Tumbleweed Vardo Plans – $15.95

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.

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. 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.

The plans include 14 pages:

Get the details about the Tumbleweed Vardo Plans – $15.95

Our story about our little 1998 Aliner camper started two years ago when my husband and I brought home a funny camper with a rotted floor and got the evil eye from our neighbors. We salvaged it from its destiny of the dump from a couple camping friends of ours. They were getting older and had given up on most camping and didn’t have the time, energy or desire to fix the rotting floor, a known problem for this model and year. They had offered it to us a couple years prior, but we didn’t really have the means to deal with it. We were very happy camping in tents as we were lifelong campers ourselves and wanted to keep it simple. But this camper was different, it was simple, a basic popup but without the hassle of canvas, a unique triangle profile and a small foot print (6’3”x12’).

We’d bring the subject up to each other every once in a while until we decided to just go get it. It sat in the furthest corner from their house, the tires sat almost half way to the ground from sitting for so long, a branch had pierced a hole in one of the vents from a bad ice storm the year before and the floor was now growing things under the linoleum that was keeping it together. Looking back now I am not sure how it made it through the 30 mile trip back to our house.

We spent all summer working on it. We took everything out and saved what we could. We worked on the floor a bit at a time until it was completely replaced. While working on the floor we scoured the city looking for deals and we found them, we found the flooring as an end piece at a high end flooring store that wasn’t going to be able to sell it as it was so small.

The cabinets were found at a local contractor store, we paid $120 for solid oak and maple cabinets with built in drawers worth over $1400 but were ordered wrong and the store didn’t feel like shipping them back so they sold us them at what it would have cost to ship them back. Penny cabinet handles off the clearance rack at Lowes and so on. We spent a lot more time than money, but it was all worth it. Even after adding an actual mattress, new logos (designed online and ordered from Canada for a fraction of what US sellers quoted us), solar panel, LEDs our cost is around $1,000. Because of the high demand of these campers they can cost well over 14k new.

We also saved a lot because we were able to clean up and reuse a lot of the items in the camper such as the heater, water heater and pump, power convertor and so on. We replaced the wiring, battery (it didn’t have one), faucet ($7 Lowes contractor special bathroom fixture), water lines with PEX and gas lines for safety.

Now we camp in it all the time. We enjoy camping at a local state park
often and took the camper out of state in April from MA to SC. We replaced the tires prior to that trip! Where ever we go people always are amazed how big it is on the inside. We have everything we need to camp happily in there!

http://alinerproject.blogspot.com/

JoAnne and Micheal Leonard

The Trillium is unique to the fiberglass trailer market in that the company bonds all fiberglass components, uses no wood in the structure, uses closed cell foam ceiling and wall insulation, provides upscale, contemporary interiors and builds each unit to the owner’s specifications. The stylish interior of these trailers is what attracted my attention.

The Trillium is good for an extended trip (or tiny living) as well as for weekend excursions. They weigh between 1,400 and 1,680 pounds unloaded and the prices range from $12,895 to over $20,000 for the 1500 depending on floor plan and options selected.

Several purchasing incentives are available with the Trillium. Through the end of March of 2011, Trillium RV Limited is currently offering free delivery within a 500 mile radius of the manufacturing facility in Temecula, CA or $500 off MSRP. The company also has a referral program where a $250 fee will be paid for any referral that results in the purchase of a Trillium RV 1300 or 1500 within 30 days of referral receipt. A Trillium showroom is located in Irvine, CA and rental locations are also being established across the U.S. and Canada where potential customers can try before they buy.

The Trillium also includes options for:

• Cable TV Hookup
• Pleated Day/Night Window Shades
• Removable Closet Shelves
• Carpeted Lower Storage Compartments
• Awning
• Solar Charging System
• Kitchen Counter Extension
• 12000 BTU LP Furnace
• Microwave Oven

Photos Courtesy of Trillium RV

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

The Eddie Bauer Airstream is a 25-foot trailer with the classic Airstream styling and costs $74,000. It has a queen-size bed with an Eddie Bauer Goose Down duvet, pillows, and throw, maple and soapstone laminates, quilted fabrics, and stain-resistant Sunbrella upholstery on the interior, an oversized hatch for loading and unloading gear like bikes and kayaks, and a generous side awning. The panoramic windows and the hatch let in the outdoors and fresh air. Other features include:

• A non-slip Aquatrac” bumper perch to assist with loading/unloading
• Fold-away modular dinette/lounge furnishings to increase storage capacity (71 sq. ft. total)
• Perimeter interior-tie downs to secure stored items
• Premium Michelin” tires and 16″ wheels to provide greater ground clearance
• Rugged wheel-well cladding for protection against off-road debris
• A retractable clothesline in the bath and additional racks in the bedroom for hanging wet clothing
• A handheld outdoor shower for showering, hosing down equipment, or even washing the dog
• Heavy-duty exterior hooks for locking-up equipment or tying up the dog

Photos courtesy of Airsteam

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

What makes this camper unique is not only the style (polished wood fittings, teak floors, porcelain sinks and chrome faucets), but that fact that the trailer portion can be dismantled and be used as a guest room or a tiny house. Each unit includes a bed, kitchen and eating space, a small bathroom and storage for bicycles. They also include a large water tank, a combination boiler with hot water and heating system, an on-board battery, a spacious fridge with freezer and a gas stove.

The Tonke Campers cost around €45.000 ($60,000) for the unit and €80.000 ($110,000) for the complete vehicle.

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

After doing a post on teardrop and vintage trailers a few weeks back I thought I would do a post on the ultra-modern T@B. Since it was introduced a few years ago, the T@B trailer by Thor Industries has exploded as a popular alternative to a larger, heavier travel trailer.

The T@B is known for its European design, styling and lightweight construction. They are about 16 ft long and can be purchased for between $9,000 and $20,000. The full trailer stands at 7 ft 9 inches and the interior height is 5 ft 9 inches. It weighs under 2,000 lbs unloaded.

Courtesy of Chris Dunphy

Courtesy of T@B

The T@B, which stands for Take America Back, also has all the amenities of a larger travel trailer (heating, air conditioning, fan, sink, refrigerator, stove and storage) but can be pulled with a smaller car and has no need for electronic brake control. The only thing the T@B does not have is a bathroom and shower. A port-a-potty can be installed. The Clamshell T@B even has a kitchen that opens up in the back, like the classic teardrop trailer.

The T@B also includes:

• Several floor plans
• Alufiber® construction
• Surge coupler attached to the hitch
• Seating area that becomes a 60 x 70 inch bed
• A covered area for a 20 lb. grill-style LP propane bottle and deep cycle RV battery
• A 5 gallon fresh water tank and on demand water pump
• A 25 amp power converter
• A marine grade amp with removable 20 foot power cord
• Smoke, propane, and carbon monoxide detectors

The T@B, because of its people friendly design and comfort, could be used for a temporary home or one that is more permanent. I came across several websites of people who live in or take extended trips in their T@Bs. I was specifically interested in the modifications they did to make the their T@B more comfortable and suited to their living needs.

Wanderful: Mark and Katie, and their chihuahua, Mister, decided to leave everything behind and travel across America in their custom T@B

Tabventures: Lynne takes extended trips with her dog, Millie

Chris Dunphy lived in his T@B for two years, before he upgraded to an Oliver

Mike and Trisha Kennedy travel in their T@B

Al’s T@B Mods: A list of T@B modifications

By Christina Nellemann

Courtesy of T@B

Courtesy of T@B

Courtesy of T@B

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