I'm in my late 20s and in the first year of a PhD program. My university is located in a small town with a somewhat pricey rental market, and I currently average $550/month for rent and utilities living in an old, small house with several roommates. I prefer living alone, but one bedrooms here are all >$800/month just for rent and almost none allow my dog. I've spent significant portions of my 20s living in less conventional situations (doing biology fieldwork out of tent base camps and sparse field stations, thru hiking and living out of a backpack for 5 months, etc), but have never spent much time in an RV. I'm considering purchasing one to live in for the remainder of graduate school for a few reasons. First is the ability to have my own place for less than the cost of a 1 bedroom apartment here. Second is not having to deal with leases/subleases, as I will be in another country doing fieldwork 2-6 months per year for the next few years. I'm unlikely to be able to find someone to sublease every time I'm gone as my fieldwork doesn't quite line up with the academic schedule when students are looking to move. Right now, my options are either to eat the cost of rent when I'm away or move to a new place where I can rent a room month to month every time I come and go from the field. Third, the mobile/minimal lifestyle is very appealing to me. All of my possessions fit in my car and I intend to keep it that way. I took a substantial paycut to return to school, but still want to save as much as possible and make the most of my income. The option of moving from place to place and boondocking some of the time is also appealing, but likely not what I'd be doing within the next 4 years.
I'd probably rent a slot at one of the RV parks in town for my home base (~$400/month including electricity, within easy biking distance of campus and shopping), and put the vehicle in storage ($50-70/month if using the park's storage facility) while in the field. The dog stays with a friend when I'm in the field. Moving to a cheaper park further out of town or doing dispersed camping in one of the nearby national forests could be an option when I'm writing my dissertation and don't have to be on campus everyday, but I'd go with a campus-adjacent park initially. I currently make about $35,000/year and have savings to pay up to $20,000 for a used RV. Some of my income comes from work I do in another city - I drive 200 miles round trip two weekends per month - and the rest is from a fellowship.
I have many questions. First, any general input on the feasibility of this plan and additional factors that I should consider? I'm aware that continuing to rent rooms in houses is likely to be cheaper, but as I've outlined above, that's not the only consideration. Second, and major question - what type of RV seems best for this particular living situation? Based on my research so far, I'd lean toward either a Class C motorhome or a small-ish (20-25 ft) travel trailer or 5th wheel. I drive an older Honda Accord, and would have to rent a truck each time I moved the trailer if I went for that option. Selling the Accord and purchasing a trailer and truck or hauling-capable SUV could be a third option, though I suspect it would be the most expensive and would add to my gas costs when commuting to work. I'd prefer a unit with a refrigerator and a stove vs an icebox and no cooking ability, but would be willing to just use the the park and university gym for shower and bathrooms if it made a substantial cost difference in the RV's purchase price. I don't need a whole lot of space - a bed, somewhere to sit and work on my computer or read, and a little bit of room for the dog to move around. The dog and I get plenty of exercise running on the local trails here, and she's well behaved when left alone. Are there any resources you can recommend for educating myself on what to look for in the RV I purchase? I'm reasonably handy and have done minor repair work and maintenance on my car, but am certainly no mechanic.
I appreciate any advice you have! The earliest I'd make a purchase is several months from now, and I want to make sure I'm doing my due diligence before moving forward on this idea.
Submitted March 03, 2016 at 02:06AM by santivar http://ift.tt/1TSTA22 GoRVing
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