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RE: New RV Court Advice
Do you intend to charge rent to these folks? Is it your intent to start a business? Talk with an attorney first. There are all sorts of issues jumping out.
Please elaborate. You have my attention.
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atb
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09/02/08 10:16am |
Full-time RVing
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RE: New RV Court Advice
atb....you go ahead and do what you are planning...we understand where you are coming from...see you in Jan.....
I'm looking forward to it!
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atb
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09/02/08 10:15am |
Full-time RVing
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RE: New RV Court Advice
It is a commercial, for profit development. We didn't buy this land to start this business. The income from the sites will be a nice bonus for us.
I'm heading to Dale Hollow Lake!
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atb
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08/29/08 01:01pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: New RV Court Advice
Non-commercial?? You mean one that is non-profit or just one that loses money. I think a commercial park is exactly what the OP wants to build. Just one that has a slightly different appeal and amenities than what we now would identify as a deluxe park.
I dont think the OP is building this park for the health and welfare for the occupants without regard to the profit/investment return.
Were I an occupant, I too would want the park to be financially healthy as well, that way the owner has the $ to make improvements and to have good quality maintenance.
With only 5 sites on 20 acres or so, the potential of failure is increased rather than decreased.
I'm the builder. Our goal is to have our hobby farm earn a little more money. We'll be fine with or without the RV sites. We would like to build something that we would enjoy, if we were in your shoes. I would want a shed, and I would install a washer and a dryer - so that's what I'm doing.
We also do not want to overdevelop our property. We are taking a less is more approach. We have more than twenty acres, but the field that the rv's will be in is a twenty acre field. If we like the business aspect of it we have another field mapped out for six more sites. That is all we would want to put on the property.
I'm sure that we could install hundreds of sites on the place, but we feel that it wouldn't be a nice place anymore.
I'm avoiding communal buildings because I will have to clean them. I only need five customers. If some sites sit for a while until we find the right folks that's ok.
I've settled on $375.00/month plus electricity for our rates. That's less than the KOA, and more than the trailer parks. Hopefully we can attract the right customer base at this rate. We'll adjust what we need to.
Thanks for the input. You took the time to contribute, and I thank you.
I'll check in Monday evening. Have a good holiday everybody.
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atb
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08/29/08 12:47pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: New RV Court Advice
How about some progress pictures ?
I'll see what I can do. All the grading is finished, and the septic system is in. Georgia Power just set the transformer. After Labor Day we'll be back at it. I hope to get all the slabs poured for the storage buildings next week.
We're about a month behind schedule - life got in the way. I hope to have things functional by October. I'll work on those photos.
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atb
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08/28/08 10:48am |
Full-time RVing
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RE: New RV Court Advice
I think a community garden is a wonderful idea. We truck farmed for a while and it is so satisfying :B
We're already doing it so it's no trouble to till up a little extra ground. The tractor makes it easy.
All of the field lines were finished today.
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atb
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07/21/08 06:11pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: New RV Court Advice
This sounds like a great place. I would love to find a place similar to that for a homesite. Are you going to allow for residence to be able to grow their own garden if they so desire? You grow potatoes, Joe grows lettuce and I grow cucumbers and we all have free fresh salad?
That can be arranged very easily. We have plenty of space for gardening.
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atb
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07/21/08 05:11am |
Full-time RVing
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RE: New RV Court Advice
Just a thought. I would like a little privacy. I love to meet new people, but I would like a semi-private patio to relax with my wife and watch the sun set or rise. Tall vegetation or similar screening would work.
Sounds like a nice place, with a million dollar view. Good luck.
If you happend to expand to the northeast, let us know.
Landscaping will occur in the fall. I do intend to create semi privacy while maintaining views.
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atb
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07/14/08 02:46pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: New RV Court Advice
I thought that you were just going to provide space for a washer and dryer. I don't think I would make that investment myself, let your tenants put their own in if desired. You are setting yourself up for some maintenance expense and bother that you don't really need.
bumpy
A washer and dryer is not that expensive, and if I were looking for a place to park for a few months I would not want to have to purchase the units, and then wonder what to do with them when I left.
New units should not be too hard to maintain. They last for years, and it would be easy for the customer. I assume that the main reason to "full time" it would be so that you can pull the anchor and shove off to some place new every once and a while.
While I certainly will value the long term customer, I know traveling is part of the allure.
I intend to include a full size washer and dryer in each private shed. I'm sorry if I didn't make that clear.
They will not be coin operated.
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atb
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07/14/08 02:44pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: New RV Court Advice
Just curious... what do you farm on your land?
Shirley
Blueberries, and we keep a few Berkshire pigs for pork. The pigs are in a large area in the woods and on a small amount of pasture. Because of the low density they do not smell. Fourteen piglets were born last week. We have two sows and a boar.
http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj8/EagerJeeper/IMG_0366.jpg
A couple of Black Angus cows are in our future too.
This is a hobby farm for us, and we do not live on the property. The RV area will be in it's own area, and it will not be in the "farm area". Aside from hay bales in the field our customers would not be aware of anything else.
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atb
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07/14/08 01:35pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: New RV Court Advice
Thank you, that is good information! A sixty foot radius it is then. With five sites on 20 acres we have the room.
Are you planning your five sites with room to expand in the future? Sounds like you have a sweet set up and it may grow :)
Wat is an FHU? I suppose I need some FHU to keep the customers happy!?!??
I think this means full hook ups, Electric, water and Sewer.
Oh full hook ups. We'll have those!
We do have another large pasture that we have mapped out six more sites in. Phase two would not shoehorn more sites into phase one. Phase one must do well before phase two happens. Both areas are beautiful.
That is the limit. We do not want to ruin our property with over development. Our current plan leaves plenty of room for our farm and your RVs.
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atb
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07/14/08 12:19pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: New RV Court Advice
I need some advice. I'm not sure what I should even be charging for a site like this.
Since you've already decided to do this project, I suspect that you will wind up charging whatever the market will bear; i.e. your customers will tell you, by participation, what they are willing to pay. A better route would have been to nail down as accurately as possible the total costs of your investment, mutiply that by the percentage of return you would like to get on your money, and divide that by the number of sites you are going to market. Compare that figure with what others doing similar things are getting to see how your figure compares.
My philosophy for our other rental property has been to provide a great place and charge a little less than it's worth. With this approach I have had very little turnover. By not missing a couple of months rent every now and then I can charge a little less and still make more in the end.
We have done our homework, and I'm sure that I might seem compulsive the way I jumped in here and said "hey ya'll I'm gonna build a RV Court". But my wife and I are actually very cautious people. We've been kicking this around for at least a year.
Other RV Courts provide many more services such as pools, club houses, exercise equipment and so on. They pack the units in tightly and spread their development cost over many more sites. We are selling space, views and a shed with a washer and a dryer - all close to Chattanooga.
We know that we can make X amount, and at that price this is a good investment for us. What I'm trying to determine before I declare a price is "what is this service really worth". I'm surprised that I have not received more enthusiasm over a private shed with a washer and dryer. Have I overestimated the desire of full timers to have such a service? I really expected more comments about such an oddity.
Can I build this court without the shed and still charge the same? Let me hear from you people. Do you want a washer and dryer on your site?
Actually I know you do, and I'm going to include it, but I'd still like to know your thoughts on the matter.
Oh and what is a site like this worth?
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atb
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07/14/08 12:11pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: New RV Court Advice
atb,
about your turn radius question yesterday evening, I was reading recently in one of the RV magazines about a new set of "RV friendly" signs so that RV drivers to not have bad surprises in the parking lots of businesses who want to attract the RVer business, and they were saying that their certification standard includes 50ft turn radiuses.
Maybe someone out here is a civil engineer and could offer further guidance. I know that with my 40ft 5th wheel, 52ft bumper to bumper when hitched, I have taken turns tighter than that. But a 50ft radius would help avoid people complaining that you aren't "big rig" friendly.
Thank you, that is good information! A sixty foot radius it is then. With five sites on 20 acres we have the room.
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atb
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07/14/08 11:42am |
Full-time RVing
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RE: New RV Court Advice
Wow, you work fast! :B
Country settings are so much more relaxing even if it means a longer drive to services or jobsite. We only require a southern exposure and FHU's to be happy.
We tried to stay in a CG in VA on a 200 ac family farm long term, but they didn't have any FHU 50 amp sites for us.
Wat is an FHU? I suppose I need some FHU to keep the customers happy!?!??
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atb
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07/14/08 11:40am |
Full-time RVing
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RE: New RV Court Advice
I need to install a turn around. What size radius is comfortable for a class A or fifth wheel? To park an RV it will be necessary to go to the end of the lane and turn around, then drive back down the lane and back the unit into the site.
Everything is squared up and laid out for the dozer and the backhoe. Maybe I can post some photos as we go along.
I spoke to someone about WiFi today too.
Thanks
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atb
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07/13/08 06:49pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: New RV Court Advice
atb, I sent you an e-mail. :B
I checked my inbox bit I didn't see it. Will you please send it again?
thanks
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atb
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07/12/08 08:25pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: New RV Court Advice
People have mentioned views. I'll try to embed a photo.
http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj8/EagerJeeper/RVCourt/IMG_0393.jpg
More photos can be seen here.
http://s268.photobucket.com/albums/jj8/EagerJeeper/RVCourt/
About the pads. Again they will be 32' x 64' with a short driveway for parking. The actual sites will be exactly level, and bordered with timbers. I'm making them flat and level so the big rigs can level up easily. However, I'd like to use limestone dust (like state parks) as a base material so that the site will drain. A perfectly level concrete pad will pool water some where - and that's annoying. The sites are also large, and that would be a lot of concrete that I fear would look harsh. Comments please on a site with no concrete.
Do I need to run phone service? Cell phones are so common I wonder if you mobile people actually need a phone line. High Speed wireless internet is already available at my place through a company called www.kitepilot.net. Is dial up service still in use by you full timers?
I know this is trivial but do I need fire rings and picnic tables? I think I do.
We're starting next week, and I'll welcome any comments.
thanks everybody
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atb
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07/12/08 07:35am |
Full-time RVing
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RE: New RV Court Advice
However be careful you don't turn it into a trailer park. Long term campers have a lot of long term stuff which can quickly clutter up the place. You better have rules to keep that under control and out of site.
I understand what you are saying. And I intend to keep close tabs on everything. I'm hoping to find snowbirds who would like to keep a site leased all year, even while they are gone. I care about my neighbors property values, and I believe in good stewardship. I will not create a ghetto.
Also, if anyone had a boat or cargo trailer I can provide a parking place in a back pasture. Junk will not be an issue. I'll be the one mowing, and if I have to climb off the tractor to move something there will be hell to pay!;) (just kidding)
Of course if anyone wanted to store their rig on a site while they went home for a season I'd keep an eye on things for them.
I'm hoping to market the sites through a couple of the major class A dealerships on I-75. I only need 5 customers.
So what else would a dream spot have?
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atb
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07/10/08 12:34pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: New RV Court Advice
I understand that larger RVs need 50 amps. But:
50 RV
15 washer
30 dryer
15 freezer
20 baseboard heater
15 building
30 water heater for laundry (possibly)
145 amps total
So - I know I don't need the full 200 amps, but my fear is that 100 amps will be on the fence. The next level is 200. The cost to install 200 amp over 100 amp service for 5 sites is not that significant.
Almost all houses today have a 200 amp panel, and because of that the equipment is very inexpensive. The site would also be electrically "cabin ready" if I ever chose to switch a site to a cabin.
The sites will be rentals. I will be very strict about the junk. That's the main reason I'm including the building - so people will have a place for the inevitable "stuff".
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atb
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07/10/08 07:10am |
Full-time RVing
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RE: New RV Court Advice
Each site will have it's own meter.
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atb
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07/09/08 09:18pm |
Full-time RVing
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