Community Forums

becks · 12-25-2008, 06:43 AM

My vote would be to auction them off or junk them out. Anything rather than waste money storing them. Or as stated, give them away. However, don't hold your breath waiting for the gov to do anything sensible.

Hitchhiker · 12-25-2008, 07:29 AM

FEMA was liquidating some of these trailers through the GSA Auctions last year but when the flap over the formaldehyde peaked they yanked them out due to liability concerns. Apparently, since the formaldehyde issue was a proved risk the liability issue was more serious than for an unforeseen issue that might arise after a sale.

GraciesMom · 12-25-2008, 02:42 PM

Don't ALL RV's and mobile homes emit some level of formaldehyde?? Everytime I walk into a new unit, you see the warning. If it's so bad for you, how come they're sold that way to start with? Are certain years worse? Has it gotten better? Are we all in danger? Why wasn't there a rule about the levels of formaldehyde that could be emitted in RV's? This just gets more confusing.

Lindsay Richards · 12-25-2008, 04:50 PM

There were about a 1,000 FEMA travel trailers in a specially built park outside of Arcadia, Florida. Many people who had not even been in the hurricane moved in Crime was so bad the Sheriff had to open a substation there. The travel trailers were trashed and everything of value, furniture, appliances, toilets, copper were all stripped out. The trailers were about worthless. It took over 2 years to get some of the folks out of the trailers. Lawyers were involved. Not a pretty sight. These trailers were a government boondoggle of the worst ordered.

Glen41 · 12-25-2008, 04:55 PM

Formaldehyde is used in the formulation of the adhesive that bonds the walls and in some of the plastics. Some of the new (08 or so) trailers are listed as "formaldehyde free". Now does that mean that the walls are as strong and will hold up as long? I would not bet on it. These are the same people that said that manufactured lumber with glue joints were stronger than the original wood.
FEMA has no choice. They must stockpile trailers in order to respond fast enough to keep the media from going ballistic as they did during Katrina.
BTW, you should get a look at the trailers after the "katrina victims" got finished. All the appliances (toilets too) had been ripped out and sold. Holes in the walls, filth everywhere. When it ain't yours, there is no reason to take care of it. To be fair, they also did it to apartments and the Superdome.

hamguy · 12-26-2008, 02:55 PM

All plastics out-gas to some degree. Formaldehyde being one of the main contributors. It exists in all new RVs/Cars, etc but if the vehicle is vented, is comes out slowly and dissipates almost immediately.

But kept in an enclosed space, the concentration builds and the stuff permeates everything in the RV. Then it is a mess.

If buyers of these boxes were to vent the heck out of them, they would possibly end up with an inexpensive, quality RV.

Johnny · 12-28-2008, 03:54 AM

Hmm...I think I need to dig up a couple of these to help out a fellow bus converter. I don't need holding tanks (easier to use plastic barrels or get them custom-built to the right shape), but it could be a cheap way to get appliances, propane tanks, dinettes, roof vents, and possibly roof A/C units.

When you're done, take the axles off & build yourself a nice utility trailer for general hauling duties.

Rick & Hope · 12-28-2008, 06:07 AM

Parts are parts. It's a wonder that some RV salvage yard has not bought a bunch of these at 2 cents on the dollar and made a fortune from the parts.

Glen41 · 01-04-2009, 04:37 PM

OK, I found the link that I used back about 2 years ago when FEMA trailers were first available. There is still a mention of "scrap trailers" on this link now as available. To tell the truth the ones I saw back then were pretty well "scrap" too.
http://gsaauctions.gov/gsaauctions/gsaauctions/