Full time RV living for the summer...what is your most important piece of advice? (trailer, motorhome)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My husband and I, along with our 13 yr. old daughter are going to be RV living from the end of May through the end of August. We have found a place with full hook-ups, showers / bathrooms, and Wifi (because, heaven's knows, we can't live without that ).
What advice can you give me to make it simpler / easier to get through the summer? I want to come away from this with good memories, not memories of us trying to kill each other. We have already minimalized our belongings and streamlined as much as possible.
Get an AC and make sure it works.
Drive less, camp more, but staying in one place seems boring… I'd just stay at home and do weekend trips at that point personally. (or is the trip something you have to do for work or whatever?)
Downsize downsize downsize… less is more
and...
If the 13 yo is really not wanting to go, talk to her, listen and take her concerns seriously because even though the final decision is not hers, it'll be a long summer with a whiny teenager 3 feet away from your ears at all times.
Also, if you're in a motorhome you might consider pulling a cargo trailer, or perhaps a toad, for extra storage and easy access.
Sorry, should have clarified...we are not traveling for the summer, we are going to be living in one place in the RV because we are (technically) going to be "homeless" at the end of May. We can't leave the 13 yr. old anywhere else and she isn't the type to do well away from Mom and Dad anyway.
We definitely will have AC because it will be HOT without it (the RV park isn't shaded). We'll be making as much of our own shade as possible.
I hadn't thought of the earplug idea...I will definitely get some for those times when some quiet is needed.
Try to start this without any debt because you will soon learn you will need allot of things you didn't count on...
don't count on the wifi at any campground to work very well if at all...so plan on getting a hot spot or myfi for your internet
Your lifestyle most likely will be much different....you will be spending much more time outside then inside....so plan for that....one shower a day at home may turn into 3-4 showers a day at the campground, also you will learn that things like laundry will be needed to be done much more frequently....you didn't say if your RV had a washer and dryer but if not expect to spend allot of time and money at the campground laundromat, if the campground has one....
Also expect your cooking habits to change. ..you will learn very quickly that most things will need to be cooked outside and the 4 and 5 pot meals that was normal at home will become a thing of the past..also your grocery buying habit will change as you will be much more limited in fridge space unless your RV has a resd fridge installed..you will not want to cook much inside the camper especially during the summer as any cooking inside will quickly heat up the inside if the rv....
Also you will have to learn how to manage your power supply and what what you can and can not run at the same time without popping the breakers....it's all a learning game and takes time but by the end of the summer you will not want to go back to a stick and brick home, especially your daughter as she will have a blast
One last thing that many people don't think about but is very important is you now have to be more in tuned with the weather....if your in a 50K pound class A your pretty safe but if your in a 8K pound travel trailer that's something totally different so in bad weather you may have to leave it for a better secured location. ...know what the rules are at the campground you are staying at if you are camping some place that has a history of tornadoes/very strong thunderstorms etc. Most campgrounds have a building designed as a storm shelter in case of bad weather...know what building it is and where it is located and have a family plan set in place before hand.
Now on a more personal note, make sure you know what is required by your state as far as changing your address ect...if you are leaving your home you are going to need some type of address to get your mail etc....Most campgrounds will not except any mail and some states do not allow PO boxes etc as a mailing address...that is just one of several legal issues you are going to have to work though also
Sorry, should have clarified...we are not traveling for the summer, we are going to be living in one place in the RV because we are (technically) going to be "homeless" at the end of May. We can't leave the 13 yr. old anywhere else and she isn't the type to do well away from Mom and Dad anyway.
We definitely will have AC because it will be HOT without it (the RV park isn't shaded). We'll be making as much of our own shade as possible.
I hadn't thought of the earplug idea...I will definitely get some for those times when some quiet is needed.
OK I see. Do you already have the RV? If so, how big is it and what sort of park will you be in? If not, just rent an apartment. Even a 1BR place will be a lot bigger and more livable than an RV (if only for laundry and kitchen), cost a LOT less and leave you free of any burden after the summer ends.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rtandc
some states do not allow PO boxes etc as a mailing address...that is just one of several legal issues you are going to have to work though also
Can you clarify? I know of no states where having a PO Box address is illegal. In fact where I live (in a house) that's ALL we can have because the USPS is broke and doesn't deliver anymore. OP, you can always use a commercial mailbox place to get your mail if you need to. Or perhaps a friends house?
I also don't know anyone who takes 3-4 showers a day while camping, but that's another matter. RV living is different that house or apartment living though. That's for sure. It can be a lot of fun if you're in a nice place but it has its challenges.
Last edited by otterprods; 05-15-2014 at 01:01 PM..
Put the kid in a tent next to the RV. She would probably enjoy it more having her own space as well as not needing to 'make the bed' every day so people can sit on the sofa.
What I am thinking is from our own RV. We had the 'master bedroom' but the other two 'beds' were the sofa that pulled out and the dinette that dropped down. What a PITA to have to do that everyday.
And yes- do everything you can do, outdoors. Cook, wash dishes etc. a couple of buckets work well for outdoor sinks. Meals should be simple. Burritos, stir-fri, anything cooked in one or two pans/pots. Use the campground facilities more than your RV's when possible.
We would keep out black water tank closed, but hooked up and would flush it when it filled up. This kept stuff from settling and drying out along the way when everything is open and dribbles down the pipes and hoses.
I've never had bad wifi at any of the places I have stayed.
Some campgrounds to have a limit as to how long you can stay. Be sure the park you found has extended stays.
Can you clarify? I know of no states where having a PO Box address is illegal. In fact where I live (in a house) that's ALL we can have because the USPS is broke and doesn't deliver anymore. OP, you can always use a commercial mailbox place to get your mail if you need to. Or perhaps a friends house?
.
Sure no problem....first i never said it was illegal.....but anyway, yes you can use a PO Box as a permanent address it cases like yours where the mail may not deliver to your house due to distances from the post office etc but a PO Box can't be used as a physical address in many states....you can't live in a PO box...so full timers like myself who have no physical address must use a licensed mail forwarding service out of your home state which supplies you with a physical address for things like banking, insurance, voting privileges, Vehicle registration and drivers license renewal etc. I've been a full timer for 5 years as just passing on some information to the OP to assist her in some of the issues that she will have to deal with once she walks away from her home...there are actually a few states that once you move into an RV you are then considered homeless and then run into all types of legal issues as far as maintaining bank accounts etc. If they decide to stay full timing after Aug then they are going to run into all kind of issues with their daughter as far as schooling and what school she is suppose to attend etc....because again they won't have a physical address unless they set one up based on what her state requires. Again every state is different...Some are a big pain in the butt while others are very RV friendly like SD, TX and Florida....now looking I see she has her location as Montana...if that's the state she will be staying in then it's pretty RV friendly especially if your setting up an LLC....so getting a physical address for mail and legality issues should not be that dificult but still needs to be done
I would find the nearest public library and make liberal use of their services! You will need a free place to hang out when you want to get away from the RV.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,690 posts, read 57,994,855 times
Reputation: 46171
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stagemomma
I would find the nearest public library and make liberal use of their services! You will need a free place to hang out when you want to get away from the RV.
Find out the community education and youth camps / activities for the summer.
Music programs? At age 13 I was spending a lot of my summers at band events (community and school). and in public parks and pools. and certainly 20- 30 / hr / week in air conditioned library!!!. I picked berries and worked on a Dairy farm (good for 13 yr olds). Find a community garden or senior center for her to volunteer. Learn a foreign language together! (or a small instrument... Mandolin / mtn dulcimer).
@ age 13... I would have been lost without my Bicycle. Tho I lived in the boonies and had to sit endless hours in town waiting for my mom to finish work. She took me to town at 6AM on Band days, and I waited till 6PM for her to get off work so I could go home. Library was key to surviving this. I wish I got paid for the miles I walked carrying my instruments around town. No money... so it had to be free (whatever I did and ate everyday). Growing up is so hard to do....
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
). 
