Alternative Housing in an RV or Camper

A good reason to be interested in RVs, and trailers too, is that our economy is a bit unstable. Most of the manufacturing jobs were lost when WW3 ended in 1989-91. WW4 is still ongoing, but there's just not that many jobs involved in that. The rest of manufacturing went to China in the following 20 years. The end of the Housing Bubble also got rid of most of the construction and finance jobs. That leaves us with Hospitality (restaurant, spa, and vacation related jobs) and Agriculture (farming, maintenance, cannery, and shipping). Everything else is either maintenance that supports the first two, which includes Medical jobs, or is going away. The current population should either be doing those jobs or retiring. Sometimes there just aren't enough of those kinds of jobs where you live. Not every city is worthy of tourism. You have to follow the jobs if you really want to work. Considering we're a Socialist Country now, and all that implies, you'd best do what you like because you're going to get paid the same Minimum Wage whether you like your job or hate it.

For most people, you leave your old place by boxing up your stuff, loading it into a Uhaul, and moving to somewhere better. For some, the search for a better place, or the skillset possessed, makes moving that way a tad too expensive, especially if the apartments are all demanding one year leases but the jobs only last 3 months, thanks to being seasonal or short term contracts, such as Temp labor. You sometimes have to get more aggressive about your flexibility, particularly if living in a long-term-stay hotel isn't for you. And maybe, if you can reduce your stuff to pure minimalism, there's an answer. Trailers, RVs, or Campers might be for you.

Modern Winnebago, the first RV.

Winnebago floorplan, showing your living space.

An RV is a bus or a truck frame with an engine that powers the purpose built small habitat on the back. An RV is different from a trailer or 5th wheel because it is self powered. The big bus-sized ones are actually built over a bus frame and engine, but are designed to house a couple people. RVs have water and often a power generator, and batteries to run the appliances. There's usually a propane tank for the stove, and some have a toilet and shower. It all depends on space available. Some are barely a place to sleep, thus a typical "camper shell" on the back of a pickup weighs the least but offers the least comfort and weather protection. Better than a tent, but not much.

The most minimal RV, other than the camper shell over a pickup bed, is a VW Camper Van. Built since WW2, also known as the Westphalia, they're very small inside, and slightly heavier than a standard VW bus. The 1800cc engine was air cooled, loud, and slow, but they were cheap. Many are now targets of restoration by Hipsters wanting a really minimal machine. Same with older Airstream trailers, which have been around most a century now.

The biggest advantage of an RV is you can sleep anywhere you can park, provided its not actually illegal or massively stupid. 30 years ago, I used to find RV's parked in all those amazing California campgrounds, ones that have long since gone empty and probably would have stayed open had the State Parks managers not been stealing funds. They're facing prison, btw. Its quite the scandal. I happen to LIKE trout fishing and camping in campgrounds that have a live-in manager to keep people behaving properly. A campground should be run like there's little children present. That means no acting like a drunken frat party, no Hells Angels or Mexican mafia or thieves or crackheads.

Back in the 1970's it was all pretty decent folk there, enjoying nature. And there were fish to be caught. RV's let you camp mere feet from your fishing spot. Its a nice feeling, catching a fish before dawn, then cooking it for breakfast a few minutes later.

Link to Winnebago.

Winnebago has been building this kind of RV for decades. They currently cost around $100K for the smaller ones running Diesel, though they have something slightly smaller and cheaper running gasoline. Just can't fathom spending that kind of money when biodiesel is going to be dollars per gallon cheaper than synthetic gasoline, and doesn't break down over time like gasoline does. Diesel fuel lasts for years. Winnebagos aren't cheap new, but they vary in price quite a bit used. Sometimes they're sold due to the owner dying of old age. Sometimes for extra cash or a simpler life at a rest home. When you consider the kind of money LOST in the housing bubble, a Winnebago might be a better investment than a McMansion in Rural Somewhere 60-100 miles from your job. Between the loss on the mortgage value and the cost of fuel to commute, is that inappropriately located house a good deal? Is the RV a better one?

Bigfoot Truck Camper website.

Like a small Studio Apartment, the Bigfoot Truck Camper floorplan.

Camper Shells or Truck Campers that mount onto the back of a heavy pickup truck (usually with stronger springs and transmission to take the weight) are reasonably popular with fishermen and folks who need to get away from their wives for a few days. I can relate. Some people carry a bicycle or canoe or row boat on their RV's roof. If there's clearance for the needed bridges, fine. The legs let you drive out from under it so you can go about your business while the shell stays behind at your campsite/space.

Weighs 1000 pounds so can be pulled by a modest passenger car.

The smallest form factor minimalism that isn't a tent is the teardrop trailer. They are very light, made to be towed by passenger cars without real modification other than a hitch. The one I linked to is just under 1000 pounds.

If you can live in that little space, you're tougher than me. Then again, with solar cell upgrades and perhaps a tent over the back kitchen area to keep the bugs off, it might be okay, sometimes. I see this as a summer-only kind of solution. Cold nights or rainy mornings are NO FUN with an outdoor kitchen hatch like these use. 


I fully expect to see trailers and RVs end up coated with solar cells someday so the whole exposed surface is generating electric power. Roof and sides. No matter how you park, so long as the sun hits you you're generating power for the batteries, heating your water, able to run your appliances. That's the direction these things are going. Gypsies and survivalists WISH they had it as good as these trailers are going to be.

An Airstream trailer isn't cheap, but its well made and reasonably comfortable.

Live here full time?

 Airstream website link.

Small, durable, well made, good resale value, 4500 pounds.

If you had a job and a social life to get you out of the trailer, a laptop for movies and communications and video games, and a place to park it for not too much money, this wouldn't be that bad. Far nicer than a tent or camper shell. With a truck to hitch it to, possibly rented just for those occasions and a scooter for daily driving, that could actually work. Its about the same size as a studio apartment. Nobody wants to stay in those full time except true shut-ins (aka Hikkikomori), so having a social life and job outside the trailer would be key to maintain sanity. True, this is essentially what Gypsies do. And its hard to have a flower garden living in a trailer, unless you park next to one.

These are some of the more mobile living options for people who still want living space of their own and need to be able to go as needed. Having had to give up on my own apartment and now residing in my mother's sewing room, which around the same space, I can see the appeal. A true Hipster would be proud of a restored Airstream, and if he or she had a Vespa or a Honda CB360 bike for daily driving, they'd be pretty well set.

Yes, you can live cheaply and mobile. Yes, you can walk away from your underwater mortgage. Yes, you can recover your pride after losing everything. I plan to.