This is Why Seniors Are Selling Their Homes & Living in RV's
As an older American who sold my home and bought a motorhome I have knowledge of and experience in why seniors and folks on disability and low income are or want to live in a motorhome or camper. Older Americans who have worked their whole lives and now find themselves trying to survive on monthly Social Security, Disability, widow survivor benefits and SSI payments of $757.00-$1200.00 per month are steadily selling their homes and moving into RV motorhomes and campers just to survive. There are several reasons why this is happening with the main reason being that the Social Security payments they receive are simply not enough to survive on. Social Security knows this and encourages people to purchase retirement plans, which would help them to pay bills, except for the fact that if seniors have income from other sources the amount they get from the government and SNAP food benefits, is reduced making the supplemental insurance and retirement plans of little or no effect in regards to giving them more money for rent, utilities, and food.
Utility costs for electric, gas, and water are steadily going up and are far above what seniors living below poverty level on Social Security can afford. Most electric companies are switching to solar powered electric but do not give their customers discounted rates for electricity they are getting for free from the sun. There are utility assistance programs available but only cover a small percentage of the electric and gas bills but do not cover anything on water bills.
Many folks on Social Security, Disability, SSI or Widow survivor benefits cannot afford house payments, insurance, taxes or rent for an apartment plus utilities and food. Budget recommendations advise that rent or house payments should be 1/3 or less of the amount of your monthly income. Rent or house payments for most homes or rental units the prices are way out of range for most retiree's with monthly incomes of less than $1300.00 a month. Even if they are able to rent an apartment they would not be able to afford the utilities. Buying a home is out of the question because the payment itself would be more than they can afford not to mention home insurance, taxes and then utilities and food on top of that.
The main reason most seniors do not want to be on Section 8 housing is because these apartments are often high crime areas and most do not allow seniors to keep their beloved pets they have had for many years.
Many seniors do not want to live or cannot afford to live in a nursing home facility and if they do get an insurance program will allow them to do so, they lose the bulk of their monthly check to the nursing home facility.
Seniors, widows, and people who are disabled should not be put into a position where they cannot support themselves and are forced to live with family, friends, and in some cases with strangers. The costs of RV parks is rising as fast as apartment rental rates, however, most RV parks include electric, water, septic, and Wifi in the monthly rent which leaves a few dollars left over to buy basic needs and a little food since the monthly SNAP food allotments from government are not enough to feed them for a month. Most have to rely on free food banks and other sources in order to get enough food to eat.
Of course, in order to live full time in an RV motorhome or camper you will have to maintain your health, be physically capable of setting up your rig at various places or find a RV park that allows full time living. As you age, you may need more assistance from health care professionals, health care attendants, home delivered meals, etc. which can be done at full time RV parks. See benefits and problems seniors face living in campers below.
Utility costs for electric, gas, and water are steadily going up and are far above what seniors living below poverty level on Social Security can afford. Most electric companies are switching to solar powered electric but do not give their customers discounted rates for electricity they are getting for free from the sun. There are utility assistance programs available but only cover a small percentage of the electric and gas bills but do not cover anything on water bills.
Many folks on Social Security, Disability, SSI or Widow survivor benefits cannot afford house payments, insurance, taxes or rent for an apartment plus utilities and food. Budget recommendations advise that rent or house payments should be 1/3 or less of the amount of your monthly income. Rent or house payments for most homes or rental units the prices are way out of range for most retiree's with monthly incomes of less than $1300.00 a month. Even if they are able to rent an apartment they would not be able to afford the utilities. Buying a home is out of the question because the payment itself would be more than they can afford not to mention home insurance, taxes and then utilities and food on top of that.
The main reason most seniors do not want to be on Section 8 housing is because these apartments are often high crime areas and most do not allow seniors to keep their beloved pets they have had for many years.
Many seniors do not want to live or cannot afford to live in a nursing home facility and if they do get an insurance program will allow them to do so, they lose the bulk of their monthly check to the nursing home facility.
Seniors, widows, and people who are disabled should not be put into a position where they cannot support themselves and are forced to live with family, friends, and in some cases with strangers. The costs of RV parks is rising as fast as apartment rental rates, however, most RV parks include electric, water, septic, and Wifi in the monthly rent which leaves a few dollars left over to buy basic needs and a little food since the monthly SNAP food allotments from government are not enough to feed them for a month. Most have to rely on free food banks and other sources in order to get enough food to eat.
Of course, in order to live full time in an RV motorhome or camper you will have to maintain your health, be physically capable of setting up your rig at various places or find a RV park that allows full time living. As you age, you may need more assistance from health care professionals, health care attendants, home delivered meals, etc. which can be done at full time RV parks. See benefits and problems seniors face living in campers below.
Benefits & Problems Seniors Who Live in RV Motorhomes and Campers Face
Living full time in an RV has benefits and problems.
Benefits:
Problems:
Benefits:
- Most RV parks include utilities, septic, and wifi in their montlhy rent. Even though RV park rates may be high they are still less than the cost of renting an apartment and paying utilities.
- If finances get tight for seniors they can camp free or very cheaply on BLM lands, state parks, and other places (off grid) during warmer months so they can save up money to rent an RV lot during the winter when you will need to run the heater or during the hottest months of summer when you will need to run air conditioning neither of which can be done easily off grid.
- You may be able to set up your camper at a relative or friends house who has level ground, where you can plug in and get water to your camper but the downside of this is that most do not usually have septic tanks where you can dump your black and gray water tanks which leaves you emptying it manually into a bucket, then pouring into a five gallon bucket with a lid and emptying it into their toilet (a very messy job to say the least).
- If you have propane you can use the cook stove and heat your camper and will have heat even off grid as long as your house storage batteries are kept charged to light the electric pilot. You can use small energy efficient space heaters to heat when you are plugged into an RV park.
- If your motorhome or camper has a generator you can keep your refrigerator and lights going even off grid.
- Using Smart TV's rather than cable services can eliminate a cable bill but a finding an RV park with a good Wifi connection is a must if you plan to watch TV. Winegard Antenna's can pick up many local TV stations when you are at an RV park that is close to a TV tower.
- Solar panels can be installed for free electricity when you are off grid.
- Most RV motorhomes and campers have auxilary storage batteries which can maintain power with solar chargers.
- Living in a motorhome or camper conserves our natural resources because you use less of them to live.
- If you have a motorhome you can tow a jeep or small car along with you so trips to stores or town are easier than having to move the whole rig. If you have a fifth wheel you can use your truck to pull it and to make trips to town with out having to move your camper.
- You have less chances of falling down in a motorhome as there is always something to grab onto close by.
- Motorhomes and campers take less time to clean and are easier to keep clean than a house or apartment.
- If there is a severe weather warning or natural disaster heading your way you can drive away to a safer location before disaster strikes.
- No yard work. Living in an RV means you won't have to mow or weed eat your lawn, RV park's do that for you. (Always watch when they are mowing or weed eating to make sure that your hoses and cords are put up and to make sure the blower of the mower is not pointing toward your camper or rig as it can throw rocks and objects and cause damage).
- If you are on medications you can arrange with your doctor to have your medications sent to a pharmacy near you. However, make sure to read about your medications to make sure you are able to drive while taking them.
Problems:
- Have to move alot-Many RV parks do not allow full time living so seniors have to find RV parks that do allow full time living or they must move to different parks on a weekly or monthly basis.
- Finding a cheaper RV park-RV park rentals are raising prices all the time and targeting vacationers who have money to spend rather than allowing full time RV residents. Some RV park owners realize that they can lower the rents and allow full time living in their RV park and they will have income year round rather than only during the summer months.
- Free places to camp-If finances get tight for seniors they can camp free or very cheaply on BLM lands, state parks, and other places (off grid) during warmer months so they can save up money to rent an RV lot during the winter when they will need to run their heaters or during the hottest months of summer when they will need to run air conditioning neither of which can be done easily off grid.
- If you travel alot you will need to have full coverage insurance and a good roadside assistance plan such as AAA.
- You will need a address to get mail. You can get mail wherever you are at temporarily, using general delivery at the local Post Office but you will need to maintain a state of residence for things like vehicle inspections, registration, and for your Social Security/Disability or SSI benefits, SNAP food benefits, and Medicare and Medicaid. You can do this by using a relative or friends address. If you live in a full time RV park they will usually have an address you can use.
- Liquidating your stuff. You cannot keep all the stuff you have accumulated over the years unless you can afford to pay for storage units because it will not fit in your camper. You will have to downsize to live in a motorhome or camper, space is limited to only what you need, everything else is just clutter that will get in your way, and make your life uncomfortable on the road. You must also keep in mind the weight capacity of your rig which tells you exactly how much weight your RV camper can carry safely.
- When staying somewhere long term your tires may dry rot if you are not sitting on pavement or gravel.
- RV tires are hard to change and you most likely will not be able to change them yourself. Most roadside assistance does pay for tire changes but not pay to have the new tire put on the rim and very few RV's come with extra rims so you will need to keep enough money in the bank to cover this expense.
- When you own a house you have to pay for repairs when things break down, living in an RV camper is the same way, you will need to keep full coverage insurance on your rig and keep at least $500.00 in the bank or whatever your insurance company's deductible cost is in the bank otherwise your insurance will be of little use to you. Insurance companies will not pay for repairs until you pay the deductible.
- If you enjoy gardening you will have to keep your plants in portable pots so you can take them with you wherever you go. (Be sure to check with RV parks before putting your plants outside because some parks do not allow this).
- If you are camping off grid, be aware of what kind of wild life are in the area. Keep food in air tight containers as bears can sniff out food and the last thing you need is a bear trying to break into your camper.
- Know your physical limits. You must be sure (check with your doctors) that you are physically capable of taking care of yourself, able to lift under 30 lbs, can change light bulbs, do basic housekeeping, can put a hose on and off, know how to and be able to jack up your rig from the frame if your rig does not have self leveling jacks, be capable of driving long distances, and know how to tow a camper or vehicle if you have one you plan to pull.
- Don't buy more camper than you are capable of safely driving and manuvering.
- If you are bring your pets with you, you will need to make sure they are up to date on their vaccinations and keep the paperwork with you. Keep pets on a leash and make sure that pets are allowed at places you plan to stay and find out what the rules are regarding them.
- Many RV parks do not allow campers older than ten years old.
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