Boondock & Work, with dogs?

[Strider]

So I have a situation where I need to move out soon. I work 50 miles from home right now.
Hope to get another home in a couple of years or sooner, but in the meantime I need to have lodging for my two dogs and I.

I own two vehicles and am seriously looking at a Scamp trailer (16 footer).
I teach, so summers off.
I am illustrating a comic book and have others, and animation, in the planning stage. Hope to make a living from that in the not too distant future. However, in the meantime, I would like to be closer to work. I also do leathercrafting and model building. The model building would obviously need to go into boxes for now.
Campgrounds are like $600 per month for long term. Even with payments for a Scamp, seems better than plunking out a bunch of money for an apartment that I won't ever own. My main vehicle can to 5,000 pounds, so the Scamp seems like a great choice.

If it's possible, I will boondock at night and park my vehicle/trailer at the school during the day. Only real issue is the dogs being safe during the warm months.
Seems like a better idea to just get a site at an RV park though: less hassles and hookups, so AC for the dogs when it warms up.

I've thought of towing my vehicle, but would only do that on a trailer. At about 6,000lbs, seems like I'd need a diesel Rv and that's a lot. Also, it would be a third engine to take care of.


Posting this to hear opinions and ideas. Just to not reinvent the wheel, or invent a square wheel.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Boondock-white mountains-winter!!! Your dogs are huskies? You stay along 260 and your dogs are not likely to suffer from the heat in the summer! I would worry more about the cold of winter! What you're about 8000ft.? Most frs are closed in the winter so rv park is more likely. Before you jump verify an RV park will rent to you with your intended trailer,in your area.

What you teach? Are you on the reservation?

As an observation, you know what they say about someone that has a bunch of side hustles, right?

 

[Strider]

Boondock-white mountains-winter!!! Your dogs are huskies? You stay along 260 and your dogs are not likely to suffer from the heat in the summer! I would worry more about the cold of winter! What you're about 8000ft.? Most frs are closed in the winter so rv park is more likely. Before you jump verify an RV park will rent to you with your intended trailer,in your area.

What you teach? Are you on the reservation?

As an observation, you know what they say about someone that has a bunch of side hustles, right?

Howdy.
We're at about 6,600 ft. I work by I40.
I am leaning towards an RV park so I can have hookups and heat/AC.

Looking at Casita and others also.

"

you know what they say about someone that has a bunch of side hustles, right?"

I do not.

 

[Strider]

I'm pretty much set on the Casita. It's well built and light. Seems better suited to cold weather than the others-although I know not by a huge margin. It was 8 degrees F this morning here!

Does anyone here know if the standard Casita propane heater creates condensation inside? I know of a heater that is designed differently and cause no condensation, so I could opt out of the standard heater and buy the other type.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

If the heater vents outside your good! In fact they dry the air. CAT or brick heaters release the byproduct of water into the space they are used. Think the Casita has forced air so vented, but you will need to check!

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Down side to forced air is the drain on batteries, and you will be limited on weight.

 

[Strider]

Down side to forced air is the drain on batteries, and you will be limited on weight.

Limited on weight-because of the forced air? Or because of the Casita's payload?

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Payload. Large number of batteries to make it through the night.

My speel is conserve on energy first then figure how to supply power.

This is why most boondockers use heater rather than furnace.

 

[Strider]

I am leaning towards a 22-24' Class C.
I was thinking of when I boondocked in Escondido, CA during my Masters for about a year. Towing a trailer, similar in size to the Casita, around town, parking at school, at a mall, going to eat... was a major PIA. It made me longer than a 22' Class C and much less maneuverable.

In addition, if anything gets sketchy and I need to book it, in a trailer I have to go out into the issue to get to the car. I had this happen once with a psycho woman pounding on my door and screaming that she was going to skin me alive and light me on fire. Good ole' CA, even away from LA!!!

I think that, if traveling, the Casita/trailer is great, but when I have to drive it everywhere while working it's a nightmare. And also really too small for me an two dogs in what could be a year of full-timing while having to work.

If I can get a cheap enough used one, then the payments can be low enough that I can afford to park it in the KOA for extended periods too.

 

[Strider]

By the way... how do I add an image to my symbol there, the icon or whatever it's called. I see a pinkish circle with a C and would like to put in a picture. Going to my profile., I don't see any options to change that image.

 

[offroader09]

Well prices are falling off a cliff so could be a good time to buy.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Likely still early for that advice! I think another 6 months and the repo market will give them to anyone that will take one! No I'm not a pessimist, just a realist!

Well prices are falling off a cliff so could be a good time to buy.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

I am leaning towards a 22-24' Class C.
I was thinking of when I boondocked in Escondido, CA during my Masters for about a year. Towing a trailer, similar in size to the Casita, around town, parking at school, at a mall, going to eat... was a major PIA. It made me longer than a 22' Class C and much less maneuverable.

In addition, if anything gets sketchy and I need to book it, in a trailer I have to go out into the issue to get to the car. I had this happen once with a psycho woman pounding on my door and screaming that she was going to skin me alive and light me on fire. Good ole' CA, even away from LA!!!

I think that, if traveling, the Casita/trailer is great, but when I have to drive it everywhere while working it's a nightmare. And also really too small for me an two dogs in what could be a year of full-timing while having to work.

If I can get a cheap enough used one, then the payments can be low enough that I can afford to park it in the KOA for extended periods too.

Wow! You know you're not supposed to piss off your ex right? I do understand the Escondido thing! Never did much parking lot camping! Don't think I would in Cali in the first place (much to the inhabitants joy there)!!!

It can be just as trying with a motorhome. Just remember on a budget cheaper RVs can leave you without a home if something breaks! A trailer can be towed with a rental truck if needed!

I am happy, you are looking at all the options!!!

 

[Strider]

Wow! You know you're not supposed to piss off your ex right? I do understand the Escondido thing! Never did much parking lot camping! Don't think I would in Cali in the first place (much to the inhabitants joy there)!!!

It can be just as trying with a motorhome. Just remember on a budget cheaper RVs can leave you without a home if something breaks! A trailer can be towed with a rental truck if needed!

I am happy, you are looking at all the options!!!

Yeah I am thinking about the cheaper RV risks etc. as well as having to leave my home for repairs if the engine/trans etc has an issue. Thing is, I can;t tow a trailer much bigger than a casita or R Pod. With a C, I'd get more space. Still figuring this out.