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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
  
| What are your thoughts to living in a camper for a while? Any stories? I want to hear the good, bad & ugly!
My husband and I are looking into getting a camper and moving into it this fall, staying in it for 6mo to a year, just depending. We are currently renting a house with land and have our own land out a ways on the other side of town. The plan is to move a modular home out to the new place next summer/fall.
Right now as it is, we are torn between the upkeep & rent of our current, rental property, & putting in new fences/fixing up the land we will be moving out to. It is too time consuming and expensive to be putting $$$$ into both places, so our solution would be to move out to the land and live in a camper for a while. The place has a large, insulated out building that we could make somewhat homey and use for storage so we’d technically have more than just the camper to be in.
How are they to heat? Our winters get pretty cold and I don’t want to freeze to death!
Any advice? Are we crazy to think it’ll be fine and we won’t kill each other? haha!
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 Chicken Chick
Posts: 3562
 
Location: Texas | Well on a positive note... You both will be getting a lot of work done just to get away from each other lol.
I would go bat crap crazy I think, but knowing me I would spend all of my extra time working on things that need to be done. So it wouldn't be too bad. It also makes sense to put all of your money into one place. The money you would save by getting rid of the rent house would speed up your process so much. Plus you wouldn't have to drive to your land... your already there so you can do odd and end things here and there. |
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Rad Dork
Posts: 5218
Location: Oklahoma | My husband and I did for three months right after we got married (MIL was waiting on her house to be finished and we didn't want to live in the house with her). We showered in the house, but I can tell you that the showers suck. I take a long shower and there just isn't enough hot water to make me happy! The storage wasn't too bad, but the closet space was lacking for there to be two of us. If you can get a full sized fridge to put in the building then that will help you a lot on groceries and storage space.
My husband stayed in it while he was out of town working and they had to keep space heaters going in the winter time to keep everything from freezing (below 10 degrees on a few occasions) and to keep it warm enough.
The upside though...... lot less area to clean!!! That's probably the one thing I miss the most!
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| Longneck - 2015-09-09 1:58 PM My husband and I did for three months right after we got married (MIL was waiting on her house to be finished and we didn't want to live in the house with her). We showered in the house, but I can tell you that the showers suck. I take a long shower and there just isn't enough hot water to make me happy! The storage wasn't too bad, but the closet space was lacking for there to be two of us. If you can get a full sized fridge to put in the building then that will help you a lot on groceries and storage space.
My husband stayed in it while he was out of town working and they had to keep space heaters going in the winter time to keep everything from freezing (below 10 degrees on a few occasions) and to keep it warm enough.
The upside though...... lot less area to clean!!! That's probably the one thing I miss the most!
That kind of scares me, it get's COLD here. Like -10 is a heatwave some times! |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12842
| The last travel trailer that we had came with the Northern package. It had extra insulation and it had heated black and gray tanks. We used to say we had hot****. Our travel trailer was very comfortable in cold weather. We were camped out in temperatures around zero. If it is very cold you will be getting your propane tanks refilled almost every day. |
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9992
Location: Kansas | I think I would actually do it if I had a nice shower.....I could live like a gypsy lol |
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Rad Dork
Posts: 5218
Location: Oklahoma | streakysox - 2015-09-09 2:06 PM The last travel trailer that we had came with the Northern package. It had extra insulation and it had heated black and gray tanks. We used to say we had hot****. Our travel trailer was very comfortable in cold weather. We were camped out in temperatures around zero. If it is very cold you will be getting your propane tanks refilled almost every day. We (as a couple) didn't live in it during the winter, but I know that they spent A LOT of money on propane that winter. ETA: We're in Oklahoma and this was in late 2013/early 2014 when the temps dropped to 2&3 degrees a few times. Not really normal for us here, but hopefully someone from ND can comment. I know that a lot of oilfield guys live in them up north... so I'm sure that we just had one that wasn't prepared for the "extreme" cold.
Edited by Longneck 2015-09-09 2:12 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| Longneck - 2015-09-09 2:10 PM
streakysox - 2015-09-09 2:06 PM The last travel trailer that we had came with the Northern package. It had extra insulation and it had heated black and gray tanks. We used to say we had hot****. Our travel trailer was very comfortable in cold weather. We were camped out in temperatures around zero. If it is very cold you will be getting your propane tanks refilled almost every day. We (as a couple) didn't live in it during the winter, but I know that they spent A LOT of money on propane that winter. ETA: We're in Oklahoma and this was in late 2013/early 2014 when the temps dropped to 2&3 degrees a few times. Not really normal for us here, but hopefully someone from ND can comment. I know that a lot of oilfield guys live in them up north... so I'm sure that we just had one that wasn't prepared for the "extreme" cold.
We live in SD so yes, I've heard the ND stories and have thought about that! If we do go thru with it, please pray for a mild winter  I am used to throwing logs on the fire and running around in shorts and t shirt all winter :( |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | I have lived in a camper for months at a time at 4 different times in my life. The first time was when I was in first grade. My parents sold our house before we finished building the new one, so we lived in the camper in the front yard for a couple months while it was finished. I was 6 so didn't really care. Except there was a weird caterpillar infestation. That was horrifying. The other 3 times were when we moved across the country to various places and lived in the camper for 2-3 months while house shopping or waiting for construction to be done. Really it's not that bad. Even with a family of 4, a large dog, and a cockatiel, we made it work. We got to know the employees and enjoyed meeting new campers as they came in. It was sort of like a community. Some of the campgrounds (like in Wyoming) were dominated by families like ours, who flocked to the area for work when there was no work anywhere else in the country. The only major downside was when the weather got bad. A camper isn't the most fun or safe place to be when the tornado sirens start. Most places it was ok but in Wyoming there were severe thunderstorms literally every other day. We had hail smash in the vents, the camper rocking back and forth from the wind, funnel clouds, etc. We had a mat outside the camper with cinder blocks on each corner and every.single.day the cinder blocks would be moved several FEET from the wind gusting up under the mat. I actually developed really bad anxiety from it and it has taken me YEARS to not go into panic mode at the mention of a storm. So yeah, the actual camper thing is not bad but be mindful of where you are staying. And if you're staying someplace cold in the winter, you'll want to insulate under the camper/around the base. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| pinx05 - 2015-09-09 1:52 PM
Well on a positive note... You both will be getting a lot of work done just to get away from each other lol.
I would go bat crap crazy I think, but knowing me I would spend all of my extra time working on things that need to be done. So it wouldn't be too bad. It also makes sense to put all of your money into one place. The money you would save by getting rid of the rent house would speed up your process so much. Plus you wouldn't have to drive to your land... your already there so you can do odd and end things here and there.
That's the main reason we're wanting to move out rather quickly! Our savings would be huge (as long as everything we save isn't going towards propane to keep it warm!!)
There is a lot that we could be doing if we were out there and it just makes more sense to not have 2 places. Plus we will be able to ride a lot more so that should keep us from killing each other! |
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 Warrior Mom
Posts: 4400
| We lived in ours for a year.. it was myself, my hubby, and our 3 kids and 2 dogs. Surprisingly we are still married lol! it was rough for sure.. no desire to do it again. However I will say this.. if it was the 2 of us it probably wouldn't have been so bad. We had a 36ft 5th wheel and it was really nice but still was very difficult for all of us to be in it. |
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Miracle in the Making
Posts: 4013
| you might also take straw or har square bales and go around the side of camper to block wind from underneat |
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 Expert
Posts: 2152
Location: Northern MN | I slept in a Exiss 3H GN dressing room all last summer...no LQ either :( It was ugly. lol...I was alone though...no I wasn't Shooter my GSD was with me lol!! |
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 Expert
Posts: 2457
| We got ousted from our rental situation and literally had 4 days to move (long story of landlord's selling without our knowledge). So, we bought a used, older travel camper 5th wheel and plopped it at my boarding barn that had a spot .... for 10 months.
The BAD - We live in KS, so the temps can get cold but the wind and ice are what'll kill you here in the winters. Get one with heated tanks and that is made for -10 temps. Ours was, but at times it was still kinda difficult to heat - even though we made our own skirting with plywood and insulation. In the summer, the AC worked really well and it was great in there.
The space is SMALL ... it may seem fairly large when you start, but after MONTHS you'll want your own space. Thankfully we had the run of the farm place; we used the shop and horse barns to get away from eachother when needed.
The refridgerator space is never enough and the ovens are always TINY. I LOVE to cook real food from scratch. I also bake quite alot. I bought new pans and cookie sheets as NONE of my bakeware would actually fit in the space allowed.
Most of the time you'll have to do laundry off site, the super expensive ones have laundries ... ours did not.
The GOOD - We saved money like CRAZY!!! We literally saved enough to flesh out our downpayment for 80 acres with a house and barns on it. If you're disciplined, you can do it too.
The small space was darn quick to clean. Even with 2 Border Collies living in there with us, once a week was plenty.
I learned much more about my DH than I ever thought possible, good and bad. But, I truly believe we're stronger for it.
By sacrificing short term, we were able to put ourselves in a position to chase our dreams.
ADIVCE - Get a permanent LP/propane tank dropped wherever you choose to place your camper. We did this and rented the tank from the company so we didn't have to refill literally every other day.
Enjoy a more a simplified life! It's not that bad and can totally be a step up in some areas too.
Good Luck! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| vjls - 2015-09-09 3:31 PM
you might also take straw or har square bales and go around the side of camper to block wind from underneat
I think we would do that. Would you have to worry much about mice getting in them and into the camper? |
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Go Get Em!
Posts: 13503
Location: OH. IO | Would your camper fit inside storage building for the winter? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| lindseylou2290 - 2015-09-09 3:54 PM
We got ousted from our rental situation and literally had 4 days to move (long story of landlord's selling without our knowledge). So, we bought a used, older travel camper 5th wheel and plopped it at my boarding barn that had a spot .... for 10 months.
The BAD - We live in KS, so the temps can get cold but the wind and ice are what'll kill you here in the winters. Get one with heated tanks and that is made for -10 temps. Ours was, but at times it was still kinda difficult to heat - even though we made our own skirting with plywood and insulation. In the summer, the AC worked really well and it was great in there.
The space is SMALL ... it may seem fairly large when you start, but after MONTHS you'll want your own space. Thankfully we had the run of the farm place; we used the shop and horse barns to get away from eachother when needed.
The refridgerator space is never enough and the ovens are always TINY. I LOVE to cook real food from scratch. I also bake quite alot. I bought new pans and cookie sheets as NONE of my bakeware would actually fit in the space allowed.
Most of the time you'll have to do laundry off site, the super expensive ones have laundries ... ours did not.
The GOOD - We saved money like CRAZY!!! We literally saved enough to flesh out our downpayment for 80 acres with a house and barns on it. If you're disciplined, you can do it too.
The small space was darn quick to clean. Even with 2 Border Collies living in there with us, once a week was plenty.
I learned much more about my DH than I ever thought possible, good and bad. But, I truly believe we're stronger for it.
By sacrificing short term, we were able to put ourselves in a position to chase our dreams.
ADIVCE - Get a permanent LP/propane tank dropped wherever you choose to place your camper. We did this and rented the tank from the company so we didn't have to refill literally every other day.
Enjoy a more a simplified life! It's not that bad and can totally be a step up in some areas too.
Good Luck!
Thank you!! We have a 500 gallon propane take that we would hook up to and I think we can get a washer/dryer hooked up in the shop. My cooking skills are still about 3rd grade level so I don't think we'll be missing too much there. 
Everyones replies are quite helpful and making me feel better about this  |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| jake16 - 2015-09-09 4:33 PM
Would your camper fit inside storage building for the winter?
Depending on the camper we get, it might fit in the shop, which would keep it a lot warmer! |
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 "Hottie"
Posts: 1373
Location: Okemah,OK | Sorry if this has been addressed but my question would also be septic? Will you have to be hooking up to dump the tanks somewhere or can you tap into a septic system? We lived in an RV when I was little and we were waiting on our house to be finished. I don't remember a whole lot except that one night, we went and stayed in the unfinished house because the fireplace was at least done and we were freezing out in that thing! |
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Regular
Posts: 93
| I have lived in mine for going on 4 years now. I'm a college student so don't have to deal with anyone living with me lol. I actually enjoy it. Now the winters suck. The hot water heater doesn't last long so plan on shivering in the shower shaving your legs without the water on. Space heaters are a must and half the time they cant keep up. Mine has a furnace I run with the space heaters and the floor stays ice cold. The ACs work hard here in the summer in TX. But isn't near as bad as winter. I replaced the RV fridge with a full size. My shower is larger than most so can't gripe there. The toilet is annoying, lots of maintenance to keep it smelling good. things break a lot, leaks happen....get a good repair guy ?? but cleaning is much easier and its homey. I wish I had a dishwasher! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 682
Location: Northwest | Our family of three lived in a 41' toyhauler for 10 months. I LOVED it. It was rather roomy and that probably made the difference. Not much to clean which was great. Did get a bit chilly in the winter. My husband got a bit stir crazy in it but I could have lived in it for years. |
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| I've lived in mine for five years. It has four slide outs and is 34'. I love it absolutely. I've met, dated, lived with, and married my husband while living there. I figured it we could make it in a camper, we could make it anywhere!
One of the most important things about camper living is an Essential Oils mister. Smells are amplified in a camper. Like majorly. Cook bacon, smell bacon for three days. I'm addicted to Essential Oils to keep the house right.
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Veteran
Posts: 291
| You can always get larger propane bottles or a small tank, would be kind of a pain to always be packing the little ones to get filled. |
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  Witty Enough
Posts: 2954
Location: CTX | I haven't done it, but since it won't be forever, I would be willing to do it. You will be saving all the money you are putting in the rental now, so you can put that all towards building the house.
Just have to make sure you get one that is winterized. Maybe out haybales around the outside and underneath it to insulate it more from the ground up.
The only reason I would not do it would be if you can't hook it up to a septic system. Other than that I wouldn't have any objection. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 550
| whiplashranch - 2015-09-09 9:31 PM
Sorry if this has been addressed but my question would also be septic? Will you have to be hooking up to dump the tanks somewhere or can you tap into a septic system? We lived in an RV when I was little and we were waiting on our house to be finished. I don't remember a whole lot except that one night, we went and stayed in the unfinished house because the fireplace was at least done and we were freezing out in that thing!
I thought about the septic too, but since you are building on the property, could you go ahead and install whatever system you will be using for the home once it is built? We have a septic tank, and I talked to someone who had a camper site added, and they were able to add something to the septic tank to empty in too. I don't know if they hooked to it all the time, or just went over to it when it needed to be dumped. |
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Expert
Posts: 1314
Location: North Central Iowa Land of white frozen grass | At this time of year I think that you would be better off staying in your rental right now and move in the spring to the camper. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| quikchik - 2015-09-10 7:38 AM
whiplashranch - 2015-09-09 9:31 PM
Sorry if this has been addressed but my question would also be septic? Will you have to be hooking up to dump the tanks somewhere or can you tap into a septic system? We lived in an RV when I was little and we were waiting on our house to be finished. I don't remember a whole lot except that one night, we went and stayed in the unfinished house because the fireplace was at least done and we were freezing out in that thing!
I thought about the septic too, but since you are building on the property, could you go ahead and install whatever system you will be using for the home once it is built? We have a septic tank, and I talked to someone who had a camper site added, and they were able to add something to the septic tank to empty in too. I don't know if they hooked to it all the time, or just went over to it when it needed to be dumped.
Yes, we can hook up right to the septic system that is in place - I checked that first!! |
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 Famous for Not Complaining
Posts: 8848
Location: Broxton, Ga | veintiocho - 2015-09-08 2:36 PM
What are your thoughts to living in a camper for a while? Any stories? I want to hear the good, bad & ugly!
My husband and I are looking into getting a camper and moving into it this fall, staying in it for 6mo to a year, just depending. We are currently renting a house with land and have our own land out a ways on the other side of town. The plan is to move a modular home out to the new place next summer/fall.
Right now as it is, we are torn between the upkeep & rent of our current, rental property, & putting in new fences/fixing up the land we will be moving out to. It is too time consuming and expensive to be putting $$$$ into both places, so our solution would be to move out to the land and live in a camper for a while. The place has a large, insulated out building that we could make somewhat homey and use for storage so we’d technically have more than just the camper to be in.
How are they to heat? Our winters get pretty cold and I don’t want to freeze to death!
Any advice? Are we crazy to think it’ll be fine and we won’t kill each other? haha!
We lived in one for 2 yrs.......while we basically rebuilt a house on our property.......it was a 28ft motor home.....a little different but we survived.......I would look into getting a propane gas tank hooked into for the winter months it doesn't take long to need propane in the colder months.......that way you can have the tank filled hopefully once a season and not have to move you camper......... |
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Expert
Posts: 2457
| veintiocho - 2015-09-09 4:34 PM lindseylou2290 - 2015-09-09 3:54 PM We got ousted from our rental situation and literally had 4 days to move (long story of landlord's selling without our knowledge). So, we bought a used, older travel camper 5th wheel and plopped it at my boarding barn that had a spot .... for 10 months.
The BAD - We live in KS, so the temps can get cold but the wind and ice are what'll kill you here in the winters. Get one with heated tanks and that is made for -10 temps. Ours was, but at times it was still kinda difficult to heat - even though we made our own skirting with plywood and insulation. In the summer, the AC worked really well and it was great in there.
The space is SMALL ... it may seem fairly large when you start, but after MONTHS you'll want your own space. Thankfully we had the run of the farm place; we used the shop and horse barns to get away from eachother when needed.
The refridgerator space is never enough and the ovens are always TINY. I LOVE to cook real food from scratch. I also bake quite alot. I bought new pans and cookie sheets as NONE of my bakeware would actually fit in the space allowed.
Most of the time you'll have to do laundry off site, the super expensive ones have laundries ... ours did not.
The GOOD - We saved money like CRAZY!!! We literally saved enough to flesh out our downpayment for 80 acres with a house and barns on it. If you're disciplined, you can do it too.
The small space was darn quick to clean. Even with 2 Border Collies living in there with us, once a week was plenty.
I learned much more about my DH than I ever thought possible, good and bad. But, I truly believe we're stronger for it.
By sacrificing short term, we were able to put ourselves in a position to chase our dreams.
ADIVCE - Get a permanent LP/propane tank dropped wherever you choose to place your camper. We did this and rented the tank from the company so we didn't have to refill literally every other day.
Enjoy a more a simplified life! It's not that bad and can totally be a step up in some areas too.
Good Luck! Thank you!! We have a 500 gallon propane take that we would hook up to and I think we can get a washer/dryer hooked up in the shop. My cooking skills are still about 3rd grade level so I don't think we'll be missing too much there. Everyones replies are quite helpful and making me feel better about this
I also forgot to mention ..... think about how you'll empty the spetic. Often, we kept ours in the tank (where it was heated) and then emptied it when the temperatures allowed .... |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | When I was young we lived in a camper in AZ in the winter. We were outside all the time roping and doing stuff with the horses and jumping on the trampoline....we also stayed with someone so meals were cooked at the house and all we did was sleep in the camper. I think I would go nuts as an adult and in the cold winter. Could you find just a really cheap, small apartment?
Edited by hammer_time 2015-09-11 7:38 PM
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Meanest Teacher!!!
Posts: 8555
Location: sunny california | I think I would put up a garage with a small 3/4 bathroom and laundry area in one corner. then the opposite corner would have a wood stove and a very small kitchenette. then I could have a livingroom area and bedroom area.in the other corners. later when I built the house I could just attach!
things I need:
Heat/air
taking a regular shower
full size fridge
sink to wash dishes
a counter/table
stove/oven & microwave
desk
regular bed with a good mattress
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 Banjo and Baby
Posts: 7259
Location: South of Canada and North of Mexico | My husband has lived all most fulltime in ours for the last 8 years. Many do (check out the FB groups). We have been where its cold and where its not so cold, ours does NOT have a winter insulation package (polar, 4 season, arctic etc) but do have an enclosed heated underbelly. Living in a camper during COLD can be a challange but is doable. You need to insulate like crazy, run a dehumidifer, space heaters under and in the camper. I can give better specifics if you want. Most hot water heaters are 6 gal, some are 10 or 12. We have a 6, it takes getting used to but you have plenty of time to wash face, hair and condition.. shaving might need to be done at a later time. If you are able to put a camper in a shop that will help even if not insualted just keeping it out of the wind.
My hubby's home :-)
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Banjo and Baby
Posts: 7259
Location: South of Canada and North of Mexico | Forgot, we have 50amp which allows us to have a W/D Combo. LOVE my little washer, we have a small 8cf fridge but have a small deep freezer as well, helps not having to go to the grocery store every other day. |
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Living in a camper