# Ask the guy that lives full time in a motor home. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 6, 2010, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-that-lives-full-time-in-a-motor-home/545773 "2010-07-06T21:03:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diver)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-that-lives-full-time-in-a-motor-home/545773/41 "2010-07-07T13:23:21Z")
> [@Hanna](#): > > That’s what I was going to ask…if you stay awhile in one place, or are always on the move. > > I think you mentioned that you travel with pets, too, right? How does that work out? If you need to leave for sightseeing or whatever, do you leave them in the MH? Does it stay cool enough for them? When you are underway, are they crated? Where does the litterbox go? We had two Shelties and a cat. The two Shelties got old and sick and are gone now but the cat is still with us. We did not crate the dogs or cat and the cat sleeps where she wants while we are underway. When we were sightseeing we left them in the motor home with the AC running if necessary. The litter box is a covered type with a door. While underway it is in the bedroom and while stopped for a while it is in the hall in front of the closet. A lot of folks keep them in the shower. We saw one in the basement (storage areas under the floor accessible from outside ). The guy had cut a cat door in the dinette booth front under the table so the cat could get into it. ---
**Author:** ![Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diver)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-that-lives-full-time-in-a-motor-home/545773/42 "2010-07-07T13:34:00Z")
> [@gardentraveler](#): > > How do you connect to the 'net? Do you just rely on wi-fi hotspots or do you have a cellular modem or some other arrangement? We found that WIFI wasn’t adequate for our needs and have a Verizon 3G broadband aircard (cellular modem). It is plugged into a wireless router and our two laptops are networked. We have broadband coverage just about everywhere we go. We also have a Wilson trucker cellphone antenna with a Wilson SignalBoost amplifier . it works with the modem and cellphone. Some folks use a Hughes satellite service with a dish but it isn’t as popular as it was before 3G service became so widely available. If you absolutely require internet access wherever you are in the US that is probably the best option though. ---
**Author:** ![Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diver)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-that-lives-full-time-in-a-motor-home/545773/43 "2010-07-07T13:38:41Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Ever do any work camping? My dad and stepmother have been for a few years; they’re in Shenendoah National Forest this summer. > > I know they’re not in it for the money. My dad just works harder since he retired than most people work when they work. We have been volunteer camp host at some state parks but that is unpaid so is not considered work camping which is a paid position. In both situations a full hookup site is usually part of the deal. Yes being a camp host was more demanding than we want so we don’t do that anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diver)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-that-lives-full-time-in-a-motor-home/545773/44 "2010-07-07T13:42:07Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > What do you do when the shitter is full? We just open the dump valve and it goes down the sewer hose into the RV park system. We leave the gray water (sink and shower) tank valve open until a couple of days before we plan to dump the black water so the gray water can be dumped after the black and rinse the hose. ---
**Author:** ![Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diver)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-that-lives-full-time-in-a-motor-home/545773/45 "2010-07-07T13:58:08Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > What kinds of insurance are required and what do you have (if you have extra insurance that isn’t required)? How much does that run? > > Do you have permanent place to live? You have to right? How would you file taxes? How do you get your mail? How do you get your Internet? TV? > > How does it work with your Driver’s License? Do you have to your home state? Do you have to have any special type of DL? We do have a legal domicile - Sioux Falls SD. We use a mail forwarding service. There are no state income taxes in SD. We file our federal taxes via mail. We just went back to SD in May to renew our drivers licenses. That requires more ID now because of the Homeland Security Act. It will be easier next time though and we expect to be able to do it by mail in the future. SD does not require a special license for motor homes. Some states (CA, TX, MD, are ones I know of -there may be others) do require a special non commercial license if the motor home weighs more than 26,000 pounds. We have “full timers” insurance on the motor home through GMAC. The Honda toad is also insured with them. As I recall the annual cost is about $1200 total for both. We have a satellite dish on the roof that is raised up when we park. We use Direct TV. Last fall we upgraded the old 24 inch TV to a 32 inch LCD TV and we just got high definition service, so the dish will have to be upgraded to HD. The old dish is not automatic. I have to set the direction and elevation when we stop - about a two minute job. In Jan in AZ we will have an automatic 5 LNB high definition dish installed. It will deploy and find the 5 satellites automatically when turned on. ---
**Author:** ![Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diver)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-that-lives-full-time-in-a-motor-home/545773/46 "2010-07-07T14:09:32Z")
> [@Captain\_Midnight](#): > > Aren’t you ever worried about crime and theft? I would think it would be fairly easy to break into a mobile home or even steal it with everything inside. I would worry about someone wanting to invade the mobile home while I am sleeping. > > I would think a lot of people who live in trailers are drug addicts, alcoholics, carnies, drug/human smugglers and other transient lowlifes. True or not? Crime is not a problem in RV parks. There are a lot of people around all the time and they know what is going on. If they can afford to own a motor home or fifth wheel they usually aren’t the guys that steal stuff. I am sure there are campgrounds and trailer parks that have tenants as you describe but we don’t see them in the places we stay. Full timers rarely stay in trailer parks where you have mobile homes. We stay in RV parks where the tenants are snowbirds or full timers. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-that-lives-full-time-in-a-motor-home/545773/47 "2010-07-07T14:20:11Z")
I must say **Diver** , that’s all pretty awesome. I’m kinda (a lot) jealous. ---
**Author:** ![Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diver)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-that-lives-full-time-in-a-motor-home/545773/48 "2010-07-07T14:21:29Z")
> [@SevenOfTeemingMillions](#): > > Wow! I like this thread! Travelling around spending a month or so in one place and moving on is awesome! > > In addition to the questions raised above (I’m especially curious about the pets situation, where your mails go, address in your driver’s license), I’m also curious about the RV parks. Aside from the hookups and the internet, what other amenities are available? The amenities are dependent on what you are willing to pay. They include swimming pools, clubhouses, craft classes, language classes, and organized activities of all sorts. Most RV parks allow pets but may limit the breed and or weight. They often provide a pet run area. Unless in a fenced run, in all cases pets have to be on a leash and are not to be chained outside unattended. We have the mail forwarding service send our mail to the RV park or to general delivery. My home address is: MY Name 3700 South Westport Avenue #1234 Sioux Falls, SD 57106. That is the street address of the mail forwarding service. The #1234 is actually a PMB number - a Personal Mail Box" number. The post office will allow either a # sign or the letters “PMB” to be used. ---
**Author:** ![Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diver)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-that-lives-full-time-in-a-motor-home/545773/49 "2010-07-07T14:25:27Z")
> [@DragonAsh](#): > > Do tornados follow you around? A couple of times it has seemed so. Usually we just don’t go places or in the season where and when they have tornadoes. ---
**Author:** ![Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diver)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-that-lives-full-time-in-a-motor-home/545773/50 "2010-07-07T14:31:48Z")
> [@Tethered\_Kite](#): > > That sounds like so much fun. We’ve talked about doing the same. > > So my questions are: > > 1. Are you still maintaining a home and/or belongings somewhere? > > 2. When it’s time to stop traveling and move on to the next phase of your life how do you plan to transition? We do have belongings stored in a 10 X 30 storage unit. When we get to old, too sick or too bored to continue the life style we will probably buy a small house someplace with a decent climate where the medical services are good and accessible. Right now the Grand Junction CO area is looking like a potential spot when the time comes. ---
**Author:** ![Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diver)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-that-lives-full-time-in-a-motor-home/545773/51 "2010-07-07T14:38:59Z")
> [@Tully\_Mars](#): > > **Diver** , what setups have you seen for bringing along a motorcycle? > > I’ve seen the fifth-wheels with toy boxes in the back. That may not be a bad idea, but I’m not sure. Have you encountered any better idea? Have you heard any talk about the pros and cons of the toy haulers? I have seen a lot of toy haulers - fifth wheels and a few motor homes. - A few on lifts on the back of big diesel pushers. Quite a few in trailers that also carry a small car. That requires a diesel pusher to have the GCWR needed. That seems to be the best approach but is costly. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-that-lives-full-time-in-a-motor-home/545773/52 "2010-07-07T14:51:25Z")
> [@Diver](#): > > Yes we have a Winnebago Sightseer 35N class A (for non RVers that’s the one that look sort of like a bus). It has two slides (areas that slide out to give more room). One in the living room and one in the in bedroom. > It is a little over 35 feet long, 8 feet 10 inches wide, and 12 feet 3 inches tall. With the slides out it is about 11 feet wide. > > Although class A’s and fifth wheels seem to be the most popular, we see some full timers in class Cs. > > Yeah the sense of freedom is one of the best things about being a full timer. > > Sounds like you might be a good candidate for the life style. Five months was quite enough for both of us. We enjoyed it, but didn’t like being completely rootless. Full-timers that we talked to seemed a bit lost and harried, and if I’m going to spend months in a huge RV place in the winter, it seems kind of pointless. Class A and many fivers are designed for long-term living. Class Cs are generally not. ---
**Author:** ![Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diver)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-that-lives-full-time-in-a-motor-home/545773/53 "2010-07-07T14:52:28Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Might I suggest: D(r)iver > > Can I ask what your monthly expenses are? > I’m also curious about your mail - does anyone send anything to you, or have you forced everyone to communicate via e-mail with you? > What do you miss? > What’s been your favorite destination? We get mail but Facebook and email constitutes most of our communication with family and friends. Right now I can’t think of anything that I miss. We see our family more than we did when we lived in a “stick and brick” home. They are scattered from NH to WV to NM to TX to CO. We just start up out home and go visit when the inclination strikes and weather allows. When we visit family or friends we can stay for days or months and not be in their space and have our own space. It sure is easy to think of what I don’t miss though. Like being stuck in one place, doing yard work,and having to be places at a certain time. I am not sure that I have a favorite destination, but we have now settled on AZ for our winter area. That could change though. ---
**Author:** ![Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diver)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-that-lives-full-time-in-a-motor-home/545773/54 "2010-07-07T15:06:17Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Might I suggest: D(r)iver > > Can I ask what your monthly expenses are? > SNIP Oops, I forgot to respond to your monthly expenses question. We are debt free and spend an average of about $3000 per month. We pretty much go where we want, do what we want, and buy what we want. Of course the motor home has everything we need and there isn’t room to put a lot of new stuff. When we upgrade things like TV, flooring, furniture upholstery, new automatic satellite dish and so forth we can spend some bucks that way though. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-that-lives-full-time-in-a-motor-home/545773/55 "2010-07-07T15:07:14Z")
Do you have any guns or something hidden, in case you break down or get stuck? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-that-lives-full-time-in-a-motor-home/545773/56 "2010-07-07T15:12:57Z")
> [@Diver](#): > > Nope, not fleeing just left out a comma. > Hey, I am a retired electrical engineer and only semi literate. Don’t you mean semi-conductor literate? ---
**Author:** ![Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diver)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-that-lives-full-time-in-a-motor-home/545773/57 "2010-07-07T15:25:10Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > As you’re moving around or crossing the country, how do you select where you’re going to stay the next night(s)? Is there a trade pub or do you have online sites you favor? > > Also, do you never stay somewhere other than RV Parks? The reason I ask, after travelling the AlCan a couple of times in a Jeep there were dozens of primitive campsites I saw where I’d love to have had an RV as opposed to a tent. Are there practical factors one way or the other that encourage or discourage this practice? For the record I’m not talking about running a generator or blocking the view parked next to a bunch of recreational purists. I mean if you’re not disturbing anyone with an RV can you run showers, flush, have electricity, etc in an area not specifically set up to accomodate all that? > > I’ve a little experience RVing years back. All my memories are good and it’s certainly something I’d reconsider after retirement. There are a couple of publications that list the RV parks and provide info about them such as a rating, location, phone number and cost. Woodall is one and Trailer Life puts out another. We also belong to Passport America - a club that gets us half price stays when we use a participating RV park. We use their listing when possible. Most RVs are self contained and can go several days without hook ups. Many boondockers (people that like to stay in primitive areas) are set up with solar panels on the roof to charge their batteries and inverters that change the battery voltage to 120 volts ac. I have also seen some portable wind generators used. They have to go to a dump station to get rid of waste and find a place to get fresh water though. A couple that we are close friends with do enjoy boondocking and they are set up for it. He has three solar panels and I often see it putting 24 amps into his batteries (he has four deep cycle ones). He uses a collapsible water container that fits in the back of his jeep and a small 12 vdc pump to pump the water into his motor home tank. If he is careful I think he can go about two weeks without having to dump his waste tanks. We prefer full hook ups though and rarely do any boondocking. ---
**Author:** ![Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diver)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-that-lives-full-time-in-a-motor-home/545773/58 "2010-07-07T15:28:13Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > Do you have any guns or something hidden, in case you break down or get stuck? I don’t at this time. All of my guns are in storage. I am considering getting a shotgun out and taking it along. So far I have never felt threatened though and just haven’t done it. A lot of full timers do carry some kind of firearm. ---
**Author:** ![Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diver)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-that-lives-full-time-in-a-motor-home/545773/59 "2010-07-07T15:29:39Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Don’t you mean semi-conductor literate? Sure yeah that’s what I meant. LOL ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-that-lives-full-time-in-a-motor-home/545773/60 "2010-07-07T15:49:35Z")
> [@Diver](#): > > In Jan in AZ we will have an automatic 5 LNB high definition dish installed. It will deploy and find the 5 satellites automatically when turned on. Cool. Can it track them while you are moving? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-that-lives-full-time-in-a-motor-home/545773.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-that-lives-full-time-in-a-motor-home/545773.md?page=4)