Eco-Living - Off the Grid «1234...Next Go

Paralee

> @DragonAge_300905 said:
> Writin_Reg wrote: »
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> DragonAge_300905 wrote: »
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> somethingstellar wrote: »
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> > @DragonAge_300905 said:
> > somethingstellar wrote: »
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> > > @Writin_Reg said:
> > > somethingstellar wrote: »
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> > > > @Writin_Reg said:
> > > > JUst so you all know that in real life living off the grid still has government regulations we have to follow - so showers with buckets and outhouses are not allowed. On actual lots for eco living the very first things you are required before any living quarters can be started is to install deep wells that connect with the water tables and put in a septic system or leech field. They are very fussy about placement and size of septics. Like they have to be 75 feet or more from the dwelling exits and each other - that means away from your dwelling and any other dwelling erected own your lot or on others lots - as well as away from animal quarters, grazing areas, and gardening of any kind. These systems have to be inspected and approved of by the town assessors and building inspector. Things like outhouses and outside bathing is not legal structures and the health department will not allow it. So living off the grid is not like camping or staying on a campground - it has many of the same rules and regulations of any house lot - with the one exception you do not have to be connected to town water and electricity.
> > > >
> > > > If you do not have the approved septic or leech field and the well - then you do not get to build any structure on the property or bring children and pets on that property to stay. Some people do try it - but sooner or later they will show up take the kids and pets, and bulldoze everything on the lot. They do not fool around in the few states you can even legally live off the grid. Many states it is not even allowed in the USA. I cannot speak for other countries - but that is how it works here.
> > > >
> > > > ETA - Just to add I realize this is real life I am talking about and not the Sims - lol - and apparently in the Sims the impossible is always possible. I wish I could teleport - think how much we could save in fuel alone. LOL. Anyway - just want to clarify - this is not the 60's when people could do just about anything - it's not like that now a days. Believe me.
> > >
> > > lmao that's why I think the people who want to be able to camp on their lots are a little funny, because if they tried that in real life they'd be hauled off their own property by the city/regional department in charge of building codes. There was a survivalist type family who wanted to do that in the US and they nearly had their kids taken away.
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> > > Oh I know - as one who spent from April - December in my RV - I learned quickly we could only stay on our own land for two weeks in a fully contained 3 room and bath rv - with a bathroom shower and toilet, running water -Full kitchen - etc - they gave us grief from day one and made us move to a legit campground. We don't even have any kids with us - my kids are all grown - and just had one cat. They watch you like a hawk.
> >
> > Gotta love how you can buy something but not own it completely lmao I guess that's what keeps people from building shacks where they shouldn't be though.
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> > The only state that lets you build on your land without getting a permit is Alaska. So if you buy a house in Alaska you should have it inspected to make sure it won't fall down in the near future.
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> That's building. Rolling an RV on to the grass isn't building anything hahahahaha If its fine enough to live in on a camp ground it should be fine enough on your own property. Especially if you're not in the kind of neighborhood where all the properties are close together and you'd ruin everybody's property values by having nice house, nice house, nice house, RV in it.
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> You'd still need to dig a well, sewer system, and provide electricity for the RV. And the zoning laws are how the government controls what you can build or place on your land.
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> No you don't. The rv has built in holding tanks for septic that we have to drive it to a dumping station to empty. The water we do generally hook up to a water station in a camp site but we also have water tank built in to the camper. This camper costs more than a lot of people houses. Keep that in mind. Every camp ground has a dumpstation and it cleans out the tanks just like septic companies clean out you house septic system when it needs pumping. New Septic system now a day rarely needs pumping. But RVs need emptying every couple months.
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> I didn't know that about the water and septic tanks. What about electricity, how is that supplied to the RV?

In most of the ones I've ever seen you can charge them up at a charging station or at home and they're good to go for awhile lmao Some of those things are like self contained homes with solar panels and everything.

Writin_Reg

DragonAge_300905 wrote: »

Writin_Reg wrote: »

DragonAge_300905 wrote: »

somethingstellar wrote: »

> @DragonAge_300905 said:
> somethingstellar wrote: »
>
> > @Writin_Reg said:
> > somethingstellar wrote: »
> >
> > > @Writin_Reg said:
> > > JUst so you all know that in real life living off the grid still has government regulations we have to follow - so showers with buckets and outhouses are not allowed. On actual lots for eco living the very first things you are required before any living quarters can be started is to install deep wells that connect with the water tables and put in a septic system or leech field. They are very fussy about placement and size of septics. Like they have to be 75 feet or more from the dwelling exits and each other - that means away from your dwelling and any other dwelling erected own your lot or on others lots - as well as away from animal quarters, grazing areas, and gardening of any kind. These systems have to be inspected and approved of by the town assessors and building inspector. Things like outhouses and outside bathing is not legal structures and the health department will not allow it. So living off the grid is not like camping or staying on a campground - it has many of the same rules and regulations of any house lot - with the one exception you do not have to be connected to town water and electricity.
> > >
> > > If you do not have the approved septic or leech field and the well - then you do not get to build any structure on the property or bring children and pets on that property to stay. Some people do try it - but sooner or later they will show up take the kids and pets, and bulldoze everything on the lot. They do not fool around in the few states you can even legally live off the grid. Many states it is not even allowed in the USA. I cannot speak for other countries - but that is how it works here.
> > >
> > > ETA - Just to add I realize this is real life I am talking about and not the Sims - lol - and apparently in the Sims the impossible is always possible. I wish I could teleport - think how much we could save in fuel alone. LOL. Anyway - just want to clarify - this is not the 60's when people could do just about anything - it's not like that now a days. Believe me.
> >
> > lmao that's why I think the people who want to be able to camp on their lots are a little funny, because if they tried that in real life they'd be hauled off their own property by the city/regional department in charge of building codes. There was a survivalist type family who wanted to do that in the US and they nearly had their kids taken away.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Oh I know - as one who spent from April - December in my RV - I learned quickly we could only stay on our own land for two weeks in a fully contained 3 room and bath rv - with a bathroom shower and toilet, running water -Full kitchen - etc - they gave us grief from day one and made us move to a legit campground. We don't even have any kids with us - my kids are all grown - and just had one cat. They watch you like a hawk.
>
> Gotta love how you can buy something but not own it completely lmao I guess that's what keeps people from building shacks where they shouldn't be though.
>
>
>
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> The only state that lets you build on your land without getting a permit is Alaska. So if you buy a house in Alaska you should have it inspected to make sure it won't fall down in the near future.

That's building. Rolling an RV on to the grass isn't building anything hahahahaha If its fine enough to live in on a camp ground it should be fine enough on your own property. Especially if you're not in the kind of neighborhood where all the properties are close together and you'd ruin everybody's property values by having nice house, nice house, nice house, RV in it.

You'd still need to dig a well, sewer system, and provide electricity for the RV. And the zoning laws are how the government controls what you can build or place on your land.

No you don't. The rv has built in holding tanks for septic that we have to drive it to a dumping station to empty. The water we do generally hook up to a water station in a camp site but we also have water tank built in to the camper. This camper costs more than a lot of people houses. Keep that in mind. Every camp ground has a dumpstation and it cleans out the tanks just like septic companies clean out you house septic system when it needs pumping. New Septic system now a day rarely needs pumping. But RVs need emptying every couple months.

I didn't know that about the water and septic tanks. What about electricity, how is that supplied to the RV?

Batteries. much like truck batteries - there is also propane and if electricity or solar power is available it will use all of that. In fact it works perfectly on solar power and it is fully air conditioned and heated too. It had central air .

Paralee

And considering a tear-down home where I am is worth a million dollars and up, I would rather spend the same money on a gleaming home on wheels than a piece of rat infested junk that doesn't go anywhere

Paralee

Or slightly less for a coffin condo

DragonAge_300905

That sounds cool to have a house on wheels. I wonder if the government had to make new laws to keep people from living in them on their own land.

Paralee

> @DragonAge_300905 said:
> That sounds cool to have a house on wheels. I wonder if the government had to make new laws to keep people from living in them on their own land.

There's actually a whole community on YouTube of people who sell off their stuff and move in to an RV. It's a whole lifestyle. Some of them even buy used ones and completely remodel them and stuff and then show it off. Just so that they can have a home that they can take with them wherever they want because they are at a point in their lives where they're bored and they want to see and do stuff. I used to ascribe people living in RVs as like trailer park types, but now its almost a dream of mine. Like. To be able to go almost anywhere. And have your own bed. Your own stuff. I could have my little dog with me and all her stuff would remain in familiar places with her stink on everything. Amazing. I think I'mma go watch some of those videos now while I wait for these results to come in lmao

Paralee

> @somethingstellar said:
> > @DragonAge_300905 said:
> > That sounds cool to have a house on wheels. I wonder if the government had to make new laws to keep people from living in them on their own land.
>
> There's actually a whole community on YouTube of people who sell off their stuff and move in to an RV. It's a whole lifestyle. Some of them even buy used ones and completely remodel them and stuff and then show it off. Just so that they can have a home that they can take with them wherever they want because they are at a point in their lives where they're bored and they want to see and do stuff. I used to ascribe people living in RVs as like trailer park types, but now its almost a dream of mine. Like. To be able to go almost anywhere. And have your own bed. Your own stuff. I could have my little dog with me and all her stuff would remain in familiar places with her stink on everything. Amazing. I think I'mma go watch some of those videos now while I wait for these results to come in lmao

Some of them also do it because its enormously cheaper in a lot of cases. Its like the tiny home thing, you cut down on your costs and you can spend money elsewhere. Like on excursions!

Paralee

> @somethingstellar said:
> > @somethingstellar said:
> > > @DragonAge_300905 said:
> > > That sounds cool to have a house on wheels. I wonder if the government had to make new laws to keep people from living in them on their own land.
> >
> > There's actually a whole community on YouTube of people who sell off their stuff and move in to an RV. It's a whole lifestyle. Some of them even buy used ones and completely remodel them and stuff and then show it off. Just so that they can have a home that they can take with them wherever they want because they are at a point in their lives where they're bored and they want to see and do stuff. I used to ascribe people living in RVs as like trailer park types, but now its almost a dream of mine. Like. To be able to go almost anywhere. And have your own bed. Your own stuff. I could have my little dog with me and all her stuff would remain in familiar places with her stink on everything. Amazing. I think I'mma go watch some of those videos now while I wait for these results to come in lmao
>
> Some of them also do it because its enormously cheaper in a lot of cases. Its like the tiny home thing, you cut down on your costs and you can spend money elsewhere. Like on excursions!

Like the amount you save on property taxes, insurance and home maintenance is just a start, and more than makes up for any gas costs.

Writin_Reg

somethingstellar wrote: »

> @DragonAge_300905 said:
> That sounds cool to have a house on wheels. I wonder if the government had to make new laws to keep people from living in them on their own land.

There's actually a whole community on YouTube of people who sell off their stuff and move in to an RV. It's a whole lifestyle. Some of them even buy used ones and completely remodel them and stuff and then show it off. Just so that they can have a home that they can take with them wherever they want because they are at a point in their lives where they're bored and they want to see and do stuff. I used to ascribe people living in RVs as like trailer park types, but now its almost a dream of mine. Like. To be able to go almost anywhere. And have your own bed. Your own stuff. I could have my little dog with me and all her stuff would remain in familiar places with her stink on everything. Amazing. I think I'mma go watch some of those videos now while I wait for these results to come in lmao

There's a couple simmers here that are doing that and post from their rvs.

Our kitty is with us and she loved it. She did have to go into her carrier though when we were moving it. I did not want to chance her getting hurt - just in case. She didn't like that part of RV living at all as she hates the carrier. LOL.

Paralee

> @Writin_Reg said:
> somethingstellar wrote: »
>
> > @DragonAge_300905 said:
> > That sounds cool to have a house on wheels. I wonder if the government had to make new laws to keep people from living in them on their own land.
>
> There's actually a whole community on YouTube of people who sell off their stuff and move in to an RV. It's a whole lifestyle. Some of them even buy used ones and completely remodel them and stuff and then show it off. Just so that they can have a home that they can take with them wherever they want because they are at a point in their lives where they're bored and they want to see and do stuff. I used to ascribe people living in RVs as like trailer park types, but now its almost a dream of mine. Like. To be able to go almost anywhere. And have your own bed. Your own stuff. I could have my little dog with me and all her stuff would remain in familiar places with her stink on everything. Amazing. I think I'mma go watch some of those videos now while I wait for these results to come in lmao
>
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> There's a couple simmers here that are doing that and post from their rvs.

I was JUST having a vision of myself doing that before you said it. I need to make this reality.

Paralee

> @somethingstellar said:
> > @Writin_Reg said:
> > somethingstellar wrote: »
> >
> > > @DragonAge_300905 said:
> > > That sounds cool to have a house on wheels. I wonder if the government had to make new laws to keep people from living in them on their own land.
> >
> > There's actually a whole community on YouTube of people who sell off their stuff and move in to an RV. It's a whole lifestyle. Some of them even buy used ones and completely remodel them and stuff and then show it off. Just so that they can have a home that they can take with them wherever they want because they are at a point in their lives where they're bored and they want to see and do stuff. I used to ascribe people living in RVs as like trailer park types, but now its almost a dream of mine. Like. To be able to go almost anywhere. And have your own bed. Your own stuff. I could have my little dog with me and all her stuff would remain in familiar places with her stink on everything. Amazing. I think I'mma go watch some of those videos now while I wait for these results to come in lmao
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > There's a couple simmers here that are doing that and post from their rvs.
>
> I was JUST having a vision of myself doing that before you said it. I need to make this reality.

Although my vision was posting let's plays from my wooded location in my RV lmao

DragonAge_300905

somethingstellar wrote: »

> @DragonAge_300905 said:
> That sounds cool to have a house on wheels. I wonder if the government had to make new laws to keep people from living in them on their own land.

There's actually a whole community on YouTube of people who sell off their stuff and move in to an RV. It's a whole lifestyle. Some of them even buy used ones and completely remodel them and stuff and then show it off. Just so that they can have a home that they can take with them wherever they want because they are at a point in their lives where they're bored and they want to see and do stuff. I used to ascribe people living in RVs as like trailer park types, but now its almost a dream of mine. Like. To be able to go almost anywhere. And have your own bed. Your own stuff. I could have my little dog with me and all her stuff would remain in familiar places with her stink on everything. Amazing. I think I'mma go watch some of those videos now while I wait for these results to come in lmao

I live in a trailer park and the people here are the best people I have ever known. There's no crime here, everybody talks to everybody, the kids are very respectful. Everybody is nice and friendly, we have a great community here.

There is a lot of false thinking about trailer parks. The area I'm in, is 15 miles to either town, only a school is nearby, no stores are close at all. The area is considered a very nice neighborhood. Even though everybody is poor, people would drive though asking us about anyone selling their house in here, they wanted to move here. This place was full, every lot taken. Then the owner started their sign this lease idea, we now have an empty lot and places are going up for sale. I threatened to move and they stopped harassing me to sign. So if anybody's turning this place into a bad area, it would be the owners. The residents here are the best neighbors I've ever had.

Paralee

> @DragonAge_300905 said:
> somethingstellar wrote: »
>
> > @DragonAge_300905 said:
> > That sounds cool to have a house on wheels. I wonder if the government had to make new laws to keep people from living in them on their own land.
>
> There's actually a whole community on YouTube of people who sell off their stuff and move in to an RV. It's a whole lifestyle. Some of them even buy used ones and completely remodel them and stuff and then show it off. Just so that they can have a home that they can take with them wherever they want because they are at a point in their lives where they're bored and they want to see and do stuff. I used to ascribe people living in RVs as like trailer park types, but now its almost a dream of mine. Like. To be able to go almost anywhere. And have your own bed. Your own stuff. I could have my little dog with me and all her stuff would remain in familiar places with her stink on everything. Amazing. I think I'mma go watch some of those videos now while I wait for these results to come in lmao
>
>
>
>
> I live in a trailer park and the people here are the best people I have ever known. There's no crime here, everybody talks to everybody, the kids are very respectful. Everybody is nice and friendly, we have a great community here.
>
> There is a lot of false thinking about trailer parks. The area I'm in, is 15 miles to either town, only a school is nearby, no stores are close at all. The area is considered a very nice neighborhood. Even though everybody is poor, people would drive though asking us about anyone selling their house in here, they wanted to move here. This place was full, every lot taken. Then the owner started their sign this lease idea, we now have an empty lot and places are going up for sale. I threatened to move and they stopped harassing me to sign. So if anybody's turning this place into a bad area, it would be the owners. The residents here are the best neighbors I've ever had.

Oh sorry, my idea of a trailer park is like the ghetto ones that existed in my town hahahahaha And then there's modular home parks, where they look like trailer parks but with less cars on bricks and more flowers and pretty gardens and people walking dogs

DragonAge_300905

somethingstellar wrote: »

> @DragonAge_300905 said:
> somethingstellar wrote: »
>
> > @DragonAge_300905 said:
> > That sounds cool to have a house on wheels. I wonder if the government had to make new laws to keep people from living in them on their own land.
>
> There's actually a whole community on YouTube of people who sell off their stuff and move in to an RV. It's a whole lifestyle. Some of them even buy used ones and completely remodel them and stuff and then show it off. Just so that they can have a home that they can take with them wherever they want because they are at a point in their lives where they're bored and they want to see and do stuff. I used to ascribe people living in RVs as like trailer park types, but now its almost a dream of mine. Like. To be able to go almost anywhere. And have your own bed. Your own stuff. I could have my little dog with me and all her stuff would remain in familiar places with her stink on everything. Amazing. I think I'mma go watch some of those videos now while I wait for these results to come in lmao
>
>
>
>
> I live in a trailer park and the people here are the best people I have ever known. There's no crime here, everybody talks to everybody, the kids are very respectful. Everybody is nice and friendly, we have a great community here.
>
> There is a lot of false thinking about trailer parks. The area I'm in, is 15 miles to either town, only a school is nearby, no stores are close at all. The area is considered a very nice neighborhood. Even though everybody is poor, people would drive though asking us about anyone selling their house in here, they wanted to move here. This place was full, every lot taken. Then the owner started their sign this lease idea, we now have an empty lot and places are going up for sale. I threatened to move and they stopped harassing me to sign. So if anybody's turning this place into a bad area, it would be the owners. The residents here are the best neighbors I've ever had.

Oh sorry, my idea of a trailer park is like the ghetto ones that existed in my town hahahahaha And then there's modular home parks, where they look like trailer parks but with less cars on bricks and more flowers and pretty gardens and people walking dogs

We all live in manufactured homes here, no houses on wheels. We have rules on what color we can paint our homes, keep the yards up, what we can put on our porches, and stuff like that.

Paralee

> @DragonAge_300905 said:
> somethingstellar wrote: »
>
> > @DragonAge_300905 said:
> > somethingstellar wrote: »
> >
> > > @DragonAge_300905 said:
> > > That sounds cool to have a house on wheels. I wonder if the government had to make new laws to keep people from living in them on their own land.
> >
> > There's actually a whole community on YouTube of people who sell off their stuff and move in to an RV. It's a whole lifestyle. Some of them even buy used ones and completely remodel them and stuff and then show it off. Just so that they can have a home that they can take with them wherever they want because they are at a point in their lives where they're bored and they want to see and do stuff. I used to ascribe people living in RVs as like trailer park types, but now its almost a dream of mine. Like. To be able to go almost anywhere. And have your own bed. Your own stuff. I could have my little dog with me and all her stuff would remain in familiar places with her stink on everything. Amazing. I think I'mma go watch some of those videos now while I wait for these results to come in lmao
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > I live in a trailer park and the people here are the best people I have ever known. There's no crime here, everybody talks to everybody, the kids are very respectful. Everybody is nice and friendly, we have a great community here.
> >
> > There is a lot of false thinking about trailer parks. The area I'm in, is 15 miles to either town, only a school is nearby, no stores are close at all. The area is considered a very nice neighborhood. Even though everybody is poor, people would drive though asking us about anyone selling their house in here, they wanted to move here. This place was full, every lot taken. Then the owner started their sign this lease idea, we now have an empty lot and places are going up for sale. I threatened to move and they stopped harassing me to sign. So if anybody's turning this place into a bad area, it would be the owners. The residents here are the best neighbors I've ever had.
>
> Oh sorry, my idea of a trailer park is like the ghetto ones that existed in my town hahahahaha And then there's modular home parks, where they look like trailer parks but with less cars on bricks and more flowers and pretty gardens and people walking dogs
>
>
>
>
> We all live in manufactured homes here, no houses on wheels. We have rules on what color we can paint our homes, keep the yards up, what we can put on our porches, and stuff like that.

That's what I call a modular home park hahahaha They are more plentiful where I am now than where I grew up. My boyfriend and I want to get the one beside his parents because its a double-wide and the whole area is SO CUTE and SO quiet. Also the grocery store, movie theater, bowling alley, and clothing shops right next door don't hurt either.
If I ever get a lakeside property I'm getting a custom modular home. Because they look like full blown houses but they're way cheaper.

Goth583

Off the Grid should be a game pack or expansion, IMO. It would be something completely new and different. If EA doesn't do it, the modding community will.

rp_girl

> @Goth583 said:
> Off the Grid should be a game pack or expansion, IMO. It would be something completely new and different. If EA doesn't do it, the modding community will.

Ooh definitely.Some awesome new ideas for the modders out,I look forward to it as being either a feature or a mod.

SilentKitty

So disappointed. Off the grid was so interesting to me, don't know if they will pick it up again.

Oh well.

Paralee

SilentKitty wrote: »

So disappointed. Off the grid was so interesting to me, don't know if they will pick it up again.

Oh well.

Wanna sign my petition to beg them to make it a full fleshed out GP? Tell them we will throw money at them. They will have no choice.
http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/920686/off-the-grid-gamepack-petition-1-signature

ElenPink

Those are really nice ideas.

It reminds me somehow of Minecraft. I loved the rugged and off the grid style of the game. It would be nice to have it as a pack.

szMermaid

The link to the petition to have Off the grid, canning/preserving, carbon conscious made into a GP is here now: https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/921310/off-the-grid-gamepack-petition-334-signatures/p1?new=1
We got already 334 signatures so far. This shows how determined we are.

ElenPink

szMermaid wrote: »

The link to the petition to have Off the grid, canning/preserving, carbon conscious made into a GP is here now: https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/921310/off-the-grid-gamepack-petition-334-signatures/p1?new=1
We got already 334 signatures so far. This shows how determined we are.

Yes thank you lol. I signed a while ago! I would sign a million times if I could!