so, starting a thread for talking about our potential #RV purchase, and the ways in which influences don't adequately portray #VanLife, as well as transparency in what we're spending.
this is what we've chosen to do with the lump sum of the money from the settlement I got. at least at first, we aren't going to be full-timing in the RV, either. my parents are still letting us live there, and even letting us park the RV in the driveway, but we want the security of having something that no one can take away from us so that we have options (my parents support us, and cannot afford to retire and continue supporting us where we currently live if I am not working yet).
we also want to be able to travel, which is complicated by having a fur baby. we love Zoey and traveling without our cat is absolutely not an option. she has (and I have, frankly) significant separation anxiety and is these days extremely averse to strangers (another thing we have in common) so having someone cat sit wouldn't be a good option for us, and in an emergency we could board her but that's expensive and would also be stressful on her.
just off the top of my head, the expenses we're looking at as well as the purchase of the RV itself are registration and taxes, which I have estimated at approximately three thousand dollars, although future registration should be significantly less expensive, RV insurance, which is going to be between thirty and forty dollars per month with our estimated use of the RV being less than a month per year initially. and of course fuel; RVs are not a fuel efficient vehicle.
then there's parking to consider as well. we are lucky enough to be able to store the RV in my parents driveway, and thus not have to pay for storage, but campsites along the way cost money. we do plan that some of our camping will be #Boondocking, which shouldn't be difficult for us because we were used to being in the semi truck without any typical RV amenities whatsoever, and we made that work fine and I've parked in some pretty weird places before.
SIZE matters. Some places, especially state and federal are more accessible to smaller units. Then you add the complication of having to maneuver around each other which is like trying to get to the restroom on a plane. It takes a toll.
The more like a van or auto makes repairs easier. Sometimes finding parts or tires for larger units can be limited and challenging. You can't just go to AutoZone so be aware of that. If it is a non auto type unit such as a motorhome you may need specialist mechanics.
They are moving and constantly experiencing vibration. The components inside are built to be light weight. They are not comparable to residential products for longevity purposes. In other words they use cheap materials that experience harsh conditions.
You can stop in places like Pilots and Flying Js and similar. WalMarts have cut back on allowing overnight parking but it is doable. Notice what truckers do and where they go. But they are loud to be parked near.
Add comment