Opinions Sought from Experienced Full-Timers
I have been thinking and studying up on what is required to go full-time.
One obvious requirement is truck and trailer. Truck is simple (Ram dually with Cummins/Aisin fits the bill just fine); trailer is more complicated. I know that I want a trailer large enough to carry stuff along for some comfort, but not so large that it will be limited on public lands (state parks, national forests, national parks, wildlife refuges, etc.) – I know I want to spend significant time on public lands.
Seems to me there are three general approaches:
(1) Purchase a new trailer from a high-end manufacturer; an example is Airstream or Mobile Suites by DRV. Included in this category would be the custom manufacturers like Spacecraft. The only drawback I have identified with buying from a high-end manufacturer is the cost – lots of money for a new trailer.
(2) Purchase a used trailer from a high-end manufacturer and do any required repairs and replace items that wear. “Wear items” would be tires, brakes, interior floor coverings, perhaps the roof membrane, etc. I see two drawbacks to this approach: (1) it will take significant time to find a unit that meets my particular wants and needs that has been well taken care of, and (2) it will require an investment of money to repair/replace items as well as an investment of time to repair/replace (as I expect to do some proportion of the work myself). The advantage of this approach seems to me to be significant cost savings.
Question: Do you think it possible to find good quality used units from high-end manufacturers? I see many ads on rvtrader.com – just don’t know whether they are of any substance.
Question: Do you think there will be any problem in finding quality shops to do the required repair work?
Question: Do you think there is enough years of useful life in trailers from high-end manufacturers to make such an approach realistic?
(3) Purchase, either a new or one/two year old used, trailer from a mid-range manufacturer (e.g., Arctic Fox). Do any required enhancements (e.g., upgraded tires) and keep the trailer for four or five years. It looks to me like you may be able to buy two mid-range trailers for the cost of a high-end trailer. I just don’t know how long one may expect either type of trailer to last, so I am not sure whether this approach costs more or less.
I expect that I will properly maintain any trailer. I am starting to think that what I want to do is search diligently until I can find a three year-old to five year-old high-end trailer that has been maintained well and is reasonably close to what I want.
What do you think?
Thanks.
One obvious requirement is truck and trailer. Truck is simple (Ram dually with Cummins/Aisin fits the bill just fine); trailer is more complicated. I know that I want a trailer large enough to carry stuff along for some comfort, but not so large that it will be limited on public lands (state parks, national forests, national parks, wildlife refuges, etc.) – I know I want to spend significant time on public lands.
Seems to me there are three general approaches:
(1) Purchase a new trailer from a high-end manufacturer; an example is Airstream or Mobile Suites by DRV. Included in this category would be the custom manufacturers like Spacecraft. The only drawback I have identified with buying from a high-end manufacturer is the cost – lots of money for a new trailer.
(2) Purchase a used trailer from a high-end manufacturer and do any required repairs and replace items that wear. “Wear items” would be tires, brakes, interior floor coverings, perhaps the roof membrane, etc. I see two drawbacks to this approach: (1) it will take significant time to find a unit that meets my particular wants and needs that has been well taken care of, and (2) it will require an investment of money to repair/replace items as well as an investment of time to repair/replace (as I expect to do some proportion of the work myself). The advantage of this approach seems to me to be significant cost savings.
Question: Do you think it possible to find good quality used units from high-end manufacturers? I see many ads on rvtrader.com – just don’t know whether they are of any substance.
Question: Do you think there will be any problem in finding quality shops to do the required repair work?
Question: Do you think there is enough years of useful life in trailers from high-end manufacturers to make such an approach realistic?
(3) Purchase, either a new or one/two year old used, trailer from a mid-range manufacturer (e.g., Arctic Fox). Do any required enhancements (e.g., upgraded tires) and keep the trailer for four or five years. It looks to me like you may be able to buy two mid-range trailers for the cost of a high-end trailer. I just don’t know how long one may expect either type of trailer to last, so I am not sure whether this approach costs more or less.
I expect that I will properly maintain any trailer. I am starting to think that what I want to do is search diligently until I can find a three year-old to five year-old high-end trailer that has been maintained well and is reasonably close to what I want.
What do you think?
Thanks.
