Using a travel trailer as starter home

Ok I know that a travel trailer is nor a naturally built hone or the eco-friendly option. BUT what are thoughts on using a Travel/camping trailer as a starter home for a permaculture homestead? Going over finances and costs of purchasing land, cultivating the land etc. The one option I can definitely afford for starter home on a homestead is travel/camping trailer. That way can pUT majproto of mone into buYing the land outright, seeds, building a barn and paying for solar snd other off grid upgrades without having to get a loan. Has anyone ever gone this route? Anyone ever converted a camper to run off solar power, solar water etc? Appreciate any feedback including negative feedback. Do not hold back I'm newbie but eager aMD just trying to find ways to make dream work on budget.

Go for a free one and then do very little to it. They aren't an investment.

It's been done many times. A guy lives at my place in a $3000 5th wheel trailer. He burned massive amounts of propane before he built a pellet stove.

Joe Walker : Heres a 2nd vote for what Dale said. Pro you can move your home to be next to different places until you are sure you know where to build !

Con: It Is Not any kind of an investment - chasing down leaks in and behind tiny cupboards and in partitions will get old very fast!

Old travel trailers and motor homes with air conditioning units are famous for leaking, and periodically you here about one of these units crashing through

the roof and inside your living space !

You may salvage the 3 burner stove top, most ovens are o.K. but totally too small for a family ! Good luck ! Big AL

(Depending on your climate), a travel trailer can be a great way to start out.

You need something while you build your home, and later, it can become storage, or a chicken coop if it isn't worth reselling at that point in time.

Never was meant to be true long term solution. But a starter home for temporary housing while building a permeneant structure.

I've been living in a 35' converted highway bus for about a year now. I have no complaints. It has a queen sized bed (with room for a king), stand up shower that is separate from the toilet, oven, stovetop and a propane furnace. All in all, it is better than some basement suites I've seen and when I go somewhere (wedding, camping, etc) I take my entire home with me. Easier than tenting and my computer works off of the solar charged batteries. I don't know your budget but I consistently see buses similar to mine for around $10k.

We picked up a 42 ft 2 bedroom 1955 Spartan camper for 5000 bucks. Has everything we need and more.

It is a perfectly legitimate option. All options have pros and cons.

Where are you located...?


I would expand your parameters to include mobile homes. Often very inexpensive, possibly just for the hauling.

If you look at it in a certain way, an old single wide mobile home is just a tiny house before it became cool.

In terms of resource management and conservation, it's probably better to re-purpose an old camper or single wide one more time, than to build from scratch a fancy new tiny house.

Not that there's anything wrong with new stuff, but it has it's pros and cons...

I am glad to find this discussion being new to the forum.
I have a 72 Winnebago Brave. I've done quite a bit of work on it in order to use it for a temp home for myself and two Shelties until a suitable place is found.
RV's can have plenty of issues especially older ones. The price for this was good. Much was jerry rigged, roof was not re-done properly and had to scrap off tar and do it correctly. I've mostly had to re-do things someone did just to sell it sigh
Generator works good but looking forward to having my own stove for heat source as soon as possible. Winter is sneaking up on me right around the corner here in Iowa. It has furnace and air but I'd miss my wood burning to depend on them much. Has working shower/ toilet although that had to be worked on too. Someone tried to put a glue on cracked water tank they didn't drain in winter and ended up finding one at salvage from same model.
All in all it's a workable solution but anxious to hear anymore anyone is sharing.