Isaac-1
SW Louisiana
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For the last year or so I have been considering buying a small TT, or 5th Wheel, as chance has it there is going to be an open to the public auction of about 500 former FEMA trailers at the local fairgrounds less than a mile from my house in a bit over a week (preview will be for the 3 days leading up to the auction). I have only seen the trailers from outside the fairgrounds, so don't have any details, but it appears most are in the 20-24 ft range (there are maybe 75 or so mobile homes mixed in), it seems there are many models represented with 2 or 3 accounting for the vast majority of trailers based on window layout, siding (majority corrugated metal, maybe 5-10% smooth). Anyway down to my questions, if I decide to bid on one, what should I look at with concern (frame, roof, etc?). How much should it cost me to convert one of these to general camping/ travel use? I suspect I would need to replace the household style plumbing systems with trailer style, maybe the same for the refrigerator, and likely upholstery and bedding . Most seem to have double tongue mounted propane tanks with covers so I assume they have gas heat and stoves, they also have roof top air conditioners. I am reasonably handy at household renovation projects, I also own a 28 foot sailboat and have worked on/ replaced most of its major systems (plumbing, holding tank, electrical, etc.). As a final question, what do you think is the most I should bid? Judging by the local market dealers sell used trailers in this size and age range for $5,000 - 8,000.
thanks for your help
Ike
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retired4fun2002
Ellenton, FL
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Joined: 07/22/2003
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Ike, as you know, Uncle ordered a trillion of these for storms, etc. - and so many have set in fields and storage lots. Near my hometown there was about 500 stored and they started auctioning off; only thing is they sell....there is no warranty, etc. IMHO, I wouldn't buy anything that Uncle owned....really massed produced and attention to detail was probably not adhered to - production sked was foremost.
If it were me, I would rather buy a used one from a private seller who has taken care of it. I'd hate to see you get something that will possibly sour you and your family with a myriad of problems. Like you, I am handy and almost all repairs, but these give me the feeling of a big dark hole!
Good luck, Ron
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roverdover
Russellville, Alabama
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I can't help you with what to look for, but, I was on the Mississippi coast after Katrina helping with some disaster relief. One of the houses we worked on had a large unit behind the house that was not a typical FEMA unit. This was a high end unit with multiple slides. I understand from talking with the local folks FEMA went to some dealers and purchased all their inventory. This unit had three slides and was being used by a widow. If you could find one like this you could possible get a bargain. Go look over the inventory before the sale.
Larry
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Oregon Ms
Oregon
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Joined: 08/16/2007
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I read somewhere that there were several pending lawsuits regarding people getting sick from fumes in FEMA trailers. You may want to look into that.
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BurbMan
Long Island, NY
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Joined: 09/20/2001
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The fumes were formaldehyde outgassing from the adhesives and synthetic fabrics. this is a natural process and contributes to that "new car smell" in cars. The issue was that the trailers rolled right off the line and were occupied immediately, in a hot cliamte with the windows closed and the a/c on...there was no "airing out" process that occuers when you use the unit with the windows open, etc., or even when you have it on a dealer's lot for a few months with folks going in/out of it.
I wouldn't worry about the formaldehyde, but as was said many of the purpose built units came off the line cheap and fast, no options, residential fridge, etc. If you can find one that was bought from dealer inventory probably a better investment. Just so you know, a 2-way RV fridge goes for about $1200.
I wouldn't discourage you from buying one if you are prepared to do some work on it....
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Isaac-1
SW Louisiana
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From living in/near a FEMA disaster area I can tell you many/most of the travel trailer type units went to people who owned houses that were damaged or had relatives, etc. who owned their own homes. FEMA had a general policy of not setting up the TT style units on rented property (the mobile home type units mostly went to the giant temporary trailer parks where the displaced people on public housing lived, some of the TT type units ended up at these too) . While production standards may be low on the majority of the units (many you can tell have limited size and number of windows), others were what ever FEMA could buy either direct from manufactuers or dealers as someone else noted. (it would likely be one of the nicer equipped units I might bid on) While the units were occupied service on them was first rate, if ANYTHING broke FEMA would send out a service person (even just to change light bulbs, your tax dollars at work). I spent a couple of months in early 2006 filling in as a sales rep in south Louisiana and met a LOT of people that were living out of these type trailers.
Ike
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mobilefleet
ga
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I have bought and sold over 2 dozen of these trailers. Lots of them will be the plain jane Gulfstreams that are park model with no slide or tanks, and a regular house fridge. Avoid those. I'd buy a slide unit if available, and look for evidence of smoking by discolored/yellow ceilings or burn holes in sink/floor/couch etc. Step on every square foot of the inside especially around the 4 corners of the rv to look for soft floor evidence of leaks. Many of the units, if used, will have missing or damaged items, some no big deal unless it's major appliances etc. Ballpark bid should be half of retail on NADA website for that particular model so you can leave a cushion for unforeseen repairs or issues if they come up. But if you look at it well enough (pull up dinette cushions and look under couches etc for water damage, and inside cargo areas) you can get a really good deal. Be ready to walk and don't let your pride get in the way, know what your max is and stick with it, if another bidder surpasses you, let them have the unit. JMO
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Isaac-1
SW Louisiana
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Thanks mobilefleet, I suspect with as many as are being sold and relative short notice (the local newspaper just covered the rough details Tuesday of this week, the sign at the fairgrounds with preview dates just went up Monday) that this may be a buyers market. (several thousand of these units are in storage at the local airport, the GSA is selling them off in lots of about 500, these at the fairground were bought by a local RV dealer about a month ago) Assuming all are going to be sold one at a time, and if the auction lasts 8 hours, that averages out to about 1 sale per minute.
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cbgale2
Grand Rapids, Michigan
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Joined: 06/29/2009
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If you can inspect them Id make out a list of trailers that you would bid on, find some that have something wrong with it, but really isnt a big deal (one of the chairs is missing, or a cushion has a hole in it, etc). People will pass on it becasue of the number of trailers to pick from. Let us know how things go, Ive been curious about these auctions and how much they sell them for.
2001 Chevy Silverado
1996 26ft Sandpiper TT
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Beartoo
Perham MN
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My nephew bought a FEMA trailer, they gutted the whole thing out, when they left them. No appliances, A/C, or nothing else. He had to replace them all. There are no was no holding tanks, fresh water tanks, and they took the LP tanks.
DH - Bear
DW - Marge
Buster - English Springer Spaniel
03 F 350
2008 Wildcat 24RL
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