Building a small RV park.

[Jim]

A couple of thoughts for you:

1. Get your email on the Starlink list. At the very least that will solve your communication problems & the fees should be tax deductible.

2. Speaking of fees, your local & state governments may have a boat load of laws and regulations for a campground. This often depends on number of sites.

Yep, we paid our $99.00 and got on the list. But from what I understand, Starlink access is going to be minimal here in the states. And even if I do get chosen, I doubt it's going to handle an RV Park full of streaming devices. I guess we could put a receiver at each site, but that would be cost prohibitive.

I met with a fellow from Viasat on Thursday and he is pricing out a WiFi system for the park. Even if it's not a perfect solution, at least we can get some service at the pavilion. That would let people check their email's and use their phones, assuming they can use WiFi calling.

 

[Jim]

Are you including picnic tables?

If this is directed to me, then yes, of course. We decided to make our own out of some Locust that is here on the property. I'll run the trees through the sawmill and then Lee (the carpenter who is framing the gazebos) will assemble it into picnic tables.

I had priced tables at Lowes and they get about $100.00 per table. That's not bad but they're built out of pine, and they'll only last a few years at best. Locust is quite durable and the tables we build will last many years. Also, each gazebo will have a bar attached to one side, and there will be a bench attached to the side of the gazebo so you can eat your lunch at the bar. As such, I think we'll be pretty well set as far as tables go.

I'm hoping to get one built this weekend and I'll post a couple of pictures.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Well Jim, sounds like a home project rather than a business one. For that I say your customers will be receiving one heck of a gift.

 

[Neemer]

Did someone say bar?

 

[Jim]

Well Jim, sounds like a home project rather than a business one. For that I say your customers will be receiving one heck of a gift.

Yeah, I want to build a reputation for having a place that people will want to come to over and over and talk about every time cool RV parks are discussed.

 

["EZ"]

Will do! It's going a lot slower than expected as we didn't take into consideration the unbelievable bad weather that has been hanging on for the last couple of months.

I'm suprised you've been able to get anything done in the last 3 months!

 

[MapNerd]

Yeah, I want to build a reputation for having a place that people will want to come to over and over and talk about every time cool RV parks are discussed.

You passed that point a while ago

 

[AuntieDodo]

By the looks of it, your “groundskeeper” is a success. It’s truly beautiful.

 

[Jim]

By the looks of it, your “groundskeeper” is a success. It’s truly beautiful.

Thank you, AuntieDodo!

 

[easterdr48]

The Deer Springs RV Campground Initiative

Trish and I have wanted to make a small RV Campground for a long time, but we just didn’t have the time. But lately, our interest has been renewed and I think we’re going to make a run at it.

The site we have chosen is a meadow down at the bottom of our property. It’s not perfectly level, but I had a company come by on Tuesday and take a look at leveling it out. The road coming in must be widened as well. Everything is subject to change of course, but here is what I’m planning at this time.

We hope to have a total of 7 sites, 4 pull through and 3 back in. This give us 6 for rental purpose and 1 for a campground host.

The good stuff: (depending on how you look at it)

• There will be full hookups at all of them
• Charcoal BBQ and fire rings
• There will be a minimum of 40’ between each of the individual RV pads, more in some cases
• The views are wonderful, and the setting is remotely luxurious
• Two huge dog runs, one for small dogs and one for larger dogs
• On site laundry room
• A nice pavilion with large, group BBQ setup
• Killer hiking, fishing and great stock Jeep trails abound. We’ll provide custom maps, GPS coordinates, etc.

The not so good stuff: (again, depending on how you look at it)

• There is no cell service in the area
• No cable and no Internet. I hope to be able to solve the Internet issue but I’m not sure just yet
• There will be no showers or toilets. There is plenty of room for them if we decide later to add them. But with full hookups, the guests should be OK and we don’t want the extra maintenance.

I’m very interested in everyone’s comments, suggestions and ideas. Below are some pictures of the project area.

Thank you all!


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What your location? Well planned out.

 

[Jim]

What your location? Well planned out.

Hi @easterdr48, we are located about 13 miles West of Franklin NC. (8291 West Old Murphy Road)

 

[Jim]

Today was the first nice day we've had in forever and the trackhoe's were digging in unison! Finally getting the septic in.

3 - septic tanks and a whole bunch of 3" & 4" PVC pipe. Apparently Covid and (insert excuse here) have made PVC difficult to find, so the price has gone through the roof. My budget has been trashed. But all-in-all, it's been a pretty good day.

Well, right up until we dug up that 25 pair telephone cable. All of my drawings show the phone cable buried directly underneath the road coming in, but it's actually a few feet to the side of the road. So I guess we'll have to add "Telephone Cable Repair" to my business card. lol

 

[RKins]

What is the black pipe for?

 

[Jim]

What is the black pipe for?

It’s called a Leaching Chamber and is designed to replace the gravel and leach systems commonly found in older septic wastewater installations. The individual sections interlock with an end cap at the end of the run. Then the system is covered with soil. Wastewater is fed in under the dome where it then dissipates down into the earth. Makes for a really fast install.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

septic tanks and a whole bunch of 3" & 4" PVC pipe. Apparently Covid and (insert excuse here) have made PVC difficult to find, so the price has gone through the roof. My budget has been trashed. But all-in-all, it's been a pretty good day.

Yup was afraid of that. PVC=plastic =oil.

 

[Jim]

Each gazebo has a counter top with sink and on the side of the gazebo is a 5'-6' bar. Today I cut some Poplar to make these counters and sinks out of. Was a rather large tree and took up every bit of space on the saw. But it's going to be beautiful when it's finished out.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

I love what you are doing, and how you are doing it. With the attention to detail you are giving this project, it can't help but be successful

As for the Poplar, I never knew it could look so good. I wish you were here in our area as I could point you to a couple of Poplar trees that would be perfect...and, they could also be removed from blocking our view of Mount Baker!

Some years back, our neighbors planted them directly in the path of our spectacular view of the mountain. Within a few years, they grew up to completely obscure the view. We have offered to pay the cost of removing them and replanting new trees outside of our view corridor, but neither he or his wife were interested, even though they acknowledged that their trees blocked our view.

The husband passed away last fall and the wife continues to live in the home. She's still not interested in removing the trees. We're waiting for the day when the house comes on the market to either buy it, remove the trees and resell it with a view easement, or negotiate a tree removal and view easement with another buyer. We'll see what happens.

Now, if you'd like to stop by some dark evening and... Well, let's just say we would cover your transportation expenses.

TJ

 

[Scooterfan]

Your milled lumber IS beautiful...what's your drying method ? Do you have access to wood kilns? I didn't know Poplar grew to that width...thought they were fast growing tall and lanky ?

 

[Jim]

Your milled lumber IS beautiful...what's your drying method ? Do you have access to wood kilns? I didn't know Poplar grew to that width...thought they were fast growing tall and lanky ?

Thank you so much. To be honest, I was building a solar kiln a couple of years ago and Winter took over. By the time Spring came around, I had bought an RV and was playing around with it. So the solar kiln sat for the year, and then the next. Fast forward to today and I'm no longer interested in building a solar kiln but with the building 1/2 finished, I decided to make it into a laundry room for the park.

So now, I just stack the milled lumber in the barn or somewhere on the property with something to cover it and keep the rain off. This wood is 2" thick and even in a kiln would take months to dry. So it's going to get used just as it is. I imagine it will dry quickly enough while it is exposed to the sun and the breeze blowing on it all day. It may warp a bit, but if it does I'll pull it off and run it through a plainer and then reinstall it.

Weather has us so far behind right now that I'm having to do things (and not do things) that I had planned on. But it's all good, RV parks (like all rushed projects) will take a few years to settle down. But it'll be OK, and in a few years nobody will remember the raged edges of the first year.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

RV parks (like all rushed projects) will take a few years to settle down. But it'll be OK, and in a few years nobody will remember the raged edges of the first year.

Yeah, but they will sure remember their first visit to your beautiful park! Just looking at the pictures makes us want to move to North Carolina.

TJ