Seriously considering RV living full time to save money

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engineheat

Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2023
Posts
12
Location
Indiana
Hi,
I'm a newbie currently considering RV living full time to save money
I hear some people say RV living cannot save money, but my math tells me it is, perhaps it's due to my unique situation. But I still want to hear you guy's thought and make sure I'm considering everything.

I'm single, in my 30s, and I spend 3-4 months per year abroad. I do not think I'll start a family in the next 5 years. I currently work in the Midwest, and my job allows me to work remotely. I do make a decent wage, and I have enough cash saved up to buy an average house in my area. I've been renting for the past 2 years and recently the rent has gone from 1300 to 1500, and that's when I started considering RVing. I probably won't buy a house because:

The housing price is still at an all time high and may drop in the future

I may change jobs in the next 2 years or have to live elsewhere due to personal reasons.

So I'm faced with signing another lease for a year, or find a cheaper place, or RV. In my area, anything under $1000 usually means living with a roommate or staying at a shabby old place. I saw a small trailer that is something like $17k new, and it looks pretty nice inside. Definitely big enough for one person, in fact, I actually don't like it too big. I found a RV park nearby that offers monthly rate of $600 including electricity.

I understand a trailer is a depreciating asset, but so is renting. Once I buy the trailer with cash, I'd be saving $900 a month ($1500 rent vs $600 RV park fee), assuming the differences in utilities aren't too significant. After a year, I would've saved over $10k, and if I want to change my lifestyle or half of what I paid, I'm still "up". And if I keep this lifestyle up for a couple of more years, the savings would be even bigger. And here's the kicker, you know when I said I spent 3 to 4 month per year abroad? When renting, I'd still be on hook for the rent even if I'm not here. With a house, you still got HOA fees and property taxes. With a smaller trailer, I can just place it (and all my belonging) in storage and I'd be saving a few thousand dollars per year just from not having to pay rent when I'm not in the US.

Eventually, I may live a digital nomad lifestyle where I stay most of my time overseas. When come back to the US, I just get my RV out of storage rather than having to find a place each time. Best of all, all my belongings are in the RV and I would never have to worry about moving. I hate moving.

I think what makes me different from most RVers is that:

I spend significant time abroad where rent or other fixed housing cost can be saved via a RV

I would hardly travel with the trailer. Once I find a park I like, I'll stay for months, until I have to put it in storage. And for the few times I do need to move it, I can rent a truck to do so. This would also mean less wear and tear on the trailer itself, which minimizes maintenance cost.

Therefore, based on the math, I think RV makes sense. Moreover, it offers an "adventurous" lifestyle that I want to experience while young and single.

But I hope you guys can check my math and also make sure I've thought about everything. Worse case scenario, I don't like and have to sell the trailer at a loss of a few grand. Still better than buying a house now and having to sell in a year or two.
 
The first thing I looked at is where you live. Trailers, especially small ones, are very poorly insulated. No matter what a salesman tells you about a particularly trailer being a four-season trailer, there is no such thing. You will have to keep a propane furnace going full time and will go through a tank in an amazing amount of time. Living in a trailer in a southern state is a lot easier than Indiana.

I know this because I spent a cold, rainy winter in Oregon getting medical treatment. I also spent a November in Ohio getting medical tests done, and about froze to death there. This is with two furnaces and an electric heater going all the time. I have a large, built-in tank and had to refill it every 10 days. As soon as I got my medical tests done, I headed south to Florida!

Also, do you have a truck that can pull this when you need to move it into and out of storage?
 
JudyJB said:
The first thing I looked at is where you live. Trailers, especially small ones, are very poorly insulated. No matter what a salesman tells you about a particularly trailer being a four-season trailer, there is no such thing. You will have to keep a propane furnace going full time and will go through a tank in an amazing amount of time. Living in a trailer in a southern state is a lot easier than Indiana.

I know this because I spent a cold, rainy winter in Oregon getting medical treatment. I also spent a November in Ohio getting medical tests done, and about froze to death there. This is with two furnaces and an electric heater going all the time. I have a large, built-in tank and had to refill it every 10 days. As soon as I got my medical tests done, I headed south to Florida!

Also, do you have a truck that can pull this when you need to move it into and out of storage?
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I plan to rent a truck for the few times the RV needs moving. Or pay someone at the RV park.

How much are the propane? What will it run me per month in Indiana? Good thing my trailer is small. It's a teardrop trailer almost
 
What are your plans for having company over? I can see staying in a tiny space for some time but eventually, one needs the company of others.
 
You don't know what you don't know, and it appears you're oblivious to the logistics of living in an RV especially in a state with winter. With heat, it's not a matter of pumping enough propane into it to keep it livable ($), most campers/RV's cannot be operated in subfreezing temperatures, period. Plumbing is located externally, and it will freeze. There are some built for cold climates (not $17K) but even those you'd have to figure out how to get water into it, and drain waste tanks. This isn't like once in a while, if you're living in it this is at least weekly if not every few days. RV's require perpetual maintenance, things you never imagine needing attention, need attention. Just because it doesn't move doesn't mean it's not decomposing around you. Granted a trailer is simpler than a motorhome but most tuff sheds are built better than campers. Upkeep/repairs is constant. When you only travel or camp periodically, you can schedule these activities between outings. When you live in it, you can't put things off as easily.

You're not the first to drop by here and declare that all the issues surrounding living in an RV wouldn't apply to you, you'd be different. I suspect you won't be the last. There is no question it can be done, it has. But you won't save any time, money or effort unless someone else buys and maintains it for you. Your cost model only works as long as everything goes perfectly. My money is on that's not going to happen.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
 
Judy is absolutely correct. But, I would say, that’s the only dealbreaker in what you describe. Even if you were able to heat the living space with the electric that you said is included, your water and waste lines are not likely enclosed (or enclosed well enough) to prevent freezing. I’m sure it can be done with enough skirting and space heaters. But a miserable experience is all but guaranteed. (And I suggest you not even bother trying to calculate the propane cost. The small propane tank(s) on a small trailer will have you going for refills every few days in the coldest spells.)

Can you consider relocating south? Not too far south, because hot climate vs RV air conditioning is the flip side of wintering in Indiana. But somewhere in the Carolinas, for example, would be a good compromise.

There are some parks that provide storage and even have equipment to move into and out of storage for you. A park like that would likely be your best option. I don’t understand your comment about ‘almost a teardrop. But if that means an outdoor kitchen, I’d caution you on that. As a matter of fact, I think you should really consider something larger. I’ve only ever shopped for used and motorized, but from that experience I’ve seen that size isn’t all that impactful to asking price. (Of course, if you go from 20’ to 38’ you’ll see price impact. But tiny is probably going to get old fast on rainy days, cold or hot extremes.. especially considering this is not only where you live, but where you work, too.

I would certainly suggest you consider late model used. New RVs are well known to likely come with a whole host of problems needing fixed. Getting any kind of warranty work done is often a lengthy ordeal. (Think weeks to months.. hotels get expensive real fast.) With a used RV you can hope that the initial punch list of items needing repair has been addressed.
 
engineheat said:
The thing is built for 3 or 4 ppl so I don't think that's an issue.
Click to expand...

I was going by your previous posts below. Post the trailer model number, I'm curious about a $17k "new" trailer made for 3 or 4 people.

engineheat said:
I saw a small trailer that is something like $17k new, and it looks pretty nice inside. Definitely big enough for one person, in fact, I actually don't like it too big.
Click to expand...
engineheat said:
Good thing my trailer is small. It's a teardrop trailer almost
Click to expand...
 
Laura & Charles said:
Judy is absolutely correct. But, I would say, that’s the only dealbreaker in what you describe. Even if you were able to heat the living space with the electric that you said is included, your water and waste lines are not likely enclosed (or enclosed well enough) to prevent freezing. I’m sure it can be done with enough skirting and space heaters. But a miserable experience is all but guaranteed. (And I suggest you not even bother trying to calculate the propane cost. The small propane tank(s) on a small trailer will have you going for refills every few days in the coldest spells.)

Can you consider relocating south? Not too far south, because hot climate vs RV air conditioning is the flip side of wintering in Indiana. But somewhere in the Carolinas, for example, would be a good compromise.

There are some parks that provide storage and even have equipment to move into and out of storage for you. A park like that would likely be your best option. I don’t understand your comment about ‘almost a teardrop. But if that means an outdoor kitchen, I’d caution you on that. As a matter of fact, I think you should really consider something larger. I’ve only ever shopped for used and motorized, but from that experience I’ve seen that size isn’t all that impactful to asking price. (Of course, if you go from 20’ to 38’ you’ll see price impact. But tiny is probably going to get old fast on rainy days, cold or hot extremes.. especially considering this is not only where you live, but where you work, too.

I would certainly suggest you consider late model used. New RVs are well known to likely come with a whole host of problems needing fixed. Getting any kind of warranty work done is often a lengthy ordeal. (Think weeks to months.. hotels get expensive real fast.) With a used RV you can hope that the initial punch list of items needing repair has been addressed.
Click to expand...
Perhaps you are right. Maybe I overlooked the winter part. Fact is, I've never never stepped into a RV before, and I don't know how the plumbing on it works. Some questions:

1. When you talk about water and waste lines, are those lines outside the RV that the RV hooks up to? In another word, no matter how well heated the interior of the RV is, those lines can freeze unless the camping site keeps them heated somehow... As far as water that are inside the RV, isn't it the job of the water heater to keep them warm enough?

2. I'm surprised that new RVs are likely to come with problems. You'd think something new would be less likely to have problems, like a new car vs used car.

3. As far as propene, do they have to refilled manually or do camp sites have propene lines that you can hook up, like gas lines to a house.
 
There are things you can do to mitigate cold weather in a travel trailer. There are people who live in RVs in the winter in Canada. So it can be done. Skirting the trailer is a must along with putting an electric heater under the trailer. When freezing cold, you'll have to disconnect the water hose or set up a heated water line outside the trailer. You'll need to put reflectix insulation over the windows including the metal frames around the windows. You'll need to run an electric heater inside along with the propane furnace. You can buy insulated cushions to put in the ceiling vents to keep heat in and cold out. You'll also need to open your bottom cabinet doors when it's below zero so your inside water pipes won't freeze. Also, I recommend you watch some Youtube videos on protecting an RV from winter weather. Also, check out our library to learn about rvs.

Here is a link to the library: Library

Here are some links to Youtube videos:
 
engineheat said:
Perhaps you are right. Maybe I overlooked the winter part. Fact is, I've never never stepped into a RV before, and I don't know how the plumbing on it works. Some questions:

1. When you talk about water and waste lines, are those lines outside the RV that the RV hooks up to? In another word, no matter how well heated the interior of the RV is, those lines can freeze unless the camping site keeps them heated somehow... As far as water that are inside the RV, isn't it the job of the water heater to keep them warm enough?

You have to protect them from freezing, inside and out. Water heater ca only keep anything warm if left trickling. You have limited tank size and do NOT want to fill your gray tank like that. Also, that won’t help your cold water limes,

2. I'm surprised that new RVs are likely to come with problems. You'd think something new would be less likely to have problems, like a new car vs used car.

That’s a belief most everyone comes expecting. Cars are built on assembly lines where quality control is king. RVs are hand built, one at a time, and the primary goal is to make them as light and as inexpensive as possible. I think we (the customers) have a large part of the responsibility for this. Who among us wants to pay motor? RVs are generally not looked at like cars and houses… they are more like toys or at nest a vacation home. Do a search here for a) initial build issues, b) quality control, and c) warranty work. Allow yourself plenty of reading time.

3. As far as propene, do they have to refilled manually or do camp sites have propene lines that you can hook up, like gas lines to a house.

No gas lines to sites. Many parks have a dispensing tank and sell to guests. Some diehards will contract with a propane company and rent a larger tank and the company will keep it refilled as needed.. but expensive.
(But if your electric is free, you’ve got other options.
Click to expand...
 
Your first post says your job allows you to work remotely- mitigate the cold and hot weather by moving away from it; lots of folks do it. Get a decent used rig and tow vehicle - go full time RVing.
 
A small TT will sleep 3-4 people but may be too small to live in. There’s no storage. most likely the only place you will have to sit is the dinette. It will have a really small fridge that will barely hold your leftovers. If you need repairs you will have to take your TT to a shop and it could take weeks or months to get it back. You’ll have to find a place to stay while it’s in the shop. If I was single and in your position I would rent a nice apartment and enjoy life. Let someone else worry about the maintenance and keeping the yard up. There are two things in life that are way overrated; kids and homeownership. Both will drain you physically, mentally and fiscally. 😎
 
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