Paul
got your email. Will reply shortly
bathroom
That's an important factor for the build. Currently researching modular bathrooms. Price seems to be $1400-$3500
not sure of the quality
monday scheduled meeting with fence company and septic sewer company. Also a potential partner in another RE deal on a 6 unit rental
Just for fun and talking about domes at a different scale - I took a tour of this when it was for sale a few years back. Quite bright inside really. Worked much better than I expected it would.
Up here at the Grand Canyon we've got a mess of AirBNB rentals in Vale, AZ.
People rent some of the crappiest "housing" you could imagine. I'm often surprised that the complaints are usually
1) inadequate heaters/staying warm
2) smells - whether from bathroom, dingey, moldey, mildew smells.
Old, shoddily rebuilt RVs and trailers. I learned that one of the reasons that AirStreams are so popular is because they assumed to be "luxury" RVs. There is a company in Sedona who wants to put 50-60 Airstreams on a property and rent them as "rooms". The locals aren't happy. AutoCamp is the name.
I think one of the benefits to Joshua Tree is that its close to LA, but far enough from everything else that saying in a hotel is difficult. There are a lot of AirBNB markets that don't need gimmicks, people just need accommodations and are willing to pay anything for them.
I know quite a few local property owners who merely built very nice bathrooms on their property and they rent "campsites" for $50/night, but their marketing is taking really good pictures of the squeaky clean bathrooms. They get tenters, van dwellers, even people who show up in a vehicle that they sleep in, wake up, take a really long shower or crap, then leave. For $50!
This is largely because the nearest hotels or AirBNB options starts at $100 or more, so these "Bathroom Rentals" are much cheaper for people doing last minute accommodations.
Honestly staying in a Double Wide wouldn't both me if it were tastefully redone. A clean hot tub with privacy would go a long way towards having me stay ANYWHERE. I once thought about just buying some property up in Vale and putting some mobile bathrooms wood heated hot tubs on the property. I'd pay for that!
mr2s2000elise said:1) I have a farm few blocks away. Full working farm. Scottyb has eaten the products of the farm.
to any GRM'ers who are future guests at the farm, i can confirm you gotta try the dates. super good stuff.
mr2s2000elise is good people. if we ever bring the camper out that way we're bookmarking time with you.
i think the fabric domes are an awesome idea and would skirt the experience between a tent and a structure but maintain a unique experience like others have mentioned. i'd be sure to see what the manufacturer has to say about the fabric's UV resistance, though, given your location. i'd imagine the intense sun exposure out there would be tough on most fabrics unless they're built of some stern stuff!
pheller said:I know quite a few local property owners who merely built very nice bathrooms on their property and they rent "campsites" for $50/night, but their marketing is taking really good pictures of the squeaky clean bathrooms. They get tenters, van dwellers, even people who show up in a vehicle that they sleep in, wake up, take a really long shower or crap, then leave. For $50!
This is sort of what I'm talking about. RV sales in 2020 were through the roof and 2021 looks to be similar. Places for folks to actually go with their RV has not increased at the same pace - in some ways it's gotten worse and there have been crackdowns on boon-dock camping. $50/night or $250/week for a place to park, get a power hook-up and then a dump station. When looking at bathroom setups, consider a couple of coin-op washers and dryers as well.
Assuming I ever get my camper van built, this is the sort of place I'll be looking for to park for a couple of nights between hopefully boon-docking at mtn bike riding spots. Dump the tanks, refill water, wash some clothes, continue on my way.
I know the "bathroom only" idea sounds simple, but it could get costly...
Modern RVs draw 50A of electrical load. Several spots draw several times that. A remote location could be tricky.
A place to just "dump the tanks" could be a sizable holding tank and/or community septic system. 5th wheel RVs can hold nearly 200 gallons of grey/ black water. If ten RVs want to dump on a particular day, that could be more than 2000 gallons. A septic system for that kind of usage could be really expensive.
And permitting could be a complete roadblock. Building a "temporary private residential guest house" is a completely different approach than anything that could potentially be classified as a "commercial septic dumping station"
I get the appeal (and think it's worth looking into), but don't think it is necessarily a slam-dunk.
Buckminster Fuller retired to the small town in Florida where Tim, Tom, Nicole and I all attended college. As a result, there are quite a few geodesic dome homes in DeLand and its environs. And I can tell you that my time working in real estate in DeLand learned me that while these structures may be strong, they are incredibly leak-prone with all but the newest, tightest, most skilled roofing. Proceed with caution if that's what you want.
Margie
In reply to Marjorie Suddard :
I agree.
But that would not be a fabric sided unit, right?
Marjorie Suddard said:
Buckminster Fuller retired to the small town in Florida where Tim, Tom, Nicole and I all attended college. As a result, there are quite a few geodesic dome homes in DeLand and its environs. And I can tell you that my time working in real estate in DeLand learned me that while these structures may be strong, they are incredibly leak-prone with all but the newest, tightest, most skilled roofing. Proceed with caution if that's what you want.
Margie
Thank you. Leak isn't issue here - we don't have rain
current plans
ScottyB said:mr2s2000elise said:1) I have a farm few blocks away. Full working farm. Scottyb has eaten the products of the farm.
to any GRM'ers who are future guests at the farm, i can confirm you gotta try the dates. super good stuff.
mr2s2000elise is good people. if we ever bring the camper out that way we're bookmarking time with you.
i think the fabric domes are an awesome idea and would skirt the experience between a tent and a structure but maintain a unique experience like others have mentioned. i'd be sure to see what the manufacturer has to say about the fabric's UV resistance, though, given your location. i'd imagine the intense sun exposure out there would be tough on most fabrics unless they're built of some stern stuff!
Thank you!
you are VIP guest anytime you are here! I got fishing ready and s2000 and elise sitting calling your name - unless you want to jump on a 4 wheeler can am or incoming panigale :)
rhey offer UB protection for $75/gallon paint
they say 7-8 year life cycle with our temps here
$3300 to replace canvas
pheller said:Up here at the Grand Canyon we've got a mess of AirBNB rentals in Vale, AZ.
People rent some of the crappiest "housing" you could imagine. I'm often surprised that the complaints are usually
1) inadequate heaters/staying warm
2) smells - whether from bathroom, dingey, moldey, mildew smells.
Old, shoddily rebuilt RVs and trailers. I learned that one of the reasons that AirStreams are so popular is because they assumed to be "luxury" RVs. There is a company in Sedona who wants to put 50-60 Airstreams on a property and rent them as "rooms". The locals aren't happy. AutoCamp is the name.
I think one of the benefits to Joshua Tree is that its close to LA, but far enough from everything else that saying in a hotel is difficult. There are a lot of AirBNB markets that don't need gimmicks, people just need accommodations and are willing to pay anything for them.
I know quite a few local property owners who merely built very nice bathrooms on their property and they rent "campsites" for $50/night, but their marketing is taking really good pictures of the squeaky clean bathrooms. They get tenters, van dwellers, even people who show up in a vehicle that they sleep in, wake up, take a really long shower or crap, then leave. For $50!
This is largely because the nearest hotels or AirBNB options starts at $100 or more, so these "Bathroom Rentals" are much cheaper for people doing last minute accommodations.
Honestly staying in a Double Wide wouldn't both me if it were tastefully redone. A clean hot tub with privacy would go a long way towards having me stay ANYWHERE. I once thought about just buying some property up in Vale and putting some mobile bathrooms wood heated hot tubs on the property. I'd pay for that!
Auto camp is coming to joshua tree
one of my friends is the executive there - she took Hilton's and Marriott to india. She helped us secure our montana hotels 10 years back
that's a big venture. I don't have the money for that having day job, farm, car business, family ... etc
I don't know the first thing about managing a commercial campground let alone designing / building one so this isn't a business idea, it's a "take my money" request.
Artificial lake with individual, private coves stocked with eatable catfish (good sized, no harmful chemicals in the water, etc.). Lots of trees for shade and privacy (how - configure the lake around existing trees, plant something that's fast growing like bamboo, or ???) Have one upscale (think Bass Pro styled) central complex for reservations, a well stocked general store, and private bathrooms that are sanitized after each use. Solid security...get belligerent, blast a radio, fire off a gun and your a$$ is out.
Essentially, I'm fine roughing it so long as I can take a good shower and I want peace maintained while not being unnecessarily restricted...just hang out with the boys, catch some fish, and drink some beers.
Take my money!
In reply to mr2s2000elise :
$3300? That's not bad. Easy to account for in rents.
If a standard shingle roof cost $10K, then you could replace the canvas 3 times for the same price. A shingle roof would have to last 24 years (they don't) to outperform that.
I apologize if this was covered, but my phone is old and sometimes clunky in following the whole conversation.
When we were in Jordan 16 months ago there were several “Martian” style domes available to rent for people visiting Wadi Rum. They seemed to be handling the desert sun and blowing sand very well.
Maybe that is what these fabric domes you mentioned are?
its a neat idea, and I wish you luck
RX Reven' said:I don't know the first thing about managing a commercial campground let alone designing / building one so this isn't a business idea, it's a "take my money" request.
Artificial lake with individual, private coves stocked with eatable catfish (good sized, no harmful chemicals in the water, etc.). Lots of trees for shade and privacy (how - configure the lake around existing trees, plant something that's fast growing like bamboo, or ???) Have one upscale (think Bass Pro styled) central complex for reservations, a well stocked general store, and private bathrooms that are sanitized after each use. Solid security...get belligerent, blast a radio, fire off a gun and your a$$ is out.
Essentially, I'm fine roughing it so long as I can take a good shower and I want peace maintained while not being unnecessarily restricted...just hang out with the boys, catch some fish, and drink some beers.
Take my money!
The hang out with boys and fish/hunt are doing well in MT. My cousin has one. No females allowed type of places. You pay xxxxxxx$$$$$ for a week.
Sadly, my idea won't work with those people. My target demo is different. 23-40 year old hipsters. :)
You (any GRM) are welcome to come stay for free. I have plenty of shade amongst the date palms.
SVreX (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to mr2s2000elise :
$3300? That's not bad. Easy to account for in rents.
If a standard shingle roof cost $10K, then you could replace the canvas 3 times for the same price. A shingle roof would have to last 24 years (they don't) to outperform that.
Yes. ONe of my question for you is paint. THey have a type of paint R2 value or something for UV, $75/gallon. They recommend it being sprayed by me when install. Said professional paint gun? Said should be done every 5 years.
They say dome should last 12-20 years if taken care of .
I need the business to last 5 years at most. I am sure by year 2, everyone locally will copy. Year 5, I want to be out.
mechanicalmeanderings said:I apologize if this was covered, but my phone is old and sometimes clunky in following the whole conversation.
When we were in Jordan 16 months ago there were several “Martian” style domes available to rent for people visiting Wadi Rum. They seemed to be handling the desert sun and blowing sand very well.
Maybe that is what these fabric domes you mentioned are?
its a neat idea, and I wish you luck
Thank you. Yes, Sun City, in middle east, is made by the company I am ordering from. I will personally go and stay in one March 14th, before plunking down the big order (big for me at least). THey say, desert heat and sand isn't an issue. They are recommending me go with larger bars inside the dome, to withstand 100mph wind. We see 60-75mph.
In reply to mr2s2000elise :
I don't see the question. 
What's your all-in budget?
What size are you thinking about?
It sounds like you are no longer researching various options, but have settled on buying a fabric skinned dome.
Details!!
More details on the paint? Is that an interior insulating paint of some sort (R2?), or an exterior UV protection?
ProDarwin said:More details on the paint? Is that an interior insulating paint of some sort (R2?), or an exterior UV protection?
Thermo shield R22. Exterior paint on dome for UV
said need professional paint gun - that was question for svrex - possible to hire someone to do it, or can I tackle it ? Never done it
SVreX (Forum Supporter) said:It sounds like you are no longer researching various options, but have settled on buying a fabric skinned dome.
Details!!
Settled on the idea! Doing the done glamping site!
going to buy 5, with plans for total of 10
SVreX (Forum Supporter) said:What's your all-in budget?
What size are you thinking about?
Initially was going to do 16s and 20. But doing interior bathroom 16 is out. I think most 20, wirh 2 24 for the ultra luxury
will post up cost and details once I gather it
March 13 driving 12 hours to go stay in one, and then finalizing order
SVreX (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to mr2s2000elise :
I don't see the question.
The r22 paint. They say install dome get $8,000 paint gun and spray on top. Kinda scared about that aspect
I can build - I can't paint
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