Jim says, “We’ve shortened the seminars to three days to focus on design development and to make the class more affordable.” The price is $295 for the three day seminar and limited to 25 students at each of the seminars offered. Register Here.

Students helping to steam bend a wagon hoop around a form.

In this three day weekend we will begin by exploring in depth how the late 19th century, English-made “Living Wagons” (called “Vardos” by the Gypsies)—were designed, built and used. Then we’ll move on to talk about how modern design and construction techniques can be adapted to create a wagon that will capture the traditional enchantment and coziness of the Vardo, yet be roadworthy for travel at today’s highway speeds. In the balance of the seminar you will have the opportunity to design your own wagon, from concept sketches to preliminary working drawings.

Some of the topics discussed:

• Designing a suitable chassis frame and running gear.
• Wheel size, number and placement
• Building strong, weatherproof floors, walls and ceilings.
• Plywood versus traditional solid wood frame construction (both are viable options, though each have pros and cons).
• Making attractive, but sturdy and weather-tight, doors and windows.
• Creating traditional carvings and decorative details.
• Designing and building the interior built-in cabinetwork
• Bending hoops and working with canvas (for Bow-top versions)
• Designing electrical and plumbing systems
• Installing heating systems
• Painting and varnishing
• Outfitting the wagon for the road.

Included in the cost of the course are drawing materials, detailed handouts and access to a free online forum where you can ask further questions and solicit advice.

Prerequisites:
There are no prerequisites for students taking this course other than having a passionate interest in learning how to create the most cozy and lovable living space one could ever hope to spend some time in—on the road or in the garden!

Register Here.

Pushkara in process of designing her new wagon

Steve Habersetzer talking about the design of corbels

Gypsy Wagon

I’ll let John tell you more about his plans and his philosophy behind his choice of design and materials.

My overall values in designing the housetruck were simplicity, durability, sustainability, and mobility, which combine to liveability. Although I’ve been inspired by the tiny house movement, the biggest breakthrough was discovering the long tradition of gypsy caravans and British ‘living wagons.’

I’m building the tiny housetruck from scratch, based on an Isuzu NPR truck chassis. The housetruck will serve several purposes:

• A compact and mobile home in which I can hang out and socialize,
  cook and eat, and retreat and sleep.
• A workspace for my photography and programming projects.
• A vehicle that will transport me & my belongings to points beyond.
• A laboratory for research into alternative and mobile technology.
• An expression of art & creativity.

I’ve been designing it for about a year, and about a month ago hired a local steel fabricator to build the frame. That’s now done, and I’m now onto adding “skin” to the bones.

If you’d like to follow along, I’ll be updating my website fairly regularly. You can always find the current status, plus links to longer articles & more images, here: http://polymecca.com/housetruck

–Best,
John

You can follow the progress on Johns blog and I will also try to update the Tiny House Blog as John completes different stages in the project. It’s fun to see something a little different, so stay tuned.

by Kent Griswold (Tiny House Blog)

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