Join Early Retirement Today
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 09-23-2016, 12:53 PM   #41
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 233
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fermion View Post
Living in our RV down by the river is tough. I mean it is a grueling 60 foot walk to our sailboat and the park only has 550 acres for walking around. It gets expensive too at $9 a night which only includes water, electricity, sewer, internet, lawn maintenance, security. I also feel a bit bad I am not able to support the local government with property tax.
touche lol
retirementguy1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 09-23-2016, 01:43 PM   #42
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Teacher Terry's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 7,001
Where is it only 9/night to stay? Our last 2 trips we paid anywhere from 35-75night at a RV park. Ugh!
Teacher Terry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2016, 01:56 PM   #43
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
REWahoo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,004
Quote:
Originally Posted by Teacher Terry View Post
Our last 2 trips we paid anywhere from 35-75night at a RV park. Ugh!
Ouch.

Our recent trip to NM and CO saw nightly charges between $27 and $46 for commercial parks. The $46 was the most we've paid per night in our 15+ years of RVing and we probably won't be going back to that park again. $75/night is outrageous.
__________________
Numbers is hard
REWahoo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2016, 02:05 PM   #44
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Teacher Terry's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 7,001
The 75 was in the Grand Tetons park. Yellowstone was 55 in the park. We also paid 55 in Denver. Small towns in Utah were 35/night. Between the gas and RV spots we spent 6k for a month trip. I did all the cooking. We decided that we can take a 2 week cruise for the same amount and be pampered so now only taking RV to local spots.
Teacher Terry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2016, 02:08 PM   #45
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Teacher Terry's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 7,001
Also we wanted to go to Apple Hill (Placerville CA) in Oct. It is popular but not exactly Napa. There are 4 RV parks and the prices range from 60/night to drumroll please---117.00/night. Some even charge for each pet you have. We are staying at the cheapest one and they don't charge for pets which is good because we have 4 dogs. We bought the RV 8 years ago because we have 4 old dogs. Many parks have a 2 dog limit. As soon as we bought it gas prices went up a lot.
Teacher Terry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2016, 02:12 PM   #46
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Dawg52's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Central MS/Orange Beach, AL
Posts: 9,067
No thanks to van living. I could probably endure this kind of lifestyle.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg camping-on-the-beach.jpg (101.1 KB, 23 views)
__________________
Retired 3/31/2007@52
Investing style: Full time wuss.
Dawg52 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2016, 02:22 PM   #47
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Teacher Terry's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 7,001
Living in a RV gets old fast. WE have a 27ft motorhome and after a month I am done. DH wants to travel for a year but no way. I would probably kill him or some of the dogs long before a year passed)
Teacher Terry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2016, 02:38 PM   #48
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Seattle
Posts: 6,006
Quote:
Originally Posted by Teacher Terry View Post
The 75 was in the Grand Tetons park. Yellowstone was 55 in the park. We also paid 55 in Denver. Small towns in Utah were 35/night. Between the gas and RV spots we spent 6k for a month trip. I did all the cooking. We decided that we can take a 2 week cruise for the same amount and be pampered so now only taking RV to local spots.
You need to go back to remedial RV school. We have had at least electricity and water at parks in Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Wisconsin, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee and now Georgia. The most we have paid per night is $28 and that included a boat slip for our sailboat. $18 or free is standard at Army Corp of Engineers campgrounds and if you are over 60, it is half that, or $9. So we actually paid $18 a night at the above campground but I figured everyone on here could get it for $9 :-)

I would actually be doing more free camping like we did in Idaho and Montana except the extreme heat is causing us to want to run the A/C all night long (so we need at least electrical hookups or a lot of generator time). Winter will be much better.
Fermion is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2016, 02:56 PM   #49
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Austria
Posts: 111
I have to say I actually fantasize about living in a van.

The sense of freedom, go where you please, sh1t in a bucket. I'm not sure what it is but for me it would have to be accompanied by a long road trip and I definitely would not want to spend evenings in a supermarket car park!
Cap_Scarlet is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2016, 03:16 PM   #50
Moderator
Walt34's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Eastern WV Panhandle
Posts: 25,299
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cap_Scarlet View Post
I have to say I actually fantasize about living in a van.
Vans are way too small for me. When I was trying to talk DW into a travel trailer and I was looking at them, if it didn't have a bathroom with a shower that was an immediate deal-killer. Not only for me but I knew it would be for her as well.

That said, when you're in your 20's the standards can be a bit more relaxed. When I was 26 I had an airplane and flew to the Oskosh Air Show. For that week it is the world's busiest airport. I slept in a tent under the wing of the airplane, the showers were in tents and the nozzles were the kitchen spray type, the food gave me the runs and all the toilets were porta-potties. I had a ball.

No way could I do that now.
__________________
When I was a kid I wanted to be older. This is not what I expected.
Walt34 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2016, 04:20 PM   #51
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Major Tom's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SF East Bay
Posts: 4,323
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cap_Scarlet View Post
I have to say I actually fantasize about living in a van.

The sense of freedom, go where you please, sh1t in a bucket. I'm not sure what it is but for me it would have to be accompanied by a long road trip and I definitely would not want to spend evenings in a supermarket car park!
I dream about van and RV living too.

However, not once have I fantasized about sh*tting in a bucket. Each to his own though
__________________
Contentedly ER, with 3 furry friends (now, sadly, 1).
Planning my escape to the wide open spaces in my campervan (with my remaining kitty, of course!)
On a mission to become the world's second most boring man.

Major Tom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2016, 05:02 PM   #52
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Teacher Terry's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 7,001
Fermion: our last trip took us from Nevada to TX, KS, CO, YS< GT< Utah and then home. I booked all our places by searching the internet. It was summer so we wanted electricity. We did have to book places that let you have more then 2 dogs. I was looking for cheap but didn't find it. Gas was not cheap either.
Teacher Terry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2016, 05:13 PM   #53
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
bclover's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: philly
Posts: 1,219
Hell to the NO.

In no scenario would I do this.
__________________
My darling girl, when are you going to realize that being "normal" is not necessarily a virtue? it sometimes rather denotes a lack of courage~Aunt Francis
bclover is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2016, 05:19 PM   #54
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Seattle
Posts: 6,006
Quote:
Originally Posted by Teacher Terry View Post
Fermion: our last trip took us from Nevada to TX, KS, CO, YS< GT< Utah and then home. I booked all our places by searching the internet. It was summer so we wanted electricity. We did have to book places that let you have more then 2 dogs. I was looking for cheap but didn't find it. Gas was not cheap either.
Ok, fair point. You also perhaps hit some of the high tourist areas where there was just not going to be anything cheap.

Comparing that to regular RV or van living though is like saying "I just can't find a cheap 2 bed room apartment in NYC". You can stay on a nice mountain lake in Idaho for $10 or $20 (or free like we did) but you are probably not going to be staying in Yellowstone during peak season for under $50.

There are plenty of places where you cannot live affordably in a sticks and bricks too.

Have to compare apples to apples when we talk about expenses and choices.
Fermion is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2016, 05:25 PM   #55
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Teacher Terry's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 7,001
Our trip was a combo of visiting family and friends so that was TX, KS and Co. We parked for free in people's driveways when we could. Then the rest of the trip was for fun. I meant to say Idaho and not Utah. That was the cheapest at 35/night but the park was amazing. It was family owned and the spots were big and ours was right next to a big river. The park had the original hotsprings. We booked one night and it was so nice we stayed 4. Also we had family in CO in a rural area but then spent 4 nights in dEnver since we had never been there. I was just surprised at how expensive the sites & gas were. It used to be a much cheaper way to travel.
Teacher Terry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2016, 05:34 PM   #56
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Seattle
Posts: 6,006
Another thing I have noticed, for those who like to stay in private RV parks and not take advantage of the Army Corp managed parks, is that the monthly rate is usually about the same as 12 to 15 days. I am looking right now at a beach front park on the gulf of Mexico and it is $40 a night or $495 for a monthly rental.

For those doing this full time with no house, perhaps staying a month in each location would greatly reduce the expenses (save on gas too). And really, a month is not a very long time to explore an area. We spent 20 years in Washington state and still did not see everything.
Fermion is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2016, 05:54 PM   #57
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
RetireAge50's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,660
My son and I (this last spring) rented a RV in Chicago and travelled to California and then up to Washington.

The most we paid per night was zero dollars. Combination of BLM land or just a random spot somewhere (not an RV park).

The weather was cool at night so no need for electricity. We travelled, hiked, or visited national parks or cities during the day.

This country is big and mostly empty!
RetireAge50 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-24-2016, 01:37 PM   #58
Moderator
Walt34's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Eastern WV Panhandle
Posts: 25,299
Quote:
Originally Posted by Walt34 View Post
Vans are way too small for me.
I stand corrected. This one would work for me but it is kinda pricey at $115k so I'll pass.

Winnebago launches Ford Transit-based Paseo camper van
__________________
When I was a kid I wanted to be older. This is not what I expected.
Walt34 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-24-2016, 03:45 PM   #59
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: the prairies
Posts: 5,027
Each to their own, but I've always found it odd that people who owned decent homes think that living in tents or trailers on the weekend is somehow "fun" or it helps them experience nature in a special way.
Music Lover is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-24-2016, 03:54 PM   #60
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
bjorn2bwild's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Western US
Posts: 1,205
Quote:
Originally Posted by Walt34 View Post
I stand corrected. This one would work for me but it is kinda pricey at $115k so I'll pass.

Winnebago launches Ford Transit-based Paseo camper van
From the vandweller's perspective, that is the home.
Suddenly the $115k seems more reasonable, especially in a high COLA. Of course, I need the 4x4 ERA model on a Sprinter chassis, so $128k for me .
bjorn2bwild is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Poll: What's trending in 2050? braumeister Other topics 54 09-26-2016 09:24 AM
Facebook Trending Change easysurfer Other topics 12 08-29-2016 09:19 AM
Van Der Sloot easysurfer Other topics 22 06-24-2010 12:05 AM
I bet you Eddie Van Halen....... Dawg52 Other topics 29 03-30-2009 09:09 AM
Van Halen concert Tuesday night jIMOh Other topics 21 04-24-2008 07:25 AM

» Quick Links

 
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 09:36 AM.
 
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.