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[Skydancesmom]

Hi-
    We are living in a pop up camper and are about to buy a bigger camper/trailor deal that has a washer and dryer and stove etc....  I was wondering if any other women on here have lived like this and with small children, my boys are 1,3,5.  Any house and home suggestions would be great!  Especailly about time managment, home organization (not a strong suit anyway!) and even lagistics as we may be hauking our own sewage... sorry for the weak of stomached!
Blessings

[denim&lace]

I've only lived this way for short periods and not with small children... yet... 

But I have lived in a tiny apartment with three small children and the goal is to keep it simple!  My kids wore uniforms, they had three matching shirts each, three of the same shorts/jeans, 7 pair of socks, 7 undies, two pair of shoes.  One boy wore red, one yellow and the girl wore purple.  She had two dresses to boot.   They were allowed a maximum number of toys each. 

I really think living in that apartment taught me a lot about keeping house, as I couldn't afford not to.  Things must be put away as they are used or you will find yourself frustrated with the clutter and inability to find anything.   

[Ella]

We lived in a fifthwheel for several years and are moving back into our next week. We are expecting number five in Oct. Our oldest will turn seven in Sept. I don't have it all down pat but here are a few ideas I've found helpful.  I make a schedule for dishes, laundry and showers. Figure out how long it takes for the hot water tank to get hot again that way in theory you can get all the washing of dishes, people and clothes done. That's asuming you will have hot water.  if not a gas can filled with water and left infront of a space heater warms up in a couple hours and makes for a lovely shower I try and keep toys packed in containers so we can switch around which ones we have to play with. I also make a schedule not just for school but also for scheduled play time for the little kids. They have an art time, toy of the day time, speacial toy with small pieces up on the bunk bed ect. When the time is up I make them stop and go to the next activity. That way they are always looking forward to the next time. They also have free time but I've found that too much free time leads to boredome and squables.  I also schedule a time every afternoon for play time with mom. Each day a differant child gets to pick an activity for all of us to play together. The biggest trouble we have is burning enough energy in such a small space. Our son is very active and literally starts climbing the walls if I don't keep him busy. We try and get outside each day but that really depends on the weather especially in the winter with a newborn. Hoping others have more ideas. I could use some new ones myself

For a toilet when we have'nt had one we just use a 5 gallon bucket and my husband manfully hauls it to the campgrounds toilets and dumps it down Thankfully we had a small bathroom to keep the toilet in so the smell was'nt bad except in that room. I'll admit that I waited on potty training with a couple of our kids until spring came and thawed out the pipes and we had a working toilet again. When we were on job sites we would rent a porta potty since there was'nt a place to dump our sewer. We would still keep a bucket in the trailer for middle of the night trips for the kids and pregnant wife

[Skydancesmom]

All of this has helped so much!  Thank you!  We will have hot water, but know that propane this winter is going to get pricey because we are going to use it for heat too.  So we will have to schedual baths, laundry etc.  Winter is here by the first of October (According to me!!) and snowing by mid november, so this will be interesting.  I am feeling the pressure of getting into a daily schedual before winter, because I  think we will all go nuts if we don't... especially the boys.

Any other words of advice or encouragment are welcomed!  Thanks so much!
SDM

[ridgerunner]

When I was about 9 my parents lived in a camper trailer.  It was about 20 feet long I think, and it was the 4 of us (Mom, Dad, me, and my little sister).  We were pretty crowded of course, but it really wasn't bad.  Us kids were outside playing pretty much every minute that we weren't doing schoolwork, so about the only time we were inside was for school, eating (sometimes eating, we ate outdoors a lot) and sleeping.  Of course, if you're living in a cold place that won't apply as much, but still, kids love being outside in any weather, so... 

We also had a set amount of clothes that we kept and we did our rotation so that we did one person's laundry per day.  We did laundry 4 days a week, but only one load a day.  One day I wore my last outfit and that was my laundry day, the next day would be my sisters last clean outfit and that was her laundry day, etc.  Mom did a lot of cooking with items that didn't take up much space, lots of baking, etc.

It's definitely doable in a way that everyone will come out with all their wits when it's over.    When I look back on that time, as a kid it seemed like a cool adventure. 

[Amy Joy]

Sounds fun, what you're about to do... and how nice that you guys are about to bump up to a bigger camper!  Congratulations on that. 

If I were you, I think I would get one of those Needak Rebounders  for when you and the kids have to stay inside.  Rebounders fold up to store easily and don’t require much room when they’re set out.  Mine measures 40 and 1/4 inches in circumference. These rebounders  are made in the USA in O’Neill Nebraska and you can see what they look like at this website:  http://www.needak-rebounders.com/  We have enjoyed our rebounder for 11 years.  Our youngest is bouncing away and burning off some pent-up energy as we speak.

[Amy Joy]

Question for Ella: 

When you guys used a 5 gallon bucket for toilet needs, did you get one of those "toilet seat-and-lid things" to set down on it?  I've seen them advertised on the internet and wondered if that would be a good way to go (no pun intended, lol)... any thoughts?   

[Skydancesmom]

When we actually went to look at it I felt a little spoiled, like "Are you sure we really NEED all this?"  Pretty cool what  a month in a pop up camper will do for ya!  We were actually just offered land, two acres, that has a well and electric all ready.  God is so awesome I can't even believe it sometimes.... He always has a way for us.  I think we may be even building our own house here soon..... slowley over many years, but debt free perhaps!  Who even knows!
    I liked the Laundry idea, my DH says seven min. showers, any more then that and you freeze, and ten min. to heat the water back up.  Does this sounds about right to you all?
    What have you ladies done with you hair?  That is, if you had long hair, how did you tend to it in the camper?  That is a current struggle!
Blessings

[denim&lace]

Do you have curls or straight hair?

[Ella]

Question for Ella: 

When you guys used a 5 gallon bucket for toilet needs, did you get one of those "toilet seat-and-lid things" to set down on it?  I've seen them advertised on the internet and wondered if that would be a good way to go (no pun intended, lol)... any thoughts?   

I've never seen one of those but it sounds nice especially with little kids that tend to fall in or tip the bucket over

[Amy Joy]

Here's a few links for you and Skydancesmom, then.

Black snap-on lid

White snap-on lid 

"Luggable Loo" - Cabela's Camping Store

Toiletology 101 

            Click "INDEX."  Then, scroll to "Emergency, Are You Ready..."  Click again, then scroll down to “How to build a toilet for surviving a disaster,” and “How to convert a flush toilet into an emergency toilet,” etc. 

            If you want, you could click also the sidebar advert for  the pricey but interesting  “Oversized Toilet Seat.”  I have wondered how those oversized seats would work on a bucket or regular toilet-with-a-bag.  Tall or big people would probably appreciate it, though.  Just "thinking outloud," here.

[Skydancesmom]

Thanks,
    I will check out all of those web sites!  There is a toilet that I think my husband know how to work (plumbing etc.)  but were not sure what it's all going to be like, I am kinda excited to have a little bathroom.  There was a dead mouse near my pee spot on the farm this morning..... no connection I don't think tee hee!
    I have wavy THICK hair.  And tons of it.  I am waking up with dread locks, and have to spend almost 70 percent of my showers combing through it with conditioner.  Ouch.  I might have to toughen up and washing it with the cold facet out there.  I want to cut it all off, but I don't think I will. 
SDM

[khix]

Mom did a lot of cooking with items that didn't take up much space, lots of baking, etc.

I'm curious - how in the world does one cook (homemade meals) & bake without taking up lots of counter space??  Every time I cook/bake, it requires a lot more pots/pans/bowls/etc than, say, just throwing a frozen entree in the oven.

[ridgerunner]

I'm curious - how in the world does one cook (homemade meals) & bake without taking up lots of counter space??  Every time I cook/bake, it requires a lot more pots/pans/bowls/etc than, say, just throwing a frozen entree in the oven.

When I said "with items that don't take up a lot of space" I meant that she didn't store a lot of 'extra' kitchen equipment like processors, choppers, blenders, electric skillets, waffle makers, and stuff like that.  Just the most basic pots and pans, knives, tongs, big spoons and spatulas.  That was pretty much all we kept around to cook with.

She would set aside a day for baking and bake up a bunch of stuff and freeze what we weren't using that day and the rest would go into the freezer to be taken out and thrown in the oven.  Each day a certain amount of time was set aside for cooking one part of a meal that could be frozen, so she never was stuck making an entire meal from scratch at any one time.  My grandparents lived close by so we were able to have an extra freezer there to store stuff, that may not be possible with others living in a camper trailer. 

She would cook and freeze all types of bread, pasta, cakes, meat, casseroles, etc. that could be thrown in the freezer at any time.  It was always a 'home cooked meal' because 2/3 of it she had made ahead of time and frozen and the last 3rd was always cooked fresh.  Doing it this way saved more money than buying premade freezer entrees too. 

[khix]

OK, thank for clearing that up for me!   

[snowflake]

Has anyone lived this way through the winter?  We will be living like this for a while and were wondering what it took to get through the cold weather.  I guess there is not much insulation.... Did you just run the heat a lot?

Thanks !

[AndysJess]

We placed small space heaters around the trailer.  They helped a lot!!

[Skydancesmom]

Hi everyone!
  We are very far north in the US and in the middle of winter!  It has been 6 months or so and AWESOME!  It has been a little bit harder for my husband who has had to figure out lagistics, like gas heating and pipes not freezing, but we have been loving it!  Thanks so much for all of the advice!
Skydancesmom

[CKSMOM]

For the question about the toilet lid.  My husband just screwed a regular toilet lid to a five gallon bucket.  Works great.  He also cut out a place in the front for pouring it out so you don't have to hold the lid up and try to dump it at the same time.

[sohnnenstrahl]

CKSMOM, your husband and mine would get along great.

All this potty talk is taking me back to our camping trip this past October, and with such nostalgia. Sigh.

Wow, and I thought we were just the fanciest camping pottiers (pronounced "poh-ti-AYZ") with our five-gallon bucket topped with a potty-training seat. You people are faaaaaanthie.

[pinkmonkey]

My husband lived out of town in a 5th wheel for work last winter.  He did not have skirting which would have helped much.  We would go there and stay for a week or two and then come back home and tend to the farm.  One thing that worked well for us was one of those heaters that contain oil and it liquifies as it heats up.  This really saved the propane.
He has since moved back home and after 5 months of unemployment is employed again.  The job is low paying and not in his field.  He said last night he is ready to find work he likes and live in the 5th wheel again.  I think we would put skirting on this time.
debbieo

[CKSMOM]

CKSMOM, your husband and mine would get along great.

All this potty talk is taking me back to our camping trip this past October, and with such nostalgia. Sigh.

Wow, and I thought we were just the fanciest camping pottiers (pronounced "poh-ti-AYZ") with our five-gallon bucket topped with a potty-training seat. You people are faaaaaanthie.

LOL  Would love to meet ya....

[RunAmokFarm]

Debbieo,

The skirting does make a considerable difference when in a colder climate, and especially in a really cold area!!  We lived in a 5th wheel or travel trailer for many years - traveled with husband's work, so got pretty good at staying warm!  The oil heaters are great for keeping the chill off, and also for keeping the condensation down.  Running those propane heaters all the time causes a LOT of moisture buildup in the windows, vents and along any colder surface.  *When really cold outside, this can even mean the walls will be damp... eventually causing mold growth.   Some dry heat = VERY GOOD!   
J

[likemanywaters]

We've been living in a fifth wheel for over a year now. Kids 5, 3, and newborn.
The summer was great, when they could play outdoors more. They just sort of run laps to burn energy, or I put on some music for dancing. Right now the small trampoline is outside buried in snow.

The technical stuff we've had to learn and difficulties overcome is quite amusing. Let's see...

In the summer, there were the mice. They were coming in from under the tub and out through the vanity into the camper, eating my houseplants and leaving turds everywhere.  Everytime we thought we had figured out where they were coming from, I heard them, scampering about in the middle of the night. They even figured out how to get into the oven. In the end my husband took out the tub and insulated under it and, hurray, no more rats! Keeps the bath warmer longer too.

Then cold weather hits. 17 down to -4 at nights. 30's during the day. Get or make the pillows to go in the vent holes to keep the heat in at night. They have them at Camping World. Oh, and not running out of propane helps too. 

The things my husband has had to deal with rival mine though. Blackwater, greywater, oops the pipes are frozen, filling up the water tank. Keeping the dump valves from freezing (the skirting helps). Shoveling the snow off the roof several days in a row... dealing with a cranky tired emotional pregnant wife... And too many more things to mention.

Condensation. Arrrggghh!!!    You can put a plastic film over the windows during the winter to insulate them (window insulation kit, sold at walmart). Then they do not sweat and cloud up as much. Except the metal frame around the window does sweat and drip water if the humidity is too high in the camper. A couple months into cold weather we realized the walls were sweating... Inside storage cabinets, any place I had stuff stored close up to the wall. In our clothes closets, anywhere that touched the exterior walls. Dripping down on all my pantry supplies. And yes, MOLD, had already invaded! We had to pull everything I had stored in the top bunk and wash it with vinegar, scrub and spray the walls, air and spray the mattresses, and on and on... (and this was only a couple weeks before baby is due)

Lessons learned: Don't store things close to the wall if you can help it. Leave compartment doors open if they tend to sweat. Vent the camper well during the day!! Crank the vents open and turn on the exhaust fan, (even if it is below freezing out there).  Crack a window or open the door for a short time. Turn the stove vent fan on always when cooking. Avoid boiling water for long periods of time. (think meals that don't require that sort of cooking). Only wash the dishes once a day. If you can stand it, wash them with cold water. Shower in the middle of the day with the vent fan on. (that is if you have a working water heater). Oh, and btw, this is all in a very DRY climate. ha ha

Yeah, and going to showering once a week (if that), or sponge baths. I learned to like my greasy hair.  Does better anyways. Much healthier for ya! Right now we're down to melting snow (there's almost 3 feet of it) for water like they did in the olden days.

That brings me around to other things, like skirting. Keeps it warmer! My husband just made up one out of heavy duty tarps over pvc pipes snapped onto the camper with these little bracket thingies. Then he backed that with insulation. Also that turns the area under the hitch into a storage shed. But this is if you are not going to be moving it for a while. As for us we're stuck here 'till spring thaw at least.

It helped to place paving tiles down outside the door to cut down on the amount of dirt tracked in. The kids get in and out better with the wooden steps my husband made rather than the fold up ones attached to the camper. Also, if you tie a long string to the screen latch in the summer, they don't have to first go up the steps and then come back down just to get in. They can pull it open first and then come up.

I totally agree with what's been said about limiting toys. I keep reminding my kids that back in the day you were lucky if you had two or three toys much less a whole bin of them. Currently the space under the couch is reserved for their toys. Anything that does not fit, goes.

Still, the winter is almost over, and you do feel like you've accomplished something by making it through. When I think I have it hard, I just read "The Long Winter" by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and then I feel so spoiled.  Looking forward to spring...

All in all it has been an adventure, and I know the kids feel that way too. Fond memories made and fun.

Snowflake, can't wait to meet you again soon!

[snowflake]

Snowflake, can't wait to meet you again soon!

Almost there     

Unfortunately we are no longer living in a motorhome     The engine trouble got us     I already miss it!
It was small, but I loved living in it.

 

[SuMara]

Hello,

I have a few questions:

How big is a fifth wheel, in square feet?  Do they vary in size?  How would living in one of those with 3-5 children compare to living in an 850 s.f. house with 10 children (no basement or garage)?

Thanks.

[ladyhen]

SuMara -

Yes, they vary in sizes as well as in the actual layout inside.  We lived for a few months in a motor home that was a great interior layout for our family with 4 children, two in their teens.   But we looked at probably 8 or 10 used motor homes before deciding on this one.

It is wise to spend some time looking at what is available, imo, before deciding on one to buy.  If you go to an RV dealers lot you can look at many options and see what you like and don't like about each. 

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