I wish as a newcomer that my story would be about how much fun I am having RV'ing, but unfortunately that is not the case. I lost my house to foreclosure, and need to live in a 5th Wheel/Trailer or drive a Class A or C. I have never driven a motor home, but I used to drive a large Ford box truck with no windows on the box portion. So I can drive with mirrors only, but my I don't think my truck was 30 feet long, and it was nothing like a motor home. As long as I keep it on city streets I think I can deal with it. I only have about 3-4 weeks to accomplish this.
I live in the San Jose area with my cats, and not only is it hard to find a place that allow cats, but there is also the fact that it is one of the most expensive places in America to live. The average price of a one bedroom apartment is $1500 to $2000 a month, and I saw one that was $2900 a month . If you are willing to live among high crime it could be as low as $1200. And I would have to sneak my cats in because I have too many.
I know nothing about RV's other than the online research I have been doing for the last two weeks. I found a 5th wheel that would be perfect for my needs at a dealer, but so far I can't find a trailer park to put it in. It is a 1996 Hitchiker Champagne 33RK. It is only $5500 because it is missing a lot of furnishings. I don't care that it is missing the table and living room furniture at all. As long as I have a working bathroom/shower and kitchen, with a decent place to sleep. This one has a stackable mini washer/dryer too! The trailer parks charge about $600 a month plus utilities, and I can afford that. These parks are really sketchy, but they are the only viable option for me. If I can't find a place I have to go to plan B.
Plan B would be to park the 5th wheel on private land, where they would have to figure out electricity and water, and a way to dump the sewage. There are so many "ifs" in this scenario. I am not mechanically inclined at all, so I wouldn't have the first clue how to accomplish this. I just don't know how that would be doable, particularly because I have only been in a rented RV a few times before, and it was just for race weekends at Laguna Seca and Sears Point.
And all of the online ads in San Jose are just offering RV parking/storage on their land.
Plan C involves buying a 30 foot +/- motor home, most likely Class C or A. With my limited $5k budget a drivable home would be quite old and would require a lot of maintenance. I have no clue how to fix anything, let alone the basics of living full time on the streets. I would have to go to the RV centers to charge up and dump. I found one in San Jose that says it has pull throughs. I assume that means you don't have to back in and navigate small areas?
Then there is the issue of the cats. They are indoor only, so outside access is not necessary. They have never been in an RV, but this is the only option I have. I know you can't leave cats in cars with the heat of San Jose, but the RV would have much more interior cubic feet, and I have read a lot of stories on here that vents can be opened and windows can be shaded. And of course finding a tree shaded spot would be great. This would be particularly important if I was living in the large RV and moving it around every 72 hours. I work in an industrial area, and I see three or four RV's doing this all of the time.
It seems like most of the people on this forum live in the Midwest or the South, but no matter where you are you might have advice for me. If there is anyone local to San Jose you might have some insider information. Thanks in advance for any help you can offer, Julie
I live in the San Jose area with my cats, and not only is it hard to find a place that allow cats, but there is also the fact that it is one of the most expensive places in America to live. The average price of a one bedroom apartment is $1500 to $2000 a month, and I saw one that was $2900 a month . If you are willing to live among high crime it could be as low as $1200. And I would have to sneak my cats in because I have too many.
I know nothing about RV's other than the online research I have been doing for the last two weeks. I found a 5th wheel that would be perfect for my needs at a dealer, but so far I can't find a trailer park to put it in. It is a 1996 Hitchiker Champagne 33RK. It is only $5500 because it is missing a lot of furnishings. I don't care that it is missing the table and living room furniture at all. As long as I have a working bathroom/shower and kitchen, with a decent place to sleep. This one has a stackable mini washer/dryer too! The trailer parks charge about $600 a month plus utilities, and I can afford that. These parks are really sketchy, but they are the only viable option for me. If I can't find a place I have to go to plan B.
Plan B would be to park the 5th wheel on private land, where they would have to figure out electricity and water, and a way to dump the sewage. There are so many "ifs" in this scenario. I am not mechanically inclined at all, so I wouldn't have the first clue how to accomplish this. I just don't know how that would be doable, particularly because I have only been in a rented RV a few times before, and it was just for race weekends at Laguna Seca and Sears Point.
And all of the online ads in San Jose are just offering RV parking/storage on their land.
Plan C involves buying a 30 foot +/- motor home, most likely Class C or A. With my limited $5k budget a drivable home would be quite old and would require a lot of maintenance. I have no clue how to fix anything, let alone the basics of living full time on the streets. I would have to go to the RV centers to charge up and dump. I found one in San Jose that says it has pull throughs. I assume that means you don't have to back in and navigate small areas?
Then there is the issue of the cats. They are indoor only, so outside access is not necessary. They have never been in an RV, but this is the only option I have. I know you can't leave cats in cars with the heat of San Jose, but the RV would have much more interior cubic feet, and I have read a lot of stories on here that vents can be opened and windows can be shaded. And of course finding a tree shaded spot would be great. This would be particularly important if I was living in the large RV and moving it around every 72 hours. I work in an industrial area, and I see three or four RV's doing this all of the time.
It seems like most of the people on this forum live in the Midwest or the South, but no matter where you are you might have advice for me. If there is anyone local to San Jose you might have some insider information. Thanks in advance for any help you can offer, Julie