Hello engineheat!
First off.... WELCOME to the forums! You are about to step into another zone of existence (when and if) you decide to purchase any type of RV. There really is no comparison living an an RV and living in a stick n brick dwelling. It is a nomadic life, even if you are parked stationary. But it is a great life and it does take time to learn and adjust to this lifestyle. This is why I always advise someone who wants to jump into full timing, especially having no prior experience with an RV, to purchase their RV at least a year before deciding to make the full timing move. Over the course of that year, take as many week-end and short week or two week trips as possible. Each outing is a new learning experience that will prepare you for full timing. That's MY strongest advise if you want to make this jump.
Second, all of the comments given above are solid and sound. These are all things you need to learn and become comfortable with, and figure out. The RV learning curve is a very, very hard process. You are already experiencing some of its harsh realities and no doubt already experiencing some strong disappointments based on the comments above. AND YOU KNOW??? That is OK. But once you hook into what these folks are saying, you'll begin to understand and clarity will come. My only advise is, don't jump in cold turkey. The RV waters are really really hot. And it takes time to adjust to the temperature.
Next! Enough of that! Hang in there. You are doing the absolute CORRECT thing... You are asking questions and attempting to figure things out before plunging in. That's good .... real good! And do not quit asking questions. You might not like the answers you get, but you are asking these questions and folks with real world experience are responding. No one is attempting to set you up for failure here. Everyone want you to be successful! But you do need to fully understand what you are up against. So, don't get discouraged if you get an answer that troubles you. Actually, run with it and figure out if this is something you can, or cannot, live with. We want you to succeed! Really!
Now, about a couple of your comments:
Full timing in Indiana will be a challenge, but it can be done. I'm from Indiana. I live North and East of Indianapolis, in the country outside of Anderson. So, what I'll share are from a local home-grown fellow Hoosier.
Propane: The best 2 sources for propane fill up are Tractor Supply Company and the closest RV dealership where ever you live. There are other places, several Co-ops and even places like Ace Hardware sell propane. One thing you DO NOT want to do us use those gas station exchange places, where you swap out your empty tank for a full one. Those tanks are never completely full and you are loosing money. You ONLY do this when you really need to swap an old tank for a newer one. Then you are way, way more money ahead instead of buying a new tank yourself.
I do most of my RV dealings with Modern Trailer in Anderson, Indiana. Currently their propane prices are: Twenty pound tank is $21.13 and a 30 pound tank is $31.70. They fill up by the tank size, one price, regardless if the tank is empty or almost, already completely full.
Tractor Supply (TSC) in Anderson is currently $3.99 a gallon.
An empty 20 pound propane tank contains 4.7 gallons of propane. That equals to $18.75 for a full tank.
A 30 pound propane tank contains approximately 7.1 gallons of liquid propane, which can vary depending on the pressure that is enforced on the propane. At TSC that equals to $28.33.
So, I usually get my fill up at TSC.
How long does that last in winter? Not long if you are heating your camper. Put it this way ... when the outside temperature is 15 degrees, I burn through a 30 pound tank in 36 hours in my 41 foot fifth wheel.
In a smaller trailer, a 20 pound tank will probably last as long. When temps get to zero, you can expect to burn through a tank in 24 hours our less. That is why supplementing with electric heat is so vital. However, if the camper furnace is not running, the floor of the camper will get extremely cold and pipes and drains will freeze too. That is why it is so important if you camp in cold weather, the underbelly of the camper MUST be kept warm. That's where the pipes run and that's where the heat ducts run.
Now another comment. Your choice of campground?
If you don't mind revealing? What campground are you planning on using. Every campground, every state park in Indiana that I know of shuts the water off from November 1 through March 31. Several of the state parks now have a single spigot in the campground they leave turned on all year round as the state parks are finding out folks really do camp in the winter! So, several of the state parks are installing freeze plug type spigots. But, usually only 1 for the entire park is left running for those months.
Lake Haven campground and Indy Lakes (South and West of Indianapolis) are the only two campgrounds I know of that keep the water on all year round. There might be others. So, I'm curious where you are thinking of going to.
OK, I've rambled enough.
Keep us posted on your progress! Enjoy! The planning is all part of the adventure. The "journey" is just as important as the "destination" when it comes to EVERYTHING RV related. Enjoy the journey! The "destination" will come!