Yes, Barbara, all RV parks in the Treasure Valley (Boise) are open all winter.
You need to prepare for freezing along with occasional snow. It also gets hot....the past week has been well over 100* every day. Last night it was 91* at 10 pm.
The valley is irrigated desert. Farming cannot rely on rain for most crops. Irrigation is the norm, not the exception. The only dry farming will be some hay crops and for that you need substantial acreage.
Dianne (and Terry) (Fulltimed for 9 years)
Donnelly, ID
HAM WB6N (Terry)
2012 Ford F350, diesel, 4x4 SRW, crew cab, longbed
2009 Lance 971 Truck Camper, loaded
Life Member Good Sam
Geocache..."RVcachers" RV net Blog
I think what you are doing is great if you are prepared for it. My only concern would be that you don't make life unnecessarily uncomfortable for your kids. They don't have a choice in the matter and end up living with the consequences (good or bad) of choices made by their parents. Get a good quality RV with good insulation so you don't put them in danger, especially in the winter where it can get well below freezing and stay there for many weeks here in Idaho. Yes Boise generally has milder temperatures than other areas of Idaho but it is still Idaho and it can get very cold and stay that way for a long time when the cold fronts drop down out of Alaska and Canada. Have a back-up plan and money saved up for finding another place to stay if the RV plan doesn't work out and you'll be fine.
I have been living full-time in my RV here in Idaho for over two years now. It's a great way to save money as well as get out and enjoy all the great camping areas this state has to offer. I live in eastern Idaho so the climate is slightly different than Boise due to the higher elevation I'm at. It gets colder in the winter but not as hot in the summer. It was down to -14 F the first winter and the daytime temps never rose much above 0 F for a few weeks. It can get that cold in Boise though it rarely does. It will get hot there in the summer, guaranteed. Today was 108 F, hotter than both Vegas and Phoenix were today. It doesn't get quite that hot where I'm at but it will generally hit close to 100 most summers for a while.
My kids don't live with me but I wouldn't hesitate living in an RV even if they did. The only change I would have to make is for a larger RV. We all do fine in my truck camper for a week or so when we get together and go camping but full-time with kids I'd need a lot more room. I am also looking for a piece of land to build a shop on but I'll probably just continue living in my RV and not build a house. I'd rather spend my money on travel, camping, fishing and going to see my kids. Plus I don't really need a house, my small RV suits my living needs just fine. It's actually nicer than many apartments I've wasted thousands of dollars living in. Living meager does have it's benefits, it seems you know what I mean by living this way.
I'd recommend looking for an RV that is equipped with a 4-season package as a starting point for any full-time living in Idaho, meaning enclosed heated tanks and good insulation. I say starting point because you'll want to make some modifications to it so it's better prepared to get you through a winter. If your pipes freeze you're done using water so you'll be looking for other living arrangements which can be difficult in the dead of winter. Good insulation will also help with staying cool in the summer heat as well as using less energy to stay warm in the winter. Consider condensation as an enemy not to be taken lightly. With just me living in my RV it can be a problem when it gets cold. You'll have 5 set's of lungs, more showers, cooking, water use, etc to deal with. Condensation can be a big problem and ruin an RV if it gets out of hand not to mention the health risk of mold to your family. Think of how you will deal with this issue for 5-6 months a year. I have a de-humidifier but my fantastic fan and heater can generally keep up with it. Having more people inside will definitely make it more challenging for you.
My 4-season Arctic Fox is the reason I can stay in the extreme temperatures all year here in east Idaho. Even though it came as 4-season I still did a bunch of modifications to make it even more capable especially for the cold. While my neighbors pipes were freezing I was nice and cozy warm. I'll go camping in the dead of winter in places like Grand Teton Park and enjoy complete solitude with no-one else around. I'm not saying you have to get an Arctic Fox because there are plenty of good brands capable of full-timing in northern climates. Finding a good 4-season unit may be a bit more expensive than what you have budgeted though so keep your eyes open for some good deals because finding a good RV will make all the difference if you really want to live out of an RV all year long here in Idaho.
There is a lot of information on here for prepping an RV for winter time use. Research it well before winter arrives and have your modifications done so you are ready. Once winter hits you'll have a tough time playing catch up by getting things ready for it. I did all the winter mods to my RV during the late summer and early fall before my first winter. It's so much better lying in the cool green grass fixing up your stuff than on a cold frozen snowbank with a -10 wind chill.
Well before this gets too long here are some links to a few RV parks I was considering living at in the Boise area last year when I was thinking of moving there. Hope it helps and good luck with your plans!
I was looking at some property around the Cambridge,Idaho area and
wonder what the building codes are there for placing a travel trailer
like your Artic Fox which sounds nice for the winters and year around.
Its a number of acres and wonder what the rules for that are like.
Do you just need to buy a tag for it. I plan to put in power and septic tank and well for water.
I wonder if I have to pay property tax for the travel tralier?
* This post was
edited 11/30/12 05:54pm by 360camera *
hi,
we have spent jan and feb in our dp in koa in boise twice while visting friends.lot of people living year round at boise koa.we used about a hundred gallons of propane a month to heat our 38 foot motorhome.rent there is 400 monthly plus electric.
boise koa is actually in meridian at exit44.
Your 12x52 mobile home is palatial compared to your 8x32 TT - on the order of THREE times as much living space inside - not bad at all.
A TT with ONE THIRD the living space - and with THREE kids?
And during the relatively COLD winters in Boise?
And in a largely UNinsulated Travel Trailer?
Whatever you pay in heating bills now.. TRIPLE IT when you get into your TT?
$5K for a 32' TT? Won't buy ya much. Budget some maintenance costs for sure!
You probably have 2 maybe even 3 bedrooms now - what about in the TT?
Can you say NO parental privacy - EVER?
Sorry... but that's the way I see it. Were I you, I'd setting down into my EZ chair in that mobile home (OVER 600 sq ft) and rethink the whole thing.
(I'm probobly gonna' get flamed to death on this comment but i hope it's taken in the spirit it's ment to and not an attack on the OP's decision making process!)
I couldn't agree more,after raising two boys and partially raising an adorable lil' grandaughter i wouldn't even consider doing what your thinking,it simply wouldn't be fair to the kids! In my opinion full-timing is for retiree's or young unattatched couples that are only responsable to themselves looking for a change of scenery and i find that a "top of the line" 38' fiver with all the whistles and bells can become REALLY CROWDED with just Frau Blücher and me and when we add the two grandprincesses i end up hiding in the shed with my beer firidge! You might want to give this more thought.
* This post was
edited 12/01/12 10:43pm by MPI_Mallard *
07' Dodge 3500 6 speed Cummins Diesel Dually/6.7L Bully-Chipped /
Exhst Brake/07' Cedar Creek 37CDTSD Daydreamer fiver
Mallard @ Frau Blücher
Red Green:
Now lets Bow your heads for the men's prayer.
I am a man, but I can change.
If I have to, I guess...
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