Western Washington in the winter

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debsmg

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Jul 28, 2015
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SE Minnesota
Hi all
I have been doing temporary nurse practitioner jobs and was recently offered one for the next six months in Washington state. It would be north of Seattle on the coast. The RV parks are open year around.  I?m just wondering if it?s realistic to try to do winter in an RV there. Anyone from the area can give me some advice  as weather wintering in an RV there is feasible or a royal pain in the ....
 
I think you will be OK really does not get that cold. Have you seen the price of rent in the Seattle area? The RV parks are also on the high side. I also am thinking of taking a temp job for Boeing at Mosses Lake and will be staying in my 5th wheel.
 
The coast is generally mild and WET.  As an example Vancouver BC can andmdoes get snow in the winter.  It usually lasts anywhere from a day to a week.  Then its back to rain.  Northmof Seattle Im guessing Bellingham?  That area can get quite wet, but rarely down to freezing.  Six months assignment?  Get there find out what propane dealer services the park.  Rent a 25 gallon tank and sign up for auto refil weekly.  If your RV has 50A service a large dehumidifier and a couple of electric heaters should do you just fine.
 
I will be In Marysville area.  I have 2 cats and dog and that makes it difficult for apartment. Rather stay in my rv if possible. It?s small but my home. Lake Goodwin has some RV parks but ratings are horrible. That is another concern.
 
You'll get some snow, but for the most part the area stays above freezing.  I'd look into getting a larger propane tank installed if you're going to be there a while, otherwise you'll be shuttling your tanks back and forth to keep them full.

Your roof air conditioner makes a good dehumidifier in mild weather.  Get the inside of the RV warm, then set the air conditioner's thermostat to the minimum and turn it on with low fan speed for about 5 minutes.
 
You can get an Extend A Stay to connect an external propane tank to your motorhome.  Or if you get a larger external tank, the installer can simply connect it in place of your motorhome's tank, then reconnect the stock tank when you're ready to leave.
 
Marysville should be no problem.  Look a bit farther north for a park.  The farther away from Seattle the cheaper you will get.  This area will be really wet and can experience flooding at times so be  careful where you park.  Yes, propane dealers can connect a large tank to your MH for short term.  Usong the AC as a dehumidifier is fine if your in Mississipps.  In NW Washington you will want a dehumidifier, believe me.  Good ones are pretty cheap and will make a huge difference in the comfort level.
 
I live in Marysville.... we do get snow, but it doesn't last long.
There is a new RV park called Emerald Springs just north of Marysville by Smokey Point. Its on 51st ave ne and about 165th.
Their site says you can have two dogs with a combined weight of 75lbs.
 
I spent November through February in Eugene, OR, where it is wet and cold during the winter, but usually only a light dusting of snow once in a great while--very similar to the area you are talking about.  I put plastic shrink wrap on all windows but one and added vent pillows to all of my vents.  I also replaced my small electric heater with two more efficient small electric heaters.  And I still used a 10 gallon tank of propane every two weeks.  However, I could have had an extra tank installed, but I was not planning on doing this a second time.  (I have a 32' Class C, so I also put a heavy drape between the cab area and my living area.  However, since I kept running out of propane, I did have to drive out once in a while and since I had no car, I also used my rig for errands once a week.)

One tip:  my AC motor rusted out, so I would recommend running it for a few minutes every week or so and possibly covering it with something.  Also, when I left, I found a lot of mold in the cab area and around windows, but a spray of Chlorox cleaner and a wipe with a paper towel cleaned everything up.

So, it is doable, but not something I would do very often.  Why not look for a winter job in someplace warmer??
 
I have a park model in Arizona and had been planning on going back there. However that?s not where the work is available. There is an over abundance of nurse practitioners right now and the job market has dried up.  What temporary jobs have come open in Arizona have had multiple multiple applicants.  I have been going and working in the same place for the last two years during the winter in Arizona but now they have filled all the positions and only offered me a job working Saturdays . I am close to retirement so age is against me.

So I decided to go ahead and take this job as they offered me a good salary.  I will be able to save quite a bit of money.  I will  then travel for a while after the job is finished.  I will be in the Pacific North West which I?ve never been before.  And I have decided this is the last assignment I will be doing.

So not ideal situation and not what I wanted. But if I go to Arizona and there is no job, I will fret about tapping into retirement savings already. Plus health insurance will be a whole other issue.

 
That is a really nice area except for Seattle.  Seattle used to be a great place to visit, but now with the homeless mess, I would not go there in a dare.  When you get done with the job, head south, Oregon outside of the major cities is a great place to visit.  As a retirement job you might think of volunteer camp hosting.  Fun easy work, get to meet lots of people.  Some nice, some not so nice.  Same as your current job, but with no pressure.
 
There is a huge need for Travel nurses in Yuma AZ,  You contact them directly Yuma Regional Medical.  My wife worked there 3 winters and there are tons of RV parks.

YUMA Regional Medical does not work with brokers.  Only direct contact.

P.S.  Warm, Little rain, only seen frost on the windshield once or twice.    We go there now to spend the winter.
 
donn, the homeless situation in Seattle is no worse than anywhere else. Stay out of the rough areas you will be fine. Still, I steer clear of it because of the traffic congestion.
To the op, as others have suggested you will need lots of propane and a dehumidifier to stay warm, dry and comfortable. There is nothing worse than being cold and damp all the time, trust me.
 
That really means avoiding all of the down town area.  Which comprises about 99% of the attractions Seattle was noted for.  But lets not debate politics here.  Suffice it to say all of the left coast major cities are rat infested S holes and leave it at that.
 
Don't you think that's a bit of hyperbole?  I was in Seattle last month, yes there are homeless in some areas but nowhere near the Mad Max scenario you're describing.

I wouldn't walk the streets at night (nor would I in most large cities) but otherwise the Space Needle, Pike's Market, the ferries, etc. are fine wth lots of tourists enjoying them. 
 
donn said:
That really means avoiding all of the down town area.  Which comprises about 99% of the attractions Seattle was noted for.  But lets not debate politics here.  Suffice it to say all of the left coast major cities are rat infested S holes and leave it at that.
Click to expand...
I am curious to know where you live.
 
Might wanna call some of the RV parks and ask them what to do for an extended visit?  They see folks doing this often I'd guess.
 
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