Tiny House Blog

by Abel Zyl Zimmerman

I recently bought and dismantled a 14 ft. RV trailer for tiny house parts. I thought you avaricious do-it-yourselfers might find the story interesting.

It was a pretty moldy RV, with some appliances inside and an undamaged trailer frame. My goals were to get those two things out of it, and when all was done, I was about 80% successful in doing so.

RV exterior

Costs:

• Purchase price: $300
• Licensing: $23 (it had current tabs)
• Work gloves, dust masks: $10
• Sawzall demolition blade: $7
• Contractor trash bags (for loose debris and fiberglass): $12
• Diesel fuel for the project, towing it home and delivering recyclables: $55
• Local landfill fee (plywood, broken glass, fiberglass) $99 Continue Reading »

As a tiny house enthusiast I think it is important to look at all options around the world. We can learn from other people and I like to share as many of these ideas as I can.

Tom Bennett recently sent me to WorldHaus a company that has come up with an affordable home for the masses (outside the U.S.). And by affordable they mean $1,500 per house. It’s called the WorldHaus; it is a 220 square foot home built of interlocking compressed earth-bricks, steel and polystyrene roof panels, and concrete.

The bulk of the materials are assembled on site and the house can be built in 10 days. They provide solid, weather-tight housing for about half the price of a normal brick-and-mortar home.

Read more: http://worldhaus.com/
http://www.businessinsider.com/worldhaus-cheap-house-2012-

http://letheatredemoncerveau.blogspot.com/2012/02/worldhaus-for-families-in-need.html

On a lot in back of a former motel, there is a farm. And on that farm there are some tiny offices…okay…I won’t sing “E-I-E-I-O”, but the structures being built on the Urban Roots Farm in Reno, Nev. are worth tooting a few horns about. Urban Roots is currently being created as an educational farm and community center where schools, children and families can learn about gardening, alternative building techniques and the natural areas of the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Range. The farm sits on a 3/4 acre plot that was donated by Kelly Rae and Pam Haberman of HabeRae Homes (which the Tiny House Blog profiled a few years ago). Kelly and Pam also designed two tiny structures to be used as offices for the Urban Roots staff.

Kelly is unofficially calling the two building designs ModPods. She and Pam were inspired by some similar structures they came across while traveling by motorcycle on Orcas Island, Wash.

“I nearly went off the road on my bike when I saw these tiny houses,” Kelly said. Continue Reading »

by Tom Overy

I find the idea of a vacation home made from 12 ft concrete pipe and buried in the ground for insulation very interesting. I was inspired, so I started by creating a the bedroom area for kids. It is made of one pipe split in two layers with low ceilings which are very kid friendly.

The tree house-like upper and lower levels feel very fun for the younger ones.

The Vacation home is made of 4 pipes on end. All of the fixtures are from a Fifth Wheel RV.

For Tiny homes stripping an old RV is a low cost method for obtaining materials. I’m into RV’s. I’m designing 12V swamp coolers, portable compact wind generators etc that would be great for small vacation homes.

Take a look at my stuff on www.snowbirdhq.com
Thank you! Tom Overy 775-291-0347

The Vardo is not officially a tiny house but more of a sleeping camper, great for getaways to the mountains or the beach or as a guest room for your tiny home. There is no bathroom or kitchen, just a sleeping area and storage.

I had the opportunity of touring Jay’s Vardo before he sold it and it is a high quality little unit. It reminds me a bit of a teardrop trailer in a vardo format. If you are unsure of your building skills this little project would be a great way to learn the basic carpentry skills and come out with a wonderful little project you could show off to your friends and family. With that confidence you could move on to build a larger tiny house.

Tumbleweed estimates the cost to build the Vardo to be around $2,500 (minus the optional heater). The vardo can be placed on a small trailer and towed or put on the back of a pickup such as the Ford F-150.

Tumbleweed Tiny House Company is making a special offer this month and is giving away the plans for free if you purchase Jay’s Small House Book.

The plans include 14 pages:

• Elevation Drawings: The exterior view from all 4 sides is included showing you heights relative to the truck bed, window and door openings, and finish materials.
• Floor Plans: Floor plans are included for both the storage area, and the sleeping area.
• Roof Plan: Shown from above, you see the overhang of the roof compared to the truck and structure.
• Wall Framing: Two pages of wall framing show you how to frame each wall, front, back and sides so that you have the rounded roof and slight angle of side walls. Additionally, floor framing is included.
• Door Detail: The Vardo requires a custom made door, and the door detail gives you the dimensions, and types of wood to use.
• Section Drawings: These drawings cut the Vardo in half both the long way and the short way. They show you where to insulate, what types of wood studs to use, how to properly insulate, which materials to use, how to secure the structure to the truck, and much more.
• Basic Components: Suggestions on specific windows for the structure and the door including the manufacturer and glass type. Also included is a heater suggestion.

by Carla

In summer 2011, Carla, a gypsy engineer, found an unusual property at an online auction: a drainage ditch. Downtown Boise, none the less! Dimensions: 270 feet long – but only 15 feet wide. City Hall told her that she could build a shed, as long as the sides touching her neighbor’s property line would not exceed 7 feet and the overall size be under 200 square feet.

No problem. Well, one problem: a 15 foot wide property with a drainage canal running through it for half a year does not have much dry land to build on.

The solution: build a bridge and put a small building on that. Two days and $500 later, this small house was built. It’s 7 feet wide, 7 feet high and 14.5 feet long.

Continue Reading »