Tiny House Blog

Sharon Pieniak is living the ultimate road trip. In 2007, she realized that her work had become truly location-independent after having established a successful graphic design business and taken her work on many vacations. So, she purchased a new 20’ Airstream travel trailer and hit the road. She has been living, working and traveling in it since.

Her aim was to spend her free time satisfying her insatiable wanderlust and photographing the beauty of America. Initially an experiment in nomadic living, it has become a way of life for her now that she finds hard to beat. “I feel much more connected with the art of living now,” she says, “It’s nice, because wherever I go, I’m at home, and my neighbors are usually some of the nicest people around.” Her small home on wheels allows Sharon and her dog Harley to explore a continuous trail of new and beautiful places and brings a greater portion of the world into their everyday life.
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Because we bought our trailer used and it was formerly a 1981 (camping) travel trailer it had some signs of wear and tear; namely rust. Structurally it is as sound as the day it rolled off the assembly line. But because it spent some time on the east coast the salinity of the air made it prematurely age and the paint/primer at some point gave way to rust spots and “age spots.” Luckily we own both an air compressor and a sandblaster – the very tools needed to prepare the trailer for primer.

Sandblasting is a general term used to describe the act of propelling very fine bits of material (play sand in this case) at high-velocity to clean a surface. A sandblasting setup usually consists of three different parts: the abrasive itself, an air compressor (seen below), and a blaster nozzle. By launching small bits of abrasive at the surface at a high speed, all imperfections are knocked loose and can then be easily washed off, creating an incredibly smooth surface upon which to lay the new layer of paint. Before we can do that though (which will come much later, I imagine) we need to prime. Why? Primer spray (in this case we used Krylon grey primer) stops rust and prevents corrosion. Continue Reading »

Looking for a carpenter/builder to work with a chemically sensitive professiional author/journalist and her partner, who want to build a vardo travel trailer for traveling/living. I will have construction plans made and ready. Will probably be on an 8 by 12 or 14 trailer, with 2-3 by 8 porch.

Need to be on site for the entire build to test nontoxic materials for tolerance. Vardo will have compost toilet, outdoor shower on porch, simple sink setup inside with grey water tank and hose hookup, very small hot water tank, wired with shielded wiring for both 12 volt and 110, curved metal or very thin ceramic roof, tile floors, either dragon board or very low terpene wood walls.

If wood walls, they will be tongue and groove. Denim or wool insulation, a breathable wall system to minimize mold, and good ventilation including built in fans. No plywood, formaldehyde, laminates, styrofoam, vinyl, urethane, fiberglass, etc. Possibly some other features adapted from small rv’s I’ve seen. Take a look at Portland Alternative Dwellings’ Don Vardo for an example of a beautiful simple vardo.

I need to keep costs down as I have set aside funds but am planning to be frugal where possible. If someone has time and interest, please write me with your fees for such a project, previous experience etc., where you live, if you have land where we can build and a good metal shed to store construction materials, your schedule, and any other relevanr information.

Prefer southeast, Texas, or possibly southwest for the build, ie a climate that is warm and sunny, and hoping to start late spring. Don’t want to build up north. If you want to travel to live on site for the build I can possibly find us a spot. I’ve been told it can take 400-500 hours for the total build. Both some experience in carpentry/construction and patience, as well as willingness to work with all nontoxic materials, is important. Thanks!

Please email [email protected] if interested.

I am in Southern California today after delivering my daughters car to her and will be driving back home here shortly. Eight hours on the road. Fun…

This is a cool little teardrop, built like a piece of furniture and with a price tag to go with it. Thank you Ben for spotting this.

William Landivar, 60, of Boulder Creek, has constructed a one-of-a-kind teardrop trailer that is a sight to be seen. Made of rich mahogany and white oak wood, the teardrop is 15 feet long and 7 feet wide and weighs 1,700 pounds.

Photos by Lucjan Szewczyk/Press-Banner

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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. http://www.trailerworks.biz

by Kent Griswold (Tiny House Blog)

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