3 ms·

I was hoping he might actually concede and discuss some downsides of RV ownership. There have to be some. Things that jump out at me after spending a few minu

by roc 17y ago

I was hoping he might actually concede and discuss some downsides of RV ownership. There have to be some. Things that jump out at me after spending a few minutes thinking about the logistics: sewer/water, vehicle maintenance (a biggy, if your house is in the shop should something happen to your vehicle), going to the laundromat every 3 days, having friends over, winter, RV cost vs tiny studio apartment, cost of mobility vs actual leverage of that mobility, etc.

msisk6 17y ago
I don't live in an RV full time, but I have stayed in mine for months at a time, living and working. Even a small RV is pretty big compared to a car. 20mpg is rare in RVs -- most get much worse. Sewer and water usually isn't a problem. And most RV dealers that work on these things are setup to deal with folks that live full-time in the rig. If it requires overnight repairs they'll usually just roll it out for you to stay in at night and pull it back into the shop the next day. The laundromat is a pain, but most truck stops have them and you can always use a laundry service. Having friends over is possible but tight. Most often you can go over to their place. OTOH, most folks find RV trips a real adventure. One of my first dates with my wife was an RV trip. Winter usually isn't a problem (depends where you live, though); RVs have propane for heat and cooking. Cost is an issue, especially compared to owning a house. A house or condo (usually) appreciates in value. An RV depreciates like a rock. After 10 years the value of an RV plummets even more (a lot of RV parks don't allow rigs over 10 years old).
- kingkongreveng_ 17y ago
  What are the details on water and sewage? My guess is this is a huge hassle outside an RV park. I don't get why the article didn't touch on this.
  - msisk6 17y ago
    I described the actual process in reply to another comment a few messages down. You can dump the waste and fill up with fresh water at a lot of different places. Most Flying J truck stops have an RV dump and potable water supply, as do many highway rest stops and state parks. Some RV dealers have facilities, too. And there's always RV parks like KOA, but you generally have to pay a small fee to dump and get water here if you're not staying the night. Also, the RV community is friendly and connected online. Some folks have installed dump stations at their homes for their own RVs and will let you use that in a pinch if you ask nicely.
- roc 17y ago
  RE: Winter - My thought is that, despite having a heater, living in an RV might be pretty rough during a Midwest winter. I'm sure it could be done, but I'd wonder about the level of insulation, heating efficiency, etc. I would also wonder about snow accumulation and road handling in inclement conditions (including downpours and high winds).
  - whatusername 17y ago
    Isn't part of the point that you move during winter.
  - msisk6 17y ago
    This will vary with the model of RV, but most of them are pretty well insulated. Most have a metal frame with sheet foam between. The outside skin is usually fiberglass, which makes a good vapor barrier. The volume to heat is pretty small so it's efficient. The biggest problem in really cold weather is condensation on inside of the windows. Some of the more expensive RVs have dual-pane windows with don't have this problem and are even more efficient. Road handling varies. Most RVs are heavy which aids snow traction. And rain isn't a problem either (except for the noise). But wind -- that's a problem. Most RVs are tall and boxy. RVs with long a wheel-base in relation to length do better in wind than those with large overhangs aft of the rear axle. I found that the faster I go the worse the handling in stiff cross-winds. Slowing down to 55mph helps a lot. Cross-winds are the worst. Headwinds suck your milage down (a lot) but a tailwind will help.
bmj 17y ago
Maintenance costs on a Rialta could be expensive (though, perhaps compared to the TOC of a home, they turn out to be pretty inexpensive). I own a EuroVan (in which, coincidentally, my family and I will be living out of for a time next spring), on which the Rialta is based, and repairs are not cheap, and it can be difficult to find a good mechanic who will actually look at it.
- msisk6 17y ago
  I've heard that a lot of VW dealers won't work on RVs like the Rialta or Vista -- these are too big to fit in their service bays. And from their point of view, only the front 6-feet or so is VW, the rest is something else they can't fix. Still, everyone I know with one, or even those with EuroVans, love them.
  - bmj 17y ago
    VW dealers will grudgingly work on EVs, and a lot of independent VW garages won't touch them (and the point about the service bays is well-taken). I'm guessing you might have to travel far and wide to find an RV shop that's knowledgeable about the VW internals, too.
  - tynan 17y ago
    It's true that it's somewhat hard to find places that work on them, but there are independent shops in pretty much every city that will do it.
tynan 17y ago
Downsides: 1. It's VERY difficult to air condition. 2. When the "car" needs repairs, you don't have a house. Sever/water is a easy... takes about 15-45 minutes (including driving) every 10-14 days. Laundromat is no big deal. You park in front and hang out while your clothes are washed. I also have a tiny hand powered portable washing machine that washes my four shirts, one pair of pants, and two pairs of underwear very quickly. I have friends over almost every day, but more than four (including me) is difficult. Then again, I have a very small RV. Winter isn't a big deal as long as your tanks are heated or the weather doesn't stay below 32f. Heating is easy and cheap. Cost is pretty minimal. Older RVs don't depreciate much (new ones do). It is somewhat expensive to drive at 15mpg, but I don't pay rent so it offsets somewhat. I also tend to stay in a general area for a long time so for me it's not a big deal.

by roc 17y ago

msisk6 17y ago

I don't live in an RV full time, but I have stayed in mine for months at a time, living and working. Even a small RV is pretty big compared to a car. 20mpg is rare in RVs -- most get much worse. Sewer and water usually isn't a problem. And most RV dealers that work on these things are setup to deal with folks that live full-time in the rig. If it requires overnight repairs they'll usually just roll it out for you to stay in at night and pull it back into the shop the next day. The laundromat is a pain, but most truck stops have them and you can always use a laundry service. Having friends over is possible but tight. Most often you can go over to their place. OTOH, most folks find RV trips a real adventure. One of my first dates with my wife was an RV trip. Winter usually isn't a problem (depends where you live, though); RVs have propane for heat and cooking. Cost is an issue, especially compared to owning a house. A house or condo (usually) appreciates in value. An RV depreciates like a rock. After 10 years the value of an RV plummets even more (a lot of RV parks don't allow rigs over 10 years old).

kingkongreveng_ 17y ago
What are the details on water and sewage? My guess is this is a huge hassle outside an RV park. I don't get why the article didn't touch on this.
- msisk6 17y ago
  I described the actual process in reply to another comment a few messages down. You can dump the waste and fill up with fresh water at a lot of different places. Most Flying J truck stops have an RV dump and potable water supply, as do many highway rest stops and state parks. Some RV dealers have facilities, too. And there's always RV parks like KOA, but you generally have to pay a small fee to dump and get water here if you're not staying the night. Also, the RV community is friendly and connected online. Some folks have installed dump stations at their homes for their own RVs and will let you use that in a pinch if you ask nicely.
roc 17y ago
RE: Winter - My thought is that, despite having a heater, living in an RV might be pretty rough during a Midwest winter. I'm sure it could be done, but I'd wonder about the level of insulation, heating efficiency, etc. I would also wonder about snow accumulation and road handling in inclement conditions (including downpours and high winds).
- whatusername 17y ago
  Isn't part of the point that you move during winter.
- msisk6 17y ago
  This will vary with the model of RV, but most of them are pretty well insulated. Most have a metal frame with sheet foam between. The outside skin is usually fiberglass, which makes a good vapor barrier. The volume to heat is pretty small so it's efficient. The biggest problem in really cold weather is condensation on inside of the windows. Some of the more expensive RVs have dual-pane windows with don't have this problem and are even more efficient. Road handling varies. Most RVs are heavy which aids snow traction. And rain isn't a problem either (except for the noise). But wind -- that's a problem. Most RVs are tall and boxy. RVs with long a wheel-base in relation to length do better in wind than those with large overhangs aft of the rear axle. I found that the faster I go the worse the handling in stiff cross-winds. Slowing down to 55mph helps a lot. Cross-winds are the worst. Headwinds suck your milage down (a lot) but a tailwind will help.

bmj 17y ago

Maintenance costs on a Rialta could be expensive (though, perhaps compared to the TOC of a home, they turn out to be pretty inexpensive). I own a EuroVan (in which, coincidentally, my family and I will be living out of for a time next spring), on which the Rialta is based, and repairs are not cheap, and it can be difficult to find a good mechanic who will actually look at it.

msisk6 17y ago
I've heard that a lot of VW dealers won't work on RVs like the Rialta or Vista -- these are too big to fit in their service bays. And from their point of view, only the front 6-feet or so is VW, the rest is something else they can't fix. Still, everyone I know with one, or even those with EuroVans, love them.
- bmj 17y ago
  VW dealers will grudgingly work on EVs, and a lot of independent VW garages won't touch them (and the point about the service bays is well-taken). I'm guessing you might have to travel far and wide to find an RV shop that's knowledgeable about the VW internals, too.
- tynan 17y ago
  It's true that it's somewhat hard to find places that work on them, but there are independent shops in pretty much every city that will do it.

tynan 17y ago

Downsides: 1. It's VERY difficult to air condition. 2. When the "car" needs repairs, you don't have a house. Sever/water is a easy... takes about 15-45 minutes (including driving) every 10-14 days. Laundromat is no big deal. You park in front and hang out while your clothes are washed. I also have a tiny hand powered portable washing machine that washes my four shirts, one pair of pants, and two pairs of underwear very quickly. I have friends over almost every day, but more than four (including me) is difficult. Then again, I have a very small RV. Winter isn't a big deal as long as your tanks are heated or the weather doesn't stay below 32f. Heating is easy and cheap. Cost is pretty minimal. Older RVs don't depreciate much (new ones do). It is somewhat expensive to drive at 15mpg, but I don't pay rent so it offsets somewhat. I also tend to stay in a general area for a long time so for me it's not a big deal.