Travel Trailer

All the different ways of solving the shelter problem. To be static or mobile? Roots, legs, or wheels?
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MBBboy
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Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2022 12:11 pm

Travel Trailer

Post by MBBboy »

Moving this here instead of Hristo's journal:

I'm in the market for a travel trailer, who's primary purpose would be to provide shelter on our land when we travel out there to do work / have a small getaway / in an emergency. Certainly looking for used, and would look to hold 4 people. Intent would be to sell it in a few years after the house is built. We've stayed in a tent in the past when we've done overnights, but very pregnant wife won't go for that anymore!

One of my close friends here has a small one that they bought for trips down to the coast, and he's been pretty happy with it. He's definitely someone I can lean on to learn about towing safely, leveling it, changing tanks etc etc. But it's a big purchase decision so I want to do proper diligence.

For budget, I have $20K that I set aside for this purpose. Would appreciate any insights from those who have been down this route and / or lived in one in the past. What features are actually useful? What's just marketing?

Hristo Botev
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Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2018 3:42 am

Re: Travel Trailer

Post by Hristo Botev »

Whatever you got, probably a good idea to cover it somehow--under a pole barn or whatever. And some sort of concrete or gravel foundation. Sitting outside in the country it's going to get beaten up by the sun, rain/hail, rodents and other wild animals.

FWIW, we're at least 10 years away from having a house built on land, but when/if that ever happens, our plan would be to just keep our trailer--would make a good guest house or office. Admittedly, as I'm a sucker for beauty, I don't know if I'd say that if I didn't have an Airstream. I love them. I think everything else is an eyesore.

I'm a snob.

ETA: I know @Jacob et al. have posted many, many times about the RV life. Granted, IIRC his focus was of course more about using an RV for ERE purposes (e.g., https://wiki.earlyretirementextreme.com/wiki/Housing and https://earlyretirementextreme.com/in-p ... space.html and https://earlyretirementextreme.com/plac ... our-r.html). But with a little digging around on this forum and on the blog and the wiki, I'm sure you'll find a lot of info.
Last edited by Hristo Botev on Fri Mar 11, 2022 10:40 am, edited 1 time in total.

white belt
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Re: Travel Trailer

Post by white belt »

I have no experience with travel trailers but I have spent a lot of time researching the topic because at one time I was planning a cargo trailer conversion. Bob Wells is a big proponent of using a cargo trailer instead of any travel trailer or RV on the market: https://youtu.be/3UhkIBUhM-k

The advantage of a cargo trailer is customization, cost, and build quality. The disadvantage is it will take some time and work to build it out, so you’ll either have to DIY or pay someone who has some experience in such builds. There are many people who build these things out with virtually no skills on YouTube, but things will certainly be easier if you already have the tools and know how for basic carpentry.

If you only plan on only holding on to it for a couple of years, then buying a used travel trailer and reselling it down the line might work. Just keep in mind most RVs/campers/trailers are not designed with durability in mind.

Western Red Cedar
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Re: Travel Trailer

Post by Western Red Cedar »

Hristo Botev wrote:
Fri Mar 11, 2022 10:36 am
Whatever you got, probably a good idea to cover it somehow--under a pole barn or whatever. And some sort of concrete or gravel foundation. Sitting outside in the country it's going to get beaten up by the sun, rain/hail, rodents and other wild animals.
+1 to this. If you aren't planning on keeping it, you should also consider the location of your pole barn and what you'd like to use it for in the future (woodshed/storage,etc...). I don't think you need a concrete foundation necessarily. I've seen plenty of people use gravel, which is probably cheaper and less intrusive on the landscape over time.

I'd encourage you to take your time before purchasing the travel trailer. Develop a quality site plan for where you want to place the home, and know where you'll be getting your water from. I say this because it could make sense to drill the well first (or connect to a rural water system if the is what you need to do), so you have an option of having running water with the travel trailer while you work on the house.

It is also helpful to know your own needs/wants, as well as those of your spouse. If you are on the land when the weather is pretty nice, you can create some simple outdoor living areas to cook and relax which limits the need for extra space in the trailer. For example a canopy or enclosed area with a bug net and a couple of tables could cost a couple hundred dollars, but provide for a nice outdoor kitchen and dining area. If DW and you are comfortable spending a lot of time outdoors while you are on your land, that gives you a lot of flexibility in terms of limiting the size of trailer you select.

MBBboy
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Re: Travel Trailer

Post by MBBboy »

Hristo Botev wrote:
Fri Mar 11, 2022 10:36 am
Thanks for the links - the "In Praise of Small Spaces" blog post was hilarious.

I did think about covering, but haven't heard about concrete / gravel for underneath. Looks like its for protecting the tires - had no idea!

MBBboy
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Re: Travel Trailer

Post by MBBboy »

Western Red Cedar wrote:
Fri Mar 11, 2022 3:05 pm
Well is already drilled, water source was one of the primary factors when looking at lots. The site plan is definitely something I'll need to have reviewed - I have a plan and the electric company didn't see any issues with it, but given the $ investment and tactical importance, going to sit with a professional at some point to make sure I don't have any issues.

We've already spent some time out there, so don't need much out the trailer itself. We put up a shed and store tables, canopy, chairs, etc etc out there locked up so we aren't schlepping it back and forth. We and friends have had fun out there camping in tents in mild weather, but know we need something with more protection and climate control if we're going to spend any overnight time out there going forward given a baby.

But frankly, I'm hoping that by mid-next year we've got a barndominium up and won't have a need for the trailer anymore. Maybe I'm being naive - and maybe we should just be patient and relax. I'd just really hate for something to happen at our primary location and we don't have this land as a place to go in an emergency. To have the space and it not be useful feels worse than not having it at all.

Or maybe I should just relax and spend less time on prepping sites! Something something "be quick but don't hurry"

MBBboy
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Re: Travel Trailer

Post by MBBboy »

white belt wrote:
Fri Mar 11, 2022 10:37 am
Thanks for sharing, definitely an interesting idea. But probably not for our use case, where I'm only hoping to use for 2 years max. The time and energy spent doing a build out just wouldn't be worth it.

jacob
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Re: Travel Trailer

Post by jacob »

FAQ on the blog wrote: Q: RV living sounds cool. Based on your experience, what would you suggest I get?
A: We lived in a 34′ Georgie Boy Encounter (sounds pretty cheesy, no?). It was a class-A motorhome. The lessons learned from that is that smaller is better and that a travel trailer (TT) is the most economic choice. If you don’t own a truck, figure out how to pay someone to relocate you. A motorhome (class A,B,C) only makes sense if you’re moving constantly. If we had to do it again and desired to move around, we’d aim for a 21-25 foot TT, and pay someone with a truck to relocate us. If we were moving around often, we’d likely go for a canvas wall tent or a van conversion (class B). Another thing to keep in mind is that most RVs are built for short vacations and this affects the design. With few exceptions most RVs have no insulation which means they are too cold during [freezing] winter unless you’re willing to burn a lot of propane or otherwise find workarounds (wear 6 layers of clothes at all times), insulate the pipes, etc. Since the home is on a vehicle, weight is an issue. Slide-outs which offer much more space are really heavy! This means you lose luggage capacity. A “spacious” RV that sleeps 6 might only offer a couple of hundred pounds of luggage per person. An RV w/o slide-outs might offer thousands of pounds. This is all covered in RV books. Read some.
https://earlyretirementextreme.com/freq ... -questions

I'd say TT and ask the friend to tow it over. Since it's going to be permanent, consider slide-outs for extra space rather than avoiding slide-outs for extra cargo capacity (slide outs are HEAVY). You can always store your extraneous stuff outside in a garden shed.

Don't park on grass!!! The undercarriage will rust as vegetation gathers and releases humidity. Gravel is fine. Cover the tires (sun damage). Also don't park under a tree!! Shade is nice, but tree sap on the roof is not. DO NOT GET A FLAT ROOF. Rain will pool on top. The fewer holes in the roof the better---caulking might be your new nightmare. If you're buying used take a walk (or a crawl) on the roof to look/feel for soft spots where water has damaged the roof.
Simple systems are always better. RVs are built for vacation usage and not to be lived in constantly. This means that things are not designed to be used constantly and so things break. As such manual leveling jacks is a much better solution than a built-in auto-leveling feature that is broken.

Space is not a virtue. Before buying ours, DW wanted a longer model because "she needed the space". If we had to buy another one, we'd go for 25' max. Consider the layout. You'll probably want one bedroom in one end and a couch system in the other that can be turned into something to sleep on.

It's nice to be able to stand upright but not essential. Smaller RVs start at around 6" of headspace. This mostly pertains to things like getting dressed, taking a shower, and cooking.

macg
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Location: USA-FL

Re: Travel Trailer

Post by macg »

+1 to @jacob's whole post.

@WRC is spot on about usage of outdoor space as well.

I lived in a TT for a few years, but I was mobile, not static. It was actually great, but I think it's a different experience for one major reason - I was alone. With 4 people, you really have to figure out what layout / slide-out / usage of space works best for you all.

sky
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Re: Travel Trailer

Post by sky »

I would build a shed and camp in it. A travel trailer gives you luxuries such as running water, electric system and a sewage holding tank, but those luxuries can break down easily. Camp in a shed until you can afford to build a bigger structure to live in, then use the shed for storage.

Laura Ingalls
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Re: Travel Trailer

Post by Laura Ingalls »

I heard about a couple that built a rural home and started with a hoop house tall and wide enough to park their camper in. After the build they used it as a greenhouse and had a deck space to eat and relax in too. The hoop house kept the camper right at freezing despite subzero outdoor temperatures.

Hristo Botev
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Re: Travel Trailer

Post by Hristo Botev »

Laura Ingalls wrote:
Sat Mar 12, 2022 9:25 pm
I heard about a couple that built a rural home and started with a hoop house tall and wide enough to park their camper in. After the build they used it as a greenhouse and had a deck space to eat and relax in too. The hoop house kept the camper right at freezing despite subzero outdoor temperatures.
This is very smart; and is good to think about. For us, our progression is going to be (a) TT parked in suburban-type home backyard as my office; to (b) TT parked in rural homestead as semi-primary residence before a permanent home is built; to (c) TT parked in rural homestead as a guest space/office once the permanent home is built. Each step of the way we need to be thinking about what other purpose the additional TT infrastructure might serve. Most immediately, as we figure out how to cover and provide a foundation for the TT at the suburban-type backyard, what could we use that cover/foundation for at the suburban-type home after the TT is later moved to the rural land? A greenhouse, perhaps. Though the TT will be sitting in a south-facing Florida yard with direct sunlight; a greenhouse might be pointless. Perhaps the cover/foundation can just be used for a small sailboat once the TT is moved--providing us with two possible SHTF bug-out vehicles: TT being the Independence Day/Randy Quaid bug-out vehicle, and the sailboat being the Water World/Kevin Costner one (or the Alexandria/Kingsnorth one--spoiler alert).

MBBboy
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Re: Travel Trailer

Post by MBBboy »

Thanks everyone, this has been very helpful. Going to discuss and continue doing research (never even heard of a hoop house, but a greenhouse is actually part of the long term site plan)

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