Modern Pioneering???

[BiggKidd]

  John Raabe here during Thanksgiving 2008:

This project thread has won a new type of award! In fact we had to start a whole new category just to give it the credit it deserves Larry Kidd and his family have done a great deal with very limited resources and more than a few setbacks. This project uses the core services of a mobile home to provide living space while the house is built around it. You can scroll down to the bottom of this page and jump to the final page of the thread to see where he is now, or take your time and visit these pages to see how this ongoing story has unfolded. We all wish Larry and his crew the very best this winter and for the years to come. Thanks to Glenn Kangiser and Don Litten (Peternap) for nominating this project for special recognition.

• Now back to Larry's story, already in progress...



Hi All,

I'm pretty new here. I have read lots about you all and your projects. I have had a life long dream of having a few acres out in the country and building my own home. Well in Jan 2008 we closed on 36 acres in central Va. More land than I had planned on but it worked out better for the money. We couldn't afford 10 acres closer in. Its realy amazing the differance in land prices for just a few miles. The land we bought is 70 miles from where we live now. We were looking at land closer say 40 miles but the prices were crazy. The first time I saw the land I turned to my wife and told her it was home. We kept looking for another six months to make sure. Better yet while we were looking prices were falling on the land we wanted. Here is a picture from the first time we saw the land back in augist 07.

Click on picture for full size.





That was the clincher. This creek makes up one corner of the property. We only own 100-150' along the creek. Another much smaller creek makes up the whole rear property line. The small one is dry some times. But I doubt that Couches creek (the big one in pic) ever goes dry.

  The land is all wooded. Mostly hard woods with two stands of evergreens. Mostly cedar and pine totaling 5-7 acres.

 







Thats the biggest cleared space on our land when we bought it.

In the next post I will show some of what we have done so far.

Larry
Thanks for looking.

[BiggKidd]

We are planning to build ourselves. We want to do a log house. Don't know at this point if thats what we will end up with. But first there are lots of hurdles to cross. Like there are no services, phone power etc. Not much of a road either. We are two miles from the black top when you turn into our property. Its down an old CCC road built in the 1930s.

Whats was next? Tempory shelter for while we clear and build. Last year someone paid me to haul an old camper out of there yard. So with a little work I got it closed back up to stay in out at the property. Next was getting it into the land. FUN. Had to clear a path for it as we took it in.







  We wanted to sit the camper way back on the right rear corner of the land. Its almost 1/4 mile from the CCC road to the camper.

Here are a few shots from clearing.








Weel we managed to get the camper in. More or less how we wanted it.



  Next I wanted power and heat. Its winter time here. Brrr

[BiggKidd]

Please remember we are on the smallest budget seen by man kind. So our power system starts out with 6 used golf cart batteries. Don't knock it they worked great. Then a friend gave me some other used batteries.



These are what we are now using. Gives us a large enough bank for several days before I have to recharge. I still do it every day though. Keeps the batteries in top shape.

I had this storage building that a customer of mine replaced with a larger building. When I built his new building he asked me to get rid of this one. So now its my power shed.





Last picture also shows we have done some more clearing.

  Here you see all the batteries hooked up. I used heavy walled copper pipe for buss bars.


Here is the cheepO 5000W inverter I got.


Very important ground rod. This grounds everything including the camper.


I am no where as neat and orderly as most of you guys here.  Junk stacked behind building.

  I charge the batteries with this home built charger.






  And a few solar panels.




We have three more panels now.

I started out using a generator and battery charger. But it takes for ever and burns lots of gas that way. The charger I built uses a little over 1/2 gallon to recharge the battery bank.
All of this power system can be used when we get the house built.  

  Next I Ran 6666 wire to the camper.



You notice two strings of 6666. One of them is for 120V AC and the other is tied into 2 pair and runs 12V DC.

Next post HEAT

[Redoverfarm]

Way to go Larry on the post.  Looks like it has alot of potential. It is nice to have a stream on the property.  But sometimes it can be a real pain.  The stream that runs through my property has claimed 25-30 feet of pasture in the last 10 years.  One of these days when I hit the lottery I will rip/rap it.

Dodge truck.  That is almost identical to the one that I had with the exception of a bent bumper.  A real work horse.  

Is your land near any National Forrest?  The reason I ask is that alot of the CCC roads are in or near National Forrest.  

Is the tractor yours or rental?  You can do alot of work with it.

Look forward to subsequent post as you progress.

John

[BiggKidd]

I built us a wood furnace for heat. A bit unconventional for a camper. But it would also work great for a small cabin.





Here is what it looks like inside.



Couldn't resist. This is Savannah (my youngest) and shep a dog that just showed up one day. Then stayed four days with us before leaving.




I use one 12V fan to exchange the heated air into the camper. Realy don't need it. Convection works pretty well. Goes all night one one loading. 

Next Water

[Redoverfarm]

Larry looks like you have enough land to qualify for an estate farm.  Clear some for pasture.  Got the water. Take advantage of the tax break on the farm expense.  My road, bridge and alot is deductible here.

[BiggKidd]

We have running water all around us but none to wash our hands or baith with. So with a few hundred feet of sprinkler pipe and a 12V pump I brought water in from the small creek. Store it in 2 55 gal drums then pressurize the camper with an automatic RV pump. Whats amazing is that one little pump drawing less than 10 amps got water up a large hill (40-50ft) and a 230ft. long pipe.





I will have to get pictures of the rest of the system. Thought I had them but I was wrong.  

Larry
 

[John Raabe]

Cool furnace and practical invention. 

Thanks for the photos and overview.

[BiggKidd]

  Hey John,

Just saw you posts. Yes the old Dodge is a worn out old horse. I pull my tractor all over the place working. You guessed it the tractor is mine got it last Dec. I have a little Co. called Outdoor Specialties doing all kinds of around the home projects for people, from swimming pools to storage buildings and a lot of small clearing jobs. No we are not near any forest land that I know of. But we are about 30 miles from two big lakes. Oh and I've got the bent bumper its just on the other end. I don't know much about the farming codes or farming at all. We plan to clear a minimum of 10 acres for a big garden and pasture land. My wife wants all the animals too. You know horses, chickens, goats, pigs, cows and the list goes on. I am not so sure about all the animals. I figure there are plenty enough in the woods around us. Better yet I don't have to feed and care for them.

 Tractor chainsaw and chain are doing all the clearing I'm just along for the ride. I hope to start building some time this year but thats not a realistic goal. We are going to try and build a log house with a stone basement with timber and rock off the land. If I do a pole style building don't have to have a permit in this county. But I doubt that will fly for a house. I know someone who is going to try it just down the road from us though.

If I can remember to keep the camera handy you all will end up tired of clearing pictures. I figure I have about 18 months of clearing ahead. Plenty to keep busy on each visit up.

Thanks for you comments.

Larry

[BiggKidd]

Cool furnace and practical invention. 

Thanks for the photos and overview.

Boy you guys are quick. I was just posting to John Redoverfarms then saw your post. Thanks for the comments. Hopefully I will have lots to post along as we go since we are doing everything DYI style. The furnace will run you out of the camper. Might do something like it when we do the house. Now thats it done there are several things I would change if I did it again. Live and learn.

Larry

[Redoverfarm]

Larry check your PM box as I sent you one.

[BiggKidd]

John,

I got your PM and sent you one back. I am planning on checking out the farm(ing) prospects for us. It sounds like it will work for us from what you wrote.

Guys,

I'm going crazy here. Haven't been out to the property in over a week on account of the weather. Its been raining for days on end, not steady but enough to ruin out side plans. Not to mention enough to make the CCC road going in a super size mess. I had to leave my tractor there when we left it was raining and hasn't dried up since. I need to go get it for work but I am trying to wait so I don't tear up the road so bad.

Has anyone here built a log home off the land so to speek? We have enough timber and stone to build a stone foundation and log home. That is if I can find the energy to do all the work. I have a few friends who have said they will help when they have the time. I'm not going to hold my breath. I would be intrested in hearing from anyone who has built using logs and or natural stone.

  I have been reading about all the cabins cottages and homes you all are building. Great projects.

Thanks
Larry   

[ScottA]

Looks like a great property. You're damn creative to come up with those ideas for heat and water. Good job.

[glenn kangiser]

Mine is built with local materials including logs, mud and dirt.  Not exactly conventional.  Logs were mostly not from my property but were from the local area.  Not a real log cabin, but post and beam  and boards from the logs.  I have my own sawmill.

http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=151.0

[BiggKidd]

Looks like a great property. You're damn creative to come up with those ideas for heat and water. Good job.

  Thanks Scott. Its been interesting. Lots of fun about 2 weeks ago when my wife went through the front window of the camper. 20 min. wait for the local rescue squad after we got out to the black top and 30 min to the hospital with the vain on the back of her hand ripped wide open. I have to take her to have the stiches out this AM. A good first aid kit saved her life. I have never seen so much blood from a cut.

Glenn,

I have looked at some of your underground house. Its real neat. I'm thinking it would stay a bit wet in our area if we tried to do the same. I will have to go back and read the rest of it. I seem to have plenty of time with all the rain we have been getting. Thanks for the link.

Larry

[glenn kangiser]

Take care of the wife.  That's scary.

Underground is not practical for everyone, but we like it.

Using local materials can be done above ground too, unless you are dealing with codes.  Codes are designed to make you support the corporations and buy their goods.

[BiggKidd]

Take care of the wife.  That's scary.

Underground is not practical for everyone, but we like it.

Using local materials can be done above ground too, unless you are dealing with codes.  Codes are designed to make you support the corporations and buy their goods.

Glenn,

It was real scary.

Underground is not a bad option realy. I'm not sure what kind of trouble we will have with building codes. I may try to avoid the whole mess with county officals and just build. If we can get an address without having a house on the property first thats probably what I'll do. If not well I don't know.

Larry

[BiggKidd]

NEW GENERATOR:

HI all,

  Most of you know we use a battery bank and inverter for power at our place in the country. But some times it makes more sence to run a gen. for large loads and 220V.  My old Genrac 3500 has been having voltage spikes and in general is worn out. So I ordered this.






You can see it had .3 hours where it was test run. Then they drain all fluids before shipping.







  So far I am five hours into the 20 hour break in peroid. Just did the second oil change. I know crazy but whats a quart and a half of oil. They recomend an oil change at 20 hours and every 100 after that. But when an engine is new I like to change the factory oil out first, which it was dry when I got it. Then I like to do the first actual change at 5 hours then 20 after that I go to the regular maintenance scedual.  Its not an expensive unit but should last many years with good service. One of the main things I wanted it for was running my 220V MIG Welder. It should have no problem with that. My 3500 Genrac would just manage to run it. The other reason is AC I know in the evenings I like to be cool during hot weather and running AC off a battery bank just doesn't seem wise. At least untill I get some hydro or wind power to suppliment our other charging systems.

Its not a super efficent unit either but it will give me the oppertunity to play with alternitive fuels. I end up with lots of waste oil and may try WVO at some point too.

Thanks for looking
Larry

[MountainDon]

You can't run much of an air conditioner off a battery bank for very long, even if you have a large bank of batteries.

My 13.5 BTU Carrier RV A/C sucks about 12-13 amps while running.

[Willy]

Thats a nice Diesel Generator! Looks like it would make a nice stand by/back up system. I have been running my good old 6000 watt Generac Briggs for 9 days now at around 5-6 gals a day of gas just to cut wood on the place. Mark

[glenn kangiser]

Larry, we just got a PO Box and did what we want, but you may be too far out for that?  Mail isn't delivered here on the mountain anyway, even if we wanted it.  About 2 miles to the rural boxes - 4 to the PO.

[BiggKidd]

Don,

You can't run much of an air conditioner off a battery bank for very long, even if you have a large bank of batteries.

Very true. The only way Ac will really work off a battery bank is with a good hydro system. Or a couple hundred thousand in solar panels.


My 13.5 BTU Carrier RV A/C sucks about 12-13 amps while running.

Thats a lot of juce. I was thinking a 6000 BTU heat pump type window unit that has heat too. I have one thats 8000BTU in my kitchen that works great and is fairly eff. I'm spoiled some comforts I'm not planning to do without. I also have MS and the heat drains me quick.

Willy,

Thanks. I like it so far but haven't put it to work yet. They have some of them prewired to run as stand by sets. I know what you mean about that gas and Generacs. They are pigs. I also have a bitty little 1000 W that just sips on fuel. I've over loaded it so many times I burned up the circut breaker. But when I just need to run something small its the way to go.

Larry

[BiggKidd]

Glenn,

The thing I'm worried about is school for my daughters. Otherwise thats what I would do. If the schools will allow a PO box then that would be the way to go. I'll have to check on that. Thanks.

Larry 

[MountainDon]

with a good hydro system.

I never remember that hydro's a good alternate power source as I've been in the desert too long and I don't have a stream I can use in the mountains. Would be a nice dependable, run forever, source of power. 

[glenn kangiser]

I don't see where they can have any power over you for that, Larry.  Just give them a Google Earth shot of the location and a PO Box and tell them that's all they get -- tough cookies.