Are we out of our minds?

[acr_scout]

Hello all,

My wife and I are ready to escape the hustle and bustle of Northern Virginia. I'd like to float a few ideas by this body of knowledge and get feedback, comfort, opinions, and probably abuse.

It is our intent to move to FL and slowly lapse off into retirement. We plan to do this in stages which will include living in a travel trailer for a little while why we scope out the scene where we want to be in FL and by a house. (My wife is from there, so it is not an uneducated leap.) After we buy a house, we plan to continue camping around (this sentence sounds so naughty).

Here are my thoughts (no plans until I collect the requisite knowledge).

It is likely I will pick up a used travel trailer with a bunk house. Then I will commence to converting the bunkhouse area into an office space so I can continue to work.

From what I have seen so far, the master bedroom will also need work because many of them come with wardrobes but no end tables. I definitely need an end table for my CPAP.

Finally, can someone explain to me why a high percentage of travel trailers have the TV/Entertainment 90-degrees from the seating area?

One of my concerns is that I don't know what is under lipstick and mascara of a camper. I have done all kinds of remodeling and construction on a house but not an RV. I am assuming that "over building" should not be a thing lest it weigh too much.

What do you think?

BTW, not our first time. Back in the day we RVed all the time back in Indiana. We have a 2002 F350 SuperDuty 4x4. I have settled on a travel trailer because many of the 5th wheels are too heavy for the truck, and we would like to keep the truck bed space available.

Thank you.

 

[Kirk]

Your F350 should be able to tow all but the largest of fifth wheels trailers but it might be a bit high off of the ground, being a 4WD. There are trailers being built today that have an office built in but that is a fairly recent innovation. We could give better advice if we had some idea of what budget you are thinking of. As you budget you should also check the cost of RV parks in the areas that you wish to spend time as they will cost anywhere from about $40/night to well over $100/night.

If you buy a used RV you would be wise to have it professionally inspected by a certified pre-purchase RV inspector to be sure that you are not buying a disaster. Remodeling an RV is much more of a challenge than with a house as the construction is with thin walls that often use the finish materials as part of the structural integrity. Wiring and plumbing are typically through the cabinets and builtin furnature. Outside walls are usually only 3-4 inches thick and the framework does not have a standard spacing but is usually based more on where the windows and cabinets are located. it can be done but you do need to examine the RV you buy with this in mind before you make the purchase. In addition, you will need to have a legal address somewhere during the time that you plan to live in the RV in order to keep your vehicle registrations, insurance, and driving license.

 

[acr_scout]

Thanks @Kirk

Probably less than $60K.

Best I can tell, my F350 maxes out at 12,000lbs and it has 4.10 gears which makes it unfun to tow a long ways. 2000-2020 Ford F-350 Towing Capacities

As far as locations, I am retired military and I am hopeful Patrick Space Force Base will find pity on me. Their campground it basically on the coast and could get lucky to stay up to 170 days.

 

[Krazeehorse33]

My cpap sits on a shelf in the cabinet by my bed. It is about level with the top of the mattress (IIRC). I just leave the door open at night.

 

[JudyJB]

Don't forget when you remove the bunks and attempt to turn the bunk area into an office that walls in any RV are incredibly thin, and usually they are constructed of an outside thin layer of fiberglass, a bunch of foam, and a thin layer of some sort of wall board. When they make the walls, they might use boards as a structure or preferably aluminum studs. Aluminum is better because it does not mold or disintegrate when wet over a long period of time.

However, you can see that there is VERY little you can nail anything into stuff. I have seen them make walls and where they want to screw something in, they put in a thin aluminum plate, but good luck knowing where these plates are!!

When you remove something like the bunks, you CAN use the same holes to fasten a desk and shelves, but remember that you need to be careful of weight. Also remember that stuff falls off when you drive, so you will want shelves that have a guard rail and drawers that fasten shut in some way.

Go for a few factory tours if you can to watch how things are made so you will know what you are dealing with.

 

[John From Detroit]

It is our intent to move to FL and slowly lapse off into retirement.

Well to answer the subject line YES.. Why anyone would want to move to Hurricane Central (And this week it's tornado central as well) is beyond me.
Try Michigan. Lovely state. Fall colors are amazing just now.. Sure we get a bit of snow. And the Occasional Tornado.. But hurricanes are scatted showers by the time they penetrate this far.

 

[Ex-Calif]

I took a Christmas trip to FL in Dec of 2020. About the same time the company announced an early retirement buy out that pinned my retirement to end of May 2020.

I decided to stay in FL. I established residency In December of 2020 which made all my income and my buy out checks non-taxable in Ohio. I worked from the RV and the WiFi was a bit challenging. TBH I had to hotspot from my verizon phone and I bought an AT&T Hotspot hub for backup.

As far as construction and mods, you'll get the hang of it pretty quick. It's a matter of finding hard points and tying in or in the cases of wall hangings finding the right fasteners - hint butterfly lags.

I too needed a workspace so I took out a small recliner chair near the door and built a workstation. The key was the white poly boards that are tied into aluminum frames in the walls. They don't look factory but they are definitely functional.

I mounted the tv on an articulating mount so it can be used as a second PC monitor and can be aimed at the dinette when I want to watch the news with breakfast.

Workstation Build Thread Click Here

 

[Isaac-1]

Be aware it can be hard to find RV sites in Florida, particularly during snowbird season Nov-March, with many people booking sites a year in advance in southern Florida, a bit less so in northern Florida.

 

[DutchmenSport]

What you are planning is very doable, but why tear a trailer apart when there are so many models already in existence that have open spaces. A travel trailer toy hauler makes better sense. A trailer with a mid-room bunk/office/laundry room also makes better sense. Outback made a toy hauler with the front end that had a ramp door large enough to ride an ATV on. It had flip up bunk beds, so when the beds were up, the entire space was open and empty to store anything. So, before fixating on a traditional bunk house and then destroy the original design of the camper (which will be near impossible to sell then when you get ready to), why not consider some of these alternatives too.

If you do end up removing the bunks, you'll probably want to remove the bed part and leave the frame that is attached to the wall. You can then also use that to anchor new building materials too without disturbing the structural integrity of the camper.

 

[UTTransplant]

I did an awful lot of business travel to Florida. It is a lovely place in the winter, but awful in the summer unless you like heat, humidity, and bugs. Some people like it! I did not.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

It is a lovely place in the winter, but awful in the summer unless you like heat, humidity, and bugs.

I've lived in FL since 1977 and that's a fact. Like it here, but we live in an air-conditioned cocoon during the summer months. The reverse of northern states in the winter months.

 

[Laura & Charles]

What others have said about finding solid structures within walls is true. What DutchmenSport said about using the bunk bed framework is a good idea.

We’re in our 7th year full timing and have both worked full time jobs remotely. We both have office space set up, too. In our first coach, we had a cabinet maker add a pullout pantry and he put a fold down desk top on the side.

In our current coach, I screwed 1X6 piece of oak to the wall in our bedroom that’s supported by the countertop. A swing arm monitor mount screwed into that board. A folding table for keyboard and mouse and voila, an office. Point being you can support from the floor or things besides walls. And you likely don’t need as big an office as you think.

 

[Ray-IN]

Be sure to check out the current state of overhead in FL. All FL insurance rates blew through roof since Ian. Housing is now so high some are leaving the state for good.