Looking to fulltime close to home base for now.

I did post this in the newbie section, but I'm not sure I'll get many responses.  I hope its ok to post here too.  If not I apologize.

Hi all! My situation is a little complicated so I hope you will bear with me. I have been doing tremendous research but of course I still have a lot of questions. I hope I am putting this in the right area.

This whole thing started because due to finances we had to down size to an affordable mobile home a few years ago, which may no longer be affordable in the near future. We started researching rv'ing as a way to not become homeless should our circumstances change for the worse. My husband is disabled and receives disability. I am self employed with a small customer base, so we do have income coming in, just not enough to pay more for rent. We are stretched thin but surviving just fine right now. I do have a modest tax return coming which will allow us to buy something inexpensive but livable.

So, first off we (me, my husband, and my 9 year old son) are still in the process of looking for an RV (we're most interested in a 5th wheel).We live in Pasco Co. FL, right on 41. From here our situation gets interesting because we'd like to stay as close to our area as possible because our son has autism and the services he receives are invaluable as well as the stability of staying in his school, staying around family, familiarity and routine are key for him. So that leaves us looking for an RV park in a small area. I have scoured the phone book, Google maps, web searches. Finding an rv site that is family friendly, full hookups, that is within the payments that we are making now (325.00 per month) has been extremely hard.  There are plenty of 55+ rv parks and sites that offer extended stay rents for as little as 250-300, but of course that is out of the question for us.

We realize we may have to look outside of our general area, which we will do as a last resort. However, I thought it wouldn't hurt to try and connect with other rv'ers who may be experienced in the area. Maybe there is something we haven't thought of as far as finding an rv spot is concerned. Maybe there is a park out there that is just a little hard to find, but has what we are looking for.

If anyone could offer advice, or input, we would really appreciate the help. If there are any questions you have that would help answer our questions, please feel free to ask.

One last thing, getting an rv and full timing are something that me and the husband have discussed at length, and is something that we wanted to do in about 10 years anyway, so I don't particularly see this situation as a "bad" thing, just something we may be forced to do a little sooner.

All else being equal and if and that is a big IF everything is paid for around here a RV park charges around $550.00 a month plus electricity.  The real down side is size.  In an RV typically you will be limited to 550 SQ FT.  Not much for three people and definitely not enough to have any sort of privacy.  Besides, an RV is really intended to move from place to place on a regular basis not sit in one place for ever.  IMHO you would be far better off trying to live in and keep what you have.  If it is paid for and you are oly paying monthly rent you are not going to get away much cheaper.  Unless of course you were camp hosting as a side line.

Thanks Donn.  Unfortunately we're renters... so we don't own our land or our mobile home.  We moved here out of necessity when the economy hit the fan.  The problem with our situation is that our park was sold to a new owner who keeps going back and forth about raising the rent, and then not raising the rent.  I search daily for a regular home or apartment that is of comparable price, but everything is more expensive.  We got the rv idea after noticing that lot rent for a lot of the 55+ parks was a lot of times lower than what we were paying now.  All we're hoping for is an idea or a tip for a place that is comparable to what we have now.

There are usually inexpensive RV sites available, but they tend to be a bit shabby. Some are in mobile home parks, so check those out too.

You might try the online Trailer Life Campground Directory. You can search for campgrounds in/near a city or via a map.

http://www.trailerlifedirectory.com/

I would expect that $250-$300 is rock bottom, though. Plus electric, of course.

By the way, please do NOT make the same post in multiple sections of this site. I removed your duplicate from the Newcomer section.

Another suggestion if I can.  Depending on how handicapped your husband is maybe you could find a park that would offer you a small discount on space rent in exchange for some work around the park.  Maybe front desk, rest room cleaning, painting, or some handiman work like that.  Then get a park model to park on a site.  More room and more permanent.

Thank you for the links and suggestions!

I do apologize for the multiple posts.  We are feeling a little desperate here.  If its not a cheap rv site it might be a tent city so.. I let my anxiety get the best of me.  :-[

I'll be patient and wait to see if anyone else has other ideas while I check out the ideas/links you 2 presented.

Peace.

One of your biggest problems is you are trying to stay in one of the most expensive states and areas as far as RVing. Even the lower priced RV parks raise their rates during the peak months for snowbirds, you may want to consider moving to a different area or state.

Denny

I live in my RV full time in NY. I do not pay for overnights. I park on streets and in commercial /industrial areas. I am still paying an average of 500.00 per month for fuel, propane, and sewer dumps. You might get that down a bit but not by much with a family. I am just me and my Dog.  This does not include the cost of the RV. I have a 32' Gas and I move it every day to another location.

dream: You are economizing the wrong part. Moving an RV is more expensive than parking it. Find a low rent place and park - you will be more comfortable and probably save money besides.

Flypsy said:

From here our situation gets interesting because we'd like to stay as close to our area as possible because our son has autism and the services he receives are invaluable as well as the stability of staying in his school, staying around family, familiarity and routine are key for him. So that leaves us looking for an RV park in a small area. I have scoured the phone book, Google maps, web searches. Finding an rv site that is family friendly, full hookups, that is within the payments that we are making now (325.00 per month) has been extremely hard.  There are plenty of 55+ rv parks and sites that offer extended stay rents for as little as 250-300, but of course that is out of the question for us.

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Yours is a situation I can understand. And you, will understand why I say this, and why it is so very difficult for me to understand situations I am not personally familiar with, when I tell you, I have Autism.

It is BECAUSE I have Autism, that is why I am a fulltimer who does not travel. I was 29 before I lived on my own without "adult supervision" for the first time. I was 30 years old before I could hold a passible verbal conversation with strangers. I was 31 before I got my first job. I was 36 years old before I was even allowed to get a driver's license. I write. I type. I learned to so when I was 3, and I was 4 when I wrote my first book (a 16 page children's book). In the nearly 40 years since than I have written 30+ books, 200+ short stories, 2,000+ articles, several comic books, and a few plays. I am actually quite famous in some circles, but my fans know very little about me, and when they meet they are taken back and often respond with: "You couldn't written that. You're retarded. How could have written that?" I can write and I can type. In writing and typing my words flow clearly and normally. But talking verbally, or socially interacting with people on any sort of normal level is almost impossible for me.

I started fulltiming 5 years ago, after a flood which left my family dead, hospitalized, and me at age 29, alone and without adult supervision for the first time in my life. Writing pays enough for me to survive, but it does not pay enough for me to rebuild my house. For a long time a tent was my only option.

I was 30 years old, when the State sent a psychologist out to my tent and I was required to be evaluated. At this point, I did not know I had Autism. I had never been to a doctor, my family was religious and did not believe in  such thing. I had never heard of Autism.  I knew I was different. I did not know why. Everyone just told me I was retarded and stupid and left it at that.

But 5 years ago, this psychologist told me many things:

Five years ago, driving a car was not considered an option for me. He said I would never drive a car.

Five years ago, I had never been to school, I had been removed from public school at the age of 8 and any farther education was not considered an option for me, college was considered an impossible dream.

Five years ago my income was less than $200 a year.

Five years ago, I lived under a 8x6 plastic tarp.

Five years ago, I was told by this psychologist, who was set on court orders to investigate me in my homelessness, that due to my Autism, and the fact that I was 30 years old without any social skills or driver's training, that I would never be able to live on my own, never survive on my own, never be given a job, and never drive a car. I was considered severely handicapped as a result of my having Autism.

Today, I have and drive a 1992 Volvo 240. The addition of the car has opened more options to me and given me more freedom, and the addition of a driver's license has opened up the possibility of was way out of homelessness: a motorhome, which I am currently saving up for and hope to move into before winter arrives this year. I have not yet paid for it, so I can not yet move into it.

Today, I have a GED, am told I've broken records on college exams, and have an offer from Harvard to take their English Professor's program, provided I can come up with a way to get financial aid for the $52,000 a year program. Because I am homeless and have an income far less than $700 per month I am not currently eligible for ANY financial aid program, and my Autism makes grants and scholarships not an option. I am at the moment unable to accept Harvard's offer, but plan to do so, as soon as I can figure out how to come up with $52,000 a year for 8 years in a row.

While I have yet to get a permanent full-time job, (I keep being told: "We don't hire people like you.") I have been working part-time seasonal temp jobs at various places, in addition to having started a full time business online. My income is now monthly, what is was yearly and I am making $2,000 a year, 10x as much as I was making 5 years ago, and that number steadily, slowly and surly is rising every year.

The biggest change perhaps is I no longer live full-time in the tent-tarp-thing. While I am still there during the day time year-round, my summer nights are spent in the Volvo and my rainy day and winter nights are spent in my car, and soon with the pending arrival of the motorhome, I will once again be in a house. Granted, a tiny 40 year old rusted house on wheels, but a house never the less.

And I have proven, to the amazment of the nay-saying psychologist, that I am capable of living on my own, taking care of myself, supporting myself, and surviving with help from no one, and I am no longer considered to be in need of "adult supervision".

But as you mentioned with your son, with Autism there is a need to stay with the familiar. I now understand that I view the world through very different eyes than do most people. I do not adjust well to change. Change seems to be easy for non-Autistics, but change is very hard for me. If I go only a few streets from my home, I become very lost, very confused, and am prone to massive panic attacks. I require a stable, steady, familiar environment. It is why I am a fulltimer who does not travel. I can not travel. Most people do not understand this. but those familar with Autism do, they know what happens, when new places and new people show up. It makes life a challenge, because there are place I want to go, things I'd like to see, and yet, just changing scene from my town to the town next door, put me into a situation that I can't handle. It is frustrating and I am slowly dealing with it. I am currently able to drive up to 4 towns away, without my mind clouding over and getting "lost". I live in Maine. My goal is to eventually, be able to drive to Alaska. People who know Autism, know how laughable that goal is. But it's as far away from Maine as you can get, and I do want to be able to travel to new places and see new things, without being thrown into "a fit". I want that kind of freedom. The kind of freedom Autism is not wanting me to have.

I see the people who are answering your question and suggesting you look farther away...they do not know Autism, or they would understand your need to stay where you are. They don't understand the effect such a short move will have on your son's mind. The terror new things, new people, new places cause for a child with Autism. I understand your concern, your need to keep him in familiar places. It is a difficult thing.

To adjust life around Autism is not easy. It's even harder for those of us who have Autism. People think we can not hear or understand what they say. We do. We do hear them when they chide and belittle us. We do understand them. We just are not able to respond in a way that they can understand. We are not stupid. We are not deaf. We have difficulty with speech. We have difficulty knowing how to act. We have difficulty knowing emotions. We may be slow to learn things which other people pick easily, but we can learn them, it just takes longer.

I'm sorry I can not help you, find an RV park. I know nothing of Florida. I live on my own land. I do not rent. I keep my homebase, which is land about 150' long by about 30' wide, with a beach on the East side, a swamp and forest on the west side, and RV parks to the north and south. I grew up here. I know this land. I know this town. Here I have a natural brook, a rose garden, fruit trees, a vegetable garden, and enough of a driveway to park a small motorhome in. In this town, you are not allowed to live in an RV on your own land, nor are you allowed to add private hookups on your own land, but if I need hook ups, there's an RV park right next door and I could park there and still have daily access to my land, should I ever need to do so, so far I haven't, but the option is there for me. There was a house on the land years ago, a 1940s 16'x9' beach cabin. There is no house today, a flood decided for me that I did not need one anymore, and the town zoning laws decided for me that my land was too small to put a house on, because the old house was illegally too small and the required minimum size of a house they say I must put up, is wider than my land. I asked them: I'm not allowed to put up a house where I already had a house, I'm not allowed to live in a motorhome, what exactly AM I allowed to live in?". The guy sarcasticaly joked and said: "Well there is no law regarding tents."  So I put a tent where my house used to be, and I pretty much live on this small piece of land in a tent, full time, a thing I have done for 5 years now. I am upgrading to a 30' Class A motorhome this fall and plan to rent a lot at the park next door next year. At the moment it is my only option, until I am able to condition myself to be able to travel, at which point, I will do so.

I wonder is it possible for you to find land you could buy and live on in your RV? I do not know your region so I do not know if such a thing is possible.

EelKat, thank you so much for your response, and I'm sorry I didn't respond sooner. Its nice when you find people who can appreciate certain details of your situation.

I also wanted to update, that we have worked things out.

We purchased a converted bus ($2500) and were able to stay in the same park and pay $275/mo.  Its working out great for now, and we are finding that the small space is not so bad.  Even my husband who at first was the most resistant to the idea, enjoys the simpler dwelling/lifestyle.