TALK ME DOWN, I'M ON THE EDGE (of buying an Airstream)

[baconschteam]

Recently came across an old Airsteam and have become obsessed with the idea of fixing it up nice so we can ditch our $1400 a month, tiny, crappy one bedroom apartment. Please tell me how bad an idea this is (or surprise me and tell me it's not?).

Details:
- 1975 Airstream Sovereign 31'
- Seems like I could get it for around $5k or less
- Has been sitting for 10 years
- Weighs 7100 lbs, unloaded
- No visible water damage inside, interior looks clean (however dated)
- I am handy, and work at a fabrication facility where I could probably park it while I renovated, using all the shop's equipment.
- That said, this would be my most ambitious undertaking yet
- I am imagining spending around $10k renovating - the only part I won't do myself is replacing the tires, axles, brakes
- I am imagining that after the initial investment we would save a ton of money on rent (at least cut in half), and could sell it at some point for a profit, or use it as an AirBnB when we buy a house in several years
- Despite the costs and knowing virtually nothing about living in a trailer, I am convinced this is a financially smart idea
- Though I did live on a sailboat for a while as a child, and that was sweet
- We would be forced to tear down our possessions to the absolute minimum, which is scary but exciting
- "We" are my fiancee and I, hello!
- We will not have children for 5 years, but currently have two cats
- Located in Southern California/Central Coast but will relocate "back East" within 2 years
- Near the beginning of our FI journey ($60k saved)
- I can't stop thinking about it!

What could go wrong? (:

[cool7hand]

I think we'd need a lot more detail on the numbers to know if this is "a financially smart idea." Yet how important is it to you that you make a net profit? It sounds like you'd derive joy from the work and learning, which has its own value. Maybe we need to know more about your goals?

[RWTL]

There's a motto "all Airstreams leak" that I would consider.  Airstreams are fantastic and I would never buy another travel trailer.  That said, the one we had leaked in several places.  We found both and repaired the exterior where water was getting in.  Because of the aluminum skin, the water can travel to weird places before entering the interior.  I would remove as many panels, trim pieces, and other inspection points as you can to look for water damage.  Check around the door as well. 

Good luck!  It could be fun.

[tooqk4u22]

Recently came across an old Airsteam and have become obsessed with the idea of fixing it up nice so we can ditch our $1400 a month, tiny, crappy one bedroom apartment. Please tell me how bad an idea this is (or surprise me and tell me it's not?).

I am always curious about this - where would you park it to live in and save said rent?  Most places won't let you park it in the street or someone's driveway. 

[sonofsven]

It's not a bad idea if you have the funds to restore it (45 year old trailer!!), something to pull it with, and somewhere to park it.
You should research the "where to park it" first, it can  get pretty expensive, and some locations might not allow such a "vintage" trailer on their lots.

[baconschteam]

I think we'd need a lot more detail on the numbers to know if this is "a financially smart idea." Yet how important is it to you that you make a net profit? It sounds like you'd derive joy from the work and learning, which has its own value. Maybe we need to know more about your goals?

Though I do enjoy a project, the primary joy would be beating this crazy California rent. If it is not better on the books than renting and not bothering with the whole project, then it's not worth doing.

It's not a bad idea if you have the funds to restore it (45 year old trailer!!), something to pull it with, and somewhere to park it.
You should research the "where to park it" first, it can  get pretty expensive, and some locations might not allow such a "vintage" trailer on their lots.

I have the funds to restore it.

I do not have something to pull it with. I was thinking of just renting an F250 from HD on the rare occasion that I'd move it. When we move back to the East Coast, I would probably buy a used truck for the haul across the country and sell it on the other end.

Somewhere to park it is a bit tricky... every once in a while I see ad on craiglist for RV space on someone's 200 acre ranch in the hills nearby (I just found one for $595). The main problem I foresee is how to deal with my waste in this situation. Some (rare) spots have sewer and electric ready for an RV on site. Maybe there's a service where someone comes and pumps the doo (sounds expensive)? The advantage I have is that I can keep it parked at my job while I fix it up and while I look for a more permanent place to plop it. There is an "RV village" advertising nearby but the rent for a space is $1050. Too much.

There's a motto "all Airstreams leak" that I would consider.  Airstreams are fantastic and I would never buy another travel trailer.  That said, the one we had leaked in several places.  We found both and repaired the exterior where water was getting in.  Because of the aluminum skin, the water can travel to weird places before entering the interior.  I would remove as many panels, trim pieces, and other inspection points as you can to look for water damage.  Check around the door as well. 

Good luck!  It could be fun.

I will definitely check the subfloor for any signs of rot, but I plan on resealing the entire exterior and replacing all gaskets anyway. I still have a ton of research to do about the best way to go about this, of course. You seem to have a bit of experience - do you recommend getting rid of the propane appliances and going all electric for safety/peace of mind?

Thanks for all the replies!

[WSUCoug1994]

I won't offer an opinion on if you should do it or not - but the brakes, wheels and axles are likely one of the easiest projects you will undertake on that rebuild. ;)

[ixtap]

Be sure you can find a place to park it and confirm what facilities will be available. Confirm how long you can stay in any one place; some have limitations.

-If you are unsure about being able to plug in, you will need solar and/or a generator
-Consider a composting toilet to simplify dealing with waste.
-Have a water plan
-have a communications plan

Calculate registration, insurance and upkeep when comparing to rent.

If you are going to move out into the hills, take into consideration any additional commuting costs, as it may be further to the local grocery store.

Even with your initial estimates, it would take 10 months completely rent free to make up your original investments, 15 months at the cheapest option you have found so far. Do not count on being able to sell a depreciating asset for a profit.

Generally, living on boats and in trailers is a love it or hate it proposition. If you love it, you might be able to break even. If you hate it, the money won't matter.

[APBioSpartan]

Disclaimer: I have a biased, opinionated position here

Don't do it.  I know a few folks that did something similar (bought a van with intentions to live in it and save money) and it never ended well.  Either the couple broke up, or they ended up moving back into a place and the originally projected cost savings was never achieved.  There are a lot of hidden stressors (I.e., where will I park it?  where will I do my laundry?  where will I shower?  how do we quarantine if one of us gets sick?  Are my pets safe from a break-in if we're not there? etc. etc.) we take for granted, but become more obvious when you don't have a "place".  One case in particular, they would have to mooch off others, namely family [us], for things like laundry and parking which over time caused stress and tension. 

[FINate]

Housing is insane in CA because there are a ton of regulations limiting the supply, not because materials and labor are expensive or because developers are greedy. Therefore, the RV/vanlife/tiny home movement fails to address the root cause. Unsurprisingly, places that limit growth by restrictive housing policies do not look kindly on people living long term in RVs. Parking on the street seems like a major hassle and scary. So, yeah, make sure you have a legal place to put it.

- Weighs 7100 lbs, unloaded

What will it weigh after you're doing remodeling? If you load it up with a bunch of heavy normal building materials (wood, tile, stone, metal, etc.) then you may end up with a huge paper weight. Stay within the per-axle weight limits and ensure the weight is properly distributed.

How are you going to tow it? Modern unibody SUVs typically max out at about 5000 lbs. A 1/5 ton pickup with tow package will typically max out at around 11k lbs, which you could exceed when fully laden. The 3/4 ton pickups, even used, are not cheap and are expensive to fuel and maintain. If you're just going to park it and leave it someplace (see first paragraph) then you may be able to hire someone to move it for you as long as it's within weight parameters (see previous paragraph).

[baconschteam]

I'm not going to do it. After a lot of reading it seems like tearing down all of the wall panels and gutting the thing is mandatory for a unit of such vintage to make sure there's no gas or water leaks, and I am not up for that. I thought I could just replace a few appliances, redesign the inside a bit, make it look nice and stop paying rent. My thanks to you all for talking me through things!

Sometimes I see something like this and think that maybe I've found a shortcut. I have to just keep working hard and putting checks into VTSAX and be patient!

[Roadrunner53]

I think it is an excellent idea! The hub and I lived in a regular mobile home when we were first married and it was parked in a residential neighborhood. Unfortunately, the people in the hood were semi animals and after a while we had enough and sold it. If those people had just acted like normal human beings we would have stayed there for a long, long time. That said, we were able to save enough money in two years after marriage to build a house that we still live in.

Maybe you could find a situation to park the unit in exchange for chores. Like on a farm or an estate. I would see electricity being an issue and running a generator might be too noisy as a permanent solution. Maybe you could look into some kind of solar roof panels. You can get a composting toilet. I have no idea how that works but have heard about them. Water is the other issue. If you are on an estate, you could hook up to the house's water supply. Got to be careful your hose doesn't break or freeze if you are in cold temps.

Maybe you could look for seasonal campsites. Some people park their campers in one spot for the summer and then either leave them there for next season or move them. If you could find a campsite, you could hook up to water, electricity and sewer. However, you would probably have to find a run down kind of a place to find cheap rates.

Another thing you might take into consideration is internet hook up.

If you have a relative you might let you park on their property, you could pay them rent and get utilities from their house.

It is definitely an exciting adventure but I would really look into all the issues I have mentioned. Go onto youtube and see if you can find stories about people living the RV life and the pitfalls and how they work around them.

You need to get a book and journal all your thoughts and the costs of fixing the RV. There is no question you can fix the old RV and eventually live in it. The biggest hurdles are where to park it and utilities. You need to focus on the parking it and utilities issue because those are the real issues .

Good luck and hope your idea pans out!

[HPstache]

How much is it?  AI personally understand "why" airstreams are so cool, but depending on the price, I would go for a more modern trailer personally.  Really curious to know how much money we are talking here... because I know vintage airstreams can be super expensive.

Edit: I see know that you think you can get it for $5K or less... are you just guessing?

[RWTL]

There's a motto "all Airstreams leak" that I would consider.  Airstreams are fantastic and I would never buy another travel trailer.  That said, the one we had leaked in several places.  We found both and repaired the exterior where water was getting in.  Because of the aluminum skin, the water can travel to weird places before entering the interior.  I would remove as many panels, trim pieces, and other inspection points as you can to look for water damage.  Check around the door as well. 

Good luck!  It could be fun.

I will definitely check the subfloor for any signs of rot, but I plan on resealing the entire exterior and replacing all gaskets anyway. I still have a ton of research to do about the best way to go about this, of course. You seem to have a bit of experience - do you recommend getting rid of the propane appliances and going all electric for safety/peace of mind?

Thanks for all the replies!

I know you said you weren't going to do it, but I'll answer anyway.  You would want to keep the gas appliances so you can "boondock" and save more money.  You can't really use electric appliances efficiently while disconnected from the grid unless you load up on batteries and have an inverter.

[LovinPSDs]

I won't offer an opinion on if you should do it or not - but the brakes, wheels and axles are likely one of the easiest projects you will undertake on that rebuild. ;)

Yeah, just to move it to location :)

[Roadrunner53]

Here is another idea. Every so often people sell a piece of property with an old mobile home on it. So, if that is the case, it should have sewer, water and electricity. The MH may be really run down. If you can fix it good. If not, used MH's are cheap, moving them isn't so cheap but dooable if you purchase from a mobile home authorized sales place. They will have the equipment to move  MH's and may have people to hook up the utilities. You could live in the MH for a bunch of years or you could build a home little by little on the property while you live cheaply in the MH. If your city allows it, you could leave the MH up and use it for a rental when you move into the house.

I have seen many pieces of property in what I would call rugged areas with old MH's on them for sale. Most times the MH is trashed and lots of damage. But what is most important is the cost of the property and finding out if there is electricity, water, sewer and hopefully internet.

Here is an example: https://tricities.craigslist.org/reo/d/elizabethton-mobile-homes-acre/7256552064.html

[baconschteam]

Here is another idea. Every so often people sell a piece of property with an old mobile home on it. So, if that is the case, it should have sewer, water and electricity. The MH may be really run down. If you can fix it good. If not, used MH's are cheap, moving them isn't so cheap but dooable if you purchase from a mobile home authorized sales place. They will have the equipment to move  MH's and may have people to hook up the utilities. You could live in the MH for a bunch of years or you could build a home little by little on the property while you live cheaply in the MH. If your city allows it, you could leave the MH up and use it for a rental when you move into the house.

I have seen many pieces of property in what I would call rugged areas with old MH's on them for sale. Most times the MH is trashed and lots of damage. But what is most important is the cost of the property and finding out if there is electricity, water, sewer and hopefully internet.

Here is an example: https://tricities.craigslist.org/reo/d/elizabethton-mobile-homes-acre/7256552064.html

Thanks for sharing your story! You're right that I need to work out my thoughts on paper. California rent is just so crazy high, I am constantly trying to scope out ways to 'house hack' as an investment. An old Airstream seems like it may just take too much time to fix up, way more than I thought, but this MH idea is great! If I may ask - why wouldn't you just snatch up that acre that you shared in the link? It seems like such a good investment property. I am thinking about going to the bank today and asking if I can borrow some money for it! I would learn a bit about the area a bit before buying, of course. I am antsy for other investments, maybe VTSAX is boring me just a bit.

How much is it?  AI personally understand "why" airstreams are so cool, but depending on the price, I would go for a more modern trailer personally.  Really curious to know how much money we are talking here... because I know vintage airstreams can be super expensive.

Edit: I see know that you think you can get it for $5K or less... are you just guessing?

It is on the property of a friend of a friend whose grandparents passed a while ago. The house/property is in disrepair and overflowing with junk. I asked if they would be selling it and they told me yes, and they had a couple of offers for $3500 and $4000, which leads me to believe they would give it to me if I offered $5000. I think they just have too much to deal with and would like it gone. I used to feel the same way about Airstreams, but the fact is that they are well built, and because people like them so much they hold their value better and would be a much more lucrative (Instagramable) AirBnB destination if I eventually went that route.

[Roadrunner53]

Here is another idea. Every so often people sell a piece of property with an old mobile home on it. So, if that is the case, it should have sewer, water and electricity. The MH may be really run down. If you can fix it good. If not, used MH's are cheap, moving them isn't so cheap but dooable if you purchase from a mobile home authorized sales place. They will have the equipment to move  MH's and may have people to hook up the utilities. You could live in the MH for a bunch of years or you could build a home little by little on the property while you live cheaply in the MH. If your city allows it, you could leave the MH up and use it for a rental when you move into the house.

I have seen many pieces of property in what I would call rugged areas with old MH's on them for sale. Most times the MH is trashed and lots of damage. But what is most important is the cost of the property and finding out if there is electricity, water, sewer and hopefully internet.

Here is an example: https://tricities.craigslist.org/reo/d/elizabethton-mobile-homes-acre/7256552064.html

Thanks for sharing your story! You're right that I need to work out my thoughts on paper. California rent is just so crazy high, I am constantly trying to scope out ways to 'house hack' as an investment. An old Airstream seems like it may just take too much time to fix up, way more than I thought, but this MH idea is great! If I may ask - why wouldn't you just snatch up that acre that you shared in the link? It seems like such a good investment property. I am thinking about going to the bank today and asking if I can borrow some money for it! I would learn a bit about the area a bit before buying, of course. I am antsy for other investments, maybe VTSAX is boring me just a bit.

How much is it?  AI personally understand "why" airstreams are so cool, but depending on the price, I would go for a more modern trailer personally.  Really curious to know how much money we are talking here... because I know vintage airstreams can be super expensive.

Edit: I see know that you think you can get it for $5K or less... are you just guessing?

It is on the property of a friend of a friend whose grandparents passed a while ago. The house/property is in disrepair and overflowing with junk. I asked if they would be selling it and they told me yes, and they had a couple of offers for $3500 and $4000, which leads me to believe they would give it to me if I offered $5000. I think they just have too much to deal with and would like it gone. I used to feel the same way about Airstreams, but the fact is that they are well built, and because people like them so much they hold their value better and would be a much more lucrative (Instagramable) AirBnB destination if I eventually went that route.

Haha baconschteam! I am retired and have thought of selling my house many times and buying a brand new MH on a piece of property. MH parks are pretty expensive and with the amount you pay per month you could pay a years taxes on a regular home. If you can put a MH on a piece of land, you can live pretty cheaply. There are 'broken down' MH's on pieces of property all over the place if you look hard enough. Sometimes ebay has one for sale, craigslist, on line realestate, and maybe even go thru a realtor. Don't forget, that link I sent you had limited information. It could be located in some dreg area. Could be in the middle of a swamp. Could have a town sewer, a functioning septic system or  a septic system that is ready to fail. You really need to do your homework and not jump into anything. People sometimes sell things for reasons. Like maybe the town has decided the MH's are crap and need to be torn town. Or maybe they changed zoning and the MH's have to be yanked out. It could be some old geezers that just don't want to deal with renters anymore and want to unload it and move to Florida. It could be a good opportunity or it could be a bad sink hole. You could communicate with the seller and see what he/she says. Don't believe everything they say because they want to sell and they could see you as a big sucker. You need to find out the deal with the water. Is it town water or a well. If it is a well, you might think about getting a well person out there, at your expense to check out the condition of the well. It could be hand dug, it could be a drilled well. Maybe even take a water sample and have it tested. Same with sewer, if it is town sewer that would be kind of ideal. If it is a septic system you might need a septic guy to go out and give his opinion of the condition. If by chance, the owner had it pumped regularly then that would be a good thing. Don't forget also, the ac/heating system could be old and need replacement on top of the MH repairs. My friend lives in a MH in a MH park and her skirting constantly blows off. She has had her handyman replace it with new panels but sometimes the wind is vicious and still kicks out a panel. Not trying to be a bummer but even regular homes require due dilligence when buying them. Please let us know what you do! Always interesting to follow someones dreams!

[baconschteam]

Haha baconschteam! I am retired and have thought of selling my house many times and buying a brand new MH on a piece of property. MH parks are pretty expensive and with the amount you pay per month you could pay a years taxes on a regular home. If you can put a MH on a piece of land, you can live pretty cheaply. There are 'broken down' MH's on pieces of property all over the place if you look hard enough. Sometimes ebay has one for sale, craigslist, on line realestate, and maybe even go thru a realtor. Don't forget, that link I sent you had limited information. It could be located in some dreg area. Could be in the middle of a swamp. Could have a town sewer, a functioning septic system or  a septic system that is ready to fail. You really need to do your homework and not jump into anything. People sometimes sell things for reasons. Like maybe the town has decided the MH's are crap and need to be torn town. Or maybe they changed zoning and the MH's have to be yanked out. It could be some old geezers that just don't want to deal with renters anymore and want to unload it and move to Florida. It could be a good opportunity or it could be a bad sink hole. You could communicate with the seller and see what he/she says. Don't believe everything they say because they want to sell and they could see you as a big sucker. You need to find out the deal with the water. Is it town water or a well. If it is a well, you might think about getting a well person out there, at your expense to check out the condition of the well. It could be hand dug, it could be a drilled well. Maybe even take a water sample and have it tested. Same with sewer, if it is town sewer that would be kind of ideal. If it is a septic system you might need a septic guy to go out and give his opinion of the condition. If by chance, the owner had it pumped regularly then that would be a good thing. Don't forget also, the ac/heating system could be old and need replacement on top of the MH repairs. My friend lives in a MH in a MH park and her skirting constantly blows off. She has had her handyman replace it with new panels but sometimes the wind is vicious and still kicks out a panel. Not trying to be a bummer but even regular homes require due dilligence when buying them. Please let us know what you do! Always interesting to follow someones dreams!

I called the guy - one of the motorhomes needs to be completely replaced soon. They are both from the 60s, but one is recently renovated. Still could be a good investment, but not for me! I think my first property will be something closer to me so that I can participate more in the goings on. However, as stated, there is nothing affordable near me in CA.
 
Still thinking about the Airstream, on the fence... I will check it out again on Sunday, with a better idea of what to be looking for. I still don't see a great reason why I can't just live in this tin can. It's dry and warm inside! I'm not trying to make an Instagram palace, just a cozy little nest.  Anybody have any specific things to look for besides floor rot and excessive rust? Is there an easy way to plug it into power to test some appliances?

[Roadrunner53]

The Airstream price seems like a fair price. This is what I am thinking. People do this type of thing but it requires a lot of planning. I think you would get extreme pleasure in renovating it and getting it ready to live in. The biggest problem is the utilities. Have you thought about that? Fixing up the Airstream will be the easy part, finding a place to park it is the hard part.

My thought is buy it and fix it up. Worst case, you should be able to recoup your money if, in the end, you decide to throw in the towel. My next thought, is for you and your companion to go camping on the weekends during the summer to get a feel for it and can you deal living in a small area with your companion. I have read that people complain that they have very little storage and although that seems minor can be super annoying at times. If you can get thru the summer camping 'experiments' and it works out, then start looking for a place to park the unit and figure out your utility issues.

Maybe you could look into joining an Airstream club or RV club that could give you advice on renovation and where to get parts also their expertice on fixing problems.

You mentioned at some time moving to another part of the country. If that is the case, maybe you should look for property in that area rather than investing in the CA area.

Interesting on you contacting the owner of those run down mobile homes. Seems like a pretty good deal even if the worst MH had to be destroyed and bring in a newer unit to replace it. There are lots of run down MH's all over the USA. Good opportunity to snatch up property with a well, sewer and electric. Hopefully a paved road too.

There are a lot of odd ball properties out there. A relative of mine owned a lot of acreage and the state put a highway thru a portion of it. One hunk of the property was landlocked which means there was no way to get to it without driving over a neighbors property. The landlocked owner has to get legal permission to put in a driveway. Can be messy but also might be a cheap piece of property to buy because of the driveway issue and legal issues.

[baconschteam]

The Airstream price seems like a fair price. This is what I am thinking. People do this type of thing but it requires a lot of planning. I think you would get extreme pleasure in renovating it and getting it ready to live in. The biggest problem is the utilities. Have you thought about that? Fixing up the Airstream will be the easy part, finding a place to park it is the hard part.

My thought is buy it and fix it up. Worst case, you should be able to recoup your money if, in the end, you decide to throw in the towel. My next thought, is for you and your companion to go camping on the weekends during the summer to get a feel for it and can you deal living in a small area with your companion. I have read that people complain that they have very little storage and although that seems minor can be super annoying at times. If you can get thru the summer camping 'experiments' and it works out, then start looking for a place to park the unit and figure out your utility issues.

It will be a fun project just to fix it up. I figured at that point we would test how comfortable we could be living in it by just staying in it at my job for a few weeks. The owner of my company would probably be fine with this. If we did decide that we could make it work, there are properties around here that regularly rent spots for RVs (with electric, water, sewer). I see them pop on CL from time to time, and I have the advantage of being able to wait for the right one. Here's an example: https://ventura.craigslist.org/prk/d/ventura-fillmore-rv-space-creekside-rtn/7249262301.html

[Roadrunner53]

The Airstream price seems like a fair price. This is what I am thinking. People do this type of thing but it requires a lot of planning. I think you would get extreme pleasure in renovating it and getting it ready to live in. The biggest problem is the utilities. Have you thought about that? Fixing up the Airstream will be the easy part, finding a place to park it is the hard part.

My thought is buy it and fix it up. Worst case, you should be able to recoup your money if, in the end, you decide to throw in the towel. My next thought, is for you and your companion to go camping on the weekends during the summer to get a feel for it and can you deal living in a small area with your companion. I have read that people complain that they have very little storage and although that seems minor can be super annoying at times. If you can get thru the summer camping 'experiments' and it works out, then start looking for a place to park the unit and figure out your utility issues.

It will be a fun project just to fix it up. I figured at that point we would test how comfortable we could be living in it by just staying in it at my job for a few weeks. The owner of my company would probably be fine with this. If we did decide that we could make it work, there are properties around here that regularly rent spots for RVs (with electric, water, sewer). I see them pop on CL from time to time, and I have the advantage of being able to wait for the right one. Here's an example: https://ventura.craigslist.org/prk/d/ventura-fillmore-rv-space-creekside-rtn/7249262301.html

Just be careful with some of these offers. That banjo music kind of weirded me out. LOL! The property was super but...Like I said, just be careful of too good to be true offers.

Here is a youtube video you might enjoy. The Long, Long Trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HZvFxEn5k8

Good luck on your adventure!

[baconschteam]

Just be careful with some of these offers. That banjo music kind of weirded me out. LOL! The property was super but...Like I said, just be careful of too good to be true offers.

Here is a youtube video you might enjoy. The Long, Long Trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HZvFxEn5k8

Good luck on your adventure!

Haha that is totally me and my lady every time we go into the mountains. Yes we would want to avoid the banjo music! But, it's just an example, there are situations out there where this can work. I called the person who posted this particular ad; he says he would want 10 hours of helping take care of the animals or something like that every month in exchange for the low rent, and there is electric, water, and sewer. So, maybe? Anyway, we're not sure if the whole thing is realistic yet. Thanks for all your advice Roadrunner!

[Roadrunner53]

Just be careful with some of these offers. That banjo music kind of weirded me out. LOL! The property was super but...Like I said, just be careful of too good to be true offers.

Here is a youtube video you might enjoy. The Long, Long Trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HZvFxEn5k8

Good luck on your adventure!

Haha that is totally me and my lady every time we go into the mountains. Yes we would want to avoid the banjo music! But, it's just an example, there are situations out there where this can work. I called the person who posted this particular ad; he says he would want 10 hours of helping take care of the animals or something like that every month in exchange for the low rent, and there is electric, water, and sewer. So, maybe? Anyway, we're not sure if the whole thing is realistic yet. Thanks for all your advice Roadrunner!

Well, sounds like a great adventure for you and your lady! That is good you found out about the banjo property and the chores. Now I would be afraid of losing that opportunity! Maybe you could grow some veggies there too! How far from work would this be for you?

Keep us informed on what you do!