A couple of weeks ago, my daughter took my almost brand new horse trailer home so her husband could install a few accessories. The idea was to save a little money. She and her husband own a home in a new community. They know they have an HOA but were unaware of the—dare I say it—fanatical enforcement of the rules by its committee leaders. Within 12 hours of parking the trailer in front of the house, a notice to remove it was pinned on their front door.
OK, I appreciate that people want to live in nice areas and even one neglected vehicle can become a blight on a neighborhood. But 12 hours! I am fortunate; I can park my trailer free at the barn where I keep my horses. Not so for many who own RVs, boats, collectible cars and other big toys.
The rise in petrol cost is not deterring the activities of these RVers. According to an article in The Earth Times, RV owners say traveling in their home on wheels is a far cheaper vacation than any other. So, the toys may not roam as far from home. But they're not going to be sold off cheap for another mode of entertainment. They will just stay in storage a bit more. And some high-dollar RV owners want their name on the deed to the space where they store their “baby.” Enter a fairly new concept—storage condos.
In my hunt for educational stories, I have come across condominium facilities such as Eucalyptus at Beaumont in California, which is nearly 100 percent sold out before construction is even completed! Inside Self-Storage (ISS) even hosted a webinar in which Caesar Wright, president of Mako Steel Inc., talks about storage condos.
And in a few short weeks, the ISS Boat/RV/Mobile Storage supplement issue will hit the streets. So even if you're one of the fortunate ones touring America’s highways in your home on wheels, don’t miss it!