The New And Improved Unofficial R65 Forum V2

General Category => Totally Off-Topic Discussions, Rants, Tire & Oil Threads, Etc. => Topic started by: Justin B. on March 26, 2018, 10:38:50 PM

Title: New Off-Grid Digs
Post by: Justin B. on March 26, 2018, 10:38:50 PM
My wife and I bought a few acres up in the mountains of OK a couple months ago and a few weeks ago we had a cabin shell built and delivered.  Will be working over the summer getting the solar stuff set up and finishing the inside of the cabin.  I suppose we will probably eventually get a well drilled but probably not until next year.
Title: Re: New Off-Grid Digs
Post by: Ed Miller on March 27, 2018, 12:45:22 AM
Is that to live in or like a vacation spot?  I wonder what it costs to have water hauled in.
Title: Re: New Off-Grid Digs
Post by: Justin B. on March 27, 2018, 12:16:36 PM
Just somewhere to hide from everything right now but in the future, who knows...

I haven't checked into water hauling yet.  I have a 35 gallon poly water tank I am going to use for non-potable water (showers, dishes, etc) but potable will probably be courtesy of Ozarka for the immediate future.  I'm going to try to get a realistic cost of digging a well but from what I've been told it is $9 - $10 per foot and the wells average around 140'. 

The only bad thing about the location is the Forest Service road is a bit rough for me to traverse with an R100 RT or R1150 RT...  :(
Title: Re: New Off-Grid Digs
Post by: Billmc on March 27, 2018, 12:36:23 PM
I see you have your priorities straight Justin. (the garage)  8-)

How big is the cabin and who is the manufacturer?
Title: Re: New Off-Grid Digs
Post by: Justin B. on March 27, 2018, 03:13:40 PM
It's 12' x 24' and it came from OK Structures.  We're heading up this weekend to finish insulating it and hopefully start putting up the interior walls.
Title: Re: New Off-Grid Digs
Post by: Rob Valdez 79 R65 on March 30, 2018, 10:28:46 PM
Congratulations, Justin!
Title: Re: New Off-Grid Digs
Post by: Justin B. on April 02, 2018, 10:32:30 PM
Thanks, Rob.  Just got back last night from another 4 days of working on property.  Hopefully I will be able to enjoy it this summer, if it doesn't kill me first!
Title: Re: New Off-Grid Digs
Post by: Bob_Roller on April 08, 2018, 02:57:09 PM
I lived in " tornado alley " for over 3 decades and structures like this were often referred to as "tornado magnets " !!!! :o
Title: Re: New Off-Grid Digs
Post by: Justin B. on April 08, 2018, 09:18:34 PM
Oh well, if my number comes up so be it...
Title: Re: New Off-Grid Digs
Post by: Tony Smith on April 08, 2018, 10:57:42 PM
Quote
Oh well, if my number comes up so be it...

A similar philosophy to the one we have here in Cairns. When we built the place the requirement was to build to withstand a Cat4 cyclone, we built to survive greater than Cat5 and as a "worst case" fallback the  downstairs laundry walls have additional reinforcing so that it shoud survive even if the house is destroyed around it.

But, it's a pole home, nearly all of the 50 odd poles on which it stands are bolted to concrete bond beams 4 metres below ground level. The major roof bearing breams are thru-bolted to the floor joists, which in turn are bolted to the poles.

As I explained to the insurance assessor who visited in response to my objection to the absurd premium they thought we should pay - if Cairns has a storm hit that is severe enough to blow this place away, you do not have an insurance problem - the State and Federal  Governments have a refugee problem.

That insurance company declined to behave reasonably, but the next one did and got the business - we pay about $2,500 per year and not the $8,000 the first insurer wanted.
Title: Re: New Off-Grid Digs
Post by: BPT on April 09, 2018, 10:26:28 AM
So did you buy that assembled and then it was trucked in whole to your spot, Justin?
Title: Re: New Off-Grid Digs
Post by: Justin B. on April 09, 2018, 10:29:12 AM
I will eventually pour concrete footings around the perimeter of the building then concrete blocks up to the building.  I'll have re-bar connecting the blocks (filled with concrete) to the footings and the building attached to all of this.
Title: Re: New Off-Grid Digs
Post by: Justin B. on April 09, 2018, 10:30:19 AM
Quote
So did you buy that assembled and then it was trucked in whole to your spot, Justin?

Yes, see above pics...
Title: Re: New Off-Grid Digs
Post by: BPT on April 11, 2018, 05:11:57 PM
Sorry Justin, I know that sounded like a stupid question.
I wasn't sure if you'd done it, or had the company do everything, but now I get the whole picture.

Looks like they build it, deliver it whole, and place it for you.  Now I get it......
Title: Re: New Off-Grid Digs
Post by: Justin B. on April 12, 2018, 09:18:22 PM
Oh, Yeah, I understand now.  They construct the "shell" and deliver/set up.  We finish out the interior and whatever.  Will be going back up in about 1 week to set up 4 100 watt solar panels, two more 100 AH batteries, and build skirting around the bottom so critters don't crawl under there and die.  I was going to do the skirting later but it is a requirement for insurance purposes.

Also had an 8x10 storage building delivered that doubles as the crapper, or "privie" as wife.gov prefers it to be called.
Title: Re: New Off-Grid Digs
Post by: BPT on April 13, 2018, 08:58:30 AM
It's a far off project for me but I've got an old building in my backyard that should probably be replaced.   

A custom built metal garage is out of the question but something like this might be doable.  I was just trying to get an idea of what you get for the money.

If I found the correct site, these folks seem very reasonable although I'm not sure about delivery to the metroplex.

    Thanks.
Title: Re: New Off-Grid Digs
Post by: Justin B. on April 13, 2018, 09:45:56 AM
Probably need to get something local.  They have free delivery up to 25 miles but about $1/miles afterwards so that would be a pretty stiff delivery fee!  The 8x10 was about $1000 and that would make a comfy motorcycle garage! ;)