Hello, here is my situation: I am a pilot that lives in Chicago. At some point I will be based out of some other city and will need a place to stay for about 8-15 nights a month. Pilots often use a "crash pad" for temporary housing when they live out of city. This is an apartment shared by 10-20 guys! Disgusting yet cheap! The other option is a hotel which is expensive. I was wondering about living a few nights in a small RV. I have many questions so lets just start with a few.
1) Where can I go for the night? Can you just park anywhere and sleep? RV camp grounds I find online are expensive and touristy.
2) What do you guys do about electricity?
Lucky Mike said
12:18 PM May 13, 2014
How about the airport parking lot......cheap , close to work , security.....
The Bear II said
02:17 PM May 13, 2014
Your best bet is to check with the airport...many of the larger airports have designated a parking lot or portion of a lot for pilots with RVs.
The other option is to locate a nearby RV resort, many offer rental RVs as well as storage of your RV plus call ahead and they will place it on a site for you. Electricity, water and sewer will be available.
The last resort would be to get something like a van based RV (Class B). Make it up to look like a work vehicle, ladder rack with ladder. Then park in an industriall area near the airport or hotel parking lot. Be aware this may be considered illegal by city code. Look at this website for more info.... vandwellers.org/
For power many just operate off of batteries and inverter. To charge, drive the RV around before parking or use a couple of roof mounted solar panels and or a very small generator.
flyvne1 said
07:50 AM May 14, 2014
thanks Mike and Bear. I'm trying to stay away from the RV parks. The cost of them and the RV per day would be as much as an airline discount at a hotel near the airport. I thought I would bounce around from Walmart to Walmart or an airport parking lot that allows RV's like you guys suggested.
If you don't mind, I would like to pick your brain a bit more.
How long does a battery last for say charging your phone and computer? All night? Where do you keep a running generator?
What about heating and air conditioning? Do you just leave the engine running on cold nights?
Where do you dump waste and replenish water for your sink and shower (if you happen to have one)?
TRAILERKING said
08:05 AM May 14, 2014
Just an opinion but I don't know how rested a guy could be "Bouncin' Around" from parking lot to parking lot and then jump in to pilot a plane. Are you talking about laying over for more than 1 day at a time or just a short rest and freshen up? I just assumed the pilot lifestyle to be fast paced and no playin' around.
The Bear II said
08:16 AM May 14, 2014
I think you'll find trying to stay covertly in parking lots becomes a cumbersome situation. Finding a safe place to stay, locating freshwater and waste disposal sites, conservation of batteries, transportation to and from the airport and evading law enforcement depending on overnight parking restrictions.
Waste disposal requires the use of a dump station which can be found at some gas stations, rv parks, rv service centers plus county waste facilities.
Due to the large increase in homeless use of RVs, many cities have passed, are passing or will be passing restriction for overnight stays in RVs even on private property.
When you get into heating and air conditioning a generator is needed. The generator can be run all night but uses up propane, gas or diesel which means a trip to get a fill up depending on how much the generator and heater is used over the course of your stay. We stayed in below zero weather one winter and went through a 7gallon propane tank in less than 24 hours.
The batteries and inverter will power computer, phone, lights and TV for a couple of nights before needing to be recharged provided there are at least two house batteries (separate from the starting battery for the engine).
In some of the large cities this company offers a very small RV that can be parked almost anywhere...no toilet facilities. www.jucyvan.com
Technomadia said
08:27 AM May 14, 2014
Greetings.. and welcome.
A lot of your questions, are exactly why many of us are happy to pay for RV parking at RV Parks for amenities like electricity, water, sewage, internet, TV, temperature regulation, etc.
Configuring a small RV to be electrically independent (solar, batteries, water, toilet, heat, etc.) can be done - but it does take a bit of an investment in time, research and money. And sleeping in public places in your RV has it's own risks, challenges, logistics and lack of restful sleep. And dealing with extreme temperatures is always difficult - leaving your engine running or running a louder generator in a public place is usually not feasible and may even be illegal. Not to mention costly when you factor in fuel. And those situations can prompt even savvy van dwellers to RV parks.
Some options for making RV Parking with amenities more affordable might include:
- Finding a RV Park near where you need to be that offers monthly or annual rates. These can typically reduce the costs to quite reasonable, depending on where you are at. You would then just leave your RV parked and setup, and awaiting you when you arrive. So say you can find an RV situation that costs $400/month, that's bringing your nightly rate (assuming 15 nights a month) to about $26/night - which should be a lot cheaper than a hotel, and give you the privacy of being in your own space to return to that is already setup and waiting for you without the hassles of finding water & dump stations, propane fills, etc.
- Use Craigslist or other resources to find a private property owner who might be willing to park your RV on their land and provide basic amenities. Heck, maybe you could find someone wiling to rent out a spare room in their home instead. Knowing you'd only be there 8-15 nights a month might be an ideal situation for someone who wants the extra income of a roommate, but not the compromise of a full time one. And, you'd save on the cost of buying a RV and keeping it maintained.
Best wishes,
- Cherie
flyvne1 said
11:50 AM May 14, 2014
@ Trailerking - You bring up a good point. Here is my situation; Most starting pilots at an airline don't make alot of money (16k - 67k) and are on-call for sick calls and those sort of things . Shocking ain't it! If I'm lucky Ill make 67K and all this will be for nothing, but if I'm not then I need to be prepared. (I was the pilot on food stamps in the movie Capitalism- A Love Story www.youtube.com/watch ) Second year pay is much better (30k-100k) depending on what plane you fly and what airline you work for. Anyway, I'm not looking at making as little as I did in the movie, but I still need a place to rest my head for about 8-14 nights a month while on-call. Remember, I live in Chicago and will probably be working out of another city.
As far as the rest goes, I was in the Navy and if there is one thing I learned from there, it was being able to sleep anywhere. I was able to sleep standing up by locking my knees and leaning on a shelf or something. LOL! A hotel would be the ideal option but that costs $$ and I have to leave at noon, roam around the city with my suit case till my on-call shift ends, sometimes as late as midnight. The other option is what we call a "crash pad". It is often a two bedroom apartment with 4 to 8 other pilots and flight attendants per bed room. Everybody has a different start time and duty off time, and some are morning people and some are night people, so that can interfere with sleep. Not to mention the mess that all the roommates can make in the bathroom and kitchen! The last option is sleep at the airport in the pilot break room which will surely disrupt sleep and is outlawed by the FAA (some still do it cause it's free).
So I believe sleeping in a small RV will give me better rest than a "crash pad" or the airport, cost less than a hotel and the same as a "crash pad", and give me privacy and a place I can stay at after 12pm unlike the hotels. As a pilot who is not on-call now I spend more than half the month "on the road". I pack food in a cooler designed to look like luggage so we look professional. I live and cook out of my bags for the better part of the month so I am extremely adaptable. If you still think this is not such a good idea, please tell me. That's why I'm here. To learn and get advise from you the folks that are doing this now.
Sorry about the wordy reply.... I'm all ears.
flyvne1 said
12:00 PM May 14, 2014
@ Bear - I didn't know there was a battery dedicated to powering the back. Cool! So it looks like I should spend every 2nd night at a RV park to recharge, replenish and dump?
I'm used to picking up and moving every day. Like I said to trailerking I live out of my suitcase for the better part of the month and I am in a different city every night. Not exactly the same as roaming in an RV but similar maybe??? And remember, I'm talking only 8-14 nights a month.
Thanks for the links and advise Bear. I'll take all I can get. I'll have to do my research when I find out what city I'll be working out of.
flyvne1 said
12:08 PM May 14, 2014
@ Technomadia - Thanks for the advise. I was looking for RV parks within 1.5 hour drive from LAX and the cheapest one I found was $40 a night. But I'm also looking in an expensive part of the country too I guess. Hopefully I'm based somewhere cheaper LOL. And I'm starting to lean towards doing an RV park at least every other night.
Craigslist is an idea. I never though about that.
Thanks again!!
Terry and Jo said
06:09 PM May 14, 2014
Paul,
Another option, depending on the city you would be "out of," would be mobile home parks instead of RV parks. That would be something you'd have to check out somehow, but a mobile home park might cost a lot less than the RV parks, but you'd probably have to have your electricity on a meter. I can't speak for other cities, but where we live in Oklahoma City, there are a number of mobile home parks that have spaces for RV's. In this area, I've seen most run from $250 to $350 per month for a site. If you had the option of something like that, would you be leaving the RV in place for several months or moving it around?
Whatever you do, when you leave the RV, turn off the water to the unit.
Terry
WestWardHo said
06:54 PM May 14, 2014
Don't know if this is still available but the Proud Bird mentioned was a known LA landmark. You might want to check this out. A couple of our friends flew so we understand you deli a.
Well thanks everybody!!! That lot on the airport for $60 a month sounds like it is perfect for me. If I get a job there you'll know where to find me! one last question... I think.
The batteries that are used for lights, heat, tv, ectc.. Can it be recharged via the vehicle engine? And if so, how long does it usually take to charge?
You guys are great. I really appreciate to advise and education.
Lucky Mike said
07:57 AM May 15, 2014
they can be recharged but it takes a bit and they will not reach full charge......if it is a motorhome Running the generator is a better option for recharging....during the time while you are running the A/C off the generator or for the microwave & such you will be recharging.....normally 2 to 4 hours is sufficient to keep them up every couple days.
a little smart shopping as you go along and you could pick up a solar panel set up to do most of the recharging while you are away......changing lights to LED will go along way in conserving power also
TXRVr said
12:26 PM May 18, 2014
Oh, the glamorous life of an airline pilot!! As a retired military pilot, I would suggest that you be thankful that the airline isn't asking you to do as Uncle Sam did.....sleep in tents. And, I always thought it humorous that pilots used the term "crash" in conjunction with pad.
You've got some good suggestions so the only thing I will add is that if you don't one place acceptable then move. The RV has wheels.
PS: I like your username. Most would not know what Vne is.
flyvne1 said
09:25 AM May 20, 2014
@TXRVr Ha ha. Yep. Fly the never-exceed-speed!!!
I've been doing alot of research, and have one last question. What are some of the ways you guys keep cool in the summer, in an rv park and off?
Lucky Mike said
10:29 AM May 20, 2014
A/C & Generator durring sleep hours , usually just cool it way down shut the generator down and go to bed ..
some of my favorite spots have a nice cool swimming hole!!!....quick dip and off to Bed!!.....just make sure the dog doesnt follow....makes for a wet pillow!!!
WendysPhotos said
01:14 PM May 20, 2014
Mike your humor always give me a great smile and pick me up during my day. Thank you so much for the awesome words of wisdom you impart upon this forum!
Wendy
cherylbrv said
01:30 PM May 20, 2014
WendysPhotos wrote:
Mike your humor always give me a great smile and pick me up during my day. Thank you so much for the awesome words of wisdom you impart upon this forum!
Wendy
LIKE BUTTON
Aurora Borealis said
02:32 PM May 20, 2014
Thanks for starting this thread, I found it very interesting.
I was also shocked to learn of the current economics of being a pilot. The term 'The Recession' or ''The Poor Economy' doesn't quite show the stark reality of what is happening to many people.
While I was looking at real estate to purchase in central Florida a couple of years ago, my realtor was commenting on the changes since home prices crashed there (about ''08 -'09). She was bemoaning people living in barns and in fact I looked at one place that was listed on MLS as a 1-bedroom house which actually was a section of a horse barn. Another place I looked at was a foreclosure with the original builder/owner now living next door in what used to be his barn.
Hello, here is my situation: I am a pilot that lives in Chicago. At some point I will be based out of some other city and will need a place to stay for about 8-15 nights a month. Pilots often use a "crash pad" for temporary housing when they live out of city. This is an apartment shared by 10-20 guys! Disgusting yet cheap! The other option is a hotel which is expensive. I was wondering about living a few nights in a small RV. I have many questions so lets just start with a few.
1) Where can I go for the night? Can you just park anywhere and sleep? RV camp grounds I find online are expensive and touristy.
2) What do you guys do about electricity?
The other option is to locate a nearby RV resort, many offer rental RVs as well as storage of your RV plus call ahead and they will place it on a site for you. Electricity, water and sewer will be available.
The last resort would be to get something like a van based RV (Class B). Make it up to look like a work vehicle, ladder rack with ladder. Then park in an industriall area near the airport or hotel parking lot. Be aware this may be considered illegal by city code. Look at this website for more info.... vandwellers.org/
For power many just operate off of batteries and inverter. To charge, drive the RV around before parking or use a couple of roof mounted solar panels and or a very small generator.
If you don't mind, I would like to pick your brain a bit more.
How long does a battery last for say charging your phone and computer? All night? Where do you keep a running generator?
What about heating and air conditioning? Do you just leave the engine running on cold nights?
Where do you dump waste and replenish water for your sink and shower (if you happen to have one)?
Waste disposal requires the use of a dump station which can be found at some gas stations, rv parks, rv service centers plus county waste facilities.
Due to the large increase in homeless use of RVs, many cities have passed, are passing or will be passing restriction for overnight stays in RVs even on private property.
When you get into heating and air conditioning a generator is needed. The generator can be run all night but uses up propane, gas or diesel which means a trip to get a fill up depending on how much the generator and heater is used over the course of your stay. We stayed in below zero weather one winter and went through a 7gallon propane tank in less than 24 hours.
The batteries and inverter will power computer, phone, lights and TV for a couple of nights before needing to be recharged provided there are at least two house batteries (separate from the starting battery for the engine).
In some of the large cities this company offers a very small RV that can be parked almost anywhere...no toilet facilities.
www.jucyvan.com
A lot of your questions, are exactly why many of us are happy to pay for RV parking at RV Parks for amenities like electricity, water, sewage, internet, TV, temperature regulation, etc.
Configuring a small RV to be electrically independent (solar, batteries, water, toilet, heat, etc.) can be done - but it does take a bit of an investment in time, research and money. And sleeping in public places in your RV has it's own risks, challenges, logistics and lack of restful sleep. And dealing with extreme temperatures is always difficult - leaving your engine running or running a louder generator in a public place is usually not feasible and may even be illegal. Not to mention costly when you factor in fuel. And those situations can prompt even savvy van dwellers to RV parks.
Some options for making RV Parking with amenities more affordable might include:
- Finding a RV Park near where you need to be that offers monthly or annual rates. These can typically reduce the costs to quite reasonable, depending on where you are at. You would then just leave your RV parked and setup, and awaiting you when you arrive. So say you can find an RV situation that costs $400/month, that's bringing your nightly rate (assuming 15 nights a month) to about $26/night - which should be a lot cheaper than a hotel, and give you the privacy of being in your own space to return to that is already setup and waiting for you without the hassles of finding water & dump stations, propane fills, etc.
- Use Craigslist or other resources to find a private property owner who might be willing to park your RV on their land and provide basic amenities. Heck, maybe you could find someone wiling to rent out a spare room in their home instead. Knowing you'd only be there 8-15 nights a month might be an ideal situation for someone who wants the extra income of a roommate, but not the compromise of a full time one. And, you'd save on the cost of buying a RV and keeping it maintained.
Best wishes,
- Cherie
As far as the rest goes, I was in the Navy and if there is one thing I learned from there, it was being able to sleep anywhere. I was able to sleep standing up by locking my knees and leaning on a shelf or something. LOL! A hotel would be the ideal option but that costs $$ and I have to leave at noon, roam around the city with my suit case till my on-call shift ends, sometimes as late as midnight. The other option is what we call a "crash pad". It is often a two bedroom apartment with 4 to 8 other pilots and flight attendants per bed room. Everybody has a different start time and duty off time, and some are morning people and some are night people, so that can interfere with sleep. Not to mention the mess that all the roommates can make in the bathroom and kitchen! The last option is sleep at the airport in the pilot break room which will surely disrupt sleep and is outlawed by the FAA (some still do it cause it's free).
So I believe sleeping in a small RV will give me better rest than a "crash pad" or the airport, cost less than a hotel and the same as a "crash pad", and give me privacy and a place I can stay at after 12pm unlike the hotels. As a pilot who is not on-call now I spend more than half the month "on the road". I pack food in a cooler designed to look like luggage so we look professional. I live and cook out of my bags for the better part of the month so I am extremely adaptable. If you still think this is not such a good idea, please tell me. That's why I'm here. To learn and get advise from you the folks that are doing this now.
Sorry about the wordy reply.... I'm all ears.
I'm used to picking up and moving every day. Like I said to trailerking I live out of my suitcase for the better part of the month and I am in a different city every night. Not exactly the same as roaming in an RV but similar maybe??? And remember, I'm talking only 8-14 nights a month.
Thanks for the links and advise Bear. I'll take all I can get. I'll have to do my research when I find out what city I'll be working out of.
Craigslist is an idea. I never though about that.
Thanks again!!
Paul,
Another option, depending on the city you would be "out of," would be mobile home parks instead of RV parks. That would be something you'd have to check out somehow, but a mobile home park might cost a lot less than the RV parks, but you'd probably have to have your electricity on a meter. I can't speak for other cities, but where we live in Oklahoma City, there are a number of mobile home parks that have spaces for RV's. In this area, I've seen most run from $250 to $350 per month for a site. If you had the option of something like that, would you be leaving the RV in place for several months or moving it around?
Whatever you do, when you leave the RV, turn off the water to the unit.
Terry
articles.latimes.com/2009/jul/20/local/me-lax-colony20
Sherry
LAX already has pilots living in RV's. http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jul/20/local/me-lax-colony20
The batteries that are used for lights, heat, tv, ectc.. Can it be recharged via the vehicle engine? And if so, how long does it usually take to charge?
You guys are great. I really appreciate to advise and education.
a little smart shopping as you go along and you could pick up a solar panel set up to do most of the recharging while you are away......changing lights to LED will go along way in conserving power also
Oh, the glamorous life of an airline pilot!! As a retired military pilot, I would suggest that you be thankful that the airline isn't asking you to do as Uncle Sam did.....sleep in tents. And, I always thought it humorous that pilots used the term "crash" in conjunction with pad.
You've got some good suggestions so the only thing I will add is that if you don't one place acceptable then move. The RV has wheels.
PS: I like your username. Most would not know what Vne is.
I've been doing alot of research, and have one last question. What are some of the ways you guys keep cool in the summer, in an rv park and off?
A/C & Generator durring sleep hours , usually just cool it way down shut the generator down and go to bed ..
some of my favorite spots have a nice cool swimming hole!!!....quick dip and off to Bed!!.....just make sure the dog doesnt follow....makes for a wet pillow!!!
Wendy
LIKE BUTTON
Thanks for starting this thread, I found it very interesting.
I was also shocked to learn of the current economics of being a pilot. The term 'The Recession' or ''The Poor Economy' doesn't quite show the stark reality of what is happening to many people.
While I was looking at real estate to purchase in central Florida a couple of years ago, my realtor was commenting on the changes since home prices crashed there (about ''08 -'09). She was bemoaning people living in barns and in fact I looked at one place that was listed on MLS as a 1-bedroom house which actually was a section of a horse barn. Another place I looked at was a foreclosure with the original builder/owner now living next door in what used to be his barn.