Any Camper Advice?

[Beltzington]

RVs are primarily designed to be road safe and worthy. I'm sure corners are cut on the cheaper models but the roof leaks are inherent when using a rubber membrane as roofing material. Ask any facility manager of a large flat roof building how many leaks they have had to repair and they would laugh and say "you mean today?" If you look at the trailers called "park" models which are designed less for tow-ability and more for long term exposure many use more traditional roofing materials.

 

[Stubee]

I guess I had a different experience. I owned 21A on a N MI trout stream and about 1984 we bought a one owner 1962 17’ Shasta travel trailer. It was old enough to have the wings.

I towed that thing back in on a very rough trail (lost one wing!) and it served as our summer cottage and my deer camp until I built my own cabin in 1989. I moved it to a different location in 1991 when I sold the property in parcels, and the new owner was still using it in the mid-1990s.

I never had any problems. First thing I did when I bought it was to caulk all openings and put silicone roof coating on the roof. I never used the water system, just carried water in & used a privy I built, so I had no pipe problems. A bag solar shower served me well. I used the range top and gas lights, and ran the furnace but with a window cracked open, and I turned the propane off before climbing into my sleeping bag every night. It was located NW of Grayling in the snow belt so I braced 2X4s to support the roof when I closed it up after deer season.

And that damage to the door was caused by my little dog back then.

It cost me $500 when I bought it and I got $750 for it when the next guy bought my land.