Tiny house

[Lynzsey]

I'm currently in South Bend for an assignment, and thinking Cali next. Which I would find housing there.

Has anyone bought a tiny house and used that to travel with? Just wondering if it would be a pain to have that vs finding housing every 3 months. And would I have to stay in a campground the entire time?

I just know the housing is so expensive in Cali. But I also do L& D so I know my pay is going to be a tad higher than most.

So if anyone has a tiny house and has some input that would be great!!

[muirite]

I am an RV'ER but I did a try a tiny home for a bit. Towing a tiny home is a PITA. Also some rv park's will not welcome tiny homes.

I loved the tiny home but I had so many problems with being turned away from nicer parks it was annoying. Not having tanks was a large part of the problem.

If you go during high season the cost of an rv space will be outrageous in some parts of Cali. We stayed at one place that was more than a nice hotel during high season (800 week), They price so high to keep weekends open for the big dollar travelers.

[NedRN]

That would be a wild way to travel!

Yes, RV parks for regular campers can be very expensive, meaning as much as $900 a month in some populous areas of California. I've never heard of $800 a week before, but I can certainly believe that is possible - just not for travel nurses!

I'm not an RVer but have good friends who are. RVs are also expensive to buy, maintain, and drive/haul. Just like travel nursing (except for lucky L&D travelers), you don't really do it about money, but because you like the lifestyle. It won't save you money, but the luxury of always being "home" and not having to pack and unpack is priceless to those who do it.

I will point out that perhaps like tiny homes (I'm guessing as I didn't know people traveled with them), you can sometimes land a spot on private property to park an RV at significantly lower cost. Sometimes you see them advertised on Craigslist, or you can put up your own ad - and feel lucky if someone sees it. The way my brain works, I scout out such possibilities bicycling around and ask the owner directly (for a friend). Often it is easy to connect to a home sewer system, but if not, going to dump once a week is not that hard although RV owners hate to move once set up (secure all the dishes et cetera, and disconnect is not for some). You can also park for free in national forests and in many cities if you are willing to put up with no hookups (running a generator, using satellite for internet/TV, and driving to a dump station and refilling potable water).

[Argo]

I would not use a tiny home. What a pain to tow. I have a Travel Trailer, it is very nice and I paid just over $30k, the sticker was $54k. You can easily talk them down on pricing when you are shopping. Get a 4 season/polar package. I look for free places to park if I can, some hospitals actually have free RV parking on site. I will also camp in BLM/NFS land for free. I only have to dump and fill tanks ever 3-4 weeks, gas every 2-3 months, as I am frugal with my usage and will shower at work(I am in OR and they all have full shower facilities as a standard). Get a solar set up for under $1000 and you can go generator free.

Get a membership to a camping club and you can camp for virtually free. I am with Thousand trails and they have quite a few realy nice campsites in Northern Cali that are either free or $3/night for me.

[Lynzsey]

That's awesome! I just hate the fact that I'm leaving my house with all my personal touches in it every few months. So I'm trying to figure out a better way to travel. A way that I can be mobile but still have it decorated like home. It's still something I'm thinking about. Gotta weigh all the options.

[Argo]

Finding an RV park is just like anything else, there is one for every budget with anything from no amenities to full country club style amenities.

I like being able to just hook up my trailer and move on though without the hassle of packing stuff, loading and unloading/unpacking.

[katy_cat5]

Hi Lynzsey,

I was just wondering if you decided to proceed with the tiny house plan or forgo the idea? My husband is looking to get into travel nursing by early 2019 and we have been thinking that traveling the country in a tiny house could be a lot of fun. Our tentative plan would be to move to a new city approximately every three months...but I would like to talk to someone else who has done similar to see what they would recommend or any pitfalls they found themselves in.

Thanks!

Katy

[Wolf at the Door, BSN]

There was a travel nurse on TV last year that bought a tiny home to move around the USA. It was on HGTV. Try to catch the episode to give you all insight on the pros and cons and what to consider when purchasing such home. You possible could look her up on the internet. google search tiny home "travel nurse tiny home hgtv". Moving the home was very costly.

[Supernurse17]

I would love to hear about the areas you have recently stayed? What is your favorite state? National Park? I love the fireplace in your trailer

[Wolf at the Door, BSN]

Tiny House Travel: Tips, Tricks and Stories from the Road

[julicabr6731]

I'm so happy i found this. I'm very interesting in doing the same thing in my future. I just graduated from nursing school. It would be cool to get any information and just know how everyone is doing with their tiny home/ RV's

[ShelleyFl]

This is very informative, thank you!