GL: Help

[ELReib at comcast.net]

Bill,  Having done both I feel like I can comment on your questions about trawler verses trailer.
When Bob first retired we kept the house but bought a used fifth wheel and truck and traveled for 2 years around the US.  After the 2 years we look very carefully at moving up to a newer larger fifth wheel and truck.  Bob analyze the expenses and came to the conclusion that if we sold the house we could get a $70 to $100 K rig...but...What would it be worth in 5 to 7 years down the road with 15 or 50 K miles on it.  Then we thought again about our boating life in the late 80s and looked into getting a boat and the depreciation of a boat verses a truck and fifth wheel.  There was no comparrison.  The boat won hands down.  In the truck we HAD to pay to park every night or stop at truck stops that were noisy, dirty and had fumes because the big rigs do not shut down engines to take a 4 hour nap. On the water we could drop an anchor and spend the night in relitive peace and quiet and it was free.  We chose the trawler and lived aboard a total of 44,000 miles plus and NEVER regret
 ted it
 once.  In our 8 plus years of cruising we lived in comfort on a Krogen  36' Manatee.  I will address that comfort in another e-mail to the group.  

Long story shorter...we bought a used trawler that was in fair shape.  We did all the repairs and cleaning needed to get her the way we wanted it and had about $95K in it.  After our  8 years of living aboard and following our dreams we sold Snug and saw an increase of $30K.  The person who bought it from us kept it for 5 years and saw an increase in value.  (I do not feel it would be proper to discuss his figures).  So, if I had a choice today I would buy a used trawler instead of a road rig if not for the fact that it keeps value but also the fact that the people in the cruising world are such great people.

Elaine Reib
Former owner of Skipper Bob Publications
717-479-5012 
ELReib at comcast.net 
Be yourself, everyone else is already taken. 
Oscar Wilde

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: Iam Wd <iam2wd at yahoo.com> 

> Hi all, I've been looking for awhile, but just joined. We need some advice, 
> input, insight, ideas, good or bad, or whatever you call it ? We will try to 
> sell house next year and are wondering which way to go. Take $80-$100 thousand 
> and get a trawler to live aboard or a pickup and fifth wheel to travel in, and 
> maybe change after a couple years. I'm sure there are some of you that have done 
> both. Is one cheaper than the other? I ask because we will be on a limited 
> budget. would like to travel to lake ontario in summer and south 
> or southwest in winter. At the price of fuel, not sure we can do either !! 
> Also a lot of trawlers listed for $100-$140,000, how many could be had if they 
> were offered $75-$90,000 cash after everything was checked out?? Thanks for all 
> the info, I hope !!! Bill C. in snow covered Watertown,NY 
> 
> 
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