Johno02 wrote:
As before, seems like a lot of folks have a lot more money than common sense.
^^^This. For sure. "A fool and there money..." and all that good stuff.
Some of you are wrong in thinking the programming came before the actual trend, however--HGTV, etc., picked up on what wasn't a terribly little known secret, that's all. It's not like they created the fad. The fad then kicked in to high heaven, no argument there.
As a carpenter who is about to build his own, and who already lives in an older fifth wheel (for six years, now), though one I've maintained, there are a couple of terrible misconceptions coming from this line of thinking (the complaint, I mean).
First, yes, it's outrageous to pay what they do for them, I think that's all our issues with it here, when the $26K one I have seen that is so common can be built for $5K. If that, with smart shopping. That's a big thing to differentiate: many people joining the club aren't buying, though, they're building. Some of them are still stupid--and one wonders how their materials come out to what they pay for them--but that is another story.
In my case, I live on family land in a rural area with few zoning issues (NEGA). For me, then, it makes sense for year round living, to have the added "padding" and insulation, etc.--even battening down the hatches, my camper is cold and drafty, and I stay half-sick from it; mold is always a threat, as well, no matter how much I stay on top of prevention (we live in a low, wet-lying area). Because I see to my grandmother, who has health-issues, providing some care-giving for her, I wouldn't leave, not until she passes (which I hope is still a long way off yet). She's married, however, and I wouldn't live with her--there isn't that kind of need yet--but I do need to be close. As we're so rural, a camper or tiny house, one, are my only real options.
And, again, some of you are conflating being a weekend warrior with full-time living, as lizzie is pointing out: For me, given that mine will only be moved once, maybe twice in my life, and probably to my own land, when I save and pay cash to purchase it, I can do this and live debt free, building some along, saving to go in on land. Given where I live is a prolific mobile home area, my eventual set-up will be something with a well and septic tank already on it, I think, which means I can move and resume normal living without delay. (There are repos around to be had, where the trailers have been hauled off, and the land is for sale separately.)
As for the maintenance--there is no more than on a house, which is more a tube of caulk periodically than anything. Paint every blue moon, as well. And most of you wouldn't offer that complaint against a home, so... that's a bit silly. Besides, since that's what I do anyway, that doesn't bother me. The rest is much less labor intensive than RV living (at least, in my case). Given, though, I'm doing a 20' with two lofts and using much lighter materials than some do, too (in fact, if funds allow, I'm probably going to be doing much of this one with heavy gauge steel studs).
So, if it weighs a ton, myeh, who cares--I won't pull it much, and this is the smartest thing I can do to give myself a leg up, as I can't afford a new camper, either (that's another thing; some of you act like they don't think a LOT of them, too--WAY too much more than they are worth, too).
