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Old 08-19-2016, 05:10 PM   #1
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2015 25' FB International
San Ramon , California
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Full Timing in The Bay area

Hello Everyone,
Haven't posted since last year before our 10000 mile journey through the US. Had an awesome trip.
After 4 months volunteering in India, and the past 5 months in Northern Alberta working as a wildfire lookout observer, looks like our life is taking yet another turn for the interesting.
My wife has begun to feel a little stir crazy and decided to enter back into the workforce.
She has taken a job at Facebook.
We would like to try living in the AS. Has anyone done the full-time thing in The Bay Area?
We are looking at a few RV parks, but are hoping for recommendations. Coyote Valley looks real nice, but it is quite a long commute from Menlo Park.
Also, we will have to 'import' our Ford as well as the AS. From what I have been able to research, there shouldn't be a problem. But if anyone has experience with this, I would really appreciate any input.
Thank you for the help.
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Old 09-01-2016, 09:50 AM   #2
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I stayed at Coyote Valley in Morgan Hill for almost 2 years while working in Santa Clara. I found it to be the best overall option for working in Silicon Valley. The location is convenient, its well maintained, and the staff is helpful. Pick a spot in the back though, there's a train that comes through across the street a couple times a day that is much louder if you're in the front. You hardly notice it in the back. It's probably too far to commute to San Francisco though.

I would check out Marin RV Park in Greenbrae, Ca. Its near Sausaulito just over the Golden Gate Bridge. If you don't want to drive you can take a ferry to the City, then hop public transportation. This would be my choice if I took a job in the city. The sites aren't that big, but big enough for a trailer and truck. Anything close to the city is going to be mostly asphalt and close proximity.

There are a couple of RV Parks in and around the city (Candlestick and San Francisco RV Parks). Candlestick is in the city so its not rustic or relaxing, but its in the city if that's what you're looking for. SFO RV Park has nice ocean views but is a parking lot, the spaces are small, and I've heard that the salt air can wear on your rig if you're there long enough.
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Old 09-01-2016, 10:02 AM   #3
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Sorry, I just saw Menlo Park.... I thought Facebook was the south side of San Francisco....

In that case you might want to look around Half Moon Bay. Pelican Point is a very nice family owned RV Park. The commute over rt 92 can be slow. Its a single lane road that will get backed up at the peak commute times (7a-9a, and 4p-6p)

Its a toss up whether Pelican Point or Coyote Valley will be a longer commute. Pelican Point is shorter but 92 will slow down the commute. You should pick the one that fits where you'd want to live. Pelican Point is more rustic and Half Moon Bay is a nice little community.

There is a trailer park in Redwood City, Trailer Villa, that isn't too bad for short stays. But its a typical city RV Park/Mobile Home park. According to reviews its had crime issues in the past. I was there once and it's ok for a couple of nights when I need close access to work in Redwood City.
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Old 09-01-2016, 10:14 AM   #4
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You could also try Fairpark RV in Pleasanton. It's about an hour's commute to Facebook.
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Old 09-01-2016, 10:34 AM   #5
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I can't give you a park recommendation. What I would say is that the traffic in the Bay Area is excessive. Find a place that limits the commute or has good access to mass transportation.

Good luck. Pat
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Old 09-01-2016, 12:17 PM   #6
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We spent four days last week at Coyote Valley RV Park. We were in a premium site in front near the Old Monterey Highway. It was VERY noisy. As mentioned by a previous poster, go for a Deluxe site in the back. You'll hear Hwy 101 but it's much further away.

Also, you might want to consider Villa Trailer Park in Redwood City. It is a mobile home park with four rows of new rv spaces next to the bay. It has a great restroom/shower facility. We've stayed there a number of times. Better than Coyote Valley in our opinion. Just make sure that you keep your Airstream well waxed. You'd be next to the salt ponds.

S.F. RV Park in Pacific would also be within reach of Menlo Park. Again, you would want to be away from the sea wall. We fried a very expensive surge protector on a corroded electrical tower there. Also, salt damage could be an issue.

We are still searching for the perfect Bay Area park. Will be following this thread with interest.
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Old 09-01-2016, 02:23 PM   #7
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I second that Fairpark RV in Pleasanton is a good place to stay. The 2 issues you'll run into are 1) they currently limit you to 21 day stays, and 2) the commute to Menlo Park can be very difficult from Pleasanton. It has taken me 2 hours+ on multiple occasions to get to Menlo Park from there, Rts 580 and 880 are usually congested most of the day. The commute will be multiple lanes heavily congested and aggressive lane changes from other drivers.... I find it stressful. I haven't found a good time of day to go there from Pleasanton. Unfortunately dealing with traffic will be an issue wherever you choose to stay in an RV, Menlo Park is in the center of commuter activity. Trailer Villa may be the best choice from a commute standpoint.

If you chose this options, there's a nice State Park in Castro Valley that I've used when I exceed the 21 day stay at Fairpark RV. You'll just need to move to the State Park for a week them come back to Fairpark RV.

Fairpark RV can get very full and noisy when there are events at the Convention Center, you'll also get noise from the events occasionally.

-Doug
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Old 09-04-2016, 02:38 PM   #8
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Thank you Everyone

Wanted to say a huge thank you for all the replies/suggestions.
We are going to try out Trailer Villa for the first couple of weeks to see how we like it.
Curious about the whole safety issue in the area. My wife will be staying by herself for 1-3 months at a time. Could anyone who has stayed at Trailer Villa comment on this?
Also, when a suggestion of keeping the AS good and waxed, just how often would one be wanting to do this. And is there a suggested wax that I should be looking at?
Thanks again
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Old 09-04-2016, 03:53 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kalidas View Post
Wanted to say a huge thank you for all the replies/suggestions.
We are going to try out Trailer Villa for the first couple of weeks to see how we like it.
Curious about the whole safety issue in the area. My wife will be staying by herself for 1-3 months at a time. Could anyone who has stayed at Trailer Villa comment on this?
Also, when a suggestion of keeping the AS good and waxed, just how often would one be wanting to do this. And is there a suggested wax that I should be looking at?
Thanks again
We've overnighted at Trailer Villa a couple of times. We've stayed in either the first or second (of 4) rows dedicated to what I believe were short term people mostly in class A motorhomes. I felt safe.

I use Glare wax. Airstream sells it but you can also buy from Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Glare-Plus-Pr.../dp/B004GOZ1X2
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Old 10-27-2016, 12:00 AM   #10
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The SF Bay Area is very difficult housing / camping environment, both from a safety and price perspective. To give you an example, people here would not even think about leaving a laptop bag in a vehicle, instead we always drag them with us into restaurants, shopping, etc.

Crossing the golden gate bridge every day will drive most anyone crazy, so anything north of SF is not likely to work out.

I live in Pleasanton (30 years now), and work from my home. I looked at buying a small RV or trailer to use as an "office away from the house" space, including at the RV park at the Pleasanton Fairgrounds, and it is more complicated than it first appears.

Not only are you subject to the 21 day restriction, but there is also the inconvenient unmentioned fact that they kick everyone out whenever there is a major event so that they can charge higher user rates. Some examples include July 4 (for nearly a month as it leads up to and after the event), Christmas, Halloween, car shows, RV shows, etc. Unfortunately, you just cannot count on using it as a living or even work space.

It is hot in Pleasanton, nearly at or over 100F in the summer nearly every day. I live 10 minutes from the fairground, so it is the same temperature there as at my house.

I know that google and some others run commuter buses from the fairgrounds area to the site in Mt View / Menlo Park area, not sure about FB.

If you are serious about a willingness to pay $50 / day for space, contact me privately and I might have another option that is more interesting. I have not posted enough times yet on this forum to send PMs, so it might be better to include a phone number or other contact method.

What is the total length of your AS?
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Old 10-27-2016, 12:07 AM   #11
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It is not a big deal to "import" a vehicle into CA, but they are picky about the smog aspect.

In order to pass the smog testing:
- Cannot have modified the exhaust or pollution controls system. I had done this on a car, and it turned out to be easier to sell it in the state I lived in rather than try to bring it into CA.
- There cannot be ANY engine lights or alarms at all. If you have an engine light or the car computer detects a fault (of any kind, even not related to smog) then they will not pass your vehicle until it is "clear".

Like everything in California, they like tax and fee money. The older the vehicle, the lower the license fees. If you own a newer vehicle, the license fee + taxes can be $4 - 500 easily.
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Old 10-27-2016, 12:13 AM   #12
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It is not a big deal to "import" a vehicle into CA, but they are picky about the smog aspect.

In order to pass the smog testing:
- Cannot have modified the exhaust or pollution controls system. I had done this on a car, and it turned out to be easier to sell it in the state I lived in rather than try to bring it into CA.
- There cannot be ANY engine lights or alarms at all. If you have an engine light or the car computer detects a fault (of any kind, even not related to smog) then they will not pass your vehicle until it is "clear".

Like everything in California, they like tax and fee money. The older the vehicle, the lower the license fees. If you own a newer vehicle, the license fee + taxes can be $4 - 500 easily.
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Old 10-27-2016, 03:20 AM   #13
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FYI the commuter train line which runs between San Francisco and San Jose [the old Southern Pacific -- not sure what it is called now] used to be a popular mode of N/S commuter travel when I lived there decades ago. I assume it is even handier now. FB probably has a shuttle bus between the MP station and its campus.

This rail part of the commute could make RV parks near the city "closer" to work if you take the car out of the equation. From Marin, a daily commute on a ferry then to the train would not be out of the question, but time-consuming for sure. Very dependant on the schedules aligning, for the desired time of day.

By the way, when BART was planned, the designers wanted it to run down the Peninsula, but as I understand it the wealthy folks in Atherton put the kibosh on that last link in a circle line around the Bay Area. Now we are paying for the omission with a hodge-podge commuter system on the Peninsula.

Good luck!

Peter
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Old 10-27-2016, 04:33 AM   #14
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Caltrain runs south to Gilroy now, but not sure what the commuter schedule is south of San Jose.

http://www.caltrain.com/stations/systemmap.html

Amazing that the weekday trains do not stop in Atherton!

ACE runs from Stockton in the east to Santa Clara and San Jose, and there is a Stanford bus link at the Fremont BART stop apparently. Depending on timing, this could open up possibilities in the East Bay IMO.

http://www.acerail.com/images-draft/...sit_Map-1.aspx

Does FaceBook offer shuttles to oddball areas like the western parts of San Francisco near the ocean, then down I-280 in a reverse commute? At certain times of day, this might be OK.
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