Buying land for camping...

[kfp673]

Hello all,

I am not sure if this is in the correct category, and this is really just a curious question / dream. Has anyone every (or known anyone who has) purchased a piece of land specifically to either leave your camper or take your camper to for camping? I am not speaking of the RV parks where you own your lot. I am talking about a random super rural property where you are on your own. As I sit at an RV park in northern PA with a site right on the lake, I think it would be amazing to have a property deep in the woods that sits on a pond or lake with no one around but us. But I would think getting electric/water/sewer to those locations would be costly.

Again, purely curious.

[riltri]

We purchased 12 acres in the NC mountains 25 years ago. Put a 24' camper on it and used it for 3 years on weekends with our 2 girls who were 7 & 9. Absolutely had a blast. Three years later the adjoining property came up for sale with a small shack on it. We remodeled the shack and used it for the next 10 years. Twelve years ago we built a new home on the property.

Now we have a lot on the Steinhatchee River in FL and live in our 5th during the winters.

[Gulfcoast]

There is land available, just have to be careful on zoning rules for RV's.

[JAC1982]

Some family members of mine have what they call a "shabin", it's a cabin but has no plumbing. There is electrical. They ended up buying a travel trailer and parking right next to the cabin, and they use the trailer bathroom instead of traipsing out to an outhouse. Easy enough to hitch it up and dump it on the way home once it's full, then bring it back on their next trip up. So that's a way to "skirt" the zoning rules since the actual residence is technically a cabin.

[Roy_Lynne]

I saw a You Tube video about were you could purchase really cheap land. Some of the places had no water but others were really nice. BUT before you do something like that you need to check zoning laws cause we had a gentleman do that and they wouldn't allow him to park his RV on it.

[Bumpyroad]

Gulfcoast wrote:
I just bought an old mobile home lot in my state with all the utilities in place real cheap. Now I have to buy something to keep an acre of grass mowed.

well years back I would have loaned you my goats.they are good mowers.
bumpy

[Gulfcoast]

I just bought an old mobile home lot in my state with all the utilities in place real cheap. Now I have to buy something to keep an acre of grass mowed.

[kfp673]

Thanks again all. Was hoping to get a few replies and am surprised how many of you have direct experience or friends/family with this experience. Again, not on the radar any time soon, but I always like thinking a few years ahead and always like thinking of new ideas.

Maybe some day I'll stumble across an old abandon mobile home deep in the woods along side a pond with a well already dug, electric already run, and a septic solution where all I need to do is remove the old trailer and replace it. Anyway, thanks again for the feedback. Ironically, we have taken 7 trips so far this summer to 7 different locations. Most within 3 hours of home but never the less, we also enjoy the new sights. Maybe I'll just buy multiple campers. It's only money right?!?! 😉

[camper_ron]

dalej wrote:
Been doing it in the winter for 11 years on land in Terlingua. Fortunate to have water close by.

You do not have trouble with Mexicans trespassing thru you property?

r0n.....?

[memtb]

kfp673, A friend of ours recently purchased a nice little spot in NW Montana! Beautiful area! The small lot was part of an area developed for semi or permanent RV use. Their site already had an asphalt drive, all utilities and a permanent shed/outbuilding can be put on the property! memtb

[JAC1982]

My father in law just did this outside of Mesquite, NV. Eventually he wants to build a house on it but who knows if he'll ever have the money. So for now it's his snowbird spot. He had electric and septic installed and I believe it already had a well on it. Wasn't cheap though, around $90,000 for 1 acre.

But as mentioned, you'll want to closely review the local zoning ordinances etc. Some areas don't allow you to live in a home that doesn't have a foundation. Others have size requirements for minimum square footage. Our neighbors got a killer deal on a 5th wheel because a couple bought it to live in on their land when they were building their house. A couple months in the county showed up and said "nope" so they had to sell the 5th wheel to have money to pay for an apartment while the house construction finished.

[Bumpyroad]

joelc wrote:

It has to do with RV rules in the area and area zoning laws. When we got the build permit this was one of the stipulations. However, all our neighbors did not care about it.

must be a difference between a RV and a house trailer/mobile home.
bumpy

[joelc]

Bumpyroad wrote:

joelc wrote:
We have a 1 Acre zoned Agriculture lot in NC that we installed a pad, shed with washer drier and all RV hook ups. The only problem is we must stay 6mo on and 6 mo off.Actually, no longer than 6 months on lot. It is fenced in for privacy. Our neighbor was good enough to check the RV and keep the dehumidifier filter clean. We hired someone to cut the lawn.

I can see that 6 months or whatever establishing residency but what other reason is there? I mean, can you "camp" 7 months and of course you are then a resident and then must change car tags, etc.
bumpy

It has to do with RV rules in the area and area zoning laws. When we got the build permit this was one of the stipulations. However, all our neighbors did not care about it.

[colliehauler]

A good friend has a spot at a hunting camp in Arkansas. Several people divide the cost of the lease. He has power and water but no septic. He has a used trailer with little value there. In the off season people come in a take anything of value when there is no one around. He leaves the trailer unlocked and nothing of value inside.

I personally would be worried about theft having a small place in the woods by myself, especially if no one was around most of the time.

[sayoung]

We didn't buy our mini farm for actually camping . However with the pandemic it has served us well as a get away. We have a RV shelter , covered patio , 2 shops, well, & septic that is sized for a small house.
We have a small vineyard, garden, fruit trees , & a lot of flowers planted. It's about 10 miles from our small town so we spend a lot of time there. Keep the 5er plugged up & air/heat on so we work a while, nap awhile. We can hookup & go if we want/need to as we keep a good food supply & we have our RV clothes. Just stop for perishables.
We keep bird feeders out & lots of different species abound. We even have a big dead hollow tree with a huge honeybee population. I don't mind going often to the same place.