My hobbies are anything to do with sports and the outdoors such as baseball, football, golf, snowboarding, off-roading, and hiking with my dog.

My thoughts are to keep the existing building in place and clear an extra acre to begin with for outdoor storage (boats/ RVs/ cars, etc).  

Furniture, toys, a total mess.

Looking back at your post, I now see that you are looking at outdoor RV storage. 

no, you are not. therefore, that is why i built in the utility payment. as far as option 3 goes, i do like having the ability to bill overages back to them. however, i am not looking to suck every single penny from anyone. if it goes way over, that will be not so great, but you are collecting so much in rent each month that you should be able to afford it. many people will disagree with that but i have always operated from a place of fairness and never gouging anyone for all they are worth. i use to furnish my places and i do not anymore. i will throw in a few small items here and there but that is about it. it has not made too much of a difference so i have shied away from it the last few years. i also think it depends on your market. if furnishing the place is commonplace, then i would prepare to have a few pieces of furniture ready to go. as far as fair housing, that can be tricky as you know. lets talk more in depth about that so you can be more comfortable with it. happy to do a call with you if you would like. i think you are dead on with trying it as a pilot in one of your units. i really like that idea. i think that would be perfect for you. 

Installed new AC, added additional furniture and decorations, to make it more appealing as short term rental.

Being 15 minutes away from gorgeous rugged mountains, almost any outdoor activity you can dream of, some of the most beautiful highways in the country is pretty hard to pass up.

Im looking to improve one acre with outdoor & covered parking (in phase 1). 

Quote from @Jennipher Jess: A "mid-term" rental is really just a long-term rental with furniture and utilities included in the rent.

From salvaging vintage fixtures to breathing new life into tired furniture, the possibilities are endless.