it's practical (and even apps to guide you to nearby boondocking sites). Usually (practically), you'd boondock while in transit, not as a lifestyle.
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Jun 30, 2015 13:30
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I haven't lived the RV life but recently became interested and started researching. I'm convinced buying a camper van or a small class C RV and renovating it is the way to go. RVs are made of fiberglass and wood so constantly moving them will add up maintenance costs in the long run. Best YouTubers to watch: Linescrew1, Justin Credible, a simple kid, Nomadic Fanatic, West Coast Roller, Wanderlust Estate, and Vagabloggers. In my opinion, most essential upgrades are: Two ventilation fans to circulate air and cut down on AC costs. Fantastic fans are expensive but a favorite among experienced van dwellers/full time RV people. Solar panels, power inverter, and a couple deep cycle batteries are nice to keep electronics and small appliances running. Composting toilet: $1000 for an ez-loo, you pee into one container and poo into another which eventually becomes potting soil so you don't have to deal with sewage. Lastly, consider where you'll be living/traveling. Might as well take advantage of being on wheels and migrate somewhere cool and with less mosquitoes (not the south). If you want to live in a city, I think a van is the way to go. Or have an arrangement with a property owner where you can park your RV without getting harassed by cops.
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Jul 2, 2015 16:03
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This thread is awesome, all the replies are great so far. I'm not quite ready for a huge 36' deal or anything, but I I'm hoping someone can recommend me a mobile living solution. When I'm driving around I see these vehicles that are like half van / half camper - not a custom van, it's like a squished camper. I've tried digging around but I haven't found exactly what I'm looking for. I would like the smallest "livable" vehicle, preferably one that can be parked in a normal lot and not require an RV park. I would like a terlet and some kind of water system if possible, and bunk (even a tiny cot sized one is ok). Every month or two I'm flying BOS -> LAX, staying at a hotel in LA, renting a car the next day, then heading up though the Central Coast to the Bay Area and making stops along the way. I never know what city I'll have to stop in and it can be tough to find a room last minute. Sometimes I go back to LA but often I drop off my car at one of the SF area airports and fly back from there ($$$). The point of this long story is that I'm doing a lot of long expensive unpredictable road trips very often and I feel like renting a space near LAX with a nice "mini RV" parked there for whenever I need it. What's the best vehicle for that? I don't need a "lifestyle" RV but I also don't want something that's just a big van with a cot in it. PS - I used to empty airplane poo poo tanks and I recommend going crazy with that blue juice. It's not corrosive or anything and it kills that distinct waste smell. The bottle recommended x ounces per gallon and we'd do quintuple that and it really killed the smell. I still remember that stench and can't imgine being trapped in an RV with that :/
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Jul 2, 2015 16:48
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Rubies posted:This thread is awesome, all the replies are great so far. I'm not quite ready for a huge 36' deal or anything, but I I'm hoping someone can recommend me a mobile living solution. I have a 1980's Dodge Sportsman Motorhome that's probably the type of thing you're looking for. It's 19' long and drives, for the most part, like a regular van. It's tall at 10'4" (10'10" with solar panels propped up), which can make it a pain in the rear end if you ever need to have it towed somewhere, and stuff like parking garages, drive-thrus, etc are out of the question. However, it can be left in a regular driveway or parking lot without causing any issues, and has a very basic water system, fridge, stove, two-person seating nook and sleep space. I don't see these for sale very often, but there are 1970's Winnebagos are are similar in size and layout. Are you looking for something brand new or do you have interest in an older project motorhome? Edit: Come to think of it, I bet an old 70's Dodge Chinook would be right up your alley. BeepBoopBatman fucked around with this message at 21:30 on Jul 7, 2015 |
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Jul 7, 2015 21:06
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Niiiiice the Sportsman is cool but a little too bulky for what I was thinking, but the Chinook is PERFECT. I like wrenching on cars but all my tools are in MA, so I'd have to buy one out here, fix it up and drive it to the West Coast. I'm pre-psyched for that now I just gotta find one lol.
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Jul 11, 2015 03:59
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I lived in an RV for a year back in 1993 when my Dad got a job on contract for a year and didn't want to buy a new home / sell his as he was returning in a year. We had a camp site in Chicago. Good memories really.
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Jul 11, 2015 09:14
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Can we also convert this thread into a tiny house thread, since they are technically RVs? That poo poo is fascinating. Especially when you start talking about living off grid.
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Jul 11, 2015 20:18
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Don't forget about school buses (skoolie.net) and box vans/retired u-hauls. There are lots and lots and lots of really great implementations out there on the internet for inspiration
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Jul 28, 2015 15:26
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We actually mark one year in an RV today! Last year we (self, wife, 2 cats) sold almost everything we owned, mothballed our house in Arkansas (failed picket-fence experiement) and I picked up an '89 Fleetwood class A for 4 grand from a retiring preacher. 37 feet, washer/dryer, pre-slides. I ripped out carpet and put in laminate, redid both sides of the electrical system, painted everything, ripped out the horrible brass-and-frilly-pink decorations. Only repairs we've had to do in the past year are a water heater tank (I didn't drain it before a surprise freeze) and some vent covers. It is very difficult to find good lots in the city. Denver has a horrible dearth of RV parks, and a lot of them are adult only. We managed to post up in Aurora for $500/month all bills paid in a very nice combo mobile/RV park (about a 90/10 split). We're not really nomads, just wanting to subvert the real estate market a bit. Cats love it, I love it, wife loves it. Line up your lot opportunities before you slap down megabucks. And find the retiring preachers. apatite posted:Don't forget about school buses (skoolie.net) and box vans/retired u-hauls. There are lots and lots and lots of really great implementations out there on the internet for inspiration skoolies are rad but 99% boondock only. Most reputable parks have a no DIY/hack rule. photomikey posted:When you're dumping 5 gal buckets of water into your toilet to flush it out, close the black tank and dump a 5gal bucket of water (or two) in, before you depart. Then drive to your next destination while that water sloshes around and cleans out your black tank. Dump when you get there and you'll at least start without the pee smell. Ice cubes are even better. Get that rock tumbler action while you drive, then they melt away. Jonny 290 fucked around with this message at 18:08 on Jul 28, 2015 |
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Jul 28, 2015 18:05
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And dump the black water tank first. The gray water is dumped last to clean out the hose interior. (Wash it out with the supplied cleaning water hose, if any, as well. This just makes it quicker.) Some walmarts still let people camp in their parking lots for free. If you see a bunch of RVs in the back of the lot, chances are good. National parks are great and all, but they can be gently caress busy in the high season. Forestry campgrounds don't offer the same quality of facility, but they can often have vistas and experiences equal or superior to the more well known spots. They're off the beaten path, and often on poor dirt/gravel roads so a rugged rv and tow vehicle suspension are important. Personally, I like camping to get the gently caress away from people, so this appeals to me. This may not be useful to you in the city op, but it's something to consider while recreating. Usable space is the biggest thing while living in a small condo/vehicle. Don't clutter poo poo up, keep things basic, don't attach a dozen giant storage containers to the outside of the rv, it's not necessary and you'll hate it. Get one with a built in stereo. Speakers in the ceiling are pretty great. Bonus if it plays outside as well. Avoid a TV, you'll spend more time outside that way.
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Jul 28, 2015 23:32
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a few folks mentioned black water tanks stinking up the camper; do u-bends not work in something that moves, or is there not room for them or something?
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Jul 29, 2015 05:39
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OMGVBFLOL posted:a few folks mentioned black water tanks stinking up the camper; do u-bends not work in something that moves, or is there not room for them or something? They take up space, water would slosh out of them, and would require more water to flush. This is because not only would you have to purge the bowl, but also the Ubend as well. RV toilets usually drop straight to the tank in question with a spring loaded door to create the seal between tank and crapper water is just used to clean the bowl. Simple, effective, but sometimes smelly. Put a little bit of water in the bowl to just cover the trap door to keep a good part of the smell out and leave the cover down. VvvvV: That too QuiteEasilyDone fucked around with this message at 21:34 on Jul 29, 2015 |
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Jul 29, 2015 21:18
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And with the proper tank additives, it's a non issue really. Just drop some of those little blue crystals in every time you empty the system. Never had a stank problem in my trailers.
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Jul 29, 2015 21:27
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While I'm not in an RV, I have been homeless since 2011. I started using solar panels about 1.5-2 years ago and it has generally worked out fantastically. I use fold able panels from a company called Nature Power for portability. Though with an RV you can probably buy heavier, solid ones for much cheaper. I have 2 of these and a 40 watt. to charge my laptop and tablet and all my other gadgets. The idea is to figure out how much power think you need and then buy more than that. Because you ALWAYS need more than you really think you do. I started out with 12 watts per hour which took me about 7 hours to get me 1 hour on my laptop. Then I worked my way up to 76 watts which works for me right now. You need a panel(s), a charge controller to keep your battery from overloading, a battery and an inverter to plug your stuff into. You can have lower wattage panels and a larger battery if you are going to be using the power only a little though the day/night or more wattage/hour for someone like me who likes to use the power as its coming in and not so much after dark. I basically spent about $700 just to use my laptop. Or you can just have a few batteries if you don't mind getting them charged up by an auto parts store on a regular basis.
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Jul 30, 2015 20:08
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OgNar posted:You need a panel(s), a charge controller to keep your battery from overloading, a battery and an inverter to plug your stuff into. Electronics and computers use DC natively, so it's probably worthwhile to get a DC/DC adapter (example) to avoid an unnecessary and costly conversion to and from AC with the inverter. SamDabbers fucked around with this message at 18:00 on Jul 31, 2015 |
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Jul 31, 2015 17:53
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