We have just about completed our 3 year journey to camp and visit in all of the lower 48 states. As we traveled we often took a look at those southern communties in Arizona, Texas, Alabama and Florida where one can buy a small brick and mortar house with a huge garage or RV port. We live in North Texas and for all kinds of reasons we won't be moving our base from there,but why can't a builder do those RV Port homes here? So we've contacted a few and invited them to do their own surveys at the RV shows. We published our message to them in our blog. If your interested, this link will take your directly to the articles and research. Feel free to comment back here or in the blog if you like.Who builds a home with an RV Garage or Port

In a lot of places, building codes limit the ratio of garage space to living space or limit the height of homes to the point a 14' door is a problem to integrate into a building while still meeting hurricane requirements.

Boy this must be a sign. Just yesterday I was thinking of the same thing in fact I was googling floor plans for such a home. How often does this subject come up?My dream would be to buy some land in perhaps east Tennessee where it's somewhat centrally located in the country, still have four seasons, plus for years I would tell my wife this is where we are going to retire someday. Anyway, there are a couple of such developments in Tennesse but they are not what I am looking for either. I like you am interested in just a small home with an attached Rv garage for a home base like this one. Living space under 1000 sq. ft. would be all we need. So with that being said I don't think this type of home would would work in any planned subdivision but if it would work at all it would have to be on property/acreage. Then I start thinking of resale as it would be a unique home that may or may not be hard to sell someday. My thought would be put it on property further off the road where one could build a "normal" home in front and the Rv home could be the barn that has a guest house attached or simply converted into shop space. Being unique I would want it to be flexible space.Dan

We are searching for the same thing in a 55+ community.Builders need to build more of these homes.

A new subdivision south of Denver has a couple models with RV garages going in. RV Garage Homes

I am a new home builder, and basically I don't think you will ever see a builder construct a spec home with an RV garage. It just limits your potential buyer pool and it's too large an investment to wait for the "right buyer".I recently built myself a new home on a half-acre lot in a subdivision with about 75 lots. Another builder in this area built a 3000' home with a four car garage Plus an RV garage. Very well done, but it was a custom home at about $600k. The buyer paid for this home as it was built. And, while it's a great idea for the person with a nice motor home who wants to keep it close, another problem I see is selling the home in the future. In ten years the person who built this home with the RV garage will have "aged out" of the RV lifestyle, looking to downsize, and while it won't be impossible, it will be a little harder to sell to your average buyer.So, if you want an RV garage, you will probably need to build it yourself, or contract with a builder. But, they are really nice.

What about those houses with RV Garages | Good Sam Community

blofgren
Explorer
Feb 09, 2019
westernrvparkowner wrote:
fred42 wrote:
Are these attached RV garages usually climate controlled? You could set that zone to 40 degrees and never winterize again.
Heating a garage in a cold weather area is much more expensive than having your RV professionally winterized and then de-winterized. And 40 degrees does not provide enough safety margin should the power go out and your heating system shuts down for even a short period of time. It is usually recommended that heat be set to a minimum of 50 degrees when leaving a home unattended in cold climes.

x2. It's simply not worth the risk to not winterize.
westernrvparkow
Explorer
Feb 08, 2019
fred42 wrote:
Are these attached RV garages usually climate controlled? You could set that zone to 40 degrees and never winterize again.
Heating a garage in a cold weather area is much more expensive than having your RV professionally winterized and then de-winterized. And 40 degrees does not provide enough safety margin should the power go out and your heating system shuts down for even a short period of time. It is usually recommended that heat be set to a minimum of 50 degrees when leaving a home unattended in cold climes.
IdaD
Explorer
Feb 08, 2019
fred42 wrote:
Are these attached RV garages usually climate controlled? You could set that zone to 40 degrees and never winterize again.

In most of the country a garage attached to a heated home won't generally get cold enough to require winterizing a camper parked inside during the winter.
Community Alumni
Feb 08, 2019
fred42 wrote:
Are these attached RV garages usually climate controlled? You could set that zone to 40 degrees and never winterize again.

My RV garage has central air and heat because it was a model home, but most don't in areas that don't have freezing temps.
Ralph_Cramden
Explorer II
Feb 08, 2019
hbillsmith wrote:
We are not opposed to purchasing a small residential lot and building our own RV garage home, however, this is difficult to find. If we found a residential lot in an established community, the building restrictions would most-likely not allow this type of home.

It's not so much the building restrictions already in place a lot of times, as much as it is the busy body NIMBY's who have nothing better to do than spew their rancid spunk at zoning or planning commission meetings. All in an attempt to dictate what you do on your property. You have to keep going further and further away from the populated madhouse areas to avoid those morons.
fred42
Explorer
Feb 08, 2019
Are these attached RV garages usually climate controlled? You could set that zone to 40 degrees and never winterize again.
hbillsmith
Explorer
Feb 08, 2019
Thanks for all of your input! We do understand HOA guidelines as we currently live in a HOA restricted area, and truly appreciate the rules as it helps maintain our home value. We do believe that a small community built exclusively with RV Garages/RV Ports in far North Dallas where there is a HOA with restrictions would be successful for all of us RV/Motorhome owners. It would be built on the premise of the over-50 senior communities, but with RV garages. We are not opposed to purchasing a small residential lot and building our own RV garage home, however, this is difficult to find. If we found a residential lot in an established community, the building restrictions would most-likely not allow this type of home. Keep your suggestions coming, if you live in the North Dallas area, let us know your thoughts!
Big_Katuna
Explorer II
Feb 07, 2019
Hammerboy wrote:
Big Katuna wrote:
This website advertises RV Barn/house plans.

I never checked into prices.

Uncle Howard’s Kits

To bad his the plan links don't work.

Dan

I didn’t click on any pictures.

Makes me think he’s defunct. I’d found it years ago.
Hammerboy
Explorer
Feb 07, 2019
Big Katuna wrote:
This website advertises RV Barn/house plans.

I never checked into prices.

Uncle Howard’s Kits

To bad his the plan links don't work.

Dan
Big_Katuna
Explorer II
Feb 07, 2019
This website advertises RV Barn/house plans.

I never checked into prices.

Uncle Howard’s Kits

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