After sleeping on it and googling more on Mr Gore’s Interwebs and really thinking about what I really want to do I find I’m leaning towards the really cheap option – converting the shipping containers.
One realization is that, assuming I can live in the trailer that is on site, time is really not a driving factor. I can take my time and using what help is available and do the work slowly over time.
Once upon a time, long time ago (circa 1980 or so) I took a welding course in Groton through a Navy/Community College program. I did mostly acetylene gas work, and just started up stick welding when I had to go back to sea. Ed & I re-wired our basement in Seattle in ’75-’76 (get me a couple of drinks and ask me about 08 Gauge wiring) and I had done electrical work in the Navy previously. Finally over the years as a homeowner I have done minor piping / plumbing / irrigation projects. I really don’t see anything in a Conex box conversion that is really beyond my capabilities or ability to learn.
Looking at the long term this is kind of what I envision happening.
1. Get through closing this summer and get a really good look at the land and decide what is going to go where. Touch base with the county and get familiar with County Codes & get an address. Determine the well siting and septic & drain fields. After septic tank is in, re-position the trailer and get the first section of solar panels sited. Determine (in consultation with Jon & Cathy) where to put the RV parking slab and connect to water & septic system. Finally, start planting trees.
2. Over the winter if not already decided, decide where I want the Conex boxes, and prepare mounting, slab or whatever. If possible get all concrete work done at the same time. As soon as the Conex boxes are sited, start construction of shed roof over them to reduce heat gain in summer months, provide shade for deck area, and allow rainwater collection as auxiliary water source. This will provide backup for well, or replace well, if water not found. Prepare cisterns & water storage.
3. In Spring, if not before, move out of apartments and onto site, in the 5th wheel trailer, full time. Maybe look at building roof over the 5th wheel to make more comfortable year round. Determine where and how to store existing furniture. Maybe in a Conex box or more likely in a rental storage unit. Continue site preps, water collection, & storage, improve solar installation, plant more trees.
4. Assuming I am comfortable in trailer with access to water, power, propane, etc, I can finish up site work before opening up the Conex Boxes. Once started, I can afford to spend the time to do them right rather than depending on them for living space from the start.
The more I type this out, the more reasonable it seems. The goal is twofold; first to get an off grid, comfortable living space; second to give me a long term project that I can work on for at least the next ten years. I think it seems do-able.
Comments welcome.