So close..

[MuddyPaws2]

It has taken us a long time to save the money, pick the manufacture, model and the floorplan that will work, we are so close now!



We have a big problem standing between us and getting our RV, parking.



All the local storage places won't take anything over 40' and they don't provide a place to plug the coach in, heck some lots aren't even gated.


We live down a 1/4 mile narrow gravel drive. Our property is sloped and covered with trees and I think it is going to be expensive to create a parking area at our house.
Any suggestions??

[W0GEN]

Can you find an existing property to lease or purchase? I am blessed with having land and we put in a 38 X 60 fabric building by teksupply. It has served us well for the past 10 plus years.

[Steverino]

If you do have to park somewhere without power, rooftop solar panels work wonders for keeping the coach batteries charged.

If there's any way to keep it at home (even if that means some investment - as long as you're not moving anytime soon) I'd sure try. It is really convenient, and you can better keep an eye on things.

Along with W0GEN I would also highly recommend some type of enclosure (just a protective roof is a great thing). Your new rig's natural enemy is weather - UV and water.

Adding to the property lease/purchase idea - maybe think creatively - could you buy a property that would allow for storage of your rig, but has additional potential to rent out residentially or commercially? If you got lucky, maybe you'd have a storage spot, with lease income to cover the purchase cost...

[Conchdog]

Are you sure you have exhausted local storage options?

Sometimes a local airport may have hangar space available.

[CJ7365]

You will find, that havin your RV at your house will be worth the expense of making it happen, for the price of storage for a year, you get get an area cleared and some gravel put down.

I too live down a 1800 ft drive way, it is not paved, dirt/sand. I also have over head cover for it. I've had it for over 2 years, so add all those storage fees up.

Also, when i get ready to go somewhere, or want to do some maintenance, i walk right outside and get started.

[lowejug]

I would keep looking... find a spot that would work on some one else’s commercial property such as a where house or vacant properties and call the owner and offer a
Monthly fee... not plugging in isn’t the end of the world... people do it all the time..
I would personally never not buy the coach I wanted because of a parking space..

[cavie]

Originally Posted by MuddyPaws2

It has taken us a long time to save the money, pick the manufacture, model and the floorplan that will work, we are so close now!



We have a big problem standing between us and getting our RV, parking.



All the local storage places won't take anything over 40' and they don't provide a place to plug the coach in, heck some lots aren't even gated.


We live down a 1/4 mile narrow gravel drive. Our property is sloped and covered with trees and I think it is going to be expensive to create a parking area at our house.
Any suggestions??

Do the math on a few loads of dirt and a few loads of gravel, some tractor work. Add an aluminum carport roof. Then figure out the cost of RV storage for one year elsewhere and do the math. Investment at home winds every time.

[W0GEN]

Not that big of an investment considering the investment on your coach!
This photo was from when we had the Monaco... it now is home to our CS.
The solar panels work very well with the light strip... although I brought 50 Amp into the building so i could keep the coach basement heated prior to leaving for the winter.

[MuddyPaws2]

Oh ideally, we'd love to keep it at home. We've talked about having a 50 amp plug put in etc. So yeah that's the dream, well, that or a place like NIRVC in the Maryland area lol!


The storage by the airport is $350 a month which when we did the math made us want to keep it here even more.



Anyone got a ballpark on the cost for putting in a gravel pad for a 43' coach??

[Saltydog44]

We got VERY lucky and found secure storage near enough to our house that it works for us. We had no idea it was there and driving down Hwy 70 saw a MH under cover. 30 amp and a roof with security - $130 a month.

Good friend has a building he paid for at another friend's plant so he has security as well.

As someone else noted earlier - no way should storage be your holdup for this great fun.

[Matt D]

Have an Arborist trim the driveway, start with a graded compacted site and gravel. Run a 50A service, water and sewer.

In a year, pave it.

In another year cover it.

There ya go!

Gotta think up another reason.



-Matt

[Tom78418]

Before we went full time, our drive was long enough and structurally sound enough to park our coach there. A huge advantage over a storage lot. There seems to be a never ending list of “need to” and “want to” tasks that having the coach stored is a major obstacle. Keep in mind that in addition to keeping up on tasks, the coach makes an awesome “guest house”. We had a sewer, water, and 50 amp connections and kept the coach ready to roll on a moment’s notice.

[W0GEN]

Our total investment for this hoop building was less than $35K, given the value of the coach... Priceless!
If you do build one, make sure you go with a 14 X 14 foot door with electric operator.
Put 50 Amp to it
Run Water to it (see the garden hose), wish i did!
I used recycle concrete blocks and put the building on it.
Pour a floor
In some areas this is considered a temporary building so you pay less taxes!






Heavy winter snow sheds right off keeping the light strip open at the top.
Put a power vent in the building on thermostat with intake vents

[MuddyPaws2]

Oh, that it was that simple. Let me paint the picture for you.


Our front yard is full of old growth Tulip poplars, beeches and Oaks, most about 70-80' tall. The side that is mostly level and would require the least grading is the most heavily wooded side and is also the furthest from electricity. This side is also in front of the living room and DH says he doesn't want to look out the window and see nothing but the coach.

The other side of the house is also wooded though less so, however there are 2 40' pines (the only ones we have) 2 well heads (pipes stick several feet out of the ground), a large slope, the electric lines running across the yard (underground) and into the garage and this area would have to be graded somehow in order to level it. There are also 3 flower beds, my only surviving dogwood, a flower bed in front of and along the garage wall and a large maple. So in order to put the driveway addition and parking area next to the garage (where dh wants it so he doesn't see it) all of that would have to be removed. I have a problem with that.


I suggested the far side of the yard where there is a break in the tree line and it's pretty flat. It would require the removal of maybe 2 trees, one a monster oak and the other a smallish maple. Dh, however, said that it would be too hard to back the RV over there.
The lane to our house is narrow and woods are on both sides, you have to turn to come down our drive and there is no way the RV could make that turn. So it would have to be backed down according to dh and a small clear section where we have dumped leaves for 20 years would serve as the swing around. ( I assume that will have to be graveled and graded).


I need an expert to come out look at our property and advise on where to park it!

Originally Posted by Matt D

Have an Arborist trim the driveway, start with a graded compacted site and gravel. Run a 50A service, water and sewer.

In a year, pave it.

In another year cover it.

There ya go!

Gotta think up another reason.



-Matt