backyard storage: Building or RV Port

[jimfa440]

I use a metal rv port. I cover the tires to keep the uv damage down. This works for me.

[HeavyMetal]

This may not be suitable your area - we are north of Seattle - and our weather concerns are mainly rain, occasional wind and rarely snow. I put up a ShelterLogic shelter about 5 years ago. Mine is 12w x 24L x 10h. (they make a 28' model as well. In order to make up the extra height to clear the AC, I added a double stack of pressure treated 6x6 along each edge. This increased the height just enough and added enough weight that it wouldn't blow away. The whole thing is sitting on a tamped bed of roadway "crusher fines" topped with 3/4 crushed gravel. The spot is nicely sheltered but after five years everything is as good as new. Total cost around $2k.

[Hittenstiehl]

Heavy that looks very nicely snugged in there.

[banderabob]

We live in the country on 11 acres, and when we planned it all out, the AS was not even a twinkle in our eyes. As it happened, we ended up with a gravel area large enough for a 3-car garage, surrounded by mostly cedar and oak, but not overhanging the gravel area. It's at the entrance to our property, so a pole barn or other 3 or 4-sided structure would not be aesthetically pleasing. We are now going to evaluate cloth sunshades (sail cloth) mounted on permanently installed metal poles. Where we live it's more about sun and water protection, or maybe the occasional hail, which we thankfully haven't ever had!

[dannydimitt]

We use a 24 X 30 metal building with a full concrete slab , one 10 ft high x 16 wide roll up commercial door and a walk through door . We always jack up the trailer and support the frame on jack stands with the tires off the ground . Our 1964 F-100 4x4 and a couple of smaller trailers , storage racks etc. fits in it as well . I ran a 220 volt electrical service to the building and have a dedicated 30 amp RV plug as well as a 50 amp welder plug should the need arise to roll my old Lincoln cracker box out there and burn a few rods. Wired it for lights using 3 50 ft string light strands from Amazon , and use all 13 watt cfls in the sockets .
The turnkey price for the building was about 12 grand using separate contractors for the slab , the building itself , and the roll up door . I did all the electrical myself using stuff from my stack of stuff "besides the string lights" .
It has no windows or sky lights and except for some light that works it's way through the ridge vent, provides a dark , dry storage area .
Works well for us .

[JaynEss]

Originally Posted by KJRitchie

Could you attach fabric sides to such a structure to prevent hail from coming in sideways? Lots of car dealers are putting up fabric topped covers now in the hail states.

Kelvin

I am sure you could. You could also order siding with the building or add siding of your own choosing, including doors etc.. Our worry in this area is more about snow load than hail. Thus the vertical roofing and engineer certified framing and braces.

[Plasma800]

Originally Posted by JaynEss

We have less than 3k in this.

Something like this would be a good solution. How well does this keep windblown dirt off?

[Plasma800]

Originally Posted by kdickinson

I store mine within view of my house. For now it sits on leveled gravel. Longer term I plan to build a barn and have a space that has an entry and an exit door allowing me to pull in and then pull out instead of trying to back into a narrow door area. When I build the barn it will be a heated space and will have a cement foundation with a sewer dump, city water, and 30 amp service. I also plan to have the ability to put scaffolding up so I can get over the top of it. I hope to build this next year when it warms up in the spring.

Would you be building this out of metal or wood?

[Plasma800]

Originally Posted by HeavyMetal

This may not be suitable your area - we are north of Seattle - and our weather concerns are mainly rain, occasional wind and rarely snow. I put up a ShelterLogic shelter about 5 years ago. Mine is 12w x 24L x 10h. (they make a 28' model as well. In order to make up the extra height to clear the AC, I added a double stack of pressure treated 6x6 along each edge. This increased the height just enough and added enough weight that it wouldn't blow away. The whole thing is sitting on a tamped bed of roadway "crusher fines" topped with 3/4 crushed gravel. The spot is nicely sheltered but after five years everything is as good as new. Total cost around $2k.

that's pretty space age looking!

[Plasma800]

Originally Posted by dannydimitt

We use a 24 X 30 metal building with a full concrete slab , one 10 ft high x 16 wide roll up commercial door and a walk through door . We always jack up the trailer and support the frame on jack stands with the tires off the ground . Our 1964 F-100 4x4 and a couple of smaller trailers , storage racks etc. fits in it as well . I ran a 220 volt electrical service to the building and have a dedicated 30 amp RV plug as well as a 50 amp welder plug should the need arise to roll my old Lincoln cracker box out there and burn a few rods. Wired it for lights using 3 50 ft string light strands from Amazon , and use all 13 watt cfls in the sockets .
The turnkey price for the building was about 12 grand using separate contractors for the slab , the building itself , and the roll up door . I did all the electrical myself using stuff from my stack of stuff "besides the string lights" .
It has no windows or sky lights and except for some light that works it's way through the ridge vent, provides a dark , dry storage area .
Works well for us .

how long ago did you build this? only asking to discover if in todays prices, could this be done in the 12 to 15k range. I can handle 15k.

[Plasma800]

Here in Houston - well technically I'm in Conroe now... it's all about UV, Heavy Storms, Hail, and keeping tree leaves off your unit.

[KJRitchie]

I have room off the side of my attached garage like HeavyMetal. I'd would need a concrete pad built tied into the front drive way. I would have to remove some landscaping and a side fence to allow the Airstream fit far enough back. The neighbors trees over hang the space so a cover would be needed. I'd have to modify access to the front yard to get my lawn mower, stored in the rear yard storage shed to the front yard. I can't imagine a metal roof structure being built there and integrating a wood roofed structure to blend in with the house would be expensive. We pay $115/month for covered storage 2 miles away. I suppose if I took out a home improvement loan that would only increase the monthly payment by $115 it may be worthwhile to get something that looked more integrated or part of the house so it would offer better future resale. Looking at the rates a $20k loan would bump up my monthly payment about $115 for 23 years. Not sure $20k would be enough for me to do the project right.

Kelvin

[mefly2]

Ours is parked on 3/4" gravel pad right next to the house - which provides some shelter from wind, rain, and snow. The tires are covered to limit UV exposure ... and we are smiling ...

[JaynEss]

Originally Posted by Plasma800

Something like this would be a good solution. How well does this keep windblown dirt off?

The cover and pad are pretty well surrounded with trees. We obviously get a bit of dust, but it is minimal. It protects our trailer well from continued sunlight, possible hail, long term exposure to rain, snow, etc.. The carport is 21 x 19 and was around $1,800 assembled on the pad. The other costs were in building retaining wall and graveling the pad. It works for us.

[BAB]

Had mine built to match other backyard outbuildings.

[DavidsonOverlander]

Originally Posted by ghamr

Anyone using a modified shipping 'container'. We see them all over and can be had on line for <$2K...no need for a pad either!

I don't think it would work to put the trailer inside as they are generally 8' or 8'6" wide so if even if you were able to fit it in you wouldn't be able to access anything in the trailer once it was in there. Unless you could find a much wider one or cut the sides out of two of them and put them side by side. I've seen photos of some interesting houses built from multiple shipping containers, so I suppose that would be possible.

What might be more practical if you have the space would be to use two shipping containers as the side walls of a building with a roof on top.

[dannydimitt]

Originally Posted by Plasma800

how long ago did you build this? only asking to discover if in todays prices, could this be done in the 12 to 15k range. I can handle 15k.

We poured the slab on Christmas Eve of last year , 2014.
Previous parking space for the trailer was inside our shop. But was having to jockey things around and the 10 ft wide sliding door on the end of the building opened into an area that was not big enough to get a straight shot at the opening while backing in .
The new little building has ample room out front and a much wider door .
I did all the advance dirt work myself with our 3200 Kubota tractor , the concrete was done by a local contractor that was recommended by the man who furnished and installed the big overhead doors in the shop as well as this new building . The building itself was from Carolina Carports who has a dealer in La Grange Tx. just down the road from us .It comes with 100% turnkey installation. I ordered heavier gauge steel frame as well as the heavy gauge sheet metal. It's sturdy and looks great as well .

[dznf0g]

This has to do for us....village codes and all. 16 X 29 concrete pad with water and 30A service.

[Kathys quilt]

I have a 05 5th wheel that has been stored in a metal Shed/building all its days and everyone thinks it is a much newer one when I pull into a camp ground. When looking for a vintage AS I could afford to buy and then restore, I found a huge difference in stored vrs open and out under trees or out in the sun. An AS is a big investment and a work or art that should be protected as an investment. You can buy a 20-40 year old camper for next to nothing and in most cases that is what you end up with, but not AS! If an AS is old and still has solid skin and frame you can sell it for a good penny. My storage unit cost about 3,000 in 05 and I am sure the cost has gone up, but when the 67 Sovereign is finished it will get its own barn (shed) that like my old one is pull through with canvas covers on both ends. It will be able to shaded from the western sun to protect against the harsh summer sun and open to the east for having a view out the front of the unit, it will be a travel trailer and a guest house. No one could pay me for all the work I have put in the restoration of the AS for my wife had always wanted an old vintage AS for many years and I want it to last and be handed down not just as a RV but as an American work of art and practicality. When you see a shining AS going down the road, you always take a second look and that is not so with most RVs.

[Denis4x4]

Here's a shelter I created out of a couple of shipping containers. These are 20' long and the clear height is about 8-1/2'. In order to create storage for an AS, you'd need 40 footers and an engineered truss system. I'm in it for 10 grand right now. With 640 sf of secure storage, this system might be worth the cost if you have the room. I have a 30 X 18 drive through that's open at both ends for AS storage.