Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with rv

Any land left out there for RV homesteading?

dacoit — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 18:29:38 -0800

Anyone know of a place where it's still possible still buy land for cheap -and- park a nice old Airstream or something on it, set up a well/septic tank/solar panels, and enjoy life outside the rat race -without- violating zoning restrictions? Looking at real estate listings here in the Northwest US, it seems possible to buy a good piece of land for $10,000 or less. And certainly, one could live a good, simple life in a sweet old vintage trailer, with a garden, and so on. Like many who dream of exiting the rat race, it doesn't escape me that this kind of thing could be done with a total investment of under $25,000.

Alas, though, when you look at the fine print, it seems like most city and county jurisdictions out there are dead set against anyone being able to do this. It's against almost all zoning laws to live in an "RV" on your own land ... and where there are exceptions, it's usually only for limited periods of time.

So, my question is -- does anyone know of any places that are exceptions to this? Are there any areas people know about in the US where actual "rv homesteading" on one's own land could be done legally? Thanks for any input!

RV Parks/Web sites

JPowers — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 08:37:32 -0800

My wife and I will be going camping for the first time with our new 5th wheel camper. We want to go to Watertown New York but are not exactly sure where to stop along the way. We know we want to make two stops before reaching Watertown, once in Virginia and once in Pennsylvania. In Virginia, we would like to stop near the Shenandoah National Forest - a site in the Southern, Middle, or Northern section would be good. In Pennsylvania, we would like to stay somewhere in between Harrisburg and Scranton. Both places we stop must have electricity. Does anyone have any suggestions on some good places to stop? Also, are there any RV Web sites you would suggest that provide listings of places to camp in these areas?

RV'ing in Italy

pearlybob — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:45:10 -0800

Ok, I conquered the US, now I want to go RV'ing in Italy!! Anyone with experience? We just got back from our RV tour of the west (previously) and I LOVED it! Just LOVED it! I was scared to death to go, having never done anything like that, but it was fabulous. What a way to see the country. I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone, especially those with kids. Ok, enough chatter. We are seriously thinking about flying into Rome next summer and renting an RV to see Italy. I've done some online research and it doesn't seem too complicated, of course, I'm only in the earliest stages of investigating. Has anyone ever done this? Do my Italian Mefi friends have any ideas, any details I should be made aware of? Do you know anything about RV sites in Italy? Of course, we'll need passports, etc. but what about driver certifications? Any stories and or advice will be great. Thanks all and go RV'ing this weekend!!

What would Clark Griswold do?

pearlybob — Tue, 26 May 2009 18:32:41 -0800

What is your best advice, recipes and cocktails for an RV camping newb? I have never been camping in my life, not even in the backyard. This summer, my family and I are renting an RV and following some friends on a three week RV tour of the US. The thought of seeing the country this way thrills me! The thought of actually negotiating the logistics of camping and surviving this without having a nervous breakdown scares me to death. What are your best tips and tricks for RV camping? What should we cook, buy, and be ready for? What easy meals do you love on the road? I will have a nine year old and a toddler with us so small kids tips will be really helpful. We will be staying in AAA approved RV sites with full "hookups". The friends we are following have camped quite a bit so I don't think we'll kill ourselves or starve, but I would like to get as much advice as possible to help allay my fears. Thanks guys!

Living on someone's property in an RV?

quarantine — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 21:24:38 -0800

I want to legally live on someone's property in an RV and pay them rent. This has been covered before to some extent, but I have a more specific question that will almost certainly vary wildly based on location.

I'm trying to go further and further off the grid and live in a trailer, towed by a pickup truck. I'd be going to parks frequently -- maybe with increasing frequency -- but I'd like a home base, where I can leave the trailer and go tootling about. Some houses have RV pads in their backyards with hookups, etc. I'm wondering (mostly) whom to ask about my rights to live thusly.

I want to live in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles suburbia, so I have many choices, as the independent cities have grown until they press directly against each other: Pasadena, South Pasadena, San Marino, Sierra Madre, Temple City, San Gabriel, Arcadia, El Monte (ugh), Monrovia, Duarte.... There's even unincorporated county land there. What I don't want to happen is to arrange with a property owner to do what I'm intending, only to find out that I've asked the wrong authority, and the right one sends someone to cite and evict.

Help?

Rent undeveloped land?

SampleSize — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 18:01:51 -0800

I plan on spending the next few years living in different places for several months to a year at a time. One thought I've had is to get a small trailer RV or something like this, and rent land to park it on for however long I'm sticking around. Is this possible? I've googled a bit, but I'm not coming up with much. Any suggestions for how I would find people with land that would be into renting it?

Just to clarify, I'm not looking for very short-term rentals, and I'm not looking for RV parks/campsites. The idea would be to be able to stay on nice, undeveloped land for reasonably cheap.

Thoughts?

I wanna live in an RV

ZackTM — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 10:50:15 -0800

I wanna live in an RV Okay so give it to me straight. I'm 25 years old, not married, and feel like doing something different for a few years. I want to live in an RV for the following reasons:

1. I think I can do it cheaper than renting a single person apartment in Raleigh, NC
2. I like the idea of being able to move it around to be more convenient when I do things.
3. I wanna renovate it and make it really cool inside
4. I wanna pay money into something I can own instead of dumping it into rent.
5. I want to own an RV at some point anyways
6. I think it seems awesome.

Tell me everything you can think of when it comes to doing this. Is it completely impractical? What unknown costs might I face (I dont have a clue what insurance on one of those would be like!). I'd want a relatively short one thats easier to travel in.

I think I can park it at Walmart for free anytime I want, and also just move it around the city for one night stays whenever.

I will follow up any questions because I know theres things I'm forgetting to say here.

Try to talk me out of it or into it. Help me brainstorm!

RV Camping in Joshua Tree

Echidna882003 — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 14:35:12 -0800

RV Camping in Joshua Tree - Campground/Camping Suggestions... A group of us want to go to Joshua Tree Nat'l Park for some non-roughing-it camping and bouldering. Our plan is to rent an RV, find a good campground and hike around, do some bouldering, and have a nice relaxing few days to ourselves. Some campsites at Joshua Tree have some restrictions as far as RVs go, none of them have "hookups" but a couple of them have "dumping stations". We have no experience RV camping, so any suggestions would be really helpful. The trip is tentatively scheduled for May. Any favorite activities, campgrounds, words of warning, etc?

RV rental in NY state

primer_dimer — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:20:13 -0800

Help us find an RV to rent in New York State (visiting from Scotland) My partner and I are visiting New York state later this year and fancy the idea of renting a campervan (RV) to explore Adirondack park and the surrounding area. We're considering two options:

(1) Pick up the RV from somewhere near Saratoga Springs / Albany for 4-5 days and returning it to the same place

(2) Pick up the RV from somewhere near Buffalo (as we're coming from Toronto) for 7 days and return it to either Albany or NYC (we're flying back from JFK).

None of the website's we've found so far inspire confidence; does anyone have any suggestions for a company that would let us book online? We'll be visiting at the start of September.

Where is this?

monju_bosatsu — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 08:47:56 -0800

Does anyone know the origins of this image?

He don't need no charge card, just give him a Die Hard

toxic — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 11:01:09 -0800

Is there something like this timer, that runs on and switches 12 Volts DC? I am building a sizable hydroponic garden on my roof deck. It's essentially a large dutch pot system, but instead of individual buckets, it's built into a couple of big planters.

In the past, I've used 120V AC pumps and a timer like the one that I linked above to run similar systems on this roof, but for this system, I'd like to use (battery-backed) solar power to run the pumps -- which means I'm limited to using DC power for efficiency. 12V pumps are easy to find, but how about something that can turn them on, for a couple hours at a time, 5 or 6 times a day?

What's the best car camping near Los Angelels?

YoungAmerican — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 21:37:18 -0800

What's the best car camping near Los Angelels? My girlfriend and I are recent LA transplants, and we want to do a bit of camping in the back of my El Camino.

We're looking for places within comfortable driving distance of central LA where we can take our dog, camp under our camper shell, go on some hikes, and spend a nice weekend.

Seems like Angeles National Forest is a good option, but I'm a bit overwhelmed by the number of campgrounds. We're looking for some pretty, uhm, beginner-level camping, but with some real/nice nature. We'd also like somewhere that'll take a reservation for a campspot so we can plan ahead.

Hive mind, please help me get all Bill Clinton-y under that camper shell.

on the road again

luriete — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 14:57:06 -0800

In late May, I'll be driving with a bunch of friends in an RV from Sacramento CA to George WA and back for the Sasquatch Music Festival. I've only driven as far north as the Oregon border before, so I'm looking for recommendations of interesting places to stop - your favorite diners, pie shops, waterfalls, hot springs (improved or not) and other oddities of northwest highway culture. I'm familar with many Northern California hot springs (I really like the one in Sierraville), and would love to find other very inexpensive and informal places like that.

Can alcohol be consumed in a moving RV?

Sprocket — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 15:11:17 -0800

Is it legal for alcohol to be consumed in an RV (recreational vehicle)while it is moving on the road? I have looked and looked but I can not find any laws allowing alcohol, or disallowing alcohol to be drank in the back of of an RV in transit.

To sum it up, i have a school bus registered as a personnal Recreational Vehicle (motor home), which some friends and I are going to take from Seattle to Michigan and back this summer. We are not clear if alcohol can be consumed in the back of a moving RV. The drivers will not be drinking, and we will by no means getting 'out of control' drunk. We just want to know if it's actually legal or not?

Some people say yes. Some no. Some people tell me there has to be a wall diving the back from the driver. Some people tell me it has to be a certain amount of feet away from the driver. And I know people do it. But is it legal? Thanks.

Living in a motorhome

Bighappyfunhouse — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 13:30:12 -0800

I've decided to buy a motorhome and travel the US for the next year or so. Other than short trips, I've never lived in an rv. Anyone have any advice for living on the road?

What do I get my dad who is really into his RV?

nickerbocker — Wed, 28 Dec 2005 07:59:14 -0800

LateChristmasGiftFilter: My dad and his wife are really into their RV. Any ideas as to what I can get them for their RV. Celebrating christmas late this year, and I'm still not done with my shopping. My father just got an RV and is really into it. He is also fixing to retire next May (if that helps). Thanks for any advice.

Cheap road trip?

mike_bling — Thu, 14 Jul 2005 10:53:39 -0800

I heard that every year RVs need to be taken from Los Angeles to Alaska, or the other way around. My details on this are VERY sketchy, but someone once told me that someone told them that there are people who need their RVs taken either up or down the west coast. You may have to pay for the gas, but since they need the vehicle a few thousand miles away they don't charge you for a rental.

I've googled and checked out Yahoo. It does seem too good to be true, has anyone ever heard of anything like this? I'm obviously missing the pertinent details but any clues would help a lot.

It's possible that it happens once a year, like they need the RVs in Alaska by June 1 or something, but I'm not sure.

RV Rental Legal Question

mfbridges — Mon, 28 Jun 2004 10:46:17 -0800

I rented an RV from Cruise America for a weekend in August. Me and 7 of my friends, along with about 80,000 other people, will be travelling to Coventry, VT for phish's last concert. I put a down payment on the RV and got a confirmation packet. I received a phone call this morning from a representative there telling me that I had exactly 24 hours to come up with the full amount of the rental (about $1700), or I would lose the reservation. I assume that the lost reservations of people who can't pay will be resold at a much higher rate, as the demand for that weekend is through the roof. Can they legally do that? What are my options?