Recommended 5th Wheel to live in full time in Alaska

[mcrivelli]

Hey Everyone,

My name is Mary, I am a new member to this forum. Hoping you can help a newbie out here.... Currently I am living in Maryland but am looking to move to Homer, Alaska within the next year or two. My goal is that I buy a used fifth wheel and live in that full time on a 5+ acre piece of property in Homer while I save money to build a log cabin. I am pretty sure I will live in this for 5 or more years so I it will need to be well insulated and roomy. Does anyone have any recommendations on year, make & model? In case you are not familiar with where Homer is, it is approximately 4 hours south of Anchorage. The average winter temperature is around 20 degrees with about 4-5' of snowfall annually. Summertime the average temp is 65 degrees, which means a/c will not be necessary.

I am specifically looking for a 34'+ model that has lots of windows and natural light, at least 3 slides but preferably 4 or more, one bedroom, washer / dryer hook up. Any advise y'all can give would help me with my search and budget.

Thanks,
Mary

[MainerBob]

I d id it back in the 70's in an Airstream when I worked on the pipeline. Wouldn't do it again, now older and wiser. That being said, I lived in Homer for 3 years and loved it. It was quite the place in the 70's. It really has grown since then. Pioneer Avenue was unpaved and the population was about 1500. Good luck. PM me if you have any questions.

[mcrivelli]

Thank you everyone for the great advise. I am surprised I got as many responses as I did. You all ROCK!!!

[ol_Bombero-JC]

.
IMO - it may be time to revert to "Plan B".

Call the building dept (and/or other responsible agency) and "pick their brain" - as well as the (several) *Mobile* home repair outfits in the Homer area.

The *Mobile* home businesses - as they routinely work with the
next step above RVs.

Ask *LOTS* of questions - take notes, make a list.

You sure don't want to arrive -or buy something- with an "un-workable" plan!

Good luck...:)

~

[sue_t]

Humidity inside the RV may be a problem in winter, especially in a coastal area. Expect your windows to ice up even if they are double-glazed, and expect ice build up inside in various places.

If the lot does not have electric service yet, you may not be able to get it connected/energized until you have a building permit for a house. This is intended to prevent folks from indefinitely 'squatting' on a property in a trailer. Building permit comes before electric permit.

Those who we've seen living full-time in the RVs in RV parks in the Anchorage area have an interesting variety of methods to cope. Saw many who wrapped extra insulation around the outside of their RVs, then held that in place with duct tape.

Covered canopy is a good idea, to protect the roof from the weight of the heavy snow that falls in coastal areas. The snow in our area is very light compared to that slick, wet stuff.

[j2catfish]

tsetsaf wrote:
Look for a Teton Home.
In the 40' range with three to four slides. Very well built and insulated. They are heavy so just hire a delivery to get to your lot. Arctic Fox is a poor suggestion for what you are doing.

X2

Teton Homes were originally designed for oil pipeline workers use. The ain't cheap nor are they light, but are built to withstand temperatures really well. They are still available on the used RV market with at least one dealer that has a couple "new" unused units left over from before the business collapsed. Good luck in your search.
Catfish

[lee_worsdell]

I would build a cover over the unit no matter what you buy. the weight of snow load up their is huge. 6 -8 6x6 post with steel roof just to keep it off the roof.

[Dave_H_M]

sidney wrote:
Mary,

I live in AK... been here for over 30 years. I have built 3 homes. Traveled from Ketchikan to the North Slope for work and have experienced all the extreme weather and seasons AK can offer.

I own a very nice 2014 Cedar Creek 5th wheel that I keep in Oregon . I would never consider attempting to live in it in Homer or anywhere else in Alaska. The condensation problems alone would be a nightmare. RVs are not designed to withstand the climates of AK for extended annual stays.

Come to AK to build your cabin... but rent a home or apartment while you build and save the money you would have wasted on on an RV.

I think you have some good advice here. I lived up there for 3 years close to Anchorage. I would not even consider it after spending the cold part of winter in "South Carolina" last year.

[sidney]

Mary,

I live in AK... been here for over 30 years. I have built 3 homes. Traveled from Ketchikan to the North Slope for work and have experienced all the extreme weather and seasons AK can offer.

I own a very nice 2014 Cedar Creek 5th wheel that I keep in Oregon . I would never consider attempting to live in it in Homer or anywhere else in Alaska. The condensation problems alone would be a nightmare. RVs are not designed to withstand the climates of AK for extended annual stays.

Come to AK to build your cabin... but rent a home or apartment while you build and save the money you would have wasted on on an RV.

[n7bsn]

TXiceman wrote:
Personally, I would not attempt to live in Alaska for the winter in any RV. They are just not designed for the extreme temperatures and snow loads.

Ken

What he said, plus the info on the city council policy referred to above.

The days of "just let them live" in Alaskan (cities at least) is passing.

[TXiceman]

Personally, I would not attempt to live in Alaska for the winter in any RV. They are just not designed for the extreme temperatures and snow loads.

Ken

[Jack_in_Alaska]

Mary,
My son has a 35' 5th.whl. on his lot in Homer, Alaska. Several weeks ago he received a letter from the city of Homer to move his trailer out of the city limits. At least 200 others got the same letter. You may want to check into that before planning on a RV in Homer.
His 5th.whl. is two slides, about 12 yrs old and kind of used from 3 kids and two dogs. Not one I would want to live in for 5 yrs.
Homer does not get 5' of snow at one time. It gets 5' over the entire winter.
Their climate is relatively mild all winter. A lot of rain during the winter. Propane is expensive in Homer. approx. $5/gal. It works just fine there in the winter. Don't believe all of those tales from Florida folks.
I live 40 miles north of Homer on the ocean.
Good luck in your move to Alaska. You will like it after getting settled.

[SDcampowneroper]

kennethwooster wrote:
Try for a used Cameo. Made with quality, as well as all season.

I have an '09 Carriage cameo. Good, not an Alaska winter unit. It isn't that kind of 4 season unit the OP needs.

[kennethwooster]

Try for a used Cameo. Made with quality, as well as all season.

[goducks10]

Regardless of the 5'er you choose I think building some kind of permanent cover would sure help. It would help keep the snow and rain off the roof for extended periods of time. I can't imagine what damage would be done with 4-5' of snow on a 5'er roof.

Do you have a starting price?