Could you live full time in your camper?

swimmy

swimmy

An honest tune with a lingering lead
Not sure I'd do full time but once the kids are gone I'd love to downsize our house and spend more time in the camper. I've met tons of folks in camp that do this and it seems like a great lifestyle. Posted up on the river for weeks and weeks at a time?

Yeah, sign me up.
 
Robert Engleheart

Robert Engleheart

Life of the Party
Forum Supporter
No way for me. I’ve parked the Fox on a river in Northern California from October to April pre-pandemic, longest continuous stay about 12 days. I get cabin fever after that. It’s not a big unit at 23’ box, but I don’t think bigger would make much difference. Daughter was burned out in the Creek fire and got her a 35’ Montana TT. That was better but I’d still be missing my space after a while.
 
Rob Allen

Rob Allen

Life of the Party
swimmy said:
Not sure I'd do full time but once the kids are gone I'd love to downsize our house and spend more time in the camper. I've met tons of folks in camp that do this and it seems like a great lifestyle. Posted up on the river for weeks and weeks at a time?

Yeah, sign me up.
Click to expand...
I could totally live the camper life.

I'd love retirement to be part time fly shop work in Montana from May- September then maybe traveling the southwest and South all winter. With October and November in the PNW.
 
Salmo_g

Salmo_g

Legend
Forum Supporter
I've long thought that I could live in a tent so long as I had my garage/shop next to me. I don't need a lot of space to live in. In fact, our house is quite modest in that we live on the main floor and mainly use the basement for storage and occasional guest rooms. But it would be hard to live without my garage and storage space. Puttering is in my DNA, and I require a lot of tools and toys to putter around with. So for now at least, no, I couldn't live full time in a camper.
 
RCF

RCF

Life of the Party
I think it is related to how social one is and how tolerant one is. Living in a campground where everyone is stacked up right next to each other, maybe 8' apart, is very much different than a place where you have lots of room, a great view out of every window, can sit in your chair and watch the world go by... IMHO people need space to unwind. Living in 200 - 300 sq. ft. with others the walls can creep inwards over time...

Based on pics Swimmy has posted there is a lotta room, great views, and the world just goes by... He is very lucky to be able to go to those places, for sure...
 
Pescaphile

Pescaphile

Steelhead
I stay on my boat for over a month at time, mostly anchoring for the night. I rarely tie up anywhere and have no electricity (except 12vdc), no refrigeration, almost always no cell service and no other people. I'm working on more of it! :) But full time is another matter . . .

I'm not so keen on the campground scene. Too many people and the associated generators, stereos, barking dogs and way too much aluminum siding.
 
Zak

Zak

Legend
Forum Supporter
As a younger (single) man I lived in my litle red Toyata long bed and a hammock for about three years. I don't regret it a bit, I saw a lot of the country and camped in the most beautiful spaces. I think my wife and I could make a go of it in a camper after we both retire. Not sure she agrees, though.
 
SpeyrodGB

SpeyrodGB

Steelhead
I lived in one for a little over 4 years, until I built my house last summer. Pretty interesting with 2 labs. Glad I did it. Have recently thought about selling the house and going back to the rv. It gets real interesting when water lines freeze. Some rv’s that are rated for 4 seasons are not really 4 season rv’s. The floor insulation is a li weak. I do recommend keeping at least 1 jug of water in the truck. Ya never know when you will need some extra water. Rv size is also a factor. It depend on where you plan to stay. Some USFS campgrounds were developed before tip outs. Just my .02.
 
swimmy

swimmy

An honest tune with a lingering lead
RCF said:
I think it is related to how social one is and how tolerant one is. Living in a campground where everyone is stacked up right next to each other, maybe 8' apart, is very much different than a place where you have lots of room, a great view out of every window, can sit in your chair and watch the world go by... IMHO people need space to unwind. Living in 200 - 300 sq. ft. with others the walls can creep inwards over time...

Based on pics Swimmy has posted there is a lotta room, great views, and the world just goes by... He is very lucky to be able to go to those places, for sure...
Click to expand...

Good point. I would not want to live in an RV park full time. I need to be on BLM land near a river or stream with cold water.
 
A

ABITNF

Steelhead
Other than a six month period followed by another two months, I did for 7 years. It's not easy but it's manageable when no other options are out there. I did have electricity for winter at a friend's house and use of a shower, but when I was fishing it was all dry camping for 6 to 8 months a year.

I also ran into others doing the same. Real life Nomads. Home was where the wheels stopped and I travelled all over BC. Had my pontoon stuffed inside while driving and outside at night, hopefully at a lake. Freedom is a wonderful thing. No lawns to cut, nosey neighbours, etc. One thing though is sometimes finding a good spot at night is a challenge. I was woken by security types telling me to move on a few times. Signs warning that overnight camping was forbidden have become more common as more people get into the lifestyle. And everyone knows that sleeping old men are absolutely the worst! Laying there at night and dreaming of world domination, burning down orphanages, releasing wild animals from zoos...
 
B

brownheron

corvus ossifragus
Given the right camper or overlanding vehicle setup, I definitely could for a year or two. No RV parks. BLM/DNR sites and more developed campground sites when I needed a hookup or drainage. I don't think I'd sell my primary residence though if I could swing it, probably rent it out to preserve the asset for security and potential cashflow.

I've previously mentioned my close friends that did this for a year long trip to the ass-end of South America and back but in a Honda Element with a poptop camper. That definitely does not qualify as the right type of rig. I don't think my wife and I could manage that degree of closeness along with international travel stress.

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Buzzy

Buzzy

I prefer to call them strike indicators.
Forum Supporter
swimmy said:
Good point. I would not want to live in an RV park full time. I need to be on BLM land near a river or stream with cold water.
Click to expand...
Well, there you go. @RCF summed it up pretty well. Several years ago we drove up the Wenatchee River to meet some friends who were "camping" in a KOA facility. Their trailer was about 8-feet from their SIL's, and 8' from the next camper. There was constant noise; cars/trucks driving by with some towing an RV, dogs, more noise, more traffic, stereos playing, generator's running, strangers wandering through my friends "campsite". This is camping? After lunch, I had enough of that stuff. I guess my antisocial nature shows through?

What you've been sharing would work for me, on fishing trips, but finding places like that, with beautiful rivers in WA? Good luck. And please do keep planning trips and sharing your experience with curmudgeonly antisocial old farts.
 
_WW_

_WW_

Geriatric Skagit Swinger
Forum Supporter
I don't think I could go full time. No matter how big the RV it won't hold all my stuff...not even my fishing stuff. I like the way I do it and plan trips for a week or three to fish specific places. Also going to do some touristy trips with the wife in between fishing and some part time work. Consider me a part time nomad.
 
Uptonogood

Uptonogood

PNW raised
I understand the desire for simple living. I’ve know two folks who were nomads, one was actually a true hobo of an earlier generation. The film “Nomad Land” was really cool to me.
 
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