Tiny House Blog

Sandi Wheaton of Windsor, Ontario recently lost her job in Detroit. Instead of looking for a new job, she decided to use the  time to fulfill one of her dreams: traveling and photographing Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles. Sandi is living this dream in an Aliner pop-up trailer. She decided to document the famous highway using a digital camera, a camera with infared film and another camera which follows her route with a shot every few seconds. She hopes to have her photos published in a book and a DVD or website.

Sandi Wheaton, her Aliner and her Campfire in a Can

Her trailer is a 1998 Aliner which she bought specifically for the trip. She initially wanted to travel in a T@B, but her Jeep could only tow a low-profile pop-up design. She is thrilled that she does not have to unhitch every time she sets it up. She also mentioned that she likes the Oliver trailer, like the one owned by Cherie and Chris of Technomadia.

“I love this trailer, especially for this purpose,” Sandi said. “Since I am traveling alone, unhitching is a pain. With the Aliner, I don’t need to unhitch in order to put it up. Plus it is up literally in a minute!” Continue Reading »

Let’s hold onto summer for a bit longer, shall we? Actually, many of these tiny fiberglass trailers can probably insulate you pretty well from the impending winter.

Fiberglass trailers first became popular in the 1950s and 1960s, but since then several dozen companies and manufacturers of fiberglass trailers have been developed.

A fiberglass trailer is usually built out of two parts. A top part and a bottom part. Each created from a mold or form and then attached together. The benefits of this is there are fewer parts to create and replace and the insulation is more effective. Continue Reading »

Throughout the year, owners of tiny trailers will gather together for rallys or gatherings, in order to show off their designs, bargains or builds. The best way to get ideas for a tiny trailer is to go to one of these trailer gatherings. You will also end up meeting a wide range of really great people.

I recently went to a teardrop trailer gathering outside of Austin, NV. This was my third gathering and while there were only about 20 trailers, it was a wonderful way to see what other teardrop enthusiasts are capable of building and creating. Most gatherings will have over a hundred trailers. Continue Reading »

You may have noticed a couple of new pictures up in the banner since the revamp of the website. One of them is of a retro trailer called the Retro Traveler. Alfred who designed the Little Red Cabin Plans brought this jewel to my attention.

Retro Traveler designs several retro trailers including teardrops and all are fine quality retro trailers. My favorite is the original model the RT1200. It has everything you need in a very small retro style trailer.

Following is a description from the Retro Traveler Website. I have tried to get in contact with them but have not received a response yet. So don’t have any pricing or that type of information.

The 1200 features sleeping space for two, a complete galley with cooktop and refrigerator, full showerbath and of course, some fantastic retro styling. All of this wrapped in a maintenance-free anodized aluminum exterior that never needs polishing. Weight is under 1400 lbs – so towing is a breeze with just about any car.

Hand crafted of select maple hardwood and clear maple plywood finished in lacquer and Danish oil, the interior absolutely glows.  Coupled with the timeless look of satin finished aluminum, we think you’ll agree this is the ultimate compact trailer.

As you enter, the efficient galley is directly across the cabin.  Notice the sleek black AC/DC refrigerator, polished counter edging and upper cabinets with task lighting below. Satin nickel cabinet pulls, self closing hinges, AC and DC outlets are all standard features.

Ready for this?  A FULL BATH.  In a 12′ trailer!  Note the integrated medicine cabinet with mirror door, GFI outlet, separate stainless lav sink (no toothbrushing in the kitchen sink) and the soft glow of the satin finish aluminum wall surfaces.  Storage below the lav is spacious.  The porcelain toilet and black water tank is opposite the vanity.  A draw curtain is included to divide the bath from the living area.

Aft, you’ll find a spacious sofabed stretching full-width across the trailer.  By day, a comfortable seating and conversation area that converts easily to a cozy bed for two.  An operable window and fantastic vent keep a cool breeze moving over the bed for comfortable sleeping.  A large, fixed picture window provides a grand view of your campsite.

A full hanging height wardrobe with separate upper storage locker complete the interior.  Thoughful touches like robe hooks and a key hanger inside the door are not overlooked.

Our quality workmanship does not end at the door.  Many manufacturers of Teardrops and larger trailers alike chose to install a prefabricated, low quality entry door. Our custom, curved top door with generous window and solid maple hardwood casing is just another way we separate ourselves from the crowd. Stainless hinge and fasteners and genuine automotive weatherstripping  means weather resistance now and for years to come.

To learn more and see Retro Travelers other models be sure and visit their website.

by Kent Griswold (Tiny House Blog)

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The reasons for living in your car run the gamut. In college, I knew a few students who lived in their cars so they could afford to go to school, and this article talks about how hard times have forced some people to live in their cars. Jessica Spaulding is doing it..for no apparent reason.

Jessica decided to pursue a life of adventure and has been living in a Prius for past few years. She works about half the year for a public radio station and spends the rest of her time on the road, exploring, writing and photographing her travels.

Jessica Spaulding lives out of her Prius

What I found most interesting about her blog was how she modified her car for living and sleeping. She has also written a few articles on how to live on the road, including:

• Getting comfortable sleeping in “public.”
• Showering
• Modifying your vehicle for comfort
• Saving money
• Staying warm and keeping cool

Whether out of necessity, or to simplify your life, living out of your car seems to be more accepted. More and more information is being posted these days on how to live out of one of the tiniest houses of all.

Her modified Prius

How to Live in Your Car

Car Living

By Christina Nellemann for the (Tiny House Blog)

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I recently came across these photos belonging to Scott, who traded in his $1,400 mortgage for a hand-build vardo and a rental lot in a KOA campground.

It took Scott about three years to build the vardo, but he wanted to give it a style like an old gypsy caravan. He calls himself a modern gypsy and as a carpenter, was interested in how to create a tiny house that could withstand highway travel. Also, he built it on the fly.

“I did not have plans. I did not create plans prior to building. It was engineered as I went. The trailer frame dictated how I was to attach the floor and walls. Materials dictated how I was to do the rest,” he said. “I had been saving wood for the project when I first thought about building. I was working in construction as a carpenter, and the amount of wood that was being thrown out over the course of time supplied the means. Before construction actually started, I had saved over a pallet of 2×4s, a dozen 2×12s and various lengths of 2×6s and 2×8s. Materials on hand actually dictated how I was to build.”

The vardo was built just like a house, 2×4 foot walls, all 16″ apart. The framing is held together by exterior grade deck screws and 4″ galvanized nails. Lag bolts, carriage bolts, hurricane straps, hurricane ties and braces are used throughout.

His little home is complete with computer, stereo, fridge, appliances and a/c. He watches movies on his PlayStation. He created a canopy that attaches to the roof, to create outdoor living space and performed a stained-glass treatment to the windows in the cupola.

“I get a lot of passersby, stopping to ask questions, see what I’m doing, or just smile,” he said. “I usually respond ‘It’s nothing new, we’ve just became more efficient at it (as I point to all the fancy motorhomes and trailers), it’s just a modern interpretation on an old design.’”

By Christina Nellemann for the (Tiny House Blog)

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We have looked at a couple of homeless shelter options on a couple of posts in the past. Logan husband of Tammy from Rowdy Kittens found this cool site that had this and another tiny house concept within it.

Kevin is an artist who likes to paint vehicles, he says, “I find beauty in derelict cars and unkempt landscapes. I have always been interested in painting vehicles and scenes that have defined the evolution of the American landscape.”

He also seems to like to create projects that fit a need and has done so with this camping cart. I see one issue with this design, in that the cart wheels would most likely have difficulty supporting a person sleeping without some type of bracing or way to lock it in place.

I really like the concept though and would love to see something like this developed into a real product. Great work Kevin!

Check out Keven’s website and enjoy his paintings and drawings.

Copyright © 2009 Tiny House Blog

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13 months in a 21 square foot, Mule drawn Tiny Home

Bernie Harberts of River Earth recently bought a set of Sonoma Shanty plans and when we were communicating by email because he is wanting the shanty on wheels version, I discovered his website and learned about his interesting story.

Bernie recently downsized his wagon for a second journey across America, he went from 60 square feet down to 21 square feet in order to cut down weight and make his home more easily pulled by his trusty mule Polly.

Everything I ever built in my life has/had wheels under it: from the boat I sailed alone around the world to the boat I built and sailed from Canada to the Bahamas to the wagon I lived in while voyaging from Canada to Mexico.

Bernie’s old wagon was 2360 pounds, empty and he designed his new one to be only 800 pounds. Here is what Bernie has to say about his design.

This time I paid closer attention to what the original pioneers wagons measured. I took a tape measure to my mule skinner buddy Tash Hudson’s wagons. The beds on his traditional wagons measured 36″ to 48″ wide, fully 2 feet narrower than my original wagon. Another friend, Sue Maska, who spent 5 years traveling the country with her husband in their horse-drawn wagon, gave me tips on a practical interior layout. Their wagon was only 3 feet wide.

Then I fired up my welder and got to work. Using 1 1/2″ X 1/8″ angle iron, I welded up a steel frame that weighed 100 pounds.

To that, I attached lightweight walls fashioned from 3/4″ foam insulation sandwiched between two sheets of 1/8″ plywood.

The new wagon measures just over 2’ 6” wide by 8’ long. A 3’ covered area where I sit while driving, what I call the front porch, brings the overall length to 11’. Headroom inside, instead of 6’, was reduced to 4’ 10”.

Bernie is an author and sold books along the way to help pay for his trip. You can see two of his books pictured below. I want to encourage you to go explore his site and learn more of his story as I can’t do it justice in a short post. Visit his the General Store if you would enjoy getting one of his books and getting the full details of his travels.

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Not just for hippies anymore, the VW bus seems to be the epitome of traveling adventure. And they make snazzy little houses, too! Their stubby shape, tell-tale buzzing engine and ability to be customized have given the VW bus a dedicated following. If you are going to live for any length of time in a VW bus, you will most likely be living in a vintage bus that has been refurbished.

The original VW bus, the Plattenwagen, was designed by businessman Ben Pon from the Netherlands in 1947. His idea was considered revolutionary at the time and the design had to be built by Volkswagen on the chassis of the beetle car.

Courtesy of Bumfuzzle.com

Courtesy of Love My Bus

My favorite VW conversion belongs to the Bumfuzzle couple, Pat and Ali Schulte. They have traveled through most of North and South American and part of Europe with their 1958 panel van and have created attention wherever they go. Ali affectionately calls it their little house. This van will soon be going up for sale in the UK, as the couple are going to have their first baby. Keep an eye on their website and you might be able to snap it up.

Courtesy of Chanatrek

Chad and Ana Memmel are also living and traveling the world in their 1977 VW Type 2 bus with a pop-up named Mango. They have a great list on their website of what they modified to make their mobile home more liveable.

Courtesy of Love My Bus

Luke Janes has been living in a 1977 VW bus named Charlie for the last 6 years. He started living in his bus because he wanted to be able to work for the work and play for the play. He came to love so many of the “fringe benefits” that he now prefers it as a lifestyle, and he choses to continue to live in the bus. He gives a few advantages and disadvantages of living in a bus:

• Low impact: No electricity, no heating, no natural gas, small land use, low construction materials next to a home.
• Freedom: No lease, no rent, no mortgage.
• Preparedness:  Everywhere he goes, he has everything he needs
• Financial ease: His monthly expenses are low
• Simplicity: No room for excess stuff
• Cleanliness: Everything has its place.
• Health: He goes to the gym most days, and bike most places.
• Beauty: With a little driving he can move his home to the places where people spend millions of dollars to live
• Connection to community: It keeps him spending a lot of time in public spaces — gyms, cafes, parks, restaurants.
• Resourcefulness: He has learned a lot of skills working on the bus

He adds that living in a bus allows him to winnow down the people he associates with. “People put off by this tend to be closed-minded or boring, and people interested in this tend to be open-minded and adventurous. This means that all of my friends and lovers are open minded and interesting! Sweet!”

Luke also lists the disadvantages of living in a bus:

• It can be illegal
• It may be unsafe for women
• It can be stereotyped
• Too hot in the summer, too cold in the winter
• You can’t cook or clean dishes easily or keep things that need cold refrigeration
• You can’t throw good parties
• Getting mail and packages can be problematic

Even with their disadvantages, what is it about these colorful little buses that keep people coming back? Maybe it’s the community of bus lovers. It seems that once you meet another VW bus owner, they become a quick friend…if not family.

This couple spent their honeymoon in a a VW bus

One of my favorite book characters, Liz Sullivan, of the Lora Roberts mysteries, lives in her blue VW bus, Babe

Vintage buses for sale

Luxurious Living in the VW Westfalia Camper

Love My Bus Community

Circle the Wagen Fundraiser

Courtesy of Chanatrek

Courtesy of Bumfuzzle.com

Courtesy of Bumfuzzle.com

By Christina Nellemann

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I just couldn’t pass up a post on the beautiful shepherd huts built by the Plankbridge company in Dorset, England.

Plankbridge shepherds’ huts are a traditional, insulated and mobile design of the classic sheepherding hut. These are for contemporary uses such as a home office, studio, bolthole, music or garden room. A shepherd’s hut will provide you with a warm, dry and relatively soundproof space for use throughout the year.

The two huts available are the Plankbridge for £8500 or $13,500 and the Dorset for £5643 or $9,000.

Plankbridge handcrafts their own metal chassis and cast iron wheels. All exposed timber is pressure treated. The frame is made from Dorset grown durable Douglas fir and is assembled using timber frame house building techniques. It is very strong, and weatherproof, and is carefully designed to keep the interior dry.

The  whole hut, from floor to roof, is insulated, and you may choose either standard mineral wool or Thermafleece sheep’s wool which is very environmentally friendly and a superb natural insulator.

The floor is solid character grade French oak, finished in linseed oil. We fit one cottage style window as standard, and you are free to specify further windows and their position. The windows are double glazed which adds to the overall thermal and sound insulation properties. The stable door is from kiln dried, knot free Canadian Douglas Fir. The doors are then fitted with a hand forged Suffolk latch, and a five lever mortise lock.

The interior and exterior paint is chosen by the customer as well.

The inside of the huts are 1.84m (6’) wide by 3.5m (11’6”) long. It is 2.3m (7’6”) to the highest point of the curved ceiling. To create extra room Plankbridge will often build into the wall cavity to create a bed length of 6′4″.  The recessed area is then insulated with aluminium airtec insulation, at no extra cost. They can also make the huts a little longer, if required.

The customer can also purchase additional features such as a bunk or double bed, electrical wiring, a fold away desk or a woodstove. The stoves are made by a craftsman blacksmith in Devon.

Riverkeeper's Hut with double stable doors on the side

Plankbridge is based on a wetland nature reserve and they strive to enhance and protect the landscape. They also use only locally sourced materials in the huts.

For more information on shepherd’s huts or sheep wagons, read this Tiny House Blog post

Special thanks to Stephen Oliver for this link: Shepherd Huts are the New Country Accessory

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