Anyone use a 5th wheel as a 'snowbird home'?

[Cougargm]

Has anyone used a 5th wheel (or a TT) and set it up on a lot, using it as a snowbird place in the winter to escape the cold north for a few months? If you have, what has your experience been? Was it worth it or did you regret it? Pros and cons?

We own property in a southern state and the plan was to relocate south and build a home for retirement. An option that I've been mulling lately is to maybe just keep our home in the northeast, and buy a clean, large (with multiple slideouts) used 5th wheeler and set it up on our lot and use it for a few months each year, mostly in the winter.

Just curious as to whether this is a viable idea and how others who've tried it liked it.

[Cougargm]

I realize the park models may be a little larger in terms of square footage, but it's easier and less expensive to find a good used 5'r. I just wonder if it's practical enough to use for a few weeks here and there. I've had a seasonal campsite before with a TT and that was great for the summers, but with the property being down south (we're in PA) we might use it whenever the mood strikes us.

[empty_nest]

We have a 2005 29' 5th wheel set up on a private lot in Rockport, Texas. RV's are grandfathered in in the area. The lot used to house a mobile home but burned down so all the utilities are there. The only thing we had to do is replace the utility pole on the property after Harvey.

When we bought our motor home, we were going to sell the 5'r but instead decided to tow it to Texas and set it up as a semi-permanent base camp for snowbirding.

[Edd505]

What snowbirds?

https://universe.byu.edu/2017/02/22/this-tiny-arizona-desert-town-is-a-retirement-mecca-for-2-million-human-snowbirds/

[Parrothead_Mike]

pawatt wrote:
Yes but if it is going to stay in one place a Park Model will be cheaper, roomier, warmer and depreciate slower. Whatever you do consider a used unit to save huge on early years depreciation.

What Pawatt says. A park model is meant to be a stationary unit while a 5th wheel or travel trailer isn't necessarily made for that purpose. Keep in mind that if you are required by zoning or by need you will likely have to have a water, electric, and sewer system set up on your property. Not sure of the cost for that, but you can find plenty of these set-up park models all over Florida. Almost any place north of the top third of Florida, southern Texas, or southern Arizona will be cooler than you might like.

[pawatt]

Yes but if it is going to stay in one place a Park Model will be cheaper, roomier, warmer and depreciate slower. Whatever you do consider a used unit to save huge on early years depreciation.

[Jayco-noslide]

We've snowbirded for 18 years for about 8 weeks of the winter, now in a 30 ft. motor home. We still have our home here in Illinois and can escape winter for any period of time we want without any big commitment as we would have the MH anyway. Except, we don't have it parked in 1 location; even more freedom, going form state park to park. Or, you could find a private campground with seasonal rates and just stay 1 place.

[Big_Katuna]

Tens of thousands leave RV’s in Florida year round. In RV parks.

Hard to do it on your own land. Mobile home and five acres in a certain part of the county.

Or a park.

[MinnCamper]

Going on the 3rd yr in our 32ft fiver. We are in AZ and dont spend alot of time in the camper, to busy.There are a ton of people living in RV's down in AZ. Good luck

[cavie]

Yep. I call it sun birding. I leave the sun and rain in Florida an go to MA for 4 months. Have a 5er on a seasonal site in the Berkshires. Bought a 2002 27 footer in 2016. Moving up to a 36' TT this year. Need more room and closet space. It also has spent it's life parked.

[neschultz]

We do exactly that. Bought a 2005 40’ 5th wheel last year ( we were traveling back/forth with a TT for the winter) and leave it in a RV Resort in FL and go back/forth from MD at will. We are the 4th owners and this 5th wheel has never left the park spot it’s on since it was delivered in 2005. Works great for us.

Quite a few people here in the 400 sites do the same with a 5th wheel or park model.

[valhalla360]

What you describe is pretty much the standard snowbird.

Only issue is with private land, check the zoning rules. Particularly in built up areas, many will not allow you to live in an RV...out in the county it's more hit and miss if there are zoning laws.

The other thing with private property is you need utilities (water, sewer & power). It may not be as cheap as you think.

[MarkTwain]

Cougargm wrote:
Has anyone used a 5th wheel (or a TT) and set it up on a lot, using it as a snowbird place in the winter to escape the cold north for a few months? If you have, what has your experience been? Was it worth it or did you regret it? Pros and cons?

We own property in a southern state and the plan was to relocate south and build a home for retirement. An option that I've been mulling lately is to maybe just keep our home in the northeast, and buy a clean, large (with multiple slideouts) used 5th wheeler and set it up on our lot and use it for a few months each year, mostly in the winter.

Just curious as to whether this is a viable idea and how others who've tried it liked it.

How many people will be living in the RV, what are there ages, how long is the 5th wheel ,how many slides will it have, how big are black,grey and fresh water tanks. Does your lot have electircity, or a sewer dump and fresh water. what kind of weather will your RV subjected to?