Could I fulltime in a Class B?

Osetoast · 02-20-2015, 02:48 PM

I am a buying my first RV within the next year or two. I wanted to accumulate information on all the classes as much as I can.
I am curious if I could fulltime in a class B? For my first motor home, I need to have mobility, decent gas mileage, and I would rather it be on the compact side. I am currently living in maryland and saving up as much money as I can for this adventure. I am curious to see if a class b motor home would be a practical living space. I have read articles and even watched youtube videos on people living in there class B motor homes.

Also, I am a college kid and I am on a budget. I am wondering if there are any class B brands out there that sell cheaper class b motorhomes. But, still have a decent quality. I am planning on buying used.

Thank you for your time!!1

stanw909 · 02-20-2015, 03:01 PM

Yes.

mlts22 · 02-20-2015, 04:16 PM

Depends what you mean by full-timing. I have seen a lot of people want to go through college trying to live in a van... but it virtually never works out, mainly because most cities forbid overnighting on streets, and have other anti-RV regulations. Plus, once the local druggies scope your van out and notice it, it will become a target for burglary. (Here in Texas, a burglary of a vehicle will get you a night in jail at most, so the bad guys know as long as they don't move the vehicle, they have a lucrative market.)

Then there are items like taking showers and washing clothes.

Full-time travelling is one thing, but trying to save on rent by living in a van for college... not worth it.

stanw909 · 02-20-2015, 05:23 PM

If you have been looking on YouTube then you already know you can do it but it does depend your own expectations. Many van dwellers buy gym memberships to have shower and toilet facilities. You would need to figure out where to get water for your fresh water tank as well as where to dump your grey and black tanks. Staying ahead of the law is another problem but it may be possible to find people who will allow you to park in their driveway. Winter could also be a problem. Look at the current situation in the North East.

mlts22 · 02-20-2015, 06:21 PM

A number of the people who do the van life on YouTube have a "home base", be it a parent's driveway, or something similar. Others live in a less populated area where parking in an abandoned parking lot is pretty much ignored. Of course, there are people taking trips into an area. However, not many people on YT actually try to live day to day in areas like the Bay Area, LA, DC, NYC, Indianapolis, or other large cities for long periods of time.

If one does have this, then van living can be doable, since there is a place to fill up with water, dump tanks via a "clean-out", have shore power, and so on.

As stated above, I'm from Texas, and I have not even considered how dangerous winters can be, especially with trying to be stealthy and hoping that some passer-by doesn't call the local PD because they saw a wisp of steam come from a vent. Even with a lot of blankets on a bed, getting out to use the bathroom and dress can put a lot of stress on the body's immune system.

Again, this is just my opinion, but stealth van camping in the 1990s, and early part of 2000s was possible. However, with the anti-RV attitude that is prevailing, cities actually using police helis with FLIR to search for occupied vehicles to ticket, coupled with the "if you see something, say something" attitude (where people will call the police about anything), it just isn't a feasible option in larger cities. The exception is as mentioned above... if one has a home base in the area.

SiennaGuy · 02-20-2015, 06:24 PM

Living in a van can be really cheap. I've been there, done that. Parking a van overnight is the problem. That can get expensive really fast. You can't full-time in a Walmart parking lot or at a truck stop. A day or two, maybe. Full-time, no. Beyond that and you risk being kicked out. Highway rest stops (unless there's a police station there) can get pretty scary at night and also are not long-term places to stay. In many cities, you can't park an RV overnight on the street and some areas restrict RVs from being permanently parked in a driveway that's visible from the street. Living in a national forest or in Bureau of Land Management area can be cheap or even free but you're miles and miles and miles away from anything and some don't have drinking water. Local, state and national parks are generally no longer inexpensive and private RV parks are expensive, too. Do the math. At $30 per night (a cheap rate for a park), one month can cost you about $900. You can probably find a normal place to live for $900/month.

Full-timing when you're on vacation and want to move around and see the country is great. Full-timing when you're trying to live, work or study in a city can quickly become a pain. Like I said, I've been there, done that.

And as others have mentioned, there's also the problem of theft. An RV sitting someplace urban for a week or more makes a great target. If a thief breaks your window during the summer, it's a hassle. If they break your window during the winter cold or right before a rainstorm, it can be a very serious problem.

By the way, if you're a student, don't keep your notes in a briefcase or backpack inside your vehicle. Keep your notes together, if you want, but not inside something that someone else might want to steal. Some idiot stole my briefcase out of my car when I was in college. The briefcase was cheap but I lost all of my notes from all my classes the week before finals. It was not fun. If you use a laptop to take notes, keep the backup drive hidden in a separate place from the computer for the same reason.

SiennaGuy · 02-20-2015, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mlts22

However, with the anti-RV attitude that is prevailing, cities actually using police helis with FLIR to search for occupied vehicles to ticket, coupled with the "if you see something, say something" attitude (where people will call the police about anything), it just isn't a feasible option in larger cities.

I think mlts22 is referring to police helicopters equipped with Forward Looking Infrared cameras (FLIR). These sense heat. If you're in a vehicle, stealth or not, you and your van radiate heat. These cameras sense that and can locate you that way.

eurovanman · 02-20-2015, 07:30 PM

First off, yes you can live full time in a class B, especially if you are young and not accustomed to a mcmansion lifestyle. The key is organization and smart planning.
I would argue with the person who says living in a big city is not possible, i think its actually easier than smaller towns, becasue people mind there own business and you blend in with the chaos of the city. I wouldn't be too afraid about overnight parking if you are in the right part of the country. I know in San Francisco there are people living all over the place in RV's - there are six rv's permanently parked across the street from my work right now - the police here have better things to do than bust people who live quietly in their vehicle. Also BLM land is a great place to full time. They say 14day limit, but you can literally move across the road and go another 14 days.

wincrasher · 02-20-2015, 11:32 PM

Yes it can be done. You haven't said what kind of budget you are talking about. I imagine you're not wanting to spend much - so I'm guessing one of the Dodge conversions from the 90's is what you'll get. Look for a Pleasureway or Roadtrek, as they are probably going to be in the best shape.

There are lots of folks doing it as you've seen on Youtube. As a student, you'll probably know somebody who is renting a house off-campus and can stay in their driveway, using a hose, drop cord, and their sewer cleanout for hookups. Just keep it low key and you can probably not have problems. Wandering around town, will take a lot more effort to find places to stealth camp, etc., but there are ways to do that too. I recommend the blog www.tosimplify.net for tips on urban stealth camping - go back to his early days on the blog.

In the Baltimore area, there are year-round campgrounds available with monthly rates instead of daily rates. In 2012, I stayed in the area for around $550 a month, plus utilities. Fairly expensive in the RV world.

For showering and such, if you can either do that in your van or use the student health center (gym). Campus should have laundramat too.

Best bet though, to make it easy on your time, is to find somebody who is renting a house so that you can park there for a few bucks a month.

Good luck!

Boxster1971 · 02-21-2015, 04:48 PM

You could also check out the Yahoo Group dedicated to those who live in a van.
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/VanDwellers/info

cargovanconversion · 02-22-2015, 06:44 PM

More people do it, than you think. And if cost is an issue, buy a good second hand and do the conversion yourself.

Free or cheap camping is still possible, but more restricted on the East coast (and virtually impossible in South Florida); the South West offers the best opportunities.

Van Williams

GuyGene · 02-23-2015, 05:56 PM

Well, I hope you can do it! At 66, I can! I would've loved to have done that when I was a whip. I don't know how to go about the stealth parking stuff, but I just wish people would leave other people alone as long as the other people aren't bothering somebody else. Like my Mama and Daddy taught me - be good, kind, respectful, admit when wrong and make it right if possible, pay what you owe, clean up your mess, don't litter. Y'all know. Anyway, I hope you can do it!

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