The trailer paid for is where the cost savings come in. But not with a conventional box trailer. The reason I've stayed with one of the Airstream cousins from years ago. No depreciation, and no rot given some maintenance.
All trailers are bad in cold weather. Three seasons is about it for reasonable expenses plus wear. In the hottest areas ones electrical costs are high. That said, my overhead is low (paid for truck and trailer where the former is expected to be I service another 8-10 years, with the latter having an indefinite life span), about half that of paying for a metropolitan area apartment.
I would, were I you, spend a lot of time reading Winter Living threads, here and on www.airforums.com as there is a lot to learn where dealing with temps from 40F on down for a daily high is expected.
High temps are a little easier, but if humidity is part of the mix, it introduces its own problems. Water is what destroys trailers. For me this means that there is a definite line going north that trailer living becomes unreasonable. Short andong term costs both.
It is the upfront costs that are critical. A wood box trailer might last ten years if moving around is contemplated. They're built for a six year lifespan (normal length of first ownership), and eventually rot in place in some field or some back lot trailer park. Thus, one winds up having to replace them pretty often (as I see it).
There are a thousand and one little costs associated with becoming the owner of a trailer not obvious from the outset. A trailer that just sits appears to not have them. But the whole point of owning one is to be mobile. And this is where there is not only a learning curve , but some large expenses as well as the thousand small ones. . Too much, IMO, for most blinded by the idea of "it's cheap and I can move it".
Take your time. Read. Make notes.
