Twisting in the wind

[Ridgewalker]

Opinions, pontification and other ideas requested.

As stated before I have 50 acres with a well and power, no structures.
I camped this past summer when there for any length of time, ditto for deer season but I like to froze. That's getting old and keeps me from being on the property as often as I would like.

Here's my quandary, I have found several nice used campers that fall into the 4-6K range. It would be fairly simple to snag one and set it up. The kicker is that I am not that big a camper fan (depreciating asset). But one could be there in a heartbeat.

I could also spend the same money and start building a small cabin (20x20 or so). I have located an area that would be a good build site BUT...what if I outgrow my little 20x20 cabin and regret not building something bigger down the road? Time is limited so getting it built would take a while.

What should I do? I just spin in circles thinking about this. One day I am set to get camper, the next I am ready to build a cabin. Then my "think things to death" mentality kicks in and I do nothing...that way I don't make a mistake.
Arrrghghgh!

 

[Egon]

build the small cabin with the knowledge that it will be too small in the future.

Make sure you add the amenities as they are kinda addictive.

 

[IXLR8]

My first reaction would be to buy a used camper, you then have an immediate place to stay. Then you can properly plan what you want to build there over the next few years. Then build your place and sell the camper. If you take care of the camper, you won't loose much on it. So you buy a camper for $4K, live in it for 3 years, then sell it for $3K. That means you have a place to stay for $30/month.

 

[Tig]

Think about how you would layout a larger cabin. Design it so that you could section off the minimum accomodation. eg bed, kitchen, toilet etc as you decide. Now build that minimum portion. Make the roof gable end towards the future expansion. If you do decide to expand it will be simpler to do and also it will be liveable during the expansion.

 

[jinman]

My first reaction would be to buy a used camper, you then have an immediate place to stay. Then you can properly plan what you want to build there over the next few years. Then build your place and sell the camper. If you take care of the camper, you won't loose much on it. So you buy a camper for $4K, live in it for 3 years, then sell it for $3K. That means you have a place to stay for $30/month.

That makes two Jims that agree. I'd opt for the camper and use it while building. I'd also consider moving in a small portable building, but it is much easier to do any building after you have comfortable accomodations where you can stay warm and get good rest.

In my case, I found a neighbor who had a 22' camper from the mid-70s. It was in good shape except the water tubing had broken and there were some leaks. I was carrying water anyhow because I didn't have a well. The camper provided me with a place to cook, warmth and AC in summer, a comfortable bed to sleep in, and a nice refrigerator to keep a few cool ones. I was very lucky because my neighbor sold it to me for $500. I was all over that deal like white on rice.

I eventually moved in a 24' x 24' portable building and finished it out as a really nice living space. That was after I had a well drilled and a septic system installed for my future house. My cost for that building and materials was about $7000 including all appliances (washer, dryer, cookstove, refrigerator, heating and cooling). I lived in that cabin while my house was being built and sold the camper to another neighbor for exactly what I paid for it. I now use the cabin as a guest quarters or storage as needed.

So my vote is for you to start with the quickest way to get comfortable accomodations and use those while you build what you want. Don't set yourself up for a lot of work and effort right off the bat. Make it easy on yourself and you will never regret it. Plus, it's a lot easier to find someone to come stay and help you if you have a nice place for them to stay while they are there.

 

[kthompson]

Odd and ends here:
How about any zoning or building issues with either? How about taxes? If you build a cabin there, does it change the tax basis for the land? Could it give you a tax benefit? Would they run electricity to a cabin for free and not a camper?
If you have a place on the land such as a pond or lake that a fish house would be nice one day, build the cabin there.
Look at the premade buildings.
Build a garage or workshop with kitchen and bath room. Either put in large garage door to begin with or have it framed for it when you want to switch the use of the building.
Any thought a building there would be likely be subject to vandalism? If so camper has an advantage.

Don't forget, you pull the camper home for maintenance and you go to the cabin for maintenance and each will have maintenance. Would you be needing to insure the cabin, if so you should find out about that before you begin.

Wish had a picture to two mobile homes just pulled onto a piece of commercial land a few miles from my house. Log cabin look with a screened in porch. Single wide. Have a small pond and boy one would look good there. Might ought to save those logs planning on burning the next few days.

 

[2manyrocks]

If you buy a used Airstream or the less expensive steel skinned version (forget the brand name), it should hold its value. The wood framed campers get leaks and the structure deteriorates over time. But I would not want to leave a camper unattended for long periods of time because someone will break in and camper damage, especially to an Airstream, is difficult to repair. If you have a tow vehicle, are willing to tow the camper, and have a place to safely store the camper when it is not in use, then an Airstream would be a good option and hold its value if you buy it right to start with.

 

[mikim]

One of my thoughts (before I remarried) was to have someone put up a metal building for me and put a camper inside that --- then build - sell the camper -- and still have the metal building for a shop/barn. It would solve a security problem too.

 

[Deaf]

Walker,

We purchased our Land (132 acres) in SE Ohio nearly 9 years ago and regret building a cabin right away. Knowing what we know now we would have done the following, buy a small camper used out of season, Find a perfect location (take your time and keep in mind the sun rise sun sets) and build an old style tractor shed (pole building style construction) with 3 sides and a slanted roof. Make it big enough for the camper to be backed into one bay. Put in some cheap windows (clearance at Lowes or Home depot). Have a boat canvas shop make you a flap doors to cover both bay openings for really cold and windy days. Add a cheap wood stove to the open bay.

With our camp we found a better location but the cabin is built now and we are stuck. Are area is very remote and we have issues with thieves and vandals during late winter and very early spring due to no one being down there. If we had a camper I would pull it home after hunting season closed and would not worry about the shed. Also the cabin really made our taxes go up ~ 30%, no kidding!

Deaf

 

[ToadHill]

I'd buy a kit from HD or 84 lumber and put up a garage. Pour a pad and set it up, keep the garage door's in a safe place and wall in the openings. Put a few extra windows and use it for living space.

When it gets to be time to build something new you will have a nice garage or out building for your use. You should be able to buy a garage kit for the same price as a camper.

 

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

20x30x10 or 24x24x10 "shed" with concrete floor and 3/4 bath - makes a good shed for when you're not up there camping, a good shelter for winter "camping" - and when you finally move up there it's a good shop space while building the real house and after.

 

[Taylortractornut]

What about a maetal carport type building, Carolina Carports builds one that is a nice building and is weather rated. I know a couple hunt clubs that use them have them come out and put up a building One had a slab poured and a 25x20 building put in. The other one had one set in on peirs and then they insulated the sides and top and left a gravel floor in it with carpet rolled out on it. It has a small bathroom in the back and a kitchenette type thing in the corner. It has a roll up door on one end and a walk in as well. I put in the septic tank and cleared pad for it. They had 3 of the Northern hydraulics solar chargers in there that charged batteirs for a light at night and to run a water pump to pump water out of a tank they use to collect rain water.

 

[mbohuntr]

Don't know how bad taxes are where you are, but people here in NY that have had camps in their families for generations are removing(some burning) those camps and bringing in travel trailers to lower the taxes.

 

[CurlyDave]

Camper all the way.

Instant shelter, and you can haul it off at the end of its useful life.

I bet a cabin would be in the wrong place.

Plus it is almost impossible to design a cabin that can be effectively expanded.

 

[jinman]

In my area, if you put down a permanent foundation, your taxes are affected. If you put a camper or portable building, they are not considered permanent structures and are not tax liabilities for property taxes. My 24x24 building sits on four 4x6 skids and is portable, so I've never been taxed on it in 8 years. YMMV depending on tax laws in your area.

Also, my camper and cabin were always in clear view of the road. At night I had floodlights automatically come on to light the area. I've never lost anything to thieves or vandals, but all my neighbors with stuctures hidden from the road have had thefts and vandalism. Go figure. . . .

 

[Ridgewalker]

Thanks! for all the comments. Ya'll have about convinced me that a camper is the way to go for now. The camper would be close by the highway and in view whereas the current build spot is back in the woods out of sight. That seems to be best for a shelter that I will only see on weekends as far as security goes.
I do have good neighbors on my left and across the highway, a father and son who keep an eye on the place. Plus I keep finding new spots to build, I saw a great 1/8' moon and million stars this week from spot on the edge of my field that I hadn't noticed before, some 60' short leaf pines bracketed the view and it was gorgeous! It's my new #1 build spot . (Subject to change)

The camper would also be close by the well and power pole, I would have to dig a trench to run those services down to the other spot. I hadn't thought about taxes so that also makes a camper attractive.

I think I may have stopped twisting!

 

[IXLR8]

If you have stopped twisting.. how about some pics of your place. Where the trailer might go, locations the house might go, what makes this place special to you, etc.

 

[john_bud]

4-6K for a trailer is the Tajmahal!

You can get a decent camp trailer for $1000. It's gonna depreciate, why not get one cheap?

Also, 4-6K will build a 30x30 pole building with insulation.

jb

 

[CurlyDave]

The camper would also be close by the well and power pole, I would have to dig a trench to run those services down to the other spot. I hadn't thought about taxes so that also makes a camper attractive.

If you have power and water the camper just got a lot cheaper. A lot of campers have generators, which you don't need. Ones with no generator, or a broken generator are much less expensive.

DW and I lived in a parked motorhome on our property for about 18 months before and during the build of our house. At first we lived off the generator, trucked in water in a 65 gallon poly tank in the bed of my pickup, trucked out sewage in a second tank, and only stayed weekends.

When we got the well in, we bought an external generator to power the pump, and I learned how to pump the sewage away with a macerator and 100' of 3/4" hose. Went into a small gravel pit and disappeared with no odor or flies. No exactly legal, but when I think of what the bears, deer and other critters do, no harm. We stayed 4 or 5 days at a time.

When we got power, I retired and moved into the parked motorhome permanently, while DW kept working (she is younger and her sentence isn't up yet). She came up 5 or 6 days every 2 weeks.

Then we got the septic in, and I deliberately put the tank in a place where there was gravity flow from both the house and the camper. I could have lived in the camper forever, but DW wanted a house.

 

[MarkV]

I am with the camper crowd because of taxes also. You might want to check on insurance too. Liability is fine without any structures but even a portable tool shed will change that here. Not sure how they feel about a camper that stays on site.

MarkV