hello!

[Lorraine]

Hello all!

I've been lurking a day or so and thought I'd introduce myself.  DH and I do not yet own an RV, but we are thinking about it.  We've been traveling a fair amount for DH's work and have started thinking about living in an RV instead of renting an apartment.  We stay in one place anywhere from 4-6 months to a year at a time.  I'm not so sure the full-time RV lifestyle would work for us, but we thought it was worth thinking about it.  We don't have kids...but we do have 3 cats and to me that is a big concern.  Not so sure I can handle living in a small space with a big litterbox....if anyone has experience with this and wants to share, we'd really like to hear about it.

I guess we'd also have to put more of our stuff in storage.  However, that means we wouldn't have to move it so frequently! 

I'm sure I'll have more questions as time goes on!

Thanks!
Lorraine

 

[Ron]

Hi Lorraine,

Welcome to the RV Forum..  This is the right place to get information.  Please look around the forum,  join in on any of the on going discussions, start new discussions, or ask questions.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Welcome, Loraine.

We live in the RV for six months a year with our Persian cat and have no problems with the litter box, though it is always a challenge in an RV to find a place for it where it is accessible to the cat and out of the people's way. But we have always succeeded.  My wife scoops the litter regularly, which probably helps.

Since you are mostly in a fixed location for several months at a time, a large trailer would probably work well for you. They have oodles of space and nice open floor plans that would likely accommodate you & the cats quite nicely.

 

[Lorraine]

Welcome, Loraine.

We live in the RV for six months a year with our Persian cat and have no problems with the litter box, though it is always a challenge in an RV to find a place for it where it is accessible to the cat and out of the people's way. But we have always succeeded.  My wife scoops the litter regularly, which probably helps.

Since you are mostly in a fixed location for several months at a time, a large trailer would probably work well for you. They have oodles of space and nice open floor plans that would likely accommodate you & the cats quite nicely.

So where have you found placing the litter box works best?  I already scoop daily (sometimes twice, uggh!), so that part of our routine won't have to change. 

Any suggestions on size of trailer and type?  We have been leaning towards a 5th wheel since it is more stable towing - according to what we are reading.  Plus, we like how the bedroom is sort of separate, being up a few steps.  In terms of features, we'd like to get something with the biggest bed possible - we are spoiled by our king size bed (BTW, can you put your own mattress in one of these if it is the right size?). 

I am also really not into handwashing dishes!    I read some of the threads on dishwashers.  We are interested in an RV that has a washer/dryer hook-up where we could put in a dishwasher instead.  I can handle doing our laundry at the laundromat - provided we stay at a campground that has one in it (not into driving to a local laundromat).  Any 5th wheel models with W/D hook-ups that come to mind?

We are hoping to go to an RV show in January or February to get a better overall feel of the styles of trailers out there.

Thanks!
Lorraine

 

[Jim Dick]

Hi Lorraine,

Welcome to the forum! This is the place to get honest answers. There are many full and part timers here. We have been full timing for 10 years. We travel with one cat. She does fine. The litter box can always be a problem for location but eventually you'll find a spot. My wife cleans it daily. We use the newer crystal litter which lasts longer than the regular.

It sounds like an RV would certainly work as long as you are not located in the frigid north during the winter! Most RV's are not designed for winter but Canada does make some that are better insulated. Staying put for 4 months to a year tells me a trailer/5th wheel might work better than a motor home. No sense in having a rig sit that long if it's motorized. We live in a 40' motor home but try to move it as much as possible. Fifth wheels have a lot of space as well as more storage than most RV's. The only thing to watch with either type of trailer is making sure you have an adequate tow vehicle to do the job. We have some experts here than can help in that matter.

Enjoy the forum and look at the library. You may find some very useful informaton there.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

So where have you found placing the litter box works best?

That will depend on the RV and its floor plan.  In various RVs we have used a wardrobe and a closet (doors left ajar on both of these) and on one I converted a cupboard to a kitty bathroom by putting a pet door in place of the cupboard door. In another there was a emty corner in the bath that worked. Some folks put it in the shower and I even saw one high end motorhome that had a trap door in the floor that let the pet go "downstairs" to the basement where the litter was kept. I kid you not!  :  We just traded motorhomes and in this one the box will sit in a corner alongside the bed. It will be near my wife's head at night, so you can bet she will see that it stays clean and fresh!

One forum member has a rig with two bathrooms, so one bath is for their two kitties.

 

[Karl]

We have been leaning towards a 5th wheel since it is more stable towing - according to what we are reading.

If you are planning on being in one place for 4-6 months or more, that really is a non-issue. Get whatever rig suits your fancy and needs. Unless you're planning on staying at the resort-type rv parks, most of them will not have laundry facilities. Those that do will likely have other amenities like meeting rooms, exercise rooms, swimming pools, etc. that you will end up paying for in the long run whether you use them or not. Re: dishwashing - Paper plates are an option too, and some people never cook for themselves, but think of the therapeutic benefits of getting your hands in that nice, warm dishwater : My cat allows me to live with him in the MH  too, and his throne is outside the shower door in the bathroom. I just slide it a few feet away for my showers and slide it back when I'm done. No problem. 

 

[Jim Dick]

Karl,

Our cats must be related. I know they look very much alike. Shadow's box is right next to the shower. I'm lucky in that I don't have to move it to get into the shower.

 

[Karl]

Jim,
We'll have to arrange a meeting between the two of them. Maybe they're long-lost brothers, given up at birth by a poor, salt mine worker in the Ukraine ;D

 

[Jim Dick]

Jim,
We'll have to arrange a meeting between the two of them. Maybe they're long-lost brothers, given up at birth by a poor, salt mine worker in the Ukraine ;D

We'll have to arrange the meeting on either side of the windshield. For some reason Shadow really gets annoyed with other cats. She'll hiss and growl. Even bit me once when I moved beside her to see why she was upset! Now we get out the spray bottle of water and that tends to make her settle down. Don't even have to actually use it!!