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full time 101 questions

dansacct22
Explorer
Explorer
Hello all. I own a few acres of raw land that I plan to turn into a homestead. I don't want/can't afford a traditional house, so I'm looking at buying an RV or tiny house to live out of full-time on my land.

No CCR restrictions, good to go as far as local code, etc. Two questions:

1) The best tiny house loan I can find pales in comparison to the 20 year, 4.75% zero down RV loans offered by Good Sam. Am I mistaken? I always thought RV's were considered a luxury item. How can their rates be better than a tiny house?

2) Since I don't plan on actually travelling with the RV, would you be leaning towards a travel trailer vs a 5th wheel? My 101 research tells me a travel trailer gets you "more for less," with the 5th wheel being pricier because it's easier to tow. Is that basically correct?

Thank you very much.
21 REPLIES 21

agesilaus
Explorer III
Explorer III
Septic tank and well will be expensive. Just how expensive depends of where you are. Power also can be pricy depending on who serves the area. And this will immerse you into the permits and inspections swamp. That is one disadvantage to putting a mobile home in you will have to deal with the code enforcement people and down south in hurricane country installing a mobile home is not straight forward involving major steel tie downs embedded in 6 feet of concrete from what I've heard.

Not so with an RV but you still need water, power and sewer.
Arctic Fox 25Y Travel Trailer
2018 RAM 2500 6.7L 4WD shortbed
Straightline dual cam hitch
400W Solar with Victron controller
Superbumper

lbrjet
Explorer
Explorer
Before you do anything you need a perc test done on your property to be sure you can install a septic system. Your well, septic and power are going to cost a lot of money. This should be your primary concern. Once those are in place then think about your shelter.
2010 F250 4X4 5.4L 3.73 LS
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HadEnough
Explorer
Explorer
beemerphile1 wrote:
Mobile homes are built for full time use, RVs are not.

Prepare the site, buy a used mobile home and get it delivered. Put a foundation under it and you have a house.


This is the right advice. RVs are meant to travel... And we pay a premium for that portability. If you are just staying in that one spot, you really don’t need to spend all the money on a vehicle. And by vehicle, I’m including trailers. Anything that is truly portable.

Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Explorer II
You will save A LOT more money buy paying a higher interest rate for a lower priced RV (used 5th wheel) or Tiny Home than buying a new RV at a low interest rate.
What I post is my 2 cents and nothing more. Please don't read anything into my post that's not there. If you disagree, that's OK.
Can't we all just get along?

pianotuna
Nomad II
Nomad II
Bemerphile has it right.
Regards, Don
My ride is a 28 foot Class C, 256 watts solar, 556 amp-hours of Telcom jars, 3000 watt Magnum hybrid inverter, Sola Basic Autoformer, Microair Easy Start.

beemerphile1
Explorer
Explorer
Mobile homes are built for full time use, RVs are not.

Prepare the site, buy a used mobile home and get it delivered. Put a foundation under it and you have a house.
Build a life you don't need a vacation from.

2016 Silverado 3500HD DRW D/A 4x4
2018 Keystone Cougar 26RBS
2006 Weekend Warrior FK1900

wanderingaimles
Explorer
Explorer
I would look for a small trailer with a Kitchen and bathroom you can live with long term.
With the idea being to cover the trailer and then build out new living and bedrooms in the future to suit your desires.
If you are doing this as a single person, a TT or fifth wheel kitchen and bath may be fine for you as a permanent solution, so concentrate on getting the plumbed areas set, and then build the easy parts to suit you later.

the_bear_II
Explorer
Explorer
My choice would be a used travel trailer (TT) as large as you can afford without having to take out a loan. You can find good used TTs for under $10,000.

Upgrade to a newer model as needed and use the first one as a guest trailer.

dansacct22
Explorer
Explorer
Immensely helpful information in this thread. Rather than responding individually to each post I'd just like to say thank you all again.

I have a lot to think about.

2chiefsRus
Explorer
Explorer
If you are thinking of buying new so you will have a warranty, the warranty won't be worth much if you can't take it in for warranty repairs. They don't come to you.
Dave & Kathy
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Fulltime 2007 to 2016, now halftimers
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agesilaus
Explorer III
Explorer III
Yeah I cannot imagine a 20 year RV loan. It would be the very rare RV that has not gone to the junkyard well before that date.
Arctic Fox 25Y Travel Trailer
2018 RAM 2500 6.7L 4WD shortbed
Straightline dual cam hitch
400W Solar with Victron controller
Superbumper

jorbill2or
Explorer II
Explorer II
Keep in mind those rates you quote are teaser rates based on having excellent credit 750fico plus and great income. The 20 year number is unwise as a rv will be underwater for almost the entire 20 years .. if it lasts that long and will be junk value at the end.
Also 15- 20 year numbers aren’t available on older units .. like 7 or more years old and certainly not at the interest rates you are looking at
I second the get some “real” rate quotes based on your credit situation and purchase choice. I think you’ll find a modular or home rate will be competitive
Bill

DutchmenSport
Explorer
Explorer
Considering your circumstances, the order of my priority would be:

1) Park Model
2) Fifth Wheel
3) Travel Trailer

1) As may slides as possible
2) No slides

Considering where you plan to park the unit, you will need some kind of water source, some kind of electric source, and some kind of sewer or septic tank system / or some way to haul away toilet waste.

In addition, you'll need some way to dispose of solid waste, like trash, cans, paper, bury it, burn it, or trash pick-up.

If you are enslaved to modern technology, you'll need internet access; also possibly cable or internet or satellite television access. And telephone access, be via internet or a cell phone.

Here are some problems: Electric companies, most often, will not just run a line to the middle of nowhere and put a meter on a pole with a plug below it. They require the electricity to go inside an actual building.

Unless there is already city water run on the property, you'll need to have a well dug. This will require electricity to run a pump. At my mother's house, last year, "they" had to dig a new well. It was 200 feet deep (in Indiana, and cost over $15,000). A friend of mine is considering undeveloped property in Colorado. To dig a well at their "dream property" (undeveloped) will cost them over $50,000 ... Fifty Thousand ... yes). Of course, if you have a creek running through the property and you don't mind deer, raccoon, and skunk pee in your water, well... you might save yourself some money there.

Other utilities, like satellite dishes for television and internet, and telephone land lines really want their equipment running into a solid building.

One thing you might consider is building a very solid and good utility building that will satisfy the electric company as a permanent building. It would also give you somewhere to maintain that well, and also some place to run all the other utilities into. You could even install a flush toilet and sink and double up on it's purpose.

I'm not saying it can't be done. You CAN just take a camper out in the middle of no where, park it, and live in it by carting your water in and out, tossing your waste on the ground or into a hole, and have no heat, air conditioning, or lights. You could use Kerosene lamps and flashlights forever if you want. Nothing says you have to have electricity and all the conveniences that go with it. Nothing! It's your life style. Take a bath in the creek, catch your own opossums and fix your own stew like the Beverly Hillbillies. Yes, you can. But I don't think this is the life style you're looking for since you are considering an RV with all the electronics going on in it.

Anyway, it's not impossible, but it's not done as cheaply as you may think.

Good luck. Follow up on this thread someday and let us know how it comes out for you and how you've worked out all the details. What you are proposing to do is really a dream for a lot of us!

Good luck!

pianotuna
Nomad II
Nomad II
Because you may save 50% of the cost, and NEW RV's may be fraught with poor OEM work.

dansacct22 wrote:


Thank you very much for those tips. May I ask why you would get a slightly used model in this case?
Regards, Don
My ride is a 28 foot Class C, 256 watts solar, 556 amp-hours of Telcom jars, 3000 watt Magnum hybrid inverter, Sola Basic Autoformer, Microair Easy Start.