Newbie long term camper livving

[Muddslinger]

Hello all!
My girlfriend and I want to embark on a new journey of livving full time in a camper, we wouldn't be towing it around much, just parking and livving. I've done lots of camping with a very old camper, but that was when I was young so I really don't know much about anything with these newer campers.
The park near us allows us to stay for 180 days and then we must move out for 10 days and then come back. Problem is there is a long wait time and the camper must be on site in order to be in line. They don't have any hook ups while waiting.

So here my questions. First of all I'd love to hear yalls tips and tricks and any information on camper livving. But more specifically, what do I need to know about camper livving with no hookups. I do plan on running a generator and solar panels, but will that be enough to keep everything in a larger camper going?
What are some thing often overlooked by new campers? I want to get as much info as I can before we purchase a camper and move to the site.
Thank you!

 

[Larry N.]

what do I need to know about camper livving with no hookups.

Let's start by asking where you'll get your water and where you'll dump your sewage, with no hookups. In Florida it gets hot in the summer, as you know, and most folks like to have air conditioning, but solar power (and the necessary batteries to go with them) are unlikely to be enough to air condition a trailer, let alone run whatever else you want, which would mean running the generator a lot, thus you'll need a way to replenish the fuel from time to time, in addition to water and sewer.

So how long you'll be in the "waiting line" will play a big part too, whether it's a few hours or a few days, or...

And certainly that 10 day "move out" period needs to be addressed (another park or???) along with how long in line again.

I'm sure others will have many more thoughts here, too.

 

[LMHS]

You can stay monthly in an RV park. You can also stay monthly in a mobile home park, it just works best if you are going to stay there at least 6 months, a year is better. Of course you can always go camping someplace else and then return if you keep your rent paid up. Just like living in an apartment.

 

[Kirk]

But more specifically, what do I need to know about camper livving with no hookups. I do plan on running a generator and solar panels, but will that be enough to keep everything in a larger camper going?

If you mean a small generator, the answer is no. If you mean one of the inexpensive generators that are readily available you may manage on the poor quality power but you won't be popular with your neighbors because they are also very noisy. If you want to live in an RV to save money, then you are heading in the wrong direction unless you are an RV expert and able to repair and maintain it yourself. The lower priced RVs need a lot of care and RV techs are expensive. I hate to be negative, but without more information your plan does not seem to be a good one.

 

[Muddslinger]

Let's start by asking where you'll get your water and where you'll dump your sewage, with no hookups. In Florida it gets hot in the summer, as you know, and most folks like to have air conditioning, but solar power (and the necessary batteries to go with them) are unlikely to be enough to air condition a trailer, let alone run whatever else you want, which would mean running the generator a lot, thus you'll need a way to replenish the fuel from time to time, in addition to water and sewer.

So how long you'll be in the "waiting line" will play a big part too, whether it's a few hours or a few days, or...

And certainly that 10 day "move out" period needs to be addressed (another park or???) along with how long in line again.

I'm sure others will have many more thoughts here, too.

once i get a spot they do have full hookups, but when i am waiting for a spot there are none. There is a community dump and fill station on site aswell. so really my big concern while waiting is having enough power.
The wait line right now is at about 6 weeks. so i am expecting it to be 6-10 weeks.
There is other parks nearby but they are much more expensive, but if I'm saving money in the long run i don't mind going to a different more expensive site for the 10 days.

 

[Muddslinger]

If you mean a small generator, the answer is no. If you mean one of the inexpensive generators that are readily available you may manage on the poor quality power but you won't be popular with your neighbors because they are also very noisy. If you want to live in an RV to save money, then you are heading in the wrong direction unless you are an RV expert and able to repair and maintain it yourself. The lower priced RVs need a lot of care and RV techs are expensive. I hate to be negative, but without more information your plan does not seem to be a good one.

how large of a generator would be needed to decently power a camper?

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

I don't see much point in living in a camper in the same spot for extended periods. Even if the camper was free, you're living in a camper, next to dozens of other campers and having to attend the daily life of a camper. It's not fun, and it's not comfortable long term. You will only save money by the strict definition of the term, i.e. at best it's incrementally less expensive than other forms of domicile. And that's if everything goes right. You are trading a lot of comfort and convenience for the sake of a relatively small amount of potential savings. One thing goes wrong and you're upside down, and inconvenienced, and uncomfortable. It all looks good on paper until you experience full time living in a space the size of a poorly insulated garden shed, that you have to manage your own utilities. Careful what you ask for.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

how large of a generator would be needed to decently power a camper?

Does the trailer have 30A/120v shore power? If so, a 3600-4000 watt generator will supply the same power as a shore cord hook-up. If you can conserve a bit you can probably get by with 3000W and still run one a/c unit. If you expect to run the generator all day & evening to power an a/c, you will be using a lot of fuel and I suspect really annoying your neighbors as well. And maybe driving yourself crazy too.

...once i get a spot they do have full hookups, but when i am waiting for a spot there are none. There is a community dump and fill station on site aswell. so really my big concern while waiting is having enough power. The wait line right now is at about 6 weeks. so i am expecting it to be 6-10 weeks.

When you say "wait in line", do you mean literally, parked in the entrance road? Or just put your name on a waiting list and be ready to move in immediately when notified? If the latter, are you saying you would "wait" in a place with no hook-ups, power or water or sewage? You will be shuffling back & forth to the sewage dump and water fill every couple days, so a waiting site with hook-ups is much more convenient.