The wife and I have filled in many of the blanks on our lifestyle-changing plans: We are downsizing to a live-in trailer (by fall 2015 at the latest). There are many reasons behind this, but neither of us had to be sold on the idea... so it is something we both want. We both have experience with living in cramped quarters with almost no possessions, myself more than my wife.

The master plan (for the trailer): We're not looking at 5ers, we want to keep the capability of Stinky carrying stuff in the bed, and the semi-security of the topper (canopy, shell, whatever the regional term is). We've been looking at upper-end toy haulers (used), and the "toy" area will serve the purpose of shop/mud/laundry room. Yup - a full-sized washer and drier: Not those stupid microwashers that you have to do 3 loads a day... if you avoid wearing socks and underwear. I figure 30' and 10,000 pounds (gross weight) maximum, and I have walked through a few like this. I am mindful of construction quality of these rigs, and that's the part that really narrows down my options.

Now to getting back on topic: Have any of you 7.3Lers had any issues with keeping enough tools/supplies on hand to do your own diesel work from the trailer? I have a portable canopy that covers the whole hood area and leaves room for tools, so I have the rain thing "covered". I shouldn't really need to work on Stinky much more for a while, but I am the proverbial Boy Scout.

I will have the whole setup all "teched up" with security cameras and a DVR... as well as video links to the cab while towing (keeping an eye behind the trailer and at the hitch). I'll have a secure wireless hub in there to tie all my computer toys together, then it's a matter of internet access when we eventually start traveling (need input here). We won't travel extensively for a few years, we want to get "into the groove" before that happens.

For those who already live this lifestyle, am I overlooking an elephant in the room, or are there nuances I should know before I go trailer shopping in earnest?

 

I have a 4 drawer tool box base I keep in our camper that has most basics, I haven't been in a position to have to do any major work (knock knock).

I know I could rent some tools if necessary, and I still have most of my tools in storage in NC (in CO now) but I always figure i'm not to far away from an fte'er.

BTW it's cold in Colorado now. BRRRR.

 

Rich, look into escapees.com. It's mostly fulltimers with a lot of background in living portably.

 

Hey Tug ! You gonna tow it around and use as a RV or will it be parked most of the time in one spot and just live in it ?

Smokie

 

Be sure to check out RV.net. Its a site for all things RVing. Just register and there are different forums for each area. Hands down the best RV info/forum site. Lots of info... Phil

P.S... We had a bad (laughable now ) experience with tires on our TT in the beginning, tires are VERY important..LOL

 

Quite a change Rich.

Should we look for and "Everything for sale" ad in Craigslist?

The RV crowd is vast and knowledgable but for some other ideas I would also look to the boat world. My inlaws spend a lot of time on their 40' boat and when it comes to efficient uses of space and gizmos and gadgets for mobile living, boaters are right up there for having their crap together.

 

Initially we'll live in it, with occasional travel. I'll be moving closer to my job, but we will likely do it in stages. My wife works 45 miles from where I work, and I won't make her do the commute I've been doing for years. When she retires, we just hook up and move 45 miles to the North. When I retire - we are completely roadbound, with no home base.

 

We've already started selling stuff. For security reasons, we are selling to friends (including forum friends) and co-workers... the general public doesn't know where we live, and we plan to keep it that way. All the money will go into a trailer fund, then it's a matter of dumping the house, with all our recent upgrades to make it more marketable. Kayaks, SCUBA gear, river rafts, motorcycle, utility trailer, sailboat, lawn furniture, and excess home furniture are first on the list. After that, we sift through our kitchen cupboards and closets to sort the "needs" from the "wants".

As for how to travel light... we are sailors, I'm a backpacker, and I used to be a traveling tech/mechanic with a 50-pound tool kit (weight limit to avoid extra charges on airline luggage). I just so happen to be well-versed at going ultra-light. The secret: Get everything possible to serve multiple functions, without compromising quality. Examples: I have a set of standard/metric sockets. 1/2" and 13mm are handled by the same piece. For cooler climates, I have a coat with a zip-in fleece liner. I can wear the liner, the waterproof shell, or the whole assembly. All of my pants are backpacking convertibles - the legs can zip off to be shorts, they are very lightweight, and they require no ironing. Really cold? I have lightweight long underwear to go under the pants. There is a lot more to it than just that, but this conveys the gist of it.

Trailer tires: While I hadn't concentrated on that (until now), I can see where the appropriate load rating, quality, and tread (for braking) need to be addressed).

 

You should PM Barney Fife. He has been doing it for several years now. He used to be a Snap-on rep and now lives out of a 5ver and travels all over the country in it, usually staying 6 months or so in one place. When he was at RRE1, he had all the tools he needed to do most anything.

 

its a great life Rich. I've been "trailer trash" since 2005. Tool wise, its not that big of a deal. I've done almost everything with what i have in my truck bed box.
for big jobs like a tranny or injectors or such you just lean on the Brotherhood(thanks Roland and Bob)
RV wise, they all use the same W/H, furnace, fridge, stove. the main part is the frame and how they're put together.
Weight costs money. either in fuel to pull it or maintenance costs to haul it. Keep it light and keep it simple
internet wise check out WiFiranger. I went this route about 3 months ago and its worked everywhere, even a remote county park in N Idaho.

Barney

 

Big change there Rich. I wish you all the best in what you guys want to do. I think it would be pretty neat to do myself. Have another 26 years before retirement though. So back to the ball and chain for me.

 

I think if I had to pull my house around all the time, I'd want a DRW truck for the stability.

 

I'm with this guy. I would also seriously consider a 5er for the same reason, as well as more living room with a shorter overall length.

 

We have lived in our travel trailer for almost 2 years, tow with our Excursion. Kids and dogs wouldn't fit in my truck haha, but if I thought I had to buy a new dually and a new fifth wheel, I would buy a used diesel pusher and a well used toad instead.

 

Tug-If you have any plans of pulling across country or for any major distance I would consider the 5th wheel - I thought the same thing & we had a tt for years & used the back of the truck for our storage area. But when we finally moved to the 5er we had so much room in it for storage it was just a matter of relocation. The 5er pulls so much better on the highway with cross winds & semi's. Dont feel them nearly as much as with the tt. Just a thought-BTW , I keep enough tools onboard to do just about anything but a major overhaul. Some of the campgrounds frown on working on the truck while staying there but I always have found a place to pull to if work was needed. Good Luck with the move.