Rv Living while saving to Build

[KatharoFields]

My Husband and I are looking to purchase an 5th wheel and 10-20 acres to live in while we are saving to build. We are thinking about building a pole barn to have a stove, bathtub, washer/dryer, and to keep deep freezers in. We are just in the starting phases of this and would love any help and advise you can give us! We are planning on living this way for a max of 5 yrs. Oh and we live in Michigan and have 4 kids! Thanks in advance!!!!

[Shoden]

Put the RV in the pole barn. That's what my wife and I did, and we're in Missouri with no kids. Being in Michigan with 4 children, you'll want the extra insulation and the space. The extra roof over your RV will help with any potential water leaks, and you'll have less chance of freezing your water lines, or yourselves. And if your RV has a propane heater, don't run it inside unless you've installed venting from the RV to the outside, and have multiple carbon monoxide detectors... and even then, be careful. We don't use ours anymore, so our only propane use is for cooking, so we only use about half of a 40lb tank per year.

Make sure you put a big enough door on the pole barn to get the 5th wheel in there. When we bought our property, the pole barn was already built, and it had a 10 foot tall door. That seems really tall until you try backing an RV into it. We had to remove the AC cover and air down the tires to get our 34 foot Avion to fit through, and a 5th wheel style would never fit through it.

We've got a wood stove, living and office area, storage, full size refridgerator, garage and workshop all in the pole barn along with the RV. The RV has ended up just used primarily has the bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen.

Will you have water and sewer/septic on the property? You'll have to take that into account, as you'll need a way to clean out the RV's black and grey water tanks, and fill the fresh. We have water to our property, but not to the pole barn, so we transport fresh water in a 330 gallon IBC tote, pump that into another 330 gallon tote stored in the barn, and then fill the 65 gallon tank in the RV as needed.

We're also on a 5 year plan, currently 1 1/2 years into living in the RV/pole barn, and we're comforatable enough that we may go a bit longer to save up more cash before building a real house.

[TerriLynn]

We lived in a camper in a pole barn, in Michigan, for a month (middle of March to middle of April) about 10 years ago. With 3 small boys ages 7, 5, 2 1/2, and I was pregnant at the time. While we had our house jacked up and were digging out and pouring a new basement.

It was cold and wet, I had no way to do laundry or give kids baths, and I never realized how dirty they could get! The camper was cramped, especially in bad weather!

I would really suggest a heated pole barn, (wood stove would be great) and if at all possible put a kitchen and bathroom in the pole barn, as well as a washer and dryer. Doesn't have to be fancy, just functional, if you could find cheap used ones that would probably work out well.

The cooking space in an RV will be tight, especially cooking for a large family, and you don't want to be tempted to get fast food all the time. The fridge in the camper won't hold enough. You will want to give your kids baths especially if their outside all the time, which they will be if your living in a barn/camper. Also doing laundry in a pay machine will get really expensive really quick!

[Yvonne's hubby]

Its not a bad solution to your problem. When I was a wee lad we lived in a 14' camp trailer while waiting on the house to get built. That was only for a bit over 2 years though, and just us three boys ages 3 to 9, my dad, and grandparents. Granny did laundry in a wash tub outside, hung them on a clothesline. most of the cooking happened inside during the winter. Doesnt take up much room to boil beans and taters. Grand parents slept in the "good" bed across the back of the trailer, dad made do with the one in front where the table dropped down and seat cushions slid in to make another bed. Us boys slept in the floor with the dog, Ol "Tuffy" made a great snuggly to keep our feet warm at night. Oh yeah.... the good ol days!

[jwal10]

Build a garage kit, concrete slab floor, single, double garage if you can. Wire in electrical if you have it available. Plumbing too if available. Much like a cabin but use as a garage after you build the house. Won't cost more than an RV and pole barn. Easy to build, good learning experience for the house later....James

[Forcast]

with kids running water is a most in my world

[KatharoFields]

Thanks so much for the advice! Has anyone had trouble with zoning? We are hearing alot of people say that we wont be aloud to live in a fifth wheel.

Also is it possible to hook up the well ans septic to the fifth wheel, or do you need to have it pumped?

[Forcast]

in texas i could use a flex pipe for the septic but the well needs a pressure tank and electric. If you have both why not get a use mobile home. sure would be a lot better with kids. then when the house is built sell it, trash it, or use it for a chicken house. cant imagine a used mobile home would be more than a 5 wheel. I could not dream of camping with 3 little kids for more than a week or 2 much less years. But if thats what your heart want more power to you.

And how will you deal with the cold? LAst winter was very very cold

[sassafras manor]

We bought a used mobile home to live in while we were building our house and were able to sell it afterwards for half of what we paid for it which was much cheaper than a years rent. Ours was a 10'x50' that was 40 years old and some of our warmest nights in the winter were the nighs that the condensation froze on the inside of the windows which eliminated the drafts from the windows. Whatever you do will make you appreciate the finished house tremendously.

[clovis]

I saw a pretty cool video several years ago somewhere on the internet, and in essence, the family was living in a camper.

A couple of cool things of note:

They build a cheap deck in front of the camper to help keep the mud and dirt from being tracked inside. I thought that the 15" x 15" concrete patio pavers would work even better, cost less, and take less time to install.

They also built a mini-barn for cooking and as a laundry area. They used Coleman camp stoves, a charcoal grill, and it seems to me, IIRC, a steel BBQ cooker for different types of cooking. I don't think they had a washer/dryer in the shed, but used the space for drying racks and for folding laundry.

Nonetheless, go for it if you want to do it. It is an awesome way to pay for a home...I wish that more people thought like you do, instead of just borrowing money like it was nothing.

[ChristieAcres]

We are living in a 34' motorhome, just DH & I, but we are in a mild climate. So it isn't necessary for us to park it under anything. We do have a carport with a small storage room, which was here when we bought the property. DH is currently building a cute small log cabin of 185sq ft w/a covered porch, which will be our utility room/pump house. First, we got a 40' shipping container for DH's machine/welding shop, then I was given a free truck box (also 40' & 9'6" tall, same size as the shipping container). DH will be building a roof over both and use the carport space in between them for work. My truck box is for our household & personal belongings.

We will be very comfortable living like this for up to 2 years, while DH builds our home out of pocket.

As others have posted, RV living will be harder with children and harsher Winters, but even building a carport for it would help!

[TxMex]

Make sure your family is ok with the idea of all of you living in an RV and make sure you do have running water and electricity. Otherwise you will likely get visited by child services.

If you are building a pole barn anyhow you might consider building a small room in one section of it and insulating it well and living in that. It would likely be no more cost than buying a used 5th wheel and you would have more usable room to move around in. Build in 3 layer bunk beds for the kiddos with a box/chest built at one end for personal items would save a lot of room. Other built ins would let you live in a very small space comfortably.

I lived in an RV with my ex for a few years and I'll personally think twice or thrice before living in that configuration with another human being again.

[MushCreek]

We've been camping at our place going on 3 years now, but our son is grown, so it's just two of us. We started out in a leaky pop-up (why are the only leaks right over your face??). As soon as I got the barn up, I moved the camper into the barn. We've never had a heat source in the barn, so winters have been tough, even in SC. I built a bathroom in the barn right away, as the camper never had one.

As to legality, that depends upon how your land is zoned. In our area, it is legal to camp on your own property. Only your local building/zoning department can answer that question. We specifically searched for 'un-zoned' property so we could do what we wanted.

You can do this if you have the right mind-set. People all over the world live in much worse conditions than a camper or a barn. If you look at it as a fun adventure, it will be much more fun and pleasant than if you look at it as an ordeal you have to survive in order to reach your long-term goals.

[haypoint]

Zoning varies from Township to Township. If not allowed, try to get a one year variance from the Zoning Board.

[geo in mi]

Originally Posted by KatharoFields

My Husband and I are looking to purchase an 5th wheel and 10-20 acres to live in while we are saving to build. We are thinking about building a pole barn to have a stove, bathtub, washer/dryer, and to keep deep freezers in. We are just in the starting phases of this and would love any help and advise you can give us! We are planning on living this way for a max of 5 yrs. Oh and we live in Michigan and have 4 kids! Thanks in advance!!!!

First of all, welcome to the forum.

Michigan is a pretty large state, and it is split into several sections by geography, so I don't know what area you are referring to. But there are a few things in Michigan you should consider before you make any money committments:

http://www.michigantownships.org/default.asp

Take a good look at this website and go from there. As it says, 96% of the land area is governed by Townships. In Michigan rural areas, the township sets the rules; that is, the land and building ordinances are set up and governed by the Township you live in. The only exceptions may be the sanitary codes (septic tanks and drainage). They will be governed by the County. If you can find a township in Michigan without ordinances, you probably will find that is has no population to speak of, no land suitable for building or for crops, and no supporting services like hospitals, schools, shopping centers, or places to find jobs.

Once you find your township, you may come across one of two styles of government: the ancient, "good ole boy" system, or the administration by hired professional services in a nearby, larger city. In the first, you will have to speak personally to the official and be subject to his interpretation of the ordinances(and they may be pretty sketchy)--and that official will be your neighbor, within six or so miles away from you who will "know" just what is going on in his area, since he eats breakfast with all his cronies at the local diner. You won't be able to fly under the radar for the five years you estimate that you may be "out of compliance" Word gets around.

On the other hand, the professional administrators will stick to the letter of the ordinance--detail by detail. You may be able to live in an RV, but....someone will report you, and you'll have to be able to prove your "compliance" to the township--usually in a called hearing--in great detail, with licenses and permits and inspection reports in hand.....

Most of the Michigan winter climate(especially last winter) may not allow you to live in temporary quarters like an RV or an uninsulated pole barn situation--unless you have a lot of wood stacked and ready, or a friendly banker to finance all the propane you'll need.....It isn't Alaska pioneering, but it can get close to that, and you should be really prepared for some prolonged cold weather......especially the farther North you are.

You will need to pay close attention to the soil and land in Michigan. It's mostly sand, with some surprising pockets of sticky clay, so you should bring boots and a long handled post hole digger to any land you are looking at. Michigan soils and terrain were determined by the glacial action 14,000 years ago. There are sudden differences in height of the soil in regard to the water table and the way it drains, or more likely, the way it doesn't drain. So, walk, walk, walk, the area and make sure it won't drown out your crops--and animals, and buildings, and play areas for the kids. Make sure you can produce crops in the sand, too.....

With children: http://www.michigan.gov/dhs/0,4562,7...1208--,00.html If you put cleanly scrubbed, decently dressed kids on the school bus each day, and they have well filled lunch sacks, you probably can stay out of way of the above law,,,,'nuff said.

All said, because of the government structure in many of the Townships, I believe your five year plan will cause you to have to fly too much under the radar.... From what I've seen in my own county, most people go the route of buying the land in a remote area, and then putting up a double wide or a modular home of the minimum compliance(usually 1,000 sq ft) in order to get the occupancy permit. Once they get established this far, then they can proceed, (legally or not) to quietly make improvements and have animals and crops.......

Hope this is useful to you.

geo

[puddlejumper007]

good post geo...very informative