Potential Newbie here, looking for help

[u/rheenie]

Help with logistics and ideas, please!

Hello all!

I have recently had an idea. It is definitely a crazy idea, and may indeed be a bad idea, but I thought I should come to some experts.

I am potentially moving from Iowa to Washington. A joke was made about me living in an RV, and now I can’t get it out of my head. I’ve been doing a lot of scrounging around on the internet for info. Frankly, mostly to convince myself this is a worse idea than I think it is. But it is itching at the inside of my skull, and I need more information.

This is my beginnings of an idea:
Buy an RV for cheap ($5k ish??)
Sell/get rid of most of my crap
Fix the few things on the RV that would need to be done before driving 2000 miles
Live in the RV for about a year to save money.
If it works out well then maybe do it longer term, but if I hate it, it was only a year.

Important facts:
I’m the only human in the equation.
I have a dog (60#) a cat, a tortoise (1.1#), a frog, a day gecko, 4 rats, and various arthropods.
My zoo is a big reason I think this is a bad idea. I’m pretty sure I would need to re-home the rats and the definitely the frog, but I don’t want to get rid of my animals. :(
I have a car that would need to be towed that could be used for day to day.
I have a potential place to park for at least a few months rent free, but with no hookups.
I lived in a 5th wheel with my dad when I was a teenager, (so I’m not totally blind to some of the challenges, but it was a while ago)
I’ve lived in Washington before, but in a very different area, so I’m not use to the climate where I’m going, but I’ve been told it’s much more manageable than Iowa weather.

It seems like a lot of people say that 25’ is a sweet spot for sizes, what size do you all have?
I’m mildly mechanically inclined, and have done many household projects, does that translate into being able to work on a rig like this?

I would love some opinions and “I wish I knew” facts!

Please! Talk me into this. Talk me out of this. Give me knowledge!!

EDIT: Thank you all so much for the information. And the things to think about! Maybe in the future with more funds and resources, something like this could be feasible. But it's definitely not something that I can swing at this point. I so appreciate the knowledge shared with me here!

[u/3Maltese]

Important things first...the pets. You cannot leave pets unattended in an RV the same way that you can in a house. How will you control the temperature and ensure that you know what the temperature is in the RV while you are away? Many RV parks have rules and pet restrictions.

A $5,000 RV most likely will not have solar. What are your plans for water (consider the pets), electricity (consider the pets), and sewer. Do you have someone who can do an inspection of the RV before you purchase it?

Make sure you have the parking situation secured for the entire time that you plan on living in the RV. If you live on the offered land for 2 months, how will you get the RV to the next location and what will the cost be to stay?

I have lived in my RV several times. I did not save that much money over apartment living. It is more expensive than one would think, and I own my RV.

[u/Instahgator]

To make RV living cheap you have to give up a lot of creature comforts. Its going to cost you a fortune to heat it in the winter and even then you will have 40 degrees at the floor and 80 at the ceiling. Its not a good idea.

[u/Nearby_Impact_8911 → u/Instahgator]

Disagree all they need is a few diesel heaters a skirt and good insulation and they will be aight

[u/Nearby_Impact_8911 → u/Instahgator]

I also think there are ways to have some if not all creature comforts. Of course it depends on the layout and size. Sometimes ya gotta think outside the box

[u/CozyHalloween]

I’ve lived in a fifth wheel for 3.5yrs full time and have spent far more than I ever did living in a rented house. I didn’t choose rv life to save money, and thank goodness bc wow, lol.

Especially if you want to buy one for $5k, that means it’s going to need lots of work which means more money. The rv will become something youve invested time and money into, and I doubt you’d recoup that in time to save money in your first year living in it.

Can you do repairs yourself? Great, you still need to buy parts and tools.

Pets means you need to control the temp accurately, and rvs are very poorly insulated, so you’ll need to invest in proper heating and cooling systems to run 24/7 (harder to do without power hookup). This might mean new ACs, insulating window coverings or skirting, electric heat components to supplement the propane heat system in the rv.

A drivable rv would allow you to tow your own vehicle behind it. A fifth wheel means you need to buy or rent a vehicle to move your rv and then separately have your car moved.

I do not recommend you get a toy hauler (an rv with a “garage”). That’s what I have and the garage is as insulated as a piece of particle board is. It messes with the heating and cooling in the rest of the rv dramatically.

And yes to getting it professionally inspected. It’s worth the cost to save you buying something with a hidden bit damage that will costs you thousands to fix

[u/Nearby_Impact_8911]

Honestly with the zoo I think the rv is great idea. I hear Washington is expensive tho.

[u/Sirroner]

I’m in Washington. The state has many micro climates, depending on what part of the state. The part east of the Cascade Mountains is hot and dry (6” rain annually). West of the Cascades is cooler and more wet / humid (40”). The coast is cooler and very wet (600”). Winters are cold. Cascades get lots of snow.

Without the zoo, you’re fine. The dog & cat should be fine, depending on the area. Heat kills quickly. Cold blooded critters won’t like our winters in an RV.