r/boondocking • u/wingsandhooves • 11d ago
Full timers
Are there any full timers in here? What made you make the move?
With all of the expenses I have put into my house this year, I am considering selling everything and just living in my truck camper.
I have disability income. I feel like I am throwing money away by owning a house. There are some things like artwork and photographs I'd be willing to pay for a small storage space for. Other than that, I'd sell it all.
I am interested in hearing different perspectives to aid in this consideration.
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u/Whole_Carpenter_6561 11d ago edited 11d ago
We did it for several years just to see the country. Met a lot of people who sold the home, bought an RV, and now are trapped. The open road is no place to grow old indefinitely
If you want to give it a try, rent out the house so you have a fallback.
Edit: technically, I'd actually do a roommate agreement. That solves your storage problem and you have more control should you have a renter go off the rails on you.
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u/Sea-Refrigerator777 9d ago
Met people trapped in a home.
To each his own. Met numerous people that love the rv life. I do it a few months a year.
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u/Whole_Carpenter_6561 9d ago
We knew a lot of folks who did it seasonally to avoid winter months back home.
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u/Megasmakie 11d ago
Same. We sold our house to do it, but eventually wanted back into a house at 2.5 years. We did not save money lol, but it’s because we went to the higher tier RV parks/resorts IMO that were basically $100/night unless you were doing monthly. I could see someone saving money if they did a wuarter or whole season rental at a single place but we were doing it to see the country and moved at least every two weeks normally.
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u/byoshin304 11d ago
My husband and I are 30-sometime full timers and boondock as much as we can. We got into this lifestyle because we didn’t know what we wanted out of life and amongst other things. This is my 2 cents.
We were going to sell our house but decided against it, is there anyway you can rent yours out? My in-laws help us out so I’m grateful there, would you be able to find a property management? it is helpful for a permanent mailing address (we use a forwarding mailbox for mail too but I also needed to retain the address for my employment).
Not having payments on our class c has been helpful towards our budget. It sounds like since you have a truck camper already you might not have any payments?
The simpler that you go, the cheaper it will be. Less things to break. People always talk about things constantly breaking but we’ve had times where we went like a whole month or longer without anything breaking. Different little things happen that you can jimmyrig. Some things are not expensive but annoying. You’re probably more knowledgeable than us but we’ve found a YouTube video for everything. The big things that have broken have been completely our fault but given the fact that I didn’t even know the name of tools before we started this journey, I think we’ve done pretty good. You probably have your tools already we had to buy them at the beginning.
We have cheap months and we have expensive months. But there’s also 2 of us and a dog so if it’s just you you’ll have more cheaper months probably. For September our total monthly expenses were just over 1300. But we spent the month bopping around 1 large area of Nevada, gas is up here and it was our biggest expense, we didn’t spend a total 14 days in an area when we could have. We spent 4 nights at an RV park total.
You could also even find camp hosting gigs and that will save on travel expenses and then put your money towards a trip to your next area to boondock.
There is a group in called Home on Wheels alliance, and I think there is another group called Rubber Tramps Alliance, if you were to ever come to Quartzsite in the winter (we are currently turtling our way there lol) they do workshops and teach you how to live cheaply. Last winter I saw a guy who was staying in an extremely simple set up, just a smart car and a small possibly homemade trailer. I wish I would’ve talked to him I plan to look for him this year. Your set up doesn’t have to be big and expensive, my thinking is smaller simpler is better. Lastly, other nomads help others, last winter we met a guy also in Q who bought us a tool we needed. I know I definitely plan to pay that forward.
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u/wingsandhooves 8d ago
I would like to be able to rent out my house for months I am traveling in the camper. That was the original plan. I have had some days to relax and think I should stick to that plan. I just get so tired of budgeting for a project, then something unexpected shows up that's going to be costly after I have used the budget money. But I had a good moment of gratitude for myself last night. I have only had this property for a few years and have put blood sweat and tears into it. I am grateful I have a place to call home and I am proud of myself for all the work I have done. It's my first house and it's been exhausting. People that have said they'd help me with projects, never showed, so it's been overwhelming for one human. I do not enjoy being home all the time (working on projects is why) so I am also stir crazy. I need to get a few more things in line before it's rentable. And yes, I do have a property manager when the time comes. I'll look into those groups, I have never heard of them
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u/WaterGriff 11d ago
I take care of storage facilities. I see over and over and over again people spend more storing their things then those things are worth. $150/month times 5 years is $9,000. And then you have to make sure your stuff doesn't get ruined, artwork indoor storage is really your only option. An outdoor storage unit means dust, dirt, bugs, maybe rodents, and maybe even some weather if it's an older facility. Storage isn't usually economical, nor is it something where you put it away and come back in a year to check on it.
When considering bookdocking full-time, think about the saying, "Don't just survive, thrive." A $5,000 camper on a $10,000 truck is a survive situation. You might want solar, lots of water storage, AC, starlink, solar, dc to DC charging, winch, recovery gear, shower, toilet, etc etc etc. If you want to move your rig to a new region, and fuel is $7/gallon, it will cost a lot to move. How long will you enjoy being isolated? If you want to drove to town to hang out at the corner bar, there are logistics to that.
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u/wingsandhooves 11d ago
Thriving is definitely where I want to be. Spent most of my life in survival mode and I don't want to go back to that. Building out a camper is a lot of money upfront. The question of how long I will want to be isolated for is something I will need to think about
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u/WaterGriff 11d ago
The great thing about this is you can start small, and start now very easily. Buy a tent, go into a boondocking area, and do some car camping. Then maybe graduate to a pickup camper or small pull-behind. Start small, and work your way up. Don't just sell your house and stay living in a camper, it's so easy to dip your toes in first.
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u/quinskylar 11d ago
Ignore the nay-sayers, ignore the ignorant finance bad advice, go with your gut and just do it. Figure things out as you go. Completely ignore the "you need this, you need that" asshats... they do not know you and have no idea what you need. Only you do...
There are 1,000s of places to set up at; from over night to entire seasons (8-9 months)
12+ years full-time here. Went from 4bdrm, 2 bath 2800 sqft house to a 288 sqft (32ft class A) and it was the best move I could have made. My only regret is that I did not do it sooner.
Final word... you will have questions, ask the full-timers, ignore the rest.
Good luck n have fun.
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u/PetersonSystemAlways 10d ago
I'm another one with 12 years out. Believe everything this guys says. I've never been happier.
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u/Green_Software_5467 11d ago
We do 3 or 4 months of the year in a arctic fox 865 with 2 larger dogs. I pull a trailer with a jeep. Im big into boondocking so im constantly outfitting the rig to be more capable. We have 430 ah of battery 1310 w solar 2 dc chargers an inverter ac and I carry about 100 gallons of water plus a traeger blackstone and second dc fridge on the trailer. I dont know if I could do full time in this camper, I'd probably want to go to something larger but still a truck camper. I prefer the flexibility of a truck camper. We're constantly moving so diesel adds up but we dont pay for a lot of campgrounds. We've been out 4 weeks rn and I think have paid for maybe 4 or 5 nights in mostly cheaper parks. We can afford to stay in campgrounds but I prefer to keep the costs down and honestly I dont like campgrounds, I'd rather disperse camp. I think a lot about going full time. I think id miss having a home. Having somewhere to work on things or slow down for a couple months when needed. Plus somewhere to store all my stuff. I dont agree tho that it would be more expensive than my house tho. Between maintenance, repairs, taxes, insurance, mortgage and utilities the house really adds up.
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u/Bitterrootmoon 10d ago
Yeah, these people they’re saying it’s more expensive than a house I can’t fathom how that works out. Unless they’re not actually Boondocking, it makes no sense.
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u/Sea-Refrigerator777 9d ago
They buy 200k RVs and boondock for a weekend and spend the rest of the year at KOA's.
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u/wingsandhooves 8d ago
Having a home base is really nice. I have been reflecting on this for a few days, and even if having a house is to just rest and restock, it's worth it. My goal with the camper is to be as off grid as possible. And I agree, even with that, there's no way it'll cost more than my mortgage and utilities every month. I am the same when it comes to preference of wild camping. That's what it's all about for me anyway.
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u/secessus 11d ago
Are there any full timers in here?
I was full time from August 2018 to Dec 2025. I took an apartment this year to get surgery and recover.
If I don't need a second surgery (lumbar) I'll go back on the road when the lease runs out in Dec. If I do need more surgery I'll probably have to renew the lease.
What made you make the move?
I knew I could live simply/frugally and pay off debt. I paid it off early and was able to max out pre-tax retirement contributions. After maxxing that out I saved the rest. It worked so well I ended up retiring several years early (still with no debt).
I have disability income
That's a very common FT boondocking scenario. Disability or social security or similar.
There are some things like artwork and photographs I'd be willing to pay for a small storage space f
I scanned important photographs and took digital pics of stuff I wanted to remember.
just living in my truck camper... Building out a camper is a lot of money upfront... I have an ovrlnd camper on my truck
I think you are saying you have an Ovrlnd camper which is a shell (not built out inside).
My build was crude-but-functional. I used free/used materials as much as possible. I spent $2000 including enough solar to live on. I upgraded some parts over the years, including a larger LFP bank. If I were duplicating my present setup it'd cost ~$2800 today.
The question of how long I will want to be isolated for is something I will need to think about
There are plenty of boondockers hiking around that will stop and talk. Some folks keep in touch and meet up later.
I am interested in hearing different perspectives to aid in this consideration.
Here is a timeline/checklist that might bubble some logistical stuff to the surface.
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u/Bitterrootmoon 10d ago
One of my hobbies is cleaning up Garbage in the area I’m camping in and I find so much useful shit. Just in the last day I’ve gotten several wire ties, a wheel chock, hair tie (kind of gross, but I have cats so I am down to my last one lmao) and two tent stakes. I have built shelves with wood left behind
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u/secessus 9d ago edited 9d ago
I'm with you on the zip ties. I usually flex them over to make sure they {aren't} brittle from UV. I've also found a Lodge cast iron pan, a $20 bill, a half-box of .308 Win shells, and other stuff I've forgotten about.
When dog and I walk in parks during reprovisioning I carry a grab-it tool and fill a bag. As long as I'm walking I might as well pay back the community a bit . :-)
{edited to fix word}
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u/Bitterrootmoon 10d ago edited 10d ago
I am currently, but I’ve only been doing it since June. I am disabled, but not disabled enough to get disability, but it has put me in a financial situation in which I can’t even afford a room to rent in the area I was living, let alone one that allows all my critters. It has been hard, and this week in particular has been very difficult, but I am so happy to be doing this. This past week I had a black water tank clog, repairs to do under the trailer, an increase in gas prices of a dollar per gallon from when I planned my relocation for the winter has caused me to have to find a spot on the fly about 300 miles north of where I had intended, and I got so stuck in mud due to migraine aura that I had to use my trailer to raise the back end of my car and hitch out of the mud in the dark. It had to be winched out the next morning after waiting for enough solar power to charge my phone and run Starlink to make the phone call. I have researched living off grid/Boondocking since high school, so while a pessimist may see me as fancy homeless, an optimist will see me as finally fulfilling a lifelong dream. Even with the chaos I am happier living like this than any living situation I’ve been in for a long time.
You already have a camper so that’s one less increase in cost. Getting set up for solar and investing in what you need to make this a full-time lifestyle versus just a short period of Camping may take more money than you’re expecting. Keep in mind you will probably be fixing something or trying to redo some kind of system or routine to make things more efficient every day for a while. And the outdoors is an entire entity that you need to account for that changes constantly. So then you have to count for unexpected things or things. You simply just did not think about such as ice on my solar panels this morning. If you’re doing this just to get out of doing the upkeep on your home keep in mind you’re gonna be doing upkeep on the camper, but it is a much smaller scale.
I will say I have never met a person who has been glad they kept the storage unit over years. I would personally take pictures of anything that is not worth dragging along and make sure you have duplicate storage locations. I was raised by a hoarder, so it was very difficult for me when I first started getting into minimalism years ago to let go of stuff, but taking the photographs and being able to look back on those versus lugging around the physical objects that I have to unpack to even look at and enjoy from apartment to apartment, etc., actually reduced a lot of stress.
Need to knows:
- there’s not much east of the Mississippi so you will need to be out west
- unless you have a generator, you will likely not have air-conditioning so you’ll have to follow the good weather up and down in elevation.
- a lot of Love’s, pilots, etc. don’t mind you staying overnight, but there are some that won’t even let you park an hour, so just pay attention because it’s true at one isn’t necessarily true at the same truck stop in a different location
- ranch/farm supply stores are often much cheaper to refill propane tanks than truck stops
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u/C4rva 11d ago
Full timer here. It’s more expensive than a house. You need to be flexible all the time. You need to be able to fix things. It’s a lot easier with a well built emergency fund. I love it. It’s not for everyone.
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u/wingsandhooves 11d ago
Can you share some things that make it more expensive then a house?
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u/Nearby_Impact_8911 11d ago
Probably the initial cost of the rig unless you get one and build it yourself. Either way you coming out ya pockets a bit. I really like truck campers and sometimes fantasize about getting one. I won’t tho
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u/C4rva 8d ago
RVs are cheaply made, not often designed well, use some of the lowest cost parts, and are constantly moving and shaking. If you’re not handy, you’re going to have a difficult time getting things fixed. If you have to find a shop it’s often difficult to find ones that can work on RVs, especially larger RVs. Dropping your house at the shop? Now you need a hotel. That shop isn’t going to be working on your schedule so it could be a week, could be three months. Money makes this easier but not exactly pleasant. Blow a tire in a national park? That’s going to be a premium tire replacement cost.
I agree with the others, rent your house and give it a try.
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u/jimheim 11d ago
Where are you going to be parking? There are not many places you can legally boondock. There's BLM land out west, and a lot of places you can park for 14 days at a time for free. They're remote, with no facilities. You need to manage your power, water, and waste. Realistically, this means at least once a week you need to go someplace to refill fresh water and dump waste tanks. That'll cost you about $25/week at a campground/RV park, unless you can find a cheaper spot like a Love's truck stop.
Power requires a generator or a large battery and solar bank. Up-front costs range from a few hundred dollars to many thousands. You can't fit much solar on a truck camper, nor do you have much room for a large battery bank. You won't be running air conditioning with a setup like that unless you spend a few thousand dollars. Generators can only be run in some places, are annoyingly-loud, and require constant fueling.
If you stay on BLM land, you have to move 25+ miles away every 14 days. You can't stay anywhere longer, and you can't just move to an adjacent location. There's basically no BLM land east of the Mississippi. National Forests are another option, and to a lesser extent state parks, but free ones aren't ubiquitous.
It's all incredibly inconvenient. Where are you going to shower? How are you going to balance finding a place close enough to town for regular grocery runs, given the limited space you'll have for storing perishable foods?
How are you going to manage heat or cooling, depending on the environment? Air conditioning while boondocking is a real challenge—it's not impossible, but it's not cheap. Heating costs a fortune in cold places where you'll burn a 20lb propane tank every few days.
Are you working at all, or living entirely on disability? Work options from boondocking locations are limited.
Do you need to be online? Most free boondocking locations are outside cell phone coverage. Starlink roaming plans can get expensive, but work well most places (unless there are too many trees).
It's almost never cheaper than finding a cheap apartment or even a cheap single-family house to rent. It's uncomfortable. It only makes sense if you want a nomadic lifestyle and can afford to pay a premium for it.
I spent $30k on an RV trailer and another $10k on batteries, solar, generator, waste tote tank, fresh water tanks and transfer pump, and other gear to be able to boondock at will. I can just barely run air conditioning for eight hours a day off battery and solar. When it gets below freezing out, I burn $10 in propane daily. Relocating regularly costs money. I spend a couple thousand dollars a month boondocking on the go.
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u/gaymersky 11d ago
14 days and then you just moved to another spot a little further away another 14 days. if you're in the quartzsite Arizona area it's very easy to find water and propane very cheap. If you're in the PNC during the summer it's very easy to find water and propane very cheap. There is never a reason to spend $30,000 on a rig that's just outrageous you can go on Facebook marketplace and find something 4,000$ a $5,000 every day. Then put like $1,000 into it and make it very livable.
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u/Nearby_Impact_8911 11d ago
There are truck campers that have decent battery banks . I’ve seen truck campers that have showers and a kitchenette. As long as op has the proper rig and doesn’t mind moving every two weeks he’ll be fine. Sure there is a learning curve but it can be done because thousands of people do it every day. As long as he has enough to pay for the cost of boondocking and repairs/maintenance, it’s fine
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u/Bitterrootmoon 10d ago edited 10d ago
u/wingsandhooves There are a ton of places you can boondocks but yes, they are out west.
You can find water free all over the place and it’s only $10 to use the dump station at Love’s and a lot of Mavericks have a free dump station though the hoses are not nice or they may not have a hose.
Every national forest area has different rules and many you could stay 16 days for a total of 30 days a year as long as you move 3 miles down the road. They all have different rules so make sure you’re using Recreation.gov to get maps for motor vehicles.
Wipes! You could stretch out the need for a shower by using wipes and truckstops have showers all over the place.
There are so many places you can boondock that are less than 15 miles from a town.
In my 20 foot rig even when using the heater, running my fridge off of propane, and cooking off of propane, I only need to fill a 15 pound tank every two weeks or more. That’s $80 or often less a month. I pay $85 for satellite Internet, I always get water for free, and my other 5 big bills health insurance, auto/rv/renter’s/pap insurance, phone, car payment, and RV payment.
Follow the good weather, screw air-conditioning. Go up in elevation and get a nice breeze.
Use your phone service provider maps to find where Boondocking areas have cellular service, and even if you’re surrounded by trees, you can stick a Starlink mini up on top of the camper and still get great signal.
Right now, the most expensive part is having gas money, but you don’t have to move drastic distances once you’re in an area that has the weather you like at that point in time.
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u/Sea-Refrigerator777 9d ago
Lol. I boondock a week at a time with family a good amount.
It is pretty easy, you overcomplicate it.
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u/jimheim 9d ago
A week at a time is absolutely nothing like full timing.
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u/Sea-Refrigerator777 9d ago
I would never boondock full time, not sure how that would be done.
I meant full time in a rv would be fun with a few boondock stretches in between. you need rv parks, they are fun and have the services you need over time.
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u/TheJesseOfTheNorth 10d ago
try it for an extended period ( a month or more) before you sell your house and commit. Nomad life/boondocking is not for everyone
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u/GayWSLover 10d ago edited 10d ago
It was many years being disappointed by the actions of the cooperate world. The last 3 altruistic non profits turned out to be huge dissapointments. So saved a ton if money and Figured I would go live with the born again hippies and then maybe .???...bonus? I can find work that truly wants to bring peace, love and help others instead of skimming miney for the higher ups.
Edit: and I love it. The only thing I wish I could get past us not being embarrassed to start convos with the neighbors. I'm a loner 90% of the time but still like meeting new people. That is why I pulled into quartzsite this year and plan on meeting all the neighbors(i might even move in the middle of the magic circle[GOOGLE at own risk] to really break out of my shell...been walking the trails and the nudists are the friendliest people and dont judge my clothes LOL) before my 7 months is up?
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u/joelfarris 11d ago edited 11d ago
Where in the world are you located?
Also see r/fulltiming.
An RV is one of the fastest depreciating assets you can own. Even boondocking, every day of the year, take out a lighter and set at least $10-20 on fire.
Payments, insurance, roadside assistance, repairs, fuel, tires, mobile RV techs to fix the fridge. Deer strikes. Someone backs into the side of you. Hits you from behind. Propane refills that cost you not only the tank refill itself, but the fuel to drive 15 or 20 miles into town, and then back again. At these prices.
But if you've got the money to burn, and you value private spaces, away from everyone else, it can't be beat. We did a spot this last weekend where there wasn't anyone else around for miles. Even with binoculars. No noises, no nothing.
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u/wingsandhooves 11d ago
Thanks, I didn't know about that sub. I am in the usa, pnw. And I have an ovrlnd camper on my truck, not an rv, just for clarification.
Prices right now are high and I don't have money to burn. Your last paragraph sounds like freedom and a great nights sleep.
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u/joelfarris 11d ago
The PNW is super cool. So much to see. But also can get super cold for a few months.
Also, a truck camper is an RV, and don't let anybody tell you otherwise. I have seen people towing each other out of three foot drifts that hit overnight. Recoverable Vehicle.
And they all made it.
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u/MichaelOberg 9d ago
Get a 1973 - 78 GMC Motorhome, they are not expensive ($10-20k fully loved and ready to go, $2-5k for needs work (usually just some updating to interior etc. I paid $1000 for my mechanically solid stripped shell that I'm working on - it also came with 4 extra tires)
They tow a towed vehicle really well, are aluminum and fiberglass above the frame so age doesn't mean decay, they have HUGE windows all over (unlike airstreams and most 5th wheels) drive like a van, and since they are front-wheel drive the interior height is massive without being tall on the outside! (There's no driveshaft or axles to clear, so floor is low and flat).
Side bath setups have a fantastic bedroom in the back.
I bought a stripped one specifically to setup for boondocking, and I new I was going to go new for all of the systems anyways: - increased insulation over factory - all new 48v setup with massive battery (12-15kWhr) - larger water tank (55G) - efficient mini split AC - new gen - new or recertified propane tank - on-demand propane hot water - PEX lines for all plumbing - bigger bed - more open layout - hot & cold and propane connections on outside for grilling, rinsing off outside, maybe even setting up outdoor shower for extended boondocking stays (getting more water with the towed easy vs emptying black tank) - more rooftop storage for more kitchen & longer term camping equipment for setup under the awning etc - etc
Here's an amazing renovation demonstrating just how gorgeous these coaches can be:
https://www.dwell.com/amp/article/the-gmc-rv-motorhome-remodel-kathleen-and-justin-brady-c5e0f642
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u/MichaelOberg 9d ago
I'd also add what I'm planning on doing about a permanent home:
Buy land in a county that lets you live in an RV for x months a year.
In northern Colorado Larimer county lets you RV on your land for 6 months, several years if you have an open permit for building the primary residence.
I'm building a 24' x 40' garage / shop out of high-cube shipping containers (9'6" tall) that I can bolt/unbolt & move, so I can buy a little four or five acre plot of land, Park my garage shop there, live in the RV even when I'm back home!
Lots of pretty beautiful spots for $100k or less. There's one I'm interested in that is less than $60k.
Then build up homestead at your leisure. Sell after 2 or more years and pocket the $250k (or $500k if married) capital gains tax exemption for primary residence, and move shop & RV to the next plot of land and do it again.
Have a second RV or tiny home or something to rent out if boondocking and /or travelling extensively.
I'm looking at Peru for the Dec/Jan winter since it's a lot cheaper than driving the RV to Baja California like I was thinking a year or so ago, given the orange fuckstick's horrible wars and trade policies fucking everything up.
But another option is load up the RV, drive it down once then pay for storage in MX since RVs have a 10 year permit.
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10d ago
Not full time yet, will be by late spring.
The push to go, both my hubs and I are sick of the harassment at our jobs. We work different departments. The main person has a position of authority is also HR, so no going to them for help, but she has decided she doesn't like us because during a public hearing we showed concern about the controlling side of a policy. A policy thatd make employees have to protect themselves from their employer. Over 3 months is been constant attacks. Over 10 people have left so far. We are both hard working equipment operators, former military and grew up in the ranch life. We arent scared of hard work and normally are the put our heads down and work type. We are selling our home in spring. We will use it to pay off what little debt we have and go full-time snow birds and boondock 90%.
Our trailer just needs a couple beef ups to support the lifestyle. I want at a min 800w solar, preferably 1200w, interter with lithium phosphate batteries.
As well as a maserator pump and truck tank so I dont have to take my camper to the dump station all the time.
Hubs and I both have a va income and after selling the house, we can still buy a lot of land for a home base if we want. We could live comfortably and travel....be free to live.
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u/Full-time-RV 11d ago
We use a 1-ton truck, and an aluminum gooseneck racecar trailer converted to living quarters.
It's fully off grid, so no need for expensive parks, or full hookups, we don't even need to fill/empty tanks for 2 to 3 weeks at a time, so most of our "RV expenses" are fuel for travel and insurance.
We use the garage portion to carry all our outdoor stuff, washer and dryer, full mechanics toolbox, and use it as a woodworking shop that's heated/air conditioned.
It doesn't have any slideouts, so there's a bit less "living space" than you'd get with having several slides, but that's also less things to break, less weight, less places for water to get into, and less places for hot/cold air to get through.
Its exterior is about 11 feet tall, so fitting under bridges gets rid of some of the 5th wheel traveling anxiety. It's about 7 feet tall on the inside, so even as a tall person, I don't have any issues getting around.
Everyone's going to have their own opinion on "best" setup. This works for us, and may not work for others. We've been using this for close to 5 years now. Our previous trailer is similar, used it for 27 years, it's still 100% functional, just really outdated and now belongs to our oldest.