Where to Live in Your RV for Free

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We're Joel and Emma, converting our 2006 Blue Bird All American school bus to live in with our two dogs, Samantha and Colt. Follow along as we turn this bus into our perfect Cozy Living Machine! #LennyTheBus
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[@anotherfool9278]

This has been helpful. Thanks. I just got my 24 foot class b fully done and gona head out soon to live full time. The biggest questions I had was where to park since it takes up 2 spots. Where to park during the day when I am just chilling and where when I want to visit places and see things. And where to leave the RV when seeing these things while feeling no one is going to mess with it. Everyone talks about where to sleep but no one talks about where to park during the day or where to find good parking for medium to large RVs. Glad I found someone that did

[@Wes1487]

I appreciate your honesty on not asking to park.....if I did not see any signs I would not ask either.

[@EM-cj7tu]

I'm saving up for an RV to live in full-time to cut these California cost. But I have absolutely no idea how they work as far as power for appliances and all that jazz

[@CozyLivingMachine]

Check out our solar videos, they break things down for the RV power systems and some of the differences between 110V (AC, normal household power) and 12V (DC, RV/battery power) and I suspect that should clear a lot of things up for you!! With California sun, you should have little trouble getting plenty of solar power!

[@SuperSushidog]

We just found your informative and entertaining channel. Good job breaking free from the chains of society at such a young age. Kudos to you for going against the flow! We are free range humans too. We just started a little later than you did. We retired about 3 1/2 years ago, sold everything, bought an older MH and hit the road. We were lucky to find a 36' 1999 National Tropical Class A in great shape with only 28k miles on it for $15k. I'm with you; it sure is great to live debt free. Not long after going FT we discovered we love to boondock, though we do it a little differently than you do, eschewing city parking for rural and wilderness living. Of course, if you must still work it makes sense to park nearby. We've found we like to stay in one place for at least 2 weeks to explore the area and catch all the sights and attractions nearby. This saves us a ton on gas too, (especially at these insane prices) as most of our miles are on a little 30+ mpg toad and not our gas thirsty, 8mpg MH. We still travel from coast to coast on a yearly basis, as we have family in NC, FL, LA, CA and WA. Last summer we boondocked all over the CO Rocky Mountains on BLM and Forest Service land, and the climate was so pleasant we didn't run our air conditioners a single time. We like to winter over where its warm, staying last winter at the LTVA areas in the Yuma/Quartzsite area and the two years prior at an inexpensive RV park in S. TX. A $180 LTVA pass lets you stay there for 7 months through the winter (less than $1 a day) and the freedom to move among the several LTVA areas in CA and AZ whenever you like. Not only do you get a safe place to stay, but you also get unlimited water fills, dump station use and trash disposal. You can't hardly beat that, even camping for free on BLM land. Many places charge $15 for dump and fill. Do this every 2 weeks and you you're already over the cost of the season LTVA pass, plus you still need to find a place to dispose of your trash and move to a new camping spot every 14 days. For the last couple years before that, we wintered over at a little RV park in Los Indios, TX (near Brownsville.) We paid between $160-$170/mo (+ electric. depending on how long we stayed) for a FHU campsite there. Heck, they even gave us a month free during covid - nice folks. We will be returning there this winter too, even though they raised their rates $10 a month (I guess they are feeling the squeeze of inflation like everyone else.) It's still the best deal going for a 50a FHU RV park w/amenities, as we make frequent day trips across the border to a safe, tourist town nearby for cheap meds, dental care, MX food, Tequila, etc. Right now, we are boondocking at a little RV park near Shelby NC, visiting family here. There were no FHU spaces available, but the owners were kind enough to let us boondock at a dry campsite in the back of the park (Near the woods, where it's peaceful and quiet.) for only $150 for a 3 month stay, including fresh water, dump station use and trash disposal. Sometimes all you have to do is ask. We look forward to hearing about your future adventures. Take care, Chip & Cindy

[@CozyLivingMachine]

Thank you very much! And I suppose it doesn't matter when you start, only that you start! I'm lucky to have grown up reading Gary Paulsen's books in elementary school, and Richard Proenneke's documentary on PBS as often as I could catch it, which I suspect helped me identify and cull this nomadic urge to live much more wild! That sounds like a steal at $15k, I don't imagine you'd find anything close to that these days! I'm a bit jealous of you both being able to spend so much more time in nature, that is our goal as well once Emma can find a remote teaching position also! We can't wait to spend winters south in AZ, and our plan has been to get that LTVA pass. It sounds like a steal at that cost, especially considering the gas and dump station savings! We've yet to visit Mexico, though I can't believe the cost differences for some things. Sounds like a no-brainer, especially if you can avoid the issues with cartels and such! Emma has family out in NC as well, what a beautiful place. We were lucky to spend a month or so in NC and then another month in Florida after that in 2020. Perfect trip for us! I never thought to ask for a boondocking spot at an RV park... $150 for 3 months is nothing! I'll keep that in mind for later, great tips! Thanks for watching!! Take care!

[@SuperSushidog]

@@CozyLivingMachine Thanks for the reply. If you have the opportunity, make a day trip to MX at a safe border crossing like Algodones (S. of Yuma, AZ) or Nuevo Progresso (by McAllen, TX), that hundreds of tourists cross everyday. The cartels leave these tourist towns alone as lots of money enters MX from there. We feel safer there than in most US cities, as the people are friendly and respectful, and the crime rate is much lower too. Prescription medications are much cheaper, so we stock up and buy on a year's supply when we visit. For example, I use an albuterol inhaler. The cheapest I've found it here in the US without insurance is $50 per inhaler at Walmart's pharmacy. With our insurance, our co-pay is $35. There I get a year's supply (10 inhalers) for only $17.99. That's 4% of the cost it is here! Last year I had an impacted wisdom tooth extracted. It was stuck in there sideways and hard to remove. The dentist in Nuevo Progresso charged me $80 total, including 2 injections and X-rays! Here, the X-rays alone would have cost more than that. It was at a state-of-the-art dental office and the dentist got his degree from a US dental school, so he spoke perfect English - as does almost everyone there. Honey, vanilla and cinnamon are about 1/3rd the price they are there. Tequila is about 1/2 of what it is here. Plus there are other things there, like custom leather goods (I got a sweet leather fedora), blankets and off the hook MX food unique to the area. We just park at the border parking lot and walk across. It's safe and convenient.

[@CozyLivingMachine]

That's VERY helpful. I'm saving that info for later! I've never been to Mexico, but we've talked about leaving the country and enjoying some new cultures! A low crime rate is pretty desirable, especially compared to some of our own cities!! I cannot believe that they're $18 in MX. That really says something about our own system, but at least there are options out there! And dental visits... I can't believe that. I had this image in my mind that it would be third-world and dingy in some of the facilities. Shows how limited my knowledge is! I'll have to make a long list of everything we need (along with our friends and family!) and head down once Emma is fully remote! What great info!

[@Thegrillingdude]

My wife and myself are taking the leap next year as soon as her surgerys are out of the way. I really dig your information and will be checking out more! Thanks for the ideas!

[@CozyLivingMachine]

Best of luck with your guys' transition! That sounds like it's going to be great. And happy to help!! Thanks!

[@Nick_bailey87]

Well I'm finished. just watched all your videos. Good content, keep up the good work. I like your guy's style. Emma we miss you, maybe you could make it to Michigan soon.

[@CozyLivingMachine]

Thank you! Glad you liked them! I miss you guys too, we will try to make it back soon! ❤️

[@jesserevilla992]

Very nice Coach, appreciate the insight! Although we don't get much into parking just anywhere, since we're weekenders. But truly cool to see your side to it; And there is no way to really be stealth with large Class C.. But there is a way to be wise. Listen love the Flag but when you're on the West Coast in certain cities doesn't that draw attention?

[@CozyLivingMachine]

I hoped everyone could get a little something out of it, if only what to do if a reservation or plan falls through! And no stealth at all 😂 And that's a great question! I've been waiting for it but so far, so good. Unfortunately, we are in the top 3 for leftist radicalism. We ran a flag on the back of the pickup we used to have while towing our previous Airstream and also this rig. Surprisingly, no troubles at all! I think it also shows law enforcement that we're not bad folks, it shows those that see our flag as a symbol of oppression that we're likely "right wing, armed nut jobs" and for everyone else they just see it and don't seem to care much! We also tend to stay in areas that either fly the American flag or don't show obvious signs of being "anti-American". So knock on wood!!

[@jesserevilla992]

@@CozyLivingMachine Love a real reply Thanks... Both me and my wife, our Parents are Cuban born, teaching us there is no better place in the World then right here in the US and we wear it Proudly and so do our Adult Kids. Will start watching all your Vids from the start. If you and your beautiful wife ever come down into Miami, FLA give us a shout out. Peace

[@CharlieGraceAdventure]

Love that you want to be as debt free as possible - This is near and dear to my heart. I am now a vanlifer. I use to have a class C, but i downsized. How long do you stay at a place overnight? Do you change each night?

[@CozyLivingMachine]

We just went the other way! We were worried this would be too big for us, and in some ways it certainly is. Layout certainly matters, but this is absolutely our maximum. It's so freeing to have less space and fit in more places! We stay 2-3 nights M-F in the city, and then move each night on the weekends, generally. We move every day on school breaks (Emma is a teacher, so that's a huge perk!)

[@fladave99]

Going to go in a 5th wheel. I need my space.

[@CozyLivingMachine]

I've never seen a fifth wheel short on space, you'll be in good shape there!

[@FrankBullitt390]

Cool channel, I plan on getting the same rig (29 MV) and going full time soon as well. I wont be going anywhere near the big cities like you though lol.

[@CozyLivingMachine]

That's great! The 29MV is a nice unit, of course! Basically the same other than the window, which I'd suspect most people don't care about. I know there were quite a few deals to be had on dealer lots when we were waiting for ours! And I don't blame you one bit. If Emma didn't work in the city, we'd skedaddle and avoid like the plaque!

[@FrankBullitt390]

@@CozyLivingMachine For 2023 there is no more greyhawk prestige and the front cap window is optional on regular greyhawk. I'll go with that unless I can find a clean used one for a deal. I like the window for natural light and not being at a level where people can see in.

[@CozyLivingMachine]

@@FrankBullitt390 I did not know that... That makes much more sense though to just have an option. Not two identical products with different names. 😂 And that's true, especially in Washington's cloudy weather, it gives a little extra lighting. We've had it closed most of the summer because it also happens to let in a lot of heat, so I suppose it depends on how you use the rig!

[@hannip1]

How long do you stay in one place? Do you ever get a knock on the door asking what you are doing parked on the side of the road?

[@CozyLivingMachine]

That's a great question, and funny enough, the more beautiful the area, the less time we spend there, eager to get on to an even more beautiful area! So for wild camping, usually a day or two at most, and for our city spots, 3 days max. We have had a few knocks. One officer knocked because of a complaint from someone half a block away who thought we might have been up to no good (which is strange with our Jeep/Scamp combo!) and he just laughed about it after seeing us. Another time was also a complaint about someone who didn't like RVs in her neighborhood when we had our much taller truck camper! But nobody ever just asking why we're there. I suspect most law enforcement officers understand what we're up to and that we present little threat to the peace and safety of their community. Or at least one can hope... 😂

[@karenfranz3814]

👍

[@josephhartman2343]

Where are you filling up your propane? In the Seattle/Tacoma area that is.

[@CozyLivingMachine]

So far we have been using local Uhauls. There is one in Bothell, Des Moines, and another one on Rainier Ave in Seattle (though this is by far my least favorite to use). The Kirkland location isn’t able to fill motorhomes. It’s tough to compare propane prices, but I suspect there are better prices out there!

[@seanking502]

I’m 33, working Uber and currently looking at other more full time jobs. Thinking this could be a good option in the right areas for someone working Uber

[@CozyLivingMachine]

Absolutely!

[@georges4562]

Are you guys still liking the Entegra ? How’s your suspension upgrade ? We just word that our delivery on ours is now July ☹️

[@CozyLivingMachine]

We sure are! It's been a few months now in it, so we're starting to acclimate to the quirks and there are very few new sounds that scare us into thinking we've accidentally broken something going down the road and such 😂 I suspect we will be looking at much stiffer shocks or springs for the front once we have it all paid off and such. The rear seems okay, but could probably stand to be a bit more stiff as well, of course. I have to wonder if there's not an adjustment I might be able to make myself for that effect! Otherwise, those upgrades have been quite decent, I'd say! Well worth the sub-$1k price for us. Paying someone else to do it would not have been worth it, I'd say. Being able to drive one handed is a nice feature to have once again! Oh man... I hate that game We thought our March order was going to be October until it eventually got pushed out to February. I hope that July is the latest, no more delays!! Did they say why the delay? I read that Ford has ramped up Econoline production and the microchip shortages have apparently eased, so perhaps it's just that there's still a labor shortage in Middlebury?

[@georges4562]

@@CozyLivingMachine I spoke to the California Rep for Entegra and he said there were supply chain issues with some windshield wiper component and that there’s a severe shortage or the Onan generators. He said that they were shut down, but will be ramping up real soon and we might see ours in June. He said it takes 4 to 6 six weeks to build one and maybe a bit longer because we’re getting the partial body paint 🤷🏻‍♂️I’m glad I called as he was very nice and informative. He also gave me his personal cell so I can check back with him whenever I want for updates. I of course won’t blow up his phone, but at least I feel confident that our order is officially happening. I’m glad to hear that you guys are doing well with your beautiful rig. I love your full body paint and wheels ! I’m sold on doing the suspension mods myself as it’s always nice to save the cash. Thank you for your response. I enjoy hearing from you 😎

[@CozyLivingMachine]

I think you'll appreciate this video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l4OzeZWpbb-ArKs It's crazy that there are delays over the wiper components! The generator I sort of understand, though I'm surprised being that there are limited chips and such (as far as I understand!). I was told while waiting for ours and taking the tour that it takes 3-4 days to build the unit and the paint can take a week or two. However, the hold up tends to be that they work in batches based on floor plan. So they work 3 weeks straight on the 29V floor plan, then they move on to the 30Z, then the 24B after that, so that the parts are all similar and they don't have as much confusion! I'm glad that it's on order at least and you're not getting screwed on price hikes and nonsense! And thanks, we love it too (even though we already have plenty of tree branch scratches to buff out!) And happy to chat with you as well!!

[@georges4562]

@@CozyLivingMachine Yep I saw that video and it was informative and interesting. I wish I lived closer, I would like to experience a factory tour. Thank you for the extra info, it helps to understand things better on this process. Keep up your great videos , I really enjoy them

[@christinafidance340]

I currently live in an rv (a fifth wheel) and we are renting a space from a friend, but don’t want to be here forever. My only issue I keep running into is not having a permanent address. EVERYTHING asks for one and I’m tired of constantly making up lies like I’m doing something wrong. It’s crazy. What do you do for an address? You can’t use a P.O. Box for everything.

[@CozyLivingMachine]

We use a South Dakota mailbox address for everything! It makes things, including taxes, insurance and registrations much cheaper and we've not had a single problem! Prior to this, we would use family addresses. For mail, our service scans the documents for us and we can ship to anywhere if we need to (which is very rare). We've never had trouble at all, and we pick up Amazon packages at either a locker, Emma's work or my family's address whenever needed! If you're curious what we use, check out choosesd.com

[@77dnm]

I’m assuming with a class B that it is much easier to find spots?

[@CozyLivingMachine]

I will say that with our van that we had, we could blend in to cities quite a bit more, we could fit in single parking slots and never once got "the knock". We also were skinnier, better turn radius, fuel economy, and a bit better ground clearance, etc. All huge benefits over our current class C. So in a nutshell, absolutely! 😂

[@twoblah1]

where do you find dump stations?

[@CozyLivingMachine]

We use freecampsites.net mostly! And when we drive by state parks, we will check in as well to see if they have one as needed also!

[@BoondockingWithBoomer]

I love your style of editing, great job. How do you like your Entegra so far? Has it been reliable? Try also parking at police stations - I have parked at a lot of them - I just go into the office ask if I can stay over night and 9 out of 10 times they say no problem - take care Lance

[@CozyLivingMachine]

Thank you! Compared to just a few months ago, I feel like our videos have improved leaps and bounds! I rewatched those older videos and had to delete them they were so bad! We're loving this rig. A few quirks to work around, some wires weren't clamped well and were an easy fix by me, and then we have a video on the things we took it in to a shop for, but compared to our Airstreams, this is a dream! Everything works and we haven't been out of it a single night! I never thought about a police station, but that's a great idea, particularly in a few areas I wouldn't stay in otherwise!! Thanks for watching! 😊

[@BoondockingWithBoomer]

@@CozyLivingMachine yeah some my older videos are bad too but I just kept them up - WOW you like Entegra better then Airstream that says a lot about Entegra

[@CozyLivingMachine]

@@BoondockingWithBoomer You know, we had two Airstreams. They are beautiful, and I don't suspect you can beat them in terms of beauty. I'd say that goes for almost all products, it's just a great shape, beautiful shine, all that good stuff. But for full-timing it was terrible! The thermal bridge between the exterior and interior aluminum caused by the metal ribs negates any benefit from the insulation. The prices are ridiculous (ESPECIALLY NOW!) and having to worry about never scratching or denting such a beautiful trailer is exhausting. They have their place, but I'd never own a new one. I need a more durable rig. 😂

[@uncapabrew4807]

Are you guys just traveling part time road - yet have home base?

[@CozyLivingMachine]

Oh no, we've full timed for the past 7 years or so! No home base or anything like that!

[@musicmarlene]

Do you do BLM Land? We do

[@CozyLivingMachine]

We love BLM land! By far the best places to pull up and stay for a while. Whenever we can, we will do that. :)