Using our RV to live in since we lost our home to foreclosure - RV-Dreams Community Forum

RhinestoneAngel · RV-Dreams Community Member

Using our RV to live in since we lost our home to foreclosure

cherylbrv · RV-Dreams Family Member

I'm so sorry to hear about your unfortunate financial situation. While I'm not in the same boat (or should I say RV) as you, I certainly know what it's like to have your dreams put on hold due to no money. DH and I have been planning to become full timers since 2010. Every year we say we'll have the house on the market by spring. But after living here 22 years and not having done any cosmetic work, the place needs some major prettying up before we can consider it, if we want to make enough to sell and buy the RV with.

My husband is also a subcontractor - in the computer industry, so I'm very much aware of the feast or famine state of being and living hand to mouth when jobs aren't steady. Not to mention that just about every time we save just a little money to put towards a household project (such as flooring!), something comes up to eat those funds -- usually the car needs major repairs, an appliance, or just last week, I needed an emergency appendectomy, so now it's more medical bills to deal with. Some days I feel like we'll just never get out of this financial hole and move on to the greener pastures we so urgently want to live in.

I'm sure I haven't given you any advice that you need regarding costs to live full time in your RV, but hopefully I've helped you feel a little less alone financially. My view would be to absolutely live in the class A but I'm sure there are many other factors to be considered. I do wish you the best of luck.

GENECOP · RV-Dreams Family Member

Do an Internet search for all the Campgrounds in your area, then start driving around, checking them out and inquiring about seasonal sites. Seasonal sites can be for 4 months or 12 months, every campground has a different fee structure and term...good luck, one more thing, maybe your husband can offer his services to the Campground, (maintennance, cleaning, etc...) often you can work off your site rental, also check out Workamper News.....

RhinestoneAngel · RV-Dreams Community Member

We have begun to check out the CG's and thank you for the wonderful advice.

Jack Mayer · RV-Dreams Family Member

We are from Chester County before we went fulltime 13 years ago, so welcome neighbor.

Try Brandywine Creek Campground in Lyndell.

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Angela.

With regards to finding a place to park the RV so you can live in it, check out any mobile home parks in your area. While I know nothing about them in Pennsylvania, here in Oklahoma City, there are a number of mobile home parks that have areas for RV's or can allow a regular mobile home lot to be used by an RV. If you foresee that you will be in the area for some time, you may find it to be less expensive than the campgrounds and RV parks.

Terry

Cindy T · RV-Dreams Family Member

I'd put pencil to paper & create a list of your current expenses, then compare the expenses you'll have if you move into the RV.

For example, your house rent vs lot rent in an RV park. Utilities - are any included in your current rent? What utilities will you have to pay in a campground?

Is your Class A a 4-season unit? If not, what expenses might you incur to make it more livable during winter? Also, your propane & electricity cost in winter may be fairly high if your rig is not well insulated.

Insurance is another budget line item. You might want to change the insurance you have on the RV when you're living in it full time.

These are just some items to compare to see if moving into the RV would really be cheaper.

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Slightly different situation with equity in the house and some savings, but our number crunching leads us to believe our savings to retirement will accumulate much more quickly once we've sold the S&B and are truly mobile, homeless but not houseless! I work from home (or RV) and DH has a mobile business with art shows as his primary income.

RhinestoneAngel · RV-Dreams Community Member

Thanks everyone for the wonderful advice and information. They are all good ideas and suggestions. I hope you all enjoy your weekend. Oh boy, it's gonna be in the 70's this week coming up. Woohooo...can't wait. I'm already scoping out new sandals.

Linda · Hostess

You may want to think about a trailer of some kind since you are going to be stationary. The price of a motorhome includes an engine and in your case, you don't need an engine.

Insurance will be cheaper on a trailer because it doesn't have an engine.

Just some food for thought.

Good Luck!

rclvnv · RV-Dreams Family Member

We have been full-timing for two years now, and operate a consulting business from the road,but for the first year and a half, we were tied to a local business we owned and finally closed. We had a house to sell and had some equity, but quickly realized that our savings and equity would last us a lot longer in retirement, so we found an excellent local RV park, which offered extended stay rates, deeply discounted,which were lower than any rent we could find in a place we would want to live. One of our neighbors in the park had just your situation,and has been happily living in their class A while the husband is working. They are quite happy doing so, and they have been able to recoup financially, by doing this. You mentioned that your husband is a flooring contractor. The folks I mentioned decided to re-do all the floors in their coach,as well as other mods on the coach. They found a flooring guy who was willing to replace the carpet and flooring with new carpet and laminate flooring,on-site here in the park. The contractor did such a good job and at a price far less than any of the RV places wanted, that we and two others had the same guy do ours (even though our coach is two years old, we wanted laminate and the carpet on the slides and stairs was showing wear. I suspect the guy will get more work as a result, as this is a busy park with lots of in & out activity. We went to a local flooring distributor, picked out what we wanted,paid for the material and then paid the guy for his labor. Just mentioning this a an area for thought. We are now mobile 3/4 of the year, but come back her for a few months each year. We were very pleased to get this done onsite..a big deal for full-timers(with old dogs, too!). Terry offers a great possibility of looking for nice mobile parks set-up to take RV's. We couldn't find that here, but wish we had.Since we no longer have to be "in town" for the business we closed, we found a place 55 miles out, with super amenities, for $250 less per month than we now pay, when we are here. Our experience is that it costs less to live as we now do than when we had the house. While we have mild winters, we have very hot summers, and even with metered electric, we pay less than in the house. We were very lucky that the buyer of our house bought everything in it, as well, and I realize that things became simpler for us, but I think you are wise to consider the R.V. option. I wish you well. Richard

RhinestoneAngel · RV-Dreams Community Member

Hi Linda, We already Have a Class A. We don't have savings and we'd never afford to buy a trailer with our credit. The whole point is living in what we have to save money. But thanks for the advice.

RhinestoneAngel · RV-Dreams Community Member

Hi Richard, I appreciate all your helpful advice. That is exactly why we're considering living in our RV. It's just a matter of finding a place out here in PA that would let us live on a site year round. I'm not ready to move out of state and leave my children and grandchildren behind yet. Thanks again.

PIEERE · RV-Dreams Family Member

R-angel; Nope; Nada; No way. They don't build RV's for that cold weather. The propane heat; even if you use electric backup will be a huge expense. Been there done that living 25 miles South of Wash. D.C. which I believe is milder than Chester, Pa.
I apologize for sounding a bit negative. I am not saying it can't be done; insulating around the bottom, a heated water hose and maybe the sewer hose. Look for a unit with a heated basement and holding tanks; cold weather package would be of great help. Think I would also want sliding windows instead of the crank out style. Also a roof that has some pitch from center to sides to allow the snow melt to run off. Flat roofs and heavy snow can create roof leaks!!!

Linda · Hostess

Oh I didn't realize you already have a motorhome. :) Then that makes perfect sense!!!

Hina · RV-Dreams Family Member

This is an older post, hope your situation is going well!

One idea that occurs to me, if your husband is a flooring contractor, perhaps being in an RV might expand his working territory? Maybe you could use the opportunity to seek out jobs farther afield, also, there are "night watch" opportunities for parking an RV, maybe if your husband scores a job on a larger construction site, you could park there, and do duty as the night watchmen.