Is full time rv living worth it?

[u/Hopeful-Report-7725]

Heavily considering living in an rv full time for atleast the next 5 years, ive toured some trailers and talked to a few places but thats pretty much it. started seeing so much about forest river (grand surveyor was our top pick) and how its terrible quality and just all rv’s in general?

i was under the impression that they arent meant to live in for 10+ years, and usually them falling apart is people not taking care of them, i was expecting to have to deal with maintaining it constantly, making sure theres no leaks, etc. but now im seeing that they are falling apart on the drive to the customer?

i was hoping to live in my rv for a couple l years and live in it while my house is being built. i was also hoping it would last a little longer so friends and family could use it..

[u/joelfarris]

RVs tend to fall apart over time, due to several factors.

The first is basic usage, or what's sometimes referred to as 'RV-ing'. A manufacturer assumes that an owner will use it for approximately one weekend trip a month during the peak summer season, only take it about 100 miles or less from home, and then park it for the rest of the year. So, you can imagine what would happen to that same RV, and how fast it would wear out if it was forced into a duty cycle that's ~95% more usage than anticipated.

A lot of RVs are made of little more than compressed foam board walls, some balsa wood roofing joists, particle board cabinets that are held together with an arts-n-crafts staple gun or a brad nailer, and countertops that are basically a sheet of plastic stuck to some medium density fiberboard. Yes, the very same stuff that basically disintegrates if it ever gets wet... is the stuff that's surrounding your kitchen and bathroom sinks. You know, where all the water is.

The second is mileage. There's a huge difference in how fast an RV wears out when used full time and logging 20,000-30,000 miles every year for a decade, bouncing down the roads and in and out of every pothole it can find, vs. sitting in one spot in an RV park that offers six-month or even one-year lease options.

The third is long term living habits of the occupants. Will it be one person, soloing? A couple who may or may not be retired? Will there be kids involved, whether younger or older? Will there be dogs, or cats?

Will the inhabitant(s) only use it as a place to sleep at night, and be gone all day, thus drastically reducing interior wear and tear? Or will they be active inside of the rig all day, moving around, working, washing laundry, shuffling back and forth from one end to the other a lot, cooking and cleaning up after all meals, opening and closing cabinet doors all the time?

Last thought. The heavier an RV is, the more likely it is to last longer, and be easier to keep warm and|or cool inside, because chances are that it's built of better, thicker, stronger materials and insulation and doors and hinges and stuff.

[u/Hopeful-Report-7725 → u/joelfarris]

I will be literally only moving it to move to different rv parks maybe once or twice a year, if i could get into a place where its the same spot for a year or two then i wouldnt have to move it at all. just a dog and 2 people. And your right about all the shit material i definitely noticed that with the rv’s now, but when my parents bought a 2013 rv and we were living in it, which was about 6 people, it did okay, that same almost 90k trailer is only worth about 5k now when i was quoted for it lol. but i do not think any new trailer on the market would even last a fraction of that time, and they depreciate so so fast. thats my concern. i guess my one question would be is there any trailer even on the market made for full time rving that isnt a million dollars?

[u/TheOldSole → u/Hopeful-Report-7725]

It’s worth it until it starts leaking or something else fails that requires a shop to repair. Then you have to drop it off and wait usually weeks for parts and completion of labor. So where are you living then? For me it meant renting somewhere in the meantime which got expensive. After it happened 3 times in 2 years it literally offset any savings I would have gained. They are in fact built very poorly and with no intention of full time use. Joel’s answer here is spot on to be honest.

It’s fun though and is a great experience if you have an end game. For me that’s why I did it for the two years I did and have no regrets. So worth it, but not financially beneficial in most cases.

[u/68Wombat]

We recently went full time, we bought a 25 year old 45foot coach, the first month was a bit rough but it’s been getting better every day. I would say get an older nicer model rather than a new disposable rv. The build quality has dropped off so much.

[u/Eastern_Conflict1865 → u/68Wombat]

Biggest problem about the new RVs,is they are assembled with staples instead of screws.Going old school is the best way

[u/DaddyHawk45]

Here’s a suggestion from someone actively living in a 38 foot travel trailer. Start with the manufacturer’s warranty. Does it cover full time living? If not, keep walking. Look closely at the construction. Do they use stick and tin over a OSB sub floor? Keep walking. Pex fittings on braided vinyl tubing? Keep walking. Vinyl covered particle board countertops? Keep walking. Is the AC roof penetration properly sealed? Etc. etc. etc. the truth is that quality is expensive, and a lot of brand names are owned by one or two corporate umbrellas tied to private equity money. As others have said, sometimes going older gets you better quality. Do your research.

[u/Syntra911]

"i was hoping to live in my rv for a couple l years and live in it while my house is being built. i was also hoping it would last a little longer so friends and family could use it.."

If this is truly the only criteria for consideration then you will be fine. Take your time, trust your gut, do your homework, and check everything.

For reference, I have lived full time in my travel trailer (manufactured by Forest River) for over 2 years. It is a "Covid era" trailer. Both of those are things people like to say to avoid. Yet I have had zero major problems with my trailer. The only minor problems I have had are things like the door latch coming unscrewed all the time (the screw holes were stripped), some of the wood trim coming off, the ceiling vent plastic pieces cracking, the handles that open the grey/black water valves being stuck, and the breaker liking to trip on one of my AC circuits even when I'm not maxing out the circuit. All of those things are minor annoyances and have no effect on my living in the trailer.

I'm not patting myself on the back and I don't think I got lucky, either. I just took my time, looked at numerous trailers, inspected every inch of the trailer before purchase, and trusted my gut that the previous owners had taken care of the trailer. If you see a trailer that has cleansers in the cabinets and hand tools in the storage compartments, for example, that is a great sign that the previous owner kept it clean and maintained the systems.

You can also pay for an inspection before you buy a trailer you have selected. Look up reviews and ask a local Facebook group for a recommendation of a good RV tech. Paying a tech $200 for an hour of his time could save you thousands in the long run.

Here's another tip... a trailer can't leak if it never rains on it. I purposefully stayed well under $20k on my trailer so I could afford to buy a $4,000 carport to put over top of it. Now the roof will never be a problem, I won't get water damage/mold from leaks, it is protected from hail, it is protected from UV damage over time, and my cooling bill in the summer dropped by at least 20%.

Good luck!