By Nanci Dixon
Last week I wrote about there being no room at storage facilities for RVs – they’re full! While I was doing some research for that article, I came across one idea to guarantee a storage spot – buy your own storage unit! Even better? Buy your own luxury storage unit.
Here’s the deal on those:
One of the nicest (er, luxurious… and most expensive) facilities is the Autobox, located in Scottsdale, Arizona. The units are designed for car enthusiasts but the 14-foot doors make it usable for RVs too. So what makes it so luxurious?
The units are heated and air-conditioned, have insulated walls, ceilings and doors, 100-amp electrical service, LED lighting, and concrete floors ready to finish. They are prewired for TV, internet, phone and security. Rough-in plumbing is provided for a work sink and the option of a half-bath is available. Need more space? You can also have a mezzanine built, and if you do that, this space just about resembles a fancy condo unit.
The units range from 840 square feet to 1,500 square feet. And to top it off there is a beautiful, well-appointed community clubhouse for you to use and enjoy. Now that’s luxury for your RV and you!
At a mere $306,000, it is the ultimate “man cave”! Sorry, there are currently no spaces available but you can check it out here and get on the waiting list.
Meanwhile, in Coachella…
In Coachella, California, there is another storage facility, Luxtor, that also provides a number of luxurious amenities. (They have a facility in Prescott, AZ, too.)
Most of the units are around 700 square feet, but some are as large as 2,034 square feet. They are fully insulated and have HVAC systems and 50-amp electric hookups. There are also cameras and alarms in each unit. At the facility there is a dump station, water and air for the do-it-yourselfer – or they will dump and add air, fuel and water to your rig for you.
To make your RV trip easier, they also can provide coach delivery and setup at your park, RV cleaning, linen services, and grocery shopping (they’ll even put the groceries away in your RV).
It is a one-stop-shop with on-site detailing, repairs and maintenance available.
They also offer a “discreet shuttle service” – which I couldn’t figure out at first but then I realized that some of the units must be owned by celebrities. It is near Palm Springs, after all. Maybe you’ll be dumping your tanks next to Dolly Parton (she owns an RV, you know)…
The smaller units start just above $115,000. That larger 2,034 square foot unit? That’ll set you back $366,120. Check out their website here.
##RVT975
Wow, that is almost twice the cost of my home!!! Our Class C is kept in a locked yard about 15 minutes from home, after we prep it for the winter. Sadly we are “stuck” in Canada this year.
It costs us $75ca a month.
Hi, Mary. Just had to reply to your comment about “almost twice the cost of my home!” When I bought my (current) home in 1973, it cost $27,500 (not a typo). 😯 Have a good night, and stay healthy. 🙂 —Diane at RVtravel.com
Its great to see what people do with money they EARNED. it’s also interesting and GREAT, to see just how many people they hired directly and or indirectly to build and build out these facilities. From the delivery personnel, suppliers/manufacturers, drywallers, paint, plumbing, electrical, carpenters, ac, on and on spending and investing right here in the USA, and they are paying a ton of tax!!
And that puts food on a table!!
It would appear that some folks have more money than they know what to do with!
Don’t forget to add on the $250/month association fee. Yipes!
Just have a Morton Building built for yourself at 1/8 of the cost.
First thing we see in this edition is a PSA:
“Many people will go hungry this Thanksgiving, including many children. If you are financially able, please donate $20, $50 or $100 to a local food bank. This year it’s especially important to help, with millions of normally hard-working people out of work because of the pandemic. You will feel so good if you contribute — knowing you helped people who are struggling now go to bed on one of America’s most cherished holidays without the pain of an empty stomach.”
Then this article, where people are spending more on housing their big bus than some folks make in a lifetime, just cuz they can. Oh, the irony…
it`s over now give it a rest
These Man Cave units near us start at about $200,000. https://www.islandstoragesuites.com/features-amenities/
In nearby Oshkosh the old K-Mart that was briefly a Sears Grand store and then vacant for years is now a self-storage building and U-Haul store. However, I don’t believe they have any RV storage. But I think the idea is certainly viable, and those big parking lots could be used for that inexpensive overnight RV stop that I know a lot of us would use.
There are so many warehouses, closed department stores (think Sears, JCP,) etc. that will never come back due to the shifting buying patterns, economy, and COVID. Why aren’t some of them converted to indoor storage? We are fortunate that we secured an indoor facility over a year ago; however, it’s 40 miles away.
We’d never pay to own a spot because we’re in our ‘60’s, but if I were younger, I’d try my best to convert a building into an indoor, full-service valet system like an NIRVC.
I am trying to do EXACTLY what you stated!!! I took last weeks story to heart and have already investigated several options.
I am currently trying to get the owner of a vacant 15,000 sq ft completely empty warehouse to lease me the building. I would just need to add a 15 x 12 foot door. The building is 195 feet x 77 feet and 16 foot at the eaves (22 feet along the peak). The building is 1/4 mile from Rt 95 and has three 24-hour truck repair facilities along with multiple fueling stations (four are truck stops), many hotels, a full grocery market and plenty of restaurants. All of this is 1/4 of a mile from the building. I was also thinking of adding airport pick-up to the options.
I have three questions for the audience:
How much room do you need to pull out a 43-45 foot coach?
How much would you be willing to pay for a completely enclosed and secure place for your coach?
How much space would you need between the coaches and travel trailers?
Thanks for the comments, Michael – when I walk though our NIRVC location just outside Phoenix, I notice a couple things as it relates to their parking arrangements:
a) they set them up in blocks and lanes; meaning, there’s 2-3 lanes full of RV’s separated by a wide “access and egress” lane, with only 8-10 coaches in a lane. So 30 or so RV’S in a block. If they receive a call from a tenant that would like their coach/RV taken out and prepped for pickup, my guess is they have 10 moves max to make room for the exit (depending on the location of a buried RV.) I could be way off, but it’s an educated guess…
b) $15-20 a lineal foot
c) see a above…I’d say the access/egress lane is approx 20’-25’
We are also researching sort of the same thing. We like the concept of the indoor rv parks that are heated in Minnesota and North Dakota. They are a lifesaver for the oil workers living in their RV’s. The same concept (except cooling instead of heating) can be applied to the high temperatures during the summer. We are also looking at them just for storage, but you have to be careful where to look in empty industrial centers. Though some of the luxury car storage facilities are, downright beautiful. Sorry, but women also love cars so calling it a man cave makes me laugh.
I am lucky enough to have a driveway where I store my 32′ Fifth Wheel. I have to do a reverse “s” turn backing into it but at least it’s off the street and I’m not paying a storage fee. My town forbids RV & boat parking on the public street during the winter.