Travel Trailer Recommendations for Relocating to the Oil Fields

My parents own a Montana brand pull behind travel trailer... not sure if you want the fifth wheel model or pull behind but my dad works on the road and lives in the RV 5 days a week. we had it up in the state of Montana and they do alright in the cold if you insulate underneath of them and build a barrier from the elements to the undercarriage... the one hard thing for me to get used to was the tiny little bathroom and shower. But once you get passed that they are very comfortable these days... the beds are usually nice and I would get one with 50 amp power instead of 30 amp that way you can run the A/C or heater and also other things at the same time... IF you run the microwave you might at times have to turn some things off depending on whether your running 30 amp or 50 amp. if its on the lower amp you will blow a breaker and have to reset it

 

Will-I have a Northwoods Arctic Fox-works well for me here in E. Montana. I skirted it with 2" R-Max on 2X2 framing and spray foamed the cracks. I also insulated the ground underneath. One problem is the water line-they all seem to come out the side so you can't protect them with the skirting-I thought about re-routing the line to come up underneath, but found that it was easier to build an insulated box around it. My AC seems to do the job even when it gets above 100. The skirting also helps to keep it cool. Rule of thumb: Insulation is a one-time cost, you pay heat bills FOREVER! Good Luck!

 

A few months ago I was looking at buying a pull behind and I saw brand new (never used) 22 ft fema trailers going for $11K in TX. I don't know if that helps you.

 

Check out some rv forums, and see what problems peeps have with the different brands of trailers.
like


rvforum.com
or maybe its rvforums.com

Good luck,
Soon as I can land a job, i'm saving for a LazyDaze 27' mid bath. Class C
Your best bet would be a mid size 5th wheel or a pull behind trailer..
Mary

 

You can buy those FEMA trailers for as little as $2,500.

 

Not sure where you live but if you purchase a travel trailer / 5th wheel in an oilfield area you will most likely pay more than in other areas, so try to buy away from oil fields, my advice as what to buy 5th wheel or travel trailer, make sure your vehicle can pull the weight, i prefer a slide out as there is more room, you will need waste and fresh water hoses, heat tape and insulation for the fresh water hose to stop freezing, double sided tape and plastic sheeting to insulate windows, i have 2 large black towels to cover the windows in the bedroom in case i work nights, good to have a couple of ceramic heaters, and a fan for the summer, other than that the regular stuff, bedding, plates etc, i live in Hobbs NM very hot in summer, very cold at night in winter, i live in a 28ft 5th wheel and am comfortable year round, expect to pay between 400-650 a month in the TX/NM oil fields. Good Luck, Rich.
Personally i dont like FEMA trailers, no resale value, poorly made, some parks wont allow them, although you can get them cheap, check adds for them in Houston.

 

Good points-My travel trailer has a lot of insulation which translates into a lot more weight-about all my 3/4 ton gasser will handle.(it's a 25 footer) Some trailer parks/RV parks are picky about the age and condition of your trailer. I had a 250gallon propane tank set so I didn't have to hump bottles all the time, but I'm thinking some RV parks might not allow that. 5th wheel is probably the way to go, but since I pull mine behind my service truck sometimes I am pretty much stuck with a bumper pull.

 

CraigsList is a good place to look. I have bought two motorhomes off the CL and both of them were in good shape and at a good price. However, there are some things you have to look for.

1. Leaks: This is the most important thing to look for in a RV of any kind. If you have a leaky roof, wall or window, the moisture gets in between the walls. Since most older RVs are wood-framed, this cause the wood to rot and weakens the structure of the coach. Even if it doesn't damage the framework it is likely you will have a mold and mildew problem that you will not be able to eradicate. If you have ever been in an old RV and it smells moldy, chances are it has, or had a leak at one time.

1A. Check for leaks. I can't stress this enough. If it has an unrepaired leak, chances are it's junk, no matter how shiny it looks on the outside. When you inspect the vehicle, you literally have to run your hands over the walls and seams to feel for wet or soft spots, which would indicate rotting. Check the ceiling corners and moldings around windows. If there's a leak, there will likely be a watermark somewhere on the interior walls. Use a flashlight, even if its a bright day. It's always semi-dark inside an RV, and you sometimes can't see the flaws in the dim light.

2. Plumbing, Electrical, Mechanical: This one is pretty much self-explanatory. Make sure that the plumbing is in good working order with no leaks. Make sure the toilet, shower and sink fixtures all work. With electricals make sure all lights work, fridge, furnace and whatever appliances. If you run something and it pops a breaker, you probably have a short somewhere. Make sure the electrical stuff is good as RV electrician are not cheap. Make sure the outside running and tail lights are in good working order and that the pigtail isn't all dirty and beat up. If it's a MH, make sure the drivetrain is in good working order with relatively low miles. I personally won't touch anything with more than 40K miles on her. And if its got over 80K, and doesn't have a new or rebuilt motor/trans combo, then don't bother unless its virtually free. There are exceptions, but they are rare.

Oh, and if you have LP tanks, check for leaks. Then check again. You're buying an RV, not an incendiary bomb. Make sure the fire extinguisher is current and full.

3. Pricing: Dealers are expensive, but if you need to finance they may be your best bet. And they will finance on older models in good shape. You just have to find a dealer that will work with you. CL can be over-priced too, so you need to know what you are looking at and its book and street value.

You have to be very, very careful with the units on CL though. Last year a guy had me sold on what appeared to be a very nice 26' class C for a nice price. When it came time to do the deal, I asked to see the title and it said "salvage." He never once mentioned that the thing was a salvage vehicle. That killed the sale, as I had no way of knowing what originally happened andI wasn't willing to find out the hard way. Guy tried to pull a fast one on me and got caught.

Moral of the story: If it's a fantastic deal on CL, beware. Most times its someone trying to dump something defective.

A friend of mine has a rule about buying things of the CL. He says that if the seller wants $100, start at $50. If he wants $20, start at $10. I think that's good advice.

I am by no means an expert, but do I know enough to keep my RV on the road and in good working order. So if you have any questions, fire away and I'll answer as best as I can.

As to the FEMA trailers. There aren't really any deals out there on these things, from my experience, but there are varying degrees of quality. Probably the least I would pay for one is about $5K. Most of the ones you see advertised for $2500-$3000 are all junked up and need to be scrapped. And don't pay $12K for one. Someone is ripping you off.

If you want a FEMA, there is an RV dealer in Houston that has tons of them and will finance just about anyone with a job. Name of the dealer is Archer. The seem to sell zillions of them in the $4-6K range, snd like I said, they do finance and I think they will also deliver just about anywhere in the state.