Quantcast

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,029
7,549
96 months. WTF is wrong with people?

That's a rhetorical question, in case anyone was about to answer.

:disgust:
<draws 4 boxes on a sheet of paper>

"Let's not worry your pretty little head about the total price or interest rate. How much are you lookin' to spend per month?"
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,029
7,549
Because people who struggle to make their trailer payments need a fancy pick'em-up to tow their $30k side-by-side.
Thus my inflammatory thread on NASIOC:





Travel trailers and 5th wheels are actually pretty cheap, though. That Class Cs cost so much more is a bit perplexing to me as E-450 gas chassis aren’t that expensive on their own.

Example, of a huge-ass 5th wheel:


6F123B5D-75C2-4EF9-938C-3F506F1346C0.jpeg


This runs low $60s new, it appears, for what’s basically a nice hotel suite on wheels.

Hitch Weight:
1790 lb.
UVW
11249 lb.
CCC
2541 lb.
Exterior Length:
42' 3"

Yar, thar a big un. 2,193 lbs pin weight at max GVWR. Dually territory.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,029
7,549
That's because they are basically really shittily constructed mobile homes. And that's saying something, because mobile homes are generally really shittily constructed.

What a fucking nightmare... :D
True. Better fixing all the issues be left to a rental company, I figure. Too bad one can’t rent that kind of over the top setup.

:D
 

6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
15,827
13,059
That's because they are basically really shittily constructed mobile homes. And that's saying something, because mobile homes are generally really shittily constructed.

What a fucking nightmare... :D
Which is pretty much what I was about to post. It doesn't matter how big or expensive most of these things are, they're still held together with staples and shitty glue. Our truck camper wasn't cheap, but we didn't want to deal with crap build quality.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,029
7,549
Looks fancy with shitty build quality - I think you need to "invest".
Having a Winter Park rental condo would lead to that same compulsion to always go there because we're already paying for it. It would be a much better long-term financial play, however, than a pile of sticks, fiberglass, and two axles.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,029
7,549
View attachment 145793

Pulled the trigger and preordered a RadWagon 4.

Note $200 discount for being in medicine! (And again recall that they have a 14-days-from-receipt-planned-in-September/10 mile/free return shipping trial offer that I will 100% use if I don't like the long, funny looking beast.)

((The discount code was a one-time use jobber, so that it's out in the open is of no concern.))
Toshi returning said e-bike in 5... 4... 3...
It's just a preorder. Expected delivery in September.

And yes, it likely will not be good. But for $1,351 shipped I could potentially deal.
I canceled the preorder and got refunded today. So technically Watz wasn't correct--it wasn't returned as it never shipped!

:D

No reason to have an electric cargo bike to shuttle kids to school if they're not physically going to school. And they aren't: DPS has a 100% remote track and we have elected for that since we don't need school-as-childcare due to my wife being a stay at home parent.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,029
7,549
Pivot's turnaround time was awesome on my frame replacement!

Dropped off bike at GBS on July 15. They contacted Pivot, and thanks to a RA already open from last fall all ducks were already in a row. Pivot cross-shipped out a frame, and it's back in one piece and ready for pickup as of today, July 28!

:notbadobama:

I shall "ride" it Sat AM if anyone's game.
 

Montana rider

Turbo Monkey
Mar 14, 2005
1,741
2,163
Thus my inflammatory thread on NASIOC:

I thought this was relevant to your point re: overspending vs. poverty (not sure how accurate it is but I found it on the internet so it's got to be true...)

My mom (has) earned more in her retirement (Hopkins Pension, SS and interest off $200K in 401K) than our household *until recently now that we're back to 1.5 wage earners* but that likely speaks more to the poverty wages of MT and our own disinclination to work for the "man" re: time vs. money but still I'm jealous of her sweet, sweet pension $$$

1595975222638.png
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,029
7,549
Which is pretty much what I was about to post. It doesn't matter how big or expensive most of these things are, they're still held together with staples and shitty glue. Our truck camper wasn't cheap, but we didn't want to deal with crap build quality.
I wonder if these would be built better:


Still silly. Fun to dream, though.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,029
7,549
The aluminum/Airstream and fiberglass ones seem like quirky alternate options. Cottage industries!


ACAB1B41-28BB-4834-A39D-D71362B48B21.jpeg


No bathroom in this layout and a double bed, but two sets of bunks + that double bed, and a tiny kitchen!
 
Last edited:

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,029
7,549
1AB1A935-10F7-46BC-836B-A81277C3747F.jpeg


Back it is. Dropper is reluctant to extend. Will ignore this as long as possible.

Edit: was due to the housing bunching up inside the frame. Cycling the whole post up and down in the seat collar and getting the housing to pooch out in front of my bars fixed this, and now the dropper is back to its usual only somewhat recalcitrant behavior. It'll need a rebuild at some point.
 
Last edited:

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,029
7,549

Watz and Squeeb will just love this. Which direction is it traveling with that 5’ bed?!

D86F2C27-8F6C-4DF3-8425-48342C737952.jpeg
 

Pesqueeb

bicycle in airplane hangar
Feb 2, 2007
40,138
16,532
Riding the baggage carousel.
Ever dreamed of buying a Honda assembled by an accountant?

Yikes.

I can appreciate the bind they are in, probably like a lot of other manufacturers of any sort (like my rid egg), but Christ Almighty does that seem like setting yourself up for quality control issues in the future. I guess it depends on how you apply Bob from HR, but dude........
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,029
7,549
More musing on the perennial question: What debt to pay down, and why? The math on this is surprisingly non-trivial, IMO.

Calculations via https://www.mortgagecalculator.org/additional-payment-calculator/
So now that I'm down to one car note and one mortgage the math is startlingly clear.

Mortgage: $510k as refinanced (still pending closing date, now mid-August!), 2.625%, 15 years remaining

Car note: about $30k principal left as of Jan 2021 when it'll have 3 years left, 2.99%

Hypothetically putting $4k/mo x 6 mo towards either of these, duration chosen so as to end prior to paying off the car note outright.

Those extra payments on the mortgage starting in Jan 2021 per modeling (just for convenience to match the auto loan model) would result in a savings of $10,641 in interest ultimately.

Those extra payments on the auto note would save $1,131 in interest.

I still find this very non-intuitive, the interplay between rate, term, and principal balance. 44% interest savings relative to extra money put in for the mortgage prepay vs 4.7% for that scenario with auto prepay!
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,029
7,549
neighbor down the street tows a Mantis trailer:


2,882 lbs dry, 3,970 lbs gross, 440 lbs tongue weight unladen so 606 at max.
Mantis's's's are pretty nice inside, we glanced inside them when we were looking at the smaller model.
Mantis layout:





That's a 80 x 54" double bed in the rear, a 77 x 26" bottom bunk and 76 x 22" top bunk up front, and provisions to mount a rooftop tent in the aft section, between the popup portion's rails, where the oddly super long bike tray is on this pictured unit. (Nice Grand Wagoneer, for the record.)

For that they want $50k. It seems like it's in between a popup camper and a "true" camper yet is priced higher than the latter. I get that the regular ones are very poorly built, but that just seems a bit crazy.

Then again, the neighbor up the street with the million dollar home and the Mantis shows there's a market. I think this is the home of said neighbor in question judging from where I've seen the Atlas, LR4, and Mantis on occasion:

 
Last edited:

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,029
7,549
Here’s the place we are renting:


The rentier is a local in our neighborhood so we got a few % off the bill.

2,241 sq ft on a 1,176 ft lot, so no land. It’s an end unit townhome. 4 bdr, 5 (!) baths, private hot tub, two one-car garage slips.

Very noisy forced air heat, no AC, nice finishes, high ceilings, weird narrow layout. Shuttle route to WP would involve a bit of a walk so a drive in/out place really. No local amenities.

It sold as new construction in Jan 2020 for $815,552, with a $220/mo HOA.

A few years down the road (if no NZ and after paring down debts some more) then we may well get a place up here. It won’t be a place like this, though: if we spend this much it’ll be for on the mountain, and if just a place in Fraser from which we’d drive in in the morning then it’d be smaller and cheaper.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,029
7,549
You all will be pleased to note that my loan balances have been reduced to just under $669,000 as of today. Down nearly $100k over a few months, aided by selling the Tesla, of course.

Refi with the 0.27 pt lender credit restored is set for closing this Friday. Notary is coming to the house. Final net closing costs will be on the order of $900. Edit: make that $232.50 net closing costs!
 
Last edited:

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,189
19,155
Canaderp
Yikes.

I can appreciate the bind they are in, probably like a lot of other manufacturers of any sort (like my rid egg), but Christ Almighty does that seem like setting yourself up for quality control issues in the future. I guess it depends on how you apply Bob from HR, but dude........
If they have the proper and necessary procedures, work instructions, poka-yoke, quality checks etc etc it really shouldn't matter who is on the line assembling or operating the machines.

Then again lets ask FCA how Friday after noon beers affected their quality....
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,225
20,003
Sleazattle
Yikes.

I can appreciate the bind they are in, probably like a lot of other manufacturers of any sort (like my rid egg), but Christ Almighty does that
seem like setting yourself up for quality control issues in the future. I guess it depends on how you apply Bob from HR, but dude........
Perhaps a blip in operations execution but I can see great advantages to having a bunch of white collar workers get first hand experience on the factory floor.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,029
7,549
IMG_3583.jpeg


Upon driving by the neighbor's house, the one that occasionally has their Mantis and VW Atlas out front when loading up, I was surprised to see a new vehicle and trailer out front instead. Visiting relatives? Either that, or the dude has more automotive ADD than even me.

That's a Mercedes GLE and a Rockwood Mini Lite. To be more specific, it's a 2507S floorplan judging from the location of the single slide and exterior storage. I think it was a GLE 350, too.

Rockwood Mini Lite 2507S:

25' 11"
5,471 lbs UVW, with 625 lbs tongue weight
1,314 CCC, so 6,785 lb GVWR and 775 lbs fully laden

Mercedes-Benz GLE 350:

1,631 lbs payload
6,600 lbs towing capacity
117.9" wheelbase
4,696 lbs curb weight

it could also be a 450 or 580

Mercedes-Benz GLE 450, with the 580 very similar and not fully specified

1,632 lbs payload
7,700 lbs towing capacity
117.9" wheelbase
4,991 lbs curb weight

So with either a 350 or a 450 then there'd be just over 850 lbs remaining payload for passengers and car-cargo. Seems to be cutting it a bit close, although that turbo straight 6 would probably be a great engine. By the old wheelbase rule they should stick to a 22' trailer, too.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,029
7,549
$954/mo HOA at Zephyr [against $619k asking]. Oof.
It sold as new construction in Jan 2020 for $815,552, with a $220/mo HOA.
Time to do some math wrt HOA cost vs mortgage per month.

Probably easiest to map per month HOA fees to amount of principal at 15 and 30 year terms. We will assume 4% rates since non-primary residence, and the same rate for 30 and 15 year because I'm lazy.

$220/mo:

For a 30 year 4% note that'd equate to roughly $46,000 principal ($219.61/mo). For a 15 year @ 4% that'd be about $29,750 principal ($220.06/mo).

$954/mo:

30 yr @ 4% == $200,000 ($954.83/mo). 15 yr @ 4% == $129,000 ($954.20/mo).

My takeaways from this: to achieve monthly price parity one must add the above amounts of principal onto the nominal price of one of these places to compare them fairly. So for the two in question @ 30 years that'd be $815k + $46k vs $619k + $200k (!). Much closer than it'd seem from the listing prices alone.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,029
7,549
Some listings of interest:

On mountain, 2 bedroom. Bought in 2007 for $545k. They listed at $619k last year and ultimately sold in March 2020 for $585k. So the price floor for similar units will be lower than that as that was basically pre-COVID. They list the HOA fee as $440/mo, which may reflect 2 vs 3 bedroom units?


This one I quite like:

Capture 2.PNG

(it's the orange one)


Note the price history: listed at $785k in May 2020, and now down to $735k asking. Still seems overpriced given the details (kitchen quality, self rimming sinks, etc.). I'll definitely follow up on it and see what it ultimately goes for.

$89/mo HOA and $239/mo property taxes are quite ok, and overall it's very attractive in a Highlands Ranch-ish manner, IMO. 9 miles/under 30 min drive to Winter Park Resort from Tabernash itself--Google Maps can't map any of these newfangled developments yet.
 
Last edited: