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I need to say in the first sentence here that I am NOT a "camper". I won't be going out into the back country and living there for 2-3 weeks at a time, living off what I can catch or hunt or forage. I have just purchased a small 4x8 trailer (with AC) that is made to be be used as a camper but isn't really a camper. For me it will be more of a hotel room on wheels, as I like to go see cities, not sit at a campground and make s'mores around the fire, but HATE paying $100 a night for hotels.
My main objective is to find the cheapest place I can find WITH electric hookups so I can use the AC and if it's cold, a heater. I know of the main camping web pages like RV Parky, freecampsites.net and such, but I wonder if anybody here knows of one the is specifically for people who squeeze a nickel until the buffalo bleeds like I do. Eventually I will add solar to my little tow behind hotel room, but for right now I am relying on one Goal Zero 400w lithium battery that I have to recharge every day while I am driving. I DO have a generator but out of respect for other people I can't be running it all night.
Any suggestions? (Other than "Stop being such a cheapskate and spend some money since you can't take it with you"?)
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Stay in moderate climates,
Add insulation
Buy a good sleeping bag
Buy a HEAVY wool blanket.
Build a 'thermal mass' device (sleeping with hot rocks)
Find a SAFE LP Catalytic Heater.
I need to say in the first sentence here that I am NOT a "camper". I won't be going out into the back country and living there for 2-3 weeks at a time, living off what I can catch or hunt or forage. I have just purchased a small 4x8 trailer (with AC) that is made to be be used as a camper but isn't really a camper. For me it will be more of a hotel room on wheels, as I like to go see cities, not sit at a campground and make s'mores around the fire, but HATE paying $100 a night for hotels.
My main objective is to find the cheapest place I can find WITH electric hookups so I can use the AC and if it's cold, a heater. I know of the main camping web pages like RV Parky, freecampsites.net and such, but I wonder if anybody here knows of one the is specifically for people who squeeze a nickel until the buffalo bleeds like I do. Eventually I will add solar to my little tow behind hotel room, but for right now I am relying on one Goal Zero 400w lithium battery that I have to recharge every day while I am driving. I DO have a generator but out of respect for other people I can't be running it all night.
Any suggestions? (Other than "Stop being such a cheapskate and spend some money since you can't take it with you"?)
Look into joining KOA. I don't know the costs, etc., but they have many campgrounds, quite a few near cities and tourist destinations.
I covers most (maybe all?) state parks and COE parks, along with some National Parks. I can't say for sure if it covers all of the parks, but it's our starting point on most trips.
FWIW: The COE (Corps of Engineers) parks are just as nice as state parks, but usually cheaper. All the one's we've stayed in have electricity and water hookups at the site.
I have just purchased a small 4x8 trailer (with AC) that is made to be be used as a camper but isn't really a camper.
For me it will be more of a hotel room on wheels, as I like to go see cities...
Actually practicing this puts you hard up against the authorities.
Whatever tolerance and goodwill this sort of thing may once have enjoyed... is over.
there are tons of Youtube channels with people living on the cheap like you want to do OP.....recommend you search Youtube for them - you can learn a lot. This sort of thing is very popular with people on low income looking for freedom to roam in their makeshift or actual RVs -
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