I asked my husband about making a ramp for the sewage line when we set up the RV but he said it was fine. Well I thought he knew more than me since he is a maintenance man and was in construction for years. Well everyone loves to tease me I have the nose of a bloodhound and I have a sensitive stomach so smells get to me. To top it off I have bipolar 1 with psychosis and tend to smell thing that aren't there so for the last month while I'm smelling this wretched smell in the back of the RV everyone is saying it's in my head.
I'm telling you I know my nose and I was right the smell was there. Yesterday we were cleaning outside the RV and my husband moved the sewage line and alas it was backing up. I am a very happy camper now and the smell is gone and I'm here to tell you to make sure you ramp you sewage line.
You don't have to buy one of those expensive RV sewage ramps either. I've learned a lot looking at others in the park. Some use a inclined board, some use graduation blocks of wood or concrete but the most impressive is the use of PVC pipe. They just run their sewage line down through it and it's protects it from the weed eaters too.
We used what we had lying around and it's perfect because our RV is close to the connecting pipe in the ground. My husband took my unused stepper, you know the ones from the 90's when people did step aerobics. Then he leaned it between the RV and the pipe and placed the sewage line on top. Plus the rubber non skid top stops it from sliding off. Cost: FREE the cost of the RV sewage ramp: $20 but lesson learned.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Monday, October 7, 2013
Low Cost Great Depression Style Dinner
I had to wonderful dinners this weekend off of one piece of meat and want to share how to do this. My granny (yes granny) grew up in the great depression and came from a large family so a little bit of food had to go a really long way to feed everyone. These are two of my favorite meals she made.
On Sunday my granny would boil a piece of pork, beef, of whole chicken. In the water she would add salt, pepper, and hot sauce. I don't care for hot sauce so I use bay leaves instead. That night we would eat the meat along with veggies and cornbread and then the next night we would have hungry man stew.
Hungry man stew is very filling and cheap to make. You will need the broth from the meat you made the day before and any left over meat deboned. This will work with most types of lower fat meat. If you do use venison I recommend adding some beef bouillon.
On Sunday my granny would boil a piece of pork, beef, of whole chicken. In the water she would add salt, pepper, and hot sauce. I don't care for hot sauce so I use bay leaves instead. That night we would eat the meat along with veggies and cornbread and then the next night we would have hungry man stew.
Hungry man stew is very filling and cheap to make. You will need the broth from the meat you made the day before and any left over meat deboned. This will work with most types of lower fat meat. If you do use venison I recommend adding some beef bouillon.
Hungry Man Stew
Ingredients:
Left over meat from the dinner the day before
Left over broth from cooking the meat the day before
Bay leaves (2 or 3 depending on size)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Potatoes (As many as you like depending on your amount of broth)
Rice (also depends on your taste for a standard cooking pot I add 1.25 cups)
Large can of Diced Tomatoes
Large Can of Tomato Sauce
-First thing to do is skim the fat off the both from the night before (I hope you stored it in the fridge)
-Then take your left over meat (my favorite to use if left over pork roast) and chop into bite size piece. It might cook apart that just makes it even better.
-Next peel and dice your tomatoes to bite size and add them to the broth. Larger is fine also but takes longer to cook.
-When the potatoes are about 3/4th of the way cooked (they look a little clear around the edges) then you need to add your rice
-Let your broth continue to cook another 10 minutes stirring everyone once in awhile so your rice doesn't stick and scorch at the bottom of the pot.
-After 10 minutes add your tomatoes and taste. You can add more tomatoes to taste and if the soup is to tart for your taste you can add a can of condensed tomato soup to add a little sweet or if you like really sweet add tomato paste.
-At this point keep an eye on the soup and stir more often because as the soup thickens it scorches really bad if not stirred often enough.
-You will know when it's ready because the rice will begin to butterfly.
We always served this with leftover cornbread but there are enough carbs in here already that you really don't need much more.
Other great 2 day meals include using left over chicken broth and chicken for chicken and dumplings or all meat broths also do wonderful for non vegetarian vegetable soup.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Another busy weekend
My poor husband and his honey do list. Every time he started working on something another person knocked on the RV door. It started at lunchtime with a man demanding that we fix the AC in the bath house and in his RV that he rents from the RV park owner.
See we do the work camper program here and are responsible for cleaning the bath houses everyday. Yet this man insists that we need to make repairs on his demand but I deflated him when I told him the bath house AC was out of order and the parts had been ordered for the repairs. Then I had to go to the bath house to show him how to prop open the door...
Then later my poor husband is working again and another knock comes on the door. This man is trying to get us to buy a lamp that we gave away for free. See another camper wanted our lamp really bad a few weeks ago so we gave it to him, but then he moved and couldn't take the lamp and gave it to another camper. Then this camper tried to sale it back to us so they could buy food (aka alcohol they have food stamps).
So off my husband goes to working again and yet another knock. This time it's a man trying to give us his built in RV sofa in exchange for my husband doing repairs on his RV. See my husband has told the man he would help him in the past but that the man must buy the supplies. The man is disabled and saw this as a way for us to buy the things needed. We still plan to help him but can't use the sofa nor can afford the supplies.
Finally my husband is trying to work again and this time it's Comcast to fix our internet. WiFi is free in the RV park but it's spotty service at best so my husband decided we needed to find the money to have our own service install. I loved the Comcast guy! While he was here people were asking if they could link onto our WiFi so the Comcast guy named our signal, "Get your own damn WiFi".
See like I've said before, there are different types of RV'ers in a park and unfortunately my neighbors are mostly deadbeats, alcoholics, druggies, with a few nice people mixed in. The whole park isn't like this, just this corner but we like the spot we are in because it's large so we deal with the neighbors. Other parts of the park are MUCH nicer but sunnier and with smaller lots.
So once he left my husband finally got to work but with all the starting and stopping he misplaced a lot of things like screws, his hammer... So he got a little ill and I decided to hide in the bedroom. He did do good today though. He finally got the TV mounted on the wall, mounted another magnet strip in the kitchen, removed the front off the bathroom counter, raked the yard (the park mows but doesn't rake), cleaned in the back room, and got his very important (to him) Xbox fixed so that wires aren't running all over the living area. Now he's relaxing and trying to decide what his plans are for tomorrow.
My plans for tomorrow are to get a curtain over the front of the bathroom cabinet. I know this opens it up for people to see but they way it was before it was a useless space for storage. I will get some pictures online tomorrow of what we did to the front of the bathroom cabinet and other repairs we have been working on.
See we do the work camper program here and are responsible for cleaning the bath houses everyday. Yet this man insists that we need to make repairs on his demand but I deflated him when I told him the bath house AC was out of order and the parts had been ordered for the repairs. Then I had to go to the bath house to show him how to prop open the door...
Then later my poor husband is working again and another knock comes on the door. This man is trying to get us to buy a lamp that we gave away for free. See another camper wanted our lamp really bad a few weeks ago so we gave it to him, but then he moved and couldn't take the lamp and gave it to another camper. Then this camper tried to sale it back to us so they could buy food (aka alcohol they have food stamps).
So off my husband goes to working again and yet another knock. This time it's a man trying to give us his built in RV sofa in exchange for my husband doing repairs on his RV. See my husband has told the man he would help him in the past but that the man must buy the supplies. The man is disabled and saw this as a way for us to buy the things needed. We still plan to help him but can't use the sofa nor can afford the supplies.
Finally my husband is trying to work again and this time it's Comcast to fix our internet. WiFi is free in the RV park but it's spotty service at best so my husband decided we needed to find the money to have our own service install. I loved the Comcast guy! While he was here people were asking if they could link onto our WiFi so the Comcast guy named our signal, "Get your own damn WiFi".
See like I've said before, there are different types of RV'ers in a park and unfortunately my neighbors are mostly deadbeats, alcoholics, druggies, with a few nice people mixed in. The whole park isn't like this, just this corner but we like the spot we are in because it's large so we deal with the neighbors. Other parts of the park are MUCH nicer but sunnier and with smaller lots.
So once he left my husband finally got to work but with all the starting and stopping he misplaced a lot of things like screws, his hammer... So he got a little ill and I decided to hide in the bedroom. He did do good today though. He finally got the TV mounted on the wall, mounted another magnet strip in the kitchen, removed the front off the bathroom counter, raked the yard (the park mows but doesn't rake), cleaned in the back room, and got his very important (to him) Xbox fixed so that wires aren't running all over the living area. Now he's relaxing and trying to decide what his plans are for tomorrow.
My plans for tomorrow are to get a curtain over the front of the bathroom cabinet. I know this opens it up for people to see but they way it was before it was a useless space for storage. I will get some pictures online tomorrow of what we did to the front of the bathroom cabinet and other repairs we have been working on.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Traveling long distance in your car with you cat
I know this isn't really RV related but you might find yourself in the position at some point in the future and I've discovered there is not enough information on the internet about this.
Traveling with a cat in your car isn't as hard as it seems. Basic rule of thumb to remember is that cats are fast and they can fit most anywhere, because of this I don't advice letting your cat run free in the car unless you want to fight them to get them out from under seat or from inside your dashboard. I've been there and it's not pretty. You also don't want to leave them in a cat carrier for to long because they need to move and they need to potty and unless they are leash trained then this presents a problem.
I have moved a long distance with a cat a few times and it doesn't have to be hard to do. I've tried it three different ways and the last two worked out great.
The first time was 300 miles and it was in a cat carrier. My poor cat wasn't happy and couldn't move and then peed in the kennel so I had to let it out and then it got in the dash followed by getting lodged under the seat. This was not good.
The second time was almost 330 miles. In this trip I put the cat in a large dog kennel (cocker spaniel size). Inside the kennel I put a plastic box for a litter pan (don't overfill or you will be cleaning your car) and in the other half of the kennel I put blankets for the cat to snuggle in. The only problem with this method was the cat cried most of the way and turned over the litter pan trying to dig her way out of the kennel.
On the next move (350 miles) I got a little smarter and wiser. On this trip I used two small dog kennels (chihuahua size). What I did was remove the doors of both dog kennels which isn't hard. You just bend the wire and later you can do the same to put them back on. Then I faced both kennels towards each other and zip tied them together. When you think you have it secure wiggle it around and add some more because the cat will be looking and fighting to find a way out. Next you need to put in the food bowls that come with the kennel and I recommend if you can zip tying them to the walls of the kennel or at some point during your trip the cats going to knock them off. Next I put plastic wrap about 1/4 the way up the side of the kennel that would house the litter pan encase of spills.
Once this is dine then go ahead and put a blanket or towel in one of the kennels that you will be using for the trip. In the other side put a small litter pan. I used one of the small square plastic boxes that they give you when you stay in the hospital but they sale these also at the store. I don't recommend cardboard because of urine and smell.
Then I put the kennels with the top hatched open in the floor a week before my trip and put snacks inside for my cat to find. It took her a few days but she was finally going inside and getting the snacks and taking naps. Make sure you put the snacks both in the floor of the kennel and the food bowls on the wall of the kennel so they get used to going there for food.
On the night before my move I only gave my cat a small amount of food so her stomach didn't get upset the next day because of nerves. Then the morning of the move I put her and the kennel in the bathroom with only a nightlight while we unloaded the rest of the house so that she would remain calm. That morning I also made sure I put her food inside the kennel and once again it was only a small amount. I also put litter from her regular litter box inside the litter pan in the kennel so it would have her smell.
When it came time for use to leave I went in the bathroom and closed the door. Then I sat on the floor awhile and loved on her. Once she was calm I put her favorite snack inside the kennel hoping she would go in but she was to smart so instead it was a fight but I got her in. Then I covered the kennels with a dark thin blanket. The blanket is so that she can't see and will remain calmer because if at all possible you don't want to over stress you cat that is already going through a lot of stress anyway.
While traveling we put the kennels in the back seat and for the first few hours we kept them covered and after a while all went quiet and out cat went to sleep. Then we stopped for the dogs to take a potty break and checked on the cat and gave her a little more food and water. This upset her a little because she wanted out but she could walk between the cages and had a litter pan so she was fine. We also made sure to give her one of her favorite toys when we stopped but I don't recommend catnip because it over stimulates the cat while the poor thing is caged.
During the next part of the trip the cat got very vocal and I lifted just one side of the blanket so she could see out the window and at first she liked it but later I had to but the blanket back down because it was more calming for her.
That night we got to tired and had to stop for a nap. So we took the dogs for another walk and uncovered the cats cage because we didn't want her in total dark for too long. She got a little vocal then before going to sleep I covered her cage just a little over the top to give her a little dark.
We slept only an hour or two then we were off again but this morning I left one kennel uncovered and left the litter box side covered because she likes privacy when pottying. She got a little loud when we started out but then quieted down. When he were 10 minutes out from our destination I think she could read our vibes because she got extremely loud.
Once we got to our stopping point we didn't immediately let her out of the kennel. Instead she was put in a quiet place and given a little more food (still not a lot do to stress) but we left the cage uncovered so that she could see and smell everything. Then when we had everything unloaded and the RV had calmed down we opened the kennel but still didn't take her out. We just made sure that the kennel was by her litter box and near her food bowls.
Then when she was ready she got out and hid for two days. Then punished us for a few more by not letting us touch her. I have to say the last move worked out the best and if I ever have to do it again I will do it this way but with different kennels because now when she sees the kennels she runs and hides. My cat does not like to go outside or to travel but this is most likely because she is a rescue cat and was taken to the local pet store everyday for weeks and spent all day in cages before we rescued her.
Traveling with a cat in your car isn't as hard as it seems. Basic rule of thumb to remember is that cats are fast and they can fit most anywhere, because of this I don't advice letting your cat run free in the car unless you want to fight them to get them out from under seat or from inside your dashboard. I've been there and it's not pretty. You also don't want to leave them in a cat carrier for to long because they need to move and they need to potty and unless they are leash trained then this presents a problem.
I have moved a long distance with a cat a few times and it doesn't have to be hard to do. I've tried it three different ways and the last two worked out great.
The first time was 300 miles and it was in a cat carrier. My poor cat wasn't happy and couldn't move and then peed in the kennel so I had to let it out and then it got in the dash followed by getting lodged under the seat. This was not good.
The second time was almost 330 miles. In this trip I put the cat in a large dog kennel (cocker spaniel size). Inside the kennel I put a plastic box for a litter pan (don't overfill or you will be cleaning your car) and in the other half of the kennel I put blankets for the cat to snuggle in. The only problem with this method was the cat cried most of the way and turned over the litter pan trying to dig her way out of the kennel.
On the next move (350 miles) I got a little smarter and wiser. On this trip I used two small dog kennels (chihuahua size). What I did was remove the doors of both dog kennels which isn't hard. You just bend the wire and later you can do the same to put them back on. Then I faced both kennels towards each other and zip tied them together. When you think you have it secure wiggle it around and add some more because the cat will be looking and fighting to find a way out. Next you need to put in the food bowls that come with the kennel and I recommend if you can zip tying them to the walls of the kennel or at some point during your trip the cats going to knock them off. Next I put plastic wrap about 1/4 the way up the side of the kennel that would house the litter pan encase of spills.
Once this is dine then go ahead and put a blanket or towel in one of the kennels that you will be using for the trip. In the other side put a small litter pan. I used one of the small square plastic boxes that they give you when you stay in the hospital but they sale these also at the store. I don't recommend cardboard because of urine and smell.
Then I put the kennels with the top hatched open in the floor a week before my trip and put snacks inside for my cat to find. It took her a few days but she was finally going inside and getting the snacks and taking naps. Make sure you put the snacks both in the floor of the kennel and the food bowls on the wall of the kennel so they get used to going there for food.
On the night before my move I only gave my cat a small amount of food so her stomach didn't get upset the next day because of nerves. Then the morning of the move I put her and the kennel in the bathroom with only a nightlight while we unloaded the rest of the house so that she would remain calm. That morning I also made sure I put her food inside the kennel and once again it was only a small amount. I also put litter from her regular litter box inside the litter pan in the kennel so it would have her smell.
When it came time for use to leave I went in the bathroom and closed the door. Then I sat on the floor awhile and loved on her. Once she was calm I put her favorite snack inside the kennel hoping she would go in but she was to smart so instead it was a fight but I got her in. Then I covered the kennels with a dark thin blanket. The blanket is so that she can't see and will remain calmer because if at all possible you don't want to over stress you cat that is already going through a lot of stress anyway.
While traveling we put the kennels in the back seat and for the first few hours we kept them covered and after a while all went quiet and out cat went to sleep. Then we stopped for the dogs to take a potty break and checked on the cat and gave her a little more food and water. This upset her a little because she wanted out but she could walk between the cages and had a litter pan so she was fine. We also made sure to give her one of her favorite toys when we stopped but I don't recommend catnip because it over stimulates the cat while the poor thing is caged.
During the next part of the trip the cat got very vocal and I lifted just one side of the blanket so she could see out the window and at first she liked it but later I had to but the blanket back down because it was more calming for her.
That night we got to tired and had to stop for a nap. So we took the dogs for another walk and uncovered the cats cage because we didn't want her in total dark for too long. She got a little vocal then before going to sleep I covered her cage just a little over the top to give her a little dark.
We slept only an hour or two then we were off again but this morning I left one kennel uncovered and left the litter box side covered because she likes privacy when pottying. She got a little loud when we started out but then quieted down. When he were 10 minutes out from our destination I think she could read our vibes because she got extremely loud.
Once we got to our stopping point we didn't immediately let her out of the kennel. Instead she was put in a quiet place and given a little more food (still not a lot do to stress) but we left the cage uncovered so that she could see and smell everything. Then when we had everything unloaded and the RV had calmed down we opened the kennel but still didn't take her out. We just made sure that the kennel was by her litter box and near her food bowls.
Then when she was ready she got out and hid for two days. Then punished us for a few more by not letting us touch her. I have to say the last move worked out the best and if I ever have to do it again I will do it this way but with different kennels because now when she sees the kennels she runs and hides. My cat does not like to go outside or to travel but this is most likely because she is a rescue cat and was taken to the local pet store everyday for weeks and spent all day in cages before we rescued her.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
RV Living Cost
I keep seeing on Pinterest all these posts on how much it cost to live in an RV versus a home. Some are close and some are crazy. I would like to know how these people came up with these numbers are where they are from.
This is on I found on Pinterest. I would like to know who their cell phone and insurance providers are!
Living in a House Expenses: Living in an RV Expenses:
House Payment(with taxes): 1200.00 $595 ( campground fees average)
Electric: $120 $0 ( Included in campground fees)
Water: $100 $0 (Included in campground fees)
Car Payment: $0(own our car) $0 (own our car and will own RV)
Gas: $320 $600(1,885 miles a month)
Heat: $56 $25 (propane)
Auto Ins.: $25 $50(car and RV)
Groceries: $400 $400
Eating Out: $0 $100
Family Activities: $0 $100(museums and such)
Tolls: $0 $10
Cell Phone $15 $15
Home Phone/Internet: $85 $0(use free wi-fi)
Mortgage Ins: $35 $0
Cable/Sat. :$0 $0 ( get it free at some camps)
Tithe:$250 $0*
Personal Loan: $100 $100_________
TOTALS: $2706.00 $1995.00
This is another I found on Pinterest. These people need to learn how to grocery shop and quit eating steak at every meal.
So since you've seen those I've decided to post my budget for the world to see. This is based on living in a house in a dying town in North Carolina and then living in an RV in Brunswick, Ga
Living in a House Expenses: Living in an RV Expenses:
House Payment: 475.00 $0 (work camper but $425 if paying rent)
Electric: $140 $0 ( Included in campground fees)
Water: $60 $0 (Included in campground fees)
Car Payment: $110 week $110 week
Gas: $60 week $120 month
Heat (Propane): $425 every other month $0 (electric so included in campground fees)
Auto Ins.: $104 $104 (no RV insurance since it's parked)
Groceries: $200 $300 (went up due to no deep freezer or deer meat)
Eating Out: $20 $20 (we're on a budget)
Family Activities: $0 $15 (fishing licence)
Tolls: $0 $0
Cell Phone $45 $45
Home Phone/Internet: $65 $0(Included in campground fees)
Mortgage Ins: $0 $0
Cable/Sat. :$100 $0 (included in campground fees)
AAA: $45 year $45 year (already paid so not added)
Tithe:$0 $0
Personal Loan: $0 $100_________
TOTALS: $2104.00 $1144.00
Any money left over from our budget goes to remodeling and repair *Not factored in the budget is child support but that is also not factored into the income. That is removed before any money is spent or budgeted*
I don't feel we live like penny pinchers but at the time we don't throw the money around or have a lot for extra. As I've posted before some of our biggest money savers are using the free electric here in the park and buying things in bulk when on sale. It's not that we are doing without, we are just planning ahead. Another money maker for us is recycling cans. There are a lot of people in the park that throw them away so we get them to save them for us. This allows my husband to eat out for lunch once or twice a month. I also listed no RV insurance because since it's not being moved we don't have to have it. However as soon as we can afford to add it to the budget we will.
This is on I found on Pinterest. I would like to know who their cell phone and insurance providers are!
Living in a House Expenses: Living in an RV Expenses:
House Payment(with taxes): 1200.00 $595 ( campground fees average)
Electric: $120 $0 ( Included in campground fees)
Water: $100 $0 (Included in campground fees)
Car Payment: $0(own our car) $0 (own our car and will own RV)
Gas: $320 $600(1,885 miles a month)
Heat: $56 $25 (propane)
Auto Ins.: $25 $50(car and RV)
Groceries: $400 $400
Eating Out: $0 $100
Family Activities: $0 $100(museums and such)
Tolls: $0 $10
Cell Phone $15 $15
Home Phone/Internet: $85 $0(use free wi-fi)
Mortgage Ins: $35 $0
Cable/Sat. :$0 $0 ( get it free at some camps)
Tithe:$250 $0*
Personal Loan: $100 $100_________
TOTALS: $2706.00 $1995.00
This is another I found on Pinterest. These people need to learn how to grocery shop and quit eating steak at every meal.
Then I found this one that shows way to wide of a range to really give you a real idea.
Living in a House Expenses: Living in an RV Expenses:
House Payment: 475.00 $0 (work camper but $425 if paying rent)
Electric: $140 $0 ( Included in campground fees)
Water: $60 $0 (Included in campground fees)
Car Payment: $110 week $110 week
Gas: $60 week $120 month
Heat (Propane): $425 every other month $0 (electric so included in campground fees)
Auto Ins.: $104 $104 (no RV insurance since it's parked)
Groceries: $200 $300 (went up due to no deep freezer or deer meat)
Eating Out: $20 $20 (we're on a budget)
Family Activities: $0 $15 (fishing licence)
Tolls: $0 $0
Cell Phone $45 $45
Home Phone/Internet: $65 $0(Included in campground fees)
Mortgage Ins: $0 $0
Cable/Sat. :$100 $0 (included in campground fees)
AAA: $45 year $45 year (already paid so not added)
Tithe:$0 $0
Personal Loan: $0 $100_________
TOTALS: $2104.00 $1144.00
Any money left over from our budget goes to remodeling and repair *Not factored in the budget is child support but that is also not factored into the income. That is removed before any money is spent or budgeted*
I don't feel we live like penny pinchers but at the time we don't throw the money around or have a lot for extra. As I've posted before some of our biggest money savers are using the free electric here in the park and buying things in bulk when on sale. It's not that we are doing without, we are just planning ahead. Another money maker for us is recycling cans. There are a lot of people in the park that throw them away so we get them to save them for us. This allows my husband to eat out for lunch once or twice a month. I also listed no RV insurance because since it's not being moved we don't have to have it. However as soon as we can afford to add it to the budget we will.
Big Plans for the future
To make this a home we need space. There seems to be a lot of storage in the newer RV's but this old RV is lacking or was modified by the old owner that used it as a fish camp office. So last night my husband and I talked a long time about remodeling (or I talked and he listened). We came up with some good ideas. The first I've talked about before and now we have it planned out. We want to reconfigure the kitchen and the back bedroom since no one will ever sleep in there.
In the kitchen we don't have to even rip anything out except some upper cabinets on one side. The plan is to buy an old dresser or buffet and place it along the wall on one side of the kitchen where the table and benches are suppose to be. Then we plan to put a counter top over the dresser and shelving above that, where the cabinets are now. This will allow us to store both in the dresser and on the shelves. Since we don't plan to move the RV this is fine but if we do move the RV then things on the shelves will have to be moved but this will more then double our storage area.
As of right now we only have a foldable table there with plastic shelves under the table. The cabinets above house unneeded control panels and ill fitting cabinets the were designed wrong for long term use. The update will be done in the red area in the picture (not drawn to size or scale)
The next update will be the largest and will be put to use. This RV had two bedrooms and as of now the back bedroom is a dumping zone. We would like to remodel this for storage us and closet area. RV's were not designed for long term use or at least not in the case of this RV. In the back room there is a set of bunk beds with no mattresses. These are no a dumping ground for everything without a home. It's horrible for me because I'm short and there is no ladder so anything one the top bunk stays there until me husband can get it for me. My idea for this area is to just remove the top bunk all together. Then we can install a closet rod and make more space for clothes. We are by no means clothing hogs but in the case of my husband he has his work clothes and then nice clothes and our Sunday clothes. That little cracker box in the bathroom just isn't large enough. We have to leave the bottle bunk because of the water and electrical below but this isn't a problem because storage boxes can be placed below the clothing.
The next plan is to remove the cabinet beside the bunks. This was a design error in the first place due to the slanted wall. There isn't a hanger made that will hang in the cabinet and let the door close. Plus the cabinet is so narrow it's not of much use.
Then we will be removing the benches and table. As of now these are also not of use since no one sleeps in the back room. Plus the table is in such disrepair it would have to be replaced anyway. Above the table and benches is another set of cabinet and there are no flaws with these but they are in the way. My husband is in maintenance and needs room for his toolbox that won't fit under them. For now they house my shorts and sweats anyway so it's not a problem if they go because I've redesigned another area for clothing.
Once all off this is gone we will move in my husband's tool box and bolt in place encase we ever move the RV. Then in the other open area we will be installing floor to ceiling shelving. To will allow us to move most of our stuff from storage and sell the rest of rent a very small storage unit instead.
This is a picture I drew of the before and after of the back room. It is not to scale.
As for the closet in the bathroom since I moved the clothes, we will be installing shelving in there as well for our sheets, towels and foldable clothing. I also plan to make one more change to the bathroom which is to fix another design flaw. Under the bathroom sink there is only one cabinet door although the cabinet continues along side the toilet. You can't even open the cabinet door the whole way because of the toilet. The plan here is to remove the whole front facing of the cabinet so that all the area becomes usable. To hide the things stored there I plan to hang a tension rod and curtain over the front. Now I can store the extra toiletries and waste basket out of sight.
This is just the remodeling to add space. This still doesn't include repairs we still need to make that I listed in the last post.
In the kitchen we don't have to even rip anything out except some upper cabinets on one side. The plan is to buy an old dresser or buffet and place it along the wall on one side of the kitchen where the table and benches are suppose to be. Then we plan to put a counter top over the dresser and shelving above that, where the cabinets are now. This will allow us to store both in the dresser and on the shelves. Since we don't plan to move the RV this is fine but if we do move the RV then things on the shelves will have to be moved but this will more then double our storage area.
As of right now we only have a foldable table there with plastic shelves under the table. The cabinets above house unneeded control panels and ill fitting cabinets the were designed wrong for long term use. The update will be done in the red area in the picture (not drawn to size or scale)
The next plan is to remove the cabinet beside the bunks. This was a design error in the first place due to the slanted wall. There isn't a hanger made that will hang in the cabinet and let the door close. Plus the cabinet is so narrow it's not of much use.
Then we will be removing the benches and table. As of now these are also not of use since no one sleeps in the back room. Plus the table is in such disrepair it would have to be replaced anyway. Above the table and benches is another set of cabinet and there are no flaws with these but they are in the way. My husband is in maintenance and needs room for his toolbox that won't fit under them. For now they house my shorts and sweats anyway so it's not a problem if they go because I've redesigned another area for clothing.
Once all off this is gone we will move in my husband's tool box and bolt in place encase we ever move the RV. Then in the other open area we will be installing floor to ceiling shelving. To will allow us to move most of our stuff from storage and sell the rest of rent a very small storage unit instead.
This is a picture I drew of the before and after of the back room. It is not to scale.
As for the closet in the bathroom since I moved the clothes, we will be installing shelving in there as well for our sheets, towels and foldable clothing. I also plan to make one more change to the bathroom which is to fix another design flaw. Under the bathroom sink there is only one cabinet door although the cabinet continues along side the toilet. You can't even open the cabinet door the whole way because of the toilet. The plan here is to remove the whole front facing of the cabinet so that all the area becomes usable. To hide the things stored there I plan to hang a tension rod and curtain over the front. Now I can store the extra toiletries and waste basket out of sight.
This is just the remodeling to add space. This still doesn't include repairs we still need to make that I listed in the last post.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Wahoo! I have an awning!
Since getting the RV I've been looking for an awning but when you are on a budget that just doesn't work at all. Everything I could find averaged around $500. Well this week a family moved out of the RV park and were selling the RV dirt cheap or scrapping it. Well we asked about buying the awning and they never got back to us. Then today they stopped by the RV and said we could buy it.
My husband went and talked and they only asked for $30 for the awning with no leaks! The problem is we only have $20 till Friday and they said that that was fine. So we got the awning for a grand total of $20. It isn't the model that fits our RV and not long enough for the brackets already on our RV but my husband says he won't have a problem attaching it as long as he can get some help putting it up.
This is great because in storage we have a deep freezer and there are other people in the RV park that have them under their awnings and say they work great as long as you keep the rain off and them up off the ground. My husband is going to build a platform with pallets to raise it up and then he will put a lock on it to secure it from thief. This will go a long way in saving money since we can buy more when things go one sale and my husband can kill a deer and really save us some money on meat.
My husband went and talked and they only asked for $30 for the awning with no leaks! The problem is we only have $20 till Friday and they said that that was fine. So we got the awning for a grand total of $20. It isn't the model that fits our RV and not long enough for the brackets already on our RV but my husband says he won't have a problem attaching it as long as he can get some help putting it up.
This is great because in storage we have a deep freezer and there are other people in the RV park that have them under their awnings and say they work great as long as you keep the rain off and them up off the ground. My husband is going to build a platform with pallets to raise it up and then he will put a lock on it to secure it from thief. This will go a long way in saving money since we can buy more when things go one sale and my husband can kill a deer and really save us some money on meat.
This is my RV. It's a '92 Cobra Sierra. As you can see it needs a lot of work and I've posted some of what we've done so far but there is so much more to do. Yes I realize for what we are sinking in this one we could have bought a nicer one but we didn't have the funds at the time. The most important thing to me is that as long as I have this RV I can never be homeless. This is the day we got it. Right after we pulled it in and hadn't even set it up yet.
This is my RV a month later and all ready for Halloween but as I posted earlier I love the holidays. As you can see I had to put my plants outside. When we had a home I had the living room and kitchen full of plants but when moving I had to down size to 1/4th the plants. My husband hung me some plant hooks on the corner of the RV for my hanging baskets and then caulked around them to make sure they didn't cause a leak. The rest are on shelves found in the garbage and one is on an upside down tote. Don't ask me what I'm going to do with them when it gets cold.
Here is a list of the repairs we have done so far:
Seal leaks in the roof and add two coats of Kool Seal
Caulk around all the windows
Install a window AC to replace the broken roof until
Repair the door locks that wouldn't latch
install lattice on the bottom of the screen doors to stop potential pet damage to them
Place the RV on blocks and level it
Clean out sewage tank that had been stuffed with garbage by former owner
Repair water damage to the wall and floor to the side of the main door
Replace the toilet with a eco friendly household kind
Remove the rusted out hot water heater, furnace, and stove
Remove the cabinet for the fridge to make room for small household fridge
Rip out old flooring and replace it with peel and stick tile (all but back room)
Install temporary curtains until I can make some
Remove nasty broken built in sofa
Cut down sofa and make it into a love seat to fit the RV
Plus some small storage ideas
Still to do to the RV:
Install inline water heater
Place tile in back room
Gut the back room to make better use of it for storage
Buy and install an awning
build a small deck off the ground with pallets to place deep freezer on
Build shelving in back room and closet
Place new closet rod in the back room
Repair small amount of water damage to the wall in the back room and in the roof in the shower area
Put in larger sky light in the shower area so my husband can fit in the shower
Replace shower wand
Install TV bracket for TV in the bedroom
This is things we have to do off the top of my head I'm not sure how much more we need to do. I guess it's like a home and can be an endless list.
Banging my head on the key board
It's no secret that my husband hates living in the RV. He's a country boy and used to hunting and wide open spaces. This place I've nicknamed the aluminum can. So I been scouring the internet for every storage solution I can find because I know the more things out of his way the happier he will be. So now I have this long honey do list and he doesn't want to do them.
One thing I made sure we had before buying this RV was outdoor living space. In the RV park I'm in the have large natural looking spot in the long term side of the RV park. Because of this I bought a swing and a outdoor table and umbrella. This makes it obvious we won't be traveling much in this RV but we don't want to travel. We want to survive and rebuild our lives. That's why O call it RV surviving.
Some of the ideas I have for more storage is to gut the back bedroom except for the bunk beds and put in floor to ceiling shelving. In the bathroom I would like to take the closet and so one of two things. Either remove the separation from the bottom cabinets and the upper hanging space, making more for longer clothing and shoe storage before OR I would like to make shelving out of the upper closet and place a closet rod in the shower that we don't use.
I would also like to open up the front of the bathroom cabinet. As of now there is only one door and it's to small and won't open all the way due to the toilet. Then all the space to the right is unused because unless you are small you can't get back there. If I opened the front then I could put up a curtain over the opening making all the space usable.
In the back bedroom I would also like to put in some ceiling storage for my husband's fishing rods. I got the idea online to attach PVC rings to the ceiling for his fishing rods to hang from.
OH! I just had an epiphany! What if I removed the top bunk and hung a curtain rod across the whole length? This would more then double the hanging room and I could place drawer storage units below the clothes for extra storage. Then place the shelves like I said in the original closet for foldable clothing and towels and sheets!
I foresee a lot of posts about storage in my future and will try to get as many photos of these as I can because there are not nearly enough camper storage ideas online. It's mostly the same things posted over and over.
One thing I made sure we had before buying this RV was outdoor living space. In the RV park I'm in the have large natural looking spot in the long term side of the RV park. Because of this I bought a swing and a outdoor table and umbrella. This makes it obvious we won't be traveling much in this RV but we don't want to travel. We want to survive and rebuild our lives. That's why O call it RV surviving.
Some of the ideas I have for more storage is to gut the back bedroom except for the bunk beds and put in floor to ceiling shelving. In the bathroom I would like to take the closet and so one of two things. Either remove the separation from the bottom cabinets and the upper hanging space, making more for longer clothing and shoe storage before OR I would like to make shelving out of the upper closet and place a closet rod in the shower that we don't use.
I would also like to open up the front of the bathroom cabinet. As of now there is only one door and it's to small and won't open all the way due to the toilet. Then all the space to the right is unused because unless you are small you can't get back there. If I opened the front then I could put up a curtain over the opening making all the space usable.
In the back bedroom I would also like to put in some ceiling storage for my husband's fishing rods. I got the idea online to attach PVC rings to the ceiling for his fishing rods to hang from.
OH! I just had an epiphany! What if I removed the top bunk and hung a curtain rod across the whole length? This would more then double the hanging room and I could place drawer storage units below the clothes for extra storage. Then place the shelves like I said in the original closet for foldable clothing and towels and sheets!
I foresee a lot of posts about storage in my future and will try to get as many photos of these as I can because there are not nearly enough camper storage ideas online. It's mostly the same things posted over and over.
Living in an RV frugally
One of the biggest cost in your RV will be propane. It runs your hot water, stove, and in some cases refrigerator and oven. Propane thanks to Bush Jr is not cheap. Embrace electric! It will mean some upfront cost but will save you a ton in the long run.
In our RV we don't even have a gas stove anymore. We ripped it out and put a washer dryer combo there. More about the money saver later. On top of the washer dryer we put plywood that we will later replace with counter top. This has given us room to use an electric skillet, hot plate, and griddle. Why are these cheaper? Because in a lot of RV parks electric is included in the rent.
When we bought our RV the table and benches were gone but that's fine too! We put a collapsible table there and it holds our toaster oven. This cost $90 at Walmart and it's a toaster oven on steroids. It is also a convection oven. The table also holds a larger microwave and coffee maker.
One thing I should mention about all these electric appliances is that you can't use them all at once or you will blow your breakers like crazy. To help with this problem we ran extension cords to the power pole because besides the main plug in for the RV it also has two standard house plugs. In these two plugs we plugged in the washer dryer combo and the window AC unit.
Now that you have a way to cook it you need to learn to shop cheap. If you have a computer use it. All grocery stores now list their ads online. One of the biggest ways to save money is to shop around. If you don't want to travel all over town that's not a problem either. Just copy the ad and shop at Walmart. They will match other's ads and save you gas money. Also look at special one day savings. For example every Wednesday Harvey's Grocery here in Brunswick will have a list of things they will sale for dirt cheap on that one day only. Food lion tends to have 3 days sales once or twice a month.
Also know the power of coupons. You can still get them in the paper but there are even more and better ones online. If there is any one named product that you like then go to their web page and look for printable coupons. If they have a sample then request it because the sample usually comes with a coupon. Also sign up for their emails and they tend to email you more coupons. Also look at their page on Facebook. It's crazy how many products now have pages on a social website. Make sure you like their page and every now and then you will see links to coupons show up on your news feed. Some grocery stores also have pages and will do the same thing.
Other money savers in an RV: One of the biggest costs I've found is the laundry mat. In this RV park the machines only cost $1.50 a load which is cheaper then I've seen elsewhere but it still adds up and you will find yourself looking in the sofa for quarters on a tight week. When we used the laundry mat it usually cost us $18 a week in laundry. When we bought this RV we saved money by buying an older RV and fixing it ourselves. With that savings we bought a washer dryer combo that was designed for RV's and runs off of 110v. Below is a link to where you can find them for sale but this isn't where we bought ours. We found ours used on Craigslist for $400 and it was only 6 months old.
http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/splendide-2100xc-washer-dryer-combo-white/37344
http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites look under appliances or do a search
Another GREAT money saver for us is making our own laundry detergent. All the supplies cost around $20 (depending on where you shop) and our washer only takes one tablespoon an load. This laundry detergent lasts us about 6 month. Try that with Tide! Here is a link to how to make the laundry detergent and another for fabric softener.
http://www.howdoesshe.com/cheaper-and-better-diy-laundry-detergent/
http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2013/07/homemade-fabric-softener-finally.html
If you haven't yet you should really check out Pinterest when you can. There are amazing DIY's for most everything from home made shower cleaner to home made shaving cream.
Another thing that will save you a lot of money is buying in bulk but there is a drawback in the fact that that requires more storage. My husband and I are lucky in the fact that we have to bunk beds in the back to stack things like bulk toilet paper and paper towels but not all RV's are that lucky. There is also the little used storage under the bed. The problem with that is it's a bugger to pick the thing up. A helpful thing, if you can afford it is bed lift kits. These are rods that you mount under the bed that help raise it. They look like what you would find on a hatchback car.
http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/large-bedlift-kit/66716
In our RV we don't even have a gas stove anymore. We ripped it out and put a washer dryer combo there. More about the money saver later. On top of the washer dryer we put plywood that we will later replace with counter top. This has given us room to use an electric skillet, hot plate, and griddle. Why are these cheaper? Because in a lot of RV parks electric is included in the rent.
When we bought our RV the table and benches were gone but that's fine too! We put a collapsible table there and it holds our toaster oven. This cost $90 at Walmart and it's a toaster oven on steroids. It is also a convection oven. The table also holds a larger microwave and coffee maker.
One thing I should mention about all these electric appliances is that you can't use them all at once or you will blow your breakers like crazy. To help with this problem we ran extension cords to the power pole because besides the main plug in for the RV it also has two standard house plugs. In these two plugs we plugged in the washer dryer combo and the window AC unit.
Now that you have a way to cook it you need to learn to shop cheap. If you have a computer use it. All grocery stores now list their ads online. One of the biggest ways to save money is to shop around. If you don't want to travel all over town that's not a problem either. Just copy the ad and shop at Walmart. They will match other's ads and save you gas money. Also look at special one day savings. For example every Wednesday Harvey's Grocery here in Brunswick will have a list of things they will sale for dirt cheap on that one day only. Food lion tends to have 3 days sales once or twice a month.
Also know the power of coupons. You can still get them in the paper but there are even more and better ones online. If there is any one named product that you like then go to their web page and look for printable coupons. If they have a sample then request it because the sample usually comes with a coupon. Also sign up for their emails and they tend to email you more coupons. Also look at their page on Facebook. It's crazy how many products now have pages on a social website. Make sure you like their page and every now and then you will see links to coupons show up on your news feed. Some grocery stores also have pages and will do the same thing.
Other money savers in an RV: One of the biggest costs I've found is the laundry mat. In this RV park the machines only cost $1.50 a load which is cheaper then I've seen elsewhere but it still adds up and you will find yourself looking in the sofa for quarters on a tight week. When we used the laundry mat it usually cost us $18 a week in laundry. When we bought this RV we saved money by buying an older RV and fixing it ourselves. With that savings we bought a washer dryer combo that was designed for RV's and runs off of 110v. Below is a link to where you can find them for sale but this isn't where we bought ours. We found ours used on Craigslist for $400 and it was only 6 months old.
http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/splendide-2100xc-washer-dryer-combo-white/37344
http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites look under appliances or do a search
Another GREAT money saver for us is making our own laundry detergent. All the supplies cost around $20 (depending on where you shop) and our washer only takes one tablespoon an load. This laundry detergent lasts us about 6 month. Try that with Tide! Here is a link to how to make the laundry detergent and another for fabric softener.
http://www.howdoesshe.com/cheaper-and-better-diy-laundry-detergent/
http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2013/07/homemade-fabric-softener-finally.html
If you haven't yet you should really check out Pinterest when you can. There are amazing DIY's for most everything from home made shower cleaner to home made shaving cream.
Another thing that will save you a lot of money is buying in bulk but there is a drawback in the fact that that requires more storage. My husband and I are lucky in the fact that we have to bunk beds in the back to stack things like bulk toilet paper and paper towels but not all RV's are that lucky. There is also the little used storage under the bed. The problem with that is it's a bugger to pick the thing up. A helpful thing, if you can afford it is bed lift kits. These are rods that you mount under the bed that help raise it. They look like what you would find on a hatchback car.
http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/large-bedlift-kit/66716
Monday, September 30, 2013
Homeless to RV
This is a post I should have started with and thought of while writing the last post. When you find yourself homeless and 300 miles from everything you own don't freak out. I have a few helpful ideas to help you along the way.
First off if like us you put what you can in storage, make sure you get the smallest storage unit you can for your stuff. Before becoming homeless cull everything you can that you know you can later replace. We lived 4 months in the old house just off the money I made from selling things on Craigslist. One thing to remember is not to over price what you are selling. Remember this is an object not a memory. Also if you store it what would it cost in storage and could it be nicely replaced later with a newer model cheaper then the storage cost of it.
When we packed the truck we packed one week's worth of clothing, two weeks worth of food, meds, toiletry, towels, pet's needs, medical paperwork, important documents for starting over and finding employment, and cooking items like and electric skillet and microwave so if need be we could plug in somewhere and cook. Also if taking pets remember they will need their shot records.
Now before we became homeless we knew about 3 weeks before that this was where we were going to end up by the end of the month. There was nothing left to sale and no one to go to for help. So at the beginning of March I started planning for life living in a tent or the truck. We started looking for other cities to live in because the town we lived in in North Carolina all the industry was gone and the town is dying.
I decided I would like to live somewhere flat and warm for medical reasons. See I have a list of medical problems and the doctor wanted me to walk a lot and that's hard when you live in the mountains and cold makes you hurt worse so we decided on south Georgia because I'm originally from the Atlanta area. See this is were a lot of people screw up. We were willing to relocate to where there were jobs not where we knew or where our family was. We ended up in Brunswick because it was one of 7 different cities we were looking at where there were jobs and the first to find a place to live.
After find our target city I then started planning on living in our truck or a tent. I start culling our stuff and selling the cheaper items to thrift store for one low price to buy camping supplies. Other stuff went in storage. I also went online to find boat docks where we could park our truck without being bothered by the police and shopping centers. Then I looked at camp grounds to check the prices of places to set up and tent because then I thought this was going to be short term and my husband would have a job within two weeks and we would be in an apartment. It doesn't happen that fast.
While checking camp grounds I discovered about the work camper program and came to understand that if you own and RV you can live in the campground for free in exchange for working there a few hours a week. This sounded great but we didn't have an RV so I contacted the campground where I am now about staying in a tent spot and explained about losing our home. Well my email wasn't returned so I went on planning to live in the truck with 3 dogs, 1 husband, and a cat. Then 2 days before climbing in our truck to live the campground called us and offered us one of their RV's to live in for free in exchange for work. This was a dream come true.
To find something like this first find your target city or cities that you plan to relocate to and then look for RV parks. Call and talk to the owners. Be honest about how you ended up in this situation and how you are trying to rebuild your life. There are no promises of an RV but they may let you stay in a tent location.
Once you get to your destination you will quickly realize all the things in storage that you need, like sheets, more clothes, food,... this list can go forever. Once again don't freak. We needed sheets and went to a local food pantry and didn't ask but told the lady that we needed this and to find out they had a set to give us. Mind you they didn't match but who cares when you are in need. As for clothing we found another church that had a clothing event for the needy and they helped us out. I was extremely happy about this because upon moving I lost of 30 pounds in 2 months.
Now it's time to rebuild and one of the quickest ways is to get to know your neighbors. In RV parks you will find 4 different kinds of people; the one's like you that can't afford anything else, the work travelers they stay long enough for a current job and then move as they job moves, the vacationers (these can be good or bad), then the Canadians (yes they deserve their own group and I'm not explaining why because not all deserve that grouping, just most). The first two groups are where you will get the most help. The ones down on their luck like you tend to know the area and where people are hiring but be careful of this group, a lot of these people are also vultures and thieves and will use you if you let them. The working group is great but most tend to stick to themselves. This group has the inside on jobs where they work. A lot also know of other companies hiring because more or less these are modern day gypsies and they move with the job.
Another source is the RV park office. You will find it tends to be a hangout spot for some locals and RV old timers. They tend to know somebody who knows somebody that knows somebody that's hiring. Sometimes they are hiring themselves.
Also I should note that you need to be prepared when moving to make sure you have all the tools you will need for the job you are looking for. If the job requires you to have tools they don't care if you are down on your luck and your tools are 400 miles away, because there are at least 10 other guys looking for that same job that have the tools already.
Good sources to also look for work are the local labor department, newspapers (online is best because more papers tend to be linked into the same source), Facebook (you will be amazed but there are pages for local employment), and Craigslist. Be the most careful about Craigslist because you don't know who is posting that ad so don't give out vital information online. Tell them that due to security risks you will provide that information during the interview. This also shows them that you are responsible.
As for finding local food banks and clothing banks look online for resources. Here are a few good links:
http://feedingamerica.org/foodbank-results.aspx
http://www.suntopia.org/
http://www.foodpantries.org/
you can also check with the local church and they may be able to help. Please remember not to abuse these services because there are so many people in need lately and when possible return to favor by giving to the people that helped you.
So now you have a roof and food you need furniture. Here is an unlikely source for furniture but believe me they can help you... Apartment complexes. I'm telling you because my sofa and dishes came from there. See people abandon apartments and tend to run owing money and they leave behind their items. Then by law they have to hold these items for so long encase the person comes back and then they throw the items away. I kid you not! We got our stuff in exchange for a little hard work. See the apartments pay maintenance men to clean out the apartments. We made a deal that we would clean it out for free in exchange for the stuff left behind and would throw the rest away. So we got what we needed and they got free labor. Most apartment complexes won't and don't do this but it doesn't hurt to ask.
We have also exchanged work for things we need too. Like cleaning someone's RV inside and out for groceries, driving people around town in our truck in exchange for gas money. There are ways to rebuild without being a blight on society. We have never gotten food stamps or rental assistance. I do get disability now but don't think that's they way to go because unless you used to make millions a years and paid in millions more then you aren't going to get enough to live on. Mine is enough to cover the doctor's bills most months.
First off if like us you put what you can in storage, make sure you get the smallest storage unit you can for your stuff. Before becoming homeless cull everything you can that you know you can later replace. We lived 4 months in the old house just off the money I made from selling things on Craigslist. One thing to remember is not to over price what you are selling. Remember this is an object not a memory. Also if you store it what would it cost in storage and could it be nicely replaced later with a newer model cheaper then the storage cost of it.
When we packed the truck we packed one week's worth of clothing, two weeks worth of food, meds, toiletry, towels, pet's needs, medical paperwork, important documents for starting over and finding employment, and cooking items like and electric skillet and microwave so if need be we could plug in somewhere and cook. Also if taking pets remember they will need their shot records.
Now before we became homeless we knew about 3 weeks before that this was where we were going to end up by the end of the month. There was nothing left to sale and no one to go to for help. So at the beginning of March I started planning for life living in a tent or the truck. We started looking for other cities to live in because the town we lived in in North Carolina all the industry was gone and the town is dying.
I decided I would like to live somewhere flat and warm for medical reasons. See I have a list of medical problems and the doctor wanted me to walk a lot and that's hard when you live in the mountains and cold makes you hurt worse so we decided on south Georgia because I'm originally from the Atlanta area. See this is were a lot of people screw up. We were willing to relocate to where there were jobs not where we knew or where our family was. We ended up in Brunswick because it was one of 7 different cities we were looking at where there were jobs and the first to find a place to live.
After find our target city I then started planning on living in our truck or a tent. I start culling our stuff and selling the cheaper items to thrift store for one low price to buy camping supplies. Other stuff went in storage. I also went online to find boat docks where we could park our truck without being bothered by the police and shopping centers. Then I looked at camp grounds to check the prices of places to set up and tent because then I thought this was going to be short term and my husband would have a job within two weeks and we would be in an apartment. It doesn't happen that fast.
While checking camp grounds I discovered about the work camper program and came to understand that if you own and RV you can live in the campground for free in exchange for working there a few hours a week. This sounded great but we didn't have an RV so I contacted the campground where I am now about staying in a tent spot and explained about losing our home. Well my email wasn't returned so I went on planning to live in the truck with 3 dogs, 1 husband, and a cat. Then 2 days before climbing in our truck to live the campground called us and offered us one of their RV's to live in for free in exchange for work. This was a dream come true.
To find something like this first find your target city or cities that you plan to relocate to and then look for RV parks. Call and talk to the owners. Be honest about how you ended up in this situation and how you are trying to rebuild your life. There are no promises of an RV but they may let you stay in a tent location.
Once you get to your destination you will quickly realize all the things in storage that you need, like sheets, more clothes, food,... this list can go forever. Once again don't freak. We needed sheets and went to a local food pantry and didn't ask but told the lady that we needed this and to find out they had a set to give us. Mind you they didn't match but who cares when you are in need. As for clothing we found another church that had a clothing event for the needy and they helped us out. I was extremely happy about this because upon moving I lost of 30 pounds in 2 months.
Now it's time to rebuild and one of the quickest ways is to get to know your neighbors. In RV parks you will find 4 different kinds of people; the one's like you that can't afford anything else, the work travelers they stay long enough for a current job and then move as they job moves, the vacationers (these can be good or bad), then the Canadians (yes they deserve their own group and I'm not explaining why because not all deserve that grouping, just most). The first two groups are where you will get the most help. The ones down on their luck like you tend to know the area and where people are hiring but be careful of this group, a lot of these people are also vultures and thieves and will use you if you let them. The working group is great but most tend to stick to themselves. This group has the inside on jobs where they work. A lot also know of other companies hiring because more or less these are modern day gypsies and they move with the job.
Another source is the RV park office. You will find it tends to be a hangout spot for some locals and RV old timers. They tend to know somebody who knows somebody that knows somebody that's hiring. Sometimes they are hiring themselves.
Also I should note that you need to be prepared when moving to make sure you have all the tools you will need for the job you are looking for. If the job requires you to have tools they don't care if you are down on your luck and your tools are 400 miles away, because there are at least 10 other guys looking for that same job that have the tools already.
Good sources to also look for work are the local labor department, newspapers (online is best because more papers tend to be linked into the same source), Facebook (you will be amazed but there are pages for local employment), and Craigslist. Be the most careful about Craigslist because you don't know who is posting that ad so don't give out vital information online. Tell them that due to security risks you will provide that information during the interview. This also shows them that you are responsible.
As for finding local food banks and clothing banks look online for resources. Here are a few good links:
http://feedingamerica.org/foodbank-results.aspx
http://www.suntopia.org/
http://www.foodpantries.org/
you can also check with the local church and they may be able to help. Please remember not to abuse these services because there are so many people in need lately and when possible return to favor by giving to the people that helped you.
So now you have a roof and food you need furniture. Here is an unlikely source for furniture but believe me they can help you... Apartment complexes. I'm telling you because my sofa and dishes came from there. See people abandon apartments and tend to run owing money and they leave behind their items. Then by law they have to hold these items for so long encase the person comes back and then they throw the items away. I kid you not! We got our stuff in exchange for a little hard work. See the apartments pay maintenance men to clean out the apartments. We made a deal that we would clean it out for free in exchange for the stuff left behind and would throw the rest away. So we got what we needed and they got free labor. Most apartment complexes won't and don't do this but it doesn't hurt to ask.
We have also exchanged work for things we need too. Like cleaning someone's RV inside and out for groceries, driving people around town in our truck in exchange for gas money. There are ways to rebuild without being a blight on society. We have never gotten food stamps or rental assistance. I do get disability now but don't think that's they way to go because unless you used to make millions a years and paid in millions more then you aren't going to get enough to live on. Mine is enough to cover the doctor's bills most months.
Still storage crazy
When we lost our home on March we put everything in storage over 300 miles from here, loaded the truck and came here. Since then we've bought what we have to have because we can't afford to go get our things. Then we keep talking about what are we going to do with all that stuff?? We don't want to pay for storage for the rest of our lives and if we learned anything from losing our home and almost becoming homeless is this, possessions are just things and although you like and want them they do not control your life and you can live without them.
So yesterday while sealing off the old gas vents on the side of the RV we started talking about the back room of the RV. In there are a set of built in bunk beds, a small floppy table, two benches, and two small closets (one that is useless due to the tilt of the back of the RV unless you use baby hangers). We know the bunks have to stay because the lower bunk houses the water and electrical below it and the upper is wonderful storage. We also have to keep on closet because it's linked into the bathroom. We however don't need the rest.
So what we are thinking is to take out the benches, table, cabinets above the table and extra useless closet. In it's place we will put floor to ceiling shelving and a lot some room for my husband's tool cabinet since he needs his tools for work (Maintenance man). This will allow for more storage of stuff located in the storage until, ex.. extra sheets, clothing, junk!
As for the rest of the items we've already started finding them homes from 300 miles away because why would we keep a household washer, dryer, 2 deep freezers (we are keeping one), entertainment center... The are just fodder for a fire because they would never fit in an RV. The big plan is to get rid of what we can before moving the rest. Then bring the rest here and putting it short term in a storage building. Then we can go through everything and sort it out. Then sale what we can and give the rest to a mission here in town.
So yesterday while sealing off the old gas vents on the side of the RV we started talking about the back room of the RV. In there are a set of built in bunk beds, a small floppy table, two benches, and two small closets (one that is useless due to the tilt of the back of the RV unless you use baby hangers). We know the bunks have to stay because the lower bunk houses the water and electrical below it and the upper is wonderful storage. We also have to keep on closet because it's linked into the bathroom. We however don't need the rest.
So what we are thinking is to take out the benches, table, cabinets above the table and extra useless closet. In it's place we will put floor to ceiling shelving and a lot some room for my husband's tool cabinet since he needs his tools for work (Maintenance man). This will allow for more storage of stuff located in the storage until, ex.. extra sheets, clothing, junk!
As for the rest of the items we've already started finding them homes from 300 miles away because why would we keep a household washer, dryer, 2 deep freezers (we are keeping one), entertainment center... The are just fodder for a fire because they would never fit in an RV. The big plan is to get rid of what we can before moving the rest. Then bring the rest here and putting it short term in a storage building. Then we can go through everything and sort it out. Then sale what we can and give the rest to a mission here in town.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Here Come the holidays!
Before life in an RV I was all about the holidays. Starting the day after my birthday at the end of September. When we had a home I would go all out on Halloween decorations. Followed by non stop homemade gifts for Christmas of cakes, candies, knit scarves and hats, and crocheted blankets. Then the day after Thanksgiving is I was gun ho in Christmas decorations. Well I'll be darned if that's going to stop me in an RV.
Today I decorated (or started decorating) for Halloween. I have stuff all over the outside of the RV. My husband thinks it's stupid but I think it's fun. I still have to get my large plastic pumpkin up on top of the RV but there it time.
As for homemade gifts I really don't have anyone to give one to this year. I do plan on making some pies and cakes for a few people but nothing major. There just isn't enough room in the RV for that kind of stuff.
Then comes Christmas... There is no room in here for a tree and I'm not going to try. I would like to get one for outside but my husband frowns about that. I also keep joking about going trailer trash chic this year and putting lights all over the outside of the RV but I think the RV park would have a fit since we don't pay for the electric. We'll see and I'll post about it more.
Today I decorated (or started decorating) for Halloween. I have stuff all over the outside of the RV. My husband thinks it's stupid but I think it's fun. I still have to get my large plastic pumpkin up on top of the RV but there it time.
As for homemade gifts I really don't have anyone to give one to this year. I do plan on making some pies and cakes for a few people but nothing major. There just isn't enough room in the RV for that kind of stuff.
Then comes Christmas... There is no room in here for a tree and I'm not going to try. I would like to get one for outside but my husband frowns about that. I also keep joking about going trailer trash chic this year and putting lights all over the outside of the RV but I think the RV park would have a fit since we don't pay for the electric. We'll see and I'll post about it more.
Storage Crazy
This week I've been trying to come up with new storage solutions for the kitchen. So I decided to store the glass cooking pot lids with command hooks like I had seen online. The only problem was the example online they stored them on the inside of the cabinet doors but my most used lid was far to large so I decided to hang it on the blank wall beside the sink.
I did like the directions said and cleaned all the surfaces with rubbing alcohol. This was easy because I'm diabetic so there is always alcohol pads around here. Then it said to wait 8 hours and I did that. So the next day I hang my pot lid with satisfaction then was rudely awakened in the middle of the night as the glass lid slammed onto the floor. Thank you Jesus for not letting it break!
My husband wouldn't accept failure so today he put the hook back up and drove one inch screws through the buggers. They won't be falling again. Oh and to explain how you use the hooks for lids... you put one hook for below the lid and one on either side to support.
Since this I've gone crazy with command hooks. I know have two in the bathroom for our towels because there is no towel bar. I put another on the side of the fridge for my emergency radio, then crocheted a strap for the radio to hang by. Now there is something everyone should own. This emergency radio has a power cord and internal battery but it also has a place for AA batteries and a hand crank. Then it has a CB radio, flashlight, weather band, and charging spot for your cell phone. I love my little radio but I've now seen on Amazon ones with solar chargers.
My next project was something to hold the lids to my plastic storage containers. I again looked on Amazon but thought I could find something else locally and re purpose. So off I went to Walmart and I first looked in storage solutions but that was no good. Then I looked in stationary thinking a magazine holder would work but they are to narrow. So then I was a box they were throwing away. It's shaped like a magazine holder but wider. Well I didn't want the ugly box in the cabinet so I bought some paint. Finally! That useless art major was good for something.
So I get home and paint my box with two good coats and let it dry. Then I go to put it in the cabinet and it is to darn sticking long. Ugh! I have no idea at the moment what I will do with it but I find something. Now for the lids I'm thinking of one of those old fashioned slim bookends like you used to could find in libraries. Problem is I haven't seen them in years.
I did like the directions said and cleaned all the surfaces with rubbing alcohol. This was easy because I'm diabetic so there is always alcohol pads around here. Then it said to wait 8 hours and I did that. So the next day I hang my pot lid with satisfaction then was rudely awakened in the middle of the night as the glass lid slammed onto the floor. Thank you Jesus for not letting it break!
My husband wouldn't accept failure so today he put the hook back up and drove one inch screws through the buggers. They won't be falling again. Oh and to explain how you use the hooks for lids... you put one hook for below the lid and one on either side to support.
Since this I've gone crazy with command hooks. I know have two in the bathroom for our towels because there is no towel bar. I put another on the side of the fridge for my emergency radio, then crocheted a strap for the radio to hang by. Now there is something everyone should own. This emergency radio has a power cord and internal battery but it also has a place for AA batteries and a hand crank. Then it has a CB radio, flashlight, weather band, and charging spot for your cell phone. I love my little radio but I've now seen on Amazon ones with solar chargers.
My next project was something to hold the lids to my plastic storage containers. I again looked on Amazon but thought I could find something else locally and re purpose. So off I went to Walmart and I first looked in storage solutions but that was no good. Then I looked in stationary thinking a magazine holder would work but they are to narrow. So then I was a box they were throwing away. It's shaped like a magazine holder but wider. Well I didn't want the ugly box in the cabinet so I bought some paint. Finally! That useless art major was good for something.
So I get home and paint my box with two good coats and let it dry. Then I go to put it in the cabinet and it is to darn sticking long. Ugh! I have no idea at the moment what I will do with it but I find something. Now for the lids I'm thinking of one of those old fashioned slim bookends like you used to could find in libraries. Problem is I haven't seen them in years.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
When it rains it pours
Literally when it rains it pours. My husband thought he had gotten all the leaks in the roof fixed but alas we have two new leaks. They aren't bad ones and they are around the vents so they aren't causing major damage, just annoying. Now if the endless rain would stop so we can get up there and fix them. Other then that we've been to busy (or I should say my husband is to busy) to do any major projects right now.
I on the other I keep making honey do list for my husband. I've also been organizing and trying to figure out better ways to store things. To find out there is more room in here then you think if you just plan where to put things. Do to my husband constantly losing the remote control I've been doing home made projects too.
For the remote I took and shower gel bottle and cut it in half. Then I cut a dip in the front and had my husband screw it to the wall beside the sofa. Now it has a home but that's got me thinking of doing similar projects inside the bathroom cabinet for toothbrushes and makeup and such. Then again behind the kitchen sink for the sponge. I just drill holes in the bottle of that one. I also thought of putting another beside the bed for pens and crochet hooks since I'm always loosing those.
This one I didn't decorate because we plan to eventually paint the inside of the RV but future ones I will decorate. I'm a crafty person and know I can either paint them, mod podge them, or even glue fabric to them to match the curtains.
This is the identical to the bottle I used for my remote control holder. Just cut it in half.
It's a little hard to see since it's clear, but this is my remote control holder. It's screwed to the wall with two 2 inch screws.
I on the other I keep making honey do list for my husband. I've also been organizing and trying to figure out better ways to store things. To find out there is more room in here then you think if you just plan where to put things. Do to my husband constantly losing the remote control I've been doing home made projects too.
For the remote I took and shower gel bottle and cut it in half. Then I cut a dip in the front and had my husband screw it to the wall beside the sofa. Now it has a home but that's got me thinking of doing similar projects inside the bathroom cabinet for toothbrushes and makeup and such. Then again behind the kitchen sink for the sponge. I just drill holes in the bottle of that one. I also thought of putting another beside the bed for pens and crochet hooks since I'm always loosing those.
This one I didn't decorate because we plan to eventually paint the inside of the RV but future ones I will decorate. I'm a crafty person and know I can either paint them, mod podge them, or even glue fabric to them to match the curtains.
This is the identical to the bottle I used for my remote control holder. Just cut it in half.
It's a little hard to see since it's clear, but this is my remote control holder. It's screwed to the wall with two 2 inch screws.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
You can see some of the changes we have made. We took out the fridge cabinet to house a larger refrigerator. We removed the oven and hot water heater (neither worked) and put the washer dryer combo under the cabinet there. The table and benches were missing in the kitchen when we bought it so we put a foldable table there to hold our electric appliances. We also put a queen bed in a full bed's spot taking up walking space. The love seat is where the built in sofa used to be. Then we put in the coffee table. I'm not sure what was originally in it's spot but the tire well is there so we cut the back legs off a coffee table and screwed it into place there. The window above the coffee table also houses a window AC since the original AC doesn't work.
Future plans include putting in an in line water heater, taking out the shower and putting shelving there (we can use the bath house and the shower doesn't work plus my husband is to tall), and making some type of storage unit for the top bunk.
Not meaning to upset
I was messaged today and told I don't know what it's like to live in an RV because I have mine set up in a park and don't travel with it. I'm sorry but you are wrong. My husband and I lived in a tractor trailer with two dogs for a year. That is MUCH less space than any RV out there.
I can tell you this you can live cheap in a tractor trailer too if you have an inverter. We did and had a microwave under the bunk and used a electric skillet also. That's when you learn creative cooking. Like Rice a Roni, you can dice any meat and dump it in and let it cook together.
No I don't know everything about RV life but this is my story and my blog about my husband and I going from homeless to rebuilding our lives in and RV. I want to show people there is hope when they are facing homelessness. I'm not the only one doing this. A neighbor in the park is in a small converted van style RV. She's in there with her husband and four kids. The people next to us loss everything also and are in a nicer RV with the husband, wife, and two kids.
Me I was lucky I came up with enough money to buy and rebuild an old RV. As for traveling the RV is road worthy with a few repairs and some sway bars installed. It's why we bought it, because it means we will never be homeless again and looking for a place to park our truck for the night were we won't be arrested with our dogs (3 at that time) and our cat.
I can tell you this you can live cheap in a tractor trailer too if you have an inverter. We did and had a microwave under the bunk and used a electric skillet also. That's when you learn creative cooking. Like Rice a Roni, you can dice any meat and dump it in and let it cook together.
No I don't know everything about RV life but this is my story and my blog about my husband and I going from homeless to rebuilding our lives in and RV. I want to show people there is hope when they are facing homelessness. I'm not the only one doing this. A neighbor in the park is in a small converted van style RV. She's in there with her husband and four kids. The people next to us loss everything also and are in a nicer RV with the husband, wife, and two kids.
Me I was lucky I came up with enough money to buy and rebuild an old RV. As for traveling the RV is road worthy with a few repairs and some sway bars installed. It's why we bought it, because it means we will never be homeless again and looking for a place to park our truck for the night were we won't be arrested with our dogs (3 at that time) and our cat.
Friday, September 20, 2013
Pets in an RV (traveling or not)
For awhile my husband and I drove tractor trailers together and our pets went with us and now they live in our RV with us also so I wanted to give some tips for the animal lovers.
If you are traveling with you pet there are some important must that you have to have.
-Up to date vet records and shot history (I advice keeping it in a plastic sleeve)
-ID tags, both rabies and name and phone number tag (it's required in most states)
-Give your pets bottled water when on the go (due to mineral changes in water, local water can make them sick to their stomach)
-Puppy pads (no matter if they are trained or not you made need them in an emergency)
-No spill water bowls
-Dog bed and blankets
If you are living in your RV it's a lot easier. It's just like living at home but you need to know your RV parks rules and follow them unless you want a visit from the pound or to be kicked out.
Cats do great living inside an RV also but I wouldn't advice letting them be outdoor cats because of the number of strays you find in RV parks. This leads to your cat being picked up by the pound, diseases, and unwanted kittens if your cats not altered.
One thing I can recommend buying for your hat are window seats. RV's don't have window ledges but they sale cat seats that adhere to the window with suction cups that makes my cat very happy.
Another thing a lot of RV people do is to alter a lower cabinet for the cat(s). They put the litter box inside and then place a rubber flap in a cut out in the cabinet door for the cat to go through.
Exercising is a must for your dogs when living in an RV because you don't have much room. Luckily most RV parks have a dog walking area. One thing you need to watch out for is dogs with yellow ribbons on their leashes. This is a sign that the dog is aggressive but not many people know that.
If you are traveling with you pet there are some important must that you have to have.
-Up to date vet records and shot history (I advice keeping it in a plastic sleeve)
-ID tags, both rabies and name and phone number tag (it's required in most states)
-Give your pets bottled water when on the go (due to mineral changes in water, local water can make them sick to their stomach)
-Puppy pads (no matter if they are trained or not you made need them in an emergency)
-No spill water bowls
-Dog bed and blankets
If you are living in your RV it's a lot easier. It's just like living at home but you need to know your RV parks rules and follow them unless you want a visit from the pound or to be kicked out.
Cats do great living inside an RV also but I wouldn't advice letting them be outdoor cats because of the number of strays you find in RV parks. This leads to your cat being picked up by the pound, diseases, and unwanted kittens if your cats not altered.
One thing I can recommend buying for your hat are window seats. RV's don't have window ledges but they sale cat seats that adhere to the window with suction cups that makes my cat very happy.
Another thing a lot of RV people do is to alter a lower cabinet for the cat(s). They put the litter box inside and then place a rubber flap in a cut out in the cabinet door for the cat to go through.
Exercising is a must for your dogs when living in an RV because you don't have much room. Luckily most RV parks have a dog walking area. One thing you need to watch out for is dogs with yellow ribbons on their leashes. This is a sign that the dog is aggressive but not many people know that.
Turning an RV into a home
If you don't plan to move your RV unless needed then there are so many things you can do to it, like we did. For one, gone is the RV toilet and enter a porcelain goddess of a toilet.
The other thing is to make your own space and a lot of that will do with the RV park you are in. In this RV park half the park is dedicated to the "over nighters" and the other half is for extended stay renters. On the extended stay side there are people like us that just can't afford to live in a house. Then there are the short term one that are only here for the season or while working at a job locally.
We were lucky enough to get one of the back in spots on the side of the park. These are harder to rent because most people can't or won't back their RVs. The spot we have is a lot wider then other spots because of the trees which makes it perfect because it has a yard and a place for my chihuahuas to play.
In the RV there is just my husband and I but we are both large people living in a little space and after awhile it's stops becoming home and becomes the tin can. That's why outside we have a swing and a table and chairs. I jokingly call it the living room and the living room in the RV is the sitting area or TV lounge.
You really need to have some space for quiet and reflection away from your loved one or the marriage won't last in my opinion. This way I can use my laptop outside or in and crochet in both places too and it also gives my husband room away from me. It will be even nicer when we can get a awning for it.
To make it a home inside I recommend painting over those horrid printed walls or put up new panelling like a lot of the other RV'ers around here do. Also I recommend remodeling the kitchen like we did to make rooms for things you really need or use, like a larger fridge. Then decorate baby!
Another thing we plan to do is to remove the shower. I know it sounds crazy but my husband is to tall for it for one and for another it's already broken. In its place we are going to put more storage in the way of shelves and use the existing shower stall and put a shower curtain up to hide it all. This will be perfect for linens.
Another thing we plan to do is convert the second bedroom to storage. I know you are thinking "second bedroom?" but this is a 37 foot travel trailer not a 5th wheel so it has a second bedroom with bunk beds, two small closets, and a small table with bench seating.
We plan to keep the table and benches because it's a great place to do my crafts and the benches have storage. We also have to keep the lower bunk because of the electrical and tank below it, but we haven't decided how we want to make storage for the top bunk yet. Right now things are just crammed in there along with the kitty litter box.
The other thing is to make your own space and a lot of that will do with the RV park you are in. In this RV park half the park is dedicated to the "over nighters" and the other half is for extended stay renters. On the extended stay side there are people like us that just can't afford to live in a house. Then there are the short term one that are only here for the season or while working at a job locally.
We were lucky enough to get one of the back in spots on the side of the park. These are harder to rent because most people can't or won't back their RVs. The spot we have is a lot wider then other spots because of the trees which makes it perfect because it has a yard and a place for my chihuahuas to play.
In the RV there is just my husband and I but we are both large people living in a little space and after awhile it's stops becoming home and becomes the tin can. That's why outside we have a swing and a table and chairs. I jokingly call it the living room and the living room in the RV is the sitting area or TV lounge.
You really need to have some space for quiet and reflection away from your loved one or the marriage won't last in my opinion. This way I can use my laptop outside or in and crochet in both places too and it also gives my husband room away from me. It will be even nicer when we can get a awning for it.
To make it a home inside I recommend painting over those horrid printed walls or put up new panelling like a lot of the other RV'ers around here do. Also I recommend remodeling the kitchen like we did to make rooms for things you really need or use, like a larger fridge. Then decorate baby!
Another thing we plan to do is to remove the shower. I know it sounds crazy but my husband is to tall for it for one and for another it's already broken. In its place we are going to put more storage in the way of shelves and use the existing shower stall and put a shower curtain up to hide it all. This will be perfect for linens.
Another thing we plan to do is convert the second bedroom to storage. I know you are thinking "second bedroom?" but this is a 37 foot travel trailer not a 5th wheel so it has a second bedroom with bunk beds, two small closets, and a small table with bench seating.
We plan to keep the table and benches because it's a great place to do my crafts and the benches have storage. We also have to keep the lower bunk because of the electrical and tank below it, but we haven't decided how we want to make storage for the top bunk yet. Right now things are just crammed in there along with the kitty litter box.
Why I say living in an RV is cheap
When we lived in North Carolina this is what our bills cost for a two bedroom house:
Rent $475
Electric $140
Water $60
Cable $104
Cell Phones $90
Internet $80
Food $300
In an RV in an RV park:
Lot Rent $425
Electric included in rent
Water included in rent
Cable included in rent after $40 cable box deposit
Internet included in rent
Cell Phones $90
Food $300
See the almost $400 difference? Really we have it even cheaper then that thanks to the work camper program that pays our rent, electric, cable, and internet.
When you find yourself almost homeless like we did, this is the way to rebuild your life.
Rent $475
Electric $140
Water $60
Cable $104
Cell Phones $90
Internet $80
Food $300
In an RV in an RV park:
Lot Rent $425
Electric included in rent
Water included in rent
Cable included in rent after $40 cable box deposit
Internet included in rent
Cell Phones $90
Food $300
See the almost $400 difference? Really we have it even cheaper then that thanks to the work camper program that pays our rent, electric, cable, and internet.
When you find yourself almost homeless like we did, this is the way to rebuild your life.
Eating cheap when living in an RV
First off I refuse to buy propane. It's to expensive and a pain to change out tanks. The only propane we use is on the gas grill. So how do we cook? Electric baby! First off electric is included in the price at most RV parks so you are saving yourself a lot of money right there.
In our kitchen area the table and benches were missing when we bought the RV. Which saved us time because we would have ripped them out anyway. In it's place I bought a heavy duty folding table with plywood on top to hold all the items I put on the table.
On the table I have a standard size microwave, a toaster/convection oven, coffeemaker, and hotplate. All these items are electric. I bought a long plug in bar so they can all stay plugged in and not have to be moved BUT unless you want to blow your breakers don't use the larger items together. Also store in the kitchen is an electric skillet and an electric griddle. So really I can cook most everything I could have cooked in the stove except a turkey but I can cook a turkey breast.
As most women know you need to buy items when they are on sale and I still do. To store these items I have plastic shelves under the table and a tablecloth to hide it all. For more storage I have to largest fridge I could fit which is a smaller fridge but much bigger then and RV fridge or dorm fridge. This allows me to freeze more items. As soon as we can get an awning we will also move our deep freezer out of storage and put it under the awning.
So unlike a standard RV kitchen, there is no need for excessive eating out. My husband and I are poor and don't get government assistance for food. We have learned to eat very cheap and don't even use coupons.
In our kitchen area the table and benches were missing when we bought the RV. Which saved us time because we would have ripped them out anyway. In it's place I bought a heavy duty folding table with plywood on top to hold all the items I put on the table.
On the table I have a standard size microwave, a toaster/convection oven, coffeemaker, and hotplate. All these items are electric. I bought a long plug in bar so they can all stay plugged in and not have to be moved BUT unless you want to blow your breakers don't use the larger items together. Also store in the kitchen is an electric skillet and an electric griddle. So really I can cook most everything I could have cooked in the stove except a turkey but I can cook a turkey breast.
As most women know you need to buy items when they are on sale and I still do. To store these items I have plastic shelves under the table and a tablecloth to hide it all. For more storage I have to largest fridge I could fit which is a smaller fridge but much bigger then and RV fridge or dorm fridge. This allows me to freeze more items. As soon as we can get an awning we will also move our deep freezer out of storage and put it under the awning.
So unlike a standard RV kitchen, there is no need for excessive eating out. My husband and I are poor and don't get government assistance for food. We have learned to eat very cheap and don't even use coupons.
Trade for electrical work
In the RV park where we are located there is a gentleman that does electrical work for the owners in exchange for rent. Well my very smart husband bartered with him for electrical work. An 18 pack of beer and then a 12 pack of beer when the first ran out. Great deal right?!
So he comes to the RV and we are thinking this is going to cost a fortune. Then the guy says it's all due to the safety plug in the bathroom. You know the plugs with the breaker in them. So he works a few minutes and all problems are repaired. But I think he felt guilty for not doing more so he sent me to town for supplies and put us two more plugs in the kitchen area, where the table was supposed to be.
So if you have any problems with electrical this gentleman says always to check the bathroom plug first.
So he comes to the RV and we are thinking this is going to cost a fortune. Then the guy says it's all due to the safety plug in the bathroom. You know the plugs with the breaker in them. So he works a few minutes and all problems are repaired. But I think he felt guilty for not doing more so he sent me to town for supplies and put us two more plugs in the kitchen area, where the table was supposed to be.
So if you have any problems with electrical this gentleman says always to check the bathroom plug first.
Furnishing an RV with everyday furniture
When buying furniture for an RV measure 3 times and then let someone else measure twice but don't do like us and forget to measure the door!
When we bought this project my husband saw apart and removed the foul smelling built in sofa. We had a nice sofa and decided to just put it in it's place, or so we thought. After my husband removed the built in sofa we discovered the tire well and knew no sofa was going to fit there without being sawed in the back. The problem with our sofa was that it had two recliners on either end so we couldn't saw on it. So then my very smart husband decides to build a platform for the sofa to set on so it sets above the tire well. Problem solved? No
To find out our sofa was too long. So on the day we decide to move it in my husband and a friend were trying to figure out how to get it through this tiny little door. So when they flipped it over I saw it was all connected with two metal bars and suggested them taking them off. Then I suggested they remove the center section of the sofa and reconnect the two end recliners side by side and saw off the extra metal. Wala a love seat was made and fit perfectly.
So then off we go to the store to buy the largest fridge you could dream of fitting in an RV. See my husband took out the fridge cabinet area where the original fridge was to make room for a larger fridge. So once again he measures again and again and we order our fridge to be delivered the next day. Then we went and bought a washer dryer combo (that you see in RV magazines). So the next day my husband decides to put both in and realizes nothing is going through that door, even if you took the framing off. So here he's wondering where to buy a larger door and how to make room for it between the two windows and has an epiphany! He decides to take out the large window instead!
So then with the help or some neighbors he lifts the fridge and washer/dryer through the window and puts the window back in. But lets talk about the washer dryer combo. I will recommend anyone wanting a washer dryer in your RV to go with a stackable if you can spare the room. The problem with the washer dryer combo is it only does a very small load and take over three hours to wash and dry each load. However it does do a good job.
We ended up taking out the gas oven and gas hot water heater because they needed replacing. So where they were located in the kitchen area we put the washer dryer combo in their place. This way we could plumb right into the sink and drain and there is an outlet right there.
When we bought this project my husband saw apart and removed the foul smelling built in sofa. We had a nice sofa and decided to just put it in it's place, or so we thought. After my husband removed the built in sofa we discovered the tire well and knew no sofa was going to fit there without being sawed in the back. The problem with our sofa was that it had two recliners on either end so we couldn't saw on it. So then my very smart husband decides to build a platform for the sofa to set on so it sets above the tire well. Problem solved? No
To find out our sofa was too long. So on the day we decide to move it in my husband and a friend were trying to figure out how to get it through this tiny little door. So when they flipped it over I saw it was all connected with two metal bars and suggested them taking them off. Then I suggested they remove the center section of the sofa and reconnect the two end recliners side by side and saw off the extra metal. Wala a love seat was made and fit perfectly.
So then off we go to the store to buy the largest fridge you could dream of fitting in an RV. See my husband took out the fridge cabinet area where the original fridge was to make room for a larger fridge. So once again he measures again and again and we order our fridge to be delivered the next day. Then we went and bought a washer dryer combo (that you see in RV magazines). So the next day my husband decides to put both in and realizes nothing is going through that door, even if you took the framing off. So here he's wondering where to buy a larger door and how to make room for it between the two windows and has an epiphany! He decides to take out the large window instead!
So then with the help or some neighbors he lifts the fridge and washer/dryer through the window and puts the window back in. But lets talk about the washer dryer combo. I will recommend anyone wanting a washer dryer in your RV to go with a stackable if you can spare the room. The problem with the washer dryer combo is it only does a very small load and take over three hours to wash and dry each load. However it does do a good job.
We ended up taking out the gas oven and gas hot water heater because they needed replacing. So where they were located in the kitchen area we put the washer dryer combo in their place. This way we could plumb right into the sink and drain and there is an outlet right there.
Rebuilding the wreck starting with the water damage and leaks
The day we went and picked up the RV my husband was hot to buy it, and why not! He used to be in construction. Normally I'm the one to scream "I want it! I want it!" but this time that roll goes to my husband. I kept trying to point out all the problems and my husband was a kid in the candy shop. Paying the man without negotiating. Heck my husband agreed if they would blow up the two flat tires. Then we tried to get the wreck on the road and if the flat tires weren't bad enough, it also didn't have any brake lights. Throwing care to the wind we drove it back to the RV park in that state and my husband fighting it the whole way because it didn't have sway bars either.
The next day we got right to work. First off my husband repaired the damage to the wall and floor. It's not as scary as it sounds. There are wood studs in there just like in a real home and he had to remove some and replace them and seal the leak that started the whole mess.
Then he tackled the floor. He pulled up all the old carpet and linoleum. Then we put peel and stick linoleum tile in its place. Before you say "Ugh! Peel and stick flooring?" go look at Lowe's or Home Depot. They have some very nice tiles now. What we bought we were lucky to get on clearance for $.80 a tile with a lifetime warranty. If you go this route I recommend some VERY good knee pads because that part killed my husband's knees. Also don't cut towards your fingers and so my husband learned.
Next came the roof. Off my husband sends me (a clueless city girl) to the store to buy roof tar and Koolseal. Clueless me came home with wet patch and found the Koolseal at Walmart. To find out my wet seal mistake ended up being a blessing since it kept choosing to rain. But alas a few wet seal patched and two coats of Koolseal later the roof was back to normal.
The next day we got right to work. First off my husband repaired the damage to the wall and floor. It's not as scary as it sounds. There are wood studs in there just like in a real home and he had to remove some and replace them and seal the leak that started the whole mess.
Then he tackled the floor. He pulled up all the old carpet and linoleum. Then we put peel and stick linoleum tile in its place. Before you say "Ugh! Peel and stick flooring?" go look at Lowe's or Home Depot. They have some very nice tiles now. What we bought we were lucky to get on clearance for $.80 a tile with a lifetime warranty. If you go this route I recommend some VERY good knee pads because that part killed my husband's knees. Also don't cut towards your fingers and so my husband learned.
Next came the roof. Off my husband sends me (a clueless city girl) to the store to buy roof tar and Koolseal. Clueless me came home with wet patch and found the Koolseal at Walmart. To find out my wet seal mistake ended up being a blessing since it kept choosing to rain. But alas a few wet seal patched and two coats of Koolseal later the roof was back to normal.
How did we get in this mess?
We moved into an RV after the loss of our home back in March. It was quite an adjustment going from a two bedroom house into a very small RV. See we were very lucky and got on a work camper program were they allowed us to live in one of their RV's. To someone facing homelessness this was a true blessing.
The first RV we were in was a very old Winnebago. The toilet leaked and breakers blew every few seconds. Plus there was no hot water but it was a roof over our heads. Then after a month we asked the owners of the RV park if we could move into another one of their RV's. This one was a very old 30 foot travel trailer. Complete with window, door and window leaks. It also had a great view of the ground on each side of the RV where the walls were pulling free.
Here we lived until two weeks ago and this RV was our learning curb. The problem with this RV is it wasn't ours nor did the owners want to spend money on repairs. Then two weeks ago I found an old 37 foot travel trailer on Craigslist for $1400. Just let me tell you that you get what you pay for.
I will try to blog each update seperate for those wanting to know how to do these thing but I will tell you now everything that was wrong with the travel trailer when we bought it. The biggest problems were leaks in the roof and some poor prier leak repairs, rotted floor by the door in the main area along with major rotting in the wall above it, the rear door would not latch, the gas stove and water heater were rusted out, the toilet and shower handle were broken, it needed a mattress on the main bed and the bunk bed's mattress were gone, the fridge was missing, along with the microwave, the ac didn't work, and a breaker in the bathroom was shorting out all the electrical.
So why did we buy it? Easy we were technically homeless and this gave us a place we could fix up ourselves and call it home.
The first RV we were in was a very old Winnebago. The toilet leaked and breakers blew every few seconds. Plus there was no hot water but it was a roof over our heads. Then after a month we asked the owners of the RV park if we could move into another one of their RV's. This one was a very old 30 foot travel trailer. Complete with window, door and window leaks. It also had a great view of the ground on each side of the RV where the walls were pulling free.
Here we lived until two weeks ago and this RV was our learning curb. The problem with this RV is it wasn't ours nor did the owners want to spend money on repairs. Then two weeks ago I found an old 37 foot travel trailer on Craigslist for $1400. Just let me tell you that you get what you pay for.
I will try to blog each update seperate for those wanting to know how to do these thing but I will tell you now everything that was wrong with the travel trailer when we bought it. The biggest problems were leaks in the roof and some poor prier leak repairs, rotted floor by the door in the main area along with major rotting in the wall above it, the rear door would not latch, the gas stove and water heater were rusted out, the toilet and shower handle were broken, it needed a mattress on the main bed and the bunk bed's mattress were gone, the fridge was missing, along with the microwave, the ac didn't work, and a breaker in the bathroom was shorting out all the electrical.
So why did we buy it? Easy we were technically homeless and this gave us a place we could fix up ourselves and call it home.
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