Popomo on Fox Business News
Fox Business News recently ran a video featuring Tumbleweed’s Jay Shafer and his tiny Popomo house which was parked in the middle of Manhattan. The 172 square foot Popomo was on its way to the East Coast of the U.S. and Jay was interviewed about it and his other tiny designs.
This video shows some nice interior views of the Popomo’s “great room”, bedroom and kitchen (with or without the antics of the reporters). Fox Business News focused on the Popomo being an alternative living option during the housing crisis.
By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]
Tiny Houses without Lofts
There has been a lot of requests lately for tiny houses on wheels that don’t have lofts. Older people do not wish to deal with this issue and it is an idea that should be taken seriously.
Most of the designs we see out there resort to the loft for a bed. This saves precious floor space for living. However, this is not ideal for everyone. Unfortunately, at this time I only know of a few designs that take an alternative route to the loft – so I thought I would do a post to highlight these houses. My goal is to inspire others to design more homes with alternative sleeping quarters other than a loft.
The oldest version of a tiny home on wheels that I am aware of is the vardo or gypsy wagon. These homes were designed with a bed that sits up high and has storage below. You still need to crawl up a little to get in, but it is nothing like climbing a ladder. There are not many plans out there for this type of home. The only one I know that is available the “Don Vardo” by Portland Alternative Dwellings. While it is not a complete house I think the plans could be extended to make it into one with a kitchen and bathroom. Dee Williams from Portland Alternative Dwellings and I once talked about this revision and she may have even completed the plans by now. You can get an idea by looking at the picture of the Don Vardo here and a vardo picture I have included above in this post.
(Dee just sent word that she has the 12 foot vardo available which features a bathroom and kitchen. The plans are now available here for only $30. They are in the process of having one built out in Florida and I will share photos, etc. as soon as it is completed.)
12 foot Don Vardo Floor Plan
Sale on Tumbleweed Vardo Plans
Jay Shafer from Tumbleweed Tiny House Company is offering their Vardo Construction plans for sale for 10 days only. Starting today, the plans for the Vardo are $15.95. Normally, $29.95 so almost half off. The Sale ends July 8, 2011.
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:
- Elevation Drawings: The exterior view from all 4 sides is included showing you heights relative to the truck bed, window and door openings, and finish materials.
- Floor Plans: Floor plans are included for both the storage area, and the sleeping area.
- Roof Plan: Shown from above, you see the overhang of the roof compared to the truck and structure.
- Wall Framing: Two pages of wall framing show you how to frame each wall, front, back and sides so that you have the rounded roof and slight angle of side walls. Additionally, floor framing is included.
- Door Detail: The Vardo requires a custom made door, and the door detail gives you the dimensions, and types of wood to use.
- Section Drawings: These drawings cut the Vardo in half both the long way and the short way. They show you where to insulate, what types of wood studs to use, how to properly insulate, which materials to use, how to secure the structure to the truck, and much more.
- Basic Components: Suggestions on specific windows for the structure and the door including the manufacturer and glass type. Also included is a heater suggestion.
Get the details about the Tumbleweed Vardo Plans – $15.95
Popomo Plans Sale
Steve from Tumbleweed contacted me about a special sale they are having on the Popomo plans. Usually only available by purchasing Jay’s book, Tumbleweed is making it available for a few days at the low price of $9.99. Here is Tumbleweeds description of their plans.
The Popomo is our sleekest model to date, yet it’s one of the easiest tiny houses to build. It features hot-rolled corrosion-resistant steel siding, making it unlike anything else available on the market today. The Popomo takes full advantage of the maximum legal towing limits without requiring any special permits, affording you the luxury of a larger, more inviting living environment without the extra paperwork hassle and expense.
This set of plans contains 38 pages jam-packed with all the information you need to build your tiny house like a professional, including step-by-step instructions, orthographic illustrations, and suggested resources and suppliers.
Click here to view more details and to purchase.
Tumbleweed Tiny House Company – 2011 Workshops
Tumbleweed Tiny House Company has posted their 2011 workshop calendar. These workshops are taught by Jay Shafer and span 2-days where you learn how to design and build a tiny house of your own. You can choose to attend both days or just one. I have had the privilege of attending one of these workshops and I learned a lot and highly recommend them to anyone serious about building your own tiny home.
Day one focuses on the construction process where you learn about topics like the tools you’ll need and the special needs of a house that can be pulled down a highway. Day two is focused on tiny house design where Jay goes into detail on how he makes tiny homes comfortable and functional.
You can learn a lot about what it takes to build your own tiny house online, but taking a workshop from someone like Jay can really help fill in the gaps and I found it really worthwhile. Visit the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company website to learn more and register. Here are the dates and locations:
- Sebastopol, CA Nov 6-7, 2010 (last 2010 workshop)
- Orlando, FL Jan 22-23, 2011
- Santa Fe, NM Feb 5-6 2011
- Nashville, TN Mar 5-6 2011
- Honolulu, HI Mar 26-27, 2011
- Jackson, NH May 21-22, 2011
- Olympia, WA June 25-26, 2011
- Washington DC July 16-17, 2011
- Chicago, IL August 6-7, 2011
- Los Angeles, CA Aug 27-28, 2011
- Portland, OR Sep 17-18, 2011
- New York, NY Oct 15-16, 2011
- Santa Rosa, CA Nov 5-6, 2011
Elaine’s Lusby Update
Elaine who built a Tumbleweed Lusby designed by Jay Shafer awhile back and had originally put it up for sale, later decided to keep it and live in it. Here is an update on life in her little house.
I’ve moved into my tiny house. I love the house. It’s very well constructed. The wind here in the Delta is so strong that at first I was afraid that even though it had survived being towed from the east to west coast, it might come unhinged by the wind. It hasn’t. It’s solid, quiet and a tranquil shelter from the strong gusts.
The cats venture out when the air is calm, but stay in when it’s blustery. We negotiate seating. I have two cats and two dogs and all five of us prefer sitting on a chair or soft spot up off the hardwood floor. Misty, my elegant female cat, claims the cushiest chair when she’s home, and I sit on a small triangular wooden stool that I brought back from India. Continue Reading »
