If you are moving to Fort Campbell, you may be considering a tiny home or RV as an alternative to a conventional rental. The lower footprint, flexibility, and potential cost savings can be appealing, especially during a PCS or short assignment.
The important question is not simply whether you own the RV or tiny home. You must also confirm whether the parcel, zoning district, utility system, and occupancy arrangement legally support full-time residential use.
Rules differ across Clarksville and Montgomery County, Oak Grove, Hopkinsville, Christian County, and Stewart County. Before you purchase a unit, sign a pad agreement, or place anything on private land, verify the details with the appropriate local office.
Is full-time RV or tiny-home living allowed near Fort Campbell?
Sometimes, but usually only in a specifically approved setting.
A tiny home on wheels is commonly treated as an RV or recreational vehicle because it is built on a chassis and remains movable. A tiny home on a permanent foundation may instead be evaluated as a site-built dwelling, accessory dwelling unit, or manufactured home.
That distinction affects:
- The zoning district where the unit may be placed
- Whether a building or zoning permit is required
- Whether the unit must connect to public sewer
- Whether a permitted septic system is available
- Setbacks, parking, and fire-safety requirements
- Whether full-time occupancy is allowed
- How long you may remain at one site
A recreational vehicle parked on a residential lot is not automatically a legal residence. Likewise, a private landowner’s permission does not replace zoning, building, health, or septic approvals.
Clarksville and Montgomery County: approved parks and parcel-specific rules
Within Clarksville and Montgomery County, long-term RV use is generally tied to an approved recreational vehicle park or a designated portion of an existing mobile home park.
The Clarksville zoning ordinance identifies recreational vehicle parks as a specific land use. Whether that use is permitted depends on the property’s zoning district and may require site-plan review, conditional approval, or rezoning. You can review current zoning information through the Clarksville-Montgomery County Regional Planning Commission.
Clarksville also has specific standards for certain RV areas within qualifying mobile home parks. Those standards address items such as:
- RV pad spacing
- Parking
- Screening
- Setbacks
- Density
- Site improvements
- Maximum occupancy at one pad
One important limitation is that a camping trailer or motor home may not occupy a single pad for more than 180 days under the applicable local ordinance. A park may also impose stricter rules through its lease or occupancy agreement.
Do not assume that a monthly rate means you can remain indefinitely. Ask the park operator:
- Is the property approved for long-term RV occupancy?
- Is the agreement a short-term campground arrangement or a residential tenancy?
- What is the maximum stay at one pad?
- Are utilities separately metered?
- Is sewer connected directly, or do you use a dump station?
- What happens if the local occupancy limit is reached?
On an ordinary residential lot, using an RV as a full-time home is a high-risk arrangement unless the local planning and codes authorities confirm that use in writing.
Oak Grove, Kentucky: verify the RV-park approval and home classification
Oak Grove regulates recreational vehicles separately from ordinary residential dwellings. The city’s zoning materials define an RV as a temporary dwelling and recognize separate standards for RV parks.
That means full-time RV living on a typical residential lot is generally not the same as living in an approved RV park. Before signing an agreement, contact the Oak Grove Planning and Zoning Department and confirm:
- The property is inside or outside Oak Grove city limits
- The parcel’s current zoning district
- Whether an RV park is an approved use at that location
- Whether the park’s approval permits long-term stays
- Whether a variance, conditional-use approval, or other permission is required
Oak Grove’s treatment of tiny homes depends heavily on how the unit is constructed. A tiny home on wheels may be treated similarly to an RV or mobile-type structure. A tiny home built on a permanent foundation may be reviewed as a single-family dwelling if it meets local dimensional, building-code, parking, and utility requirements.
The city has also been reviewing manufactured-home standards, so older online summaries may not reflect the latest adopted language. Obtain current parcel-specific guidance before placing a unit or purchasing land.
Hopkinsville and Christian County: sewer and health requirements matter
Hopkinsville’s zoning code provides specific districts for manufactured-home parks and qualified manufactured housing. Long-term residential use is not automatically treated as ordinary recreational camping.
A recreation campground is generally designed for temporary accommodation. If you plan to live in an RV month after month, the city may evaluate the operation differently from a short-term campground.
For manufactured-home parks, Hopkinsville’s zoning standards identify requirements that can include:
- Appropriate RMH zoning
- Site-plan and subdivision review
- Minimum site and unit standards
- Health Department compliance
- Anchoring requirements
- Sanitary sewer access
The city’s published zoning materials state that proposed placements in certain manufactured-home settings must access and use sanitary sewer. That makes a private lot with an improvised septic connection especially risky.
Review the current Hopkinsville zoning materials and confirm the parcel with Community and Development Services before you commit. If the property is outside the city, Christian County rules and the planning commission may apply instead.
For a tiny home on a foundation, ask whether the proposed structure will be classified as a site-built single-family dwelling, manufactured home, or another use. The classification can change the required permits and minimum standards.
Stewart County: fewer countywide zoning rules do not eliminate septic requirements
Stewart County is different from the more heavily regulated Clarksville, Oak Grove, and Hopkinsville areas. Unincorporated portions of the county generally do not have the same countywide zoning structure, but that does not mean every RV or tiny-home arrangement is automatically approved.
Inside incorporated communities such as Dover or Cumberland City, local building and occupancy rules may apply. Outside town limits, state building, electrical, plumbing, sanitation, and wastewater requirements remain important.
For full-time RV or tiny-home living in Stewart County, verify:
- Whether the parcel is inside a municipality
- Whether a building permit is required
- Whether the structure qualifies as a legal dwelling
- Whether public water or sewer is available
- Whether the soil supports a permitted septic system
- Whether TDEC or the local health authority must approve the wastewater plan
Tennessee’s septic rules require approval before installing or modifying an onsite sewage system. An RV’s onboard holding tank is not a substitute for an approved wastewater solution for permanent residential occupancy.
Before beginning construction or grading, contact the local codes office and the appropriate Tennessee environmental or health authority. Do not buy land based solely on the assumption that “no zoning” means “no requirements.”
How does BAH compare with a tiny home, RV pad, or stick-built rental?
Your Basic Allowance for Housing can help you compare options, but BAH is not automatically a savings account. Your actual housing cost depends on the complete monthly expense.
For 2026, the Fort Campbell Military Housing Area rate commonly reported for an E-4 with dependents is $1,743 per month. Confirm your exact pay grade, dependency status, and current amount through the Defense Travel Management Office BAH Rate Lookup.
RV or tiny-home budget
Add together:
- Monthly pad or land rent
- Electricity and water
- Sewer or dump fees
- Propane
- RV insurance
- Registration
- Repairs and maintenance
- Internet
- Storage
- Pet, application, or park fees
For example, if an RV pad costs $850 and your utilities, insurance, maintenance reserve, and other recurring costs total $400, your estimated monthly housing cost is $1,250. That leaves approximately $493 before unexpected repairs or travel costs.
Stick-built rental budget
Compare that with:
- Monthly rent
- Electricity, water, and sewer
- Internet
- Renter’s insurance
- Pet fees
- Parking or amenity fees
- Security deposit and moving costs
A stick-built rental may cost more per month, but it usually provides more predictable utilities, permanent plumbing, greater storage, and fewer mechanical systems that you must maintain yourself.
The right choice depends on your assignment length, family size, storage needs, commute, comfort with maintenance, and likelihood of moving again. Run the comparison using actual written quotes rather than advertised base rates.
What should you verify before committing?
Use this checklist before paying a deposit or purchasing a unit:
- Confirm the property’s jurisdiction. Is it inside Clarksville, Oak Grove, Hopkinsville, Dover, Cumberland City, or an unincorporated area?
- Verify the zoning designation. Ask whether RV occupancy, manufactured housing, or a permanent tiny home is an allowed use.
- Request written confirmation. Keep emails, permits, approvals, and site plans.
- Confirm wastewater approval. Determine whether the property uses public sewer, an approved septic system, or another permitted solution.
- Review the park agreement. Check stay limits, renewal rights, utility charges, move-out requirements, and enforcement terms.
- Inspect the unit. Check the roof, tires, frame, plumbing, electrical system, heating, cooling, and moisture history.
- Confirm insurance and financing. Some lenders and insurers treat RVs, tiny homes on wheels, and manufactured homes very differently.
- Calculate the commute. A lower monthly payment may not offset fuel, traffic, or gate-access challenges.
- Check flood and access conditions. Confirm road access, drainage, emergency access, and whether the site can support delivery or removal.
- Do not rely on verbal promises. Get approval from the government office with authority over the parcel.
Randy Whetsell, Haus founder and principal broker, recommends treating this as both a housing decision and a land-use decision. Haus’s recognition as a Tennessee Silver Level Veteran Ready Business reflects the company’s commitment to serving service members, veterans, and military families with practical local guidance.
Who should answer Fort Campbell housing questions?
Questions about Fort Campbell in-processing, on-post housing, housing referral procedures, or installation-specific requirements should go through your chain of command and the Fort Campbell Housing Services Office.
Do not assume that a private real estate professional, campground operator, or online post can answer installation policy questions. Use the official Fort Campbell housing resources for current guidance.
If you are comparing an RV pad, tiny home, stick-built rental, or purchase near Fort Campbell, Haus can help you evaluate the real estate side of the decision across Clarksville, Oak Grove, Hopkinsville, and nearby Tennessee communities. Contact Haus to discuss your PCS timeline, preferred location, budget, and housing plan.
This article is for general informational purposes only and is not legal, zoning, tax, lending, or military housing advice. Rules can change, and approvals are parcel-specific. Confirm requirements with the appropriate local government, health, building, zoning, and Fort Campbell offices before committing funds.
