Living In A 5th Wheel Private Land/Living in a Class A & Moving Around/Homeless

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

    Hello Julie - and welcome to the forum. I am sure you will get plenty of advice here, so stay tuned. And BTW, there are tons of us here that live all over the Western states - and know the area you live in very well.

My brother gave up RVing because the cost just to store his RV in San Jose when not in use just became too much. Yes, San Jose is definitely not a place to rent RV space - nor is going South down 101. Actually, $600/mos plus electric would be considered very good rent for that area.

Tons of folks working in the Bay Area have moved over into the valley - home owners as well as RVers. Rentals from Sacramento South down the 5 are much more reasonable. However, the price of gas is the downside of that idea, unless you work out a car pool. With so many doing it each day perhaps that might work. Many live in places such as the Santa Nella area or farther North on the 5. I had close friends that lived in Newman, CA off of the 5 that commuted to San Jose every day. I couldn't handle that thought - just too far.

With the budget you have for an RV purchase, yes, I would say the 5th Wheel might be your best bet initially. Most any RV park will have someone with a truck to move you wherever you find a place to park. Have never been in a park that didn't allow cats. I had my own cats for years and still rescue cats here and there. You could then hang on with a better rent and lower insurance on the RV than a motorized rig. If you liked the 5th, you could move on to purchase of your own truck to pull it. If not, just have someone else move it occasionally when you go from one park to another - for better rent or whatever.

As to repairs, there a always mobile RV repair folk in addition to more expensive dealer repair facilities. Also, if in a park very long, you will find neighbors that can help out - and will enjoy helping you out. RVers are great that way.

I would definitely not think about living on the streets with an RV. You will just run into hassle after hassle. There "are" places you will find inexpense parking - such as most Walmart's, or in Nevada some Casino parking lots. But they are a long way from your job in San Jose. If you note the Quartzsite, AZ Rally info posted on the forum, that area of BLM land rents for $180 for the entire winter with free sewer, water, and trash dump. However, it's summer temps make it the last place you want to be in the summer.

Again, welcome to the forum - and soak up the advice you will read here. Interact with us as you work through this and let's see if we can help you move in an OK direction for you and your cats. I and many others have been living, working, and traveling in an RV for many years vs. living in a stick house without wheels. 

Hi Julie.  I moved into my motorhome under similar circumstances though had much longer to plan.  My husband is disabled and I became disabled in the last 2 years.  We were living in an apartment with our dog and 2 cats until last December.  We decided to go with a motorhome because we had already sold our car to pay bills and just couldn't plan on buying both a tow vehicle and a trailer.  We used my husbands lump sum payment of back pay when he got his SSDI award which was over $12000.  I also had money left from my back pay to add to it so we bought a $15000 motorhome.  Like you we had trouble finding a park in our area that had openings (Austin, Texas) so ended up moving further out of town to Georgetown (about 30 miles north).  Rent out here is cheaper, though we have to spend more on gas (we have a borrowed truck from a family member).  I would say you would be infinitely better off in an RV park than parking on land somewhere.  Boondocking leaves you with much less electricity to use unless you have an inverter and solar panels and a large bank of extra batteries.  In my rig, only the 12 volt system is available when I am not plugged in because I do not have an inverter.  So that means none of the 120v outlets are available, no tv, no microwave, AC, etc.  The refrigerator runs on propane when no 120 is available so I do have refrigerator.  Also water heater and stove.  I can use 120v appliances by running the generator, but it's loud and uses a fair amount of gasoline.  In an RV park you get some support too.  They usually can refer you to good mobile RV technicians, places to get propane, etc.  Neighbors may be able to help you with minor repairs or questions you might have.

Our cats have adjusted quite well to RV living.  They were kept indoors at our apartment, but here we let them out.  They have found new ways to amuse themselves here, like climbing the fabric covered frames around the bedroom windows and dive bombing the bed.  We have cut our living expenses dramatically, though the electricity cost is high right now with our 100+ degree days.  Next year I hope to travel to cooler climes for the summer. 

This is a great place to learn and ask questions.  Good luck on your quest.

Thank you so much Bob and Yarnkitty. I didn't see a way to PM anyone, so I will respond here.

Bob- I do know two people with dualies, so moving the 5th won't be too much of an issue. Actually both of the men who own them are retired, so I could just pay them gas/time/meals. Two of the 5th wheels that I found are 80 miles away, so it will take quite a lot of gas, but it will be worth it if I find a place to park it.

Below is a link to two of the trailer parks that are right next to each other. They are called Western Trailer Park and Ace Trailer Park. Ace has a website that has some very deceiving pictures. It shows the four or five nice homes in the complex, but it looks completely different when you go there. It is hard to ascertain by just looking at an aerial map, but these places are really bad. The Western Trailer Park was all over the news two years ago as a slumlord expose, because raw sewage was leaking around the homes, and one woman had it back up through her toilet in to the trailer.  I am just telling you about the conditions because you said that the $600 space rent is cheap. That is because these spaces are 1/2 of the size of a mobile home park space. (Really nice mobile home parks down the street charge as little as $700 and you get rec centers, pools, large spaces, nice homes etc. But they don't rent space to 5th wheels. They want mobile homeowners, and prohibit renting them out.) These parks are so tight that there is barely an inch to park your car. I had a hard time getting my mid sized car through some areas. There are only single wides and trailers in the trailer parks, and most of them look uninhabitable, and would be condemned if the City of San Jose had time to reinforce it.

But I would be ecstatic to find a vacancy in one of these places despite how depressing they are, because Plan B&C are clearly bad choices. When I go in person to these places there hasn't been anyone in the Office, and when I leave messages they are not returned. I think I will go tomorrow, which is Monday, and maybe they will be there after their weekend off?

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Western+Trailer+Park,+Monterey+Highway,+San+Jose,+CA&hl=en&ll=37.29348,-121.849188&spn=0.002541,0.003106&sll=37.413214,-122.081267&sspn=0.114803,0.198784&oq=western+tra&t=h&hq=Western+Trailer+Park,&hnear=Monterey+Hwy,+San+Jose,+California&z=18

Moving far away from my job is not an option. I barely make enough money to drive 20 miles each way, which is my current situation.

I also have to sell the best car I have ever had in my life to pay for the 5th wheel. My 2003 Acura is the only car I have ever owned that has never broken down, and has been a dream for 10 years so far. After I sell it (hopefully $7k) to buy a 5th for $5k, and pay to move it, I may only have $1,000-1500 left to buy a car. A 1990 Honda Civic with 280,00 miles on it, is just too risky to rely on for long distance driving.

You are correct about trailer parks allowing cats. Mine are indoor only so that won't be the big issue. It will only be the issue if I have to live on the streets in an RV.

Yarnkitty- I feel funny calling you that, because it is clearly not your name  ;D My Mom had a brain aneurysm at 56, so I am familiar with SSI and permanent disability, and eventual Social Security and skilled nursing. I am 56 now, so that is always in the back of my mind. I have another nine years before I could collect a halfway decent amount. I wish I had family to fall back on, but everyone has passed, or they are distant relatives that I haven't seen since I was a kid.

I am so glad you spelled out the details of what to expect if I boondock. I am learning the lingo as I go.  It appears that I will not be using a microwave, air conditioner, or watching TV. It looks like I could take up reading again. It seems like it might be an upscale camping situation. So I could have hot water and cook on a stove as long as I had propane.

**The big question is- I assume there is an easy way to hook up water, but how would I deal with the black water?
~I got my answer from a friend who lived on someones property for awhile. It's called an outhouse!

My wife is a traveling nurse and we go to a new place every three months or so.  When we decided to do it we decided to get a Travel Trailer and live in it while at  the assignment location.  Our trailer was a 1988 32' Yellowstone.  Pretty basic by todays standards.  Our first camp ground in SW Virginia was $450  per month.  The second was in The Columbia SC area for $350 per month and now we are in St Paul Ne and it is $200 per month.  I will  say this,  you should get to somewhere where is is milder in  the winter.  we used electric space heater to heat in VA as propane would have eaten us alive.

Pick an area and shop for units on Craig's list if at all possible stay way from dealers.  Look for older people who are getting to old  to travel or are having health concerns.  I am not telling you this to try to take advantage of them.  They are most likely to be reasonable and will probably have taken good care of their unit. 

In every campground we have met single people or couples who live their full time and earn  part of heir living working for the campground owner.

Here is an example of what is available.

http://shoals.craigslist.org/rvd/3982022190.html

http://shoals.craigslist.org/rvs/3944886734.html

http://shoals.craigslist.org/rvd/3924241463.html

Just look around.

Tom...

Hi Julie and welcome to the forum.  I wish I had some suggestions that will solve your problems.  I don't.  You are faced with some tough decisions.  It seems the most difficult might be dealing with your cats.  We have two cats and travel extensively with them.  They have adapted quite well.  I'm sure yours will adapt just as well.  However, we are careful not to leave them for extended periods during the heat of the day.  We also set our thermostat so the air-contioner comes on at a set temperature.  Even then, on hot days we do our errands in the morning so we can return by noon.  All RVs gets very warm during the day when they are closed up and animals will suffer.  Even if you have air-conditioning, there is the risk of a power failure.  That's the reason we don't like to leave our cats for long periods during hot weather.  Have you considered finding homes for your cats?  I know this would not be an easy decision but it might allow you to investigate options other than living in an RV. 

If that is out of the questions, have you considered relocating.  it might be possible to find employment in an area where you can find an RV park closer to work.  That would save you money in both your housing and commuting expenses.  There are lots of articles on the Internet regarding the cost of living in various cities.  Same with employment opportunities.  I would identify a few outlying areas and check with their Employment Development Departments to see what jobs are available.  If that works for you and you can relocate, check out rvparkreviews.com.  That's a good source for learning about RV parks in or near a city.     

Good luck,

Gary       

Hi Tom and Gary! And thanks for your input.

Gary-

I would love to find homes for the cats. Unfortunately these are not the kind of cats that someone would easily adopt. I have been in cat rescue for the last 18 years or so, and I trap wild kittens born to feral mamas on the streets. Then I get the wild Mama & the Dads fixed and put them back in her territory. After that I work with the kittens to socialize them, and get them fixed, and find them homes. These feral cats and kittens are the majority of the 65% of cats that get euthanized at shelters each year. If people would just spay and neuter their animals the homeless population would be greatly reduced!

I have had them up for adoption for 7 years, but no one would give them a chance because they are too shy! So I have just accepted that they will be mine for life. If I were to take them to a shelter, they would be euthanized in 72 hours. I could not do that to them. I know that most people won't understand the bond I have with these cats, but I never wanted children, and they are like my children to me. I think if it came to me being homeless, and I had to drive around with them in my car, my fellow rescuers would step up and help. I already have beneficiaries named in my life insurance policy to take care of my cats for more money than my cats could ever eat in cat food, or use up at the veterinarian.

I would be happy to relocate and find a job in a cheaper area. But I have very little money right now, and 3 weeks to find something. I am 56 years old without a college education. I have applied for over 200 jobs in the last couple of years with no results. So I continue to work for a friend who has an Ebay business. I have worked for him since 2008. And I have to actually see the merchandise to describe it, so I can't live elsewhere to do it.

Tom-  I have been perusing Craigslist for a few weeks now. It is just by chance that the 5th that looks perfect for me is at a dealer. There are dozens of ads for all kinds of 5ths, TT, and RV's. Most of them are out of my price range, or are really cheap and have motor/plumbing/structural issues.  The links that you shared are nice homes, but I need to keep it around $5k.  I need to sell my own car first to get the money, and I am hoping to get $7k. That doesn't include transporting the 5th or sales tax and registration fees. And I still would need to find a super cheap car to get to work in.

Our campgrounds here are not as inexpensive as where you live. Most of them are in the $800-$950 monthly range, and there are very few within a reasonable driving distance to my job. Many of them are electricity and water only, so you have to use the public bathrooms to shower and and to use a toilet.

We either have a plethora of nice mobile home parks that don't take trailers, or about a dozen small trailer parks that are very scary, but the space rent is affordable at about $600.  I spoke to a couple of women who lived alone in these parks, and they said keep your head down, and don't argue with anyone. There are multiple registered sex offenders at these parks.

As for weather, our winters in San Jose are barely winters. It hardly dips below 50 degrees. When I owned my home for 15 years, I probably used the heater 6 times a winter. It is the heat in the summer that might be a problem. I know a lot of people who have cats in outdoor enclosures or in garages, so they can handle a fair amount of heat, but I wouldn't want to chance that my cats would die in a trailer. If I can get in to one of the trailer parks here, I would only be a 15 minute drive away to check on them.

My roommate is a registered nurse. The traveling nurses at her hospital (Kaiser) get $50 an hour, plus $1500 a month for a housing allowance. I am in the wrong business lol! Kaiser is phasing out full time nurses that they pay benefits and pensions to, so that they can save money and fill the hospitals with traveling nurses.