Jim Harbaugh fulfills his dream, living in RV in initial months after Chargers move

National Football League

Updated Mar. 26, 2024 5:54 p.m. ET

Jim Harbaugh wasn’t kidding when he said he would “Jim Rockford it for the next couple of months” after becoming the Los Angeles Chargers‘ head coach in January.

In the first two months since his return to the NFL, Harbaugh has lived in an RV in the Los Angeles area, neighboring with new Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman.

“It’s been great,” Harbaugh told reporters at the NFL’s league meetings about what his first two months on the job have been like. “Just being myself. I always wanted to do that [live in an RV]. It worked out great. I’m 100 feet from Greg Roman, who has a really, really good RV.”

Harbaugh indicated that he might live in an RV when he was introduced as the Chargers’ head coach in January, citing the 1970s TV show “The Rockford Files” as an influence. The show’s main character, private detective Jim Rockford, lived in a trailer at the beach.

“My favorite show growing up is ‘The Rockford Files,'” Harbaugh said. “It’s still my favorite show. ‘Ted Lasso’ has now tied ‘The Rockford Files.’ That was me as a kid. Driving that Camaro around L.A. and the car chases. Down there by the beach, have the trailer down there at the beach. I told my wife: ‘I want to drive my RV out here and go to a trailer park, like down by the water or by Disneyland.’ There are two that I’ve researched that are close to the facility.

“I want to Jim Rockford it for the next couple of months until we move into the new facility. I have that thought going through my head.”

Harbaugh’s brother-in-law, former college basketball coach Tom Crean, apparently helped his dream become a reality. After Harbaugh stepped down as Michigan‘s head coach, Crean drove his RV to the Los Angeles area for the new Chargers coach.

Similar to the Michigan teams he coached in recent years, Harbaugh’s RV doesn’t seem to be too flashy.

“In the RV world, I’m not as fancy,” Harbaugh said. “My Ford Motorcoach hits me just right. It’s been awesome. Yeah, it’s been really good. I go back there, it’s a good time to think. It’s just been great.”

Harbaugh’s unusual living arrangement isn’t the only thing that’s been publicly detailed about his move from Ann Arbor to Los Angeles in recent weeks. Earlier in March, Harbaugh held a garage sale at his Michigan home.

His family is with him in Orlando this week and will soon be moving west, ending the coach’s time in an RV.

“Now that’s coming to an end — happily coming to an end — because my family is coming to California,” Harbaugh said. “They’re all here on this trip, and we’re all going to California together. We’ll be moving into our rental house, and that’s even better.”

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