I’m up late and up early to prepare for the photography session for my house.
Ann, my agent, is here before the photographer ‘just to see how things look.’ Her quick preview evolves into her sweeping the entire street in front of my house and hauling off bags of leaves. (Not my yard – the street. Should I have thought to sweep the street?)
Secret Roommates
She brings in more flowers and more vases from her car. Then a loud rumbling across the ceiling. We both glance upward.
Ann, “Jennifer, I think you might have something living your attic.”
“Yeah, I just noticed that about a week or two ago. I think it might be a squirrel that moved in during the cold spell.”
Ann, “You’ll either have to take care of that now or at inspection.”
It wasn’t a squirrel. It was a rat infestation.
So, $185 dollars later and I should no longer have rats in the attic.
Family members have told me that I really have to worry about the high maintenance costs of an RV.
Are those RV maintenance costs going to be more or less than those that I’ve recently incurred with this house?
***
Countup: 51 one days of… for the love of God someone get me a drink!
Countdown: 107 days until I move into my RV!
Auto mechanics classes start in less that a week!
My house will be officially listed this weekend!
.
11 Comments
“Family members have told me that I really have to worry about the high maintenance costs of an RV.”
LoL! I always have to laugh at people when I hear this comment. I’ve had people tell me the same thing a time or two. Now of course there is going to be maintenance to an RV but more than a HOUSE? No.
The important thing is to get yourself into an RV that is in good shape already. Then you will just simply maintain it and keep it in good shape. Of course every once in awhile you may run into an “unexpected” cost for some type of repair. But that’s why you have a budget for repairs/maintenance when living in a house on wheels. No different than the budget a homeowner should have set aside for roof, pool, furnace repairs. Sounds to me that your family is, yet again, just trying to detour you from achieving your ultimate dream (sounds all to familiar to me). Don’t let them use the scare tactic on you.
There is always a cost to living whether you live in a house, RV, car, tent, or under a bridge. It’s called life. There is no escaping reality. The nice thing about living in an RV is that you will find your “cost of living” will decrease dramatically. That is if you keep tight reigns on buying stuff you don’t need. Remember to only buy necessities. The occasional gift for yourself (or your RV) is acceptable. It’s a skill you must master and it’s not easy.
I’m glad you got the rat problem under control. Ugh. Just another reason to not want to live in a “sticks & bricks” home. Rodents.
“51 one days of… for the love of God someone get me a drink!”
Remain strong and bake some cupcakes! That may take your mind off of a drink for a bit. OK, I know cupcakes are not the same as a glass of wine they are still so yummy! 
Try it.
Noooo! You are doing so well don’t fall off the wagon now!
“My house will be officially listed this weekend!”
Yes! Positive vibes coming your way to get that thing SOLD!
Enjoy your day. I hope you are getting some rest.
“Are those RV maintenance costs going to be more or less than those that I’ve recently incurred with this house?”
Well, that depends. If the RV is as old as your house, probably more.
)
It is true that RVs are a wasting asset. They tend to cost like houses and wear like cars. The most expensive items on the “house” parts are the fridge and the air conditioner. Each will cost around $1000- $2000 to replace. You can expect them to last 10 years before you start having serious problems, aside from accidents. The “car” part will last as long as you might expect of any large van or truck driven in the same way.
According to Quicken, in 9 years and 135000 miles I have lost an average of about $4400 a year on repairs, parts, depreciation, and maintenance on my trailer and truck. Depreciation is the big item. I consider that a minimum, as I had pretty good luck. And I had a blast.
All will depend on the condition of the rig you buy. Every RV has some unpleasant secrets, whether new or used. Expect used ones to have been parked and neglected for a few years. You will probably spend $3000 or so right away to bring it up to snuff. Tires alone on a Class C are at least $200 apiece. And there are 6 of them.
RVing is not cheap. But it is cheaper than living in houses, and a lot more fun.
When you get serious about a unit, I recommend having a mechanic check it over. That may cost a couple of hundred, and save you thousands in a sale price negotiation. On the RV part, take it to an RV specialist for a similar inspection. A friend of mine suggested these folks if you buy in Houston:
http://www.rvmastersinc.com/services.html
I personally know nothing about them. I offer them up only as the TYPE of service you should seek out.
Bob
1) When buying used look for a motorhome that has been driven on a regular basis. Low mileage on an 8 year old RV is NOT a good thing. A used RV needs to show at least 6-8,000 miles per year on the odometer. Mechanical things need to be used on a regular basis, otherwise they will break more quickly.
2) Look for complete maintenance/repair records. If they are not available, then you’ve probably got one that’s been sitting.
3) Tires should be no older than 3 years…..typically, RV tires should be replaced every 5-7 years regardless of how they look. If the seller has proof of when the tires were installed then the next step is to have the date codes on the tires checked by a mechanic. The date code will tell you when the tires were made.
4) If you have gotten this far and you think this is the one, then plan on doing a complete walk through checking every appliance, the generator, and every other system. You can obtain a checklist of what you should look for on RV.net. Additionally, it would be good to have someone with you who knows RV’s, other than the seller. This walk through can take the better part of a day if you do it right. Be sure it is already said up for towning….should have a 10,000 lb. hitch.
5) If you get past that hurdle,then have the drive train checked by a certified mechanic. This, as others have said, will cost up to $200,but is worth it.
Man, rats. What next? Hang in there!
RV Maintenance, look at the big picture, are you having as much fun in your house as you would in an RV?
Would you see as much?
Would your quality of life improve?
Maintenance is maintenance, wherever you are. Period. No getting around it.
Equate that with the quality of life and living your dream? No contest.
Not that it is the life for everyone, some people love the idea of the house, the safety, the comfort of the every day and nothing changing.
Change is hard for some.
But if your dream is to own an RV and travel? Expect a few expenses here and there.
Do your preventative maintenance now, look at motorhomes with low miles, signs of leaks around the roof and windows, oil spots under the motorhome, age of your tires (noted on the tire itself) these little things will help alot.
Hopefully your RV will last and as long as you take care of your investment, it should be fine.
I have seen lots of people living in, travelling in, older Motorhomes.
Most have replaced this, and that, but at least they don’t have increasing income taxes, worry about the housing market (if you need to get out of it), and stress over the increase in the interest rates, the economy etc.
For me? that is everything. The less stress.
I anticipate there will be some stress, I would be a fool to think there wasn’t, but there is more quality of life, which to me, can’t be measured.
Period.
I hate rats, be careful in the RV too, bugs and rodents know when you arrive, so being cautious with your food and your entry points, you should be fine.
Check out Wandering Willy http://wanderingwillystravels.blogspot.com/
he recently ran into killer bees, sugar ants…. perils of living on the road.
And Tioga George
http://blog.vagabonders-supreme.net/
He just replaced his fridge again, and has done recent maintenance on his older motorhome (in mexico where they were cheap but not so quick).
Your mechanics course should really help with alot of that!!!
A) I feel compelled as a lurker here for a while to write and congratulate you for your continuing sobriety. Well done
B)The fridge on a smallish class C can easily be fixed (with a remanufactured, good as new) cooling unit for LESS than 1000 dollars.
C) The A/C unit on the roof of the same smallish class C can be replaced with a brand new unit for less than 1000 dollars.
D)correctly sized and rated tires for this class C motorhome do not have to cost 200 dollars each, last time I checked. Especially if you are a member of Costco store.
E) You and others should not HAVE TO spend any substantial money after the purchase of a used motorhome IF you choose the right one. Spending thousands after the purchase price should only be done if it is priced accordingly.
F) Good luck finding a smallish gasoline powered class C motorhome with a 10k hitch rating.
G) Do not point any prospective buyers of your home to this blog. It might cause them to continue looking.
These are all my opinions and might not be shared by others. If you were to need a repair on a future RV, always perform your due diligence. Just because you are a female (or a male) does not mean you should be taken advantage of when it comes to pricing of labor (or parts for that matter). One can only be screwed if one allows it.
Good luck with your house sale
Thank you, all, for the feedback. It means so much to me to hear from you all – old friends and new posters!
Take care,
Jennifer
“Just another reason to not want to live in a “sticks & bricks” home. Rodents.”
Our 35footer had rats when we bought it. Well, I should say I had *dead* rats when we bought it. I guess they realized this and took care of it but didn’t get rid of the bodies.
Rats can (and will) get into your trailer if you do not take care of it. From what I can tell they were getting in through the holes where the jacks went through and making a sweet nest in some old rags. The gap was only 1/4th of an inch wide-if that! Luckily they were just living in the front storage compartment, but if they wanted to they could have easily chewed their way into the rest of the trailer.
Just keep it clean! Everything in storage containers! As for the other costs associated – Maintenance is the key – especially if you get a diesel. There are a ton of articles out there about “buying a used rv” (come to think of it I should write one!).
The first thing I ALWAYS check for is water damage. Climb up on the roof, check the seals and push on the edges of any equipment up there (A/C, vents, etc). On the inside, push on the walls – if they give, there’s a problem. Push on every wall around the windows. Look at the cracks and crevasses. Bring a rag so you can wipe the dirt away and see what’s lying underneath.
If the salesmen tries to distract you ignore them or tell them to fuck off. If they’re trying to distract you it’s probably because there’s damage anyway!
As soon as you get in there and start turning over cushions, opening up all the cupboards, and testing the appliances you’ll know if it’s the right (or wrong) RV. Don’t let them say “oh everything works, I promise, it’s just such a pain to get it plugged in, the cord isn’t long enough”. 
If it were me, I’d be checking craigslist and ebay every day until I found “the one”. It takes a bit of searching and time but it is out there – just waiting for you!
Hopefully they sealed the house up to prevent more rats from entering. If they just threw out some poison, then you will be in for a surprise when they start dying in the walls and attic.
I used to do that for a living, so I am pretty saavy at getting rid of those little creatures. I’ve had to do it in BOTH of my houses.
The fun part is… the bigger and more expensive the house, the more likely they have an infestation. I did always enjoy the rich folks who lived in 5,000 square foot homes that found out they had huge rats living in their attics. They were always devastated.
“Just another reason to not want to live in a “sticks & bricks” home. Rodents.”
What I meant by this comment is that there are many more hiding places in a “house” for rodents to find a place to live. And in a “house” you will probably not even know you have a rodent problem until it’s too late or out of control. Ewwww. As long as you are a clean/tidy person you will never have a rodent issue in your RV. The majority of the time rodents get into RVs is when they sit for long periods of time without being used or the person living inside the RV leaves food laying around (including cat/dog food) and doesn’t properly clean up after themselves. Just be aware of every inch of your RV and you will never have a problem.
I found a dead one on my engine when I was working on it a couple of weeks ago. I know there was one down in the storage bays too because the previous owner left a blanket wadded up in the back of one and there was a nice sized nest in it. Ew. We haven’t seen any live ones or new activity yet.