Which way to go ?

[BrBearOFS]

Greetings all !   
I suppose I will start by saying that  I simply do not know which way to look.   

Issue.. I will have a very limited budget to purchase a camper.  regardless of what it is.   I am married, with a spouse to whom I have been married 24 years ( she is stuck with me)  she wants a few base requirements she says ( A/C Toilet, Shower, Bed, room in case weather is bad ) . 

A Truck camper would not work for us because we are both people of size, and moving around in there would be impossible.   That leaves choices of anything from a trailer through a class C .     

Then comes the budget. there really isnt much of one.. I will need to keep my sticks and brick house - so I might have about  $5-10K to get the camper done and what ever is going to pull it if its not a Class C or above.     

Follow that with I am paranoid that with that budget range I should probably stick to getting some kind of Cargo trailer or Box truck /U Haul  to just try to put in what I need.    ( Read that through the lens of I have ZERO  carpentry /plumbing/electrical Skills  or maybe even less of a desire to develop them without someone standing with me tell me what to do because I have a longstanding angst about things that don't go well ) .. 

Anyway I think that gives you an idea.. Basically I have a dream... I am determined to make that happen.   I also dont just want to be stupid about how I go about it and stand a reasonable level of surety that I am not going to end up on the roadside somewhere in the middle of nowhere .

OK I think that about sums things up.. this would be the point where I stop talking and start listening to those who are more learned than I .... which would pretty much be all of you ! 

Thank you for allowing me to ramble.. 

Mark

 

[WanderingRose]

With that limited of a budget, my immediate concern is the ability to find something roadworthy for that amount.

RV’s can be a black hole in which to throw money. Don’t ask me how I’ve learned that.

Have you thought about a tent with cots and a separate toilet/shower enclosure?

There are lots of great ideas on this forum about both, and you could get everything you need for a couple hundred dollars, new.

Good luck!

 

[B and C]

Hopefully your budget includes an emergency fund. Without an emergency fund, your dream will end unpleasantly.

If you are going to have money to travel, you might be better served by saving that money before you jump in. The money you plan to spend on travel can be banked before you leave. This way when that emergency comes up (and it will), you will have the funds to cover it. Keep putting money in the emergency fund every month. You never know when you will need a tranny or engine or...

 

[bullfrog]

You didn’t tell us your dream. Is it to full time travel ?I would suggest you work and increase your savings. There are several seasonal jobs that come with housing possibly in areas you would like to be in for a few months. With both of you working you should be able to save at least one of your pay checks towards getting what you need. You may find the hardest requirement you have set to be AC. But again by taking seasonal employment you will usually have a full hook up site available cutting costs considerably. Climbing up into a box truck unless you get a working lift gate gets old for many. Probably the cheapest to repair and buy setup would be a trailer pulled by a 3/4 ton truck. I would concentrate on getting a reliable truck(older Chevy engines and drive trains are cheap) and try building a topper(Teardrops and Tiny Trailers foamies forum will show you how) if nothing else for sleeping and storage. Do some seasonal work and start looking for a high quality older trailer or buy and build out a cargo trailer depending on how many new skills you have developed.

 

[RvNaut]

I am in the process of selling my home and going full time.. in looking at potentials like you, there is a reality that hits home pretty quick. A truck, that can tow, and not break down, and not be a POS is going to be at least $12k and it goes up from there and then there is no guarantee that you won;t have issues that will cost more money.. then there is what ever you would tow... but that's no you, and it's not me.. so then there are Class C's, and there just are not a lot of them on the market used , and what there are go for upwards of $20k...and yes there are cheaper ones out there, but as someone else said you are pushing the dependability issue as well as all the other issues that comes with an old RV. You can actually get more Class A for your money than you can Class C, but with a $10 budget, you are not going to find a lot that is is good nick in either class. (please note that this is my experience from the 2 months of intense shopping I have been doing, I may be totally off base )

As someone mentioned above... what are your goals... if it is a weekend run out to the park... spend what can and fix as you go... .but if you want to head out for 3000 miles journeys... I am with the others in that you'll need and emergency fund of like $5k to cover whatever might decide to die out on the road, from tires to transmission, and engines, refrigerators... sorry if this dampens the enthusiasm.. don;t mean to do that..

 

[Cammalu]

What are you currently driving? Would you be able to trade that for a truck then have the 10,000 for a used travel trailer? I’ve seen them at half that price that look ok.

 

[justanothermaroon]

Well, let's see. I bought an '02 GMC Yukon XL with 92000 miles for $4k. Replaced the Walmart tires with Michelins, fixed the a/c, plus battery and wiper blades. Only thing that failed was the starter. So I'm into it for around $6k.I now have 60,000 miles of full-timing over 3 years. With WD, it tows up to 7800#, perfect for my 5200# hybrid Thor, which cost me less than $5k including new tires and mods for my lifestyle.

Lots of people will tell you that you need tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars to do this. Those people want safety and security above all else. I prefer freedom.

 

[highdesertranger]

please define your abbreviations. we have a lot of new to RV people that don't know WD means "Weight Distributing" as in hitch. highdesertranger

 

[bullfrog]

By doing the above tow vehicle and trailer with some additional transportation like an electric bicycle or scooter I would be good but would want a minimum of $5,000 emergency fund that I could add $100 to each month from my budget to cover repairs and replacement to the set up.

 

[RvNaut]

Well, let's see. for $4k. Replaced , fixed , plus......... So I'm into it for around $6k.  $5k including new tires and mods for my lifestyle.

Lots of people will tell you that you need tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars to do this. Those people want safety and security above all else. I prefer freedom.

 I would point out that.. well.. you rolled the dice and came out smelling like roses...  you are all in for $12k ( rounded up) which is doing very well, but it would not have gone that way had something major happened, and therein lies the crap shoot... there are a lot of moving parts... I am glad you got away with it... from what I have read... some do not..  they go as cheap as they can, get out there and the bad thing happens and they are screwed...  it is a scary proposition to sell your home and everything you own and take off...  and then there are those that live in a vehicle and not by choice...  I think the OP needs to clarify their intentions and expectations, then we can all give better feedback  

 

[MG1912]

 I would point out that.. well.. you rolled the dice and came out smelling like roses...  you are all in for $12k ( rounded up) which is doing very well, but it would not have gone that way had something major happened, and therein lies the crap shoot... there are a lot of moving parts... I am glad you got away with it... from what I have read... some do not..  they go as cheap as they can, get out there and the bad thing happens and they are screwed...  it is a scary proposition to sell your home and everything you own and take off...  and then there are those that live in a vehicle and not by choice...  I think the OP needs to clarify their intentions and expectations, then we can all give better feedback  

I agree with this 100%.  You are very fortunate that you never ended up staring at a blown head gasket in your engine bay, head in hands, while on BLM land 50 miles to the next town.

You wrote, "Those people want safety and security above all else. I prefer freedom."  Freedom isn't so sweet when you're staring at that blown head gasket in your engine bay, head in hands...

Of course, everyone must make the decision for themselves, and I'm glad it worked out for you.

 

[highdesertranger]

i don't agree with the role the dice. everyone needs to do their own homework. you need to go over a vehicle from front to back top to bottom. frankly if you can't do it yourself you are behind the eight ball already. I guess you could pay someone every time you need something mechanical done but that is when you are rolling the the dice IMO. highdesertranger

 

[bullfrog]

If you are one of those people that can’t do mechanics, take a look at options and what they cost. Chevy V8 engines are some of the cheapest to replace and on rebuilds you can get no fault 7 year warranties. A 5.7 installed is right is less than $6,000 with the best warranty in western Colorado. Older trucks(my 1987 Suburban was $2,500 a running driving vehicle with a rust free body, 4x4 and 3/4 ton) cost up to $8,500 completely restored. Mine with modifications new 5.7 V8, dual exhaust, 4l80e trans and controller, 205 transfer case, tires, interior, AC front and rear, motor, steering (with a box frame brace) and suspension, Dana 60 front end and full floating rear end will have cost me around $12,000 and I won’t have touched a wrench. I’m feeling pretty confident it will do me well for at least the next 7 years and probably longer if I don’t abuse it and maintain it and will get 8 to 11 mpg towing a 5,000 to 7,000 lb trailer. The original $2,500 truck did just fine with a few minor repairs but was a little down on power using a quart of oil every thousand miles probably because it set for several years before I got it. In my younger days turning wrenches doing all the work myself it would have cost me $8,000 total. So yes you can buy an old truck if you can find a mechanic you can trust that specializes in your type vehicle (I did find one highly recommended garage that wouldn’t work on any thing older than 2002!) you can with an emergency fund to cover repairs say $6,500 get on the road for less than $3,500 in my opinion. Put that with a bumper pull cargo or camper trailer ( I built mine for about $2,500) for $4,000 so a total of $14,000 should put you in good shape. I would want enough income to cover my expenses and still have $100 a month to put in the emergency fund. $12,000 just means you start out with less at $4,500.

 

[txmnjim]

good info Bullfrog. i have been thinking of a small trailer and whether a truck or suv to pull it and 
now i'm thinking a suburban would fit the bill nicely! good luck to the OP!

 

[1shemp]

I have a nice, clean ,well maintained good ,condition 1994 23 ft Chateau for $2000.Everything works great.Pictures coming in a couple of days,if its still available.

 

[rm.w/aview]

So IF you have a vehicle that is able to tow and stop a trailer and need to keep the price down, put your camp gear in a cargo trailer, sleep on cots, have a small folding table so you can cook inside or out (taking safety measures), and use a cooler for your trips. The trailer is a tent that you don't have to set up, and you can tote some stuff too.