private land camping questions, cell booster suggestions

[willald]

...Sooo, due to life circumstances, we find ourselves frequently needing to travel to and stay in an area about 450 miles from home. Having the RV (Motorhome) has worked out great for these trips. Only problem is, have not found a good campground to stay at in the area we need to be.

I did some searching for RV site rentals on craigs list, find a couple that owns some land out in the country very close to where we need to stay, and they've set up a couple RV sites on the land for short term (nightly or weekly) rental. Seems like really nice idea - Stay way out in the country, no neighbors hardly within sight, very peaceful in the country, creek running just down from the site that you can walk down to. And, of course, all of this with full hookups (50 amp, water, sewer). Call the number, talk to them, they seem really nice, so we book it, and plan to go there this last weekend.

Sooo, we make the 8 hour trip up there, find this place via GPS. Just before getting to the site, we run into neighbors of folks renting the land, and lets just say, they were not very happy about their neighbors renting their land to RVers. They'd recently had some not-so-nice people renting the site, that had caused some trouble. Neighbors say it is illegal for them to rent their land out like that to RVers, and they were in the process of trying to legally shut them down from doing such.

Despite a temptation to get the heck out of there and settle for one of the RV parks we know in the area (but really don't like)....We chose to stay. Owner of the land we were renting from met us out there, and we had a long talk. They assured us that what they are doing is perfectly legal, and the neighbors just don't like him, unhappy about past renters that caused problems, etc. Seemed like a nice couple, so we decided to try it out.

Well, we had a great stay there. Everything went great. Absolutely LOVED having nothing but woods and a dirt road around us. No neighbors right on top of us like at RV parks. Nobody bothered us entire time. It was like the best of both worlds - boondocking out in the woods, yet we had full hookups like an RV park. Yeah, no cable or satellite TV, but didn't really need that, anyway.

Only real issue we had was, cell coverage is very weak that far out in the country. I work remotely for a large financial services company, need strong cell connection to be able to work. Ultimately, would like to be able to park out there for a week or two at a time and be able to work from the RV. Will need a good cell connection to do that. I may be looking into a cell booster of some variety for that reason.

Soo, now the questions:

Has anyone ever stayed on someone's private land like this, that had RV sites set up for rent? What was your experience with such? Is this not a good idea?

Is there anything illegal about renting your land to RVers like they are doing? Do the disgruntled neighbors have a chance at shutting them down? Only thing I can think of that'd make it illegal, would be if the land isn't zoned to allow RVs? As rural as this area is, I'd seriously doubt that is the case.

Any advice, suggestions on a cell booster that'd allow for good data, and voice connections out in the boonies like that?

As always, all (well, most) comments, suggestions, etc. are welcome and appreciated. 🙂

[FF286]

I just looked at their site and they have ones specifically for RV’s. I’m not sure what the differences are but we definitely have been happy with ours.

[westernrvparkow]

willald wrote:
OK, let me clarify a few things I should have from the get-go:

We are not talking about someone 'running an RV park' on their private farm land. There are 3 campsites, one of which is occupied permanently by one of the landowners (living full time in their RV).

Sooo, a total of just 2 campsites being rented, the other one already being occupied by one of the landowners. And from what I can gather, the 2 rental sites are only occupied very sporadically, they do not stay occupied all the time.

Yes, they do charge a small nightly fee to stay there. Since they are providing 50 amp electricity, sewer, and water, I'd say that is only fair. They're just a really nice older, retired couple that are trying to supplement their retirement income a little.

As to the comments/questions about why I am working remotely and need to do so 450 miles from home: Sorry, that is a long, somewhat personal story I'd rather not get into on a public forum. Its not really relevant to this discussion, anyway, and would just make the thread go sideways even more.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestions about various cell phone booster ideas. I see that Best Buy has the Weboost units, I may go have a look at them.

Depending up the zoning, state and local laws and the like, they may or may not be in violation. Just because they are older and want to supplement their income doesn't exempt them from the laws that determine whether or not it is legal. One of the duties of government is to protect the public. If they are operating a business that requires licensing and inspections and they do not have those items they may be putting the public at risk. Improper waste water disposal can contaminate not only their property but the neighboring properties. It can contaminate the site itself and pass diseases onto the next occupant. Public water systems (and that is what any water system that serves the general public is) must be tested periodically to insure that there are no harmful contaminates. When and if a complaint is filed about a business operating outside of the law it is the duty of the authorities to investigate and, if necessary, close the offending business. In your first post you implied that all is not good in the neighborhood. That this park, or if you prefer, two rental sites on someone's land, has caused problems for the nearby neighbors will likely lead to future actions by the local authorities. Maybe they will inform the neighbors there is nothing they can do because three RV sites are legal or maybe they will shut them down. Without knowing all the state and local zoning and land use laws and how the sites are actually constructed and serviced all we can do is speculate.

[willald]

OK, let me clarify a few things I should have from the get-go:

We are not talking about someone 'running an RV park' on their private farm land. There are 3 campsites, one of which is occupied permanently by one of the landowners (living full time in their RV).

Sooo, a total of just 2 campsites being rented, the other one already being occupied by one of the landowners. And from what I can gather, the 2 rental sites are only occupied very sporadically, they do not stay occupied all the time.

Yes, they do charge a small nightly fee to stay there. Since they are providing 50 amp electricity, sewer, and water, I'd say that is only fair. They're just a really nice older, retired couple that are trying to supplement their retirement income a little.

As to the comments/questions about why I am working remotely and need to do so 450 miles from home: Sorry, that is a long, somewhat personal story I'd rather not get into on a public forum. Its not really relevant to this discussion, anyway, and would just make the thread go sideways even more.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestions about various cell phone booster ideas. I see that Best Buy has the Weboost units, I may go have a look at them.

[westernrvparkow]

mowermech wrote:
Seems to me, all the land owner would have to do is not charge for RV parking.
Of course, donations are encouraged, say $25 or $30, to "help defray expenses".
Sorta like the RV dump station at the City Park in Cut Bank, MT. Dumping is no charge, but the last time I used it a $3 donation was encouraged (I dropped $5 in the "Donation Box").
I do not believe any state agency can prevent a land owner from providing a free service.

The government absolutely does prohibit landowners from providing a multitude of "services" regardless of whether or not people pay. Try letting your neighbor tap into the water from a river that runs across your property for irrigation. Without water rights that would be illegal. Can't allow the public to dump their holding tanks on your fields for free, that would be in violation of sanitation laws. You can't let hunters hunt on your property unless the game is in season. Calling it "donations" and not site fees is the same as calling a pig a chicken. The meat is still pork.
As I pointed out earlier, a RV park, regardless of the fees they charge, fall under many regulations and inspections. There are health and safety concerns, concerns for neighbors, concerns for the environment and concerns for those who would use the facilities. It sure isn't a money grab by the state since there is no way the licensing and inspection fees I pay yearly cover the cost of the employees doing the inspections and issuing the licenses. Can and do people put in a few RV sites and fall under the radar, absolutely. But in this case it is apparent that something happened and the landowners are now on the radar screen and it is very likely their mom and pop pseudo RV park is going to be closed down.

[fj12ryder]

"I do not believe any state agency can prevent a land owner from providing a free service."

Don't believe that for a moment. If it's determined to be a "nuisance" by the local authorities, then all bets are off.

[mowermech]

Seems to me, all the land owner would have to do is not charge for RV parking.
Of course, donations are encouraged, say $25 or $30, to "help defray expenses".
Sorta like the RV dump station at the City Park in Cut Bank, MT. Dumping is no charge, but the last time I used it a $3 donation was encouraged (I dropped $5 in the "Donation Box").
I do not believe any state agency can prevent a land owner from providing a free service.

[jkwilson]

Ask people who live there what cell provider they use. One may be good.

As to legality, most rural areas have very few restrictions on how you use your land. We built a house and several outbuildings. The only time we interacted with any government entity was for a septic permit. No other permits at all, personal or business use.

[DarkSkySeeker]

monkey44 wrote:
Also, I believe it's probably legal if it only contains a limited number of guest sites for self-use it becomes a zoning issue and requires permit for a developed RV park.

That's my guess too - limited use is probably defined for less than 10 people (or whatever number is correct).

[monkey44]

CFerguson wrote:
As mentioned, legality is totally dependent on the location. But even at that, its not your concern unless the legal decree comes while you are on the land. And if that happened, youd just have to leave- no legal problem for you.

As far as neighbors not liking what another neighbor is doing with his property...as long as it is legal(again that caveat), its just his too bad. If you want to control the surrounding property, you have to buy it. Or buy a politician.

Sounds like a great spot.

That's funny - I wonder which one is less expensive to buy?? Well, to answer my own Q, at least land stays bought LOL

[CFerguson]

As mentioned, legality is totally dependent on the location. But even at that, its not your concern unless the legal decree comes while you are on the land. And if that happened, youd just have to leave- no legal problem for you.

As far as neighbors not liking what another neighbor is doing with his property...as long as it is legal(again that caveat), its just his too bad. If you want to control the surrounding property, you have to buy it. Or buy a politician.

Sounds like a great spot.

[DrewE]

The legality depends on locally applicable zoning laws, sanitation/environmental laws, and probably a few other laws. The answer would likely vary from place to place (and sometimes also depend on how many sites are involved), and possibly on whether this is done commercially for income or not, etc.

In Vermont, the environmental agency requirements (sanitation and potable water and such) recognize four or more sites as a "campground" with specific requirements, while three or fewer are just camp sites and have much less regulation. That is in addition to any applicable town zoning regulations.

[monkey44]

I'm curious, if you work remotely from home - why do you need to travel 450 miles and stay on an RV site developed on a rural farm.

I get it, nice view, no neighbors, creek on the backside ... but remote working means "from home or your own office" anywhere that has ISP service. But you chose to eliminate the "home office" then travel 450 miles and park where you have no or limited service.

Also, I believe it's probably legal if it only contains a limited number of guest sites for self-use it becomes a zoning issue and requires permit for a developed RV park. The farmer is probably bordering a case of illegal regardless if he rents it, but rural areas are often less restrictive unless one has a neighbor that disagrees and pushes hard at the interpretation of a specific zoning law.

[westernrvparkow]

Yes, it is probably illegal. Yes, it is likely the neighbors will get it shut down. They are running a RV park, which has many licensing requirements. In Montana, for example, there are fire codes, plumbing codes, electrical codes sanitation codes and water testing that parks must meet and are periodically inspected for.
To build a park, you must apply, pay for, and get approved "subdivision for rent" for each site. Part of that process are environmental studies, impact studies and public hearings. The land must be properly zoned and taxed for business use. Making rural land an RV park will likely mean tax exemptions for agriculture, forestry, undeveloped rural land and the like will no longer apply to the property and the owners would have to pay higher taxes, just like every other business. And that is the requirements in one of the most rural states in the US.

Can you really blame the neighbors? They likely bought rural property for privacy and peace and quiet. A RV park next door isn't what they bargained for. The density of a park means much more traffic, much more noise, an increase in trash and generally they are an eyesore compared to forested land and farmers fields. The problems are further compounded by the fact the owners apparently don't actively manage the park and some bad tenants impacted those neighbors negatively.
As for increasing your cell service, yes there are products that will improve marginal cell service. Wilson is a popular brand, their website is wilsonamplifiers.com. Be aware that no matter what you use, you aren't going to have as good a connection you would have in an area with solid cellular service to begin with.

[FF286]

For the cell booster we bought weboost. My cell would not work in the house but could get 2 bars of lte outside. Now I get 3-4 bars lte inside the house. I think it was about $500, and was very easy to set up.