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Old 11-11-2020, 09:17 PM   #21
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36 acres, nice views and bluffs / mesas, appears to be a river or creek, free use well (haul your own water), in AZ with fairly balmy weather most of the year, some snow, good sun exposure for solar. Lots of plusses here.

Anybody wanna work with me on starting an off-grid skoolie community? I could feasibly have the property in a matter of weeks.
That sounds like a great opportunity Cheese. I have been daydreaming of doing just what you are proposing. I am, realistically, a couple years away from being any physical help, but would certainly be up for brainstorming and/or consulting with you to help you reach your goal(s)
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Old 11-14-2020, 04:12 PM   #22
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I just bought 40 acres in New Mexico, south of Santa Fe with an unfinished straw bale house, very few neighbors, no concerns that my bus is here and a really rough road that keeps normal people out.

I have a well, but I’m six miles from electricity so I’m pretty sure this is permanently solar, which is really the limitation with parking a ton of busses up here.

I moved my batteries in the well house and am in the process of getting the house livable, insulation and heat first, then kitchen and bathroom but I can live in the bus while I’m transitioning.

I spent under $100k for the Land, house and well, but I’ll put another $50k in I think by the time I’m done and then build another building on the land if it calls me to do it.

I was thinking about Airbnb’ing my skoolie once I’m not living in it anymore but would think about parking busses here too... but the road isn’t for the faint of heart or anything with low clearance so I doubt I would promote that concept much.

I guess all I can say is that I’m happy here, love the off grid life and would encourage the idea of doing it. Arizona is nice too, but Santa Fe doesn’t require a/c in the summer and heat doesn’t eat batteries so I feel like this suits off grid a little better than a hotter clime if you don’t mind freezing temps.

There’s 40 acres next to me for sale for $50k, 80 some odd acres nearby for $86k I think, but you’ll have to haul water or dig a well on those. Land is cheap and this place is magic.

If you find your place go for it!
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Old 11-14-2020, 05:11 PM   #23
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Costs to Park

Totally agree that it depends on its location, and amenities available. As for what you could charge, you might want to check out Hipcamp. You can get an idea of what others charge, and compare it to what you might be offering. You can also, once you are set up, list your property as a host for people to find you. Good luck on your acquisition and your recovery from your accident!
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Old 11-14-2020, 06:14 PM   #24
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Parallel Path

It’s not often I respond to posts, but yours speaks to me.
I’m open to connecting too and brainstorming so feel free to send me a message as well.

I was supposed to go full time Sept. 2020 after completing a 5 year plan, but this year has been way too unpredictable as we all know so I’m still at my home base until things in our country level off at least to where I feel comfortable cutting the cord and not looking back.

Until then I am probably a perfect candidate to bounce ideas off of and brainstorm with ya!
If we don’t end up connecting all I can say is keep the dream alive and visualize! It will manifest when the time is right.
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Old 11-14-2020, 10:09 PM   #25
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How did you get the elk to pose like that? Is that real?
The Skoolie community idea sounds interesting. You can bounce ideas off me too. What are your current thoughts. There’s lots and lots of people who are looking for a cheap place to hunker down in a bus, RV, van, or tiny house. Is that whom and what you want though?? I think the ”boondockers welcome” platform makes a lot of sense. People come and then they leave with their problems. You only see the best side of them. The limit is a few days. Sorry, after some real bummer experiences with people and property I’ve become rather skeptical. I need to get to know someone real well before living with them.
Having said that I’m leaving for AZ in a day or two and am looking to explore. Let us know if you move forward. I do micro hydro and solar surveys if you’re interested. No charge, it gives me a excuse to visit interesting places.
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Old 11-15-2020, 08:07 AM   #26
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Cool project.

Hauling water is expensive and time consuming. Water is the key to everything in the desert. You can get remote land for cheap because it cost more to haul water to then it is worth and usually wells are deeper then then it is worth.

Personally I would find water then go from there.

I have been involved with a couple rustic “hippy” communities. The type of people that will drive out on a crude dirt road to camp for a few weeks will not have much money, They will usually have untrained dogs, alcohol and occasional drama. The basic dynamic that usually plays out is the owner wants to work and invest in the property and the vacationers/community wants to hang out and enjoy life, so “work credits” try to get enforced.

Community is the highest experiment in life. Sounds like a great adventure.
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Old 11-15-2020, 10:14 AM   #27
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Great, I don't need to be the Debbie Downer here. If you don't have a legal trailer park, good luck trying to 'evict' someone who doesn't pay, blasts music at 2am, dumps trash everywhere, etc, who just won't leave.
But makes everyone ELSE leave.
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Old 11-15-2020, 05:49 PM   #28
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That could appeal to many. Take into consideration the summer temps as many might leave during summer months since it is in the southwest. Is BLM land nearby? They may not want to pay you if they can stay nearby for free. You’re really not offering any amenities so you’ll need some attraction to draw people in. I think $100/month is fair for just a place to park.
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Old 11-15-2020, 06:06 PM   #29
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Nice views, hiking, river / creek area. And I've considered ways to provide electric and other amenities.
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Old 11-16-2020, 02:58 AM   #30
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As some may know, I have been mired in the aftermath of a car accident and resulting injuries. I have finally been made an offer, and while it is not quite enough to realistically bankroll a build, I may have another opportunity.

I have found a piece of nice, picturesque property I can afford, that I think would be perfect for skoolie folk to get away and enjoy some awesome scenery. I know that RV parks are typically snobbish and don't allow skoolies, so I wondered how many people would frequent a place that does, were it available.

The question is, how many skoolie folk actually travel much, or for more than a day or two? The property in question is in a rural area in the SouthWest, with a nearby town for supplies. EDIT: What might be an acceptable going rate for boondocking space or full RV hookups?
Cheese wagon First of all I Hope your healing up from your accident.
as far as your Dream goes, Like many of us its a great one. I have often thought of doing the very same thing, have even brought the idea up to several of my Skoolie, vanlife and nomad conrads . Water is the Biggest Issue. I believe i read in one of your post that there was a stream or creek on the property, so next question would be is it there year round and will you actually be getting " Water Rights " with the purchase of the property? Trust me you want to make sure you do. I bought a piece of property once in Wy only to find out I couldn't drill because there was no water rights with the sale. That Property was cheap, Real Cheap the Water rights weren't. So check on water. now as far as a Generator goes, Go with a Diesel generator as the diesel motors last much longer than anything else out there. As far as what to charge I wouldn't Charge a lot otherwise it defeats the purpose. Skoolies and most or at least a good % of van lifers all have solar power, and composting toilets So if it was me here's how I would do it. "{ This is only an idea }" Skoolies, Van Lifer's {1st 48hrs Free},{ 2 Wk's $30 }, { $55 Month } Rv's or any other full hook up $25 day or $140 a Week or $420 Month or something close to that? Plus you can have a camp store, laundry mat, Small Cafe/Coffee Bar, Sell Firewood and ect. Again its only an idea, I'd be interested myself it might be a worthy endeavor depending on the investment? Its worth brainstorming for sure!
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Old 11-16-2020, 07:27 AM   #31
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Nice views, hiking, river / creek area. And I've considered ways to provide electric and other amenities.
Personally Cheese Wagon, I love your idea. There are a few things though that have to be considered. First. Is there truly a market for it. If there is, then you will be trying to appeal to the customer base that will use the facilities. That means investment. $$$$. Second. Liability factor. Most business ventures that die a slow death do so because they don’t count the cost. My guess is that most of us that are converting these crazy machines are honest hard working folks and would do you right. But as much as I believe this, there are those that could make things difficult. I would imagine that most of us that have taken on this conversion thing are folks that really don’t like many rules and regulations. It’s kinda in our DNA and you have to consider what’s best for you first. If your talking out here in the southwest, then I look forward to meeting you. I personally would not be staying for long periods of time anywhere, but you just never know. Best wishes on your recovery and endeavors !!!!
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Old 11-17-2020, 05:03 AM   #32
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Good luck on your acquisition and your recovery from your accident!
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Cheese wagon First of all I Hope your healing up from your accident.
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Best wishes on your recovery and endeavors !!!!
I appreciate the kind words and wishes. Unfortunately, though, the reality is that full recovery and healing is unlikely. I have a spinal injury, as well as a labrum tear in one, possibly both shoulders, and I need surgery.

This is going to get long, and it is not a ploy of "Oh, feel sorry for me", but it is the absolute truth -- and my reality.

As soon as I mentioned the injuries were from a car crash, the spine doctor started running with their tail between their legs, yelping "degenerative disk disorder", and the shoulder doctor would say no more than the crash "could have exacerbated an underlying condition", which I liken to the former.

The problem here is that I have no history of any of what is going on with me at this time, prior to this crash. Pain sitting or standing too long, getting up from or taking a sitting position, even what amounts to rheumatoid arthritis. Even dressing or putting on a coat often hurts. All of which have only appeared since the crash. I know what's going on here -- the doctors are purposely choosing their words to avoid being called to testify in a lawsuit because they make more money at the office, fleecing insurance companies.

How do I know all this? If any of this was ever going to be an issue without this crash, it would have appeared in the 400,000+ miles bouncing down the highway in a mediocre fleet-truck-spec air-ride seat in said fleet-spec truck that bounces you around on harsh roads -- plenty of which I traveled -- 218 in Iowa is about as close as you get to washboard with pavement / concrete.

I had to get into debt to replace my vehicle just so I could get back to work driving rideshare (which is what I was doing when this crash occurred -- with a rider, no less), just to pay for physical therapy that only improved symptoms slightly. Only then did the shoulder doctor recommend the surgery, only to have the facility throw up a roadblock after I saved enough money to cover my bills for the estimated 30-day recovery, because I had no health insurance and no way to pay the mounting bills.

I had good health insurance until asthma forced me out of trucking -- it was going to cost me $500 a month to keep it through COBRA, and that was only going to last six months. ACA is a joke -- $70 a month for coverage that only kicks in after paying the first $6,000 annually. The medications I need for my asthma are $400 a month on average.

To further complicate things, the rideshare service's insurance company feels they are offering me an olive basket by offering half of the estimated surgery cost as part of the settlement.

There is a confidentiality agreement as part of the settlement that disallows discussing certain elements of the settlement, however, I can divulge this. Going by the insurance company offering half of the cost of surgery, at best, I am getting less than a third of the bills and projected medical expenses for pain and suffering, and nothing for the loss of 4 months of income while being jerked around on replacing my totaled vehicle, mostly due to certain facts not being properly clarified to me.

In fact, the car had been inventoried at CoPart for at least two months, maybe three or four, before I ever got paid for it, and I actually had to start pushing grand theft auto charges and call the state insurance commissioner because the other driver's insurance company was refusing to make a fair offer on the property damage after removing it from the storage facility.

When I made the three phone calls I promised the adjuster I would make -- a personal injury law firm, the state insurance commissioner, and the state police, the rideshare service's insurance company finally stepped in and clarified that it was their baby, not the other driver's. They had contacted me before the other driver's insurance company, but had not made it clear that they were ultimately supposed to cover it.

In my opinion (and my attorney's apparently) I am getting screwed big time on out-of-court settlement. My attorney is even working with me ever so slightly on their fee, depending on how the final numbers fall. But it is my attorney's advice that going to court isn't going to help me much, if at all.

I'm told juries these days are usually comprised of idiots that empathize with the defendant more than the victim and are soft on verdicts because they don't want to put the defendant on skid row. Which means I am likely to spend money preparing for court that I will not get back. Never mind that returning to trucking is a very stupid idea with asthma as bad as I have, let alone the injuries I have.

I certainly didn't ask for Miss Daisy to slip her moorings, run a stop sign, knock me galley west and nearly kill me. I was struck squarely in the right rear door at the stop sign about 10-15 feet behind the ambulance in the first photo, causing the car to spin 270 degrees in the perhaps 60 feet it took to come to a stop after bouncing off the retaining wall behind it, probably still traveling 15 mph. What you can't see are the tree and telephone pole, right of camera, that I would have pin-balled off of and been even more seriously injured, if not killed, had I not turned into the skid when I felt the impact push the car's rear to the left.

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The accident report states the other driver's speed as 20 mph. Sure, I believe 20 mph did all that. It is to laugh. Extremely realistic driving simulators I've tried have not yielded this type of damage until over 40 mph. Sadly, this is not my first experience with shoddy accident investigation with the municipality in question.

To boot, I've been ripped off driving rideshare in the first place. The leading services usually take 50% of what the rider pays, only reducing this to 20% on longer trips with a rate structure that gets cheaper as you go further and faster -- and no deadhead for return mileage on long trips.

In over 18 months doing rideshare, I have generally observed about $4.85 per hour net profit after expenses. I have also noticed that when I exceed $10 per hour logged in or $20 per hour of time spent with riders, I am veritably locked out of the dispatch, even though it appears that I am still logged in and able to take requests.

Unfortunately, most who frequent such services are under the mistaken impression that drivers get 80% of the price, and do not tip, because they are being falsely informed that rideshare drivers make $20+ per hour and that tipping is not necessary.

Also, many riders play power games making up false complaints to try to get out of paying for the ride. Most riders I have taken give me a five-star rating and wonder why my rating is less than 5 stars -- this is why. If the rating drops below a certain range, we are booted from the platform -- thus, I have put up with a lot of abuse from a lot of jerk-offs for less than minimum wage after expenses.

And the rideshare services do nothing to discourage this behavior. One service has even discriminated against me by booting me from their platform simply for having to screen riders to avoid smokers, when I have clearly stated it is for health reasons. That could very well be another lawsuit under ADA, which I am looking into. I've been told it is not likely to be worth it though. Health aside, it's my car, and I should have the right to say who rides in it and who doesn't.

Were it not for the respiratory problems I have, I wouldn't do it -- I would rather work like anyone else, but the severe asthma makes it difficult at best. My doctor says I should be on disability, but the Social Security Administration and the attorneys for such claims don't even want to deal with people with problems like mine. However, the silver lining is that with the injuries from this accident combined with the asthma, they will finally have to listen.

Unfortunately, filing for and getting disability means that I will probably have to give up the car I bought when trying to get back on my feet, as I won't be able to afford the payment on disability. And paying it off will eat up over 1/3 of my settlement, taking more than a few options off the table with it.

So basically, I was ripped off the whole time I did rideshare, and now I'm being ripped off by their insurance company for something that happened on the job that was not my doing, and which has left me with long-term effects that may or may not be correctable at this point -- In the time since the hospital blocked getting my surgery, my shoulders have developed a pronounced outward sag and I am getting more and more weeble-wobble when getting up and walking the little distance I can before getting winded.

So, for those of you who use rideshare services, I encourage you to use taxis instead -- they were here first, and the drivers are treated better and make better money. The rideshare services simply do not deserve the success they enjoy. I myself used to be an independent owner-operator before rideshare jerked the rug out from under myself and others.

While I cannot divulge specific terms of the settlement, I can say that the so-called "proceeds" will severely limit my options in getting and fitting out a bus, let alone starting over at the tender age of 45 with a damaged body and damaged lungs (the product of secondhand smoke exposure, mostly in the home as a child - I have never smoked and was diagnosed with asthmatic bronchitis at the age of 5).

Even getting the surgery I need is shaky when taking into account that not only was I only given half the money to cover it, it may not even stop the pain or improve my mobility. Not to mention I also need to make living arrangements geared more toward long-term.

Even though a golden opportunity has fallen in my lap in the past couple days that I hope to be able to take, I have to be cautious, as I don't even know for sure what my end of the settlement will actually be just yet. I can only hope that things will play out in my favor.

So you see, the property and skoolie park idea is not just a place to make my home -- I hope for it to be a means of staying out the box of disability and living on bare-bones government benefit programs -- even if it means barely staying above poverty level.
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Old 06-18-2021, 12:42 AM   #33
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The snag with hydro is whether some EcoNazi would start WWIII about disturbing the waterway to do so.
I see this thread kinda pooped out a year or so ago. Did you buy the land? Ruth and I bought 40 acres in the desert in Luna county Nm back in 2011 for less than 11k. Our taxes are under 100 bucks a year. Off grid solar is the way to go and if you dont have to buy brand new you can build a very robust system for under 10k. Your A/C can run 24/7.
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