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Thinking about Full Timing in an older Lazy Daze
Hi All,

I have been a lurker/armchair researcher on this topic for a few months now, and I think it's time I lay out my thought experiment for those of you with the history and wisdom to tell me if I'm on to something, or if I've gone mad. Full disclosure this will be a slightly long big of story for perspective on who I am and why I want to do this:

I am a cruise ship musician. I live on my ship 6-7 months at a time, and then am home for 2-3 months at a time. Because of this schedule it is not economical to look into buying a home (especially the way the market is right now, finding something in my native Northern California that I could rent out, and still live in during my vacations isn't what I want to get into just now). I have been toying with the idea of buying an RV as a mobile apartment for my vacations, that I would then store during my contracts.

When it comes to small living spaces, believe me, I have the experience. After 10 years of living on various ships with various sized cabins (the smallest of which was the size of a queen mattress... yet still had a twin bed, closet, sink, desk, and fridge), so even a 24' class C motorhome would feel like a palace,with extra storage than I'm used to, to me.

After doing a TON of research I feel like, if this is the plan I follow, Lazy Daze is the way to go for me. I like the floorplans on both the 24' & 27' models of almost all generations. The reputation for quality is very valuable to me. And it looks like a reasonable expectation to say I can find a rig at or under 20 years old with under 100k miles and years of life left in it for between $15-20k.

My main concern is longevity and versatility. I want something that I can live in for 2-3 months at a time, in a wide variety of climates (I don't get to chose what time of year my vacations happen, and I would like to be able to visit some colder areas... maybe not full on mountain snow, but still...) and can tinker with over time. slowly upgrade and make more homey without fearing that the engine is going to fall out or the frame fail and leave me stranded.

I know as a Lazy Daze forum I will see mostly positive comments, but I really am hoping to get a feel for if anyone has chosen a Lazy Daze as their permanent home, and what their experiences good and bad have been.

Thank you all so much for your time.
Re: Thinking about Full Timing in an older Lazy Daze
Reply #1 –
Quote from: papaslides02  - 
Hi All,

I have been a lurker/armchair researcher on this topic for a few months now, and I think it's time I lay out my thought experiment for those of you with the history and wisdom to tell me if I'm on to something, or if I've gone mad. Full disclosure this will be a slightly long big of story for perspective on who I am and why I want to do this:

I am a cruise ship musician. I live on my ship 6-7 months at a time, and then am home for 2-3 months at a time. Because of this schedule it is not economical to look into buying a home (especially the way the market is right now, finding something in my native Northern California that I could rent out, and still live in during my vacations isn't what I want to get into just now). I have been toying with the idea of buying an RV as a mobile apartment for my vacations, that I would then store during my contracts.

When it comes to small living spaces, believe me, I have the experience. After 10 years of living on various ships with various sized cabins (the smallest of which was the size of a queen mattress... yet still had a twin bed, closet, sink, desk, and fridge), so even a 24' class C motorhome would feel like a palace,with extra storage than I'm used to, to me.

After doing a TON of research I feel like, if this is the plan I follow, Lazy Daze is the way to go for me. I like the floorplans on both the 24' & 27' models of almost all generations. The reputation for quality is very valuable to me. And it looks like a reasonable expectation to say I can find a rig at or under 20 years old with under 100k miles and years of life left in it for between $15-20k.

My main concern is longevity and versatility. I want something that I can live in for 2-3 months at a time, in a wide variety of climates (I don't get to chose what time of year my vacations happen, and I would like to be able to visit some colder areas... maybe not full on mountain snow, but still...) and can tinker with over time. slowly upgrade and make more homey without fearing that the engine is going to fall out or the frame fail and leave me stranded.

I know as a Lazy Daze forum I will see mostly positive comments, but I really am hoping to get a feel for if anyone has chosen a Lazy Daze as their permanent home, and what their experiences good and bad have been.

Thank you all so much for your time.

Sean
"Papaslide" - anything to do with the Norwegian blues band? Do you have a real name to share?

Chris
Formerly: 2002 30' IB
Re: Thinking about Full Timing in an older Lazy Daze
Reply #2 –
papaslides02,

Interesting career choice.  My son recently graduated from ASU with a music degree in jazz performance - trumpet (and english).  He has been toying with the idea of accepting a position on a cruise ship.  Any advice you could offer?

Living in a LD during your down time sounds like a great idea.  Wife and I are planning to live in ours starting late 2020.  We have a 2006 RK that works just fine.  The solid construction and small size will provide the versatility that we are looking for.

Good luck in your search.
2006 RK
Re: Thinking about Full Timing in an older Lazy Daze
Reply #3 –
Quote from: Chris Horst  - 
"Papaslide" - anything to do with the Norwegian blues band? Do you have a real name to share?

Chris

Hi Chris, "papaslides" is a holdover from my ska band days back in the late 90's. My name is Sean and I'm a trombone player.
Re: Thinking about Full Timing in an older Lazy Daze
Reply #4 –
Quote from: rprice  - 
papaslides02,

Interesting career choice.  My son recently graduated from ASU with a music degree in jazz performance - trumpet (and english).  He has been toying with the idea of accepting a position on a cruise ship.  Any advice you could offer?

Living in a LD during your down time sounds like a great idea.  Wife and I are planning to live in ours starting late 2020.  We have a 2006 RK that works just fine.  The solid construction and small size will provide the versatility that we are looking for.

Good luck in your search.


Yes I do, and it's far more than I could ever type here. Reader's digest version is to go for it. Worst case scenario he has a rough 6 months, learns a lot about gig life and about himself, and comes home with new experiences having seen some part of the world. I've been out here for almost 10 years and still enjoy my weird job (I'm also been a musical director for 5 years).
Re: Thinking about Full Timing in an older Lazy Daze
Reply #5 –
Hi papaslides02 and welcome.  A number of men and women travel solo and live full-time in their LDs.  I will let them answer your specific questions about full-time living.  You noted some interest in cold or cooler weather camping.  If you are not familiar with this, keep in mind that you will need to winterize your rig, especially if you plan to store it in a cold weather area.  This is not a big chore, but something that needs to be done.  Details can be provided if you need them.  Good luck with your decision and happy sailing.

Bob
2011 MB
Re: Thinking about Full Timing in an older Lazy Daze
Reply #6 –
Full timing - things to think about.

Where would you use your RV when you are living in it?  Traveling or in one spot?

If you are traveling you need to plan your travels to make sure you will have a space when you get there.  For some people that is too much work. 

RV parks are often just a place to park and can even look like a big parking lot.  They  can have a lot of amenities which you may/may not care about. Costs can vary greatly especially when comparing right at one of your ports (likely big cities) vs small cities further away.  Sometimes RV parks offer lower costs when you are not living there (eg no utilities those months) especially if use is more seasonal like many areas of AZ.
Typically RV parks have weekly and monthly rates that are a lot less than daily  rates.

Camping at national parks etc is a nicer environment but they have a limited stay time.  There are longer term stays, often for free, at places like BLM land but often they are more out of the way.

Storage, consider covered or not and how easy it is to get your RV in/out.

Are you going to have a car also or just the RV?  With a 22-24’ RV we have no problem just hopping off to the store / a restaurant (ok we have to consider spaces for parking and if there are low overhead places, but for the most part it works).

The larger the RV the more likely someone wants a vehicle to get around locally, though you can check out rentals and consider a bike or motorcycle (finding a secure place for them while you are gone).

Full timing is a learning curve.  Managing your tanks (fresh and waste),  your fridge use, hot water use, battery use, etc.  takes a little learning to create a lifestyle you are comfortable with. 
Also working on what goes where in your cabinets / storage areas where and what do you really need - all that takes time.

If something breaks this is your home and often there is no backups (eg only one bathroom, one fridge).  Be prepared to spend time regularly doing maintenance.

It takes a while to make things convenient for you.  To me full timing is very different than a camping trip where I will live at a lesser lifestyle for a short time.  I want a nice full timing life similar to my pre-full timing life doing the same activities (with some adjustments needed because of the smaller space).

Nice part - you can just take off whenever you want, everything is already in your RV.

Jane
Jane & Scott
Currently have a 1989 TK  LD we did a lot of upgrades on.
Bigfoot 25RQ Twin on order with early summer 2024 ETA

Our smartphone autocorrects into very poor English.
 We disclaim the illusion of ignorance this creates as we have enough ignorance we rightly claim.
Re: Thinking about Full Timing in an older Lazy Daze
Reply #7 –
Thanks for the feedback Jane.

From the research I've done, I think a 2003 or newer 23.5 twin king is what I'll be hunting for (my goal is to be patient and wait for the right rig at the right mileage/cost ratio to come my way). The reason I think this is where I'm focussing is for a number of reasons.

1. The "split room" idea for if I have guests
2. The smaller size means more places I can go, and the E450 chassis means more gear I can carry
2a. I do plan on buying a moped and mounting it to the back of the rig (probably a Honda c70 or ct110, both are around 200-220lbs wet), as well as possibly someday upgrading the batteries, having spare black/fresh water storage etc. which will all eat a lot of weight.
3... everytime I look at RV's the only 2 floorplans that jump out at me (well in pictures, I'm still on a ship so haven't been able to do any in person looks yet) are the Twin King, and a 26.5 mid bath, which seems like it may be too big/not have enough spare cargo hauling weight.

I will admit, right now I don't have any experience in the maintenance side of things, but I'm pretty fearless when I have a box full of tools and a book full of instructions. I plan on renting an RV for a bit over my next vacation just to spend some time driving a rig and seeing what it's like to live in it, and I hope to buy in about a year or 2.
Re: Thinking about Full Timing in an older Lazy Daze
Reply #8 –
Jane touched on the storage point, but that’s a potential problem area as you will be gone for work for such extended periods of time. Ideally, the rig should be regularly driven around to keep things lubricated, and the generator run under load at least once a month for an hour. It’ll be tough finding a storage facility that will do much in these respects. Perhaps Larry or others with more mechanical experience than I will weigh in on this.  P.S., I’ve sent you a PM regarding your plans. — Jon
(Former) ‘06 TK “Albatross.” And (former) Vespa 250.   Alas, no more; both are gone.😕 Great memories remain! 😄
Re: Thinking about Full Timing in an older Lazy Daze
Reply #9 –
I have been full time living in my 96 23.5 FL since the day I bought it in September of 2007.
It was 11 years old and had 86,000 miles on it when I got it. Original owners had taken very good care of it
so I wasn't concerned about anything.
12 years later, I have learned a lot about living off grid, as I have only payed to stay twice, for a grand total of $68.
I follow the weather, spending summers at elevation in the mountains of the west, and then transitioning to the desert
to enjoy the beauty of that environment for winter.

I came to this lifestyle from 7 years riding around the world on a motorcycle. So living in my RV is really like living in a palace compared.

You sound like this would work out, just have to do it to know for sure.
Jota
96 23.5 FL
Re: Thinking about Full Timing in an older Lazy Daze
Reply #10 –
Maintaining the LD when you are gone....
As Jon said it is recommended to start the generator and chassis engine monthly and run them a while (if you are not using them).
However in AZ we have a lot of snowbirds that leave their rig parked here for 6 months out of a year.  I doubt very  much anyone is exercising it while they are gone.

Our LD was stored for 6 mo or longer at a time for at least several years.  No problem when we got it with engine or generator.  But I don't know if they did something special when storing it.

Also, the batteries can drain while you are not there, having a trickle solar charger on it helps avoid that.
Jane
Jane & Scott
Currently have a 1989 TK  LD we did a lot of upgrades on.
Bigfoot 25RQ Twin on order with early summer 2024 ETA

Our smartphone autocorrects into very poor English.
 We disclaim the illusion of ignorance this creates as we have enough ignorance we rightly claim.
Re: Thinking about Full Timing in an older Lazy Daze
Reply #11 –
The biggest problem see is finding a location to park it, while you are at sea, that is safe, dry and critter free.
Insects, rodents and moisture build-up can cause all sorts of major damage, while being parked.
Ideally, dry, inside parking is preferable, with someone to inspect it occasionally for problems.

The generator is the most vulnerable item, it doesn't appreciate not being run for months on end. As I have discussed before, the generator's electrical windings are damage by long term moisture build up.
It's an accumulative thing and the main reason why mostly running the generator monthly is so critical, it's also important in keeping the oil free of condensation and the carburetor clean..

Larry

Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze
Re: Thinking about Full Timing in an older Lazy Daze
Reply #12 –
Do you have a friend who could check up on it while sailing?
Greg & Victoria
2017 Mid-Bath  “Nocona” towing a manual 2015 Forester
Previously a 1985 TK
SKP #61264
Re: Thinking about Full Timing in an older Lazy Daze
Reply #13 –
I have a 22' tk 1993 and the Onan books show you exactly how to properly prep the genset for storage. So far have had no problems.  Good luck and enjoy.
Destiny is a matter of choices.
1993 22' TK
Re: Thinking about Full Timing in an older Lazy Daze
Reply #14 –
I purchased my 2005 26.5 RB in Jan 2019 ($30,000/34,000 miles) and have lived in it full-time since.  Previous owners took good care of the unit.  Only major expense was replacing the house batteries that would not hold a charge, required to start the generator. 

I chose a campground because I am in the desert and need the electric for the air conditioning during the day while my dog is hanging out and I am at work.  Although, winter is coming and plan to get the BLM winter pass as I will not need the AC soon.  I could have lived outside of a park Jan-Apr, but it was a steep learning curve learning how to control the features.  7 months and many road trips later, I now feel like I have a good grasp on how all the options and features work on the motorhome.  So much fun learning how everything works.  Additionally, a blast to drive!

Overall, it was a good decision for me because I save money on rent and have a motorhome to show for it.  For the past 8 years, I have pondered the idea of full-time RV living.  It has been nice to turn daydreams into reality.  Plus, I got rid of a bunch of possessions when I started full-time.  Made life a bit more flexible.  Albeit, occasionally I catch myself looking at apartments and such, but shortly after analyzation of prices and the possessions that come with that type of lifestyle...it is not justifiable for me. 
-Joe
2005 26.5 RB
Re: Thinking about Full Timing in an older Lazy Daze
Reply #15 –
Thank you all for the feedback!

I'm lucky that as I'm hitting this "very serious consideration" part of my thought experiment, my parents are also cruising with me for their vacation. I have a lot of friends and family in my hometown who would be happy to help me with inspections, exercising the generator, giving the rig a lap or two to keep things moving etc. (My parents especially if I show them how to drive it and let them use it for the occasional weekend getaway). Also we do have a few indoor storage options in my area so I'm not concerned about that. I have no living expenses while on contract so a few hundred a month for proper storage seems like a very reasonable "rent" to have a place to live when I am home.

It sounds like the general consensus is "if you understand the unique challenges, take good care of your rig, and are willing to do the research on when/where to go properly, then it's a great way to live".
Re: Thinking about Full Timing in an older Lazy Daze
Reply #16 –
I'm going to add a note of caution here. You said you were looking for a roughly twenty-year-old rig for $15-$20K. Anything you find at that age and price is going to have multiple issues that need repair and maintenance. You can expect to put in thousands in parts, and considerable labor... plus even more money for the things that you have to hire somebody else to do. Yes, Lazy Dazes are well built, but any twenty-year-old motorhome will have problems with both the "house" part and the van chassis, and you're buying both. It's great that you have a can-do spirit when it comes to maintenance, but your lack of experience will be a drawback.

If you could double the price tag and cut the vintage from twenty years to ten, you'd have a much better chance of minimizing expensive surprises. I understand that may not be possible on your budget, but I just want you to understand that with your current plan, there are going to major costs after purchase. If you haven't already, I suggest reading the saga of Lisa 'meandthedogs' and her older Lazy Daze.
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: Thinking about Full Timing in an older Lazy Daze
Reply #17 –
Andy, did you move to the smaller trailer, or do you now have both?

OP, what Andy and others are addressing is the service & maintenance issues related to both coach and vehicle. As I've said many a time, if you haven't rebuilt/restored a car, boat, airplane or built a house/addition, RVing may turn out to be more work than pleasure.

Even with those skill sets, they are still a lot of work. The only real difference is perspective: those who like projects often enjoy the challenge(s) of keeping their RV 'ship shape'.

However, if you're looking for a 'simpler life' coming off a cruise, RVing may be the wrong avenue. I don't know if I'd want to come home to a long laundry list of things that needed to be fixed and/or repaired. Besides, many times these tasks involve engaging  a professional mechanic that introduces not only the obvious cost issues, but scheduling and expertise as well. (Check the local RV mechanics in your area - the good ones are can be booked for weeks at a time.)

IMO, RVing is really suited for those living most/full time, because it forces them to proactively manage problems as they occur, and essentially pushes one to become at least semi-self reliant with respect to mechanical capabilities. The other group RVing seems to match with are engineering types who enjoy keeping a nice piece of equipment in good, ready condition.

From my perspective, the last thing I'd want to do after being away for half the year getting a rig out of moth balls. Honestly, it's a lot of work, unless you actually enjoy doing that type of thing as a living, ongoing hobby.

What you might consider is simply renting a car/mini-van for 3 months (eg Enterprise), buying a tent, stove, lantern, sleeping bag, etc and vagabond without a care in the world. This is the direction we've been progressing back to - just hit the road in the car and see where we end up. No schedule, no booking RV spaces before hand, just free and easy on the fly.
Re: Thinking about Full Timing in an older Lazy Daze
Reply #18 –
Well put, Snerf.

"Andy, did you move to the smaller trailer, or do you now have both?"

I have both. I'm still working on upgrades to the smaller trailer, but my plan is to alternate between the two--the Airstream acting as my mobile homebase, while the Trillium serves as my summer cottage.
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: Thinking about Full Timing in an older Lazy Daze
Reply #19 –
Love 'summer cottage'.

BTW, this may come as a 'duh' moment for a lot of readers, but I've recently noticed the astounding increase in over-landing. Sure, it's been around in some form or fashion, but it seems to have recently really taken off.

Like all things in life, technology changes, and trends come and go. For a long while, people who were into hard-core off-road RVing would get a 4x4 truck with a pop up camper shell. Or, some would haul along a small, rugged off-road trailer.

Apparently, the problem with a pop up camper shell is that it still represents a lot of $ cost and weight, while delivering not that much greater functionality. The solution for some - especially younger people - is to simply put a tent on the roof (on top of a hard rack or rib system), hang an awning, stash some chairs, stove, etc and off you go.

Orders of magnitude cheaper & lighter and much easier to set up. The only drawback is of course climbing up/down a ladder each day to get into bed. Still, I've seen them on Jeeps, Tacomas, vans, and now larger, full size trucks that would have had a pop-up camper shell maybe 5 years ago.

Re: Thinking about Full Timing in an older Lazy Daze
Reply #20 –
Thanks all for the feedback. I know there is no amount of internet research or thought experiments I can do to decide if this is the right path for me, but all of your input, experiences, and opinions definitely help. I’ve got another 12-18 months before I could even think about pulling the trigger. In the meantime I plan on taking a coastal road trip in a rented class c just to get a feel for a similar space and see if that reinforces my feelings or disputes me.
Re: Thinking about Full Timing in an older Lazy Daze
Reply #21 –
"In the meantime I plan on taking a coastal road trip in a rented class c just to get a feel for a similar space and see if that reinforces my feelings or disputes me. "

Wise is the man who investigates the possibilities before jumping in with both feet!

We rented for several years before purchasing our first Lazy Daze in 1991.

If you, as you have indicated, have assistance for the time when you are away from the rig, this lifestyle might suit you fine.  But it would depend entirely on your family's interaction whether having them share your home when you are not there will work out well.

The first thing that occurs to me - but this is from a woman's point of view - is how much effort and the inevitable dollars, do I want to put into keeping up something that I can have access to for only 25% of the time?  The second part of that equation is - how badly do I want to have my "things" inviolate when I am gone?  Should I store my personal things somewhere, or is it better to leave them in the Lazy Daze for the duration?

That brings up the thought that if you choose to store your things when you are gone, you might want to consider a long-term AirBnB or similar for the three (?) months that you are "in town", and just bring your things out of storage to enjoy for that period of time, and use your smaller vehicle to take trips as the mood strikes.

There are private vehicle rental places now that might entertain allowing you extended access to an RV for your "home" time.  This would allow you to circumvent having to purchase, insure, maintain, store, and worry about a  personal vehicle that is not under your constant control.

There are some companies for rentals here.

3 Best RV Rental Companies: Outdoorsy vs. RVshare vs. Cruise America

Best of luck in your quest.  Your method of investigation is really good for making an informed decision.

   Virtual hugs,

   Judie
Re: Thinking about Full Timing in an older Lazy Daze
Reply #22 –
Interesting "3 Best RV Rental Companies" link, Judie. Their "three best" were Outdoorsy, RVShare, and CruiseAmerica. I had never heard of the first two, which offer "peer to peer" rentals--something like AirBnB, it seems. From what I see coming and going in commercial campgrounds in the southwest, CruiseAmerica is by far the most common rental RV, followed by El Monte and Road Bear. Then again, the peer to peer rental RVs don't have standardized paint jobs, since they are rented out by individual owners, so I wouldn't be able to identify them at a glance the way I can the colorful CruiseAmerica rigs.
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: Thinking about Full Timing in an older Lazy Daze
Reply #23 –
We did our first rental many years ago from Cruise America.  We reserved a specific size but they changed it on us when we picked it up - the choice was take they size they had or get none.  We were not happy but didn’t see much choice - take it or cancel our trip.

Our second rental was from a local company that rented out other peoples RVs.  Price was less.  Service was ok.  Some choices in size but they wouldn’t let you pick a specific unit/model you only had a size range choice.  This was similar to renting at a local car rental agency that rented out slightly older cars than the main guys.  Unit was clean and things worked but often there was a repair in progress or other issue that you would not find in a new fleet vehicle nor a well loved owner rented RV.  It was fine for a short trip.

Andy you must not be searching on the internet enough or have better anti-advertising software than I.  I have  seen RVshare ads regularly (though not obnoxiously) the last year or two.

Jane
Jane & Scott
Currently have a 1989 TK  LD we did a lot of upgrades on.
Bigfoot 25RQ Twin on order with early summer 2024 ETA

Our smartphone autocorrects into very poor English.
 We disclaim the illusion of ignorance this creates as we have enough ignorance we rightly claim.
Re: Thinking about Full Timing in an older Lazy Daze
Reply #24 –
Quote from: papaslides02  - 
I live on my ship 6-7 months at a time, and then am home for 2-3 months at a time. Because of this schedule it is not economical to look into buying a home (especially the way the market is right now, finding something in my native Northern California that I could rent out, and still live in during my vacations isn't what I want to get into just now). I have been toying with the idea of buying an RV as a mobile apartment for my vacations, that I would then store during my contracts.

I would not look at this as "fulltiming", per se.  It's more the typical use of many seasonal RVers so you would be looking at similar considerations, although you wouldn't have the ability to check on your rig as often as needed.

You will likely have to pay year-round storage, since it can be hard to find storage on a moment's (or even months') notice. 

Systems should be exercised, checked periodically for external influences (weather, critters, etc.), and water system sanitized each "trip" given the unit will sit for 6-7 months at a time.  You'll need shore power in general to maintain the batteries and a means to connect a trickle charger or battery tender to the chassis battery (or disconnect it). 

You'll come "home" and need to spend several days "opening up the cabin, repairing things, getting it ready to roll".  The fridge will day a day or so to cool, so don't go grocery shopping right away.  Don't forget to leave time at the end of the home stay to prep it for storage again.  You will probably need to be able to have another place to stay at the beginning and end of each home stay as a result. 

If I were considering something like this, I don't know that I would go with a motorized unit.  I would be more inclined to go tow vehicle and trailer of some type so you can have separate daily transportation (without maintaining 2 motorized vehicles) as well.