winter capable travel trailers, older models

Our local RV park is full of older campers that made it through the winter again. To many people here think to much and don't actually do it.

Living in an RV is not rocket science and it doesn't take a 4 season or specialty RV to winter in a travel trailer, just some special preparations.

The op asked about a $5,000 or so RV for full-time use. Done it many times and as I said, the local RV parks have several right now that are $5,000 dollar rigs or less and are lived in full-time.

If you note I asked for suggestions in Travel Trailers--not about the concept

OK, but just know that the user may not make it through two winters (or even one).

You can look through the thread in my signature line (Cowboy/Hilton)to see how I made an older trailer passable for winter living.

AFAIK, there are only a handful of specialty trailers that are built for this type of use. Just because a trailer is labeled "four season" doesn't make them totally livable in the Winter without a large expenditure of energy. Those specialty trailers are out of the range of the budget posted.

KZ Sportsmen is a good choice. I live in East TN, and the northern part of the state sees similar temps as us (winters run maybe 5° colder than me in the valley).

Basically, anything with an enclosed underbelly is a good start.

He is going to have a steep learning curve at first, but he can get the hang of it if he thinks things through...

i wish i would of done the r.v. experience while going to school. i would of had some funds to socialize...
my cost of an apartment ran over $1200/month by the time the month was over.. this included food... so if i would of bought a r.v. which i later did. comparing my living expenses, i would of saved over $350/month... this is including the cost of payments on the new r.v.

i would recommend double pane windows, a roof strong enough to walk on. (won't need plywood to walk on while doing maintenance and in case of a snow load). heated basement, to keep tanks /water lines from freezing. 50 amp service for electric heaters and dual ac units in the summer, depending on the size of the rv. buy heat tape for water supply, having frozen water lines in the morning is a big pain...
if the rv is large enough, having a washer/dryer is handy, so you don't have to spend your off time at a laundry... a work station to study at... (can get rid of some furniture to make room).... put the silver bubble pack under the bed/mattress. i used the fuzzy blankets glued to 1" foam panels, then glued them to the walls around the bed.... made a large difference in comfort when it got real cold or hot outside..
i had aluminum siding and wall studs, they conduct/transfer heat/cold quickly.. wood construction or laminate would be more resistant to heat/cold transfer... my next rv will be foam laminate construction.. as thick as possible. so i can get away with smaller fuel tanks/ac units...

on the newer rv's consider heat pump hvac units, with resistance heat backup, they are very quiet compared to the furnace systems. also the a/c only/ aka house refrigerators cost less to replace, work better and weigh a whole lot less than the gas/elec absorption refrigerators. get the arctic insulation package.
use these suggestions whether looking for new or used.
always check for mold, soft floors and doors rubbing on frames. smell the unit, for odors... gas, mold, sewer leaks, smokers film or unit not kept clean...
if buying a used rv, toss the mattress, have upholstery cleaned or recovered...
good luck, study well, enjoy.
also mentioned above, leave the grey water drains open. until the day before dumping the black tank. i dumped the black tank every 2-3 weeks, used the grey water to flush the lines of the black water. then added a few gallons of water to the black water tank then poured 1 tablespoon powdered septic tank enzyme in the bowl, for the first flush... never had any odor issues or buildup in the tank.. gauges still worked when i sold the unit 12 years later...

Appreciate all the replies. This forum far more responsive than another forum I won't mention. I'll give the young man this link so he can read all of your comments as well. Thanks again.

It's funny how people disagree doing things differently. When hooked up,my grey tank is never closed and when freezing, my black tank is open also. Just use lots of water when using the toilet.. Never had a problem full timing in Idaho winter weather.

Heat tape on the water line will keep it from freezing but it will freeze right at the trailer inlet so I wrap that in insulation and have no freezing.

Any trailer will freeze up including 4 season trailers. It's knowing what and where,to add to what already works. Never owned a trailer/camper that didn't freeze atleast once including supposed 4 season rigs.

Skirting and heat of some sort works best to a point. Even heat pads right on the tank are only rated to -11.

I would look at the Komfort trailer.
Enclosed underbelly.
Use a heat tape on the water hose and standpipe.
With single pane windows, using a dehumidifier will take care of moisture on the inside.
Open the grey tank only when full.
This is doable. It's what we do.
Saves a ton of money and it's mine!

Like nevadanick said, connecting water during the winter could be bad, and I know some campgrounds cut off water during some months. If you have access to water, then you could disconnect and drain the hose during the cold nights and fill up as needed during the day. Keep some antifreeze in the black tank or it's possible your black drain pipe and valve could freeze and break where it's exposed. This happened to me once while I was using it during a very cold snap.
It's also a good idea to insulate any drain tubes that hang down exposed. You can save on propane by using a small electric ceramic heater to provide the general heat, and then let the furnace come on when it's too cold for the ceramic heater alone. All that being said, I would think just about any TT will be as good as another as long as the bottom is enclosed with the tanks and pipes up inside. I would put a lot of thought into how usable the bathroom is, thinking long-term.

So, I need some suggestions as to older travel trailers, in the $5000 price range that could handle the winters in the Northern part of Tenn. Did they make some that were better insulated and with enclosed tanks, and maybe better windows? No family, just himself. Thanks

Some of the older trailers were far better equipped for cold weather than most of the new ones. Some had exposed water lines inside the trailer which made it easier to keep from freezing/water tanks inside also under the couch or bed/storm windows were common......

If done right, living in an RV is " a lot" cheaper than renting an apartment.

Terry travel trailers were top shelf for winter camping, atleast mine were. My pick would be an older Terry or Jayco.