Hurricane Michael

Hi my name is Cierra! Our home was hit hard by Hurricane Michael and will probably take months to repair. We?re toying with the idea of purchasing an RV to park on our property so we can over see repairs. We?ve never owned an RV and know nothing about it. We?re thinking about a fifth wheel as we have a toddler and a small dog and would like room since we could be in this RV pretty stationary for a year if not longer. Our 2 biggest wants are a separate area for our toddler for her to play and have her toys and a washer and dryer (we cloth diaper). Not sure how any of this work y?all! I read that to be able to run everything needed we?ll have to have an electrician come out and install a special outlet.
I?m not sure what I?m really asking but any help would be amazing!

If it is to sit for extended periods, then a 5th wheel is probably a good choice. The electric pedestal to plug in the RV is an excellent idea, and will allow everything onboard to be run pretty much as needed, rather than having to be careful what is on at the same time. However, you also need to plan for a freshwater hookup and a sewer hookup to make the place livable, especially since you likely won't be able to move it every few days to dump the sewer (don't leave the black tank valve open). Many of the larger RVs come with, or make provision for, a washer and dryer (or combo), too, which is nice.

But before you do anything, be sure the city/county where you live allows this setup, since many communities ban living in an RV on residential property.

Assuming everything else goes well and you actually do get an RV and get it set up, be sure you know proper operation of everything on board, since water pumps, sewage dump valves, toilet operation, and some other things (even the fridge, if it's not residential style) are different from what you are used to.

Of course we have lots of helpful information in our libraries (see link near top of page), and we have lots of folks who can answer most questions that come up about the RV and its systems.

The idea of having a washer and dryer probably sound appealing to you but I think a laudromat would be a better option for you. RV w/ds are very small and require several loads to do one normal load. They take a lot of water to operate and create a lot of grey waste water. If you are not hookup to a sewer and a water source you will be going to the dump station way too often.

How about a shed for residential washer & dryer hookup?

Hi Cierra, have you looked into getting a FEMA trailer? Here in NC, FEMA is setting them up on people's property. I believe they also take care of setting them up and putting in water, sewer and electric. You would then be able to use a full sized washer and dryer.
Bless you for using cloth diapers and not contributing to landfills with disposables.

HappyWanderer said:

How about a shed for residential washer & dryer hookup?

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You would still need a water supply and a sewer hookup.

SeilerBird said:

You would still need a water supply and a sewer hookup.

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Of course you would.

The first thing is to check with your town and verify they will let you park an RV on your property while you rebuild your house.  Some places aren't allowing this, for example the Santa Rosa neighborhoods that burned in last year's wildfires and are still vacant.  Of course, that's crazy California ...

Either a 5th wheel or a conventional travel trailer would work for you. If FEMA can't supply a trailer, I saw numerous ads in the Talahassee Craigslist from out of the area RV dealers who will deliver a new or used trailer or 5th wheel to you.  The dealers contract with commercial drivers who use their pickup trucks to deliver trailers from the factory to the dealers, so it isn't that big of a deal to have one of them deliver a trailer from the dealer to you, even if it's a few hundred miles distant. The prices don't seem out of line, the good news is this is the end of the RVing season in much of the country so it's to their advantage to sell their inventory now rather than have the trailers sit on their lots over winter.

The trailer's electrical outlet is either 30 amps at 120 volts using one circuit breaker or 120/240 volts 50 amps using dual ganged 50 amp breakers, depending on the trailer.

The suggestion of building a shed to hold the washer and dryer is a good one.  This removes the noise and vibration from the RV and you can get full size units that you can transfer to your house when it's ready.  If you can put up with a cold water wash, all you need are water, power and sewer.  Or include a water heater in the shed, also something you can transfer to the house.

Like others have said, you'll also need access to potable water (a standard garden hose fitting) and a working sewer system (3" coupling).  If you have septic, make sure it's functioning and tap into the line coming from the house so the tank baffles work properly, don't just dump into the tank via the manhole access.  Sometimes there's a line clean out port you can use.

Good luck!

If I read your message correctly, the reason for choosing a 5W is size?  You can get travel trailers up to 40 ft or so, and the floor is level rather than having the steps inside. And there are plenty of family oriented floors plans too.

I would strongly suggest getting a residential-type washer and dryer and installing in a laundry  shed outside the RV. If doing cloth diapers, you will surely need the extra capacity and ability to wash & dry simultaneously, plus you can power a 240v dryer independent of the RV's own 50A/240v source.  And then move the w/d into the house when it s built.  Have an electrician set up a load center (power pedestal) with at least 100A service so it can be the source for 50A/240 for the RV, 30A/240 for a electric dryer, 15A/120 for a washer, and some extra circuits for outside use as well.

You probably already have sewer access on the lot, so have a plumber set up a sanitary drain line that will handle the RV as well as an outside laundry room.

I agree with Gary on the washer dryer, but I'll go one step farther.
We live in a forty foot trailer for six months every winter and we have a regular size washer dryer in a dock box, (yes a dock box) right out side at the rear of the trailer.
Lowes has one that is made for trash barrels ,but is the exact size to put a washer and dryer in. It has a double door in the front and the top picks up and is held up by pistons on each side and the cost was around $300.(you assemble it yourself)
I put in a 3/4" plywood floor for extra strength and set it on concrete blocks.
You'll need a 230 volt supply for the dryer and a 120 volt supply for the washer plus a water and drain supply.
I am handy, so I did it all myself, but it could all be done by a plumber and an electrician.
  If you are getting a trailer or fifth wheel You'll need a power pedestal and a sewer hookup unless your old house one is still good.
  My pedestal is fed with a 100Amp main breaker which gives me an ample supply for both the trailer and the dock box

On another note, make sure your trailer or fifth wheel has a 50 amp, 220 volt supply and you get two AC units

Jack L

Another option instead of a 5th wheel or a tag-a-long trailer is what we call a toy hauler. There is a huge rear door similar to a garage door where you can store things like a 4 wheeler or whatever else you may have salvaged from the storm. You could very easily put in a washer/dryer there.

After a disaster here in Canada : insurance company would reimburse you for an RV rental but not for an outright purchase....ymmv

I can not help you with maker/model choices.. BUT I will second the warning someone else gave.

MAKE SURE the city does not have a law against it
Make sure there is not an HOA or some other Convenient or restriction on property use that disallows it.

There are many cities across the nation that have laws. and even more there are many "Neighborhoods" and deeds that have restrictions.  and in some cases not only against LIVING in an RV on your own property but even PARKING it (Empty) is disallowed... It's your property. but you can not use it  in those neighborhoods.  How crazy is that?  I mean if you were using your house as a Meth lab. I can understand restricting that but parking an RV?????

    Depending on sewer location, effluent could present a challenge.  If where you plan on parking the RV is below an accessible sewer connection, there is what they call a "macerator".  It will pump the effluent uphill through a garden hose, which is easier to hook to existing drains.  Here is a link to what I am referring, a quick google search will bring up many different makes and models:
http://www.seaflo.com/en-us/product/list/301.html

Ed

PS: make sure any electrical installation is performed by someone who understands an RV's requirements, there are plenty of horror stories of incorrect installations frying the RV's electrical systems.

John From Detroit said:

I can not help you with maker/model choices.. BUT I will second the warning someone else gave.

MAKE SURE the city does not have a law against it
Make sure there is not an HOA or some other Convenient or restriction on property use that disallows it.

There are many cities across the nation that have laws. and even more there are many "Neighborhoods" and deeds that have restrictions.  and in some cases not only against LIVING in an RV on your own property but even PARKING it (Empty) is disallowed... It's your property. but you can not use it  in those neighborhoods.  How crazy is that?  I mean if you were using your house as a Meth lab. I can understand restricting that but parking an RV?????

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I agree totally John but i can't imagine what kind of town would deny someone a place to stay after their house got totally relocated.  I would think they would make an exception but you still have to ask.