I'm out of the house and living in an RV park

DianaCox

Bad Cop
Joined
Dec 30, 2013
Messages
6,343
Location
San Jose
Posting here just because it is more private - just in case robbers or my stalker would like to know.

I'm just going to repost my FB post, so to my FB friends - nothing new to see here:

My home (with three cats) for the next several weeks, first alone while Charles finishes making repairs to the house and painting, and then he will join me down here (43 miles from our house) while the house is staged and I hope quickly sold after a vigorous bidding war.

I am quite self-contained in this little old RV, except for the shower. I can take the litter box out, and shower here if necessary, but then I pay for the propane to heat a not-very-satisfying amount of hot water, and the resort has showers I can use. So I'll just hop in the car and drive over to use their hot water.

I'm quite electronically self-contained as well. I have A/C, three fans, a HEPA air filter (to keep me from choking on cat fur), fridge, freezer, microwave, stove with three burners, a small gas oven, hit and cold water dispenser, two TVs (and an extra one to watch outside if I want), computer, cell phone, 2 hotspots, cell booster, and - if I can figure out how to connect it - a babycam that can tilt and pan with a temperature monitor so I can leave the cats alone for a while without worrying about a power failure or our A/C going out.

I'm terrified, but as prepared as I can be.

Our spot - both cars fit.
13015118_10153610790866173_4628586721767065310_n.jpg


Our block.
13055302_10153610791476173_2707263887115051794_n.jpg


I'm sitting at the dinette, looking forward - on the dash is the electric cat fountain and big fan; small cat tree in front of Charles; several other cat hiding/sleeping places, like the laundry basket with fluffy blanket, behind the curtains they cat sit on the dashboard and look outside, and under and behind the three chairs.
12994474_10153610791471173_3935457514991089904_n.jpg


Looking back towards the bedroom - dinette with computer, sink, Breville coffee maker, stove with cutting board to extend counter space, microwave above, and fridge and freezer behind the stove, and the back of the water dispenser.
13012885_10153610791946173_4003369349800301988_n.jpg


Bed with cat.
13007291_10153610791981173_3859895505857118564_n.jpg


View from back corner of bedroom including second TV, and weird reflection off water dispenser that is from the cat food dispenser.
13006729_10153610792441173_8021328307747477845_n.jpg


Not yet organized bathroom. Litter Genie is a tidy way of allowing me to use real TP, which should not be flushed into the RV holding tanks.
12993408_10153610792451173_8135981688012379749_n.jpg


Shower, adapted for litter box and second Litter Genie for controlling odor. And Febreeze. Charles is going to build a shelf to go over the cat box for a little more storage.
12993365_10153610792646173_8375440627804911457_n.jpg
 
We did a month-long trip, staying 1-5 nights at each place and driving 3000 miles last fall. We had a blast. This is going to be stationary and with me here alone for a few weeks most of the time.
 
Last edited:
Yes, I forgot about that. You will be just fine.

I have a 10 day trip planned in our 5th Wheel for August. I am curious to see how I do on my own. Hubby will drive it to the spot for me, stay the weekend then head home to work for the work week. He will drive back to spend the next weekend with me and then pull the rig home. I have never stayed in ours for more than 3 nights in a row. I am used to a lot of space, our house is 5,300 sq. ft. and I get a little stir crazy in the 5th Wheel. We are almost ready to downsize but not to the 5th Wheel.
 
Looks like you've got a sensible plan. There is sure to be quite a period of adjustment to the challenges of tight spaces but you two and cats will do fine. (I guess Costco-sized shopping becomes a thing of the past as there's nowhere to put 36 rolls of TP and ottoman-sized mayonnaise jars.) If I recall from other posts, your plan is to buy a towable trailer with 2 toilets? That will seem palatial after this. I'm learning a lot from you. In my RV fantasy (never having actually been in an RV camp), I envisioned a serene area as shown in the RV mfg ads: trees, lake, meadow although I suspected they were more like parking lots. You have a couple of trees and some green stuff around you which is great. (Does one hear every sound from adjacent RVs?) Oh, very clever idea to use the litter genie (looks smaller than a diaper genie?) for real TP.

Fingers crossed for a fast house sale.
 
Yes, I forgot about that. You will be just fine.

I have a 10 day trip planned in our 5th Wheel for August. I am curious to see how I do on my own. Hubby will drive it to the spot for me, stay the weekend then head home to work for the work week. He will drive back to spend the next weekend with me and then pull the rig home. I have never stayed in ours for more than 3 nights in a row. I am used to a lot of space, our house is 5,300 sq. ft. and I get a little stir crazy in the 5th Wheel. We are almost ready to downsize but not to the 5th Wheel.
5,300 sq ft? Is that all above ground or is some of that basement? Our current house is 3,000 and 4,500 if you counted the basement and it is way too big now that the boys will be gone soon. The largest house in terms of main floor(s) living space was 3,650 but that had no basement.
 
5,300 sq ft? Is that all above ground or is some of that basement? Our current house is 3,000 and 4,500 if you counted the basement and it is way too big now that the boys will be gone soon. The largest house in terms of main floor(s) living space was 3,650 but that had no basement.

2 floors and a basement. In the basement is just a family room, a room with a pool table and the rest, about 1/2 unfinished storage. They build the homes big in our area but, this is even large for this neighborhood. It is just my hubby and I rambling around with 5 bedrooms but, the market tanked and we would have to come up with money to sell, having bought at the height of the market in 2006. So, we will hold on for a while longer.
 
2 floors and a basement. In the basement is just a family room, a room with a pool table and the rest, about 1/2 unfinished storage. They build the homes big in our area but, this is even large for this neighborhood. It is just my hubby and I rambling around with 5 bedrooms but, the market tanked and we would have to come up with money to sell, having bought at the height of the market in 2006. So, we will hold on for a while longer.
We got of our house in Arizona pretty near peak. We made just under $150k in 2.5 years. This current house that has five bedrooms (use one as office) is too big for us too but on a busy road and it really needs $15-$20k of flooring, new counter tops, vanity in master and fixtures through out, so we are going to have a hard time getting what we need out of this place.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top