living in a camper?

bigred1951 · June 12, 2013, 06:33:50 PM

well im getting tired of going broke paying rent and bills and everything so ive decided i want to find a decent camper no less then a 24 footer. I would prefer if it had a seperate bedroom big enough for a queen bed. Its hard tracking one down that i can trade my truck to it just gets down right frustrating >:( so here i am. What do you guys think about it. I already have a couple different spots i could put it and would only have to pay electric but i was also thinking about getting the solar panel kit from harbor frieght and giving it a try. So im asking for opinions and maybe somebody knows about a camper somewhere near me. Ive tryed just about every one on craigslist that i thought was a cheap enough price i could trade for.

Mark K · June 12, 2013, 07:49:53 PM

Im living in a camper now during the week because I am cutting a long ways away from home. I don't mind it but it does get old. I stay a couple days at a time then head home for food, wash clothes and see my family. If your by yourself it shouldnt be to bad. You need a place to dump your sewage and waste water. When its cold they take alot to keep them warm. I froze my butt off this spring when I moved on the job. Furnace ran constant to try and keep the camper warm. Newer ones are probably better insulated.

samandothers · June 12, 2013, 08:37:33 PM

When we stay in our camper in the winter and we run the furnace the pipes near the fresh water can still freeze. Of course my camper does not have under pinning to help keep warmth in.

clww · June 12, 2013, 08:51:44 PM

I lived in a 12' X 12' tent for most of a year while building our cabin. You'll be well equipped with a camper, once you locate one. Be patient, for the right one will come up eventually.

justallan1 · June 12, 2013, 08:54:34 PM

I lived in a 21 foot 5th wheel camper for 3 years and was just fine. You can't go from one end to the other without it being a mess again! ;D
I think my biggest gripe was not having a washer and dryer. Due to size constraints you can't keep as many clothes as you would like, so you find yourself doing laundry often. I don't watch much tv so all I had was a little 13" color up in the bed with an antenna.
If you put insulated skirting up around the bottom and go crazy with the poly foam you can heat them up okay, but be darned sure to have a carbon monoxide detector.
For a single person it can be a cheap way to live.
It's kind of funny though that now I have a two story, 4 bedroom, 3 bath house and only use the kitchen, dining room, 1 bathroom and sleep in the living room. I'm pretty much lost in this big of a house.

Allan

ancjr · June 12, 2013, 10:35:51 PM

Almost went the camper route, even thought about getting one of those nice pre-fab sheds you see these days and insulating it. This place with house, barn and woods appeared for less than anything else I was considering. Pretty much had the same goal in mind of staying warm and dry for the least overhead possible. Spent most of my teenage years without A/C and wasn't planning on having it here until a generous family member donated one. 8)

scgargoyle · June 13, 2013, 06:33:52 AM

I've been living in a very old pop-up on and off for 2 years. I built my barn first (priorities!) and moved the camper into the barn for a bit more comfort and security. Here in upstate SC, the weather is pretty comfortable, although it's getting close to A/C season. My camper is a 22' Apache, and there's plenty of room for one person. I keep my clothes neatly folded in a bunch of plastic totes to keep the mice out. I put a bathroom in the barn, so I live in relative comfort now. The chemical toilet got old fast!

Our house is in FL, and campers are very cheap there. It might be worth your while to check things like craigslist around the major FL cities and see if you can pick up a bargain. Bigger campers seem to be cheaper than small ones, and of course, older ones are much cheaper. Many campgrounds won't allow campers past a certain age, so their value drops a lot.

Brad_S. · June 13, 2013, 06:59:16 AM

I lived in one for 3 years although I was only "home" for one week of the month...the other 3 were on the road.
I had mine set up in a barn with no water or sewage. I used stored water for light cleanup and brushing my teeth and had a health club membership (24/7) for showers. I used an outhouse in place of hooking up the sewage.
There came a point when I had to move the camper outside and that is what prompted me to move into a loft in the barn I am building well before it was ready.
A heavy wind would rock the camper even with the jacks and a hard rain sounded like a frieght train passing overhead. I was only able to heat the bedroom area to a decent temp in the winter with the aid or an electric heater.
As mentioned, cloths storage was a real problem.
If you date, it doesn't create a positive impression of you and is not a good environment to entertain in!
It is cheap living though.

grweldon · June 13, 2013, 07:56:02 AM

While I was building my house, I lived in a 16' pop-up for 6 months, then lived in a 28' camper for 8 months. As Mark K said in the first reply, it DOES get old. I was living by myself. In the pop-up I didn't have a toilet (used the woods) nor running water (carried it in in 6-gallon containers) and no electric. My shower was a solar-heated bag attached to a tree branch with a pallet underneath. It was definitely primitive! When I moved in to the camper, my septic tank was in and I had a water supply and electricity. Although the shower was cramped, it was nice to have hot water. That made a big difference. I was very thankful to get the toilet installed in the house even though the camper had one. To this day I still give thanks to the Lord when I sit on the toilet.

As others have said, it CAN be done. It's not ideal and some people tolerate it better than others. Of course, if the choice was to be on the street or live in the camper... the camper wins every time! Good luck brother and I hope you find what you are seeking...

thecfarm · June 13, 2013, 08:15:56 AM

Is this through the winter months too? I have no idea about the temps in Ky in the winter. Nor the temps in the summer either. Might be warm in there at night to sleep? Hard to heat some of them campers in the winter at temps below zero,if it gets that cold there. It can be done,but at what cost to the wallet.

Raider Bill · June 13, 2013, 08:18:36 AM

You need to find a girl friend with a house ;)

WH_Conley · June 13, 2013, 08:30:53 AM

And Raider Bill comes up with the perfect solution. :D :D

Big Red, I too would look more to the storage shed that you can insulate. I have lived in motel rooms and campers while working. I would rather have the open space than all the cabinets. As mentioned earlier, totes are the way to go for storage. Just pull out the one you need at the time. If you want to move, just call someone with a roll back.

Magicman · June 13, 2013, 08:37:16 AM

When we bought this house it needed extensive interior work and no way could we live and work on it. We parked the 26' RV in the driveway and lived there almost 3 months. At the time, I still had a "day job" so I did that, came home, ate, then worked until midnight on the house.

clww · June 13, 2013, 08:54:02 AM

Quote from: Raider Bill on June 13, 2013, 08:18:36 AM
You need to find a girl friend with a house ;)

Perfect!

gspren · June 13, 2013, 09:15:40 AM

The OP is 21 years old, at that age I could have lived in a pup tent but now I like my 34' fifth wheel. If you want to live in a RV it's better to get an older better brand that is well insulated than a newer cheaper built brand but it takes some research. Look for RVs that were advertised as 4 season campers.

Planman1954 · June 13, 2013, 09:23:10 AM

WHile I was building my house, I lived in a camper on the property. I plumbed a water heater on the side for shower/bathing. Best thing to make it bearable!

red · June 13, 2013, 10:15:13 AM

I say School Bus custom camper

moosehunter · June 13, 2013, 11:46:59 AM

BigRed,
My dad lived in a camper for the last 12 years of his life. Sometimes one that he dragged with him, the last 3 or 4 years he had one in Florida and 1 in NY. He never once complained about space ( or lack there of). I will be going to Florida this July or August to clean out that camper and decide what to do with it. If you are interested in it pm me (I will take care of the FF donation as if this was on the for sale thread). All I know about it right now is that it is around 30ft with a slide out. Tennessee is not to far out of my way coming home to deliver it to you.
Some good advice in this tread, also check with your local code people, some areas may not let you live in a camper for longer than a set amount of time.
mh

bigred1951 · June 13, 2013, 06:38:39 PM

thanks guys for all the comments. i think ill still with the woman i got now she treats me great and im happy almost 10 months together soon. I have land to put it on so im not worried about nothing to much. My mamaw lives on the same land so i can just walk to her house and shower or wash clothes and such. Ive thought about going the shed route but they are so dang exspensive and im usually broke before i get my next check.
Hey moosehunter i might be interested in the camper pm me

SwampDonkey · June 13, 2013, 06:59:38 PM

Quote from: Raider Bill on June 13, 2013, 08:18:36 AM
You need to find a girl friend with a house ;)

And one with lots of money.

So you can stay home and count it when you need some toys. :D

bigred1951 · June 13, 2013, 07:03:03 PM

haha shes working on becoming a cna and my mom was gonna help her get on where her and my aunt works. i told her the other day if she makes enough money im gonna quit my job and be a stay at home boyfriend 8)

WH_Conley · June 13, 2013, 07:16:38 PM

Big Red, I have all the tools to build one one of those storage sheds with. I know a guy that has a sawmill too. :D You would be surprised how much cheaper it is to build one of those sheds instead of buying. If you buy all the materials at the box store you can build one for about half of the recent prices I have seen.

I just got done building a 20 x 24 "shed" with 1/2 loft for my brother. I sawed and sold him the lumber, he bought metal roofing, double pane windows, house wrap and vinyl siding. Labor was at a discount. This is not insulated, wired or paneled yet for about half what they are wanting for those buildings. That is with full 2 x 8 floor joists and 2 x 6 stud walls.