Forum Discussion

mikec88's avatar
mikec88
Explorer
Mar 23, 2017

Private RV lot

I vacation in Western North Carolina in the summer and winter in Eastern South Carolina in my RV. I prefer the quiet of my own space and am contemplating buying a small piece of land in each location and putting utilities on it. I have no plans to rent it out when I am not using it. Has anyone else done this? What should I be concerned with if I do this?
  • I agree zoning needs to be checked.

    I would like to do the same somewhere in south Florida. Somewhere far enough from the coast so I can afford it.

    Be aware in NC they will likely not cut power on to a site if they know it is going to be occupied unless you have sewer / septic approved. You might be able to find a properly zoned place, install a small outbuilding and run power and water to it. Then after a bit of a wait move in the RV and deal with the sewer in your own way.

    I see some Rv out in rural areas in NC but have no idea if they are legal.
  • I think you first need to make sure the property is zoned so you can park the camper there (and stay in it).

    Next, you'll probably want electricity. Most electric companies will not put a meter in the middle of no where. They require some kind of building. They will run a line to a pole if that pole is use for an electric hook-up in a construction site. But eventually, that line either comes down, or a building is built around it. You need to DOUBLE check with the local electric company.

    Third, you'll need to check zoning for sewage disposal. So many say, just go ahead an bury a barrel and dump into it. I would think you'd want to be above board and honest with your plan. Besides, it would be terrible if someone from the zoning board snooped around your property and found you had a sewer line going into the ground. You'll be given notice to get it dug up, and if not within the specified time frame, you'll be fined. (this happened to my mother's neighbor when he tried to slip in a mobile home and tried to sneak in 4 - 55 gallon drums for a septic tank. He dug the holes, everything, put the tanks in place, and was about to cover every up when someone from the zoning board came by, and guess what? The property was zoned single family dwelling, and was not zoned for mobile homes. He ended up having to undo all the digging he did, and eventually get rid of the trailer. He was pi$$ed. He ended up use his shack of a shed, and converted the inside of it into livable space. I think he dug a hole in the ground (inside the shack), and put in one of those drums and installed a toilet (It's all inside, so no one will probably ever know). But he was really mad over that.

    Next, you'll need access to the spot your camper will park. If it is a wooded area, you'll need to remove trees to clear a path to even access the property. You'll need to lay down a drive way, and a pad for the RV. Even if your driveway is dirt, you'll still need to clear a path. Here again, zoning may be your friend, or it might be your enemy. If the property is wooded, or somehow designated as an environment specific property, you might not be able to clear the land as you wish. Still, something you should check into if you plan on developing the land, (and if it is raw land, yes, you are developing it).

    Anyway, just some suggestions for things you need to consider. I hope it works out OK for you. But really, it might be easier to simply put a mobile home on the property, and you'd still have the same life-style, and probably better acceptance from neighbors and zoning, and everyone else.
  • My brother has a cabin in the woods and has had problems with vandals. He pulls his well pump out before he leaves. One year a neighbor harvested the hardwood on half his land. His land is in Missouri.
  • Get a "mini-farm" where you will not have any zoning laws.

    Check the boondocking posting

    Installing electrical and water $$$$

    Septic can be a simple 55 gallon drum in the ground with a few field lines Less than $200 if you do it yourself.

    I have been "parked" for 5 years no problem.
  • mikec88 wrote:
    What should I be concerned with if I do this?


    Zoning laws not letting you do that.