Granny flat unique requirements help.

[calebjc]

I'm looking for opinions.

My 80-year-old mother is coming back this summer by hook or crook after being stuck out in New Mexico away from her grandchildren. She'll be here for two months in the summer. She wants to help pay for a used RV she can stay in, and we can keep.

But it has to have a toilet. We have a place in the trees/shade close to our house in town, but no hookups, just extension cord, and hose. The sink can be cold water only. Gray water can go into a bucket that goes into the garden.

The toilet is the tricky part. She'll only use the toilet at night because she'll be with us in the main house about 40ft away during the day. Maybe a composting toilet that needs to be emptied every few days? Hmmm.

She does need a stove and sink. But no heater, AC, shower, etc.

It has to be towable by a 2015 Toyota Sienna.

I'm pretty handy so a fixer upper is okay.

I am thinking of a well-used 16' type rig? With bunks, so we can use it with my wife and two young kids. Maybe with a side dinette so she can keep the bed down? We don't plan and doing a lot of camping, this is mostly a guest house/granny flat type situation.

Email and/or Phone:
calebjohnclark@gmail.com
9177035580

[Raz]

Fiberglass campers demand a premium price and are hard to find. They also sell very quickly. If this is a one summer deal then now is a good time to look for a used stickie. This season, RV's were selling well and there have to be folks that were less than thrilled with the experience. Fiberglass or not, check craigslist often and if you find a fiberglass camper, be prepared to drop what you are doing and go see it. They sell in hours. There is a buyers checklist here that you should read.

Forget about a composting toilet, a porta pottie is what you what. It is easy to empty into your toilet. Also if you do find something this fall, don't let the snow build up. It might cave the roof. Good luck.

[calebjc]

Good points, I like fiberglass so much more for it's engineering and resale value, but after looking around at stickies, I see what you mean.

Thanks so much!

[Jon in AZ]

A conventional toilet can also work with the use of a “blue boy” portable waste tank. Empty the black tank into the portable tank and then empty the portable tank into a sewer clean out.

A separating toilet is less nasty than either, but the desiccating medium can be rather expensive for long-term use.

Unfortunately, demand and prices of small fiberglass trailers are through the roof right now. It’s hard to say how long the situation will last, but I agree that you might find more options in a small sticky. Few will be towable by a Sienna, though.

Be aware that molded trailers designate models by total length including the tongue and bumper (so a 16’ Scamp has a 13’ cabin). Conventional trailers designate models by cabin length.

[Damp Scamp Tramp]

How about a macerating blackwater pump? I've never used one and am only familiar with the listings in Camping World. It hooks to the holding tank drain, chews up the effluent, and sends it through a garden hose.
Bill

https://www.industrialzone.com/19518...829b4853281175

[Gilda]

I'm concerned that your elderly mom will be in a trailer in the summer heat. You don't say where you live, but the summertime in most of the U.S. is HOT. If you can provide shade for the trailer that would help. My friends who have trailers with A.C. say it's only of limited help and drains power or the generator quickly. Perhaps there's a way you can hook up the trailer to a "proper" A.C. to your house power.

As to resale value...Instead of selling it may turn out that your family will like having the "extra room" for the kids, as an office, as a craft room, whatever. As a fiberglass RV owner I have to say my 2011 13' SCAMP is a dream to tow, but I would not like to live in it AND the bed is very small.

Here's an alternative idea. While more costly and permanent, many towns across the U.S., particularly here in California, are promoting the building of ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units) and JADUs (Junior Accessory Dwelling Units) which are exterior and interior dwelling units, respectively, built on a property with an existing, larger, dwelling. This type of building used to be strictly prohibited and are now being promoted to deal with the need for affordable housing. https://www.hcd.ca.gov/policy-resear...ingunits.shtml There are many companies now that specialize in this type of building. You can select a basic structure design, they can help with permits and building, if you choose. This might be a good choice for you if you don't want to start from scratch.

Building an ADU may be an answer to your issue AND can provide better quality housing for your mother should you invite her, at a later date, to move in "with" you. After all, "mother in law" units have existed for a long time now. In addition, it will improve the value of your property, if done well.

That's my 2-cents worth. You have time to make your decision. Good for you for seeking creative ways to accommodate your mom!

Gilda (Jill-da)

[Jon in AZ]

The OP’s profile says VT, so perhaps not as big a problem as elsewhere. Winter would be more of a problem, but this arrangement may only be for the summer.

I’ve seen several nice 16’ Scamps and Casitas listed on www.fiberglass-rv-4sale.com recently, but they don’t last long, and they’re far from VT. One was in NM. I don’t know if it would be possible to buy one in the West, store it somewhere for the winter, and drive out in the early summer to pick up the trailer and granny.

[Lynn Eberhardt]

Vermont, in the shade, certainly works at night, especially with a roof exhaust fan. We have a '16 Scamp with a Porta-potti. The two of us are good with that for five days or more of night use only. If you do have/use AC, make sure to use a suitable duty extension cord.

[stevebaz]

personally I would rehab a cargo container. if your handy you can do allot with them.

[Bob Durrstein]

Quickest and least expensive is to obtain a quality cassette toilet for under $100. It does require maintenance every few days, but may be carried in and emptied into a regular household toilet.

[John in Santa Cruz]

a heavy duty 20A contractor grade extension cord will nicely run the sort of AC you find on a typical fiberglass. they only need 30A power to run the microwave and AC at the same time.

Whats your sewer setup at home? are you on city sewers, or a septic tank? if you can park the trailer within maybe 30 feet of a full sized cleanout, then you can run a sewer hose from an onboard black-tank to said cleanout. ideally said run is slightly downhill.

note even if you are hooked up to sewer, you do NOT leave the black tank open on the trailer, you wait for it to fill, then dump. also leave the grey tank closed, so you can dump it after the black tank, to keep the hose from getting nasty.

[Lee Senn]

Seems some are missing key points on the OP i.e. poster says they get to keep the trailer when grandma leaves and that it must be towable by a Sienna . So looks like poster will keep and use the trailer and that it will be towed by said Sienna , That would eliminate almost all stickies . If poster is going to keep and use said trailer then fiberglass moves to the front of the class IMO . Lee