Living in an RV is an attractive housing option for anyone who wants to save money, live tiny, or have the ability to pack up and travel at a moment’s notice.
If you’re dreaming of living in an RV, you might be wondering where you can park your RV to live in it full-time. Luckily, there’s more than one answer!
Here are all the ways and places you can park your RV to live.
How to Find Long-Term RV Parking?
No matter where you’re at, long-term RV parking is only a quick Google search away. Many RV parks and campgrounds offer long-term RV parking. Often, it comes at a significantly discounted rate compared to nightly camping fees.
Long-term RV parking benefits both RVers and campgrounds: the campground gets a long-term, steady payment, and the RVer gets a place to park long-term at a discounted rate.
It’s even easier to find long-term RV parking in popular snowbirding states like Florida, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and more. But no matter where you’re at, there’s bound to be an RV park that offers long-term parking within a couple of hours of your location.
Can I Live Year-Round in an RV Park?
Yes, you can live year-round in an RV park. Some long-term RV parks rent month-to-month, and others prefer long-term campers to sign a six-month or yearly lease.
Every campground manages long-term RV site rentals differently. Typically, the longer your rental term, the more of a discount you’ll get on camping fees.
Benefits of Living Stationary in an RV
Living stationary in an RV has so many benefits, especially if you find an RV park with plenty of amenities. First, living in an RV can be much cheaper than renting an apartment, buying a house, or having a mortgage. If you find a low-priced RV park or campground that discounts your rates for long-term parking, even better.
Not only will you save money on campsite fees, but you’ll also save money on impulse purchases. When you live in an RV, space comes at a premium. You can’t exactly go on shopping sprees every weekend when you have nowhere to put new things.
Additionally, RV parks and campgrounds typically come with at least a few amenities. Even the most no-frills RV park likely has an on-site bathroom with hot showers, which can be a nice change from showering in your small RV shower.
Other amenities you should look for when selecting a long-term RV park are things like free Wi-Fi, free cable, a swimming pool, a hot tub, a laundry room, or a kids playground or dog park. Lastly, if you don’t like your neighbors in a long-term RV spot, chances are you can just move across the park. Or, if they’re weekend visitors, you don’t have to deal with them for long.
Other Places to Park an RV to Live
Long-term camping in an RV park or campground isn’t the only place you can live in your RV. Here are some other great ideas.
Workamping
Workamping is a work-camping exchange where you trade a few hours of work at a campground in exchange for a free campsite. Some workamping jobs will also pay you a salary in addition to providing a free campsite.
Workamping jobs include camp host registration, campground janitorial duties, campground landscaping, campground maintenance, and more. Other non-campground places that hire workampers include fireworks stands, Christmas tree lots, and oil field companies.
Boondocking
Boondocking is living in your RV while parked for free on public lands. With boondocking, you typically have to move every two weeks, but it’s completely free.
Boondocking isn’t a way to live truly stationary, but if you’re in an area with an abundance of BLM and national forest lands, you can bounce back and forth between the two indefinitely. Always stick to the rules of boondocking, and don’t overstay your limits unless you want a knock (and potentially a ticket) from a park ranger.
Pro Tip: Nervous about boondocking for the first time? Find out Is Boondocking a Safe Camping Option?
RV Lot Leases or Sales
Many RV resorts and nice RV campgrounds sell or lease out RV spots. With this system, you essentially own your own RV campsite at a campground and can live there in your RV.
Many times, these kinds of properties will have rules related to how long you can stay at any given time. Some have a six-month-at-a-time limit, while others don’t impose limits at all. If you’re considering an RV lot lease or purchase, be sure you’re aware of all the rules and regulations of the campground.
Moochdock on Privately Owned Property
Moochdock is boondocking, but instead of doing it on public lands, you’re doing it on private property. If you have family or friends with space in their driveway or an empty field, you may be able to moochdock for a short amount of time. Moochdocking, like boondocking, is dry camping with no water hookups, no electricity hookups, and no sewer dumping station.
Pro Tip: Before you set up camp in a family or friends driveway, uncover Is RV Moochdocking Legal?
Is Full-Time RV Living Legal in Every State?
Full-time RV living is legal in every state as long as you comply with local laws and ordinances. Some cities and localities have laws against sleeping in vehicles in public.
This means that it’s illegal to live in your RV in some cities if you’re parked anywhere but at a campground. But as long as you comply with local laws, it’s perfectly legal to live in your RV.
Living in an RV Has Many Benefits
Living in an RV has many benefits for those who are inspired to live minimally or tiny, those who want to travel, or those who just want to save money.
Campgrounds typically offer significantly discounted rates for long-term RV parking, and you can workamp to cover your costs. There are many places and ways to live in an RV, so get creative with it.
What are some places where you’ve lived in an RV? Tell us about it in the comments below!
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Quartzsite, Arizona, long term BLM (La Posa South) and 2-week BLM (Roadrunner). Forest Service Campgrounds many western states, Dispersed camping and campgrounds on Abajo Mountain, Monticello, Utah. Other BLM in Arizona. My sister’s back pasture- near Florence, Montana. To name a few.