Good community for RV-less nomading?

[bigjim]

Rous, my compliments for well reported scenario of that style or traveling. It should really be helpful.

[Tee Jay]

As you ponder, do the math.   Hotel, motel, short term rental from any source is going to run in the vicinity of $3,000 per month.  Factor in food storage and preparation, and cooking and eating utensils.  Hotel meals are pricey.

Your employer is in a state and city with taxes, but you are remote, say Florida.  Your bank is in Florida.  You get paid by direct deposit.  All your bills are auto-pay to your checking account, including your credit cards. 

You need to solicit the advice of a competent CPA or Tax Attorney on doing this to minimize taxes and maximize freedom.

Regarding car vs RV, you have to be comfortable in driving an RV.  Mine is a 42' monster, but it holds 100 gallons of water, 60 gallons black (toilet) and 60 gallon grey (shower and sink).  Boondocking in parts or the Southwest is free on BLM land, so cost is a sewer dump every week and taking on more fresh water, $15, plus a few gallons fuel to and fro.  You can do solar, or run the generator daily, sometimes both.  Maybe $15 a day for the generator.  Reception from Verizon and ATT, and others is excellent, 4 or 5 bars mostly.  Don't plan on good Internet reception in a lot of areas, including any rental options.  RV parks are usually in the $500/month range for budget purposes, some more and some less, and a lot of seasonal variation.  Annual maintenance on a big diesel pusher will be a few thousand, less on a class C.

A small travel trailer could be towed by a medium size car, but for comfort you may want to look at a 25' or larger TT as it will have a walk around bed, shower, kitchen and seating, and a dinette for work space.  A 5th wheel needs a truck, likely 3/4 ton or larger.  Motorhomes usually have a car in tow.

So, where are you going to be happy?  You need to think this through on a lot of levels, but the first one may be creature comfort over extended periods, as in bed, shower, food and drink.  A happy and contented worker can be productive, but one annoyed at living arrangements not so much.

Best wishes on your quest.

[fugue]

Thanks again for all of the great input.  This is a very helpful and welcoming community!

I ended up speaking with both a lawyer and accountant, and I'm in the process of working out all of the legal / tax details, which are still to be determined at the moment, but I definitely got some helpful advice.

Kevin, thank you for the travel nurse suggestion.  I've been looking online for furnished short-term rentals, and it appears that a lot of them cater to travel nurses.  I'm definitely going to try to reach out to one and pick their brain.

Regarding getting an RV, this is a decision I'm going kick further down the road.  It's quite possible that after traveling the U.S. for a little bit, I may want to get rid of even more possessions, and my car, and travel the world via plane.  But if I start doing this and realize I want to travel the U.S. for several years, it's certainly something I might try.  

[Solo18]

One other consideration is the time you spend in a state where you are not a resident.  Some states get pretty fussy about that because they believe you are trying to avoid local taxes and registering your vehicle in their states.  They can fine you substantially.  In many places, the limit of time you can spend without becoming a resident is 6 months, but that can vary, so it is another question you will want to ask a tax lawyer.  You don't want to discover that you had inadvertently become a resident of California and owe then a bunch of taxes!! 

And I agree that staying in hotels and airbnb's would be exhausting--not only finding them but constantly moving your stuff around all the time.  Ditto for cooking and lugging around your food and cooking equipment.  A small conversion van or a small trailer and a pickup truck to tow it and use daily would be a lot easier.