Yeah yeah....I've read the posts before about my winterizing involves driving south lol. Well for those of us that do not have that luxury yet in life and have to put our babies into a safe hibernation for a few months I thought it would be near to post pics of FT winter homes, or parking spots.
Here is the "Button Pushers" winter home in my mother and fathers barn while they are in Florida for the winter. I have the awnings out to dry as they were still a little damp.
Jeff
Here is my winter home but this picture has RRadio's coach in front.
(https://www.foreforums.com/imagecache.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fsichenze.smugmug.com%2FRV%2FVisitors%2Fi-MKxPwsH%2F0%2FS%2FJAS_%25202014_04_25116-S.jpg&hash=3ce5780f2a96652b306d59ad8f20603c" rel="cached" data-hash="3ce5780f2a96652b306d59ad8f20603c" data-warn="External image, click here to view original" data-url="http://sichenze.smugmug.com/RV/Visitors/i-MKxPwsH/0/S/JAS_%202014_04_25116-S.jpg) (http://sichenze.smugmug.com/RV/Visitors/i-MKxPwsH/A)
My unit stays in a garage summer & heated in winter, and it never gets "Winterized" it is always ready to hit the road. Poor thing only sees the sun about 30 days a year maybe.
I use mine all year long too. I forgot to add it is in the garage in this picture too.
Here is mine, stick built by the DW and me in just 21 days including the fabulous doors. 12x12 on the front, 9x10 on the curb side, 9x16 on the street side, 9x9 in the rear. And a 9x3 man door. 14x40' max possible allowable size after what my shop used up. 5" rebar reinforced concrete slab. Snug fit but just fine. All the doors line up with things that have to open on the coach. 20x60 with 16' sidewalls would have been wonderful but my shop came first.
Inside storage is a gift to the long life of your coach.
Roger
Ours sits in the driveway year round, in sunny desert West Texas. Yes, we do get the occasional ice storm...but it's dry most of the time!
(Photos were taken last Winter, 2 days after we got home from our coach-buying trip)
They built RV condos near here a few years back. Basically big storage buildings with heat, water, power and sewer connections. Lots of room to manuever in and out. They were priced in the $80-100K range plus taxes, association dues and all else. If you have room, build your own.
Roger
Ours is parked beside our house. No winterizing for us in San Diego :))
Roger,
About 11 yrs ago, built the heavy metal 40 X 60 garage/shop/playhouse, with the 14 X 14 main electric over head door, a 10 X 10 electric door and two passage doors, cost about $45,000 was built by commercial builders and very happy so far, have it heated to about 50f at night. Just part of the man cave or my escape pad. Took 72 yds 4,000 concrete plus 16 yds for the entrance apron. Love good concrete, warm & dry.
Have the Directv ant and 4G Verizon booster ant on roof.
We keep our rig in the pole barn that we built. It is totally covered, but the front is quite a bit higher than the MH and can get rain, fog ,mist, snow, etc. blown in on the front of it. I plan to close this in at some future time. I have posted this picture some time ago, but is all that I have at this time on the road. They all need a good home for sure. Have a great day ---- Fritz
Going to put up the inexpensive one of these short term Carolina Carports - Configurator (http://www.carolinacarportsinc.com/configurator/index)
Can't beat the prices. My good friend had them install a building on a slab he already had. He loves it.
Later, may get the "barn" one. Already have shop and all that, but no room for RV and other toys.
Dave, My Foretravel barn (garage) has power and internet connection. I didn't really consider heating it. My 1000 sf shop has infloor heat, AC, water, 200 amp service, it's own gas service, water heater and bathroom facilities. My retreat for woodworking and what ever else needs to be done and a good way to isolate dust and noise.
More space and heat would be nice but up here in MN winterizing is insurance against heat failing. We had a 400 gallon hot tub get about 1/2 solid in five days after the heater failed. The pump was still running or it would have been solid.
Easy enough to warm up the coach to get ready to go in the winter. We are lucky to be able to get out about 120 days a year. We have 7 months planned for 2015.
Roger
Here in Okla, don't winterize keep in garage. Usually keep around 50 degrees or so,in winter. Small garage is 30x40 Rv garage is 20x40. Avatar shows pad I had poured when I had SOB and small garage built. Had RV garage built a month or so after getting Foretravel. Nice to keep out of weather ,hot or cold.
Regards,Irwin
Opps, forgot picture
Yeah, I had them build a 40' X 50' building, one 14' door, one 10' door and a 4' man door, 50 Amp plug, for me out here on the farm. It's growing zone 9, so freezing is sparse, the electric only, is more than adequate on the Aqua-Hot.
But honestly, Richard B has the best set up, IMHO.
Bob
see my Avatar. Pict also attached. :)
My shop would be the winter home for our U225 36-footer (which is 35' 6") if I had only had the foresight to make it a little longer than the 35' it is.
Craig
Irwin I love your set up! Very nice garage area. Dan, I don't know what I like more the double stainless bumpers on your '89 or your garage lol
Thank for posting....jealous of those of you that don't need to winterize. But all in do time...
So glad you asked. I'm still like a kid with a new toy when I go out to our new barn.
New Garage (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=22333.msg169760#msg169760)
In Oklahoma getting it out of the sun is about as important as getting out of the freezing rain.
We plan to get it out tomorrow and head to our first Grandvention in Shawnee. We're excited about spending a few days with some of you.
Thanks Jeff, if a person has a place to store a RV it is nice . Helps to keep motorhome in better shape, I think. My coach has always been garaged, by previous owner and me.
Regards,Irwin
I have sometimes thought what someone would think if they saw our rv storage. It has about a dozen antique tractors, vintage farm equipment, two grist mills with engines on trailers, and tons of parts for all the above. Of course a foretravel right in the middle. This building is my small part of heaven.
May be off the subject title, but.......
What size are your MH storage DOORS ?
I'm talking to a metal building - builder.
When I ask for a quote on a 'motor home garage', he is saying 16' walls with 14' door !
I'm thinking that is way over kill for our '94 - 225 !
The way I'm measuring, 12' door is plenty.
I know it would be nice to have it tall enough for a newer - taller motor home. but.....!
Thanks for your thoughts and advise.............~JL~
Get the taller doors and Walls if code allows - you may never want the height - but next buyer probably will.
Unless you don't like looking at that tall building or the cost delta is too much
+1
Size it for the typical motorhome, if you can. Otherwise it won't be a "motorhome garage" for the vast majority of potential future buyers.
You can always fit a small coach in a bigger building and through a larger door opening. Not so the other way around.
+1 on taller. My shop doors are 14' and 20' to the ceiling (high enough for an apartment at the side plus an equivalent storage space above the apartment). And make sure it's at least 40' long in the MH bay.
And if you can manage it, a trench that can be covered with 3/4" plywood when the MH isn't in there. The trench does not have to be full length as you can probably move the MH back and forth as you need it. But it's really handy for oil changes, lubrication, modification, etc. and if you're just beginning the construction it's much easier to do now than later.
Several guys here have these and can chime in on dimensions.
Craig
Agree. 14' doors will fit newer coaches and on 11'6" coaches you won't have to put down cb ant etc. 14' side walls with 6/12 pitch scissors truss on a 24' span will give you 16' headroom in the center of the barn. As sidewalls get higher wind loads are more important. Narrower buildings with big doors need attention to the structure at the door end or the building will lean with wind nd now loads.
Your building inspector can be helpful. They are looking at minimums to meet code. An extra 10%$ on concrete, structure anchors goes a long way.
Roger
I would go 45' minimum interior measurement for a potentially 40' coach. Gives you a little leeway when pulling/backing in and room to close the door. Something like 50' would be a lot more comfortable for being able to work on front or engine with the building doors closed.
(I love spending someone else's $ ;) )
I agree, with at least a 14' door. We opted for a 15' door and the interior is wide enough for slides open all the way around, with a center drain, water, 50 amp and sewer. Oh, and it's tall enough inside that I can walk down the center of the coach without hitting my head.
And we overbuilt it if we ever wanted an IH or a Prevost H3-45.
Wow, now that's a beautiful garage!
Thanks so much! Michelle and Steve sort of liked it when they were over. Along one side of the coach is a workshop the opposite side is a 2 bedroom apartment.
Understatement of the year :)) .
We want one. But first we have to figure out where to build it. (ETA and Tom and Bill, you still owe us drawings....)
You will need to pick up the drawings in Indio in January. We will have a spot for you and your coach at MCC... !
Ha!
Defiantly go for the '14 door if you can. So much cheaper to new build then retro fit a larger door later, maybe a new coach or a new home owner for resale value. Also, I would go a minimum of '40. This barn is '38 and the '36 GV fits inside with only about 4-6 inches to spare. Those support beams take up that extra few inches.
Our home is very similar to Tom's. We have a 2 bedroom house attached to the garage. Our garage is 36' wide by 70' long and we wish we had made it even longer. We have full hookups in the garage. We can get the 40' motorhome, a Prius, the Honda CRV and a Gator in there plus have a little space for Ben to have a work area and my area to store a little junk.
Bonnie Harris
1999 U320 40'
WOW way nice, Other than that white stuff all over the ground! Very very nice!