What a whirlwind I have going here.

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Joined
Jun 29, 2019
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3
Hello to all!

I'm sick and tired of the rat race so I started Youtubing Rv's.  I started to dream of the possibilities of living full time in a Travel Trailer on the land I have.  I narrow it down to a couple of models (without seeing them in person, just video tours and glowing praises).  The Sunset Trail Grand Reserve 33CK, and the Surveyor 33KRLOK.

I head down to the RV store here in town in Upstate SC.  They have neither model and, never having set foot in an RV before, was taken aback at how cheap all of his 30 foot-ish Travel Trailers felt.  The floor felt similar to walking on a foamy kitchen mat because, the salesman told me, of weight limitations.

I sat in his office and cut to the chase:  I had spent hours researching, and it seemed to be a non-starter in most areas to live FULL TIME in a PERMANENT location, even on your own property.  He readily agreed but without hesitation, offered his solution.  He says many people in the area do just that---live permanently on a piece of land---by hooking up to the TT, driving around the block, and unhooking in the same spot.  He even said that his outfit could do this for me every 6 months.  This way, I have not TECHNICALLY been there for more than 6 months, and the clock starts again.

So, I come here fully aware of the fact that I don't know.  Should I lose the dream tonight and find a different way, or is what I wish for really possible as the salesman says?  Feel free to chime in and to share links to old threads on the subject.
 
Thinking it would be cheaper to buy a cheap RV and living on my own land is somehow cheaper is the problem here. RVs are a lot more expensive to own than just the price tag. First off is the utilities. You need to dig a septic tank, run water lines and electrical power lines.
 
Yes, I follow your train of thought.  But I lost you at the same time because I'd need all of those things if I just bought a used single-wide and paid movers to set it up, too, yes?  I'm looking now on a dealers site and found a 2018 HEARTLAND PIONEER DS320 on supposed 'Clearance' for $18,805 with a MSRP of $34K.  Still brand new.

Now I haven't researched it yet, and that is not the point.  What I need some help on, and what you are questioning, is the total and then recurring cost of the above, and say, a used trailer.

I'm trying to figure that one out, and thanks for the considerations.
 
"Hooking up and driving around the block...." sounds simple enough but... This sounds like a ploy to get around some municipal or county rules and I suspect you might get away with it once or twice but then what?? What is the winter weather like in your area?? Trailers are not good in cold conditions require a LOT of propane to try and keep warm in anything below summer/fall  temperatures. Find some full time trailer parks in your desired area and see what they are like. Open 365 days a year? Maybe not!! And there is a reason for that.

Travel trailers are not intended or built with full time living in mind as you discovered in your brief visit to a dealer. They require maintenance, electrical and sewer hookups and water, which, if you don't already have them, are expensive IF they are even allowed in your desired area.

A manufactured home might serve you better, they are better insulated and use standard appliances but have the same requirements for hookups and are meant to be lived in full time in many cases. Much more planning is needed. As Seilerbird says, you need more information but, but if you are simply looking for a cheap way out, this is not it.
 
If you dont want the "cheap" of the typical RV look at either tiny homes or park models.  Both would offer superior build quality and insularion values for the money.  No matter what your going to have to invest in a septic system, water and electricity on the ground.  BTW, whats the big deal with simply getting county building permit to love permanently on the land?
 
Get a generator/solar; dig a privy &/or have the 'honey wagon' out on regular basis; haul water. Still gonna need permits.  What have you gained??

JM2?  ~~  YMMV
 
BTW, whats the big deal with simply getting county building permit to love permanently on the land?
In most regions, anything you propose to live in has to meet the municipal residential building codes and RV's by definition do NOT. RVs are granted exception to regular building codes on the basis of being recreational, part-time use (whether mobile or "park model").
 
Our son lived in an RV year round at a ?park? here in Delaware. It was $550 month plus metered electric. He had to provide his Internet through a dish. All in all it was probably close to $700 month.
 
As you are learning, RV sales people are a very poor source of reliable information. Many of them have little knowledge of RVs and RVing (beyond what they hear around the sales lot) and of course their motivation is to sell, sell, sell.

The cheap look is because you are looking at cheap models. And cheap models is what the majority of travel trailers are, cause most people are buying for low priced weekend use.Most of the more upscale trailers will be fifth-wheels rather than travel trailers, because most buyers looking for premium-grade units are also looking for a fifth wheel to get superior towing performance.


Among Heartland travel trailers, you would find the North Trail model quite a bit nicer and better constructed than the Pioneer. But if you look at fifth wheels, several models are of higher quality and amenities, e.g. Milestone, Bighorn, and Landmark.

There is no free lunch here. When you look at buying a fully furnished house with an $18,000 price tag, you ought not to expect much.
 
Our nephew has been attending school in Morgantown WV which is a four-season locale like upstate SC which means ice and snow in the winter.  He and his cousin have been living in what we used to call a trailer park.  He says they have been quite comfortable in the winter.  Such units (NOT RVs!) are made for permanent installation and have residential water, sewer and electricity.  They also are better insulated than a travel trailer.  Perhaps this is the type of unit you should be looking at instead of one in the RV category which, as others have noted, is meant for temporary vacation use.  In any case you will need to have water, sewer/septic and electricity on your lot and that won't be cheap!

ArdraF
 
Thanks to all for the valuable feedback.  This is the reason I came here, even if reality does not fit my vision.  I'm going to put this on the back burner and look at other options now.  Thanks again!
 
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