Living in an RV in Tallahassee by the Month

Some folks come to Tallahassee for a night on the way through. Others come for a winter, a work assignment or a few months close to family. The park says its goal is to offer a clean, fun and safe place to live, visit and work, and that covers an overnight, a week or several months. If you're thinking about the long stay, here's how the monthly side works at Tallahassee RV Park and what to expect once you've unhitched.

The monthly rate and its rules

The monthly rate is $950. A few conditions come with it. The monthly rate is for stays of three months or more, so it isn't a way to book a single month. The RV has to be model year 2001 or newer. And there's a wait list, because monthly sites are limited. Like every rate at the park, it includes applicable state and local taxes.

Before you commit, ask the office what the monthly rate covers and how electric is handled for a long stay. You'd rather hear it from the office than guess. Ask it plainly on the phone at (850) 878-7641 and write the answer down.

Get on the wait list early

A wait list means that timing matters. If you know you'll want a monthly site next winter, ask about it long before you travel, not the week you arrive. Online requests need 72 hours of notice, and you can send one through the park's reservation page, but for something like a wait list a conversation with the office is the better way to go. Tell them when you'd arrive, how long you'd stay and what your rig is.

If no monthly site is free when you get here, the park offers a discounted weekly rate as a fallback. That keeps you off the road while you wait for a monthly spot to open. Ask what it is and how it works when you call, so a week of waiting doesn't come as a surprise.

The 2001 or newer rule

The park requires that monthly RVs be model year 2001 or newer. It's a fixed rule, and the office decides, so check your rig's model year before you plan around it. The year is usually on the manufacturer's label inside the coach or on your title and registration. If your rig is older, you aren't out of luck for a shorter stay. The daily and weekly options are still there. The park is also self-contained RVs only, with no tents, so the rig needs a working bathroom and its own systems.

Everyday life on a long stay

The little things make a long stay comfortable. The laundry is open 24 hours, so you can wash a work uniform at midnight if that's your schedule. The clubhouse has a full kitchen, which is handy when a hot day makes you want to stay out of your own rig's oven. There's a pool, horseshoe pits, a dog walk area and a pool table for guests 16 and older. Wifi is complimentary. Any shared campground wifi gets busy at peak hours, so if you work from your rig, keep a phone hotspot as a backup and test it before the first big call.

One guest wrote that the staff are out every morning raking pine needles and leveling sites, and another called the park clean, well maintained and quiet, with easy access from I-10 but no highway noise. Those are the kinds of details that matter by month two.

House rules that matter more over time

On a short stay you hardly notice the rules. Over a few months you live inside them. Quiet time is 10 pm to 8 am, and the speed limit is 5 mph. Gray water can't be dumped on a site without sewer, so use your hookup. RV washing and repairs need approval from management, so ask before you pull out the ladder and the bucket or plan any bigger repair. Motorized bikes, scooters and golf carts need a licensed operator who is 16 or older. Pets are welcome inside the RV, leashed and walked in the designated areas, and there's no extra fee for them or for children.

One more rule to know if your stay crosses into fall: monthly stays during football season are prepaid in full and 100 percent non-refundable. If you're booking across autumn, read that policy with the office first.

Settling in right

• Level the rig and check the stabilizers. A rig that sits for months settles, so look at the level now and then.
• Use a water pressure regulator and keep your hose out of the sun when you can.
• Give a sewer hose a firm slope and support, and keep the gate valve closed until the tank is nearly full.
• Run a vent fan or a small dehumidifier. Florida humidity finds the corners of a closed-up rig.
• Keep a monthly list: tires, propane, roof seals, filters. Small chores done on schedule keep the big ones away.

A long stay is mostly small routines, and a park that keeps the grounds raked and the laundry open makes those routines easy. Call the office, ask your questions, get on the list, and then give yourself time to settle in.