Full-Time Travel Trailer Living for Temporary Work Relocation

[Big_John]

So.. the wife and I have built a nice house, on property that we love. Thing is, the wife still isn't retired, and she is changing jobs to a community two hours away. She needs about 3-4 more years to work, where her retirement benefit is solid. We want to keep the house and property for retirement for the next 20-30 years, so we need temp housing at the location of her new job.

Enter.... the Travel Trailer..... Why? Because a one-bedroom apartment is $1800-$2200 a month.

There is a very nice RV park 5 miles from her work that is $500 a month, plus utilities. I just purchased a 2025 Forest River 29NM that is a 37' beast for a 1/2 off of MSRP close-out price.

The back bunk area.... I am going to 'gut' and turn it in to a Laundry/Closet area.

Wondering what tips and tricks every has that has lived Full Time in a Travel Trailer??????

I know I will have to skirt the RV in the winter to deal with the cold temps..... wondering what else?????



...........

 

[Kirk]

A lot of the answer depends on where you will be. Does it have dual pane windows? What of an arctic package, some winter upgrade? What is the R value of the walls and floor?

 

[Boat Bum]

You should consider getting a large propane tank delivered, where I am companies will provide the tank free for the continued service.

 

[Laura & Charles]

Can we assume that ‘very nice RV park’ is open year-round. Are there year-round residents staying there? If yes, I’d be talking to them with your questions. The large propane tank Bum mentions is likely a must. And the answers to Kirk’s questions are necessary to respond beyond the broadest and most general answers.

But I can tell you: you’ll want to wrap heat tape around your water hose. OR you can disconnect the hose (and DRAIN it) and use your onboard fresh water tank and pump whenever temps are dropping below freezing. For the several year tine-frame you indicate, the former will be, by far, preferable.
(If the park is year-round, they will have already managed frost-proofing their hydrants)

Also, even if your trailer has an Arctic or winter package, tank heaters will be involved (and if not, you’ll be adding them), so a standby generator is a good idea in case power goes out. (If you lose the ability to keep things from freezing, you don’t want to have to do an emergency winterization.)

 

[TheBar]

Just be aware gutting the back bunk area may take tens of thousands off the resale value. And make it very hard to sell. Very few people would give up bunks for a closet in a camper.

It isn't a house on wheels and the structure can't be modified like a house would be. Be aware you may affect the structural integrity with your modifications. People will question that also making it even harder to sell.

Have you done the math? An apartment may be $2k/month but does that include utilities. Propane and increased electric costs to run the furnace may be 3-4 times higher due to the 2" insulation in the floors, walls, and ceiling. plus lot rent, plus depreciation of 50% or more on the trailer may not be such a bargain.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Too many unknowns here to offer any really helpful advice, but the cautions mentioned by others are worth noting. Once you can tell us a bit more about the location & climate, the answers should be clearer.

• Heating and air conditioning are going to be major expenses compared to a nice apartment, and the trailer still won't match the apartment for comfortable temperatures.
• I'm guessing that resale value isn't a major concern compared to a "happy wife", but I don't think converting from a bunk house to a one-bedroom is a major loss. You lose the young family buyers but gain mature couples (or singles) who like extra space.
• RVs like that are always steeply discounted from MSRP, so that half-off probably in not the bargain you may have thought. Especially if the dealer added back various fees for prep & delivery. The MSRP on an RV is fictional.
• Since it is a cold climate, definitely plan on skirting & that big propane bottle. Make sure the RV park is OK with both, though. And that water & sewer & electric service are continued thru the winter months. Also plan on dealing with potentially frozen water & sewer lines, problems that rarely occur in a house or apartment.

 

[Lou Schneider]

Treating built-in cabinets as structural components is wise. A friend ordered a new travel trailer from a well known manufacturer but wanted the cabinet over the kitchen sink deleted because she hit her head on it when she leaned over the sink to do the dishes in the sales model. The manufacturer refused because the cabinet stiffened that corner of the trailer and eventually compromised by putting an exposed brace (a tilted shelf) in place of the cabinet.

 

[Babe2201]

I agree with TheBar and I would not like the idea of ripping into a brand-new camper to give you a little more storage. I would consider putting something down on the furniture to protect them and invest into some totes to store clothes and other stuff in. You are keeping your house so that is still there for storage. You said you would have to skirt to protect against colder weather but did not give an area so we don't know if that means southern cold or northern cold. Like others have said see about getting a large propane tank so you can get it delivered. We have one in our seasonal and it is a huge convenience not having to unhook tanks to get them filled and we only have to have it filled every other year only being there on weekends between May and Columbus Day.

 

[IBTripping]

Check out YouTube. There are some excellent videos on preparing your trailer for winter. I've posted some links below, but also, check out others. I live fulltime in a travel trailer and I'm comfortable in the winter. However, the lowest winter temperatures here only get into the low teens. However, if you decide to use space heaters, never set them on high (1500 watts). Also, consider area rugs for the floors.

 

[Derby6]

Already mentioned. Where are you going to be? Climate is probably hurdle to be addressed.

 

[JudyJB]

Making big modifications to the rear area might also void your warranty, so you need to talk to the manufacturer about that. (Don't believe the salesman or the dealer because they will tell you anything to get you to buy.)

 

[Big_John]

Just be aware gutting the back bunk area may take tens of thousands off the resale value. And make it very hard to sell. Very few people would give up bunks for a closet in a camper.

It isn't a house on wheels and the structure can't be modified like a house would be. Be aware you may affect the structural integrity with your modifications. People will question that also making it even harder to sell.

Have you done the math? An apartment may be $2k/month but does that include utilities. Propane and increased electric costs to run the furnace may be 3-4 times higher due to the 2" insulation in the floors, walls, and ceiling. plus lot rent, plus depreciation of 50% or more on the trailer may not be such a bargain.

Good questions and thoughts to ponder....

I have done the Math and it is significantly less expensive. That's why I purchased the Trailer already. Estimate I will save $700 to $1,000 a month.... And live in a new unit and not a ratty apartment with sketchy neighbors.

In my neck of the woods, a Trailer with Laundry will sell like hot-cakes to the workers in the Oil and Gas industry.

I am not new to Winter Camping..... in temps below zero.... I live in Colorado. I know the weaknesses of an RV in winter camping. My secret when temps crater is the diesel heater, which I will be adding. Used them for years and they are awesome... Pour in a gallon of Diesel, flip the switch and you get heat for 8-12 hours. Very nicely, they supplement a Propane furnace in super cold temps.

Yes, I will have to address the weaknesses of the RV in the winter, but this one has a sealed underbelly and it has heated tanks. I will skirt it and heat-wrap the pipes and I will seal the windows and the slide.

Warranty... Only care about it in regard to Furnace, Hot Water Heater, Frig, etc... And very unlikely I will have an issue in the first year. This dude will be parked for three years. It won't be towed and the slide won't be pushed in and out on a regular basis. Besides... I usually do all the work to my RV and only once in 24 years, across four units, have I taken one in for warranty... and it was the Generator on a Class C.

Yes, the RV Campgrounds are open all year and even clear the snow in the winter for no additional charge.

 

[IBTripping]

Smart move to install a diesel heater. I plan to do the same in my trailer. Glad to hear you have experience with winter camping. Best wishes.

 

[gwinger]

Does the campground shut off the water in extreme temperatures?
some are open all year, but you may have to rely on onboard water.

 

[poohbear]

We lived in our 37 ft 5er for 14 months building our house and all I am saying is it got smaller everyday. Our laundry was in our barn so had to carry it out there but was close by as we had built our rv shed roof/concrete slab a few years before

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

The only thing I can add to the OP is, Good Luck!

 

[garyb1st]

Aside from the ability to keep warm during a cold Colorado winter, from my perspective, the numbers are in your favor. You mentioned your wife has another 3 or 4 years to work. If she works for 3 years, assuming a monthly rent for an apartment of $2,000, you have a guaranteed cost of $72,000. If you paid $25,000 for the trailer and for whatever reason it's worthless after 3 years, you're still ahead of the game by $47,000. The only questions in my mind are, what additional costs of living in the trailer, compared with apartment living,are going to reduce that $47,000. Of course any residual value of the trailer after 3 years increase the amount of money in your pocket.

The issues I would be concerned about are the availability of insurance for a trailer used year around in an area with significant snow and what risks/exposures the insurance may not cover. I can't speak to the risk of collapse of a roof on a travel trailer, but there's a reason roofs need to be cleared of snow. You post suggest your wife is close to retirement age. I'll assume you are retired. Are you planning on clearing the roof from snow or is that something you can have done. I've seen seniors on roofs in the warm summer months. I can't imagine a senior going on an RV roof in the winter months. But that is a risk you need to consider.

Hopefully you will keep us posted over the next few years. Good luck.

 

[SuwanneeDave1]

I am wondering how you are going to handle plumbing and electrical for a laundry

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

You seem to be aware of the potential drawbacks and the things you will need to do to live in some degree of comfort, so I don't think there is any more this group can do for you except to wish you & your wife good fortune. Hope you will come back occasionally and share how well it goes and what you learned while doing it.

I worked a couple summers in a campground in eastern Washington that stayed open during the winter so that itinerant construction workers building a new biofuels plant would have a place to stay while they worked thru the winter months. The project general contractor actually paid the campground to cover the extra expense of winter operation, e.g. improvements to water lines, snow removal, etc. There was a winter surcharge on the site rent to cover the much higher electrical power consumption, but it wasn't too bad because electric power was cheap there (hydro-electric power from the nearby Grand Coulee Dam). We had about 20 fulltime RVers who stayed thru the winter and managed OK. That part of Washington gets extreme cold (0F is common) but it's dry, so not a lot of snow.

 

[Big_John]

Yes, I will return to this thread and comment how we are doing. We will likely park our unit in April and live in it until October.... which will be 'dealing' with summer temps, but we have two A/C's and the electric bill, we will be fine.

And... once into winter,,, I will report back.