"Home base" setups - RV-Dreams Community Forum

dgorila1 · RV-Dreams Family Member

"Home base" setups

RVDude · RV-Dreams Family Member

A subtly slightly different twist is I do know several folks who own a campsite within an ownership campground in multiple locations and do travel among those owned lots. Seems like a very nifty approach. As an owner, they get priority access to their site and have the option to rent out their site to defray expenses. These ownership CGs are typically in high demand areas and thus tend not to be the least expensive ownership approach, but they do come with the CG feel and the amenities many RV'ers seem to crave.

As you suggest, I too have considered buying a couple small parcels of land in various locations and setting up a home base pad on each. I do not need the pools, clubhouses, landscaping. and playgrounds that the typical CG provides. I have further thought about maybe even picking one of those lots to build a commercial barn (these are quite inexpensive) to shelter my rig or work on it should I ever need to. I have not done any of this yet, but my exploration seems to lead me to think this can be an inexpensive and practical means to visit areas you might regularly frequent and sidestep availability hassles. Local zoning ordinances might make for a sticky wicket if they forbid parking RVs on your own land. These ordinances can be quite common and can change.

Though sparse, this site might provide some folks who can also provide some perspective www.home-hookups.com

Eager to hear more thoughts...

-- Edited by RVDude at 21:35, 2009-03-04

Judy · RV-Dreams Family Member

Also I have seen, just down the road here ,where we are in Florida, there is a place called Citrus Resort. You can put up like half a house and build a port under cover right beside it for your RV. A great way to still have part of a home and park RV along side with full hookups. They are starting in places to build these places.
southwestjudy

Jack Mayer · RV-Dreams Family Member

There are many places throughout the sunbelt, and in the "summer belt" where you can buy RV lots that are deeded. If you carefully select your lot, pay attention to the "carrying costs" and the rental history/potential, and do not mind the aggravation of renting, then these lots can be a worthwhile investment. That assumes you believe that there will continue to be a demand for RV sites in the future, and that all RVs will not simply disappear. With the baby boomer generation starting to retire (even in this economy) there is a great potential for RV site demand. As a concrete example, Bentsen Palm RV Village next door is totally booked for the 2009/2010 season, and my RV sites are almost booked.

In looking at RV lots you really have to consider the location and how values increase. It is a different market than residential real estate. In many cases with RV lots a cheap lot is not a bargain, since it will not increase in value over time. So look carefully if you decide to go this route.

We have RV lots in AZ and TX. They more than pay for themselves, and we can use them when we want......just what we do.

-- Edited by Jack Mayer at 09:32, 2009-03-05

dgorila1 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Great comments everyone! The land I look at is primarily in very rural areas but within reasonable driving distance's of small towns. As mentioned you would need to check zoning for each, but since most of these parcels are in the boonie's I doubt there are regulations against RV's, if any regs at all. This wouldn't be for someone who likes or needs to be around other campers or near lots of action/convenience's that a city or resort offer.

An alternate idea for the site(s) would be to build multiple RV pads/hookups on the parcel and offer/rent them to select friends/RV'rs. This would offer some potential company in the middle of nowhere. Expenses on most of these would be minimal (property taxes being the biggest) once the initial purchase and construction was completed.
Now if I can just get the wife to go along with the plan

flyone · RV-Dreams Family Member

Dgorila1, think about this --What if a group of like minded people started a list of just such spots that you are asking about and allowed other people in that group to stay at such places when not in use by themselves. There would need to be some kind of mutually agreed upon ground rules. A list could be started with location, aminities, local things to do, max size of RV things like that. Of course all legal ramifications would need to be taken into consideration in the so called "Ground Rules" so maybe someone that was trained as an attorney may have to get involved. It would have to be pretty tightly controlled so one would always be aware of just whom was on their "Home Base" from when to when. But set up correctly and monitored by all involved it MAY be doable. What do others think, just throwing it out there.

FLYONE

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

FLYONE: Happens all the time in the Yuma, Arizona foothills where many lots are set up for two RVs or one house/mobile and one RV. But they learn to trust a year round neighbor to watch out and to lock and unlock the electricity box to control abuse. Just a warning.

People will notice a vacant "campsite" and set up camp, using the water, sewer and electricity and not cleaning up when they leave including after pets. "Friends" sometimes are not really friends or have bad habits or something to hide. Or instead of the friend staying you get their children and their friend's staying. Some of our friend's rented their home campsite to a couple they knew from the past and ended up with the neighbor calling about the husband. The husband had become demented since they last knew him and would stare in the neighbors windows, take their beer (really), open their gates so the dogs got out and stand in the street staring at nothing.

Most people are good, but you have to be aware.

thebearII · RV-Dreams Family Member

Good point Bill,

I went to check on my Dad's property out in the desert while he was away on a trip and discovered a couple of "drug using" looking guys had setup camp.

They had a couple of vans and were using water and electricity. They had been there long enough to pull the engine out of one of the vans and had rebuilt it, they were just getting ready to reinstall it.

I charged them $50 to stay on the property long enough to get the van running.

I went back the next week and they were gone.

I hired the citizens patrol to check on the property from then on.

dgorila1 · RV-Dreams Family Member

I like the idea Flyone. As you said it would have to be like a private "club" with member's screened, ground rules, etc. Very possible though.

Bj and Bear (that was a TV show

,

I thought about unauthorized guests too. At a minimum a way to secure access to the land would need to be built (a sturdy, lockable gate). As far as the utilities I would build an "indestructible" enclosure for them to protect them from unauthorized use, vandals, etc. I envision either a custom steel enclosure set in a concrete base or a small shed built of concrete or steel for this purpose. Just some ideas.

All great feedback.

Jack Mayer · RV-Dreams Family Member

Take a look here: http://www.rvnomad.com/ to see what Mark did. This is what you are describing.

I have been trying to find a property in the CO mountains to do this on. There are many issues to address if you are going to "rent" to outsiders - which makes it a commercial property in the eyes of the county/city. You also have SEVERE liability issues which even if you incorporate may give you pause.

I've developed RV sites in the past so I know what to do, but finding a place you can put in 8-15 sites is difficult and to break even or make a profit is even harder with all the hoops you have to jump through now. If out in the boonies are you going to be able to find enough people to make it break even???

flyone · RV-Dreams Family Member

Jack, Marks set up looks great. You are also correct about liability issues with such a set up. Particularly if one where to charge rent there would be many legal issues, tax issues and so forth. But like Mark said when friends come by there will be room for them. What I was thinking was the same when friends come by there would be room for them, the difference being I may not be there right at that time. I still have to pay upkeep and taxes on the lot weather I'm there or not. So if a friend were to be passing thru and wanted to set for a day or two, knew how to get there and knew what to expect when he arrived, then why not. If I where to be informed ahead of time knew the person (if only from the web site) was comfortable with his word that he would watch things, get in touch with me once or twice while at the site just to let me know that things were alright. Like if your bother in law was passing thru and wanted to stay on your lot for a night or two to rest up kind of thing is what I had in mind. No real rent involved, really just kind of doing each other a favor. Just a thought, but I wouldn't blame anyone for not wanting to do it, I'm not sure myself.

Flyone

jrp · RV-Dreams Family Member

dgorila1,

sorry for the delay, I only check in here once a week.
Yes, I do exactly what you describe. I have developed seasonal home bases on rural land in southern NM, in south central Colorado, and in the Black Hills of SD. One of my hobbies before retiring was buying and selling raw land parcels all over the western USA. Most rural, western counties are less restrictive and open to personal RV use on private land. Many more urban cities, counties and places back east are much more restrictive in land use.
My NM ranch started out as 80 acres of raw high desert land (with electricity nearby). I put in permanent electric service, a good water well, a septic sewer system and full RV hookup's. Then I added a large RV garage. < http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1053/603255955_60482a5b3d.jpg?v=0 >
My SD and CO properties were a bit different, they are 2.5 to 5 acres each, and already had utilities, a mobile home and RV hookups installed.
All 3 are very cheap ownership/operational costs; and all three are setup to be left vaccant most of the year. I either have nearby neighbors keep an eye on them, and/or use security alarm & camera systems to keep watch remotely. I have no interest in renting them out, but friends or family are welcome to use them as available. I set most of this up before I retired and went fulltime. As much as I love RV'ing and traveling, I do not enjoy being crammed into commercial RV parks that treat us like a can of sardines. So my solution is to do lots of boondocking interspersed with visits to my own homebase sites and ocassional RV parks when there is no other option in an area I want to explore.

Jim

dgorila1 · RV-Dreams Family Member

You're doing exactly what I am thinking about Jim. Are there any websites you can recommend for buying raw land like you did? I have a couple I look at but it is always good to find reputable companies that others have used. Thanks for the info.

dgorila1 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Jim,

I forgot to ask in the previous reply....what was the approx cost to install all the basic utilities at your ranch (well, septic, electric, RV pad)? If it is not close to a major city did you have any issues with getting the different work crews to come out or have to pay extra due to the distance (electricians, well drillers, septic crew, concrete crew, etc)?

I assume since the other sites already had all utilities in place it was a pretty simple affair to set up the site like you wanted for your needs.

From your experience in buying land all across the U.S., how did you do thorough research on each property to ensure it everything was in order (legal, zoning, location, etc) and it was what you were looking for?

Sorry for all the questions but you're the first person I've found that is doing what I want to do, which is buy lots of tracts across the U.S. and Canada for eventual use and/or resale. Thanks .

John

Dixie · RV-Dreams Family Member

I get automatic email updates from Landflip.com

I am also curious as to the cost of setting up a rv site. My son has 7 acres north of Atlanta on the Silver Comet trail. We would need to pour a concrete pad, run electric and maybe a septic system of some sort and water. There is a good site close to the road. So if anyone knows the approximate cost that would be helpful.

Mel

Jack Mayer · RV-Dreams Family Member

I'm not sure this is the total answer you guys are seeking, but when we add a site to an existing park we use $6K for an estimate. That is not quite what you are looking at, since that is tying into existing electrical service and sewer/water, and assumes a compressed stone pad. It also assumes that we do all the tie-ins ourselves - electrical, plumbing, tree work, etc.

If you have to add a septic system and drill a well it can vary quite a bit depending on the land and aquifer. For example, an above ground septic system with a pump - large enough to service a 4 bedroom house - will cost you a minimum of $10K. And it could easily go into the $20K area depending on local zoning and sizing.

Drilling a well can be a "pandoras box" and in certain parts of the west you need water rights to tap the aquifer.

Putting a drive in can be very expensive, or very cheap, depending on access and the equipment you already own or can operate yourself.

Putting in a concrete pad yourself can be fairly inexpensive if you live near a concrete plant, but if you have to site mix it or truck it far it can be quite expensive. That assumes you have the skills to do the work, and the tools. Having it done will vary by location - by quite a bit.

SO, my point is that the location will determine the cost and you have to figure that in when buying. Where we spend the summers I can put a nice pad in, and do all the hookups for $10K. On raw land that could be in the $50K area VERY easily.

dgorila1 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Mel,
We have a lot in Snug Harbor, NC that I'd like to set up for an RV hookup to start with. It is fully wooded so it needs to be cleared and graded first, then a pad poured, septic system installed,well and electric. I am guessing the cost for all this would be approx $18,500, but this is just a guess based on:
-Clearing/Grading - $2500
-Concrete Pad - $6000
- Septic system - $6000
- Well - $2000
- Electric - $2000
I have not talked to anyone yet so these prices could be way off either way.

Dixie · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks for the estimate. We would probably put a minimal amount into it since we only plan on staying at my sons for a week or two at a time to visit the grandkids.

The clearing and grading, pad and electric is all that we will need since my sons house is close to the site but we will probably look into what water would cost too.

If we were to run a gravel road down to the back of his property which would be more private it would be much nicer but more costly.

I was talking to my son about the possibility of him renting out the rv site if we built it right. It is in a rural area in Dallas, Georgia but 5 miles to everything needed (hospitals, restrauants, theatre etc.) 35 miles from Atlanta and is next to the Silver Comet Trail. The Silver Comet Trail is a concrete wide trail built from an old railroad track that runs from Atlanta to Alabama going up Hwy. 278. If someone likes to bike or walk it would be a perfect place to stay.

What are the chances that he could find someone to rent out the rv site if we built it right?They are young with 2 little kids and could use the money.

How would he go about finding people? This would also help pay for the money we put into the making the site.

Thanks

Mel

jrp · RV-Dreams Family Member

John,

My experience & prices are based on western rural areas, with at least dirt/gravel road access and within 30 mins of a town/city. Costs will increase significantly if the access is poor or their travel time is longer, or you make the mistake of building anything in the socialist state of California.
Land clearing & rough grading costs me about $500 an acre, primarily land thats reletively flat with wild grass, sage brush, and other small brush, no trees. Perimeter barb wire fencing runs about $1.25 - 1.50 per LF, assuming you're doing at least a half mile, 2600'.On avg I've paid around $2500 - $3500 for materials & installation of a basic in-ground septic system (1200 gal precast tank and leach field). Water well drilling cost is depth & soil type dependent, avg cost is in the range $20 - $25 per Ft, assuming no rock drilling. Most of my wells have been in the 200 - 250 ft range and cost $4500 - $6500. In most states a well restricted to personal/residential use is a simple permit through the state engineers office. Adding any type of agricultural or commercial use puts you into the "water rights" market.

Unless the land has an existing power line along one side, the cost of extending an electrical pole line can be very expensive. In NM I paid $5500 to the local electric utility for a pole line extention less than 1/4 mile, and that was a half price discount because they saw the potential of additional future customers off the same line. For purely RV use, there are practical off grid options, if electric service is not available or cost prohibitive.

Jim

-- Edited by jrp at 19:04, 2009-03-11

-- Edited by jrp at 19:04, 2009-03-11

jrp · RV-Dreams Family Member

dgorila1 wrote:
You're doing exactly what I am thinking about Jim. Are there any websites you can recommend for buying raw land like you did? I have a couple I look at but it is always good to find reputable companies that others have used. Thanks for the info.
From your experience in buying land all across the U.S., how did you do thorough research on each property to ensure it everything was in order (legal, zoning, location, etc) and it was what you were looking for?

John,
There are dozens of land sale, land auction websites. I'm not sure I'd recommend any specific one or two. I think its more important to realize that they are all just playing the middle man, putting sellers & buyers together for a fee, but provide no guarantees. Its up to you to do your own due diligence before making an offer. A lot of it involves local County official records; the assessor, recorder, treasurer, tax collector and building Dept files yield most of the info you need. Many of the larger Counties now have their property records online, which helps a lot in confirming current legal owner and tax status. Title Insurance companies can also be helpful in reducing your risk, but they charge hefty fees. My risk management plan required Title Insurance only on parcels I was paying more than $10,000; purchases under that value, I assumed the risk of title complications, but minimized that risk with thorough due diligence investigations. Also, unless I was already familiar with the specific area, I required a site visit before committing to any parcel over $10,000. On the other hand, I bought & sold a lot of $5000 parcels sight unseen. Since my real job took me into some of these same areas where I was managing the construction of a power plant or mining facility, I would use any spare time available to drive around the back roads looking for prospects and meeting county officials. You find out quickly that roads shown on a subdivision plan or land devlopment plan, may not yet be real roads, or might have been graded 20 yrs ago and never maintained after the developer went bankrupt.

How did I know it was a parcel I wanted? I wanted any parcel that had an unencumbered, marketable legal Title that I could sell for more than I paid.

The critical factors are obvious, but time consuming to run down:
verify the seller is the legal owner, or a legally authorized agent of the owner.
verify no active liens filed against the property, and tax payments are current.
verify the land use zoning, allowable uses, & restricted uses.
verify there is some type of legal access to the property.
verify the property has not been used as a dump or located next to the local dump.
verify the existing utilities in the area & their distance from the parcel.
verify the parcel is not within a designated Flood Plain zone.

good luck

dgorila1 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks Jim, great advice. Many of the sites look like the sales are tax sales or some other type where the previous owners "abandoned" the property, although many may also be straight out sales. As you state, contacting the local govt offices and getting all legal and property info is the key. I'll start with a few small, low priced properties to "get my feet wet" and go from there. Thanks for the feedback. All great info that is much appreciated.
John

TXRVr · RV-Dreams Family Member

I have had two separate parcels of land where I put in a pad and utilities. That was the idea when I bought them. Since then I have sold one and built a house on the other. The land with my house has two complete FHU pads. One for my rig and the other for friends who visit. I can pass along some tips from my experience.

First, land is cheaper by the acre the more you buy, and it usually is more difficult to find “rural” property in small patches. I’d suggest the zoning may be more of a surprise that you would think. I have a friend who bought 15 rural acres on which to build a house. His county zoning laws prohibited him from building a pad for his RV until he had an occupancy permit for the house. He could put a mobile home there, but not an RV. Go figure. The utilities issue isn’t going to be a simple as you’d like. There are permit requirements or rules that the companies will have to follow and many states are picky about septic tank installation. Wells aren’t cheap and many public water companies charge a monthly base rate even if you don’t use a drop of water. If clearing and a driveway, even gravel, is needed those will be additional costs. The easiest and most simple way to accomplish the goal would be to find a piece of property that has a mobile home on it. Sell the mobile home and park the rig in its place.

I lived in my RV for two years while building the house. I can tell you that it was great to have my on private, rural RV pad. Some times I wondered why I even built the house, but that’s another story. Now if I could just convince my other RV friends who live in a rural environment that they should be building an RV pad, I’d be set.