Living in an RV Park?

Look at some of the RV parks that have full time units. There are often units for sale in the park. The place we are currently staying has 4 or 5 5th wheels for sale set-up and skirted.
Have a mobile RV tech come and do a thorough inspection and make an offer based on his inspection.
I think it is a great idea, I would do it in a hot minute if I was single. There are a little of nice clean parks with great residents out there.
Jesseannie

ASLnuts wrote:


I have a 4-banger truck with a tow limit of 3,500 pounds so will likely have to have a friend tow it for me.

If you don't plan on moving it I would make arrangements for the dealer to deliver it to the space you'll be renting. That lets you get a better built (heavier) trailer. If they want the sale I'm sure they will do it.

We lived in our TT in SW Florida from April through August. Ran air conditioner continuously. Electric bill never exceeded 100 dollars per month.

Like someone mentioned, finding a 4 season trailer is going to be almost impossible with a budget of $5,000.00. The rig I'm living in is a entry level Winnebago Motor Home, and it can be done. If your planning on heating the rig with the onboard furnace good luck. What you need is one of those wave-3 propane ventless heaters. More than likely a 6,000 or 9,000 btu unit. The use a whole lot less propane. As for as the A/C unit you'll need as least a 15,000 btu unit. A 13,500 unit just isn't going to cut it. And a water heater with an electric element. Good luck

Done smartly, living in an RV can be relatively cheap, though a cheap apartment can compete in many areas.

Most long term sites have you paying for electricity and you have to pay for your propane.
- 6 months summer in Michigan our bill totaled $176. Texas summer would be higher but probably not more than double.
- In winter, you will probably go thru a 30lb tank of propane every couple weeks unless you hit a cold snap in which case you will burn propane faster. In -5F, we've gone thru a tank a day but in 15F, it might be a week. Hard to say exactly as how much you open the doors, thermostat setting and wind can significantly affect it.

If you are on a budget, don't worry too much about 4 season. It's nice but not critical. Unless you go big (probably not an option on a budget) a standard air/con should handle the heat OK.

10yr rule has nothing to do with durability of trailers. It's just a way they can screen out old beat up units. If the trailer looks nice, they forget to ask the age. If it looks bad, they ask the age and then tell you it's a rule.

$5k is realistic but you will have to shop around and really check out things before buying. That should get you something in the 25-30' range about 10yrs old. Biggest thing to look for is water damage. After that make the plug it in and run every appliance and plug into every outlet. If that all turns out good, you are probably fine.

ASLnuts wrote:

DownTheAvenue wrote:
The first thing to consider is the weather. Extremes, hot and cold, as well as severe weather can create difficult obstacles. Secondly, it is not cheap living. RVs are not designed for full time living, so utility costs will be greater, and routine tasks such as laundry, using a coin laundromat, becomes expensive and a burden.

You mention that it's not cheap living. other than electricity and space rent, what other costs/expenses do I need to be worried about?

Roughly how much would utilities cost?

This is in Texas, so the weather will basically be hot during the summers and some cold days during the winter.

At the end of the day if your:
RV Utilities+Vehicle registration(taxes)+inspection +Insurance+ Yearly avg Maintenance cost+Camp Ground Pad rental
EXCEED
what you would pay in Annual Property Taxes+1 yr of Utilities+Home Insurance+ (Swimming pool maintenance,HOA fees, Apartment Building Maintenance fees) in your Original Stationary home neighborhood, then you know you're not better off than before.

For many Texans the RV life is the way to go because Tx has the 3rd highest Property Taxes in the nation. In San Antonio living in a 200K home cost you 5.5K property taxes. If you have a 500K home you're paying 14K a yr. And some of those 500K homes are definitely not breath taking mansions. Do your calculations. You'll do ok.

ASLnuts wrote:
At the high end, (no fancier) maybe something like this:

https://austin.craigslist.org/rvs/d/2004-sunnybrook-bumper-pull/6288177419.html

That trailer has a rebuilt title, so be wary, you do not know what damage occurred to cause it to be totaled.

ASLnuts wrote:
Thanks for the reply.

The place I'm thinking about staying in is this one:

http://www.sunnyhillrvpark.com/index.html

Definitely not fancy at all - they barely have a website and don't even have email or anything else other than cell phones to contact them.

This particular RV park doesn't say anything about trailer age restrictions but there is one I saw a little farther away that says no older than 10 years. Does that mean that after 10 years trailers start to deteriorate pretty fast?

There's just me, so I don't need a big, fancy trailer. Just something comfortable enough to live in. At the high end, (no fancier) maybe something like this:

https://austin.craigslist.org/rvs/d/2004-sunnybrook-bumper-pull/6288177419.html

I'd love to get something for $5,000 or less (if that's realistic). But basically have no clue as I've never owned a trailer before and am definitely open to any and all pearls of wisdom.

Is there anything I should be looking for when buying a trailer to make sure I don't get taken or buy a lemon?

Important questions that I might need to ask a park owner?

Thanks!

Yes. Not about the unit, but about actual costs. Rv ownership is a depreciating value unit. Couple that to rent, utilities, license, it is likely financially and more comfortabaly wiser to rent an apartment.
Should you be moving around for work every month or 4 in a while, an rv does make good sense. Done it.
Max

Artic Fox makes one of the best four season TTs but they can be hard to find in TX. You may find one. You never know.

AFChap wrote:
Parks that have a 10 year rule are trying to avoid having old broken down units on the premises. They normally make exceptions based on appearance, but may not be interested in long-term residents. The age of a unit has less to do with how well it holds up than how the owner has cared for it does.

When buying a used unit one of the most important things is checking the ceiling & walls for any evidence of water leaks ...inside cabinets, closets, etc. Water marks, water stains, bubbling wall coverings, soft spots in walls or floor, mold ...all are danger signs. Broken appliances, etc can normally be repaired, but structural problems & water damage can be very difficult or impossible to repair.

The one I'm looking at seems to have a mix of all types of trailers - some newer some older. So I'm guessing it's not an issue there.

I'll definitely look for structural integrity as well as working appliances, etc. I'm not looking to have to replace anything broken. If it isn't in good shape (inside and out) I don't want it.