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Home building trends from 2008 to 2014 are showing a decrease in the square footage of residential family homes. Trulia reports that the average American home size has decreased every year since 2008. In the 1950’s the average home size was less than 1,000 square feet. By the early 2000’s homes were approaching 2,600 square feet.

Whether it was the economy combined with high heating and cooling bills, or the maintenance toll that larger houses were extracting, people began to choose and build smaller homes just before the recession. Good timing. Exceptions abound of course – wealthy buyers are still building mansions, but it is a small percentage of the market. Market share has actually grown for homes sized less than 1500 square feet.

What is most confusing in the data is the “small home” segment. Builders will give you different answers to the question, “How big (or small) is a ‘Small Home?’” Consensus is that a “small home” is 1,500 square feet or less. You might say that this is not a small home at all. Then there is the term “Very Small Home.” A very small home, if you research the phrase, turns out to be less than 1,000 square feet. Again, you might comment that 1,000 square feet is just fine.

Continuing down this arbitrary path, we come to the term “Tiny House.” A tiny house is described by TinyHouseTalk.com as a home with less than 400 square feet. OK, I hear you saying, that is small. But wait. There’s more. We have the term “Ultra Tiny House.” I bet you can figure this one out. Less than 100 square feet? Yup. These tiny homes can be as small as 90 square feet complete with bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom and a common area. How is this possible? Designboom.com is a web site with pictures of these truly tiny homes and it is remarkable. I don’t think I could do it!

Finally, if you want to get away, you can still buy a motorhome or RV with a lot more space than a Tiny House. But you can also get away with a Portable House, sometimes called a “Towable Home.” The Custom 30 Foot House by Colorado-based Rocky Mountain Tiny Houses, featured on Gizmag.com, is a handsome example. Built for a family of 3, it offers 200 square feet on the main floor and 100 square feet in two separate lofts. The home features seating for six, a wood stove, large refrigerator, washer/dryer, and a dishwasher. The bathroom includes a composting toilet, sink, a small bathtub, and a shower. The house rests atop a 30 foot trailer, and can be towed by a full size car or truck.

An interesting final fact on American home sizes. Our homes are considered extravagant by the people in most other countries across the globe. In Spain and France, an average home size is less than half the size of an American home, and in the United Kingdom homes are one third the size at about 800 square feet. So the next time you walk into your American home, appreciate the fact that it’s bigger than you thought it was.

Source by Lisa P. Turner

Motorhome issues are difficult and often unexpected. Malfunctions can cause stress and create obstacles during a family road trip. In the worst-case scenario, the need for repairs can stop a fun trip in its tracks. When facing such setbacks, two questions come to mind: “How much is this going to cost?” and “How long until I can get back on the road?” That is why it is always important to plan for the unexpected and save extra money for potential repair expenses on your road trips.

RV Repairs and Upgrades

With regular maintenance, many problems can be avoided. Sometimes, however, unexpected troubles can arise that require immediate attention from an expert. The prospect of RV repairs, however, should not necessarily spark fear within you. Repairs can also bring modifications and enhancements, like new additions or technological features. Who wouldn’t love making his or her vehicle even more deluxe with a built-in grill or a comfortable chair? In any case, making preparations for a variety of road conditions and circumstances will help you save big in the long run.

The types of internal and external repairs that can be performed on an RV are numerous. If you are not an expert in this area, leave any desired modifications up to those who know what they are doing. Professionals are trained to ensure proper RV function. An experienced technician should be well informed and know how to find and install the perfect additions to your vehicle.

Adventurously Exploring the Road

Adventures in life are what you make them. In other words, they can be as great or horrible as you want them to be. Never be afraid to venture into the unknown. There are always a million reasons not to do something, but it only takes one action that could lead to an unforgettable experience.

Once you have implemented all the necessary RV repairs and adjustments, you can enjoy all that a road trip has to offer. Traveling in mobile homes usually turns out to be an amazing adventure that creates memories for a lifetime. Seeing natural and man-made spectacles is one way of giving life meaning. Furthermore, experiencing “life on the road” is an adventure in and of itself. Travel is a wonderful luxury that you should enjoy with the least amount of interruptions possible.

Maintaining your vehicle and home-away-from-home should always be a top priority. RV repairs are necessary and should not cause excessive stress when left in the hands of trusted professionals.

Source by Andrew Stratton

Rent a camper van services can offer you great things for your campervan holiday. But you will only be able to enjoy all these luxuries if you have checked on the fees included in each firm offering such packages. You should also consider the facilities included in the package. Surprisingly, motorhome hire in London can offer you facilities at reasonable prices for staying in the UK’s capital city.

If you are looking for cheap motorhome hire, checking on the price of numerous firms offering rent a camper van packages will be of great help. From there, you can decide on which company will suit your basic needs. You may also want to browse through optional extras offered by these companies.

Basic Fees that Go With Rent a Camper Van Package

Even when advertised as a luxury motorhome rental, you can often still get a great price. The firms offering rent a camper van packages know it is a competitive market and so, if you do your homework, you can negotiate to include a few extras by mentioning the names of other cheap motorhome hire companies.

So, if you’re considering motorhome hire in London or elsewhere in the UK, there are two things you should basically consider when it comes to the price. The first one is the number of berths included in the package and the next is the number of days you will spend during the trip. If you opt for the 4-berth motorhome, you may need to pay £400 for 4 nights whilst if you take the 6-berth version, the price may be around £500. These prices may also change if you use the motorhome hire in London during peak seasons, that is, during holidays and weekends.

Extras Included in the Rent a Camper Van Package

The extras included in luxury motorhome rental are like accessories to your clothes. Just think whether you need them when you hire a motorhome. These optional extras should always be considered in the package as you may make use of them during the trip.

Some examples of these extras are pillow covers, duvets and sheet covers. These ones may cost you an additional fee of £20 for the motorhome hire period. If you wish to have towels provided for you during the trip, you should allot around £5 for each person. For snow chain sets and ski rocks, you may have to pay £20 for each of these extra amenities.

Remember to have all the basics and extras included in your rent a camper van package. You should also make sure that insurances and VAT are included in the quote. It also pays to check on how the company defines luxury motorhome rental and see if it passes your own tests. Once you have checked on all these, you can make the right choice amongst all firms offering motorhome hire in UK package. As you have scrutinized each of these companies carefully, there’s no reason you won’t enjoy the various rent a camper van services they offer.

Source by Alan Poole

You can find used RVs for sale in a variety of places including seized auctions, police auctions, private sales through magazine adverts or even Used RV Sales dealerships.

Before attempting to purchase a motorhome you need to have a good idea as to exactly which type of vehicle will cover your needs especially if it is your first time buying an RV. To help you discover which vehicle you need you should be asking yourself the following type of questions; How often do you plan to use the vehicle? What will be the length of your trips? How many people will be sleeping regularly in the motorhome. You answers will undoubtedly point you in the direction of a certain type of RV or camper.

If this is your first time buying an RV then a good place to start looking is at a used RV dealership. There you will find a complete range of models of all shapes and sizes from old to new.

You will be able to see exactly what sort of thing is available and what will suit you. As an added measure of security and peace of mind for you your should be able to get some sort of guarantee from most dealers and if you are prepared to pay a little extra you might even be interested in an extended guarantee.

The more adventurous and experienced you are you might want to try and purchase your motorhome in a private deal from someone advertising in the specialized motorhome magazines or even in the local press or off the Internet. You will be able to get a much better price than a the dealerships but the purchase involves a slightly higher amount o risk. You will not have the security of the dealership nor of the albeit limited guarantee. You should be meticulous in looking over every aspect of the vehicle before you buy, if possible take a mechanic with you and maybe even another motorhome owner to give you their unbiased opinion too. Check that all the paperwork is in order and that the VIN number matches the actual plaque on the vehicle.

For the fearless there exists the possibility of purchasing your RV from a seized auction or a police auction. Here you can get some real bargains at times. This however is not for the faint hearted. To be able to get the most out of buying at an auction you need to know how to value a motorhome in an instant. Find out how much it would sell for in a private deal, find any defects or repairs that need undertaking and work out a price for those repairs. Adding up the approximate value, the repairs and the auctioneers percentage you will arrive at your maximum bid amount. In most auctions you will be able to get vehicle at a fraction of that amount but at times there are inexperienced bidders who push up the price beyond what the vehicle is worth. It is very easy to get trapped into bidding high for a motorhome you have previously spent hours examining and have decided that you could bid for

With that said, at most auctions you will find opening bids around the $100 mark and you will find that on occasions you can get RVs in excellent condition, relatively new for only a fraction of what they are worth.

You can find police auctions in your area by visiting the Seized Vehicle Auctions web site or the Auction Pass site. There you can come across many Motorhomes or RVs that are nearly new with really low mileage. The sites have regularly updated databases of the upcoming auctions and the vehicles that will be available.

For more information and ideas on how to find used campers for sale and how to value them see our web site listed below.

Source by Barry Bushnell

Seitz S4 Framed Windows: A complete window for motorhomes, caravans and camper vans. Supplied as an assembly, ready to install, with grey acrylic double glazed pane, black outer frame, integrated roller blind and flynet. The practical, central, one-hand control system combines both flynet and blind for easy movement into various positions.

Simply and quickly installed, to wall thickness from 1 mm (sheet metal thickness) up to 53 mm, using suitable timber strips.

Seitz S4 framed camper van motorhome caravan windows are installed by screwing the inner frame to the outer frame. The window is ready for installation to a wall thickness of 26 mm. For wall thickness from 1 mm to 25 mm a supplementary frame will have to be fitted to the window aperture. For wall thickness from 27 mm to 42 mm, the inner frame will have to be trimmed. For wall thickness from 43 mm to 53 mm, the outer frame will have to be fitted with timber strips. All these modifications and additions are fully and simply explained in the installation instruction supplied with the window. Seitz S4 campervan motorhome windows for replacement or van conversions. Care must be taken when measuring exact size.

The following guide will help ensure correct sizes.

1. Check for sizes etched on window pane
2. Check exact cutout size of aperture/hole
3. Check exact size of overall size of outside frame Width x Height in mm

Seitz S4 hinged window comes supplied with telescopic arms and safety catches.

The S4 framed windows are supplied to the following colour scheme:

Outer frame black RAL 9005.

Inner frame cream white RAL 9001.

Blind has grey interior with an aluminum coating to the outside.

Flynet is un patterned white.

Acrylic pane is grey.

Hinge windows open up to a maximum of 80°

Seitz S4 sliding window comes supplied with safety catch to stop the window being opened from outside. Left and right hand versions available (as direction of travel). In both cases the sliding section must be fitted to the front of the vehicle.

The S 4 framed windows are supplied to the following colour scheme:

Outer frame black RAL 9005.

Inner frame cream white RAL 9001.

Blind has grey interior with an aluminum coating to the outside.

Flynet is unpatterned white.

Acrylic pane is grey.

Source by Terry John O’Brien

At first glance the terms “hitting the road” and “hitting the books” might appear mutually exclusive. But if you home school your children and have access to a motor home, read on.

Your one room school house on wheels.

One of major concerns of parents who decide to home school their children is that their child is not exposed to the wide array of mental stimuli encountered by children who participate in a more conventional education. Children who go to public and even private schools are exposed to many different cultures, personalities and diverse beliefs. However, children schooled in the home sometimes are not exposed to a wide variety of other children. Co-operative home schooling, which brings a number of families together to share the work in educating their children, helps somewhat but home schooled children still, may not experience the plethora of mental stimuli experienced by their more traditionally schooled counterparts. One way to ensure that your child has access to these stimuli is to pack up your motor home and hit the road.

Math Class

As you head down the highway in your one room school house on wheels, opportunities for teaching abound. In addition to the regular daily lesson plan, you can incorporate trip specific lessons into the daily work. For example, the math lesson begins when you stop at the neighborhood filling station to top off your tank. Consult the owners’ manual of your motor home and find out the capacity in gallons of your fuel tank. If age and grade appropriate have your young student convert this measurement from gallons to liters. For younger children, a fun activity is to let them watch the pump through the RV window and count the gallons or even tenths of gallons that pour into your motor homes fuel tank. Of course with the current price of gasoline, this activity will be much more fun for them than for you.

Once you’ve filled your tank, get out the map and sit with your student to study your route. Consult your motor home’s manual again and find how many miles per gallon you can expect to get. Help your young student compose a formula to find how far down the planned route you’ll be able to travel before your motor home requires fuel again. You can help your child use the map to help navigate as you travel along. Plan a side trip at the spur of the moment. Ask your child to tell you how this side trip will affect your timetable and fuel bill?

History Lessons.

Plan your trip so that you follow an historical route. Follow the Trail of Tears, maybe the Oregon Trail. Travel the dusty path the cowboys rode in cattle drives from Texas to Dodge City, Kansas. If you’ve got the time, follow the route of Lewis and Clark or, explore the vast expanse of the Louisiana Purchase. What ever path you choose to follow, make sure you have plenty of supplemental materials for your young student to study. Many motor home parks have high speed internet available to their campers. At the end of each day, have your child connect to the Internet and gather information about the history of the places you’ve visited.

Social Studies

Take a trip through Appalachia. Venture some distance from the Interstate into the heart of some small town. Stop at a small store or local diner. Observe the people who live and work there. Listen to their accents or, eavesdrop on a conversation. There is no better way to discover how other people live than to explore these microcosms of America. You might even want to contact local parents who also home school their children and arrange a visit to learn more about each other and compare home school curriculums.

Other Destinations

Many home schooling co-operatives hold events at various motor home parks to compare and refine home school curriculums and provide new experiences for their home schooled students. An Internet search for these home school meet ups will yield many entertaining and informative events. If you choose to make one of these trips, be prepared to have a good time and be sure to bring your favorite covered dish.

Exercises such as these are entertaining and exciting to your child and if properly presented, your young student may not even realize he is in school. But remember, as entertaining, exciting and educational as these road exercises are, they are not a replacement for the well planned curriculum and lesson plans available to parents home schooling their children.

Source by Rooster Boisseau