Young guy considering going full time in a few years...lots of questions.

Been searching for days online and have come up with a ton of questions (and a handful of answers). A lot of the information I've found appears outdated, so I figured I'd ask in here and see what I can get from the collective wisdom of this forum.

I'm currently 27 years old and am in nursing school. This has been a dream of mine for years, and I'm finally making it happen. Should have my LVN early next year and my RN late next year. Learning a lot, but the most important thing I've learned is that I want to go to medical school. Always been a secret dream of mine, but I wasn't sure if I was smart enough, or if it was something I really wanted to do. Now I'm sure. And committed. Going to follow in the path of many members of my family.

So here's the situation. Considering the current state of medical schools in this country, I have less than no idea where I'll be attending. I'm going to get a bachelor's in Texas (where I'm currently going to school for nursing and have lived, on and off, for the past fifteen years) and apply to Texas med schools as a resident (which should drastically increase my chances of being accepted at any of the plethora of medical schools in this great state).

The thing is, though, Texas is a big state, and I have no idea where I'll land (other then a big city). With the cost of med school being what it is, I want to cut costs wherever I can. Seems to me going full time in an RV would defray a lot of costs. Assuming I can pick up a good Class C or small Class A (anything more then thirty feet would be a waste) for about $30k used, over the course of seven years of schooling (and more likely ten with undergrad) that'd work out, with a typical $300-450/mo full hook up rate, to right around the cost of a decent apartment. I'm more then willing to pay an extra hundred a month or so to not have neighbors a wall away on all sides (top, bottom, and side to side). Also, during summer breaks I'd love the option of packing up my home and going somewhere for a few months as a travelling RN to work while getting paid a ridiculous amount of money.

I'd don't really know what the future holds for me (so far it's been nothing like what I've expected it to be so far) and the idea of having a home I can take wherever I darn well please suits me just fine. I'll also add that I'm a very handy guy. I enjoy fixing things, and coming up with creative ways of doing it.

Just to clarify, I'm pretty set on a Class C or A that's approximately 30 feet long. Slides are an option, but not if they impinge on my ability to utilize the RV without them open (for example - I'm against the idea of an RV with slides that doesn't allow me to use the bathroom unless the slide is extended). I'm pretty set on a gas motor. I've weighed the pros and cons, and gas seems to be a better option for someone such as myself. At least I'd be able to save money on oil changes by doing them myself (I'm sure I could change the oil on a diesel, but it doesn't sound easy - how to realistically catch and dispose of upwards of 25 quarts of oil is intimidating) - and I have enough experience working on gas engines to know I can do the majority of the maintenance and minor repairs myself (short of issues that require pulling the block that is). The only reason I'm leaning towards a Class A is they have larger tanks and that means better showers. I'm too tall for a bathtub anyways, so I think I can live without the bubble baths, lol!

My question leans more towards cost. What can I expect monthly bills (for maintenance and such, not so much gas) to be for an RV that spends 90% of the year in one spot, only being driven around for maybe a day or two a month. The rest of the time commuting in a small car (that I'd tow during the summer to wherever the work was). I've done some RVing in the past (in my parents RV and in my brother's RV) and it seems to be a life that would suit me. Small living quarters is nothing to me - I'm the guy that rents a one bedroom apartment and turns the bedroom into a guest room for visiting friends and lives/eats/sleeps in the living room.

If I'm living in Texas and on shore power, how long can I expect an AC unit to last running 10 hours a day? How about a heater? Will I even really need to use the generator on shore power, aside from a monthly start up to keep it in decent shape?

Any and ALL advice, opinions, and answers would be greatly appreciated! Thank you for your time and reading my really, really long post!

Oboy210 said:

My question leans more towards cost. What can I expect monthly bills (for maintenance and such, not so much gas) to be for an RV that spends 90% of the year in one spot, only being driven around for maybe a day or two a month.

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There are some fulltiming articles in the library you should look over.  Your monthly recurring cost will be your RV space and most likely metered electricity.  If you rent a space monthly or seasonally, you get a pretty good deal depending of course of the particular park.  I've seen some park advertising monthly rates of $450 and I believe I remember some in the $200s - add electricity to the figures.

Maintenance expenses - insufficient data.  Depends on how old the unit is you buy and what kind of condition it's in.  Oil changes and chassis service will be maybe comparable to a larger truck (like a one ton.)  If you can do your own oil changes, you can save a bit of money.  You might consider making a separate post in the appropriate forum board asking about fulltiming expenses.

An AC should last many years - usually the start capacitors go and/or the fan motor, but the compressor (usually) will keep on truckin'.

We lived on a sailboat for 6.5 years - really enjoyed it but we were tired of a small space after that many years.  Some do that for many, many years.

Dear wife Jane graduated from UT Austin with a BSN and was a working RN for many, many years.  Her dad was a GP Physician in west Texas.  My nephew and his wife are both DOs - they met in med school.

It is not cheaper to live in an RV rather than renting an apartment. There are different costs for both types of living but one is not inherently cheaper than the other. Especially if you have to fork over $30k at the beginning. After seven years of living in it then it would be worth virtually nothing. RVs are not insulated as well as a house so you would be colder in winter and hotter in summer. And gasser RVs don't fare well just sitting most of the time. They need to be driven or things go bad, like rubber seals. You might save a little bit of money over seven years if you are frugal, but would it be worth being hot in summer and cold in the winter?

I've bought a number of used RVs over the years, and for me things work best if I assume the rig has never been serviced and put aside funds to do all of the required maintenance up front - treat it as part of the purchase cost.

Things like replacing all the tires if they're more than 5-6 years old, regardless of tread condition.  Engine tuneup - spark plugs, wires, ignition cap and rotor, fuel and air filter changed, etc.  Oil change and chassis lube.  Replacing belts and hoses all at once.  Drain, flush  and refill the radiator.  Replace the batteries.  Flush the transmission fluid.  Overhaul the brakes.

Doing everything at once will add about $2k to the cost of the rig, but you now know everything is up to snuff.

From then on, plan on replacing all the tires 7 years from now, change the oil and lube the chassis at least twice a year (more if you put enough miles on it) and plan on replacing the batteries every few years.

If you include the purchase price, you might not save a bunch of money versus renting an apartment.  But you will be able to use the rig for summer trips, etc.  And not sharing a wall or ceiling with someone else is priceless.

Will I even really need to use the generator on shore power

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No, not unless the campground power goes down and you need the generator as an emergency backup for A/C and the microwave.  We only run the generator when we're not plugged into shore power.

ArdraF

Wasn't it Trapper John MD, who had the assistant doctor who lived in a motorhome in the hospital parking lot? Ah, to be young again and starting over. Unfortunately, several here are correct. I doubt you'd save money.

Yes, it was Trapper John!  I forgot all about him.

ArdraF

I have been living full time  on Long Island in New York State since April. Her is what I know so far. I spend no money paying any camp fees. I live in parking lots. I Pay 5.00 every 3 weeks to dump. I fill up water every 7 days for free and I average $600 per month.  I use my 5000 watt generator every day during the summer. That is where most of the money went. I also drive almost every day to a new and beautful spot such as the beach and or park when I can get away with it.  I bought  my class A for 10k I put another 2k into it.

Craig