Shelter while building cabin

[westcliffe01]

The thing is that campers were designed for short trips, not to be lived in. Older campers tend to have lots of structural issues and the rubber roof always leaks after 7+ years. MOST campers on the market do not have aluminum framing that is rot proof. The interior layout has minimal space and lots of dual purpose stuff (dinette that becomes a bed). But dual purpose means that you have to switch stuff around twice a day and have somewhere to store comforters, pillows etc.

The same with cooking: Most people cook outside when camping or sit around a campfire. Cooking in a trailer (or showering) creates huge condensation issues, particularly in spring/fall (I'm assuming few would be "camping" in a trailer in winter in any of the northern states).

I have gone with a fiberglass trailer (scamp) which eliminates most of the structural and roof concerns since the upper and lower halves of the trailer are single piece fiberglass moldings. A lot of the interior could do with replacement since it is nearly 20 years old already, so for my purposes it is a perfect candidate to gut out and turn into sleeping quarters and closet with the permanently installed diesel heater. The second "trailer" will be built much like a stick home, so it will be well insulated and have the bathroom/water heater/genset/laundromat/kitchen and it will not suffer from the same issues as a trailer. A scratch built 7x20' stick structure is not that expensive. The biggest thing is roofing and siding that can survive being towed down the highway. The glazing would have to be protected while en route and it would be sufficiently robust to leave on site during winter. Or I can park it at one of my neighbors during the time I am off site for less concern regarding burglary or vandalism.

When I am done with the house, I can re-finish the Scamp like a camping trailer again and enjoy it for many more years...

If the OP is interested in serious tent options, consider a Tipi. I think a Tipi is probably the only tent like structure that can stand up to the weather year round without needing constant attention. I have used the "shelter" type tents here in MI for storing firewood and my riding mower and I have to be out in every storm shaking snow off the roof or it would be destroyed in a single 2ft dump of snow. There are more expensive models with much closer spaced ribs where the roof can support snow loads, but one is getting into pole barn pricing again.

 

[dave1949]

Pop-up tent campers are a possibility too. Probably lower cost than a std. camper. The time to shop for used campers of any kind is in the Fall. Older campers may have many repair issues; wiring, plumbing, AC and furnace units, plus leaks & rot as Westcliffe noted.

Overall lowest costs, if you would need or use a garden-type shed, would be to build one of those. You spend the money and have something useful for the next 20-30 years at least.

 

[PILOON]

While building my log cabin we 'camped' in a hut made from black tarred tentest. Measured 8x12 with bunks at one end and a small wood stove for heat and cooking.
2x4's every 2 ft and 3 sheets of ply for floor as well as roof. Roof was covered with simple roll on roofing and tar in joints.
Later on served as a shed once the cabin was liveable.
It was a one day wonder build.

 

[RoMad]

I am also in agreement with the camper crowd but as another option what about buying a 20' or 40' sea container to live in while building the cabin and then use it for a shed / storage area when your done.

Back to the campers; My youngest son just lived in a 27' 5th wheel while on a temporary job and it worked out great for him. As for the leaky rubber roofs, don't buy one with damage in the ceiling and you can buy coatings to paint on the rubber roofs to make them last a very long time.

 

[xrsrfn]

Wow the post took off!!! I expected to have 375 reads and two reply's. :laughing: I apologize for the delay in reply and will do more detail later tonight but we have been busy with year end blah blah blah. I live in Indiana just about in the west central part of the state. I had thought of the camper but after seeing some of the canvas tents (heavy Canvas) it looked great for spring to late fall early winter shelter. Plus after cabin is built maybe the start of a guest summer cabin. Thank you all for your suggestions and I will check back in later after sideboards are finished on equipment trailer.

 

[jinman]

When I was disability retired from the US Navy, I got lucky and found a 5-yo camper, Coachmen, 24'. Everything in that camper worked perfectly. It had been parked under a tree and was covered in sap. They sold it to me for $2500. I lived in it a year until I found a house to buy, but cleaned it up inside and especially outside so that it looked new. After living in it a year, I sold it for $3800 to the first prospective buyer who looked at it. The only thing I added was a 100lb propane tank. It was an excellent move and I felt like I had loads of room after living on a US Navy ship. The only thing missing was a washer and dryer. They had those about 50 yards away in the RV park.

I come down firmly on the buy-a-camper side of this discussion. My neighbor has a 45 footer with everything. He paid about $8k for it.

 

[Gunny]

Another vote for a camper. The neighbor down at the farm just bought a really nice 29" fifth wheel with 14' slideout for less than $3500. It does need a little work, but from what I could see, only about a day working on it should do, mostly labor, very little in the way of materials.
That thing has a huge kitchen with lots of cabinets and a pantry, tons of storage, large bedroom and bath with a walk-in shower, plus it's got the factory cold weather insulation package.

 

[EddieWalker]

I went and visited Rob (3RRL) when he was building his home in Southern CA. He build a wooden deck with plywood floors and had three tents on it, and then a large canopy over them and a big open area in the middle. It kind of looked like something from Mad Max, but it worked really well for them. They had a big table and all their cooking stuff in the center area. Two of the tents where for sleeping, one was a bathroom. There was also a room made of tarps that he used for his workshop. They didn't live there, but stayed for extended periods of time while working on the place.

My parents lived in a 42ft RV with three slide outs while we built their house. It's a very nice RV that they have stayed in for months at a time without any problems. Of course, they always had their house to go to when they go tired of the RV. While building the house, they lived in the RV for a full year and that became too long. When the walls where painted, they where talking about sleeping on the floor of the house while we worked on it. Fortunately I was able to get the master bathroom done and the bedroom finished off before they went totally crazy from living in there.

If it was me, I'd look into a trailer. They make special Park Model units that are not designed for constant travel, and more towards living in them at an RV Park long term. FEMA trailers go for cheap around here at the auctions, but they are pretty neglected and you need to put some money into them if you went that route. I'd think a regular camping trailer would be the easiest to sell once you are done with it and take the least amount of work to make it livable.

Eddie

 

[xrsrfn]

Going to take a look at the used rv market see if anything is available that the captain will approve. You all understand even if I think it's good idea once your mate has a plan and is bent on takin out fences......... Well let's just say that would be a epic post topic hahaha.

 

[Stimw]

Someone mentioned getting a shipping container.
That would really complement an RV giving you a lot of storage and secure place for tools, equipment and things that would end up in your living quarters.
If you haven't looked at RV's lately they have come a long way. They do squeeze a lot of comforts into a small area.
2 1/2 years ago I replaced an old mobilehome with a new Manufactured home. I put all my belongings into a rented 40' container and moved into my 27' Motorhome during the switch.
I plugged the MH into a cord from my 2000 sq ft shop and lived in it on my property for 5 weeks with two inside only cats. I had AC, queen sized bed, Hot showers, indoor plumbing, kitchen, refrigerator/freezer, TV.
I think it also made the new home that much better after "roughing it".