Trailer Trash - The Myth
There used to be a stigma associated with living in travel trailers. Trailer trash was the term. It implied that people who did not rent or own a stick or brick built home on solid ground were less educated, less desirable and more unreliable than the rest of the country's inhabitants. But with the increasing trend of retiring baby boomers looking for affordable housing and eco-friendly young people looking for economic and green housing, a shift is being made in the travel trailer market.
Upscale luxury trailers, with hardwood floors and raised oak cabinets, king sized beds, and even fireplaces have replaced the rolling tin cans of old. Now even the smallest of trailers is fully self contained, well appointed and surprisingly economical.
Let's compare:
A Keystone Montana travel trailer (the most popular brand for the past 6 years) boasts...
It will cost somewhere between $30,000 to $70,000 to purchase, depending on the floor plan and optional equipment such as automatic awnings, washer/dryer, solar power..
As for location. are you a skier? Park your trailer in Aspen for the winter. Would you prefer warm weather? How about Malibu Beach RV Park, where you can rent a trailer space with an ocean view for only $1200 per month! Which is an amazing bargain considering home prices in Malibu start at around $4.4 million - and that's not even close to the beach.
A 2 bedroom stick built home or condo would cost $200,000 on up, depending upon where it is located. In this home, more water, electricity, and heating fuel is used. The payment, taxes, and insurance is much higher and you are stuck in one place – until it is sold.
Of course, you are building equity in a stick built home. But with the money you save on living in a trailer, you can invest the money you save in other ways.
Many people are seeing the advantages of living in a travel trailer. The Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (rvia.org) reports that over 300,000 new units were shipped in 2006, with 2007 overtaking that by Oct 1st.
Since most of these units get comparatively little “road time” - fuel costs don't seem to be a factor and the old derogatory phrase of “trailer trash” has been replaced by “trailer cash”.
If you like this article, you might also like Alternative Housing - Top 10 Reasons Travel Trailers Are Greener
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King Sized Bed in a Keystone Montana.
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