Traveling in an RV or Trailer

Just starting out as a traveler? Traveling questions or experiences to share? Here's the place.
Jonson
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Joined: Sun Aug 03, 2014 5:25 pm

Traveling in an RV or Trailer

Unread post by Jonson » Sun Aug 03, 2014 5:36 pm

Does anyone have experience traveling in an RV or Trailer, I like the idea of pocketing more money and not having to pack/unpack. Any one want to share there experiences.

Hobohealth
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Re: Traveling in an RV or Trailer

Unread post by Hobohealth » Mon Aug 04, 2014 5:49 pm

My wife and I had an RV in Alaska that we essentially lived in Friday through Sunday.... but we did have an apartment rented that was very definitely where we really lived.

The 6 months with that weekender-RV was enough for me to gain some good RV knowledge and get totally hooked on camper lifestyle. We've considered living in a camper, but never had the right set-up to bite the bullet.

I do know a travel PT that has legit lived in a camper... for over a year at least. Her name is Jenn and she is in the Real Traveler section of our site: http://hobohealth.com/wordpress/real-traveler-jennifer/ she has her own blog at: http://workingonwanderlust.wordpress.com/

I don't know if she's still a traveler or living in the camper, or what, but I'll email her and see if we can get a reply here!

James

JenK,PT
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Joined: Thu Aug 07, 2014 7:26 am

Re: Traveling in an RV or Trailer

Unread post by JenK,PT » Thu Aug 07, 2014 9:33 pm

Hi there! As James mentioned, I did in fact live in an RV for almost two years as a travel PT. I did so as a single female with two big dogs, but I did have some technical support from my parents who are full time RVers. I know no other way for comparison, but I can tell you some of the pros and cons in my opinion.

Pros:

Saving money is for sure a big plus. I personally used my housing allowance toward the (way less expensive than an apartment) RV site but also for my monthly payment from purchasing an RV. It's a nice feeling to know that you are contributing to something you get to keep long term, instead of throwing it away on apartments or extended stays.

If you already have an RV, even better for saving money! You'll find an RV site for a weekly or monthly rate. Water and sewer is usually included. Electric is usually metered. Wifi is sometimes free or an additional charge; cable for a charge.

Traveling with dogs is much easier. On the road, no worries of finding a "pet friendly" hotel. Also, you have a safer place for them during bathroom, meal, or sight seeing stops.

If something falls through on an assignment, your little house on wheels is ready to pack up and go! In general, it's easier to get out of an RV site commitment (either weekly or monthly rates) compared to a signed lease of an apartment. Also, no worries about finding a furnished place.

Cons:

Really consider what space you can comfortably live in. If you're comfortable camping in an RV, great!, but living in one full time is a very different experience. This can quickly become a "con" for some.

Stops along the road are far less expensive than a hotel, but your fuel costs go up and your mpg go way down while towing. Responsible, safe RVing also means not towing at 80 mph down the highway, so your trips take longer.

Travel assignments in urban areas make finding RV parks difficult, or you'll have to look further out (which can make for a longer daily commute). Places that allow long term stays aren't always the most savory of locations or crowds. (Look for places that have a combination of daily, weekly, and monthly rates versus all full time residents.)

When traveling with pets, many RV parks do have size and breed restrictions. A headache just like apartment hunting.

Living in an RV in extreme heat can get expensive. Sure, they've got AC but your living in a poorly insulated big box. I can say that living in Arizona during multiple summers, my metered electric each month was $100-$120.

The prospect of freezing weather can really put a damper on getting to a sought after assignment locale. For me, my Colorado license sits unused because the timing was never right. In an RV, spring and fall in places like Colorado can be just as problematic as winter. RV insulation only does so much for indoor climate control. If your furnace is on propane tanks, that can get expensive. (It also sucks if they run out over night.) PVC plumbing and holding tanks in the underbelly are all vulnerable to freezing temperatures and expensive damage.

My best advice is to research what all goes into living in, maintaining, and towing an RV to decide if it's a right fit for you as a travel PT. Also, do some research on prospective areas you'd like to go for assignments to find what the limitations may be. For me, I am 100% sure that I would never want to do it another way!

Happy travels!
Jen

cateyite
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Sep 22, 2015 8:59 pm

Re: Traveling in an RV or Trailer

Unread post by cateyite » Tue Sep 22, 2015 10:53 pm

Hi Jenn,
I realize this is an old post, but if you or anyone else sees this, I have a question! If you travel in the RV with dogs, how do they stay cool in hot weather in the RV? I realize you could run AC while you're gone, but that could break down I imagine. Just curious on how to handle dogs' well-being while away. I don't know a lot about RV's (maybe that's obvious lol) so maybe it's similar to an apt.?
Thanks in advance!

Hobohealth
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Re: Traveling in an RV or Trailer

Unread post by Hobohealth » Fri Sep 25, 2015 7:34 pm

Since those older posts, I have started living in a camper. I am in month 5 on Martha's Vineyard (Massachusetts), and you are right, it can get really hot in the summer in a camper - good new, lots of specialty fans for campers and really efficient AC units built in. Our camper is a 2002, and the AC is really powerful, I've heard it's wild what newer-style campers have accomplished as far as efficiency. ...I'd love to hear what Jenn has to say since she did it for much longer with a dog!

I would absolutely love to talk more camper-living as a traveling therapist here, but the ultimate resource is the Facebook group Highway Hypodermics: RV Travelers - a big and very active group. You post a question on there, and you'll get a few dozen answers. https://www.facebook.com/groups/Highway ... Travelers/

Good luck!

James

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