No more rent moving to an RV

[JudyJB]

Also note that most RV parks do not charge electricity if you are paying daily rent, but they DO charge for electricity if you are living full time and paying monthly rent. This can be quite expensive during the summer.

 

[DonTom]

That is probably one of the more weather friendly choices for year around.

 

[Derby6]

We talked and we are going to try it. If not we will go back to renting a house.
Right now it sounds like we can save some money by going this route.

That’s fair. Sounds like your prepared if it doesn’t quite work.
I remember you mentioned stationary with occasional vacation. Just remember your gonna be pretty set up-likely with some outside storageand lots going on inside. It’s going to be a pretty big process to pickup and go on road with a unit that been lived in as a home in one spot for 6-8 months.

 

[TheBar]

Also consider an RV and a truck depreciate rapidly. Whatever money you invest will slowly disappear and then be gone. If you buy them on a loan that isn't any different than paying rent on a house. Don't forget to add in the inevitable maintenance costs on the RV and truck. I'd venture the RV, truck, lot ($680) payments plus maintenance costs might be more than your house rent now.

It isn't as adventuresome or fun "sounding" but if you are just trying to save money renting or buying a used a mobile home or park model is more appropriate when you have kids. You won't be crammed together like sardines.

 

[zulutron]

It isn't as adventuresome or fun "sounding" but if you are just trying to save money renting or buying a used a mobile home or park model is more appropriate when you have kids. You won't be crammed together like sardines.

That mobile home (and the park model for sure) will most likely have a permanent home in a mobile home community where there's a good chance that the space rent will be determined by some East Coast private equity firm with little interest in what you consider affordable.

Been there. Better to be cramped and mobile.

 

[Camper2]

Last summer we stayed in our motorhome from April thru mid-July in a desert RV park north of you. With two A/C's running as hard as they could we roasted at 80-degrees every day inside and up to 110-degrees outside. We won't ever do that again.

You may need three A/C units to survive the summer heat here.

So thankful we moved into our new home in mid-July.

 

[CamperAL]

Greetings,

Tucson during the winter time can be pretty busy and campground cost per month is more expensive than in the summer time. If you can stay long term then you will be able to secure a cost effective rate.

During winter you can turn the heat down while away and for summer time you can set the a/c to a higher temp in order same some serious dollars.

I really love and enjoy Tucson and it is a great place to live. You might consider campgrounds further away to save dollars from the higher price campgrounds in Tucson.

Good luck and happy camping!!

 

[Mr Lars]

Hi everyone. My wife and I are planning to purchase a 5th wheel and pickup truck. We pay 2,000 a month for house rent plus utilities, hoa etc... we just decided to move to an RV rental parking place and finally I get to purchase a truck.
We won't travel allot, only on vacations because we have are jobs here in town.
Any tips on this idea? I was thinking of getting Ram 2500. They seem cheaper than a f250.

If you are able to swing $2,000.00 a month, plus utilities, how come you can’t get a mortgage? Something doesn’t square here.

 

[Oldgator73]

Hi everyone. My wife and I are planning to purchase a 5th wheel and pickup truck. We pay 2,000 a month for house rent plus utilities, hoa etc... we just decided to move to an RV rental parking place and finally I get to purchase a truck.
We won't travel allot, only on vacations because we have are jobs here in town.
Any tips on this idea? I was thinking of getting Ram 2500. They seem cheaper than a f250.

Sounds like a good idea until it isn’t. You mentioned you found a park that costs about $700 a month. Does that include electric? Cable? Internet? What are your truck payments going to be? RV payment? Have you considered if you have to take the RV in for repairs where you and your family will stay while said repairs are being made. I think you mentioned somewhere you have kids. How many? Ages? It’s hard enough for two adults to live in less than 400 sf so when you throw in a couple of kids it really gets cramped. I would posit this move will not save you any money; it’s going to cost more than $2000 rent on a house. The truck and RV could well cost you $2000 a month in payments.
You said “and I finally get to purchase a truck”. If you are making this move so you can purchase a truck, just go purchase the truck. You might be better off both financially and mental health wise. But hey, if you are dead set on doing this go for it.

 

[Seilerbird]

I have lived full time in an RV for the last 15 years. The idea of it saving you money is funny. Not going to happen.

 

[Camper2]

A good truck, a 5th wheel, campground rent, food, living expenses... It would be hard for me to do it on $2000 a month.

 

[LarsMac]

So the real question might be more like, "Can I be happier spending all my money on an RV, instead of on house rent?"

 

[Oldgator73]

So the real question might be more like, "Can I be happier spending all my money on an RV, instead of on house rent?"

At least spending all your money on an RV at the end of the day you still have an RV.
When we fulltimed in a 5th wheel (37’ triple slide) our daughter lived with us for a short while. Couldn’t wait for her to get her own place. I couldn’t imagine living in an RV with small children.

 

[SargeW]

A couple of my thoughts after full timing for most of 15 years. The RV will need to be a bunkhouse design. Premade beds that the kids can "own" are much better than having to pull out a couch every night and put it away in the morning to use the space. You may consider a toy box type with the storage space in the back. Kids have lots of "stuff" that you will need to put somewhere.

The only real way to attempt to live on that much money is to be able to pay off the truck and RV and not have a payment. While it may seem better to have a diesel truck for the tow vehicle, there is another consideration. A diesel truck has less payload than a equally equipped gasser due to the giant block of iron sitting under the hood. Diesel has higher up front costs, and maintenance can cost more.

There is also an important rule that on one else has mentioned. You must also have an "entrance plan, and an exit plan" for your RV adventure. You have a good start on the entrance plan, but at some point there will be the need for an exit. That is why many folks have already brought up cost as an issue. The last thing you want to happen is to want or need to stop the lifestyle and discover that you are so far upside down that you can't afford it. Since you won't be moving the RV much, fuel costs will not be much of an issue, but space rent and utilities will be a constant. Some people "boon dock" for long periods, but with kids that may not be practical.

It may sound like I am against RV living, I am not. I am in favor of knowing and discussing as many issues with your spouse as possible, and have at least a contingency plan if one or more if the unexpected issues come up.

Good luck on whatever you decide.

 

[RV_Lee122]

The RV has an up front cost but it by all means can be way cheaper than a mortgage or rent. I saved thousands last summer boondocking around but I had a free spot to stay and free water / dump which can be hard to find. I also have lithium and solar so I dont need to be plugged in.

I know someone else doing it for $500 / month boondocking around the south west winter and goes to Colorado to boondock in the summer.

If going from RV park to RV park, oh yeah, its expensive. I did that before adding lithium and solar, both of which paid for themselves in short order.

 

[Bart3500]

Hi everyone. My wife and I are planning to purchase a 5th wheel and pickup truck. We pay 2,000 a month for house rent plus utilities, hoa etc... we just decided to move to an RV rental parking place and finally I get to purchase a truck.
We won't travel allot, only on vacations because we have are jobs here in town.
Any tips on this idea? I was thinking of getting Ram 2500. They seem cheaper than a f250.

In reference to the Ram vs F series, do an online search for Dodge frame breaks. While that should be a problem while just towing a 5'r, it scared me enough to reinforce the frame between the bed and cab on my F350 (one tons have the same frame as 3/4 tons). Then I found out that the breakage is only on Dodges. I was relieved but still have extra insurance on that section of frame. I owned a 39' 5th wheel toy hauler (it was actually 42' long). We down sized to a Lance truck mounted camper and it's manual states that the "camper" is not designed for long term living. To that end we did live in our 5'r for 2 months without any issues. Good Luck.

 

[Kirk]

Hello. My wife and I are also considering this. How much will your monthly parking fee be?

I highly doubt that the cost in the USA is much related to those in the Sydney Australia area. RV use in the USA is very different from where you live. I have spent time both places.

 

[Brad Buchanan]

Hi everyone. My wife and I are planning to purchase a 5th wheel and pickup truck. We pay 2,000 a month for house rent plus utilities, hoa etc... we just decided to move to an RV rental parking place and finally I get to purchase a truck.
We won't travel allot, only on vacations because we have are jobs here in town.
Any tips on this idea? I was thinking of getting Ram 2500. They seem cheaper than a f250.

You might want to consider getting someone to move it for you, at least until you have a suitable truck.

You might be surprised at how many guys would love to help. I was.

 

[Bart3500]

Also note that most RV parks do not charge electricity if you are paying daily rent, but they DO charge for electricity if you are living full time and paying monthly rent. This can be quite expensive during the summer.

Expensive in winter also. Propane isn't cheap and electric heat (when you're paying for it) isn't cheap either.

 

[Bart3500]

Hi everyone. My wife and I are planning to purchase a 5th wheel and pickup truck. We pay 2,000 a month for house rent plus utilities, hoa etc... we just decided to move to an RV rental parking place and finally I get to purchase a truck.
We won't travel allot, only on vacations because we have are jobs here in town.
Any tips on this idea? I was thinking of getting Ram 2500. They seem cheaper than a f250.

Depending on the size of the 5th wheel you get a 3500/F350 "might" be a better investment. Also, "depending" related you might want to look into diesel vs gasoline for truck power plant. There are reasons why a Ram is less expensive than a Ford. I've had both while pulling a 30' 5th wheel toy hauler. LOADED down, the Ford will out pull the Ram (use to be called a Dodge). While this doesn't apply to pulling a 5th wheel trailer (I guess); do a search for "Dodge frame breaks". A loaded down Ram with a "heavy" camper and a "heavy" trailer has a tendency to have the frame break between the cab and the bed. Not pretty. After I reinforced my Ford frame in that area I learned that Fords don't have that problem. I can't speak about the diesel 6.7 liter engines as my is a 2002 F350 with a 7.3 diesel called a Power Stroke. Good luck in your decisions. BTW our extended RV stay was for 3 months while traveling. We only returned home due to warranty issues. P.S. RVs are not the best built units in the world. Minimal insulation. Look into units that are built for ALL climates. Others have to deal with frozen pipes more than houses. Also, a generator is a good investment.