Is this the answer to the housing problems?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
I wish them luck, especially if Texas has another winter like the last one. I did something similar 25 years ago when I returned to CA and the skyrocketing real estate prices and taxes made it impossible to afford a house within commuting distance of my job in San Francisco. I had co-workers who went two hours out of the City to find an affordable house and most nights they crashed in their office instead of enduring the crushing commute. I didn't want that. Instead, I found a close by monthly RV park and moved into my RV at a quarter of the cost of renting an apartment. It worked for me, I'm now retired with a decent nest egg, but I was single and in an area with a year round temperate climate.
 
Based on our travels over the past two years, I'd say this is exactly what has been happening in many areas of the country. Despite Lou's comment regarding extreme weather, I think it's a trend that will continue. Hopefully a few manufacturers will give consideration to this trend in building units that will better withstand weather conditions that currently make RV living in seasonal units challenging.
 
Portable housing has been an important part of the growth of this country from the beginning.
From tee-pees to Conestoga wagons, and more recently the mobile homes that were used to escape the cities in the 60's. RVs/travel trailers are a great temporary option, but none of the above are a solution for our housing crisis.
A healthy economy would do it though.
 
Wasillaguy said:
Portable housing has been an important part of the growth of this country from the beginning.
From tee-pees to Conestoga wagons, and more recently the mobile homes that were used to escape the cities in the 60's. RVs/travel trailers are a great temporary option, but none of the above are a solution for our housing crisis.
A healthy economy would do it though.
Click to expand...
What would need to happen in your view to make our economy healthy?
 
UTTransplant said:
Paul, you’re baiting him …
Click to expand...
But that is acceptable . :rolleyes: This topic could bring out many reasons as to why the rent and housing market is out of wack to the working class and forcing people to find alternative ways of getting out of the elements. But as you know that is not acceptable exchanges here which can also generate opposing points of view.
 
The problem also brings up the inescapable fact that RV "housing" is not built to state or county building codes and is not built for full time living.. But there are always the ones that have to learn that first hand..>>>Dan
 
Not only has the housing market gotten... difficult, pretty much everywhere. But people no longer stay in the same place and/or work for the the same company for 30 years or longer. That type of employer/employee is gone. Many people prefer the option to be able to take their mobile apartment to a new town and better job situation. As for the actual mobile apartment, those are easily customizable if you are semi-handy at all. One can even add an extra layer of insulation without a great deal of skill needed (furring strips, rigid foam insulation, 5mm underlayment to cover the insulation, some primer and paint or wallpaper).

I think that the RVs that were sold during the pandemic will result in an increase in people buying them used to use as mobile apartments. These people will not end up on RV forums because they do not view themselves as "RVers". I think it would be great if some rv parks & campgrounds evolve into "travel home" parks to service these monthly residents, meaning an increase in monthly residents and few to no overnights. Most of the parks I have lived in, consistently say that it doesn't take long to realize who the trouble makers are and get rid of them.

I live in a tiny park. There are 24 full service sites and 8 w/e sites for the overnights. In the 4+ years I've been living here, the most overnighters that have been here has been six. Currently there is one. He's been here since shortly before Thanksgiving. Before him, it was two weeks since the last people left (1 night for two RVs). The full service sites have 23 in them (one empty site). So who do you think is paying the bills here? Overnighters (who are rarely happy, complain about everything and want expensive amenities) or monthlies (who quickly leave to find a better park if they don't fit in, have their own internet/cable and the rest of the park knows exactly who is causing a problem)? And it's all about the money. If a monthly leaves, their site is quickly filled from someone on the "wait list".


BTW, I live fulltime in a "residential vehicle" or "mobile apartment".
 
Lou Schneider said:
I found a close by monthly RV park and moved into my RV
Click to expand...
Close to SF? I can remember when there was an RV Park right in SF, but that was many years ago. Early 1980's maybe when it closed down?

I was lucky, I bought a house in 1977 for $34,500. Nothing down, GI loan. Now it's worth a bit more than a million bucks. IOW, a real dump in a dumpy area. A million bucks is dirt cheap for any dump near SF these days. Well below the average house price there.

People were telling me how much I got ripped off buying that dumpy house at $34,500.

It doubled in value in around 8 months. Property tax doubled with the property values.

That was about when Jarvis-Gann did their prop-13 thing. That helped me too.

-Don- Reno, NV
 
LMHS said:
Many people prefer the option to be able to take their mobile apartment to a new town and better job situation.
Click to expand...
This helps the economy. The more mobile people are, the more employment options they have to choose from. Good for employers too, they can recruit from across the country for even short term gigs.
 
Lou Schneider said:
but I was single and in an area with a year round temperate climate.
Click to expand...
And an entirely different situation and climate than those in the story that I posted. True fulltimer families tend to follow the weather where the kids can spend time outdoors all year and they see and experience a stream of new adventures. I have never seen an RV that I could imagine living in with a wife and 8 kids in a north TX winter.
 
RVMomma, I think was the login traveled across country with a pretty good group of kids in a van for a while before setting down in upper New York, IIRC.
 
Here in the LA area, folks with decent jobs complain about the cost of housing. But looking around I see many working poor immigrants buying starter homes with minimum wage jobs. How do they do it? Multi-generational families pitch in their earnings. Grandpa works, Grandma cleans houses, parents both work and any working age children work and contribute. They'll buy a 3 bedroom home in a bad neighborhood. Grandpa and Grandma get a bedroom and share with the kids. Mom and Dad get a bedroom and share with some kids. Teenagers get the couch or bunk beds in the living room or live in the garage. The 3rd bedroom gets rented out to another couple that pays rent.

Seems less crowded that 10 folks in a 5th wheel and they are building equity.

Sometimes it's about expectations.
 
Last edited:
Just my observation. Companies are now purchasing rv Parks/resorts to turn into mini housing/trailer parks. For example Sun recently bought a 300+ unit Resort in SW Florida and is requiring two year leases from people wishing to reserve for a season in advance. They still have walkin spots available.
Eventually most lots will be occupied by (small permanent residences/trailers or park models) with four figure lot rentals. Effectively $100K housing rather than $400K Condominium.

Ernie
 
In the Phoenix area (Maricopa County), they require a certain percentage of spaces dedicated to short stays if it is to be classified as an RV park. Apparently there are some serious tax advantages to maintaining RV park status, because they are thick in the Mesa/Chandler area
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 970 (members: 7, guests: 963)

Forum statistics

Threads
131,972
Posts
1,388,448
Members
137,722
Latest member
RoyL57
Back
Top Bottom