fourfamilylife

My family and I are wanting to go fulltime in a rv. But we live paycheck to paycheck so getting started is not easy we have money saved to get a rv but We are wanting to know if that's the cheapest way or is staying in a monthly hotel in different places cheaper and better. We have 2kids a 16 year old who's special needs and a 1 year old.

Sassafrass

Do you mean you wish to travel full time or live a nomadic lifestyle in the RV, or just make an RV your home?
How long are you planning to do this?

Do you home school? What about friends for your 16 year old? How does he or she feel about RV life?

Before making such a commitment, rent an RV for a month and see how that goes.

Then rent a motel for a month and see how that is.

fourfamilylife

We are wanting to live in a rv fulltime. Our 16 year old loves to travel we would be homeschooling them. We are wanting to enjoy life and see the world with our kids. We just wonder to get started which way is better . To buy a 5 the wheel and truck and go that way .or staying in a monlthy rental hotel is better . We know that if we do the hotel we can only go for about 2 years. I guess I'm wanting to know which is cheaper owning the camper and 5th wheel out right no payments is it cheaper than the hotel and the extra meals since you can't cook like you would in the rv.

StacyB

Try googling this subject and maybe following a blog or two that you find, follow on instagram, send the referred people an email. Don't forget that you'll have to pay rental in campgrounds, etc to park your RV. Perhaps make a 2 month plan and try it with a rental RV to see if it works for your family. You'll have to make sure you have a place to receive mail, an income stream and a back up plan should something mechanical happen to the RV. If there is medical care needed, where would you go? Plan this out and then see if it will work.

NewbE

I don't know anything about RVs, but friends of ours recently retired, bought an RV, and hit the road. (Their maiden voyage was about 4-6 months.)

They spent months, if not years, researching not only the RV purchase but also reading RV blogs and community boards online. I suggest you search for those, because you will get really good information there.

Good luck!

RoamsAround

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Too many variable for anyone to give you a precise answer. It depends on the "quality" of the hotel, where they are located, how much of a daily/monthly rate you pay, what other lifestyle costs you incur vs. how much you pay for your "truck and 5th wheel camper". Those kind of things can have wide variances in costs. Some hotels

For instance, will you be purchasing a brand new truck and camper or will they be used models? If used, you'll probably have to factor in estimated repair and maintenance costs which will be higher than if you purchased "new".

Then, there's always "the little adventure that life has in storer your checkbook each month" so once you come up with a budget add in a contingency.

Another thing to consider: As you do your research you'll get a range of estimates for various expenses. Human nature being what it is, you'll focus on the lower end of those estimates while the person giving you those estimates will focus on the higher end which is more likely to be the reality. so word to the wise, after coming up with your best estimate add 15% to 20% because life experiences show almost everything costs more than you initially think.

You really need to do research on RV specific websites. Quite frankly, this is a travel forum where most of the contributors are either asking about or discussing short term vacation trips not long term lifestyle changes.

There are tens or thousands, if not millions of people who live and travel around the country in RV's - most are probably senior citizens - but they are a community unto themselves. You need their input much more than people whose expertise is more suited to a 1 or 2 weeklong vacation. Start by Googling such topics as "RV Living" or "Living full time in an RV", etc. - you'll find lots of links with helpful information as well as links for websites and forum that discuss this topic at length. Those links will answer all your questions and hundreds more you haven't even thought of yet.

One last thing, since you said you "live paycheck to paycheck" have you figured out how you will support yourselves while you are traveling around in your RV?

Good luck following your dream.

NewbE

<have you figured out how you will support yourselves while you are traveling around in your RV?>

Our friends didn't do this, but they said that RV community websites discuss all kinds of temp employment options, WalMart being chief among them. People can park in a distribution center lot, work for a while, then move on. Not sure exactly how that works, so it would need to be researched carefully.

suze

I would look around on the internet a bit more and find blogs and websites more specific to your plan / dream to be on the road (as people mentioned above).

Here at Fodor's is a travel website aimed at shorter vacation-styled trips, not a permanent life-style change like you are contemplating.

suze

You can easily find overall "cost of living" comparisons online.

Least expensive states:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money...ates/15075077/

Most expensive states:
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/11/amer...e-in-2017.html

So as far as your question about if a motel would be more cost effective than buying an RV, it depends where you are talking about.

emalloy

There was a program on NPR about people who live in RVs and the like and earn money by doing seasonal work. Some large companies with regular seasonal needs for extra workers, like Amazon depend on them and arrange for slots in nearby campgrounds.

It sounded like there was a large community of people who make a living that way.

NewbE

Here it is:
http://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2017/09/...americans-work