Weekend Property with a Camper/Travel Trailer

We have been thinking about buying some land and getting a camper to keep on it with the longterm goal of building a cabin (probably 10+yrs down the road so the camper would be the plan until then)

We are looking at properties that range from 2Ac up to 10Ac around 2 lakes we enjoy fishing (open water and ice).

Never having a camper before, Im just starting to research them and have talked to a few people I know that use them quite a bit. Wanting to use the property apporx every other weekend and as close to year-round as I can, Im told we would need a camper that has the “Arctic” or “Winter” package for the extra insulation. I would expect to keep the holding tanks empty over the winter and for the rest of the year, I would take the camper to a location that I can empty the tanks as needed (there are a couple of parks near the lakes with facilities)

Depending on the property, I know there will be some clearing that needs to be done as the lots are either fully wooded or mostly wooded. I would have power brought back from the road as well even though I believe some camper options allow for propane to use for some of the appliances.

Im guessing there is someone on this site that has gone thru this and has something similar. Are there things that I need to plan for? Ideally, I would like to use the camper as much as possible but can understand it may not be best in the dead of winter other than the occasional warmer weekend, but if I can use it from mid/late March thru November, I would enjoy that for sure

I was interested in the same thing for a paticular property but zoning or building code would not allow me to use or store a camper on that property. A friend in Texas had a setup like you propose. He had a large concrete pad he parked the trailer on with a steel roof over it held up by steel poles. It had electricity and septic to it. If you did that and planned it right the concrete pad could be a patio for the cabin later.

I just did something very similar. Purchased 3 acres. I call it poor mans lake property. The 3 acres does not have any lake shore on it. The lake is right across the road and we can clearly see it. Along with the 3 acres is partial ownership to another lot a half mile down the road that is on a beautiful quiet little bay where we can put a dock, boat lift etc.

The 3 acres already had a 200 amp service with a rv pedestal on it. Driveway was already in. Has two structures on it. A 10X15 storage shed for lawn mower etc. and a 16X24 pavillion or car port which could be turned into a small cabin at some point but we have no intentions of doing so for tax purposes. We had a motor home and traded that in on a 40′ destination trailer that will be parked on the property and blocked up and a deck built on it and will not be moved again.

It has no well for fresh water so we will be hauling our fresh water up to keep the 40 gallon on board tank full. I bought a 45 gallon water bladder to haul water in. For the first year we are going to have a porta potty brought in by a service. They come once a week and pump it out, clean it and restock with toilet paper and chemical. We decided to go this route because we didn’t want guests having to go in and out of the camper to use the bathroom all the time. They charge $90 a month for this service. Next year we will bury a 1000 gallon holding tank and have that pumped out at the end of summer. We may do a well down the road depending on how often and how much of a hassle it is to haul water. Others in the area have said it cost them between 6 and $8000 to drill a well as they had to drill over 100 feet. I can haul a lot of water for that much.

We plan to use it in the winter time for ice fishing purposes. There will be no water available besides what we bring with us but heat and electric is all we need for a couple days.

Besides the driveway and a large area that had all the topsoil scraped off and gravel fill brought in by the previous owner we decided to expand on the fill area for our larger camper so we are waiting for that to be done before we get the new camper brought in and set up.

There are lots of things to consider with something like this and every day it seems like I think of something else I hadn’t thought of before.

If you get any questions along the way let me know I might be able to help you out with a answer!

Let me add this on campers. They are all pretty much built equally cheap with equally cheap materials. Camping has realized a 25 to 30% growth in the last 5 to 7 years and the manufacturers are cranking these things out as fast as possible. Expect to have some issues, I do. I’m hoping they will be kept to a minimum due to it not bouncing down the road every weekend. Shop for your ideal floor plan and budget and don’t worry too much about the brand.

Thanks for the info, had not thought of burying a holding tank. I can see where that would be a cheaper alternative than a septic. Would this be used for both grey and black water discharge then?

bigstorm wrote:

Thanks for the info, had not thought of burying a holding tank. I can see where that would be a cheaper alternative than a septic. Would this be used for both grey and black water discharge then?

Yes. But even though the camper will be piped directly into the holding tank the valves should be left closed until the tanks are nearly full. This is so the solids stay in your black tank and get a chance to dissolve and then you can flush your grey water behind you black water.

You can bury a cement holding tank or plastic. Plastic is far cheaper as you won’t need any heavy equipment to lower it into the hole. However I think codes in most places require you to pour a cement slab on top of a plastic holding tank to keep it from possibly floating to the top. Check with your local county and what they want you to do.

I am currently using a camper trailer on my hunting property as we build a cabin. We’ve been using the trailer for a couple of years during the hunting seasons.

With this experience using a camper in colder weather, I can tell you they are urine-poor at best for the following reasons:

1. Mice are a constant problem.

2. Keeping a trailer water tight is a constant battle. Terrible construction methods used.

3. Having no water and being unable to use the toilet in the colder weather just sucks.

4. RV systems like the furnace are just good enough to get by.

Bottom line is a trailer is just a slight upgrade on sleeping in a tent.

IMO, for what you will pay as much for an insulated, well-built travel trailer, I’d look at just getting a small “loft cabin” that is well built, on a slab, with a good stove or heater and all the comforts of home except probably a toilet. You could even add a porto potty if you wanted the indoor option. You can even add an interior water system that just drains out the side so you can still have sink water for washing and cooking in the winter.

It would be no problem to build a small cabin or to buy a pre-built shell and IMO it’d be much more pleasant to actually use.

Just something to think about and price compare. IMO

Grouse

Our situation is unique as they all are I guess. My son in law has a Ice Castle which are far more insulated that a regular camper and he will have that on the property this winter for us to stay in rather than our large camper that is not nearly as insulated as the Ice Castle. We both have portables we can use and I have a 8X16 I can pull with my wheeler on the lake if we find a spot where we want to leave it.

Most of the newer campers have the bottom sealed off which greatly reduces mouse intrusions but we will still put out all the usual mouse deterrents and set a couple traps indoors when fall comes and they start to look for a winter home.

Winter camping in a standard camper for a period of more than a couple days at a time in mild winter weather gets challenging. Bottle water works for everything except a shower of course but for ice fishing we won’t be up there for more than a couple days at a time.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

I am currently using a camper trailer on my hunting property as we build a cabin. We’ve been using the trailer for a couple of years during the hunting seasons.

With this experience using a camper in colder weather, I can tell you they are urine-poor at best for the following reasons:

1. Mice are a constant problem.

2. Keeping a trailer water tight is a constant battle. Terrible construction methods used.

3. Having no water and being unable to use the toilet in the colder weather just sucks.

4. RV systems like the furnace are just good enough to get by.

Bottom line is a trailer is just a slight upgrade on sleeping in a tent.

IMO, for what you will pay as much for an insulated, well-built travel trailer, I’d look at just getting a small “loft cabin” that is well built, on a slab, with a good stove or heater and all the comforts of home except probably a toilet. You could even add a porto potty if you wanted the indoor option. You can even add an interior water system that just drains out the side so you can still have sink water for washing and cooking in the winter.

It would be no problem to build a small cabin or to buy a pre-built shell and IMO it’d be much more pleasant to actually use.

Just something to think about and price compare. IMO

Grouse

I agree 100%

Spend 20-30 grand on a little cabin instead of a camper.

In 10 years your cabin will still be worth every penny….a camper will be worth pennies on the dollar.

https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/wsh/grq/d/houlton-lofted-barn-cabin-free-delivery/6888944801.html

Sheds that can be delivered are now called lofted cabins? Put a name on it people will buy it. Sorry I just find it funny. I guess come to my lofted cabin for the weekend sounds better than come to my shed for the weekend. shed kinda sounds creepy.

As TFG said—Mice are a serious problem in campers. Everyone I know with campers complain about this. Doesn’t matter if they are new or old or what you try to keep them out.

Thanks for all of the replies, good info and things I haven’t thought of

I have a park model trailer at a resort. I use it in the fall for duck hunting and other purposes, just bring water along after we turn off water. I also use it for ice fishing in the winter, but kind of have to cherry pick the milder weekends. Burns a lot of propane and the furnace rarely shuts off, they are just not insulated that well. Also you will get lots of condensation on the windows. But we are usually out in the portables all day long and only turn the furnace on for sleep. It works for a night or two.

1hl&sinker wrote:

Sheds that can be delivered are now called lofted cabins? Put a name on it people will buy it. Sorry I just find it funny.

I always thought they were called lofted cabins because they were a cabin with….wait for it…a loft for a bed. If only I’d known it was just a marketing gimmick.

The point is that solid walls, a pitched roof, actual insulation, and a real wood stove or gas heater make for a hell of a lot more pleasant place to stay when it’s cold and wet outside compared to a trailer/camper.

And compared to buying an overpriced, underbuilt camper, I see a lot of value in a freaking shed, tiny house, creeper cabin, whatever you want to call it.

Grouse

I always thought they were called lofted cabins because they were a cabin with….wait for it…a loft for a bed. If only I’d known it was just a marketing gimmick.

The point is that solid walls, a pitched roof, actual insulation, and a real wood stove or gas heater make for a hell of a lot more pleasant place to stay when it’s cold and wet outside compared to a trailer/camper.

And compared to buying an overpriced, underbuilt camper, I see a lot of value in a freaking shed, tiny house, creeper cabin, whatever you want to call it.

Grouse

[/quote]

Looking at some of these, this may be a good option. I have found a few local places with pricing for the structure (sided, roofed and windows/door) with a bare inside for less cost that a newer camper, roughly $11K for a 16ft x 32ft compared to a newer 18ft camper at closer to $20K. That would allow for us to work on inside over time and finish as we want. It could be used for 10+yrs as a small cabin then later build something a bit larger

Be sure the floor of the shed is insulated. You can do the walls and roof but the floor sucks once the shed is set.

And if you’re going to go that far you may as well have the concrete slab with in-floor heat. Very cost efficient heating and probably ideal for year round use.

But……. that’s the problem. Where do you draw the line? Also, do you want a full blown project every time you go up?? Or just pull in a unit and be done with it. It’s a time value / money decision.

That’s another thing I didn’t want. Project to do every weekend while you are there. There is a lot of work left to be done in those sheds. Electrical,plumbing. insulation, finish the walls and floors and then there’s furniture and appliances trim work etc. etc. And when you are done it will always have that converted shed/garage feel to it. At that point you may as well find something that has a year around house with a house furnace indoor plumbing full size resedential appliances and the real comforts of home summer or winter.

I have my cool weather and winter stays covered by using the ice castle rather than the camper for ice fishing trips. Another thought is that right now my taxes on the property were $285 last year. And that was with a camper on it. As soon as you put a permanent living structure on it your taxes will increase very significantly.

There is no right or wrong way here it’s all in what you want and how you envision using the property and how you want to spend your money.

bigstorm wrote:

but if I can use it from mid/late March thru November, I would enjoy that for sure

Use my camper on my own lot April to mid Oct. After that it get tuff to keep heated. You will want to have all the water lines cleared out by mid Oct anyway. You mentioned you will have electric. Just heat with space heaters. I like the convection oil filled radiator types. Dryer heat than propane puts out.

Mice – spray foam is your friend. Fill in every possible entry point. Then set a lot of glue traps. It’s a problem that can be managed if you work at it.

Good luck.

-J.

Adding onto the shed idea, there is a reason you see a ton of “cabins” that are pole barns with living space either on the second floor or at the back part of the first floor. Super cheap to get a big space that you can build out as you get time. But again, you didn’t want a project. Just something to think about.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>1hl&sinker wrote:</div>
Sheds that can be delivered are now called lofted cabins? Put a name on it people will buy it. Sorry I just find it funny.

I always thought they were called lofted cabins because they were a cabin with….wait for it…a loft for a bed. If only I’d known it was just a marketing gimmick.

The point is that solid walls, a pitched roof, actual insulation, and a real wood stove or gas heater make for a hell of a lot more pleasant place to stay when it’s cold and wet outside compared to a trailer/camper.

And compared to buying an overpriced, underbuilt camper, I see a lot of value in a freaking shed, tiny house, creeper cabin, whatever you want to call it.

Grouse

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

whatever you want to call it.

Jimminy Crickets! I was just funnin. I agree with ya. Do I have declare something to it make funnin.
PS. I can understand your reaction as my post have been confrontational at times.

Probably won’t influence your decision but my co worker has one of the newer lofted cabins on his lake property finished the inside with knotty pine and a few amenities ,I asked him today if any bears or critters had gotten in yet his response was no but he did say spiders were finding there way in and a ton of them . Keep that in mind if you’ve never seen the videos of spiders climbing in and out of peoples ears when they sleep,they have big wolf spiders up north he said

When we bought our land we thought about campers but ended up building a 24 X 42 garage. We framed off an L shaped room with a small bedroom and put in some patio doors. Over time we added water & septic, a woodstove etc… we could store our boat, lawnmower, gas cans and the other 2000 must have items. Once we built the house we took the wall out and are back to just a garage. Wouldn’t do it any other way.

I know a lot of people get a permit for a garage and then add some living quarters later to save on taxes.

belletaine wrote:

When we bought our land we thought about campers but ended up building a 24 X 42 garage. We framed off an L shaped room with a small bedroom and put in some patio doors. Over time we added water & septic, a woodstove etc… we could store our boat, lawnmower, gas cans and the other 2000 must have items. Once we built the house we took the wall out and are back to just a garage. Wouldn’t do it any other way.

How does the plumbing work in this situation? Don’t you have to have the plumbing planned out and run through the concrete slab before you pour?

And, is it relatively easy to change connections over to the house?

Morel King wrote:

Probably won’t influence your decision but my co worker has one of the newer lofted cabins on his lake property finished the inside with knotty pine and a few amenities ,I asked him today if any bears or critters had gotten in yet his response was no but he did say spiders were finding there way in and a ton of them . Keep that in mind if you’ve never seen the videos of spiders climbing in and out of peoples ears when they sleep,they have big wolf spiders up north he said

He should do a premise spray which should be quite effective. Tempo would be a good one.

lindyrig79 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>belletaine wrote:</div>
When we bought our land we thought about campers but ended up building a 24 X 42 garage. We framed off an L shaped room with a small bedroom and put in some patio doors. Over time we added water & septic, a woodstove etc… we could store our boat, lawnmower, gas cans and the other 2000 must have items. Once we built the house we took the wall out and are back to just a garage. Wouldn’t do it any other way.

How does the plumbing work in this situation? Don’t you have to have the plumbing planned out and run through the concrete slab before you pour?

And, is it relatively easy to change connections over to the house?
[/quote
Yes, we had the plumbing roughed in in the slab. The well was outside with the tank inside. Was very easy to transfer to the house, just ran new lines a new tank in the basement.

well i’ll add my 2 cents. our family has had a cabin since 1965. just a simple cabin on a slab. its been added one to once. we use it year round. has electricity, a propane furnace. the plumping consists of an outdoor, hole in the ground, biffy house built over it. has bunks, a little bathroom thats private with sink stove etc. in the summer we have a drain from the sink that goes out to a miniture drain field. it needs remodeling once in a while. in the winter, waste water drains in a 5 gal bucket and gets carried out.

for water we transport the drinking water. for washing up, dishes we use lake water as we are on a lake.

so yea like some said while a camper may be a quick fix, look long term and start with a building shell. campers stink when it comes to resale.

There is little doubt building a cabin is the better long-term financial decision

But it just depends on what point in your life you are, and what you are looking for. Expect a lot of work if you build a cabin. Plain and simple.

I have two little kids and when I get to the lake I want minimal projects. For us, having a park model at a resort is ideal. Our lot rent is probably equal to the property taxes alone we would pay on a decent cabin. Also, our priorities are good lake access, good fishing, and a sandy beach.

Our family would not have very much fun if every time we went up I was consumed with construction / remodeling and we had to wait years for running water and flushing toilets.

Have to find what works for you