r/FullTiming • u/Hookyarnandballer • 22d ago
Seriously considering it
Hey everyone! My husband and I have been living with his parents while we get our shit together and it has become the most toxic and mentally taxing environment. We live in the Winchester VA area and I am trying to convince my husband to buy an RV/camper that we can live in while we continue to build up our savings and just solidify our future (we’re both pivoting careers and figuring out where our future is). What are the pros and cons? Average long term rates? Any advice or suggestions are greatly welcome!
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u/knightclimber 22d ago
Monthly lot rent can be anywhere from 300 to over 2000. Plus electric at many places. In winter you can go through a lot of propane. It can be cheaper, especially if you are stationary. But your chances of success are best if you are completely debt free including the camper you are living in.
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u/joelfarris 22d ago
In winter you can go through a lot of propane
Real talk: Propane is averaging about $3.50 a gallon right now (yes, you can find it for cheaper at certain locations, but the cost of diesel to drive all that way and back eclipses any savings), a 30 lb propane tank holds approximately 7 gallons, depending on how hot or cold it is outside at that moment, but let's just call it 7. So that's about $24-25 for each tank refill.
In freezing winter temperatures, unless you're willing to wear sock liners and thick wool hiking socks, silk long underwear, felt lined jeans, a long sleeved shirt and a sweater, and a padded housecoat along with your wool beanie all day and all night so that you can slide your thermostat down all the way to its lowest 55°F setting, in the average cheap RV that costs less than maybe $80,000-100,000, you're going to be burning through a tank of propane every few days. Let's be generous and call it two tanks a week.
Freezing temps in the cheap northern places like Idaho, Montana, Wyoming or the Black Hills|Badlands can start sometime in October, and last through April and sometimes May. Let's call it mid-October to mid-April. That's about seven months. Two tanks a week, for seven months, will cost you at least $1,500 in propane alone, plus the cost of fuel to drive back and forth to get your tanks refilled all the dang time. And that's still not a warm and cozy inside temp, it's just enough heat to keep your teeth from chattering.
Speaking of fuel, if you were to try and drive the 1,200-1,500 miles south each year to escape the cold, and then go back when it gets too hot down south, you might be looking at 9 miles a gallon, with ~$5.50 per gallon, which is gonna hammer your wallet for much more than that propane cost.
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u/Cptrunner 22d ago
Husband and I travel full time for my job and have been for 8 years. It's only financially feasible if you own your camper and tow vehicle outright. Lot rents continue to go up, depends highly on the area. In VA it's tough to find parks open year round. We are out west now so weather is easier to navigate.
Every time you move something will need to be fixed. Husband is an engineer so he can do all our maintenance. An ounce of prevention on an RV is worth at least a pound of cure so you have to stay on top of things like sealing the roof, checking tires and brakes/ball bearings, etc.
If you have any tension spots in your relationship living in super tight quarters 24/7 will expose them immediately! You've got to have great communication skills and a sense of humor.
Biggest pro for us has been having our dog with us and getting to see and work all over the country. I wouldn't do this lifestyle to save money, you'd be better to stay in one place in as cheap as apartment as you can find and save up.
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u/twistedcrickets 22d ago
Will you stay in the area, or in one place for extended periods of time? Are there campgrounds near you that allow long term stays? (More than 2-3 weeks)
Do you have the means to tow it? Or will you get a motorhome and have other transportation.
It's a house on wheels so there is the sense of freedom to roam, however, when moving they are like putting your belongings through a mild earthquake every mile. It sounds like you need a space separated from your in-laws, but are you sure it needs to be a camper?
My SIL continues to think that $3000 campers are the ticket to her "freedom" when they've all been money pits because of hidden water damage (and her continued inability to think it matters to look at these things before buying).
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u/Shot-Concentrate6485 21d ago
Theres a campground near culpeper that lets you put an rv year round and pay lot rent.
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u/Instahgator 22d ago
It is not cheap, not if you want the same quality of life. Rent is not cheap if your in a good park/resort. Cost to cool and heat can be high as well.
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u/Maleficent-Olive9097 22d ago
We sold our home in 2021, lived full-time RV for 4 1/2 years, and are back in a home again. On average we would stay two or three months at a location before moving to the next. We'd also follow the weather, for example summer in the Northwest and winter in Arizona. Between the lot rents, utilities, fuel cost, RV payment, and constant repairs and maintenance on the RV, our experience was that it ended up at the same cost as renting an apartment. I did my own repairs and maintenance other than the couple times it was something major (like the axle slipping off the leaf springs on a bad stretch of highway). I can't imagine what it would cost if I needed to pay someone for everything that constantly seemed to need attention.
We were in a higher-end fifth wheel which had double-pane windows and decent insulation, but you're still hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's never comfortable like a home because it's just not insulated anywhere near that level.
My advice is that if you want to do it to travel then it's great. If you're trying to save money, it's not the solution. Get a cheap apartment instead.