What's the absolute cheapest way to get started?

[ganchan]

I currently have neither an RV nor a tow vehicle, which obviously puts me at a disadvantage right from the start...but what's the absolute cheapest "entry level" into the RV lifestyle?

At first thought, I would imagine a used pickup truck with a camping tent anchored to the bed, or perhaps just a truck cap. No amenities beyond what you might use on a camping trip, and condensation from hell. Bet Wal-Mart wouldn't allow boondocking in such a thing.

A used van might be cheap, but gutting and remodeling it for human habitation certainly wouldn't be.

I haven't given up hope on getting both a decent vehicle and a 13-foot travel trailer, but I'd have to purchase (and therefore finance) both of them at or around the same time. I'm giving myself a couple of years to get my financial house in order, and I know great deals on trailers pop up from time to time -- but how can I leap at a great deal that's, say, 600 miles away if I have no vehicle to get there with?

 

[camperAL]

Hi ganchan,

If you don't have transportation to look at deals far away, I'd suggest that you just check out local deals and at times of the year when they might sell something at a better price. More than likely you'd waste money traveling 600 miles. You'd probably have to do that multipal times before finding a good unit. Money that could be spent on a unit closer to home.

I'd look on places like RV Trader and limit the distance you have to travel to go see units. Since you are money strapped, I'd say that a pop-up camper might be the best choice. However the material on those can get bad and you might need to replace for an older one.

RV'n does cost some money. Both for your unit, something to pull with, and maintance that you have to put into it (and you will have that cost). Then campground cost or state/federal parks.

You might consider a used van that you outfit with a bed, portapotty, sink and storage and curtains. I'm sure that some will have better ideas than me, who have camped longer. Best and good luck!

 

[Mr Bojangles]

Ganchan:
Wow...... so many variables and considerations. Here goes.....

The "RV" life means many things to people. You will need to expend TIME and MONEY to figure out what you want and then that changes. It's an on going thing!
Initially you should spend hardly nothing since you have very little.
You did not mention "others" so lets talk only YOU!
Start with a cheap to run vehicle (car) and travel short distances, set up a camp (State run parks) and see how you fair (enjoy) this activity.
You may find that the "TRAVEL" is more enjoyable than the "STAY" (as I do).

The essence of RV life is some combination of these elements. What type of Equipment (RV's) we have is dependent on how much money we have....
The planning, the dream, these are the elements that make it so enjoyable for most......
Stay within your means and Plan.... Dream......and enjoy.........

Once you determine whether it's the TRAVEL or STAY part (and that changes) you enjoy, as well as funds to be available for life style you choose,  move towards those RV items.
And keep in mind that you are not making an INVESTMENT, but rather, fulfilling your Dreams and Plans.
See ya on down the road!

 

[Oscar Mike]

When I was a bit younger, broke, working paycheck-to-paycheck, and raising a family I found a pop-up trailer for under $500.00 (they are still out there today) and my old beater 1965 Ford F100 (and it was an old beater) and I took my young family camping. We had to be a sight to see.

Those were some fun camping trips.

Good luck in you search. But your first goal should be reliable transportation, for you cannot RV without a vehicle of some sort. I agree too that dreaming the dream until you can achieve your goals is part of the RVing lifestyle. I would dare to say that most if not all RVers are dreamers.

 

[poncho62]

Buying used doesn't necessarily mean it is junk...Just be careful what you are looking at and may find a deal or two. I bought an older truck that was in excellent shape for 4Gs and the trailer was 3Gs (needed some work, but I did it myself)....Maybe not as much as you want to spend, but you get the idea. I find that now, the gas and campsite rates are the biggest cost factor.

 

[Tom Hoffman]

Start here:    http://www.searchtempest.com

Then spend some time looking around, there are some really good bargains. 

My wife and I started full timing in a $3400 32' Travel Trailer, we had the brakes, hubs, tires and toilet fixed,  spent another $1100 we had an older F-250 worth about $5K,  we were set,  6 months later we sold the TT for $4500 and moved up to what we have now, see below equip list, a year later we got a different truck. 

Do you need a TT that big, NO, we are here in Yuma AZ this winter and every day very small TT come in and spend a week or two and move on.  It's doable.

 

[donn]

Used cargo vans are cheap and plentiful.  Depending on how fancy you want to get, ourfitting the interior could be done for under a thousand dollars or over three thousand dollars.  Brother did a couple several years ago for roughly 500 dollars apiece, so I know it is possible.

 

[ganchan]

Yes, I think I'll have to get the vehicle first. Maybe finance a used vehicle and then pay cash for the cheapest usable TT I can find. I'll be full-timing, so a hard shell of some sort will probably be necessary.

One nice thing about the cargo van option is that I could start with the bare minimum and then just keep tweaking the van at my own pace. My main concern would be insulation and ventilation. I might even use the cargo van as a tow vehicle for a TT later on....

I'm currently working on ways to boost both my income and my credit score. Who knows, a couple of years from now I may have a lot more options than I anticipate. I will use this time as a learning period.

 

[JiminDenver]

We started out near 30 years ago by tossing a futon in the back of our old van. That first trip we cooked everything with tinfoil in the fire and it tasted great.  After that we decided we liked camping enough to spend money on it. We hit garage sales and thrift shops for the gear but just kept on using that old van for years.  Eventually we picked up a 1962 Cree 13 ft primitive  trailer and dragged it around with that old van for 5 years. I couldn't stand or even lay out on the bed so we sold our hard walls for a big tent and used it until we bought the trailer we have now.

The trips in the van, old trailer and tent were as fun and memorable as any we have had in the big trailer.  We looked at a motor home somewhere in there and at the time decided that wasn't what camping was to us then, so it wasn't always the money that kept us roughing it.

So you don't have to start out at the top if you don't have to have the castle from the get go. Save up and find a truck with a shell, use that for a while as you save up for the camper to pull or go on it. Pop up truck campers go for well under a grand here if you can find one in good shape.

 

[ganchan]

So you don't have to start out at the top if you don't have to have the castle from the get go. Save up and find a truck with a shell, use that for a while as you save up for the camper to pull or go on it. Pop up truck campers go for well under a grand here if you can find one in good shape.

This sounds like a good idea. If I buy a truck with a decent towing capacity, I could start off with a truck tent ($200-$300 new) or pop-up camper, then "graduate" to a TT and replace the tent with a hard cap for cargo storage (or just keep using the tent for this purpose). As long as I can keep from freezing to death... I would definitely have to snowbird it, and maybe get some little portable heating device. Use battery-powered LED lanterns, radio, etc, and charge small devices off the cigarette lighter. I would mostly be out and about (and near public amenities) anyway, except at night.

 

[JX2Fields]

Hi Ganchan
You might think about renting an rv first to see if that is what you want. You can rent motorhomes and trailers for a week or a month. Might be the best way for you to explore your options without spending a lot .

John

 

[Lou Schneider]

Craigslist (www.craigslist.org) is an excellent source for used RVs.  Take a look at the one most local to where you are, along with a couple in the popular snowbirding areas (Arizona, south Texas, Florida, etc.) and you'll soon have a good idea of what's available.

The vast majority of RVs listed on Craigslist are from legitimate sellers, but like any other free service on the Net there are some scammers.  They're usually easy to spot - if the deal looks too good to be true and the seller is skimpy on details, give it a pass.

Last year I bought a 1992 26 ft. class A motorhome on Craigslist for $4500.  It's in excellent condition with lots of upgrades and low mileage.  There are deals out there, you just have to look for them.

 

[Jeff in Ferndale Wa]

I think if I were just starting out with limited funds,I would buy a larger SUV such as a Suburban or Expedition and a tent.
You could sleep in the SUV if you were staying at Walmart and allow you time to search for the trailer that suites you.
There are lots of used SUVs out there,so you should be able to find a decent,used,well maintained rig for not a lot of money.

Any equipment you buy such as camp stoves,lanterns,etc can be used later with the trailer.A lot of that stuff can be found at garage sales.
My wife still prefers to cook outside on a camp stove as long as the weather is decent.

 

[RoyM]

If you want to go directly into full timing IMHO you are deluding yourself if you think you can do it on a shoe string. This will be your home and if you are like most of us you will want to be comfortable. A tent, truck topper, pop up, bed in a van is fine for a weekend getaway but pretty tough to live in.
You also need to factor in maintenance costs. You may get lucky and find an older reliable cream puff but the odds are not in your favor. Our first rv was an 1986 fifth wheel. We enjoyed it but it became a money pit and time consuming especially when on the road. We had to give up on it after three seasons.
Put 10% of your pay check in a no touchee account and leave it alone for now (don't have debit card access) and stick with us, keep looking and don't let the dream die. Our current trailer came up on cl, it was a super deal but we had to move quick to make it work.

 

[JiminDenver]

Full time?

There are a group called Van dwellers that full time in converted vans, class Bs, etc. Not the same as camping, everything they own is in that van. Personally I go stir crazy in our 25 ft trailer if it rains too long.

 

[JudyJB]

What I might suggest is a second job for a year or two.  I don't know what you do for a living, but you could put the income from a second job away for an eventual purchase. 

While you can get a cheap tow vehicle and small trailer, or a very small motorhome, as a lifestyle it can have some unexpected expenses--such as new tires or mechanical work on the vehicle while you are on the road.  Everyone who does this really should have some backup money tucked away so they don't get stranded thousands of miles from home.