Planning the New Goatstead

[SMaxwell]

Where are you located Max?

Off the grid is great but has its own special concerns. I too am going to be looking for some such this season, in fact probably after the rendy and head south hopefully to look at some places I have found on line. If not then found then back to MI to pick up the RV and do some serious looking however long it takes. I am leaning towards Utah or Az the most, for mtns to hike and milder weather then I have here. My RV is going to be set up for 12 volt and solar, a lot of LEDs. Thats the main plan, it was a 26' trailer, a heavy one, chopped 6' out of it, actual living part 18" with a 3' porch on the rear with overhang. I will be looking for a way to carry a few bales of hay. For this year I will share van quarters with the goats until I get the RV with me. Life goes on.

I am in SW CO, near Pagosa Spings. God willing, I'm going to have a septic, propane appliances, battery bank & inverter/charger with a diesel light plant generator and a few solar panels to start with, more solar to come later to be less dependent on the generator. Lighting will be all LED (been buying them for a few years now), propane fridge and freezer and on demand propane hot water heater. Code requires I have a heating system that can warm the house when no one if there, so I will probably have a couple of Northern Tool vented propane heaters, but the real heat will be from a wood stove. I will start off hauling water to a cistern until I can afford to put a well in. I will probably do a generator run to pump the water up to the cistern and fill it as needed rather than constantly pumping with electric from the well. I could get electric if I wanted to, but would probably cost me about the same as my off grid setup. It's also more of wanting to be independent and a bit of defiance and not wanting to be on the power company's teat than it is a matter of necessity.

Good luck on your land search. A warmer climate will be nice, although we love the high mountains. Once I get the septic and the cistern in we will live in an RV while building. We bought an older 28 footer for $1500 and unbelievably, everything works.