I'd rather have an OLIVER, SCAMP or CASITA travel trailer over the options listed in the original post. There are several tens of thousands of RV parks in the US and Canada where the TT can be parked, securely, and the tow vehicle + tent used to go farther offroad. See
Reviews of RV Parks and Campgrounds - RV Park Reviews as example.
One can overnight "free" at Wal-Mart, Cracker Barrel, etc (rest areas, truck stops) for the nights between destinations.
KamperBob has an
excellent rig of this sort, and a blog that highlights his low cost travel. His threads & posts on this forum are where I'd recommend the OP begin. A smart man operating in a smart manner.
FWIW, my 1T Dodge and 35' aero aluminum TT (65' total length) cost me under $30k at purchase, and average mpg is 15+. Solo, the truck averages 24-mpg highway. I bring this up as
weight and
size and
price for given performance are not barriers to high mpg / low operational cost in themselves when the vehicles are spec'd for such (although ownership costs may be high to restore/refurbish older models).
AIRSTREAM is the model TT of this type, and many used ones are excellent choices. See
Airstream Trailer & Motorhome Owners Community for more.
An idea of how long these vehicles are to be kept,
how many nights aboard over those years, and how many miles to be covered is the approach recommended to the OP. Money is not everything, but
time & money, together, give a better picture.
Where to store when not in use is one factor, but travel housing accommodations too small when one is sick or injured is the counterbalance. Is this a toy to be used a few seasons, or can one use it over a lifetime?
Point / counterpoint versus the
advantage /disadvantange approach to the whole question.
.