[JacobAziza]

Originally Posted by slowmover

Why, SlowMover, do you hate RVs so much?

Pretty funny . . you read my other posts in this and other threads about RV's? Miss my point about "rhetorical"?

Yes, I know.
I didn't mean it literally.

...how cheap they are for those who are contemplating them for limited use. The initial cost plus financing, depreciation... the finance note is longer in time than the RV will last.

I would never suggest buying (any vehicle) new

So how often should I replace mine? 10 years? When it's 15-years old?

I have rarely seen a stationary full-timer with an RV less than 10 years old. Mine (at 14 years old) is the newest one in the park I live in. There are a few from the 60s here, at least

I also give up the opportunity to house more than a couple of people -- an extended family -- etc, etc.

Very true

Even for a full-timer it's temporary

Why?

unless one owns land in which case an RV is superfluous. I can build a tiny house and be better off.

Agreed

So, yes, on a day-to-day basis the costs can be low with an RV. Can be. But aren't necessarily.

Agreed

Sure, one can buy used (the only way I would do it), but at some point, say five years, it's going to be time to seal the roof, replace flooring and probably at least one appliance. Etc.

Roof, yes. Flooring, no. Appliance, not in 5 years, but maybe within 15.

They aren't well built for the most part, and whether on the road or sitting seems hardly to matter.

Sounds to me like you have had experience with particularly cheap and crappy RVs.

One also needs experience in fixing automobiles and houses to be effective in keeping costs down. A desire to DIY. RV repair techs charge over $100/hour and are notoriously poor, as a group.

Once again, agreed. But afterall, this is a website devoted to DIY auto modifications. So I take it for granted that we are all comfortable doing our own maintenance and repairs.

I don't know where you find your info on RV appliances. It's a monopoly market made up of two-three manufacturers. The cost of the item, the parts (and labor) are not cheap.

Granted - not that home appliances are cheap either...

Nor is the service life long in instances where use is constant.

That hasn't been my experience, in 11 years and 3 used RVs, nor does it seem to be the experience of any of my neighbors that I've been aware of.

In further example I can order 5-tons worth of A/C off the Internet for my house for less than $2k. I can barely get [2] 15k roof A/C units for an RV for the same price.

? RV roof unit only costs about $500. Which is more per BTU, but you don't need as much in an RV. So even if it is less cost efficient, you spend less total.

I agree with most all your points, so why not you with mine?

I agree with many of your points. Just that particular post struck me as needlessly and unrealistically pessimistic and anti-RV. And I wanted to answer some of those specific questions, like the one about insurance cost.
It is definitely true that they won't work for everyone, or in every circumstance, but I do think it could work for the purpose stated in the original post.

I would much rather be in an RV park (for the most part) than any apartment complex . . one is full of owners, the other with renters. That's a no-brainer. But there are plenty of "RV parks" that are also in lousy areas, far from public transportation or even a decent grocery store. There are fewer choices as to where to live in the first place.

Yup. Which sucks. I'm really lucky to be where I am.

So let's say I wander into a bargain "aerodynamic" motorhome for $10k that needs little or nothing beyond what I can DIY. At what point do I break even on the road versus train, plane, bus and low-dollar motel? It's a long way off. Very long way off.

There's a lot of variables, but figuring $200 plane tickets and $50 a night motels, travel once a week and nightly hotel stays, about 6 months.

But for a vehicle that's only used a few weeks per year it's not viable on a purely numbers basis. It can be where the contemplated time frame is years, without other housing to pay for. That's the kicker.

Possibly. You'd have to crank the numbers for the specific situation.

And, hell, a single guy can sleep in the back of a van at the truck stop, if we want to talk cheap. Read my link above from Survivalblog?

Granted. I suggested he consider a Class 'B', which is a step above a glorified van.

The tire info is standard RV stuff: tires have a date code. You may wish to read up on the "5-year rule" for useful life per manufacturers (mileage is irrelevant).

That's not an RV thing, its a general rule of thumb for all tires - although most manufactures say twice that long. Its just more relevant to RVs because they are more likely to sit unused for much of the year, and pass the use-by date before the tread wears out.

The other big problem is in having a permanent address. One just doesn't, legally, for the most part. It's a grey area. One needs a congenial relative, somewhere.

Depends how you do it. I have (almost) always had a legitimate permanent address.

And, in expecting an insurance company to pay proper compensation...Policies of "stated" versus "actual" value should be investigated, as RV's are NOT homes for these important purposes.

I've never had to use a full replacement policy, but my insurance company has been very responsive to claims.

(I should have previously said I admire -- I do -- your resourcefulness and ability to see beyond conventions. It's a game up to a point, and then it isn't, eh? )

Thanks!

I also agree with all the other stuff you said at the end.