What problems have you had with your RV?

[coastnalong]

[font=Verdana, sans-serif]I am trying to decide whether I should buy a travel trailer to use as my full time home or build a home out of a shipping container.[/font]


[font=Verdana, sans-serif]The travel traveler would by far be the easiest choice as I could move right in. However, Bob Wells did a video where he mentioned friends of his who had many problems with their travel trailers because he said they are cheaply constructed. The problems people have are roof, electrical and structural. Bob mentioned his friends spending $10,000 to $20,000 on their repairs.[/font]

[font=Verdana, sans-serif]I would like to find out how common severe problems are.[/font]

[font=Verdana, sans-serif]I would appreciate anyone answering the following questions:[/font]
[font=Verdana, sans-serif]1)  [/font][font=Verdana, sans-serif]What kind of RV do you have?[/font]
[font=Verdana, sans-serif]2)  [/font][font=Verdana, sans-serif]How old is the RV?[/font]
[font=Verdana, sans-serif]3)  [/font][font=Verdana, sans-serif]What kind of problems did you have?[/font]
[font=Verdana, sans-serif]4)  [/font][font=Verdana, sans-serif]How much did your problems cost you?[/font]
[font=Verdana, sans-serif]5)  [/font][font=Verdana, sans-serif]Could your problems have been repaired by someone with little to no knowledge of carpentry and electrical repairs?[/font]
[font=Verdana, sans-serif]6)  [/font][font=Verdana, sans-serif]Anything else you would like to contribute.[/font]

[font=Verdana, sans-serif]Thank you in advance for any contribution you make to this topic.[/font]

 

[bullfrog]

If you build something you are forced to learn how it works or doesn't and gain an immense amount of knowledge about it that you won't get if it is bought already built but it does take a lot of time. There are quality built RV's out there but most importantly manufactures build them mostly concerned about sales and getting them safely off the lot and moving down the road quickly. Anything can be badly built with cheap materials even a container. I think the most important question is how good a builder are you? If it needs to be mobile and you are satisfied you can build it well enough for your needs then you should be building a cargo trailer out as they can be custom built on a heavier duty trailer than a travel trailer. Quality travel trailers are expensive and equipped with appliances that are light weight and made to accommodate over the road travel. Most people that stay stationary in a travel trailer for years end up building a house roof over them if they can afford it, as most have roofs guaranteed for less than 12 years and replacing the appliances with regular house type ones that are more reliable and less expensive as they usually have utilities available. Many homesteaders start with travel trailers but quickly move to larger permanent cabins or alternative buildings for these reasons. I have lived 15 years, most of it stationary in quality built 1983 Barth motorhome. I have replaced most of the plumbing fittings,valves,water heater and toilet. I have had to replace replumb most of the appliances. I have had to recoat the roof as where I am not allowed to build a roof over it. I have had to replace electrical fixtures and some wiring. I have spent probably a total including the purchase price of around $15,000 for 15 years of use so less than $100 a month. Parking and utilities have cost anywhere from nothing most of the time to as much as $350 a month. If I was a better builder and had been allowed to I might have done some things different but have been well pleased with the way it has worked out for us.

 

[outermostsoul]

1972 Airstream my only roof maintenance has been replacing plastic vent covers that broke.  Previous owner sold off much of the original equipment. I just found out my wiring is still good my electric problem last November was the landlord's under sized service panel.  All interior circuits are good.  Plumbing was altered by previous owner- He put 10 gallon residential water heater  in to replace the original one he sold. It was DOA the first time I tried it. He also installed crappy pvc pipe for water lines and when I move the trailer I have to be sure all the connections are tight before I use the water system.  Where I am now I am not connected to running water I haul water and just use the pipes for drain lines.  I rent space on a horse property and the owners are OK with my grey water just running onto the ground.  I use a old pantyhose leg filter system and just toss it when it gets gunky.  All tanks were removed by the guy I bought it from. The belly pan sags in the rear and I won't haul it on the road again until I fix that. I also will repack the bearings on the wheels before I take it on the road again. I bought the trailer in 2006 and it has changed location a total of 7 times.  It hasn't left Southern Idaho since I bought it. The tires were destroyed in 2006  and I put on a new set in 2011 when I moved it for the first time.  I bought it sitting in a storage lot and I used it for storage myself for the first years.  I can't talk about the propane I has never used it.  The tanks are old style and can't be filled until upgraded.

 

[RoamerRV428]

had a lot of rvs in our lives....from truck camper to big monster toyhauler 5th to tts and back to smaller tt toyhauler now.

repairs aren't that dramatic into the 10-20k range....it can $500 ya to death sometimes tho



my contribution is this......what are your truer long term plans?

it is about being stationary and permanent. You said before you want land. With land and wanting more permanent I would build a structure that is more permanent but moveable.....when wanted....and not often...….SO GET A more permanent structure to live in then a rv.

go with a 'tiny home container type home' that can be moved and has a ton more structure, floorplan designed the way ya want it, can be easily moved by a transport company when you want that done in the years following if you decide to relocate.

if you plan on truly traveling, get rv or cargo trailer etc to be on the move.
you want more stationary life on a piece of property, build what you want and still be movable if you decide to move.


eh, a little advice as I see it for ya

 

[coastnalong]

my contribution is this......what are your truer long term plans?

it is about being stationary and permanent. You said before you want land. With land and wanting more permanent I would build a structure that is more permanent but moveable.....when wanted....and not often...….SO GET A more permanent structure to live in then a rv.

go with a 'tiny home container type home' that can be moved and has a ton more structure, floorplan designed the way ya want it, can be easily moved by a transport company when you want that done in the years following if you decide to relocate.

if you plan on truly traveling, get rv or cargo trailer etc to be on the move.
you want more stationary life on a piece of property, build what you want and still be movable if you decide to move.


eh, a little advice as I see it for ya

 

[picinisco]

You quickly learn how to repair systems as they break down or are not working at all when you buy. I have had to replace floor sections, roof sections and had delamination on walls. These necessary repairs gave me the ability to inspect for these conditions BEFORE buying. I have replumbed, rewired, replaced systems. Toilets, water heaters, refrigerators furnaces. I have replaced carpeting with new carpet, laminate flooring, linoleum.

You can tell i have had more than a few RVs in my time. The repair experience I have had in my younger years makes me better at examining a prospective buy. I have totally enjoyed my experiences and luckily have a wife that enjoys the journey (pun intended).

So decide what experiences you are willing to endure.

 

[ckelly78z]

I would stay away from a shipping container home. It would require a complete fit-out of interior walls/insulation, plumbing, electrical, lighting, and heat/A/C ventilation. A travel trailer already has all these systems in place, but is not well insulated for rough weather. We have a 40' conex that we keep our horse hay in next to our barn. It is 9000# empty, and tight enough, we have to keep the door slightly open to prevent mold.

I would place a 30' trailer on a sturdy foundation of insulated concrete blocks on top of a raised gravel pad (no mud underneath). I would then build a picnic style post/roof 12'x 40' shelter over the top of it that could be open in the warm weather, or closed in to protect from cold/wind in the Winter. I like having the roof being larger than the trailer, so rain couldn't hit the trailer, and there would be a dry space around it.

 

[jwhite]

I saw a friend of mine build this and I thought it was great he bought a 5th wheel trailer a newer nicer one and then added a large rv type metal carport structure that was like 20 x30 and he framed in a deck the full length 10 x30 then enclosed half of the with walls and screened it in and built a outside living area. with a big outside cooking grill and sink with outside furniture.
this was in south GA so you could use it year round ?
he could hook up and pull the trailer and drive out and do the same drive it back in, he had a walk way with something like a boat winch that he could lift and lower by hand to the steps on the trailer.
I think the carport was around 3000.00 and I am guessing the rest was around the same or cost more depending on what you have.

 

[Bear_from_OBX]

With the shipping containers, keep in mind that the steel walls are not as strong as you might think. They are a weight bearing frame with CorTen sheet steel walls, roof and exterior floor and this type of steel is soft and easily bent in comparison to other types. Several people have tried to bury Conex boxes as underground safe rooms or storage and had the weight of the dirt crush the box. They can work if you work with the design, however you have to understand the limitations, including the moisture problems others have noted in this thread. My experience is that they almost always require some type of year round moisture control to remain comfortable to live in.

I've seen a lot of comments about shoddy construction used in building RVs (and manufactured housing as well), but most people don't consider that there is a critical weight limitation to make this "house" able to roll down the road. Lots of the signs of quality in stick build construction, like solid wood cabinetry, longer lived roof materials, 1/2" or thicker sheetrock walls, metal plumbing fittings and full sized appointments take up too much of the limited size and the critical towable weight, often requiring them to be sacrificed. The RV is also subjected to road vibration and wind loading for a large portion of it's life that a stick house would only see in a hurricane. I've helped a few people rework and rebuild RV trailers, and discover how much extra weight they added by choosing to make upgrades as they went along.

 

[Tony's Dream]

I agree with the others, you need to see the end product of what you want and work backwards to achieve it.

I have an Aliner but I haven't been out in it a lot. We are slowly finding out what we want/need and determining the best way to make it fit what we want to do when we retire. As we encounter new problems we find it fun trying to solve it.

Some of the things we have had to deal with.....
The camper did not have a voltage meter so we were not able to see mointer the battery strength. So we ordered one and installed it.
It did not have any 12 volt outlets or USB charging ports, so we added those as well.

A new problem we are trying to work out now is how to avoid setting off the smoke alarm each time we cook inside. We open the windows and run the exhaust van......yet it it still goes off. We don't want to turn it off each time we cook. Any ideas?

 

[Almost There]

A new problem we are trying to work out now is how to avoid setting off the smoke alarm each time we cook inside.  We open the windows and run the exhaust van......yet it it still goes off.  We don't want to turn it off each time we cook.  Any ideas?

The smoke alarm is just to darn close to the kitchen in a camper to do anything else but go off when you cook. Heck boiling water will probably set it off!!

If it were me, I'd just accept that it has to be turned off before you begin to cook or you just turn if off when it goes off - take your pick!

 

[B and C]

I pull the battery in mine when it goes off. I never remember to remove it before I start cooking but it doesn't go off every time I cook either.

 

[bullfrog]

That is how I know the food is ready when I'm outside and my wife is cooking! LOL!!!