The vardo was in terrible shape when Gary purchased it for $10,000 and towed it from Barstow to his home in Fallbrook, Calif. The wagon had been sitting in the sun for over 20 years and gallons of desert dust and sand had settled onto the floor. Since the wagon had also been used as a prop in a movie with Pee-Wee Herman and Valeria Golino, none of the drawers opened and the cabinets were facades. Over the course of four years, Gary, his wife and son restored the gypsy wagon (by using a DVD of the movie) to its original colorful state and added a few workable cabinets and a comfortable bed.

Gary has created a website to sell the vardo and hopes that someone with a unique B&B or a penchant for tiny homes will be interested in the whimsical wagon.

Photos courtesy of Gypsy Vardo Wagon. Bottom photo courtesy of North County Times.

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

Her home in Germany (which she shares with her partner, “The Beard”, who also has his own trailer) is a caravan which was formerly parked on a farm. The 60-year-old wooden wagon, known as a Bauwagen in German, was on the farm for at least 20 years and the owners of the farm gave it to Nicolette for free if she hauled it out herself.

She proceeded to fix and decorate the wagon over a the course of a year with about 900 Euros and many trips to the Dumpster for furniture, lighting, kitchenware, bedding and even food. Her wagon, affectionately called the trash house, is parked in a wagenplatz, an intentional community in which people live together on a piece of land in a variety of wheeled dwellings.

Her tiny house contains a woodstove, a bed, a desk and shelves for books and a closet for clothes. The wagon does not have running water and Nicollete cooks in an outdoor summer kitchen or a communal kitchen in the wagenplatz. The bathroom and shower is also communal.

The birth of her baby may have Nicolette getting a larger wagon, but she intends to stay in the wagenplatz because of the opportunity for instant community.

“I can’t imagine a better place to raise a child. It’s the “it takes a village” principle in living color,” she said. “There’s space to play outdoors. There are seventeen different people to talk to and learn from. It’s not any smaller than most of the apartments I’ve lived in. And we have a hell of a lot more money then we would if we had to pay a normal rent. I can’t think of a single reason to leave, no longer being attached to the luxury of having running water within arm’s reach at all times.”

Photos Courtesy of Nicolette Stewart/ClickClackGorilla

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

“If I see an old piece of furniture laying around, and it looks like it can still be used, I’ll saw it up,” Joseph said. “It makes the whole ‘find is and use it’ process more enjoyable.”

Joseph initially designed and built the stained glass window in the gypsy wagon, but he thinks he might look for a local stained glass artist to do the window in his next wagon. The wagon weighs about 1,500 pounds and can be towed by a small truck. It was recently sold for about $8,500 and Joseph plans on keeping his next design’s price to below $10,000.

If you are interested in one of Joseph’s gypsy wagons, email him at jsph.crowell (at) gmail.com.

Photos courtesy of Joseph Crowell

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

Kim has been a craftsman for over 35 years and builds the wagons from scratch. You can purchase a finished wagon or have a custom sheep wagon built to your specifications. The wagons can be built on running gear that is freeway worthy or they can have original antique wood spoke wheels.

Typically, each wagon will have a bed with a memory foam mattress, a sitting and eating area with storage underneath, an antique wood stove or an electric stove, and a small kitchen area with custom cabinetry. They can also have several 110 electrical outlets and a storage area on the back of the wagon. The wagons are painted in traditional white and green colors and will have the classic canvas roof that is rated to last up to 10 years. The wagons are built with 2×6 Douglas fir and the cabinets and doors are built with 3/4 inch birch, pine and Douglas fir.

These sheep wagons can be used as a tiny house, on a farm or ranch, as a guest house, or an artist’s studio. Idaho Sheep Wagons also offers delivery. The prices range from about $9,000 for a 12 foot wagon to $13,500 for a wagon with original spoke wheels. Currently the company has a wagon for sale for $8,300.

Photos courtesy of Idaho Sheep Wagons

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

The exterior of the wagon contains laminated oak struts, a T&G planked floor and metal roofing. The wagon is insulated and the exterior wood is finished with teak oil. The interior has oak bead board paneling and the benches, tables, cabinet doors and drawer fronts are solid oak. The wagon can by towed by a truck or other large vehicle and handles well on the highway with speeds up to 70 MPH.

The wagon contains the following appliances:

• 3 burner LP cook stove oven and broiler
• Wood/coal cooking and heating stove
• Sink and exterior shower
• 40 Gallon water tank
• 5.5 cubic feet refrigerator LP
• 12 volt solar panel and lighting
• 2 LP gas lights
• 3 burner LP stove & grill (rear pullout)
• 6 gallon LP hot water heater

Photos courtesy of Kenny Harris

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

Peter and Donna fell in love with gypsy wagons when they were craftspeople at Renaissance fairs. Many of the fair vendors built the wagons to sleep in and sell their wares from. Peter and Donna built the wagon on a 16-foot Carson car hauler. The entire trailer weighs 3,800 pounds and it took them three years to build. The rafters were made with laminated pine boards and the floor with locally milled sugar pine. It is insulated, contains a small kitchen and electricity. They have a camping toilet in the closet and a solar shower that they keep in their tow vehicle, but the couple usually use campgrounds, friendly locals and universities for their bathing.

Since 1976 Peter and Donna Thomas have worked together making paper, letterpress printing and book binding, to create unique books. Their books have been shown in individual and group exhibitions in the U.S. and abroad, and have been purchased for collections around the world. They specialize in miniature books, one-of-a-kind designs, booked-shaped jewelry, papermaking, and books shaped like ukuleles and accordians. Their love of details made it into their gypsy wagon which they say is like a boat and a fairy tale all mixed up.

Photos courtesy of Wandering Book Artists

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

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]

His little “How-To Guide” focuses on how to live a cheaper, lighter existence while still being independent. He discusses van conversions, boondocking, workamping, financial freedom, traveling with pets and children, safety and cleanliness issues, how to choose a vehicle, overcoming your fears, living on a boat, homesteading and working while on the road. He also shows how living a life on a $500 to $1,000 a month budget is possible.

Some of his fellow nomads discuss how they took the leap:

On a fateful day in 2006, I was struck by an idea so powerful that I stood up from my desk, walked to the personnel department and resigned. I would sell my house, the extra cars, all that important “stuff” and live on a boat with my family, and travel the seas as a free man.

Captain Keith of the Kismet

After 22 years of working at the Post Office, I was tired of not being happy with my job or my life and knew I had to do something. I remembered those happy days traveling in the travel trailer and was sure I could be happy again. I already owned my 1983 VW Westphalia, so it was the obvious choice when I decided to downsize. I wasn’t sure exactly how I would do it, or how long I could stand living in a van, but I knew it had to be better than the life I was living. I am delighted to say it has been 2 years now and I have no desire to go back to a more conventional life.

Barb Cotton

Photos courtesy of Cheap RV Living

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

The caravans are built from partially recycled timber and meet high quality environmental standards. The insulation is made from wool and the windows and doors have double glazing. A hot water heater and electrical wiring is included.

Most of these caravans are around 215-230 square feet and include a kitchen, a bathroom and sleeping facilities as well as plenty of storage, heating for winter use, outdoor living spaces and lovely details including polished brass port-hole windows. They come fully equipped and can accommodate up to four people. Some are even accessible for the disabled. The units start at €29.800 or $41,000 and take 2-4 months to be completed.

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

Sir James started his life as an 8×12 dual axel car trailer from California Custom Trailers. The trailer came licensed with brakes and everything for $1,700. The house was made with a welded iron “cage” and then wood, tarpaper and plywood layers were all bolted into the cage. It’s 7 feet wide by 12 feet long and it took 4 months to build. Sir James is Michel’s second of four original designs.

The outside wood was burned to create the patina they wanted and then oiled. Both Christy and Michel realize that this extra design adds a lot of weight, but they love the look of it. Sir James has been exposed to horrible wind, snow, sleet, rain, hail storms and six Burning Man events and has come out looking better than ever. Christy and Michel primarily use Sir James for camping, including yearly Christmas/New Year’s trips to Death Valley.

Inside Sir James is a rear kitchen and a bedroom with a center bed, hallways and separate doors on each side for easy access. When I visited their rig, they used the wall behind the bed to hang up their numerous costumes for the event. I was surprised how cool and dark it was in the bedroom area. They have a large storage locker near the hitch to carry a wood burning stove, fire wood, a spare tire, and tools.

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]