Many reading this know the old Chris Farley Saturday Night Live routine about living in a van down by the river. But maybe it’s not such a bad idea.
I’ve been eyeing Class C RVs – which are in between the enormous Class A rigs that are used by touring rock bands and the smaller Class B ones that are probably a little too small to actually live in. Some of the Class C rigs have what are called slide-outs that extend to open up the interior space when the rig is parked but retract when you’re on the road, so as to create a slimmer profile.
Some of these Class C’s look like very nice places to live, because they’re nicer on the inside than some people’s homes and because you can drive your home wherever you want to go. You can do the same with the Class A tour bus rigs, too – but they’re so huge (and so hugely expensive) that they’re not easy to park or to afford. The Class C rigs, on the other hand, are not all-that-much-longer than a current full-size/crew cab truck or full-size SUV such as a Chevy Suburban and so can be driven (and parked) pretty much anywhere it’s feasible to drive/park a full-size truck or SUV.
That means you could plausibly use the Class C as a vehicle, in a pinch – as for instance when your other vehicle is laid up for some reason. Drive to the store to get groceries with it. Drive it to work, even. And then if you’re dead tired after work, you could always just deploy the slide-outs and kick back in the recliner after fixing dinner, then take a nice hot shower and head off to the bedroom for a good night’s sleep.
Probably you wouldn’t do that. But you could do that.
And Chris Farley’s character would be happy to live in a van like the one detailed in the video embedded with this article.
So would I!
While watching some RV porn the other day, I came across this very appealing specimen. It is the 2025 Jayco Red Hawk . It’s built on a Ford E450 chassis and has the huge (7.3 liter) V8 you can’t get in an F-150 – thanks to Uncle Sam and his regulatory apparat – that does not need a turbo to make 325 horsepower and 450 ft.-lbs. of torque. The V8 is paired with a six speed automatic – the kind of automatic you can’t get in an F-150 either, once again because of Uncle Sam. The F-150 has a ten speed automatic. Having all those additional overdrive gears does not make the transmission better – just more expensive and (probably) more failure-prone.
The six speed automatic is made to be rugged rather than compliant.
So the foundations of this Jayco are solid. And – to reiterate the point made earlier – if you can drive an E450 then you could handle driving this Class C because it’s only about 24 feet long. A Chevy Suburban is about 19 feet long.
But the real appeal is living in it. More finely, being able to live like this while you’re on the road. Literally. You’re not supposed to say that, of course. Because saaaaaaaaaaaaafety first! Everyone’s supposed to be riding up front, all buckled up.
But imagine a cross-country road trip – an ordeal in a car – spent reading a book (or watching TV) in bed. Your partner up front driving while you do. When they get tired and need a break – including a bathroom break – you swap places. You’re in the driver’s seat now and they’re in the back cooking a snack or taking a leak.
Another one of the appealing things about these Class C rigs is that some of them – such as this one – are equipped with their own built-in generators so you don’t have to rely on an external hook-up to power the ‘fridge, the AC or anything else within that’s electrically powered. Most – including this one – can also be fitted with solar systems that will power most of the electrical stuff without burning any gas, either.
Of course, the big V8 does burn through a lot of gas – while you’re on the road. But unlike your house, it burns less when parked. And when it’s cold – because the space that needs to be kept warm isn’t much, even though it feels like a lot.
This particular Class C isn’t an inexpensive date – the price is about $150k – but there are many others that are similar in size and general utility, just not as fancy. Any of them would make a fine place to stay down by the river.
Chris Farley, eat your heart out!
. . .
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The private high school I work at just bought one of those Ford E450 chassis made into a mini-bus. Normally it buys GM (Chevy) chassis for the mini buses, but we couldn’t find any that fit our timeline (our last two GM buses were nearly two years late). I was worried we were going to get one based on the full sized Ford Transit van, with its undersized turbo V6 (very bad idea with the drivers we have), but was pleased to see we were getting that big 7.3!!!
It’s a really nice engine. It has a great rumble (we ordered a nice exhaust system) and sounds great, and it’s very peppy when you consider how big the “mini” bus is. It is easy to drive and keeps up with the flow of traffic with no problem. I don’t mind driving it even haha.
Kind of hoping we will get a few more of them before uncle takes them away.
’twas the night before Christmas, when all thru the van…
Your ol’ buddy Matt fell asleep on the can
His children were nestled 2 time zones away…
With his first wife and her husband in sunny LA
Suddenly Matt realized with a chill and a quiver…
That he was livin’ in a VAN down by the RIVER!
Yes, I would certainly get a class C versus A or B; they’re the best value of the three
Right on cue (maybe having cribbed from Eric’s post), the NYT posts a feature about a tiny home built on a car hauler chassis:
https://archive.ph/keyNs
This one has a pop-up roof and slide-outs on the sides. But it is so whimsical inside that it got its own Rizzoli coffee table book, Tales of a Not So Tiny House. Architecture buffs will recognize the title as a play on Sarah Susanka’s 1998 classic, The Not-So-Big House.
Even the atechnical NYT adds a cautionary note: ‘the couple continued … learning from their mistakes — such as having to replace the exterior siding and insulation when they didn’t control indoor humidity.’
Ugghh — you can imagine what that looked like under the siding. So much for steamy showers! Might even want to wear a mask for the moldy tearout.
But muh Climate Change!
Netanyahu, the murdering fool, kills 400 poor Palestinians every day while Americans sit in homeless camps and RV Parks and pay for all of the carnage.
You can see the damage if you look close.
Cognitive dissonance and then some.
Netanyahu could care less about Americans, as long as it pays, it’s all good.
Wonderful place to raise children!
I’m in the pro RV camp. Have had two. Yes there are maintenance considerations. I maintain my cars as well so to me that is a non issue. To me the most important thing is DO NOT BUY NEW!!!! Depreciation is worse than on a popular luxury brand automobile. Next is know how to use tools so you can fix it yourself. I have been cursed with mechanical aptitude so do all my own work.
If you are interested in an RV do a thorough inspection. Find one that not started leaking yet. And like they say in the classic car world, buy the best. It will still be cheaper than new.
I did a decision brief years ago on the topic of RV’s compared to camper trailers for both over the road travel, long & short haul camping/travel, and long term living.
Trailers won, hands down, across the board.
From upfront(purchase) to long term costs, insurance & repair costs,
All the space in a trailer is dedicated to living, sleeping, storage, & amenities.
The only mechanical stuff is a trailer frame, with brake & suspension systems.
RV’s have to mix all the issues of a motor vehicle, such as engines, transmission, driveshafts, transfer cases, etc. and then also all the same stuff as a trailer.
Your hauler doubles your daily driver when the trailer gets dropped off at your campsite.
To each their own, but that was where my research led me…
YMMV….
Wanted to write the same, but you‘ve said it all. Also when the car part of the combination breaks down, you don‘t lose your home along with it.
I don’t really see the appeal, especially for that much money when land can still be had for $2-4K an acre in places like the Midwest and get a cabin dropped, a well dug, etc and you get to be in nature by yourself or with your family instead of in a crowded RV park. I see RV parks around all the time it doesn’t look fun, nor does staring at a highway for days. Also land goes UP in value not down. I can personally attest to that.
You could even get a sailboat for much less and that’s so much cooler. It’s not hard to learn to sail either; I was doing it before I could drive. Yes maintenance can be a chore especially in salt water but I’ve read about some cool tricks like a guy that cleaned his boat while in the water in scuba gear. Last I read there are some very cheap or even free docking in places like the Caribbean and in the Gulf of America (haha) but it’s been years since I looked into it.
Are campgrounds always situated right next to railroad crossings? Or, close enough.
And, why does it seem that some train engineers love to lay it on the horns extra long at prime sleeping hours?
Heh there is a railroad running through town here and 2 RV parks nearby too. If I had to guess it’s because “RV park entrepreneurs” are looking for the cheapest lot they can find. Most likely customers aren’t going to hear the train until they’ve already paid.
Yes, there is no “property tax” out on the water. But if you want to park it in a slip, you’ll have to pay for that. Some “anchor outs” have been having problems with greedy local politicians who realize they are not being milked for “property tax” and so have been making things difficult as far as parking their boat in a sheltered location near land. See e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_4o2DIl7TA
Adrift: Seventy-six Days Lost at Sea by Steven Callahan
The main mast wrecked at sea, a life raft was the only hope.
Steve wept when he landed a Dorado so he could eat.
The Dorado kept him company while all alone adrift in the middle of the Atlantic.
Read every word of it.
Have to liquidate to make a move, it is serious business.
Drive the Trans Am to Scottsdale in Arizona, find a spot on Barrett Jackson and see if it sells.
Don’t have to, drive it to Scottsdale, rent storage space to store it. It’ll be there when you get back.
Fly back or drive back in an SUV you purchase.
A for sale sign will attract potential buyers.
There it was, gone.
I don’t know about all that, Drumph. Eric can’t just give up the Great Pumpkin. That would be like letting the bastards win.
The set up / tear down is a hassle too, one night then pack it up just to do it again.
OK for a week long stay.
Stinky sewer drain line, handling that alone what a mess. Potable water line, power cable, your table and chairs. Oh and make sure it’s level and stable.
The kids have a small trailer, son in law has had enough. Army Airborne messed up his back so sleeping on an RV mattress doesn’t work for him.
Winterizing the water supply, water and waste tanks, and all the drains plus don’t forget to pull the hot water tank anode plug to get it drained completely.
Then the other maintenance and failures. Buddy has a class C on a Mercedes diesel chassis and is one of the better built RV class C units overall. Still, failures a thing. The power door step quit, audio system RH speakers went out (finally traced to a bad transfer switch inside/outside speakers) and the worst the 30 amp connection on the outside wall burnt up while they were parked / connected last summer “out and about”. Lucky the whole thing didn’t torch.
I copy that, Sparkey.
Getting everything put up into the cabinets could be a pain in the ass. Putting up the sewer line; disconnecting, draining and rolling up the water hose; rolling up the electrical… There was a time or two when I looked in the mirror to find I was dragging the power cord behind me.
There was also taking the whole bastard to the gas station to refill the propane, as my RV wasn’t set up to use a detachable tank.
The experience has a way of tainting your romantic visions.
I agree. Class C’s are the way to go. But I would STRONGLY warn you against buying a new one! Not only because of the fact that new trucks are a nightmare of computer-controlled everything that will leave you stranded with the only remedy being that of being towed to a dealer, but because of the fact that ALL new RVs have problems, and the usual legal protections (Lemon laws, and warranty procedures) DO NOT apply to RVs.
Search Youtube. There are literally thousands of horror stories, even regarding the “best” brands and most expensive models. Oh yeah, and slide-outs always end up leaking, or not sliding out (or even worse: back in) at the worst possible times.
If it were me, I’d go for an OLD class C. I’m not talking 3 or 4 years old, but 20 or 30 years old. It will have had all of the problems worked out, and if it’s still in good shape, you know the previous owner(s) took good care of it. RVs often have low mileage, as many are only used occasionally; and when they are used, it’s mostly highway miles.
Best of all, if you get an old one, the drive train will be mechanically simple, so it can be repaired by just about anyone, anywhere, or even by yourself.
RVs are built like absolute crap. Even the older ones. Get a new one, and you’ll be spending a lot of time at a dealers lot, likely waiting months for service. Old one: Everything that’s going to break will have already broken and have been repaired/beefed-up. If it’s still in good shape, with no smell or other signs of roof leaks, you have a better experience than with a new one, and the best thing is, you can get one for a few grand, as they are very hard to sell right now.
Maybe, rent one for a time and try it out first. Might be interesting to read about your experience?
Also, what’s the plan for say 20 or 30yrs down the road when doing hookups & walking down stairs is not so easy?
Life, after van life?
Visit YouTube “Liz Amazing”. So many RV horror stories.
The thing to do is have a good SUV, plan a route, stay in motels along the way.
It will be a lot less hassle, a place to stay for a night or two will help a lot.
It is a way to find your way.
Stay at a lake cabin, it can be done. You can fish for perch.
When you find your place in the sun, set up shop.
Too cold here, Im getting too old for it, so will be going to spend time in Arizona next winter.
Going to sight see for a month.
With a little luck, I’ll be there.
My first son outfitted a Dodge van and traveled to quite a few states, bent the driveshaft, major repair.
Found Arizona, he and his wife now have a house and good employment.
Eric,
As others have said (I’m always late to the party), consider this carefully.
At this time, I still live in the defunct RV that came with my land purchase. I also lived for 7 years in a little 25′ Class A.
Everything about RVs is expensive. Buying a new one is only for the wealthy. The operation and maintenance they require to keep everything running and functioning is expensive and arduous. There don’t appear to be any inexpensive RV parks any longer.
When I began my stint at my former RV park in 2011, meant as a cost saving measure as I was single and had enough of apartment life, the space cost $200/month. They boiled my frog until it was almost $400 when I left. That space, I’m told, is now $700/month, which is more than I paid for a fairly spacious 1-bedroom apartment beforehand.
I do recommend a migration to homesteading, if that suits you. I’d say skip the RV, and find a good, somewhat remote and inexpensive plot of land, and begin building a little house there. You can build a decent one for much less than $150k, I’ll tell you that. Make sure the locals are hostile to The Powers and that privacy is valued, as is where I am.
RVs are really only meant for travel, not for long-term longevity. They are full of holes, highly vulnerable to rodent and vermin infestation, and have terrible insulation. If I could go back, I would’ve much rather had just put in a rudimentary concrete pad, and build a little living quarters with 2x4s, a steel roof, and proper insulation.
Truth
‘They boiled my frog until it was almost $400 when I left. That space, I’m told, is now $700/month.’ — BaDnOn
Here’s the pitch: ‘I don’t own the land.’
‘Land lease communities allow residents the benefit of being free of the burden of real estate taxes. Further cost savings include the avoidance of HOA dues while still being able to enjoy on-site HOA-level amenities.’
https://verderanchestates.com/neighborhood-blogs/i-dont-own-the-land/
Instead, you pay the landowner TRIPLE the property tax you would owe if you did own the land … while living cheek-by-jowl with your neighbors.
Such a deal … NOT!
That’s a hell of a sales pitch, Jim.
Looks like quite the paradise as well. Such a comfy concentration camp.
There’s much wisdom in your comment, BaDnOn. And, from others here, and below the other RV articles. Seems like Eric is as a pitbull with an RV dream bone clenched in it’s jaws not wanting to let go.
When I was 20yrs old, getting a pickup with an over-the-cab camper seemed like an excellent way to seek adventure & explore. Now that I’m freakin’ old, it seems like it would be borderline nightmare.
And, boy O boy, $150,000 is still A Lot of money. If I had that much money to use an RV might be at the bottom of the list to spend it on.
Offgrid Doug and Stacy did similar to you, built a tiny home. Doug slept in a tent for awhile while building his. $150,000 seems like it would cover all the expenses of doing that,… if you can find a cheap enough lot.
Doug’s got some pretty good videos about how he did it, even has it as playlists by subject:
https://www.youtube.com/@OFFGRIDwithDOUGSTACY/playlists
Doug and Stacey sound like proper and resourceful Americans, Helot.
I’ll say this: So far I bought my land (though in a slightly different market), a backhoe, two large steel buildings on proper concrete foundations, and built a couple of sheds. The place already had an RV on site, a shed, propane tank and some ancillaries. I put in the solar electric and some proper plumbing for off-grid living, but those things will remain when I replace the RV with a small guest house.
I will put in the solar-electric for my garage and lab, and then it will be on to building our more-permanent small to mid-size house. Probably next year.
All of that will come to a little more than $100k. Probably $110k or so, depending on the cost of the house. Of course there was and will be some hard work involved, but much rather that than succumb to the vampires.
Oh, and part of that will be something cool I found recently:
https://eg4electronics.com/categories/high-efficiency-appliances/eg4-12k-hybrid-solar-unit/
…A mini-split heat-pump that can work directly from solar. Especially good for places you typically use only in the day. Also especially good during the summer where I am, in which the temperatures cool significantly after sunset.
You must have a well, have to have water.
Shit, I forgot. A car lift is going in the garage as part of that as well.
Nice.
My understanding of the situation (IANAL, nor do I play one on TV, nor did I sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night)
Is that a lot of the (few remaining) 4A protections you enjoy inside your home, do not apply inside of an RV, even if it is parked.
There are usually (or at least used to be) some pretty big exceptions to seat belt laws for RVers, however (at least for the people riding in the back).
Hey, Eric,
If you are seriously considering this, I suggest you look into *USED* 5th wheel trailers.
Of course, in that case you will also need a sturdy diesel powered tow vehicle, w/ 5th wheel.
Something out of the ’90s or ’00s should work just fine for the truck.
Let somebody else take the major depreciation hit, in both cases.
Straight 6 Cummins diesels are popular. If you want more power, Gale Banks is your man.
https://bankspower.com
All this can be had for much less than the $150,000 you have floated.
Caveat: the slide outs tend to have serious air leaks. The good news is that neoprene sheeting is inexpensive, and making and fitting your own gaskets is not difficult.
HTH.
Eric, Maybe you could rent a van one or borrow one for a test case. You could also for example read a book about van life. I recommend ” Blue Highways” an autobiographical travel book, published in 1982, by William Least Heat-Moon, born William Trogdon. He outfitted his old van with a bunk, a camping stove, a portable toilet. He had very little money and he a knew a few people along the way and he was quite gregarious which helps. You can probably find the book at the library. I rented it twice because it was a fascinating read.
here is the route he took. http://www.bluehighwaysrevisited.net/The-Route.html
BTW, I just learned that if you just tab through the captcha question, it works like before. No going back, etc….
My wife’s cousin lived in Virginia for a while, cared for her elderly mother.
It’s cold here her mother said.
She bought a house and moved her mother to Arizona.
333 days of clear skies and sunshine makes a difference in your attitude.
Plenty of room in Arizona. It is RV city everywhere in Arizona.
Good advice Drumphish. Yes, there are lots of RV ‘cities’ in the Southwest. Pick your flavor and price range.
I second Drumphish, Eric.
Come on down!
I have not met one person that claims they like living in a box.
Most would want to live IN a van..
But some could find happiness living ‘out’ of a van.
Wouldn’t
In 1979, a leaked EC Working Paper asserted that “The Japanese are workaholics living in rabbit hutches.”
Some years later when I worked for a Japanese company, every one of them knew about this. Needless to say, they were not freaking amused.
Becoming an itinerant slacker in an RV is something to aspire to. But frankly, I’d rather dwell in a modest palace like this one:
https://www.artzellige.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/moroccan-zellige-riad.png
ken “I have not met one person that claims they like living in a box.”
We moved onto a 37′ sailboat the day I retired, moved to a larger power boat 5 years later. Three years later we lived/traveled in a 24′ travel trailer for 2 years. All “boxes” compared to even a “singe wide” let alone a modest conventional house. Best year of my life. While there are many things that require adaptation, the simplicity alone, is worth the price. Sure no grass to mow or gutters to clean.
At 86 I would any repeat of those again. Kind of a ball-and-chain situation where, while I am quite vigorous at this age, my wife (of 65 years) is slowing/slowed considerably. So the physical activity required to live on the boats, or the things that made travel interesting and adventurous, are not that easy.
Things to live like that have changed considerably in the last 25 years, as well. It has been mentioned that as an inexpensive means of living comfortably. costs have increased exponentially. So has regulation, law, and the other unpleasant things governments have imposed on anyone hoping (not playing on your words, but) to “Live outside the box.”
But even at that, the key is to do those things as soon as you possibly can. Things may not be as good as at the turn of the century, but are still better than they will be 10 years from now.
RE: “Things may not be as good as at the turn of the century, but are still better than they will be 10 years from now.”
Made me think of this line: “… America was the greatest country in the history of the world because our people have always believed in two great ideas: first, that tomorrow can be better than today, and second, that each of us has a personal moral responsibility to make it so.” …
https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/trump-voices-the-ultimate-betrayal-of-an-american-first-foreign-policy/
Two visions, one reality.
[Things may not be as good as at the turn of the century, but are still better than they will be 10 years from now]-Helot
Only because we’re chained in a box.
‘Bullet with Butterfly Wings’ is widely considered one of the Smashing Pumpkins’ best songs:
“Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-r-V0uK4u0
“I have not met one person that claims they like living in a box.”
Ah…what do you think a house is? Size, shape and amenities may change but, the bottom line is it just a box.
When I see new housing developments popping up (NOW AVAILABLE STARTING IN THE LOW $500K) they look like a bunch of things riding the conveyor in a FedEx facility.
Pete playing some Malvina…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-sQSp5jbSQ
Hi Eric, you’ve been very interested in RV’s for a while, and the lust grows. I get it, happens.
I think I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating some issues.
We did the big travel trailer w/suburban 454’s and 8.1’s for a while. Fun, but we stuck to the NE and mid-Atlantic. We enjoyed it a lot. i did not enjoy actually driving the rig and the maintenance. 5th wheels, C’s and A’ are way better for driving and why you see old timers in them. We moved up to an A and lived in it for a month or more every summer for 5 yrs. Was awesome, but after a month, we longed for going back to a real house. probably because of 4 people in a cramped space. Just you or two would probably extend that live-in timeframe, but not for long.
As others have said below, they cost a lot to travel and stay in. Depending on build quality, maintenance can start on day one.
If you are parking it for extended times, the sun and moisture are your enemy (especially east of the Mississippi). IMO, if you want to keep it 10+ years, you MUST have it in a garage or large metal car port (not a slip on cover), and the floor must be able to not have moisture seep through, so a moisture barrier w/stone, concrete preferred. Rain water must run away from the parking spot.
It would be time well spent to interview current owners.
Hope this helps.
Find yourself a nice restored GMC RV. Built from 1973-78 they featured the Olds 455 front wheel drive power train from the Toronado and Cadillac Eldorado, so they sit nice and low. Steel frame and fiberglass shell, as long as the frame doesn’t have too much rot it is very repairable. Engine can be maintained by anyone who knows how to set up a carb and mechanical ignition. Includes a propane generator but most GMC’ers have augmented with solar. Interiors can be dated but are easy to upgrade.
Built by GMC, not an outfitter. Featured many innovative ideas (such as the water heater that worked off the engine coolant) that still aren’t seen in any other recreational vehicle.
https://www.gmcers.org
For a number of reasons, rolling your own with an old school bus is a good way to go. Base chassis is a commercial truck and a medium duty diesel, for low mileage motor home service these are likely to last almost forever. They don’t absorb coach itself is built of very tough heavy gage steel and won’t fall apart like a “2×2 and glue” RV or camper. And the sky and your creativity are the limit for how you deck them out, I’ve seen people do double decker/reverse chops on them, you can put an elevated deck on the top for outdoor living enjoyment, etc.
I’ve inherited several and bought one older RV. They are nightmares of cheap leaky construction.
Oddly enough one exception is the late 70s early 80s Toyota motorhomes. They are based on a 1 ton Hilux, some even have a 22r, and they are amazingly roomy and even economical, if you are ok with slow.
Hi Ernie. I’ve heard bus conversion RVs cost a fortune to insure. Do you know if this is true?
I haven’t done it myself, so can’t answer that. Sorry.
Wife and I have owned many RV rigs over the years. Lived full time in a class A motorhome back when you could stay at a nice rv park for $300 per month everything included.
Winters in FL and summers on Lake Ontario parked on my parents property. Pulled a hauler with our 280ZX on board. It was a wonderful way to live.. but those days are long gone.
FAR too expensive to stay at parks now and my parents are long gone, no cheap summertime parking. The east coast is so crowded the only way to do this now is with a stealth contractor van that fits in one parking space and doesn’t look like anyone sleeps in it.
Everyone knows what you are doing with an rv and it paints a target on you.
We are planning to van-life in the future and would be living in our rv right now if it was affordable, it is not.
One day not too far from now everything we own will go into storage and the wife and I will move into a van and hit the road as stealth van-lifers.
Why? Because we are losing the battle of the ‘bills’.. and will not be able to afford living in a nice house much longer.
It may just turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to us.
Morning, AMC –
I’ve been having the same thoughts. Including just yesterday, when I started up the riding mower to get it ready for spring. The hydrostastic transmission is failing; either that or maybe – please, God – it is just low on fluid. If it’s croaked, then I am going to have to replace it and new riding mowers cost as much as a good used car did five years ago. Like you, I’m feeling as though I’m not just treading water but beginning to get tired and not able to keep myself afloat for much longer. Doubled insurance and property taxes. Doubled food costs. Maybe the thing to do is to buy a patch of land somewhere and park the RV on the land. This eliminates the problem of paying to park it somewhere. I dunno. Just spitballing.
Yeah seems we are all fighting a losing battle with inflation. Finding that little affordable property to park on has been troublesome for us. We have to pay cash no banks.. people look at you funny today when you tell them you will be paying in actual $100 bills, my how times have changed.
I see around here some folks (many actually) are adding rv spots and tiny homes on there property, I assume to be able to continue living in their homes or just keep the bills paid from losing the land.
So I don’t think it is just you and I.. looks like a lot of people are in the same boat.
Hope you can keep that mower running Eric.. ours is about 10 years old and we’re starting to worry about replacing ours also.
That is the dream for sure for many Eric. But be very careful about ‘buying the land and parking on it’. Lots of towns have ordinances that don’t allow a rv parked even on their own land for extended times. Find out the codes before you buy the land (and maybe rv too).
I do not know if towns/counties exist that don’t have codes for these things. I’m sure there are, but you will likely be way far out from anything. Maybe OK.
I’m sure there are some on here that would know.
Yeah, but what does that say about the broader economy and society at large when a mature, talented, college-educated white guy thinks it might be better to live in a shitty RV like a gypsy because making ends meet around the house is getting too difficult?
If you were a dual-income lesbian family working for the CIA or USAID bringing home $200-250k combined you’d be just fine. If you were invested in the stock Ponzi owning shares in corporations outsourcing jobs to China and Vietnam and Mexico profiting off the $2 an hour labor you’d be fine. If you were some tenured gay guy at a university or ran a gay art gallery in San Francisco that got government grant money you’d be fine.
Things are GREAT for the top 20% of globalists, government grifters, bohemians and lefties. The other 80% of are basically the 21st century equivalent of Negro sharecroppers living in tin-roofed shacks and if we aren’t quite there yet, we can see that is in the future.
My Plan B for when I can’t afford to keep a riding mower going is to use a push mower to mow 10′ around the perimeter of the house and just let the rest go. Then, yearly lop the sapling trees growing up near the septic field.
Plan C is to go Amish-style and in place of a push mower, use a reel push mower. That would prolly be one heck of a workout if it wasn’t done regularly. Might even be a workout if done regularly.
Could also try guinea pigs in a setup like a chicken tractor to keep the grass short? Saw some guy online in Wales in a YouTube video doing that in his garden.
Hi Eric:
If the math test works we might be stuck with it but try to avoid those CAPTCHA puzzles where you’re looking for the nose of the dog in a picture otherwise full of cats. First world problems I know.
As for the spammers perhaps you could crowdsource a Tesla for them especially if the live in Seattle or Portland.
Comment should be at bottom of page.
If van life becomes popular, what are the odds that the global elites who run various governments around the world, including in the U.S., will try to BAN it, citing some BS excuse like cliiiiiiiiimate change or unsustainable!? They want the masses all crammed in so-called “15 minute cities”.
It already is banned in many places. Technically illegal in FL. Most other places unless you rent/own some private land, same thing. Unless you’re in an area with no code enforcement/building dept., you likely can’t even do it on your own property (Gotta keep those property values up for the 5% and the lucrative tax revenues!).
Walmart used to even let RVers park overnight in their parking lots. I’ve heard that that’s no longer the case in the vast majority of places now (In many it’s illegal).
If there’s one thing the tyrants don’t want, it’s for us to be able to live autonomously and without being tethered to debt, taxes, and corporate or government slave-endenturedness.
Came across a striking NYT photo this morning, titled Ramadan Among the Ruins in Gaza:
https://ibb.co/4RcBc2t6
Living in a big country, we all assume there’s somewhere to go if need be. Whereas in the tiny, wrecked enclave of Gaza, many roads are blocked by rubble, bridges are blown up, and the external borders are tightly sealed.
What do you want to bet there’s a map in the files of Homeland Security, dividing up the US into sectors, along the lines of the immigration checkpoints within 100 miles of the Mexican border in CA, AZ, NM, and TX, but nationwide?
After all, this is the same US fedgov which supplied the heavy ordnance to level Gaza. And it hates us too.
I went the other way and have a travel trailer. They are cheaper and I can’t get past the feeling of an RV of always feeling like I am in a vehicle.
Depreciation on an RV is a killer. You may want to look at a newer trade in. There are some RVers who always like to have a new model or find out RVing isn’t for them, so only use theirs for two years.
The won’t have seen much use and little miles clocked on them and the savings to the purchaser are substantial.
If you use your RV, it is worth the cost. And it does afford you the option of having a place to go if something were to happen to your house.
Once again this is a case of “Live the dream, own the nightmare”.
Aside from rapid depreciation, property taxes on vehicles, parking woes, maintenance nightmares, rot and leaks caused by poor quality workmanship and the list goes on. Other than that they might be OK.
I look upon these “mobile homes” as only being slightly better than a timeshare. Perhaps if you can find a good used one but I’ve heard too many horror stories to own one myself.
PS- A math test is never the best way to start the day.
Hi Landru,
I hear you. And I’m hoping we can ditch the math test today. The spam shit is a real problem. It’s enraging to have to make things a hassle for you (and for me) because of these sons-of-bitches. I wish I could find out who they are and where they live so I could pay the a visit with a baseball bat.
Yes. I do not own an RV so this is all hearsay, but I have read that the construction quality of most RVs is incredibly flimsy and shoddy. I saw an Oy Tube video of RVs being constructed in a factory (MIGHT have even been Jayco but I can’t recall for sure) and they were gluing and stapling and slapping those things together as fast as they could and bragging about how fast they could roll them out the door.
I have also read that full-time RV life can get old quickly for a number of reasons, of course this varies from one individual to another but I guess it is not nearly as easy as it looks.
It’s true, they are 2×2 and glue, with some pneumatic stapling in the mix. They all leak eventually, and then they deteriorate and fall apart very quickly.
For a real thrill, take a look at how elevators cabs are made (hint, it’s the same!)