General Costs X Geography

[Sui Generis]

Hi- I am wondering about geographic differences in the general costs from the cost of the AS, to using it (filling its LP tanks, using dump stations, etc.), insurance for a trailer, and financing, which is why I picked this forum. Which regions are higher/lower? For specific usage costs, I live in the Southwest, so that is my focus, but am curious if AS are generally more or less $$ in the east, specifically Michigan. Thank you for your insights!

[ijoe13]

You’ll probably need to factor in the cost of visiting to view and then transporting or having an AS shipped from across country as that may eat up a bit of the savings found in a good deal.

[slowmover]

Biggest "cost" as I see it is general deterioration over time. The shell is fairly well indefinite in life, but the myriad of small things going bad can be daunting.

Salt air/high humidity is a no-go for me.

High heat causes no small share of problems.

I'd look to find covered storage. Preferably some form of temperature and humidity control (not too high or low).

The other costs mentioned are incidental.

Restoration labor costs can be eye-opening.

OTOH, trading for another newish one every seven years is the most expensive route of all.

Address the long term plan. 25-years of camping? Etc.


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[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Sui Generis

Hi- I am wondering about geographic differences in the general costs from the cost of the AS, to using it (filling its LP tanks, using dump stations, etc.), insurance for a trailer, and financing, which is why I picked this forum. Which regions are higher/lower? For specific usage costs, I live in the Southwest, so that is my focus, but am curious if AS are generally more or less $$ in the east, specifically Michigan. Thank you for your insights!

MSRP is the same nationwide, since it's set by the factory. How much of a discount you can negotiate off MSRP will vary by dealer, and isn't dependent on geography, but rather on overhead costs and desired profit margin; bigger dealers have more overhead costs, but can also amortize that overhead across a larger volume of sales— and can afford to make less profit on one unit sold to a canny negotiator since they can make it up on the next sale.

Insurance is regulated by a State agency, and again doesn't have much regional variation, but rather varies by state on a case-by-case basis. And even within a state, if you live in an urban area, expect to pay more for insurance. My only recommendations are— stick to a nationwide company that writes policies in your state so that if you have an accident on the road, you have better access to an adjustor than if you didn't go to sa nationwide company. And be sure to ask about every discount the company offers. Even within a company, that varies by state, too, and you don't know what will get you a lower rate if you don't ask. They're certainly not going to volunteer to give you discounts unless you ask!

Upkeep costs will definitely vary by region, but it's going to be more along the lines of "winterize and store" versus "use year-round" so that's apples and oranges.

Rather than looking for quantifiable regional cost variations (unless you're planning to move to a new region— and the cost of doing that is probably more than you'd save on Airstreaming by moving) you might be better served to ask only about the specific issues faced by those who live in your region and camp regularly in your region. Slowmover has already given you a good start in that direction.