OK....convince me that I should buy a Trailer vs staying in VRBO's or hotels....

Hey Guys,
I joined a while ago when I was about five years out from retirement. A little info so you can help me make an informed decision:

My wife and I live in the Keys full time now and we want to become "part timers" like many down here. Basically we want to travel three months and then come home for three months, repeating this cycle. Now....we cannot afford two homes and still be able to travel so we are exploring other options such as a trailer or home/hotel rentals to accommodate our stay.

We have traveled enough to know that we want to be able to spend up to 3 months at a time out West, the NorthWest and in Alaska (Our daughter currently lives in Juneau). We want to be able to pull a couple three wheel tricycles on a tandem trailer as well as a little aluminum boat for exploring the waterways (around a 14 ft boat). We figure we can throw the boat in the back of the truck.

We are trying to decide between buying a travel trailer (about 25ft) that we can pull around or staying in rental homes and hotels. Part of me says it may just be as cheap and less hassle staying in homes/hotels but I don't know. Another part of me wants the freedom of a trailer so we can pick up and go whenever and wherever we decide on the fly.

Here is my Pro and Con list. Please tell me where I am wrong and don't hold back. I fully admit my ignorance on this subject and am simply relying on ya'lls experience and knowledge.

Owning a trailer Pros:
Cheaper lodging for week or more (We have a National Park Card for cheap overnight stays)
No need for extensive "planning".
Maybe have access to areas that don't have homes/hotels?

Owning a trailer cons:
Cannot pull another trailer with tricycles?
Upkeep and maintenance (although I am VERY handy and would do all the work myself)
Fuel expense of pulling heavy trailer.

Staying in VRBO's and/or Hotels Pros:
Can pull Tricycles behind truck
No upkeep and maintenance of travel trailer

Staying in VRBO's and/or Hotels Cons:
Requires much more planning and locked in schedule.
Maybe more expense for lodging for a week or more?
Lack of access to areas without homes/hotels

Anyway...thanks guys. I really appreciate the guidance you can offer me. We have been planning this for a long time and rest assured your input will not go to waste 

Not a bad list, though the relative ease and scheduling depends heavily on where you go.  Popular stops are likely to be crowded and require reservations whether traveling by car or RV. And out of the way places are easy for either as well.

Many people would add sleeping in their own bed, using their own bathroom, and NOT needing to carry a suitcase to the list, but I always thought that was a personal preference difference.

I don't think any experienced RVer would claim owning a trailer is cheaper, either. Campground sites are climbing rapidly, so by the time you add purchase cost, upkeep and increased operating costs, a moderate-riced hotel or B&B is surely competitive and maybe even a bargain.

Too many states do not allow double towing, so taking a boat and two bikes could be difficuly if not impossible.  There is one option.  An Eide boat loader would put the boat over the top of your truck.  Then you could put the bikes in the trucks bed.  You might be better off buying a smaller motor home tow the boat with the bikes in the boat.

I think we have all had some version of that decision process. We decided we like having our own bed and bathroom rather than always dealing with strange beds, and such.
Maybe you need to just try one, and see how it works out, and if it doesn't, try the other.
So, spend a few months doing the VRBO thing, (requires smaller investment than going out and buying a trailer right off.) and if you like it, you're done. If it gets to be a hassle, then go buy a trailer and give that a try for a while.

and, Some version of a toy hauler might solve the problem with hauling the trikes.

When you say 3 wheel tricycles are you talking pedal bikes are motorcycle trikes?

I tend to lean towards saying you need a diesel pusher motorhome to haul all this stuff too, as to the mechanics of it, where there is a will there is a way, here is something I saw in a campground in Nebraska a couple of years ago, perhaps you could do something similar stacking the trikes on a trailer instead of a truck.

You have made a good list, and I am glad to see that you are approaching it logically.  My opinion is that RV's rarely ever make good financial sense (I have owned 7 different ones, so I am an expert on that part).  But what you are buying is a lifestyle. All the above comments are valid, and vary from person to person.

Personally, I have been immersed in the lifestyle for over 20 years, and it has been the most rewarding experience I could have asked for.  There are ups and downs like in most things, but I would do it over in a heartbeat.

But as other have said, "Your mileage may vary". 

Rene T said:

When you say 3 wheel tricycles are you talking peddle bikes are motorcycle trikes?

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I'm sorry. I meant motorcycle trikes.

As far as the boat...that isn't a biggie. It's a small boat that I can lift in and out of the pickup. Think of an aluminum Jon Boat. Plus...I can ditch the boat as I can simply rent one when would like.

Thanks for the replies so far. I am taking them to heart.

Do you all ready have a truck that is up to the tasks?  25 ft can get awfully cozy after a few days of being rained in.only you know if that's good or bad.

Will the people you want to visit have any HOA or city restrictions on parking a trailer?

I can't say you will save money.  You will have your own bed,bath and kitchen.  Do you enjoy being outside,around a campfire?

Just some of my thought.

Two motorcycle trikes are going to take an awful lot of floor space.  Add a boat even a small one I just dont see it working worth a darn.  I think your only choice is a motor home, something with enough motor to pull that load.

I gotta agree with Donn - to are expecting to do a lot more than is reasonable for a small trailer and light truck. Do you already have a truck you hope to use? And the trikes?  The weight & size of the trikes alone is likley to be a showstopper.

Take a few days off and drive up to Tampa or Ft Meyers area and spend a day looking at (and into) various RVs, towable and small motorhomes.  You can see dozens in an afternoon there.

There is no question about it - hotels and B&B's are cheaper if you are only using the RV a few weeks a year.  Also the maintenance is someone else's problem.  If another expense comes up you can just stop traveling and you are instantly out of the game - No RV to sell.

Thats probably what I should do but I enjoy the RV so I am looking for my 3rd. 

Also if you decide to travel overseas those Rv's don't do well crossing the Atlantic or the Pacific. 

Although I had a great Uncle about 35 years ago went with an Airstream group to China.  They loaded their Airstreams onto a boat and I assume the Suburban he pulled his with.  I imagine that he could have done that cheaper as well.

In the end, I cant personally justify an RV in any sensible way.  But my kids and wife and I have a great time on the trips.  I guess if my kids are close to us and wind up as productive members of society in part because we are a tight knit family (partially because of the RV) then I could justify in some way.  But again we could have done other things. 

I think it has to be a labor of love.  If the genset won't start and you hit the roof - dont get one.  They all break - expect it.

As Gary said, take a trip and look at RVs. One question not answered yet is if you already have a truck. If so how big? IF, you have a large enough truck, look at toy haulers. Be sure to take good measurements of the trikes so you can see if both will fit in the back of the toy hauler.

Second option is get a motorhome and pull the trikes on a trailer.

SargeW said:

You have made a good list, and I am glad to see that you are approaching it logically.  My opinion is that RV's rarely ever make good financial sense (I have owned 7 different ones, so I am an expert on that part).  But what you are buying is a lifestyle. All the above comments are valid, and vary from person to person.

Personally, I have been immersed in the lifestyle for over 20 years, and it has been the most rewarding experience I could have asked for.  There are ups and downs like in most things, but I would do it over in a heartbeat.

But as other have said, "Your mileage may vary".

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i agree.. RV'ing especially boondocking is a lifestyle and paying a "premium" to boondock in say the valley of the gods with not a person in sight is worth every penny as far as i'm concerned.

My 2 cents worth!

RV Cons:  There ARE ways to pull an RV and take your toys.
Costs - in my naive calculations, I needed 45 days on the road over 10 years to break even.  In fact, the RV costs more than that.

Pros to RV:  I sleep in MY bed, sit in MY recliner, use MY bathroom, have MY favorite snacks nearby at reasonable prices and need fewer reservations to go where I want.

Cons:  COST, but it is what you want to accomplish with your travels.  RV maintenance, slower travel (most of us limit driving to 300 miles a day with the RV, while a car may travel 3 times that per day)

I suggest renting an RV for a week or two just to see how it works for you.

Some ways to take the toys:
Class A RV with truck in tow, containing trikes / boat (Truck MUST be 4 down towable. See Remcoindustries.com  to see if yours is towable)
Tow FW Toy Hauler, which will have space in the garage for the trikes and boat.  This will need a bigger truck unless you already have a F350 or 3500.
Tow smaller camper with toys in the truck.  Again, you may need a bigger truck to have enough payload for the trikes, camper hitch wt and passengers.
Get an inflatable boat.

Good Luck with your search!

grashley said:

My 2 cents worth!

RV Cons:  There ARE ways to pull an RV and take your toys.
Costs - in my naive calculations, I needed 45 days on the road over 10 years to break even.  In fact, the RV costs more than that.

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Interesting - Do you mean you need to use your RV 45 days per year for 10 years to break even compared to a hotel or BnB??  I didn't do any math but that sounds about right.

Keeping in mind when you own an RV, depreciation is probably the biggest cost but is hidden until you sell.  If you had to write out a check for the depreciation every month, many people would be surprised I think.

If you are a working stiff like me, you really CANT use it 45 days per year unless you are cramming a lot of weekends in.

I have to laugh because based on the subject it sounds like the OP thought we were going to try to explain why RVing is so much better than other forms of travel.  Very wise group here.  We choose to RV because it is right for us.  There are cheaper and quicker and less hassled ways to get from point A to B and no one seems to dispute that fact!

RVing is a life style plane and simple.  We choose to go RVing because we enjoy going to a camp ground/RV resort meeting people, sitting around drinking a favorite beverage, doing things like fishing, hiking, photography.  Cost is irrelivant to most of us because we like our hobbies.  Many of us like to take our toys, but a boat and TWO three wheeled motorcycles?  I cant think of many toy haulers that you could put two in.  Too many states dont allow tandem towing, and if they do the first usually must be a fifth wheel. Even if the OP could do it, what kind or size of a truck does he have to pull that much weight with?
Going to motels?  Think of leaving your three wheelers in the parking lot over night.  Will they be there in the morning?  Good chances not.  Give the guy a chance to come back here and give us more details.  I personally think this is a pipe dream either way.  But with enough money I guess anything is possible.

I've always had an RV for vacations My first trip was when I was 2.
I continue so I can have my own bath,bed and closet.
The other reason is that I can bring the Dog almost anywhere no extra charge.

homeby5 said:

Basically we want to travel three months and then come home for three months, repeating this cycle. Now....we cannot afford two homes and still be able to travel so we are exploring other options such as a trailer or home/hotel rentals to accommodate our stay.

We have traveled enough to know that we want to be able to spend up to 3 months at a time out West, the NorthWest and in Alaska (Our daughter currently lives in Juneau). We want to be able to pull a couple three wheel tricycles on a tandem trailer as well as a little aluminum boat for exploring the waterways (around a 14 ft boat). We figure we can throw the boat in the back of the truck

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So, if you are going to be travelling for 6 months of the year, i would say having a TT or 5th wheel (I have seen one with a large storage compartment under the living area that might fit the trikes, but it was huge), would be better.

IF you get a half decent one which has been well maintained and you don't always stay in expensive parks it might break even if better. 

In 2017 we travelled for 6 months and spent $6,500 on campground fees. No boondocking at all. Some more expensive parks in there but not many.

If you spent 182 nights in hotels or motels at an average of $70 you would spend over $12K.

At the end of the 6 months you still have your asset....

And you get all of the benefits mentioned above.....