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Wouldn't living in RVs'/campers be more eco friendly and efficient?

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rudeguy said:
might I ask what you plan on using for a basement?
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Get a Toy Hauler... those things have separate "rooms" to turn into an Olds-Dungeon..

toy-hauler-fifth-wheel-300x294.jpg
 
DrPizza said:
Didn't know that was legal. My wife and I are making our initial retirement plans. A BIG 5th wheel is what we have in mind. (those things are pretty sweet inside.) But, due to the boat towing thing, we figured we'd spend part of the year in NY, then have the boat stored & travel to another part of the country where we'd have boat #2.
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I'm thinking of getting a large 5th wheel (26' or greater) to live in when I built my house.
 
DrPizza said:
Didn't know that was legal. My wife and I are making our initial retirement plans. A BIG 5th wheel is what we have in mind. (those things are pretty sweet inside.) But, due to the boat towing thing, we figured we'd spend part of the year in NY, then have the boat stored & travel to another part of the country where we'd have boat #2.
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From my link above:

Triple towing is allowed in the following states:

* Alaska
* Arizona
* Arkansas
* California
* Colorado
* Idaho
* Illinois
* Indiana
* Iowa
* Kansas
* Kentucky
* Louisiana
* Maryland
* Michigan
* Minnesota
* Mississippi
* Missouri
* Montana
* Nebraska
* Nevada
* New Mexico
* North Dakota
* Ohio
* Oklahoma
* South Dakota
* Tennessee
* Texas
* Utah


http://www.towingworld.com/articles/TowingLaws.htm
 
you know.. i'm curious... i've seen many tandem trucks... and curious what they're considered.. and how they deal with states where triple towing is "illegal"..

cattle_road_train.jpg

141992361_8imY4-M-1.jpg
 
guyver01 said:
you know.. i'm curious... i've seen many tandem trucks... and curious what they're considered.. and how they deal with states where triple towing is "illegal"..

cattle_road_train.jpg

141992361_8imY4-M-1.jpg
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IIRC, doubles are legal in all of the lower 48, but triples are only legal in some.

# Colorado
# Idaho
# Indiana (turnpike only)
# Kansas (turnpike only)
# Montana
# Nebraska
# Nevada
# North Dakota
# Ohio (turnpike only)
# Oklahoma
# Oregon
# South Dakota
# Utah
 
KDOG said:
I'm an avid rv camper and minimalist so for me, living full time in my camper would be ultra easy. Ever been to a campground? You can fit 200-ish campers in an area that would normally only house 15 or so lush suburban homes. And the individual sites are usually big enough for the RV and its awning to be extended and 2 vehicles. Alot of the campgrounds have all services including cable TV and Wi-Fi. They also have a little laundromat, store with very basic groceries and a playground for the kids.

Maybe its just me but full time camping would be just awesome. Strangely its illegal in alot of places. It would much more "eco friendly" since we would be taking up FAR less space. When I'm at a campground, nobody seems to be suffering from not having a huge house. People still have their own space and depending on the size and layout of your rig, people have their own rooms. (Have you seen the insides of those monster 5th wheels and Class A's? sheesh!) People have less junk as well cuz of the space restraints.

Am I nuts? Just seems strange that more people don't do this.
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Being dead and decaying in the forest would be best.
 
KDOG said:
LOL. Theres a huge difference between trailer parks and RV based campgrounds. COMPLETELY different mentality/atmosphere.
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And here's why:

People that have RV's have $100K to spend on one. Therefore they tend to take care of their stuff and buy nice things to go along with it.

People that live in trailer parks have no money and need to live in a home that is as inexpensive as possible. They have no cash to buy nice things or make repairs, therefore their trailer goes down hill quick.

Big difference.
 
oldsmoboat said:
Toy hauler is what we are going to get.
Just not sure if the garage will house a motorcycle or a home theater.
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Your list of triple towing states doesn't have any East coast states. And, I'd certainly not want to retire to California. (Current "lot" rent for a seasonal spot for a mobile home on a beautiful uncrowded lake, lakeside, including everything except electric (includes a boat slip) is $1000.)

And, before you settle on the ugly inside toy hauler, take a look at some of the 5th wheels. 45"+ HDTV inside. Some of them have a back end with separate entrance that serves as a children's separated area. Stick the motorcycle in there. You can also use it to house the grandkids when they come to visit. Or, use it as your dungeon. On days with bad weather, watch tv/movies inside. On evenings with good weather, hook up the LCD projector outside and show movies on the side of your RV. Set up the surround sound outside. (And to make it complete, some of the RVs we looked at had a fold out on the outside for a second kitchen area, in case you didn't want to get the Corian countertops inside dirty. So, you could cook your popcorn outside.)
 
Ask a Hurricane Katrina RV Refugee how the that worked out. 99.99% would say screw you and your eco friendly and efficient lifestyle.
 
DrPizza said:
Your list of triple towing states doesn't have any East coast states. And, I'd certainly not want to retire to California. (Current "lot" rent for a seasonal spot for a mobile home on a beautiful uncrowded lake, lakeside, including everything except electric (includes a boat slip) is $1000.)

And, before you settle on the ugly inside toy hauler, take a look at some of the 5th wheels. 45"+ HDTV inside. Some of them have a back end with separate entrance that serves as a children's separated area. Stick the motorcycle in there. You can also use it to house the grandkids when they come to visit. Or, use it as your dungeon. On days with bad weather, watch tv/movies inside. On evenings with good weather, hook up the LCD projector outside and show movies on the side of your RV. Set up the surround sound outside. (And to make it complete, some of the RVs we looked at had a fold out on the outside for a second kitchen area, in case you didn't want to get the Corian countertops inside dirty. So, you could cook your popcorn outside.)
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Cost is a problem though. I have been looking at very short class C's that are less than 10 years old, and the cheapest tend to be in the 3x,xxx range. Granted, 5th wheels and any that are not motorized are cheaper, but between having a vehicle and trailer (or combined) you are still looking at $50k dead minimum. That isn't a problem if it is your primary residence, but it is still a huge expenditure.
 
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I really doubt that it would be all that efficient in real terms.

As far as land use goes, high-rise apartment buildings are superior and that's not even considering other inefficiencies. Because of the relatively small size, RVs have a much higher surface area to volume ratio, which means they lose heat much faster in the winter and pick up heat much faster in the summer. Combined with the near total lack of insulation compared to a house and with their inability to take advantage of extremely efficient but physically large heating solutions like hot water or steam, this makes RVs incredibly wasteful from a heating and cooling perspective. Additionally, while most homes and apartments are built with at least some consideration for allowing flow-through ventilation in warmer months, RVs typically lack effective airflow and rely much more heavily on air conditioners and other energy-intensive means to keep them cool in the summer.

If you want to live efficiently from an environmental standpoint, an RV is a terrible option. You're much better off, from an environmental aspect, living in a large high-rise apartment building.

ZV
 
KDOG said:
It would much more "eco friendly" since we would be taking up FAR less space.
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Americans are entitled to 3000+ sq foot houses even if they can't afford them. Obama will pay their mortgage and all other associated costs. I guess you didn't get the memo.
 
Rough costs:
50k for a truck (have to have a vehicle anyway)
75k for a nice 5th wheel.
I've talked to a lot of people that are full timers. There are a couple of ways to do it.
You can spend $30 (or more) a day at a campground. Most full timers we spoke with rent by the month and no one we talked to has paid over $600.

There are other considerations too.
Home state:
Many full timers sell their houses and "move" to another state. South Dakota for example. Presently, you can stay one night in SD and become a resident. Change drivers license, register to vote and get your insurance. SD has a low tax and vehicle fees are cheaper than many states. Especially California.
 
oldsmoboat said:
Rough costs:
50k for a truck (have to have a vehicle anyway)
75k for a nice 5th wheel.
I've talked to a lot of people that are full timers. There are a couple of ways to do it.
You can spend $30 (or more) a day at a campground. Most full timers we spoke with rent by the month and no one we talked to has paid over $600.

There are other considerations too.
Home state:
Many full timers sell their houses and "move" to another state. South Dakota for example. Presently, you can stay one night in SD and become a resident. Change drivers license, register to vote and get your insurance. SD has a low tax and vehicle fees are cheaper than many states. Especially California.
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Arizona is the most popular spot I know of for RVing. My friend owns an RV lot and he spends winter in Arizona.
 
We plan to hit every national park on our way to the intersection of Maine and Canada. Then work our way down to Florida. If it takes a week, it takes a week. If it takes 10 years, it takes 10 years.

If it gets too cold, we'll go where it's warm. If it's too warm, we'll go where it's cold.

I do have plans to stop in Everett, MA and Doylestown, PA. I need to do a little wall to wall counseling there.

😀
 
BoomerD said:
gar3555 is right though...they can be cold as hell in the winter. Even the "arctic" models tend to be fairly thin-walled...and moisture is always a problem in RV's...from propane cooking, bathing, even breathing...and in the winter time, when you're trying to stay warm, the things "sweat" on the inside from condensation...and when it's REALLY cold outside...that condensation can freeze in corners, closets, and around the door.
In more moderate climates, keeping one (or more) of the roof vents cracked usually eliminates most of that problem.

My wife & I have discussed retiring to a 35 foot motorhome...and traveling where we want...when we want. North for the summers, Arizona for the winters...become sunbirds.
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my grandparents did that for a long time here on the east coast. home was in ohio in the summers, florida in the winters. they would stop off to visit us in georgia when they drove through. they started with a 5th wheel and ended up in a motor home, preferred having a smaller car to drive around in once they reached their destination rather than a duallie pickup.
 
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