For several weeks after moving west, we lived with our daughter and her family. But we wanted to be able to have a place of our own and allow our daughter’s family to have their own space as well. So we ended up purchasing a used 4-season travel trailer to live in until our new house is far enough along in the construction process that we can live in it.
Before we purchased an RV, we did consider renting a site in an RV park, but as it turns out, we have our trailer parked outside our daughter’s home. This arrangement allows us to have our own living space while also giving us an economical place to park the trailer!
Many of you are likely much more experienced at RV life than we are. After all, this is our first time owning an RV. But now we are living the life! We have worked through many issues and surprises already!
The Big Cat Problem
The first and most critical issue was related to our two sweet kitties who moved into the trailer with us. They suddenly had “privileges” that they had not enjoyed most of the time at our Tennessee home as they were “outdoor” cats much of their lives there. Here we were with a kitty litter in our tiny RV bathroom and no door to close on our bedroom to keep them off our bed at night! We were not thrilled about sharing our bed (and even our pillows) with two cats when we were trying to sleep.
RV Furnace Thermostat Issue
When we first moved into the trailer, the weather was warmer (we moved in mid to late October), and everything seemed pretty good. It felt great to have a place of our own again, even though it was a “tiny home” on wheels. But as time went on, we began to realize that the propane heat was shutting off during the night. As the weather was getting colder, we were getting up several times each night to turn it off then on again to make the furnace kick back on. And of course, the cats would try to migrate up to our bed as the inside temperatures dropped. We kept up a very vigilant watch and sent them back down each time. But it began to take its toll on our sleep. Also, there was a January wedding we planned to attend several hours’ drive away. We did not feel we should leave the RV unattended for several days with possible freezing weather and a malfunctioning furnace.
The thermostat was messed up for sure, and we couldn’t seem to figure out the pattern. We took the batteries out to try to reset it, but nothing seemed to work. We finally ended up having an RV center check it out. They were a bit baffled as well. They finally realized that a previous owner had put in a new thermostat and “jerry-rigged” it to do something different with the fans and air conditioning setup. They replaced the thermostat, and it has been working well ever since. And yes, we did make it to the wedding in January!
The Cat Issues Continue
Back to the cats… As many of you know, cats become more active at night. Our kitties would scratch on the benches and carpet etc. But the most upsetting thing they did was stretch and claw at the screen door. At that point, Anita would grab at whatever was close at hand (like a pillow) and throw it towards the door. The most effective object was Brian’s slippers! It seemed to work for a night or two. We eventually taped a big piece of cardboard over the screen. Then they moved to the back of the RV, scratching at the carpets again. Never mind the fact that we purchased a nice kitty tower for them and put it by the window where the table should have been so they could look out without being on the table!
We started putting them in a pet carrier at night. But, as you can imagine, that was not popular! Most cats get more active for a while at night, and being cooped up was upsetting to them.
The next move we made was letting them outside, even though we were by a busy road! We were desperate! That worked for the first few nights, but then they started wanting in and out through the night. One would get on the roof of the RV and meow down at us. Oh my! Would we ever solve this horrible dilemma? It seemed the cats were in charge of us!
A Kitty Solution
We finally spent the money and purchased a 6X8 dog kennel with an extra panel on the top so they could not climb out and a lovely dog house. On Craigslist, we found two very nice large pet heating pads to keep them cozy warm in the dog house. And we cut a hole in a large plastic tub with a snug lid and dumped in a couple of large containers of kitty litter.
So we now have outdoor kitties once again, and we can stock up their food and water and leave them for a few days at a time.
Drip, Drip, Drip
The rest of the RV life is excellent – except that when it is freezing weather outside the three skylights/vents drip condensation. There is one over our bed, one in the center of the living area, and one in the bathroom (chilling experience to get out of the shower and get another little cold shower!).
Laundry While Living In An RV
We bought a little BaseCamp washing machine so we can wash our laundry in the RV and save some money on laundry mat fees. We hang the laundry on a rack to dry. We do still wash blankets at the laundry mat, but that is not often.
RV Plans Going Forward
We purchased our used RV and a used truck to pull it without having to borrow money for them. The RV is a 2007 Artic Fox Toy Hauler (a 4-season unit), and the pickup is a 3/4 ton 1999 Chevrolet Silverado. Many of our belongings are stored in a 10×10 foot climate-controlled storage unit, as well as at our daughter and son-in-law’s place.
We plan on living this way until we partially complete the house. Then we will move in and continue finishing construction.
We are both enjoying our adventure with RV living. Especially now that the cats are out and the heat works on its own!
If you have any ideas to help with the condensation drips, please give us your thoughts below.
Coming Up Next
Next, we will share about our trip to British Columbia and the visit we made to the Post and Beam company that will be creating the framing for our house.
