Author: Steve

This is a question that many new and experienced RVers struggle with every day. How can we find more space in our very small campers for all our stuff?

There’s only one answer to this question if you find yourself running out of space in your RV. You need less stuff. You can’t build an addition to make your camper bigger. You need to work within the space you have. This means maximizing every bit of free space you can find and getting rid of everything you don’t need. If you’re heading out for a week-long vacation, this will be an easier task. If like us, you’re moving into your camper full-time, it’s much more challenging, but it can be done.

Many people live full-time in a travel trailer, including us. Our home is a 32-foot, triple-slide travel trailer that provides enough room for our family of four.

Living full-time in a travel trailer is completely doable. While large fifth-wheels and big Class A motorhomes or large fifth-wheel are often seen as the best choice for full-time living, many people can and do live in their travel trailers. You won’t find as many models equipped with extended-stay features like laundry hookups, dishwashers, and other luxuries, but a quality travel trailer can provide a solid and reliable home for years.

There’s a big difference between winter in Florida and winter in Manitoba, but the short answer to this question is yes.

You can stay in a camper in the winter, regardless of where you are. The biggest issues you’ll need to deal with are water and heat. Holding tanks will freeze and most campers don’t have enough insulation, especially for very cold temperatures. Condensation is also a big issue that you need to consider. Your windows will be closed and it’s unlikely you’ll be running the air conditioner. Moisture will build up inside your camper and cause serious issues.

This is a question we thought about often when planning our move to an RV. Would this move be feasible, or result in a financial disaster?

Cheaper is a relative term. Cheaper than what? I can’t give you an answer to your specific situation because I don’t know your situation. There are too many variables. What I can do is walk you through a couple of situations similar to ours. Hopefully, that will give you the insight and data to figure out if it’s cheaper to live in an RV full-time given your unique situation.

We’ll look at three scenarios for this example. The first is based on renting a house in a small city. The second is living in an RV on land you own. The third is living in an RV in a full-service park. I’m going to make a few assumptions for this exercise:

RV buyers are blessed with is choice. It can also be overwhelming for a first-time buyer when you realize the number of different manufacturers and models available, especially if you’re not sure what you want.

There are three basic considerations when choosing a travel trailer. How much weight can I tow? How many people will be using the camper? How long will we be spending in our travel trailer? Budget is also important, but given the tremendous selection available, you’ll be able to find a model that fits your basic criteria. New travel trailers range in price from $10,000 to over $100,000 depending on the manufacturer and model.

Let me give you an example. We knew that when shopping for our travel trailer, we needed a model that we could tow with a standard, half-ton V8 pickup. We also knew that we wanted a bunk room for the kids, which further narrowed the available options. There are many travel trailers with bunks, but few with a completely separate bedroom. Third, we knew this trailer would be our home for the next three years, so double slides were a must, and triples would be nice.

We’re not financial advisors, but we do have life experience that is relevant to this question. We wondered the same thing when we considered purchasing our camper and living in it full-time.

An RV is always a poor financial investment. This is a hard truth. Depreciation will eat into the value of your RV the moment you take it off the lot. You can expect to take a 20-25% hit in value if you buy new, or maybe more. Used RVs can offer a much lower initial loss, but the value of your RV will always go down, making them a poor financial investment.

Over their average useful lifespan, you can expect a well-maintained RV to lose up to 80% of its value. You’ll experience most of this in the first three years. As much as 50% of your new RV’s value will disappear by its third birthday.

I remember our first RV purchase. It was an exciting time for the whole family, especially the kids. If I’m honest, it was also overwhelming. Don’t worry. With a bit of research and careful planning, you’ll be a safe and seasoned RVer in no time.

The first thing you need to know is there is plenty of help available to make sure your first adventure isn’t your last. There are a few essentials you are going to need to hook up your camper. You’ll want to make sure your tow vehicle is properly equipped and you’ve familiarized yourself with basic towing procedures. Also, make sure you understand basic campground etiquette to make your first trip enjoyable.