Living In A Fifth-Wheel: Two Months

I bought a box of nut chocolates (our mutual favorite) to celebrate the newly-signed house contract. The Brick looked at them suspiciously. "Are you sure these aren't from Christmas?" he asked. Nope, buddy -- but they were on sale for half-price!

     It's hard to believe that a few months have gone by since we started living in our new fifth-wheel home...and the "old" house went up on the market. 

It has been a learning experience. The real estate part is one the Brick would like never to repeat. Me, I could do it again. Sort of. Maybe. Kinda.

     I have never experienced time to go by so quickly -- yet stretch interminably on the worst days. But there have been some illuminating moments:

*We really CAN boondock for weeks -- maybe months -- at a time.  Eight solar cells, plus propane, cover our energy needs. Cellphone hotspots give us Internet access, when we can't get it anywhere else. Currently we're using electricity from the old house -- after all, we're still paying for it. A hose gives us fresh water. (Our tank leaked -- a new one is on its way from Oregon, but not here yet.) We're limited only by our access to water -- and how long the gray and blackwater tanks hold out. (See below.)

*I can still stock up -- IF there's space. As long as I pay attention, I can buy an extra. Maybe two. Just not a dozen, like I used to... that's how a lot of stuff got thrown out 

*We wear the same clothes more than we'd like to admit. A wash every few days keeps them available, and our closets from being overstuffed.

*I can still buy on clearance and at the thrift shop -- as long as I buy quality and we NEED those items. Limiting my visits helps. So does keeping a list.

*Hooray for unexpected storage! Our tabletop AND chair seats lift up, with space for mailing envelopes, extra pens and sparely-needed items. The table holds a modest amount of Christmas presents. (Yes, I still stock up on them when I can.) The only bad part: the chair bottoms were flimsy and not attached too well -- and yours truly overfilled them at first.

Cool, huh...all chairs should work like this

*The bedroom is darker...and quiet. Windows are smaller. Two sides are all storage, insulating against sound, and the bed lifts up for additional space. (That's where I keep books for sale, quilts and samples for lectures and classes. Winter coats, too.)

*Tidiness counts. We just cannot leave piles like we used to.

*LOVE our laundry chute! This open space under the bathroom sink drops down to the 'basement,' where a tall basket waits for dirty clothes. I open that compartment, grab the basket, and off we go. (I have a portable washer, recommended by other RVers, but haven't tried it, as long as we have access to the old house.)

*Lots of light. Our windows are large -- that's one thing I especially liked about this fifth-wheel. Pull-down shades give privacy when needed, and fold away easily when we want views, instead.

The new...and the old

*Meeting with clients has been productive, thanks to the library. I love this place for its great books, videos and fabulous  used-stuff-for-sale room. Its' study and meeting rooms are busy, but there's always been one available. It's quiet, clean and roomy.
     Even in a pinch, clients have stopped by the trailer. No problem.

*It all works -- it just doesn't all work at the same time. If the air conditioner's going, the microwave can't be used, or it trips the breaker. Not a big deal, since you can flip the a.c. switch on and off in a moment.

*Even the toilet issue is ok. (Warning: slightly gross moments ahead.) We limit it mostly to 'liquids,' and the toilet paper issue is solved the Mexican way: a plastic bag, emptied weekly, in a small push-top metal trash can. (There are always ziploc bags, too, if you're camping.) I keep the bathroom extra-clean...something I have to do, anyways, in the "old" house. Any #2 moments are saved for elsewhere, if possible.
      Other RVers said if you do this, you can go quite a while before dumping...and they're right. Whenever this need comes up, we plan to pay for a night at a campground with a dumping station. The process is surprisingly odor-free, though you really don't want to think about what you're doing, while you're doing it. While we're at it, we'll fill up the freshwater tank, use the wifi and the electricity.

View from the kitchen table -- fridge/freezer and storage to the right;
TV, stereo and fireplace to the left. Bedroom is up the steps, shower on the right.
Yep, we're roughing it, alright.

Living in the fifth-wheel isn't perfect. We can bump into each other, especially during mornings. The dogs stay close and are easy to trip over. The fridge has a tendency to leak into the crisper. There's not much room for books, and our winter clothes must be stored in the 'basement.' I have to pass up deals now and then, because they're not what we need at the present. And it would be difficult to host parties for more than four or five people, unless we eat outside. But with care, these issues can all be worked out. We've already solved some big ones:  we'll be sharing Daughter #2 and Son #1's mailbox. Our phones and medical needs will adapt to moving around some. We'll keep Colordo residency; after all, our girlies, son and friends are here. Contact info (except for the address change) stays the same. And wherever we go, we take our home with us.


We're going to do just fine.