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innjtown · 05-04-2008, 08:15 PM

I'm still new to this idea of living in a travel-trailer, where can I live full-time in one? I have been googling for camp-grounds and rv-parks in NJ, and found a few - but they seem to have weird rules. One camp-ground (Mahlon Dickerson Reservation) says you can only stay there 14 out of 30 days. Another camp-ground is more than $1,000 a month. If I got a TT or RV, where could I l park it to live in? I thought there would be commercial parks that would cater to that.

I have a strong aversion to buying land in NJ, could I lease an acre and put a Travel trailer on it? I think I could I make it "off-the-grid", though I might need a composting toilet and fresh-water supply. It would be nice to have water/sewer hook-ups.

When people live "full-time", are they constantly on the move, or settled down in one place? I want a place to stay. I read (somewhere) that "park models" could not be put on private land, I guess that is to prevent people from using them as residential houses. There seems to be a maze of rules what you can and cannot do.

I'm still not sure how I would make it through the New Jersey winter, but it seems Canadians do it all the time. I saw on youtube where an rv dealer said to look for "Canadian Living Certification" when selecting an RV that could make it through the winter, but when I googled that I did not find anything. I hope AirStream has a winter-capable model.

I'm currently looking at 1995 AirStream Land yachts that seem to be about $25k used. If I replace my Jeep with a truck, I could get a Travel trailer.

I work in Parsippany NJ, so I am looking for a camp-ground/RV park/something close to there. I'm still new to all this.

2airishuman · 05-04-2008, 08:23 PM

did you misplace your other thread on this topic?

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f368...out-41568.html

cheers
2air'

Fiamma · 05-04-2008, 08:24 PM

While I can't answer your question specifically, here are some links that might be helpful:

RV Fulltiming - Is it Right For You?
RV Camping, Full-Time RV Living, Boondocking and Workamping on Squidoo
Movin' On --- A Living and Traveling Full-time in a Recreational Vehicle. Favorite Links
Full Time RV Lifestyle

This forum is Airstream-focused, while other RV forums will have more members with SOB (some other brand) winter-rated RVs. I've heard that Teton and New Horizon are good for colder weather, but have no personal experience with them.

RV Forum Community - Index
Trailer Life Magazine Open Roads Forum

cameront120 · 05-04-2008, 08:24 PM

For winter living...

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f462/

Foiled Again · 05-04-2008, 08:25 PM

Jersey Shore Haven Airstream Park is an Airstream only park... but it says it's located midway between Atlantic City and Cape May so that may be a bit far for you.

http://www.airforums.com/reviews/sho...uct=112&cat=33

There are several guides including Woodalls, Good Sam and of course the KOA guidebooks, etc. Many of the smaller ones aren't advertising on the internet yet - surprising as that seems, so the books are still a useful resource.

Happy hunting Paula

n2916s · 05-04-2008, 08:44 PM

Fundamentally there is no way to live in an RV inexpensively in the Greater New York/New Jersey megalopolis.

In all likelihood, zoning regulations will preclude your buying a lot and planting an Airstream on it. Not to mention the problem of power, water and sewer connections.

Most National/State/Community RV parks have rules like "no more than 14 days out of 30" precisely to keep people from homesteading.

I hate to say it but I think you are barking up the wrong tree. Airstreaming is an avocation, not a lifeboat.

mike

innjtown · 05-05-2008, 07:19 PM

@2airishuman: Well, I had specific questions about being a full-timer, so I thought I would put them in the "full-time" forum instead of the "member introduction" forum.

@Fiamma: Thanks, I will check out those links!

@cameront120: thanks, I will check out that forum.

@Foiled AgaIn: that looks like a nice park, do people stay there full-time? I will checkout the guidebooks you mentioned.

@n2916s: After looking up the word avocation, I don't see why it couldn't be for both fun and survival. Isn't that what life is about?

n2916s · 05-05-2008, 08:09 PM

Really, I'm not ragging on you. It's just not easy to homestead in an RV in an urban area. Once you buy the trailer, get everything working and then pay rent in a campground you are probably going to discover it is not the bargain you were hoping for. We have been in campgrounds that had full time residents. Some times it seems okay but generally they are your lower rent (in many ways) facilities.

Very few full time RV-ers plop down in one place. Some move seasonally, some move with the prevailing wind. But most do move on a regular basis...

I really hope you pull it off

mike

Mezzomyrick · 05-18-2008, 06:34 PM

Hi,
I am looking for the same thing! I too have been trying to find some places and the only thing that had full time living were the trailer parks. And that is not what I am interested in doing. The rules in NJ RV parks are weird, I know. I am considering getting some land close to the city, maybe Rockland County and sharing. I am sure there is a way to make this happen. We just need to grab a few more people and split the cost... Interested?

jayray5 · 05-18-2008, 06:51 PM

Look into the zoneing in the township because there is good chance a Travel trailer will be grouped in with mobile homes. Double wides are acceptable and any single wides that exist are most likely grandfathered in.

RockStar · 05-19-2008, 07:41 PM

Hello Innjtown,

FYI, back in the 1980's, there was a guy who stayed in an older ( 1970ish ) A/S in Peace River, Alberta for two years - winter & summer - and lived to tell the tale. He worked in the area and everyone who saw the coach thought that he was crazy for trying it, but he did it. All he did by way of preparation for the cold was to bank up the perimeter of the trailer with hay/straw bales and he bought a 'pig' for propane and wrapped it with insulation to keep the propane flowing @ minus 35 Celsius ( that's Canadian for damned cold ). He put a heater tape on the water line and wrapped the sewer hose with insulation, as well.

If you look on a map, you'll see that NJ is quite a bit farther away from the Arctic Circle than Peace River is, so assuming that you can find a spot to put your coach, you should survive with a little prep work. Read the above references - lots of good info. Humidity is your enemy in cold weather. It can freeze your door shut during the night and then you have a real problem getting out of the place in the morning.

It's getting harder and harder to find a spot to live in a trailer 'full time', just like it's getting harder and harder to find marina space for liveaboard boaters up and down both coasts. Some of the riffraff have made it really hard on those of us who aren't.

Good luck with your quest!!

innjtown · 08-05-2008, 10:49 AM

My search for a place to live is heating up again. Since I last posted, my Jeep was replaced by a subcompact, so I am still looking at getting an RV instead of a TT. I am more inclined to buy some land in NJ, if I can legally live in an RV or TT on it. Perhaps I can talk to a realtor about this, though they would probably steer me towards buying a house. I would like to get 1-10 acres, turn most of it in to farm land, and keep an AS TT/RV somewhere on it. I've read enough about full-time wintering to think I could make it through a NJ winter, assuming I took enough precautions. Living mostly off-the-grid would be ideal. I've been reading books on wilderness survival, so living in an Airstream would be like living in a castle. I'm preparing for the collapse of the US economy. Tin will be my protector, lol.

Mezzomyrick · 08-06-2008, 07:09 PM

Hi, I just wanted to let u know I found a place to live over the GWB. Right outside of NYC. This place takes RVs and is clean and quiet. Couple of other people doing the Manhattan work thing too. It is Costa Trailer Court on Lodi, NJ. Very affordable too! Check of out. Currently, I am living in a friends RV (they don't use it amymore) until the perfect Airstream comes into my life! Living for the classic 34 s/o. That is the dream!!!!!

richinny · 08-06-2008, 08:08 PM

you might want to google that site.

innjtown · 08-06-2008, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mezzomyrick

Hi, I just wanted to let u know I found a place to live over the GWB. Right outside of NYC. This place takes RVs and is clean and quiet. Couple of other people doing the Manhattan work thing too. It is Costa Trailer Court on Lodi, NJ. Very affordable too! Check of out. Currently, I am living in a friends RV (they don't use it amymore) until the perfect Airstream comes into my life! Living for the classic 34 s/o. That is the dream!!!!!

That's cool they allow RV's. I'm West, near Boonton, but Lodi does not look to be very far. Maybe I will take an exploratory drive over there. Thanks!

innjtown · 08-06-2008, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richinny

you might want to google that site.

@richinny - which site?

2airishuman · 08-06-2008, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by innjtown

which site?

the one suggested in post #13.

cheers
2air'

TBRich · 08-06-2008, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by innjtown

@richinny - which site?

I think richinny means "Costa Trailer Court"...I googled it and it looks like there has been some discussion of closing that and another nearby trailer park down to build condos...but not sure that's a current situation... It's probably worth looking into to see what the current situation is.

volvophile · 08-07-2008, 03:49 AM

On a divergent track,
If your close to the water, you might look at putting your funds to an older boat. Its far easier to find marinas that cater to "livaboards" than parks that cater to full-timers.
Ive lived in both trailer parks and marinas, and overall, the experience is the same, but the drinks tend to be fruitier in the marinas.

innjtown · 08-07-2008, 08:39 PM

@TBRich: Thanks for the heads up. I found some articles on the web, where the city of Lodi was trying to use eminent domain to close down the trailer park, and give it to a condo developer. It looks like they failed in 2007, but I will find out what the current status is

@volvophile: A pal of mind is getting a boat to live on, once he can convince his wife to go along with the plan. I will probably stay on land, though. I think I'm a land lubber.