Thinking of building an rv storage unit complex

[Scottandcarol]

We just got an rv and are having trouble finding a nice place to store it for the winter, and when we don't use it. Does anyone have any information they would like to share? Do you have a place you like/don't like? Why? How big does it need to be? What amenities are necessary? How much is too much to charge, what is value for your money?
Do you own an rv storage unit (we are in central iowa) and want to share anything?

Do you pay for the whole year, or just the winter months?

Thanks for your help!!!

[bshpilot]

pitch wrote:
What is the rent in that Taj Mahal? Doesn't seem to me that a facility like that would be feasible most areas of the country. It would take a very large customer base to cover expenses.
Once you add power and climate control insurance cost start to add up. If you allow any kind of work at all to be done on site your liability expense just went up again.

there is no climate control, only the roof is insulated (or the side wall if you're on the end cap).

its not a matter of PERMITTING work to be done on site, you cant really prohibit it - each person has a lease (month to month after the 1st year), everything has to be contained IN your garage & the lease prohibits certain items (cant live in them & cant run refrigerators or air conditioning).

We're in (houston) Texas so we don't really need insulation (in fact last year i didn't even drain my water lines or winterize our unit), while we got down into the 20's for a week or so the interior of my bay never got below 40. I run small electric radiator/oil heaters if it gets really cold but have never had an issue. I drain my water heater after every trip.

The owner has been VERY smart about it - he's a coach owner (foretravel) himself and he says the only problem renters he's ever had is NON coach owners.

To minimize his risk he builds one barn at a time (about 15 units per barn), fills it up and then builds the next one, there are 6 barns currently and he has room for at least 3 more.

the land is on next to a busy railroad track & some kind of small water / treatment substation (no smell) & while there are plenty of homes around, its not the ideal location for homes.

the large majority of leases are for LARGE 5th wheels & coaches, there are a few travel trailers and some other renters including simple storage (one guy has cars & a lift) some folks store boxes & rubbermaid bins (some have installed scaffolding in them (like a 2nd store) for all their boxes.

I put the link to the site in my post, which contains more information & pricing, give the guy some hits -http://vintagervstorage.com

[jplante4]

Most larger airports have policies against non-aviation use of hangars, but on the smaller fields you can usually find hangar space to store and RV, Some are heated and mots have space for air compressors, tools, etc.

[pitch]

What is the rent in that Taj Mahal? Doesn't seem to me that a facility like that would be feasible most areas of the country. It would take a very large customer base to cover expenses.
Once you add power and climate control insurance cost start to add up. If you allow any kind of work at all to be done on site your liability expense just went up again.

[wbwood]

bshpilot wrote:
I store in a great secure & gated facility -

90 units all 50 feet deep, most are 15 wide a few 20 wide.
Every bay has a locked private (14 foot roll-up) door.

Dump tank & wash bay on site.

Each (private) bay has a dedicated 50a outlet along with a 15a (quad) outlet box at the front & rear of each bay & plenty of overhead lights.

I'm in a 15 foot wide unit and have plenty of room to walk around my coach (even w/ the slide partially extended) - there is enough over head clearance that i can work on the roof and stand up (no need to crawl around on my hands and knees).

The freedom to work on things in the bay is huge - I start projects & don't have to worry about completing them or leaving tools out or cleaning up...I can come back and finish the task as often as i like, work as late or early as i want....just pull the door shut, lock it and finish later.

I looked at (roof) covered (but open on 4 sides) storage that was just as if not more expensive than what we pay & I didn't provide 1/2 the benefits. I didn't like the idea of being so close to others (the spaces were narrow...door dings, etc) and you were on a shared 15a outlet (if one person trips the outlet everyone else ends up w/ dead batteries)....for the money our storage is a good deal & is close to or sticks & bricks home (2 miles).



http://vintagervstorage.com

They need to go and start building more of those across the country...that is the cadillac of storage there..

[bshpilot]

I store in a great secure & gated facility -

90 units all 50 feet deep, most are 15 wide a few 20 wide.
Every bay has a locked private (14 foot roll-up) door.

Dump tank & wash bay on site.

Each (private) bay has a dedicated 50a outlet along with a 15a (quad) outlet box at the front & rear of each bay & plenty of overhead lights.

I'm in a 15 foot wide unit and have plenty of room to walk around my coach (even w/ the slide partially extended) - there is enough over head clearance that i can work on the roof and stand up (no need to crawl around on my hands and knees).

The freedom to work on things in the bay is huge - I start projects & don't have to worry about completing them or leaving tools out or cleaning up...I can come back and finish the task as often as i like, work as late or early as i want....just pull the door shut, lock it and finish later.

I looked at (roof) covered (but open on 4 sides) storage that was just as if not more expensive than what we pay & I didn't provide 1/2 the benefits. I didn't like the idea of being so close to others (the spaces were narrow...door dings, etc) and you were on a shared 15a outlet (if one person trips the outlet everyone else ends up w/ dead batteries)....for the money our storage is a good deal & is close to or sticks & bricks home (2 miles).



http://vintagervstorage.com

[Dick_A]

Two years ago I started building a 50- X 60 foot all steel building with 17' side walls. The walls are insulated to R-30 and thee ceiling to R-38. The floor is 6" 4,000PSI four sack mix. The base floor was leveled, compacted, a 10 mil plastic laid and then 2" hi density foam board on top. Then #4 rebar was laid into rebar chairs and tied with standard rebar wire. Next pex tubing was fastened to the rebar in a predetermined pattern. Heated fluid will be pumped through the piping to provide floor hydronic heating.

We do also have a large bathroom with shower and laundry facilities and sink. Considering welding outlets, water bibs, air lines, RV outlets and a few other things,

Si far to date I have just north of $100K in the building. I have been the general contractor which has saved some expense.

[msredneck84]

The main thing to consider in this or any commercial venture is location. You need to have access to lots of people=(money).

This needs to be in or near a metropolitan area inmho.

I live in a rural area and it would not work. I have seen dozens if not hundreds of businesses go under for lack of customers=(money) in my life.

[noe-place]

I paid rent for years for a nice garage to store our MH. It was fenced in with a coded entry gate and a full-time manager living on site. Finally got tired of giving someone else my money and built my own garage and it was worth it. Makes maintenance and loading up for trips so much more convenient I wish I'd done it years ago.

[tjfogelberg]

We store our RV inside when not in use. Check with state and county fairgrounds - many rent out their buildings for storage during the winter months.

Minnesota State Fair takes RVs, Boats, and Cars in at the end of OCT and everyone moves out at the end of March. Very reasonable, maybe
$200-$300 for the season for a typical RV. Totally inside, dry, clean.

We have found a mini-storage facility that we can access year-round. The facility has the typical 10x20 lockers but also has a huge barn like building that we use now. Cost is about $750 annually for a 27' MH.

Inside storage is hard to find. We were lucky!

[shawdowboss]

We have a nice 15x40 space. All bays open to each other, seperate doors. Nice to work on rig as you have elbow room. Its also 20' high ceilings with lights and outlets. Reasonable at 140 a month. Does also have the smaller units mixed in other rows.

[Nutinelse2do]

We have a covered 75 foot long spot, which in the Arizona summers is priceless.
The fee is rediculous.
Not must haves but what people expect if they pay that much for parking....
Choice of fully covered, partially covered or uncovered parking.
Ability to put slides out between coaches
Air compressor
Ladders ( multiple sizes )
RV wash with soap, mitts, brushes, etc.
Dump station
Potable water
24-7 50 amp for the big boys
Timed plug for battery charging for all others
24hr guarded security wether it be by dogs or people
Security cameras
Locked very high gate with access code
VERY high exterior walls
Ability to rent by month, quarterly, or annualy with slight discounts for cash and long term leases.

Good luck with your venture

[ScottG]

The more you can keep an RV out of the weather, the longer it will last.
If there was an affordable indoor place near us, I would use it.

[K_Charles]

I think most RVs are made to be outside. Ours have always been out without a cover and no harm has come to them. This one doesn't get as much snow as the last ones got because we like to go south when it snows. Weather the factory or the dealer cover them and I know full timers that don't cover there's.

[Jim_Shoe]

There's a storage facility near me that had the normal rows of furniture/junk storage pods in the middle and outside parking for RVs and Semi tractors around the fence. That's where I stored my 'B'. It's lighted and has a code key pad for entry. I stored my 'C' there until I found a nearby township road equipment garage that was for sale so I bought it, but I don't rent space to others. Lately, I've noticed that the storage pods at the first place have been replaced by real garages. RVs are getting popular. I have no idea what they charge.

[pompomgirl]

We want at least cover, preferably an enclosed space, in either case with power. Having power separately metered would be fine. Space to wash the MH and dump the tanks would be great. We would rent year-round, but that is variable around the country. Need to be able to come to the facility and do minor work on the MH. There would probably have to be limits on that.

Our MH is 37' and usually goes into a 40x12 space. Need to be able to get the basement spaces open. You would need a variety of sizes, and figuring that out is like figuring out the distribution of slip sizes in a marina. I would start by asking some friendly RV dealers about the distribution of their used coach sales. I think that would be more representative than new coach sales.

We would pay up to $150/mo for the ideal space. We're currently considering $135/mo for a covered space. Enclosed might be worth more than $150 but I don't think we could justify any more. To help get it kicked off, you might consider the concept of selling some condo spaces for initial funding. I've seen that done with marinas.

It would be interesting to share the project with a reputable RV service company so that people could get projects done when the coach is not in use without having take it to some distant location.