By Christina Nellemann

When I was a child, my favorite book was “Danny, the Champion of the World” by Roald Dahl. Danny and his father live in a gypsy caravan in the English countryside in the 1950s and run a small gas station. Adventure ensues when Danny finds out his father is secretly poaching pheasants on a wealthy neighbor’s land. I loved the story, but loved the idea of living in a colorful gypsy caravan even more.

Dahl had a caravan in his garden that was the inspiration for Danny’s home. The typical gypsy caravan has been around for over 100 years and they still evoke a feeling of romance and adventure and can be a tiny, beautiful, ornate house on wheels.

Caravans or wagons built to live in were developed in France around 1810. Gypsies have only been using caravans as their main living and working space since 1850. The gypsy name for a caravan was vardo, from the Iranian word vurdon or cart. Newly married couples would commission a coach builder to create their colorful home on wheels. They took between 6 to 12 months to build and were made of oak, ash, elm, walnut and pine. They were then ornately painted carved and decorated with gold leaf.

There are six main types of caravans: the Brush or “fen waggon” which lacks the ornate wooden carvings, the Reading with sloping walls, the Ledge with a narrower floor and more elbow room, the Bowtop and the Openlot, which use a stretched canvas top over a wooden frame, and the Burton which was for more wealthy travellers. Most caravans were, and still are, pulled by draft horses, but you can design and build a caravan to be pulled by a car.

Though few people would choose to travel in one today, you can experience a fully functional caravan on your own property as a romantic getaway or guest accommodations, a creative studio, a personal meditation or healing space, or just an exquisite conversation piece. If you are traveling in Europe, you can rent a gypsy caravan (including the horses) and travel between campgrounds. Some hotels even have gypsy caravan “rooms” that you can stay in overnight.

If you are looking to build a gypsy caravan or have one built for you, there are several builders and plans available. Again, most of these builders are in Europe.

Windy Smithy

Ingham & Fallon

The New Gypsy Caravan

Gypsy Caravan Company

Gypsy Caravan Built by Brian Schmittling

Daphne’s Caravans

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I want to start covering more furnishings that will fit in small spaces and tiny houses. This week I will cover a simple and compact laundry solution for a small space with no venting capabilities.

The cool thing about this machine is its size. It is only 33.5 inches hight by 23.5 inches wide and 21.65 inches deep. It includes auto select wash and rinse temperatures; water-saving rinse option; self-locking door; adjustable leveling legs; and a 1 year warranty. The Haier Ventless Washer/Dryer Combo HWD1000 is an elegant all-in-one solution for the vexing problems of limited space and lack of venting.

Sandy from Minneapolis, MN says: Aside from the funny name this a great little washing machine. And then it dries. Dry time is longer but that’s to be expected as it is not a heated dryer.

What are the major benefits of combos?

The number one benefit is the compact size: they are smaller than most washers or dryers. In fact, many people install these units under their kitchen counter, because they only take up about as much space as a normal size dishwasher! In addition, casters allow the unit to be rolled around with ease whenever needed.

Also, the efficiency of combo units not only saves you money by using much less energy and water to operate than standard washers and dryers, but many utility companies offer rebates for purchases of energy efficient appliances. Check with your local utility companies for eligibility.

Not only are these units extremely energy efficient, but they wash much better (and gentler) than standard washers. Combos use a front load washing design that utilizes a horizontal axis drum. This eliminates the agitator common to top load washers. In top load washers, the agitator is both very inefficient at cleaning and very rough on clothes. The horizontal axis drum on combos mimics washboard clothes washing, raising the clothes out of the water and soap and plunging them back in. Finally, the high rpm’s of the spin cycle of these units gets water and soap residue out of your clothes much better than normal washers do. This efficient and thorough cleaning process is especially helpful for people with sensitive skin or allergies to laundry soap.

This Haier Washer/Dryer Combo holds 11 pounds and is lists for around $748.

So if you are looking for a washer/dryer unit for your tiny house use this one as a starting point in your search.

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One of the most popular posts in this blog is the Martin House-To-Go post. Dan from Southern California has been talking with Martin House-To-Go about their houses and they have given him a private preview of a house that is not even on their website yet. From what Dan understands, it is available for purchase. Here are the highlights.

$37,900 complete (everything below is included in price)

• Super sized version 10′ wide by 20′ long
• Pre-wired for cable and internet
• Under counter fridge
• 11 windows
• Pedestal sink in bathroom with full shower and electric composting toilet standard
• On-demand tankless hot water heater
• GE 2 burner electric stove top
• Microwave
• Cedar kitchen counter
• Custom bamboo wood floors
• Remote-controlled air conditioning standard ( very very cool ) - no pun intended -
• Built in window seat with underneath storage

Dan says the kitchen is a lot better than their previous model - it’s HUGE and he likes the cedar - they said it has some sort of high cost expensive sealer on it.  He thinks the cedar kitchen counter gives it a nice touch of a “woodsy cabin” feel.

Dan’s wife thought window box for flowers adds a nice touch to the house as well.

Overall, I think they managed to put a lot of ‘charm and cozy home appeal’ into this one.  When you compare this new one to the one on their website, I think this one is a world apart better.

Quoting Dan’s wife, ” Yes, I could live in that ” or have a guest stay in it.

They also showed Dan photos of the “Sportsman Model” below…. for campers, hunters, nature lovers …

It looks pretty cool set up with cots and camping equipment.  You could definitely see yourself taking it out hitched up to your truck for a weekend camping trip.  It sure beats a tent any day of the week.  Considering all the stuff you hear going on at campgrounds, I like the idea of locking my front door at night while camping.

I think Martin House-To-Go adding the front porch gave it a nice touch too.

Thank you Dan for sharing these photos and thoughts with us.

Entrance

Kitchen/Living Room

Kitchen

Bathroom

Sportsman

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