Barn Living in Your RV

[Rambler]

Well the Wife and I are 4 Years from retirement and my Job will take Us back to Ohio in 2012. We are thinking about building a barn when We return and living in the 5th Wheel, inside the Barn. Later We can Travel and use the Barn as home base. Right now I'm thinking 40X60 with Water, Septic and Electic Hook up. Insulate the Barn with a little heat and good to go. I'm curious if anyone out there is doing this or has knowledge.

 

[jmgratz]

We aren't doing that but it sure sounds like a great plan to me. Then after retirement you can close up the barn in the winter and head south joining the snowbird crowd.

 

[truknutt]

While I don't live in it full time, I have been banished to my version of a "Man Cave" on occasion. An external LP tank would be nice so you could heat both the barn & the 5er; maybe an external satellite dish, & if you don't have one already, a generator.

 

[Moose]

While I don't live in it full time, I have been banished to my version of a "Man Cave" on occasion. An external LP tank would be nice so you could heat both the barn & the 5er; maybe an external satellite dish, & if you don't have one already, a generator.

That is super nice!

 

[loafer]

Hey Dave thats one cool Man Cave
I would even have room for the street rod behind the truck.
Not a bad place to get banished to LOL
Looks good
Bill

 

[brunomisty]

Nice set-up Dave

 

[SouthernNights]

Good looking building Dave...

 

[truknutt]

Thanks guys, the secret is to have a DW who, even when pushed to her limits, can BANISH you and still feel she hasn't made you suffer to terribly!! The other plus for her is that you're close by if she really hasn't finished with her tirade and needs to pick up with round #2 or in my case, 3 or 4...!!!

 

[ChopperBill]

Nice Dave, where is the beer fridge? I have always had a interest in barns. An acquaintance of ours has a barn that they put there MH in. It has a kitchen setup on one wall a bathroom and a bedroom. I always wondered if you heat the whole building or just the RV while staying in it. If just the RV, how do you vent the furnace flue?

 

[jmgratz]

I have seen some people take a building similar to this one and build it out inside as the sticks & bricks and then use the other part for their vehicle storage area. Comes out nice.

 

[westxsrt10]

For us building the barn before the house is a great idea and we will do it again soon in Idaho. (40 x 50 x 14 shown) The next one will be 48 x 72 x 14). http://www.sunwardsteel.com/DealsSales/

 

[irvin56]

here's some floor plans for rv homes
http://www.boothillrvresort.com/rvhomes.html

I like the idea of closed heated area for the living space, but can still use your rv when it's in there.

Now about 3 yrs ago there was some postings of a company that would build you a home on your site, land, that has the same setup as these and Daves(only not as a truck garage) with out the interior wall of garage.They build it as if you just back/ pull up to a patio and walk out of you rv door onto patio, used your rv as normal with just a bigger inclosed patio. It had a washroom and extra bedroom, small kitchen setup. Only big thing is your side of the rv always showed. Could close off complex but never got into info enough to find out about venting for propane. They would built it however you wanted. according to the space your lot was

I just though that was a neat idea.

 

[Rambler]

Thanks for all the response. After looking at Dave's building, it definetly gives me ideas. I also never thought about the furnace vent issue. That's why it's great having this avenue of communication. I have a couple years to plan and our Son in Law is an Architect, so I can start roughing out my ideas. If there is any other comments out there, keep um comin.

 

[Tom_Diane]

I stayed in a private campground inthe 90's and the owner I thought was an actual home that just needed some updates. Turn out that it was a small machine shed that was left standing before the area was turned from a farm residence to a private cg. Anyway, this house that tuned out to be a machine shed had aluminum storm windows all aroundon the south side and a large garage door on one end. I stayed at the cg several times over the years and while talking with the owner one day she said she was going to put in a new trailer. I asked if she was going to tear her house down for the trailer and she told me her set up then she showed me. Pretty neat set up,the shed was insulated and heated and she heated her trailer(large older camper) from the building heat. They lived in it year around in Iowa. Seems like a reasonable way to travel in the summer and then winter at home with the family.

 

[RoadJunkie]

Isn't there a song that goes along with this thread?

Barn living in your RV
Farm living is the life for me
Land spreading out, so far and wide
Keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside.

And so on...

 

[Moose]

Be sure to check your local Land Use By-Laws, Zoning Regulations, etc so that some enforcement officer doesn't show up some day telling you you can't live in an "RV in a Barn". LOL

Alternatively, if you don't want to know the answer . . . . don't ask the question.

 

[RollingHome]

Rambler, We keep our rig in our toy barn. Mainly to protect it from the elements. It's kinda nice to hear the rain tingleing on the metal roof and still be able to keep dry. Ditto for the rig. However, nothing beats the ding of hail as it pounds the metal roof, ya can't even talk over it... the whole time mt toys are dry and protected. I still keep UV covers on my China Bombs just to give em a fightin chance. Real nice having a big toy barn