New guy with a new cabin project in the works

[jackel440]

Hello everyone,
   I love the buildings everyone have built here.
   I do have a little project I am planning to do here in a few weeks.
   I am replacing my older motorhome at my uncles camp ground do to water damage with a cabin.I am looking to build a 10' or 12' wide x 32' long Gambrel style barn with a loft for sleeping of my kids.I plan to have a roll up garage door in one end to hold my golf cart ,and other items.Plus I can use that area for extra sleeping room if needed.
   Now I plan to use the toilet shower and kitchen from the camper in the cabin.I then plan to use the breaker panel/power supply to run 12 volt lights in the cabin.
    Now my question to yo guys is.I need to build the cabin just on skids like most you see advertised.So if for some reason Ineed to pull it from the campground I can drag it up on a trailer,and move it back home.
    My current site is not level were my camper currently sits.I also cannot do any major ground work or put in any kind of poured concrete.SO I have planned to put some put down solid blocks ,and shoot in the runners with my transit.Then build the floor sytem on the 4x6" runners.
    I am in central indiana and I am wondering if I will have issues with it settling to much on my site? There isn't much I can really do.My site has stone down in it ,but there is some dirt were the cabin will be placed.
    Just looking for Ideas and opinions on what others might have done.
    Thanks for your guys time.

[Redoverfarm]

   I can see a few issues with what you want to do.  It will be very hard to keep a building that long level on skids without some proper beam work.  Secondly it will be very difficult to move a building that size .  You will certainly be over the allowable heigth and width clearence.  When you say move do you mean a short distance on the grounds or overland to an entirely different parcel? 

[jackel440]

The building I am planning to build is just like the portable buildings that are sold around the areas around me.I just plan to increase the floor joist size and increase the stud count in the walls.
yes I do mean to move it over the road if I need to pull it out of the campground.There are several companies that can move it for me if need be with thier special hydraulic trailers.That is why I plan to keep it in the same hieght dimensions as the others on the market.
Here is my thoughts on my temporary "foundation idea" I plan to block at 6' intervals on all four skids.I had planned to dig down 12" install stone and then the stone block to  shoot it in level.
I figure if I need to in the future I can always jack it up and re shim best I can.I am a Millwright by trade so setting large machines is no big deal.So I can deal with having to relevel the building some how.
I dont know for sure if I my uncle will let me rework the site with my skidloader to make it more level or not.The best option would be to haul in more stone to level the site more.I will have to talk to him more in the next week before I start.I need to tear down my motor home and scrap it out then start my build.

[muldoon]

jackel, I am 16x24 gambrel barn on skids over blocks.  It works, it has been stable for several years and I do not anticipate trouble. 

I would go to the trouble of adding opposing shims in early between the blocks and the 4x6 skids, with a mindset to re-drive them solid after 12 months of settling.  I would add some mobile home style tie-downs on at least all four corners.  driven into the dirt and then wrapped around the skids.  It would be better if you planned to skirt the outside perimeter to keep wind updraft out of the picture. 

Not sure if I have much block skid focused pictures, but my thread is at

http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=4737.0

[jackel440]

jackel, I am 16x24 gambrel barn on skids over blocks.  It works, it has been stable for several years and I do not anticipate trouble. 

I would go to the trouble of adding opposing shims in early between the blocks and the 4x6 skids, with a mindset to re-drive them solid after 12 months of settling.  I would add some mobile home style tie-downs on at least all four corners.  driven into the dirt and then wrapped around the skids.  It would be better if you planned to skirt the outside perimeter to keep wind updraft out of the picture. 

Not sure if I have much block skid focused pictures, but my thread is at

http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=4737.0

Nice little thread there on your barn and property.Very nice location.
I plan to do the same thing more or less.I don't think I will be blocked as high,but i shall see.
I had definatly thought of going ahead and placing shims just started under each blocking location.
Our location is in a woods and on the low side of the lake damn.Wind is not really an issue at my location.No campers have ever blown over yet anyways
I don't really plan for any skirting around the perimeter of the cabin.The building will be low to the ground on the wind side anyways.