Hello, my name is Ben, a 31 year old music teacher. I live in Southeast Louisiana and in the past four years I have been on a journey to create an easier life for myself. From growing a garden, raising chickens, ducks, and rabbits, to aquaponics. I just wanted to find a better, easier, healthier way to live.

I have just started my tiny house project with my dad. We began welding the frame for the trailer and acquired the axles. It is going to be a long project, but the end result will be so amazing I just can’t wait. I have been researching extensively every single tiny house resource I can get my hands on and have almost narrowed down what the final design is going to look like.

Most people that are building tiny houses struggle with a place to put it, but I will have a spot to put mine and enough space to have my small farm. So one day I can live in my small home, on my small farm, living a very big, enjoyable, sustainable life!

You can follow Ben’s build at his blog http://smallhomebiglife.blogspot.com/

The new 15-foot long T@B has the same smart and sassy design, options and details as the original, but is still in the initial floor plan phase. Little Guy has added some additional amenities such as an outdoor shower with a 2.5 gallon heated tank, a 3-way refrigerator that can run off 12 volt, 110 or propane and a detachable screen door. The trailer is about 1,500 pounds fully loaded, contains a sink and a 2-burner LP stove, a propane tank and battery attached to the front and has a 5 gallon fresh water tank. The interior has birch cabinetry, storage under and over the seating/Queen bed combo, a small closet, a Port-a-Potty, an LP furnace/CoolCat air conditioner and several upholstery designs.

Little Guy has also made an effort to redesign and correct issues that plagued the original T@B. The new trailer will have a better door handle, a heavier front door, solid aluminum instead of mesh wheel wells and they are using automotive adhesives to attach the trim to the roof. There will also be additional 110 and 12v outlets and the axle weight was increased to 3,500 pounds instead of the original’s 300 pounds. The expensive European parts will be produced in the U.S.

Other standard features include:

• Silver, Yellow, Red & White Exterior trim available
• Aluminum Framed Roof & Sidewalls
• Laminated Fiberglass Sidewalls with foam block insulation
• Alufiber Roof with R-12 cut insulation
• 14″ Alloy Rims
• E-Coated Microlite frame; Independent suspension
• Tongue jack with dolly wheel
• Two sets stabilizer jacks; Two sets grab handles
• Poly Plastic, duo pane bay windows w/roll-away screens/ shades
• 2-Way, 3-Speed Fantastic Fan ; Multiple 12v/110 outlets
• Spare tire and under mount bracket
• Premium vinyl flooring on Aluminum Framed Floor
• 5 Interior 12Volt light fixtures & External Porch Light
• “Easy-up” indoor/outdoor table, Table top 28″x31″
• 110V A/C to 12V D/C power converter
• Hydraulic Surge Brakes
• Pre-Installed Keder (Awning) Rail
• DVD/TV Player with AM/FM and Cable Coaxial Hookup
• 12v Norcold Compressor Refrigerator
• Redesigned, Industrial Strength Entry Door w/ Removable Screen

Optional features include:

• Norcold 3-Way Fridge that can be plugged into 12 volt or 110 or propane
• 15″ Monitor w/DVD/AMFM
• Side Portal Window
• Side Awning
• External shower
• 2.5 gallon Hot Water Heater
• 19 gallon gray water tank

The 2012 T@B is being sold at dealers around the country for around $16,000-$20,000. Only about 600 units will be built in 2012, but the company projects to build about 1,200 a year in their current facility in the next 18-24 months.

Photos courtesy of T@B/Little Guy

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

1. Stick to just one color palette
2. Make your furniture multi-task
3. Use vertical space as well as horizontal space
4. Arrange more public uses closest to the door
5. Don’t be afraid to have fun

To read the full article go over to Apartment Therapy and be inspired by all the great photographs.

I have been reading your blog for a few months now and every new post inspires and surprises me. The whole idea of utilizing and experimenting with small spaces is really fascinating. Considering most of your blog posts have an American/Canadian touch to it, I believe that my story could be a fresh view on camping!

My girlfriend used to go camping with her parents in this beautiful classic caravan. Last summer we took it to Switzerland and France and this summer we took 4 weeks to completely restore this 50 year old caravan.

The caravan is a Wa-Wa 180 Sport. The original manufacturer doesn’t exist anymore, but they used to build a lot of wooden caravans and trailers. This Wa-Wa was created for recreational use on campsites but considering its weight of 300 kg’s even people with a small, not so powerful car could take this caravan and travel around with it. Besides the chassis and the rear window, the whole caravan is made of wood. Inside there is room for a small kitchen – with a refrigerator, sink and a gas cooker – and a large twin bed that can be removed and replaced by two small benches and a table. Originally the caravan was designed so it could fit 6 people! The caravan surface is only 2 x 3 meters so in practice nobody used it that way.

The Wa-Wa caravan is even more special because of its roof. The wooden roof is set up when you are camping in it and can be fold down so it is barely higher than a small car. This saves a lot of gas money and creates a stronger structure when you are driving with it.

On the pictures you can see the blue tent that was specially made for this caravan.

This caravan has a big history and is pretty unique; only a few of them are still alive these days.

Maarten Bellaard
The Netherlands

[View with PicLens]

Matthew Hofmann, a 28-year-old Central California Coast-based architect, is the master craftsman who’s turning back the clock. This is his second high-design Airstream project to be released this year. Hofmann Architecture (www. HofArc.com) is a a full-service Santa Barbara residential design and small space renovation firm.

Hofmann’s version 2.0 is truly better in several significant ways, offering more open space, a larger bathroom, and an office desk. There’s a lot that hasn’t changed inside and that’s good because so much of what he designed into the previous 25-foot 1978 Tradewind was quite simply solid design.

In Hofmann’s first project he combined the workspace cubicle, dining table and second bed in the forward convertible sleeping space – clever, but truly not an earth-shattering step. This time Hofmann found four feet of linear counter-height deck space for a built-in desk, mid-level chair and three drawers situated between the bathroom and kitchen.

This first edition has already been located on a recently-graded pad setting among a modest forest of avocado trees. A view of the Pacific Ocean is framed in a window that can be seen while sitting at the built-in desk.

A centrally-located hi-def 19-inch video monitor displays either DVDs or streamed Netflix videos from anywhere in the trailer. A surround sound audio system provides more than enough sound support. The monitor swivels on a pullout arm for optimal viewing adjustments and tucks away neatly behind a roll-up cabinet.

One of Hofmann’s signatures is his close attention to bathroom details and this project again offers a significant upgrade. Hofmann – who stands 6’4” – offers a refreshing change of space in the full height, stand-up shower. The lightweight 1/8-inch tiles span the shower basin and seal in the water more than a foot up three sides. And Hofmann guarantees the shower won’t leak thanks to an alternative tile installation method that uses a foam backer with acrylic adhesive to substrate.

A high-design brushed stainless steel sink and faucet sits on an elegantly curved deck that faces another nifty addition – a transparent fish tank that’s visible from the office and bathroom, with only the fish seeing what’s on each side.

The Cali Bamboo flooring is a nice sustainable feature. Although travel trailers don’t qualify as a LEED- qualified project, this abode would earn points for reuse and energy efficiency thanks to the 12-volt ceiling lights and refinished overhead tambour roll-up cabinets. The backlit ceiling lights emit a soft glow against the brilliant white surfaces. The cabinets were painted with zero-VOC earth-friendly finishes – together they create a futuristic tone. Three LED puck lights over the kitchen/office stubbornly keep electric usage down and specific task lighting cranked up.

Hofmann is LEED-certified and his sustainable training emphasizes the reuse and repurpose of every material that was disposed. “Construction waste management is one of the most effective ways to be green,” said Hofmann.

The dining area has been expanded to seat six comfortably at the table, with the addition of two fold-away chairs that adjoin the kitchen area. Underneath the left and right access benches are two “carry-on luggage-sized drawers,” as Hofmann calls them. “They’re for guests to store their travel bags.” The drawer guides, as are all installed drawers, constructed with silent closing Hafele German-crafted hardware that’s sturdy enough for 50 lbs. of gear.

There wasn’t any skimping on the kitchen sink, either. The extra-deep stainless steel commercial-style basin will shock seasoned RVers. Most trailer kitchen sinks barely get both hands wet at the same time. An adequate pullout food pantry fits next to a generous refrigerator. The 2-burner propane stove completes a no-hassles, no-nonsense food prep package.

Hofmann’s second Airstream project is a work of art that’s ultra eco-friendly, emits cool tones, is tech wise, and crammed with creative details.

Hofmann Architecture / (805) 618-2461 / info@HofArc.com / www.HofArc.com

Since 1985, Kurt has owned and operated Fine Line Design, a custom home design firm located north of Redding, California. The recent downturn in home construction allowed him the free time to get back to his woodshop where “MiniTears” began to take shape in 2008. Kurt’s background in home design and construction, along with the fabricating skills his father passed on to him, gave him everything he needs to build these beautiful Teardrop Trailers.

You can see a video of Kurt’s MiniTear here.

Photos courtesy of MiniTears

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

’56 Spartan Executive Mansion

Trailer houses have made sense to me ever since living with my parents and two of my sisters in a ten-wide on Kodiak, in late ’64. Being the only boy, I had a 7′x5′ “room of my own” so the lack of privacy didn’t ruin the adventure…it was just “cosy” living.

Spartans had a special appeal, since I saw my first one in ’62 ( I salvaged that same trailer in ’98 when the owners of the tiny water front site decided they needed a bigger mobil, making it my first Spartan). I loved the Aircraft look and clean lines; the all aluminum structure and serious steel chassis made these houses very rehabitable.(don’t worry about the spelling, that’s a new word)

This is the view aft from the mates repose, like all tiny houses it’s filled to the brim with living. Since my Colleen and I are life long collectors it’s also covered, as every surface was considered for potential as display for the many pieces of art we love to look at.

This view of the kitchen shows the meat of the remodel (aside from removing all of the bulkheads forwards); laminate floor from the bathroom door forward, tile aft, with electric heat under kitchen, bath, and bedroom. The original 24″ stove top and it’s associated cabinets were removed and a modern 30″range placed and I built a “side-board” that encloses our garbage/recycle with a narrow cabinet with drawers for utensils and the blender and other kitchen “stuff” that we don’t want cluttering up the kitchen counter. The wall oven is slated to go so that we can have a high-efficiency dishwasher in that location. The counter-tops are Granite and I managed to get the formica up in one piece, eliminating most of the metal strips that usually support these panels.

We started out with his and hers recliners, but have since put in a couch so that we can sit together. We also changed the curtains as the blue was too “busy” (we went with a “dusty rose” solid). I installed the 3 door glass fronted cabinet (just visible, upper left) and put lights in it, to display our sculptural pieces and dolls.

Here is a detail of the bedroom, the wall mounted head-board will get more shelves, nearly to the floor, on either side of the bed; the original window trim was stained and rotten, so the yellow-cedar wood work was a must. The beautiful silk quilt was what my Colleen made for me while she waited for her new house (the work was done in the ’51 Royal Mansion she uses as a sewing studio) along with curtains and rugs.

This close-up is to show-off the gorgeous finish of the black-granite vanity in the bath room, the barely visible curve on the left was so we could get a couple of inches extra mass, without a sharp corner in the door-way. In all, we installed 5 pieces of granite, gifts from Colleen’s oldest son, Arron, a skilled professional stone cutter.

Thank you Raymond for sharing your home with us. If you have a tiny or small home that you would like to share with the readers of the Tiny House Blog, please send photos and a story to tinyhouseblog(at)gmail.com.

“Sold” The airstream could use refurbishing and some cosmetic work.  All systems operable. It is road worthy and can be taken on the road anywhere. The trailer is located 20 miles west of San Antonio, Texas in a small community of Boerne.

The owners are asking  $8,000. If interested please contact me at tinyhouseblog(at)gmail.com and I will pass on your email and contact info to them.

[View with PicLens]

My family and I love camping; we started taking our girls camping when my oldest daughter was only seven months old. When went on a trip to Detroit Lake one year in a tent and the day started off beautiful, but one night it rained and it leaked through on my wife and daughter. We were miserable the next morning we woke up and broke down camp in the mud. It was at this point I said never again; I said we needed a camper. But being on a budget and not wanting to buy a cheaply made older camper I decided to build a tear drop.

My thoughts were we needed something to keep us off the ground; something small enough to fit in a single car garage and easy to tow. A tear drop was a perfect fit; but the typical teardrop wouldn’t work because I needed something to fit a family of four and I’m 6’7″. So I scoured the internet for inspiration and ordered a templet and built one that was five feet wide and nine feet long with no plans.

It had a bunk bed that floated in the air that my girls slept on and worked great; with all of us snug as a bug. Eventually though they out grew the bunk and so we sold it to move on to a tent trailer. It was great but on the maiden voyage we blew a tire and packing it was tricky because folded down you had to really plan on how to pack it. I never felt comfortable towing it since the blow out and just found it a lot more work to set up compared to the good old tear drop I once made.

Finally this last year I decided to build another one; but wanted to do something no one else had done. I liked the shape of some of the other tiny campers that had a more square shape. So searching the internet I combined different campers in to my own design. I was inspired to build one that had a easy manual pop up roof with a loft; and again I built with no blue prints just figured it out as I was cutting. So with it being a foot wider combined with a pop up roof I figured the girls would have their own separate sleeping areas and they wouldn’t outgrow it until they became teenagers.

That’s my story and if you would like to see pictures of the builds of both of them I would be honored to accept your friendship request so you could see more. Thanks again for your interest of my story. View construction photos by clicking here.

This person took an old run down caravan or trailer and used it for the base, he then rebuilt it using his design and creating a simple structure for himself. It has all the basics, a place to sleep, cook and stay warm. Maybe this video is just the inspiration you need to start your own project.