I know someone who did exactly this at a “tippy top” grad school getting his PhD. He was an engineer and did most of the conversions himself. Parked it in a campus parking lot. No issues at all.
Of course, this was in a warmer weather location, but it is doable.
This is a huge issue. If you are in an area where it freezes, everything changes. The pipes inside the RV/trailer can burst when it’s freezing. Once, we were in Lake Tahoe at a campground and it actually did freeze. We got lucky that there was no damage to our rig as it was right at freezing. For many RVs/trailers, you have to winterize the rig, which might mean you have no running water. That could be the deal-breaker right there.
Getting a trailer with a car might be the way to go. A relatively new trailer is not that expensive. You can leave the trailer at the RV park during the day and have a car for the day. Some of these trailers are really well-outfitted and perfectly fine for a single person.
We’ve done several RV trips with 5 people and a dog in a 30’ Class C RV and have had no problems.
Find a good RV park, many of which are very family-oriented and you’re fine. Rates with full hook-ups (electricity, water, “black water” dumping stations, and Wi-Fi are not bad at all. Depending on where you are, a monthly rate can be very low (e.g., $400/month) with all the amenities. And you have your own shower, toilet, kitchen, plus the use of the communal showers etc at many campgrounds.
As mentioned, many of these trailers have all “mod cons” like a full bathroom, kitchen etc.
Here are some indicative rates in CA for RV parks, fully appreciating rates will vary based on geography: 26 Super Cheap RV Parks in California - Travels with Ted . Most RV parks would probably be delighted to have a semester or full-year commitment, as on weekdays there are many empty spaces. I am sure they would cut a good deal for a long-term commitment.
The RV park managers are usually great and extremely helpful on just about everything.
It’s not for everyone, but let’s just say I’ve somewhat seriously tee’d this up with my kids.