Need an advise, life changing decision

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I am thinking of selling my house and move to a travel trailer.

The big question here is what do you expect to achieve by that? Getting the equity from your house? Downsizing? Reducing monthly expenses? Moving to a different part of Dallas?

As others have already stated, a travel trailer, or any sort of RV, is not an ideal house, especially for climate extremes. It makes a lot of tradeoffs to gain mobility and small size, and those tradeoffs sacrifice living space, storage, heat & noise insulation, generous amounts of electricity & hot water, and probably many other inconveniences you've never thought much about. People do live in RVs, both the mobile type and park models, but they usually have goals that override the drawbacks of RV limitations. Frankly, if you just want lower cost housing on a piece of land somewhere, I'd suggest a manufactured home rather than a park model RV. Those are designed for year around living and meet state and federal codes for permanent residential housing. RVs do not.

A typical travel trailer offers 200-280 sq ft of living space that contains living & dining room, kitchen, bedroom, and bath. Including every bit of storage space - closets, drawers, and whatever is now basement or garage stuff. And no laundry room. Ditto for a "tiny house".

Based on your "empty nester" description, I'm guessing that downsizing is the major goal, probably with the idea that a downsized home will be less expensive to own & operate. Depending on what you now have and what sort of new RV home would suit your needs, it will be smaller and may be somewhat less expensive, but probably nowhere near what you may think.

 

[Onyrlef]

Some guy with poor english skills using a picture of a pretty girl to scam people out of their hard earned money. These people have no shame.

I caught a 1 hr. episode about it on NPR a week or so ago, it's become very sophisticated, they'll spend days building trust through dialogue and only then do they begin slowly closing the trap. Once they've got their prey convinced they're legitimate it's only a matter of time. This one is typical, "I'm young and hot looking, recently divorced and in need of advice, can one of you big strong men help?"

 

[Professor David]

I caught a 1 hr. episode about it on NPR a week or so ago, it's become very sophisticated, they'll spend days building trust through dialogue and only then do they begin slowly closing the trap. Once they've got their prey convinced they're legitimate it's only a matter of time. This one is typical, "I'm young and hot looking, recently divorced and in need of advice, can one of you big strong men help?"

Bingo. My son’s father in law stupidly lost his entire savings to one of these scammers.

 

[DonTom]

"For saving purposes, but with all I’m learning now, I’m thinking it twice… thanks"

Perhaps better options would be a reverse mortgage or a HELOC and stay in your home.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Bearcatrp]

Lived in Texas for 10 years, stationed at Ft Hood. Needed a quick place when I was moved there. Rented a trailer in a trailer park. Lasted a year due to cold winter and the tornado that went over us. If you really need to do this, go rent a trailer house for 1 year, all 4 seasons. You will think twice afterwards. Not sure your circumstances but you’re better off getting the land you want, put a ok size cabin on it. Would be safer than a trailer. You can always add on as time and money permit. As others have said, permits, well, electricity will be needed and initial cost is fairly large. If you do a park model, make some kind of storm shelter. Don’t forget personal protection if you will be by yourself. Good luck.

 

[UTTransplant]

“She” says she’s from Kaufman, a town of an entire 6,700 people 35 miles from Dallas. You men are so gullible. Classic catfishing. Watch your PMs for a while, and you will probably get messages asking for your help.

 

[DonTom]

“She” says she’s from Kaufman, a town of an entire 6,700 people 35 miles from Dallas. You men are so gullible. Classic catfishing. Watch your PMs for a while, and you will probably get messages asking for your help.

I am curious how you came to that conclusion. But I do have a guess.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Onyrlef]

I am curious how you came to that conclusion. But I do have a guess.

-Don- Reno, NV

UT's conclusion is based on the overwhelming likelihood no attractive, young, recently divorced female homeowner with walking around sense needs the advice of a group of white men old enough to be her grandpa. "Her" picture isn't in her signature by accident.
There's more, the IRS hasn't issued a warrant for your arrest, The Social Security Administration doesn't need your acc't # so they can deposit a large sum of money you're owed, the FBI doesn't need you to go to Wal-Mart and purchase $2,000 in gift cards to avoid arrest for unpaid traffic tickets.
I don't know this because as you're inferring, I've fallen victim to any of these scams, but because I have walking around sense.

 

[DonTom]

"Her" picture isn't in her signature by accident.

That was one of the main reasons I expected the same, but with no real evidence, I give the benefit of the doubt--to a point. That point is usually when they ask for money or Information that could lead to such.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Onyrlef]

That was one of the main reasons I expected the same, but with no real evidence, I give the benefit of the doubt--to a point. That point is usually when they ask for money or Information that could lead to such.

-Don- Reno, NV

The benefit of the doubt is what they're counting on. They know what they are, just like a TV Preacher knows he's a scumbag, it's the 1 in a 1,000 who are naive enough to give them the benefit of the doubt who they're after.

 

[Larry N.]

Friendly place- Not.

 

[ziplock]

@DonTom

"need an advise" made me snicker.

What do you thnk?

 

[DonTom]

@DonTom

"need an advise" made me snicker.

What do you thnk?

I think "she" used a verb as a noun.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Onyrlef]

I think "she" used a verb as a noun.

-Don- Reno, NV

"She" sounds Russian to me.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

OK, guys, we get your point, so knock off the bad-mouthing. Remember the Community Rules? No personal attacks?

We are all adults here and can make our own decisions about who we chat with and their credibility. From the forum staff's perspective, we still use that old-fashioned concept - innocent until proven guilty.

 

[Onyrlef]

OK, guys, we get your point, so knock off the bad-mouthing. Remember the Community Rules? No personal attacks?

We are all adults here and can make our own decisions about who we chat with and their credibility. From the forum staff's perspective, we still use that old-fashioned concept - innocent until proven guilty.

Bad mouthing who?

 

[Oldgator73]

Bad mouthing who?

The OP.

 

[Big Mark]

Hi , I'm new here and was reading up on this here. I'm going to be living in a travel trailer. I've looked into parks in Florida found a couple of nice ones under 500 a month also found some jobs if I want as greeter at the stores. There's ways to make your trailer good for the AC. My old one was great only ran at nite but wasn't always running I had really good insulated room darkening curtains cold notes were easy on the heat. Now that's from the summers in big time humid NJ a nasty place for heat. Now I'm I guess retired you'd say from an accident but I also know friends in Florida who live in their RVs and some have mobile homes. The RVers keep an eye on their trailer and don't spend alot of money the one person has lived in his 5th wheel for 11 years now in the same place he loves it and him and his wife go on cruises all the time , now I've been on 3 those things are great and traveling I've been all over except for nort dakota and Wyoming and I still can. But it all depends how you handle your money and how smart you are. I'm starting all over unfortunately and hopefully I do it all great like the first time.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Hi Big Mark and welcome to RVForum and also to Florida.

If you have questions on your new RV lifestyle, don't hesitate to ask, but I suggest you start a new topic so that your question and related background info don't get mixed with some previous data and answers.