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spencerin
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# Posted: 21 Nov 2018 08:48pm
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Does anyone have any experience using an RV as a "cabin", or living in it for an extended period of time? I guess it would be the same as owning an RV in a campground. I wouldn't be staying in it for more than a week at a time. I'm thinking about buying a four-season one with a slide or two, dropping it off, and building a shelter above it, with electric, cistern, and septic. It's a less expensive way to get living space, but I'm wondering if they're just too small to feel like a place you want to live/stay in.
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fiftyfifty
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# Posted: 21 Nov 2018 09:01pm
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I think there a lot of people who camp on their land or put on a trailer for years before they build a real cabin. I strongly considered bringing in a 8x20 construction trailer (aka office trailer.) You can pick up used ones fairly inexpensive. I personally prefer them to travel trailers with slides because l like the look better and also fewer places to leak, although I suppose a shelter above it would fix that problem.
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Princelake
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# Posted: 21 Nov 2018 09:08pm
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I bought a 26' travel trailer to use while I build my cabin. There's enough room for 2 to live in if you live simple without tons of clothes and what not. Depending on where you are I highly suggest not staying in it during the winter. They are poorly insulated Will be brutal on propane and will condensate very bad and get water damage. I've seen where people have put small addition on the front with a wood stove and did a skirting around.
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Borrego
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# Posted: 21 Nov 2018 09:16pm
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We lived in an 18 ft trailer while we built our cabin...super tight...... I would never personally live in a trailer for more than weekends during the build period......
Anyone would go nuts unless you're a tweaker or somethin......
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manny
Member
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# Posted: 22 Nov 2018 09:37am - Edited by: manny
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Hey its a mess but it will clean up LOL
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Gone2TheCamp
Member
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# Posted: 22 Nov 2018 09:47am
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How suitable it would be depends on your and your intended use.
An RV doesn't get much smaller than the slide-in truck camper that I've been using, going on 7 years now.
Would I live there? ha! no. Has it provided myself, wife, kids a lot of enjoyment? Absolutely.
For us, the actual camper was a place to sleep. We hung out on the patio, sat around the fire, played in the yard with the dogs, went for walks in the woods, rides on the ATV.... It wasn't full-time for us, so when we were there, the last thing we wanted to do was be inside. AND, we're a 35-minute drive from home, so if the weather is bad enough to force you inside, we'd just go home.
I can't really comment on 'fancier' RVs..hehe...but I've been told by several people that have each owned several of them, "They all leak." So, a roof is a great idea. My old camper only had one leak when I bought it and built the roof over it...this fall when we pulled it out from under the roof it sat in a couple days of rain and it had developed several more leaky spots, without having moved or being exposed to any weather.
Like Princelake says, they will be brutal on propane in the winter (depending on where you live and if your winter is actually WINTER)...I assume condensation too....Mine was horrible for condensation in the winter, but it all collected on the inside of the windows. (Single pane, etc) the walls and stuff all stayed dry and things never felt damp or clammy. But again..my 'RV' versus what you're talking about are two different things.
As far as the room goes..it's like a guy's garage...doesn't matter how big you make it, it'll always be too small. It's all relative.
We obviously have no space for guests, but we didn't build it for guests...We do have friends that come down, and they're very happy to set up a tent to sleep in after an afternoon of washer-toss, refreshments, then a nice evening at the campfire.
If you want to have a look at the roof, etc...
http://www.small-cabin.com/forum/6_2082_0.html
http://www.small-cabin.com/forum/6_2082_0.html
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creeky
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# Posted: 22 Nov 2018 10:28am
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I used a travel trailer for a couple of years. I really liked it in the summer. But boy those things have almost no insulation and even late fall became a struggle.
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manny
Member
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# Posted: 23 Nov 2018 12:43pm
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Added i little more room
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manny
Member
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# Posted: 23 Nov 2018 12:46pm - Edited by: manny
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this summer
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