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I live in a 2000 Allegra Bay 36' double slide... Worth 45000.00 plus at dealer.
There are good deals out there...
No doubt. (I have one too).
The questions though are:
1) how much would a new/newer model cost? and,
2) was the bargain purchase because of need or choice?, and
3) how would 24/365 life be for the two of you in small RV (like a TT)?
iow... I'm sticking with what I said.
Quote:
Currently for Sale as I am looking for smaller unit.
Smaller = 30 foot gasser and maybe one slide?
Last edited by MrRational; 06-30-2013 at 11:37 AM..
That is true, but try living full time in one, not a whole lot of fun... 99% of your TT's out there are built for seasonal camping, not full time living.... Many of your class C's are not much better....
Sure you can live in one and I'm sure a number of people do but living in something that has little to no insulation in the floor, walls or ceiling, single pane windows, only one 13.5 or maybe 15K AC unit at best. Small fridge, along with small holding tanks, limited storage etc.... Then put one or two people in a unit that small....... Like I said its possible but sure don't sound like allot of fun.
Bottom line is you can buy them cheap because they are built cheaply.....no different then any other product on the market, in fact the RV industry is most likely worse......... You pay more for better quality.....
I had/have several workmates on pipeline projects that live in them year round. One is even using a used/new FEMA trailer he paid $3100 for in 2009......They all have no issues
So i've been thinking for awhile about living the simple life, After watching many Youtube videos of families living in RVs permanently & traveling all over the US i couldn't help but really like the idea of me someday doing that. However i have an few questions for those whom are living the simple life, Is tough? Have you ever felt like settling down in an apartment instead? How much of an initial investment do you guys think i would need in order to get an RV and modifying it for daily use as home.
To get a true picture of the life, it would be best to look at the bloggers. They learn to adapt, adding mods to their RVs to make them more weather efficient, or simply moving to different parts of the country to find better living conditions. I'd say the majority of them are older folks, so one would think they'd be more picky, but they seem to be the hardiest and most adaptable
My darlin' and I live full time in a 28-year-old Class A Bounder (motor home), and we love it. As missionaries, we've lived in just about everything - almost everywhere - so I tend to think of our old pal Buster (well, he just *looked* like a 'Buster' to us) as luxurious. Sure, he's a little faded and gray - but then so are we - and his engine still runs well with only a few minor splutters and coughs.
When you've lived in tents (the funniest one we ever had was a $1,200 'Expedition' (that's what they said) tent that a kind company donated to us, which promptly melted in the 140-degree heat in Jerusalem - after a few months of use, I should say. DH *said* we should have sprung for the $60 jobber, LOL!), huts, cabins, teepees, and simply under the stars, you know that it's possible to live anywhere. What you have between your ears and in your heart is far more important than what manner of brick, stone, wood, fiberglass, or canvass you may have 'wrapped' around you.
I love God, people, peace, quiet, goodness, kindness, sunshine, nature, and happiness, and I pack 'em all with me wherever I go - and so can you!
That said, RVs may not be spacious (ours is 224 square feet, not counting the 'basement' storage space), but I always feel as if I live in the great outdoors, as our windows are expansive, and I *love* waking up to a panoramic view of a mountain sky, or the sound of waves rushing in to the seashore, and sitting in my seat up front and setting the sun with darlin' and a hot cuppa Java, and..., well, you name it! I'm not a fan of cities but even they can be fun - and certainly interesting. Since my darlin' hates housework, and I'm disabled, it's wonderful to be able to waltz through the whole rig in 15 minutes in the morning, and have it sparkling clean. (I do the inside and darlin' does the rest.)
We work for a living, of course, and routinely give concerts, conduct workshops, and give motivational talks, so we're doubly blessed in that not only do we see many new places, we meet people of 'All tribes, and nations, creeds, and tongues;' it's a wonderful life!
We like to keep life simple. We follow the seasons, when possible, and sleep in a -35 below sleeping bag when it's not. (Nothing wrong with 'snuggling' weather!) We use our bathtub for storing our concert equipment and have disconnected most of the plumbing, keeping only the flush water for the toidy, and the kitchen sink tap operational. It's simple to keep personally clean on the road - there are gas stations and WalMarts everywhere - and they even have free soap! We unhooked the furnace and have yet to use the overhead air conditioner, but we're surely thankful for our roomy fridge and handy dandy microwave, and even, on occasion, for our Onan generator.
While I'm sure it's not for everyone (what is?), RV-ing is a great way to live. Every night when I roll (yes, I do have to roll) into bed, I remember that 75% of the people on this planet don't have one, and it's awfully difficult not to be grateful....
My take, for what it's worth, is if your happy gauge reads 'full' when you're warm, fed, and dry, then why not go where your spirit leads you and LIVE every day of your life? The less you need (materially), the happier you are, I've found. ;<)
Don't let anyone discourage you. We've met people living in 16' Casita's towed by vans where they store most of their stuff. Others felt cramped in million dollar 40' Class-A MHs or huge 5th wheels with 4 slide-outs. Everyone has different needs. It's a very individual thing. Keep in mind that some people live happily in a rented room and others must have a 2 bedroom apartment - others need house of their own to be truly comfortable.
I can't agree more! The key to wintering in an RV is preparation. Skirting, heat lamps, heat tape and insulation on your water hose, even keeping your cabinet doors open so the heat gets in to your inside pipes. Of, course, this all hinges on whether you have a heated basement (if not.. DO NOT attempt winter) or if you find a campground that is open. And.. even if you have a great insulated RV you have to deal with condensation.
A few years back there was a young couple who were parked next to us on a job. It was there first RV (a much cheaper tag camper) and they literally had ice ON their inside walls from condensation. Then came the mold in spring. We've been down to five below in ours, but it took a lot of prep, and we have a full arctic-package. Got some friends who just came off of a North Dakota job, spent the whole winter in their fiver, and she said it was the most miserable experience ever. So I'd say that the OP needs to figure out first and foremost where they are going to spend winters first before deciding on the quality of the rig.
Morning!
Ice on the inside of windows and walls, eh? Well, I had at least a half-inch of ice on the windows of my London, England rented room when I was seventeen. Ice on windows and walls (not to mention perpetual mold problems) is pretty much standard in the North of Scotland, where I'm from. That said, we had ice halfway up the inside of ALL our walls when we lived in Yukon Territory (at -50 Celsius), here in Canada, and we'd 'refrigerate' perishables by placing them on the floor by the walls - and I'm talking about living in brick and stone houses - with hardworking wood stoves to boot. I've spent two winters (not recently) in what you'd call an RV, in decidedly northern climes, and while not toasty warm they were certainly adequate protection from the rather unforgiving elements.
I'm not as fond of cold as I used to be and definitely prefer Maui for full-time living, but my lifestyle is such that I don't get to make that choice - not yet anyway....
The point I'm making is that we don't all grow up in or live in uniformly 75 degree housing - and it's simply not necessary for happy living - ice on the insides of the windows or not.
Been there, done that - still here - by the Grace of GOD.
Only if you want to live like a King. We've met a lot of people living fulltime in everything from a 16' Casita to huge Class-As and everything in-between. Not one of them had complaints.
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A 30+ foot Class A with slides built for fulltiming starts at close to $100,000.
Fulltiming can be done in less but that won't be the "simple life" you asked about.
A Class-A is not at all necessary for fulltiming. Used ones are a lot cheaper than that.
I've been full timing in a 28 foot airstream since November. (it's a 1996, all original)
You can get into something pretty good for under $15K (A Travel Trailer... with a tow vehicle, not a RV)
If material things are not important to you, you can do it inexpensively and have a wonderful adventure! Before my husband died, we bought a used truck and 27' fifth wheel and lived in it and traveled and loved every minute of it. We both had social security and he had military retirement, so we managed just fine. We would stay a month or so at a time, sometimes longer. My husband was also a mechanic so he could take care of minor repairs if needed. Thankfully we had no failures! After he died I tried it for awhile on my own, but was still going through the loss. Now I'm working part time and saving to start over again with a new adventure on my own - Good luck, don't let money stop you from following your dreams
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I can't agree more! The key to wintering in an RV is preparation. Skirting, heat lamps, heat tape and insulation on your water hose, even keeping your cabinet doors open so the heat gets in to your inside pipes. Of, course, this all hinges on whether you have a heated basement (if not.. DO NOT attempt winter) or if you find a campground that is open. And.. even if you have a great insulated RV you have to deal with condensation. 
