โJul-13-2015 04:09 PM
โAug-01-2015 04:31 PM
Slowmover wrote:gmw photos wrote:
Regarding the post about "regular" travel trailer being ready to s**** out after six years, that's not been my observation or experience. There are literally tens of thousands of RV's that are twenty years old or older still being used. And as to an Airstream being superior in that regard, that's wishful thinking. They deteriorate like any other RV. Their steel frames rust away, suspension sacks out, the wood floor rots away, components ( furnaces, fridge, etc ) are the same as what the rest of the industry uses, so they fail at the same rate as in other trailers. Honestly, at the end of 25 plus years, that brand is simply a shiney shell, with all the underpinnings needing restoration. Some of those folks go back in and spend from $20K to $40K to restore them.
Let's face it, all of these RV's require constant attention and some level of work to keep them usable. Just like a sticks and bricks house....you have to take care of your "building".
You've no experience with the type, have you? Zip, zero, nada. Nor I'd imagine have you ever looked into it even though the Internet makes that easy as can be. Design, construction and maintenance. They all matter.
I'm third generation on this trailer type. Mines a quarter century old and has none of these problems you cite. Appliance cost is meaningless compared to structural rot. Given even minor maintenance it's the common condition to have no serious problems. Not so for the boxes. They were never intended to be anything but disposable.
The cheapest trailer is the one that lasts the longest. Plenty of good used examples of this type all over the country. Easier to tow and with a wider range of vehicles. So that cost can be comparatively lower as well.
โJul-21-2015 04:11 PM
โJul-21-2015 03:46 PM
Slowmover wrote:gmw photos wrote:
Regarding the post about "regular" travel trailer being ready to scrap out after six years, that's not been my observation or experience. There are literally tens of thousands of RV's that are twenty years old or older still being used. And as to an Airstream being superior in that regard, that's wishful thinking. They deteriorate like any other RV. Their steel frames rust away, suspension sacks out, the wood floor rots away, components ( furnaces, fridge, etc ) are the same as what the rest of the industry uses, so they fail at the same rate as in other trailers. Honestly, at the end of 25 plus years, that brand is simply a shiney shell, with all the underpinnings needing restoration. Some of those folks go back in and spend from $20K to $40K to restore them.
Let's face it, all of these RV's require constant attention and some level of work to keep them usable. Just like a sticks and bricks house....you have to take care of your "building".
You've no experience with the type, have you? Zip, zero, nada. Nor I'd imagine have you ever looked into it even though the Internet makes that easy as can be. Design, construction and maintenance. They all matter.
I'm third generation on this trailer type. Mines a quarter century old and has none of these problems you cite. Appliance cost is meaningless compared to structural rot. Given even minor maintenance it's the common condition to have no serious problems. Not so for the boxes. They were never intended to be anything but disposable.
The cheapest trailer is the one that lasts the longest. Plenty of good used examples of this type all over the country. Easier to tow and with a wider range of vehicles. So that cost can be comparatively lower as well.
โJul-21-2015 03:46 PM
โJul-21-2015 03:26 PM
gmw photos wrote:
Regarding the post about "regular" travel trailer being ready to scrap out after six years, that's not been my observation or experience. There are literally tens of thousands of RV's that are twenty years old or older still being used. And as to an Airstream being superior in that regard, that's wishful thinking. They deteriorate like any other RV. Their steel frames rust away, suspension sacks out, the wood floor rots away, components ( furnaces, fridge, etc ) are the same as what the rest of the industry uses, so they fail at the same rate as in other trailers. Honestly, at the end of 25 plus years, that brand is simply a shiney shell, with all the underpinnings needing restoration. Some of those folks go back in and spend from $20K to $40K to restore them.
Let's face it, all of these RV's require constant attention and some level of work to keep them usable. Just like a sticks and bricks house....you have to take care of your "building".
โJul-15-2015 01:06 PM
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)
โJul-15-2015 10:31 AM
โJul-15-2015 05:26 AM
โJul-15-2015 04:39 AM
โJul-14-2015 05:10 PM
โJul-14-2015 03:06 PM
โJul-14-2015 02:47 PM
JimNH wrote:
I was talking to my wife yesterday about this sort of thing...for what my daughter was paying in rent for student housing, we could get her a $6000 trailer and a $3500 seasonal/annual campsite on a lake (or about $2600/year in other places, we haven't really shopped around as this was all just speculation) - $20,000 for four years vs. $800/mo in rent - or $38,400 in rent over four years (and you don't get any equity out of that either!)...so the "asset" of the trailer could be completely depreciated over four years, and you'd still be almost 50% ahead...assuming that utility costs were the same for both. If you aren't worried about freezing to death, I'd definitely look into it!
JIM in NH
โJul-14-2015 01:54 PM
โJul-14-2015 11:58 AM