full hookups inside airplane hangar

[JaycoinMissouri]

What are your thoughts on putting full hookups inside an airplane hangar on our property? The hangar would be a metal building with concrete floor, large hangar bifold door, some smaller doors on opposite wall from the hangar door. We are building a hangar home (hangar with living quarters) and want to live in our 5th wheel while the residential portion is being finished out.

Our other option is to put the full hookups on the exterior of the hangar, under a carport roof, open on three sides (with a hangar wall on the fourth side).

Location will be in East Texas (Van Zandt County).

Thank you in advance for your feedback.

[oldmanAZ]

WOW! My head is swimming with possibilities!

One question though, if you have the trailer inside, is it possible it could it interfere with your primary goal: A hanger home?

[TCNashville]

Originally Posted by oldmanAZ

WOW! My head is swimming with possibilities!

One question though, if you have the trailer inside, is it possible it could it interfere with your primary goal: A hanger home?

My thought was if he'd have enough room for the plane and the trailer while the residential was being built.

[JaycoinMissouri]

Originally Posted by oldmanAZ

WOW! My head is swimming with possibilities!

One question though, if you have the trailer inside, is it possible it could it interfere with your primary goal: A hanger home?

There would be plenty of room. :-) It will be a fairly large structure with a small residence. The airplane would not be in there at that time. Not until spring.

[wags999]

What are your plans once you get the airplane? May want to put hookup where they are available inside or outside as needed. Perhaps a small door with hookups inside, so you can access them from either side.

[gprapim]

Originally Posted by wags999

What are your plans once you get the airplane? May want to put hookup where they are available inside or outside as needed. Perhaps a small door with hookups inside, so you can access them from either side.

X2

[JaycoinMissouri]

Originally Posted by wags999

What are your plans once you get the airplane? May want to put hookup where they are available inside or outside as needed. Perhaps a small door with hookups inside, so you can access them from either side.

Great suggestion! The hangar part will be large enough to accommodate the 5th wheel, a couple small airplanes, and some workshop space. The residence will take a little of the hangar and then jut out from the hangar to one side.

Do I have any worries with having the 5th wheel inside while it is being used? I assume I need to open the smaller building doors for ventilation. Anything else I need to consider?

Thanks.

[wags999]

Originally Posted by JaycoinMissouri

Great suggestion! The hangar part will be large enough to accommodate the 5th wheel, a couple small airplanes, and some workshop space. The residence will take a little of the hangar and then jut out from the hangar to one side.

Do I have any worries with having the 5th wheel inside while it is being used? I assume I need to open the smaller building doors for ventilation. Anything else I need to consider?

Thanks.

Not sure what potential effect having propane on and being used inside a building. Yes plenty of air circulation, but, with fuel In the planes not sure what the potential is for explosions. Also odors from black tanks etc has to be taken into account. You may want to live in it under the shed roof outside and keep everything away from the planes and shop. Running AC inside the building will also add heat, which you may not want.

Sounds like a fun project. In my previous life we did a couple of hanger/homes (cabinets). Assume your on a private strip.

[spoon059]

I say do it. No reason that you can't. Just make sure the hangar has plenty of air circulation so that black tank and sewer gases can escape and propane exhaust can escape. Should be great for keeping the weather off your 5er!

[JaycoinMissouri]

Originally Posted by wags999

Not sure what potential effect having propane on and being used inside a building. Yes plenty of air circulation, but, with fuel In the planes not sure what the potential is for explosions. Also odors from black tanks etc has to be taken into account. You may want to live in it under the shed roof outside and keep everything away from the planes and shop. Running AC inside the building will also add heat, which you may not want.

Sounds like a fun project. In my previous life we did a couple of hanger/homes (cabinets). Assume your on a private strip.

Ahhh....you have some good points. Thank you. They make some great RV shelters to protect them while still offering ventilation. I think that will be our plan now. And, yes, it is an airpark community. Dream location. We are super excited!

[jd99336]

I was going to do this very thing myself....then quit flying a couple of years ago. In my case, it would have been a small apartment for summer months, then off to the south for winter. After talking with a couple of contractor types, we decided on having the sewer on a stug that terminated inside the hangar, but had a T on the outside with a frost free water valve inside and out. The reasoning is it eliminates the "door" concept which is a potential rodent entry point and doing the plumbing was just as cheap. PLUS the bonus of a visiting RV couple have whatever space was not being used.

As to fire hazard, not a high risk. While avgas is volatile, it is no more so than auto gas and the fumes would be unlikely to concentrate enough to create a problem due to the large volume inside a hangar. That said, ventilation of propane fired devices would be a must.

Our plan was to use electric heat (PNW=cheap electric) inside the hangar and only RV hot water would be unvented propane use. That would be minimal. Any hangar heating devices using LNG or Propane would be vented by code as would residence hot water if using gas.

The biggest downside to being inside of the hangar is the lack of natural light. Since it is a temporary situation during construction, this is not really a major issue. Having my MH parked inside out of the elements, and being able to have the dump/water capabilities gave us a guest suite requiring less of a house.

I am envious....hope you enjoy your hangar home.

[JaycoinMissouri]

Originally Posted by jd99336

I was going to do this very thing myself....then quit flying a couple of years ago. In my case, it would have been a small apartment for summer months, then off to the south for winter. After talking with a couple of contractor types, we decided on having the sewer on a stug that terminated inside the hangar, but had a T on the outside with a frost free water valve inside and out. The reasoning is it eliminates the "door" concept which is a potential rodent entry point and doing the plumbing was just as cheap. PLUS the bonus of a visiting RV couple have whatever space was not being used.

As to fire hazard, not a high risk. While avgas is volatile, it is no more so than auto gas and the fumes would be unlikely to concentrate enough to create a problem due to the large volume inside a hangar. That said, ventilation of propane fired devices would be a must.

Our plan was to use electric heat (PNW=cheap electric) inside the hangar and only RV hot water would be unvented propane use. That would be minimal. Any hangar heating devices using LNG or Propane would be vented by code as would residence hot water if using gas.

The biggest downside to being inside of the hangar is the lack of natural light. Since it is a temporary situation during construction, this is not really a major issue. Having my MH parked inside out of the elements, and being able to have the dump/water capabilities gave us a guest suite requiring less of a house.

I am envious....hope you enjoy your hangar home.

Thank you so much! This gives us great ideas. Sorry you had to quit flying. That had to be difficult.

[starcraft69]

Wow the worries of ultra wealthy, must be stressful. Good for you to have such worries

[SloPoke]

We have been looking for property to build something similar on...

Here is a link to a builder that has done lots of cool buildings, with similar thoughts in mind>
https://mortonbuildings.com/projects/airplane-hangar

[leeinmt]

Height clearance when bi-fold door is fully open. My Greyhawk would not fit under my hanger bi-fold. If I had to do it again, I would use rolling partition doors to allow more clearance.

[JaycoinMissouri]

Originally Posted by SloPoke

We have been looking for property to build something similar on...

Here is a link to a builder that has done lots of cool buildings, with similar thoughts in mind>
https://mortonbuildings.com/projects/airplane-hangar

Thanks! Great ideas there!

[JaycoinMissouri]

Originally Posted by starcraft69

Wow the worries of ultra wealthy, must be stressful. Good for you to have such worries

Hmmm...well, I'm not sure which way you are going with this, but I can assure you that our house will be quite modest as it will be a metal building (barndominium style) and small and simple (2 bed, 2 bath around 1000 square feet). The cost of the construction will be less than a traditional sticks and bricks of the same size. Our camper is not huge. The airplane is not either. The "extra" airplanes we might put in the hangar would be of those friends who may be visiting. All together, our "toys" are less than some people's camper costs. I wouldn't put us in the "ultra wealthy" category. We are frugal in most areas so we can enjoy camping and flying. :-)

[JaycoinMissouri]

Originally Posted by leeinmt

Height clearance when bi-fold door is fully open. My Greyhawk would not fit under my hanger bi-fold. If I had to do it again, I would use rolling partition doors to allow more clearance.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll add that to my list.

[billjmck]

Originally Posted by JaycoinMissouri

Hmmm...well, I'm not sure which way you are going with this, but I can assure you that our house will be quite modest as it will be a metal building (barndominium style) and small and simple (2 bed, 2 bath around 1000 square feet). The cost of the construction will be less than a traditional sticks and bricks of the same size. Our camper is not huge. The airplane is not either. The "extra" airplanes we might put in the hangar would be of those friends who may be visiting. All together, our "toys" are less than some people's camper costs. I wouldn't put us in the "ultra wealthy" category. We are frugal in most areas so we can enjoy camping and flying. :-)

I commend you for a polite reply to a snarky comment. Your situation in life is no one
else's business anyway.

[gprapim]

Originally Posted by billjmck

I commend you for a polite reply to a snarky comment. Your situation in life is no one
else's business anyway.

Agreed !!