Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
I have been considering what I need to do in order to go full-time somewhere in the next four to eight years when I retire.
Cost is clearly a concern; it is very easy to have champagne taste, but the reality is that the budget will allow beer.
I have been asking on the rv forum about the practicality of buying an older unit and having it largely refurbished. From what I can tell, this is a practical approach, resulting in a much lower cost than a new unit. It looks to me like this approach would work particularly well for fifth wheel trailers because there appear to be plenty of older fifth wheels around from quality manufacturers, some of whom are no longer in business (e.g., Nu-Wa, Excel Peterson, Carriage, etc.) There are even businesses which specialize in such an approach, such as Kansas RV Center.
While I would like to have a brand new 3500 dually and Mobile Suites trailer or Newmar motor home, that is definitely much more like a bottle of champagne than a case of Bud.
As an example of an alternative, I see a 2007 34 ft Nu-Wa Hitchhiker fifth wheel listed at $29K. It looks pretty OK inside, but let’s assume we update the flooring, furniture, appliances, etc. We should also update the suspension, maybe to the Mor-Ryde IS suspension system with disc brakes and H-rated tires. It seems to me we can come out with a great trailer for $60K, a much lower cost than a new trailer (of course, we may also find a 2012 Mobile Suites that needs little updating for an even better overall price).
It looks to me like this approach would certainly hold for a motorhome as well.
So, my question is really geared to those folk who full-time or plan to: was this an approach you considered? Why or why not?
Thanks!
Cost is clearly a concern; it is very easy to have champagne taste, but the reality is that the budget will allow beer.
I have been asking on the rv forum about the practicality of buying an older unit and having it largely refurbished. From what I can tell, this is a practical approach, resulting in a much lower cost than a new unit. It looks to me like this approach would work particularly well for fifth wheel trailers because there appear to be plenty of older fifth wheels around from quality manufacturers, some of whom are no longer in business (e.g., Nu-Wa, Excel Peterson, Carriage, etc.) There are even businesses which specialize in such an approach, such as Kansas RV Center.
While I would like to have a brand new 3500 dually and Mobile Suites trailer or Newmar motor home, that is definitely much more like a bottle of champagne than a case of Bud.
As an example of an alternative, I see a 2007 34 ft Nu-Wa Hitchhiker fifth wheel listed at $29K. It looks pretty OK inside, but let’s assume we update the flooring, furniture, appliances, etc. We should also update the suspension, maybe to the Mor-Ryde IS suspension system with disc brakes and H-rated tires. It seems to me we can come out with a great trailer for $60K, a much lower cost than a new trailer (of course, we may also find a 2012 Mobile Suites that needs little updating for an even better overall price).
It looks to me like this approach would certainly hold for a motorhome as well.
So, my question is really geared to those folk who full-time or plan to: was this an approach you considered? Why or why not?
Thanks!
:-laf
