# 5th Wheel With an Office?



## wisslbritches (May 27, 2004)

Sooner or later (more later than sooner), after the last kid goes off to college we'll be able to hit the road for longer periods of time. My wife and I both can do our real jobs on the road as long as we have hi speed internet access/good 4G connection. So....we'll ditch the camper we have now and we will start to look at suitable 5th wheel campers that will allow us both to work from "home" as we do now. We realize we will have to do some major mods to make this happen. The easiest way would be to convert a toy hauler bay to an office but toy hauler floor plans don't give us the kitchen & living room space we desire. It looks like we'll hafta look at floor plans with a small bunk room and we'll remove a bunk or 2 and put in a desk. One of us will work there and the other in the living area.

So...if anyone sees something like this in your travels or while your shopping please post up. I'm looking for ideas. TIA


----------



## Pocketfisherman (May 30, 2005)

I know of several floor plans I've looked at recently that have a rear upper/lower bunk in the back on one side with the restroom on the other side. It would be pretty easy to take out the lower bunk, raise the bunk surface up to desk level and put drawers underneath, or over to the side above the desk surface.


----------



## fishinchick69 (Dec 4, 2012)

*5th Wheel*

I made "the leap" to a full-time 5th wheel in Feb of this year. My job is very similar to yours in that it allows me to work anywhere with an internet connection. I purchased a 2012 Keystone Alpine and I love it. It is very "user friendly" let's say. It has a "real" table w/ 4 chairs...not what I call a McDonald's bench. It also has an island that separates the kitchen and living room area that is a nice workspace. I work from it with my business partner often. He used the kitchen table and I use the island. It also has a large TV screen that we use as a monitor for presentations or working on stuff together.

He is a technical guy so he has added an outdoor antenna that amplifies our wi-fi signal for those times when we are in areas with so-so signals. We have added a few other things like an ice maker, washer and dryer combo, water purifier and a generator just for convenience items.

We haul it around with a diesel pick-up we got for a steal in El Paso. It's 40 ft. so I have to find rv parks that have 50 amp service and that allow "big rigs". We have been everywhere in it. From California to Georgia. It is very well insulated and this winter we are spending our time in Galveston. It has a very nice fireplace that acts as a space heater as well as a heat pump and furnace. In the summer we were in the Mohave desert in CA and the two A/C units worked great in the 110+ temps.

There are alot of great 5th wheels out there, you just need to find the one that has the floor plan you like. The only other thing I can offer is that storage in these things is always an issue and the tires they are equipped with are of very poor quality. I would recommend they be changed out right away. This one has "ok" storage but is comparable with everything else we looked at.

So good luck and enjoy! I have never regretted my decision to live this way. How else can you be in a desert in the morning and sitting on a beach watching the sunset at night?


----------



## wisslbritches (May 27, 2004)

Pocketfisherman said:


> I know of several floor plans I've looked at recently that have a rear upper/lower bunk in the back on one side with the restroom on the other side. It would be pretty easy to take out the lower bunk, raise the bunk surface up to desk level and put drawers underneath, or over to the side above the desk surface.


This is exactly what I think we'll end up doing. Thanks. I like the idea of the 1/2 bath in there. I can see taking the project to the next level and building a sort of study/man cave. Dangerous!


----------



## wisslbritches (May 27, 2004)

fishinchick69 said:


> I made "the leap" to a full-time 5th wheel in Feb of this year. My job is very similar to yours in that it allows me to work anywhere with an internet connection. I purchased a 2012 Keystone Alpine and I love it. It is very "user friendly" let's say. It has a "real" table w/ 4 chairs...not what I call a McDonald's bench. It also has an island that separates the kitchen and living room area that is a nice workspace. I work from it with my business partner often. He used the kitchen table and I use the island. It also has a large TV screen that we use as a monitor for presentations or working on stuff together.
> 
> He is a technical guy so he has added an outdoor antenna that amplifies our wi-fi signal for those times when we are in areas with so-so signals. We have added a few other things like an ice maker, washer and dryer combo, water purifier and a generator just for convenience items.
> 
> ...


Thanks ....and welcome to 2cool! You guys are doing exactly what we we'll be doing soon. To add to that, we plan on workamping or park hosting (probably the later). I have the experience to get us a free spot at a State or National Park in return for work as a guide, docent, etc.


----------



## fishinchick69 (Dec 4, 2012)

*5th wheel*

We have thought about that as well...being park hosts.

Right now my business partner is still active duty army. He was injured in Iraq and is currently on medical leave. The county and state parks in Texas usually allow him to stay for free. Texas really knows how to take care of it's military.:texasflag


----------



## mas360 (Nov 21, 2006)

What kind of work does park hosts do? I saw some of them, usually retiree couples, drove around the park on golf cart picking up trashes and talking to campers. Do they have to clean bathrooms? How many hours do they work a week in exchange for the campsite? is it on a contract basis or something you do one day at a time?


----------



## fishinchick69 (Dec 4, 2012)

*park host*

From the ones I checked into, they take reservations, check people in and help them to locate their site and handle whatever issues come up after the parks regular office closes. Sometimes they might do some handy man maintenance or some trimming up but I never heard of one cleaning bathrooms or showers or anything. It is not contracted I don't think Sometimes it seasonal. But your right..... alot of times its retirees because they are full time and can stick around since they aren't working but if your job allows you to work from home,that works too.


----------



## mas360 (Nov 21, 2006)

Thanks. Sounds like a good option for retirement years.


----------

