A little different, I reckon.

[Radwoem]

Howdy, all! My name is Richard, and I am a very long winded individual, so please bear with me. I am 29 years old and I work in exterminating. I have a twin brother who also works in exterminating. At the beginning of 2014 we accomplished a dream of becoming land owners by purchasing a 60 acre plot outside of the city limits. We also started a small beekeeping LLC (Brier Creek Apiaries)--which I know may seem an odd thing for exterminators to do (PM me if you're interested in THAT story, haha!)--that we have been growing for the last 2+ years. Now...ALSO in February of 2014 I started dating for the first time in over seven years, and my girlfriend and I have "hit it off" quite nicely . So the skinny is this: we (my girlfriend and I) want to move out to the "Ponderosa" (the moniker for the land my brother and I bought) and live out of a camper for a few years while we decide if that is where we'll stay (in which case we would eventually build a house) or not.
I would be able to spend 6-8k on a camper and am wondering what to expect with that type of budget? I hope to purchase through a private owner, and we are looking for a 30' 5th-wheel style camper (she currently lives in an acquaintance's SunnyBrook). We would like to be moved in by sometime this spring. Is now a good time to buy? Should I wait a month or so? We live in the lower piedmont (smack dab on the fall line...right where the piedmont meets the coastal plain) of Georgia, and our winters aren't all that bad. I have a lot more questions that just aren't coming to mind right now! (frustrating) Oh, does anyone know how much it would be to extend power to a camper? The land we bought has a shop that has power, but the camper will be parked +-100yards away from that power. I'm thinking about having a new power pole put in. Anyway...any help, suggestions, or advice would be tremendously appreciated! Thank y'all very much.

 

[IGBT]

Hey! Welcome!

That is sort of my neck of the woods growing up (well, south Georgia...Jimmy Carter was our neighbor). I am all the way out in Seattle now but I miss the mild Georgia winters. I don't miss the gnats. Tons of family still in Georgia that I visit.

If you are outside the city there may not be as many regulations but you may want to reconsider a power pole as that looks permanent. Out here on the left coast you can't step on a weed without getting 5 permits and paying an inspector but things are probably different in Georgia.

Should easily be able to get a 30 foot camper for $6k to $8k. It won't be brand new so make sure the roof has been caulked regularly and does not have soft spots which would indicate roof rot and $$$.

 

[cyndi]

Welcome to the CRVL forums, Richard! 6-8K should get you a decent rig. The good thing is you've got plenty of time to shop around and figure out prices, floor plans and your needs. Now is a good time to buy. Just keep in mind that you may have to do some winterizing. Just a couple of nights below freezing can really make a mess of your tanks.

To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips & Tricks" post lists some helpful information to get you started. We look forward to hearing more from you.

 

[akrvbob]

So you aren't going to be traveling, just staying on your land, is that right?

I'd look for an older travel trailer to drop on the land and move into it. I'd even give thought to an old school bus and convert it into a home. It would save you a lot of money and be a fun project.
Bob

 

[Sabatical]

Hey Radwoem
We picked up a 14 year old travel trailer in great shape this fall for around $4k so look until you find the right one. Most of them don't see much regular use (or maintenance) so be careful. Used rv's are plentiful so don't be afraid to haggle like it's your job!
Service wire is about $2/ft so your 100 yard stretch would be at least $600 plus panels, conduit, and fittings. Setting a pole is no cheap feat either. Have you thought about solar? For comparable money you could outfit yourself with a solar/battery setup and be independent.

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

wet and hot down there hell need ac, so solar might not be viable for less than the power hookup.

 

[MikeRuth]

My guess is your going to need a 100 amp supply to run everything you might want for a few years. Talk to an electrician or get on a forum of electricians and ask that question. 100 yards is a sizable distance to connect that much power.

BTW Congrats to you and your brother, sounds like you folks have some good plans ahead.

 

[Radwoem]

Thanks to all! I am extremely impressed and grateful with and for all the replies. I don't think there are many regulations here. I am leaning towards making my own powerpole (if the electric company will let me) and having them run the wire from a pre-existing but non-active pole that is a lot closer to the site where the camper/travel-trailer (what's the difference?) will be located. I very much plan on not moving the unit for quite a while after it's set. As a matter of fact, Katy and I plan to build a secondary roof over the camper--leaks or no leaks in the original roof--just to hedge our bets against weathering and leaking. We ARE very much thinking about solar in the long-run, but for now we'll need "line" power, if you will. Near the area where the camper will be we plan to build a barn and a decent honey-processing facility, so a power pole will be needed there eventually at any rate. What are the common water-tank sizes for 30' campers?

And thank you, MikeRuth. We very much hope to be able to leave the exterminating business within the next five years to do the beekeeping full-time. =-) We also garden like fiends and grow a few crops (the acreage is 13 field and 47 wooded [we hunt the wooded section]), so maybe we'll sell vegetables oneday, too? Who knows... For now we are satisfied growing for ourselves and family.

 

[gypsychic]

Welcome! Sounds like you'll be homesteading. That is very cool. It's what I really wanted to do many years ago but I let myself get distracted by shiny things.

I can't answer any power questions for you as i'm very much in the learning and asking question stage myself. So I'll glean some info from your questions and the responses.

If I ever head in that direction when I'm traveling maybe I'll stop by for some wonderful honey. Looking forward to hearing about your experiences.

 

[Seeker]

Welcome Richard, guessing your customers called for bee hive or swarm removal. That would be a great way to get into the honey bee business. Get paid for removing the bees and gain another hive also. I have a couple hives I take care of that came from swarms.

Good luck in your search for a trailer
A SEEKER

 

[Scottbaldassari]

Richard, Sounds like too much fun! New Woman, New lifestyle, New Home, New Job, Great stuff! Don't just "live", Reinvent yourself and enjoy a couple lifetimes. I am in the process shifting from a homesteaders life, TO a travelers life, loving it, as I move into life #6 (or so).
Anyway, this sounds like a great plan. I just last month purchased a 32' 1980 something Fleetwood fifth wheel for $3500.00. It is absolutely awesome. (wish I had a couple pictures to show you, I could get some if you would like) It is as perfect as you can expect something to be from 1981 . Everything works, everything is clean, has been garage kept its entire life, never leaked, and was seldom used. At this point, I sort of consider it past the point of being road worthy (the thing weighs like 10,000 lbs or something), and who wants to tote around a 35 year old building? With very much hard use bouncing down a road, I would suppose it would start crumbling due to its age. However, that works out in our favor, because the market for a rig like this is small, so sellers that realize this should be willing to sell low (same goes for the old worn out school bus someone mentioned earlier). My point is, you should be able to get a heck of a little house for your budget. I would consider lowering your initial budget (maybe even halving it) for the "house", and then using that money for other essentials that will pop up, such as electricity, water, sewage, etc. This thing I got is great, its like a luxury apartment with all the amenities one could hope for.
But, depending on the codes, and laws in your part of the country, hooking up utilities may be difficult, illegal and/or expensive. I am in an extremely rural area of the country where there basically are no codes or building requirements if you own more than 10 acres, but I had more trouble getting 'hooked up" to the utilities than I have had for most houses! I also had the benefit of all the utilities being close by because I'm set up only a hundred or so feet from a new house. The electric and gas Co. both insisted on a "permanent foundation" before they brought service, so in both cases, I ended up doing it myself. I'm not even sure it was legal for my septic guy to tap into my existing septic from the trailer, but he was a friend, and there are no inspections here, so it was a non-issue.
My point is, you may end up allocating more funds to your utilities than you expected, but you may also be able to spend less on the "house". If your in an area that has a lot of codes and restrictions (or neighbors that might not like the idea of people moving into a "trailer") You'd best check up on all of that before you get to far with the trailer shopping. :-D Good luck on your journey, and have fun.
Oh and by the way, if you are in an area where you can by withOUT codes, there are alot of ways to get around utility issues (homemade septics. etc), just ask.

 

[Sabatical]

Sounds like a great homesteading adventure! Do folks use swamp coolers down there?

 

[IGBT]

If your current draw was very light (like 10 amps max) you might be able to fashion a really heavy duty extension cord for the 300 yards out of 0 gauge cable. over 2000 feet (twice the distance since the current has to return to the source) the resistance of 0 gauge would be about 0.2 ohms (rounding up). Voltage drop would be 2 volts (V = I * R) and power loss would be I*I*R = 20 watts at 10 amps. I am not sure how legal a 1000 foot extension cord would be but is there a limit as long as it is safely rated outdoor cable?

Slight problem is 0 gauge cable is expensive.

 

[Radwoem]

Thanks again to all! This pretty much is an effort to homestead/start a family (and start working for myself). It took a LOT of life changes to get where I'm at, and it will take a lot more to reach my desired off-grid-destination. I'm not in a huge hurry, though. Scottbaldassari...I love your, "Don't just 'live'!" The area I will be setting the camper is land that I co-own (60 acres), and it's quite rural. I don't think there are a lot of regulations... I wonder if I can just get a powerpole put out there without describing why? I don't need gas, water, or septic (we know some ways around that stuff, too ;-) ). All I need is electricity. Where would/did y'all look for a camper or travel trailer for good prices? I've been checking craigslist.com. What are other sites that do a good job at advertising used campers?

gsfish- I am also the one my company sends to remove swarms and snakes, hahaha. Actually...if it stings or bites, they send me. I typically don't kill any offending "pests" unless they are directly in the way of the comings and goings of foot traffic. I NEVER kill honey bees or any snakes (venomous or not). I will remove honey bees on the side (for a fee!) occasionally...but most people don't realize how hard and hot (not to mention the stings [and the fact that one rarely finds/procures the queen]) a job that is. I hate to hear that the stings started affecting you so negatively as to force you out of it. I hope that never happens with me, but I have heard that people can develop allergies to bee stings from many different sources.

gypsy- We'd be happy to sell you some honey. =-)

Sabatical- We don't use SwampCoolers down here. I think MAYBE some greenhouses use something similar. But we're generally far too humid, from what I understand.

Again, thanks to everyone for showing so much interest! I feel very happy with this forum-find! I'll have to thank Katy. =-)

 

[MollyMarie]

Should easily be able to get a 30 foot camper for $6k to $8k.   It won't be brand new so make sure the roof has been caulked regularly and does not have soft spots which would indicate roof rot and $$$.

This is great info for the uninitiated like myself. Thank you! I'm learning so much here