trailer / 5th wheelers, Cheap or Classics?

[Slevin]

After a while living in small apartments / studios, I am highly considering moving into a trailer with DW. I also live in a relatively cold place (sometimes gets to -10F or so in dead of winter, usually 20F or so at night). Thus if I want to live in a trailer/5th wheel, it needs to be winterized. So my thought here is: should I refurb an old classic? Or should I find something cheaper and spend money to winterize it?

It looks like I can find old shells of big classic Airstreams around here for about 5k (in good shape). Spending a year or so to redo it I could sink in maybe 10k or a little more doing the work myself (I have a lot of knowledgeable family willing to help out) and turning it into something beautiful. It would generally be worth a little more than this afterwards. It would also give me a hobby. OTOH i can buy a large 5th wheel or trailer in good condition already for less than this price, but it would not already be winterized. It would also probably have pullouts to seem wider than an 8ft classic trailer. So I would need to spend some money to winterize the trailer here as well. But these will also fall more in value over time than the classic.

So from a cost of ownership perspective: what would you do? Buy and fix the classic that will theoretically hold value over time, or buy something cheaper that will lose value over time, and spend a lot of effort to winterize it?

Potential time scale of owning the trailer: probably at minimum about 5-6 years.

[Dragline]

I don't know of any vehicle that does not lose value over time. Don't expect that you will be able to sell it for what you put into it. The savings here comes in the form of how long you plan to live in it and not pay rent or own something else.

Honestly, I would look for something that has already been winterized. Chances are there are very few takers and you can get it for a song. But it might take more searching.

But given the two choices offered, the correct answer has more to do with what you can otherwise get paid for the time you would put into refurbishing the trailer. Put a number on it and then choose the less expensive option.

[Slevin]

@Dragline fair enough. I'll look into already winterized trailers. The two choices offered aren't the only ones considered, just a couple that have been considered by me already. And thanks for the input.

[jennypenny]

Motorized campers lose their value faster than trailers. I like 5th wheels, but they are harder to drive around and require a certain kind of (not inexpensive) tow vehicle. If you went with a standard trailer, you could compromise and pick one like a Shasta that has a bit of a following (so you can get help with remodeling) but doesn't have the cult following--and accompanying price tag--of an airstream. If it were me, I'd choose whatever model best suited my needs at the lowest cost possible because, as Dragline pointed out, they all lose value over time.

[Slevin]

@jenny
I certainly agree with you on the cost vs. needs point. There is also this annoyingly inefficient part of my mind that wants something beautiful as well... I do like Shasta's, but I'm unfortunately a bit too tall for them! This is one of the reasons I was looking at airstreams, Spartans, and early to mid 90's Award trailers. The Award trailers are likely what I should go with in terms of needs vs cost, but they are becoming a little bit difficult to find these days...

[jennypenny]

I do like Shasta's, but I'm unfortunately a bit too tall for them!

We owned a Starcraft popup for the same reason, but I don't think a popup is a good solution for you.

[Laura Ingalls]

I know there are brands that are made for cold weather i.e. artic fox.

I could not imagine living in a standard 5th wheel or TT in a place that would get -20 F. Anything below freezing has both logistical and comfort problems.