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
Looking for a Carpenter/Builder
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 jenbooks13@hotmail.com if interested.
Tiny Mobile House Insurance
I receive a lot of emails every day and one of the questions that appears quite often is how do I insure my tiny house? Since I don’t have personal experience I usually pass on the question to a few people I know who own their own tiny houses and I hope they are able to respond with a good answer.
Yesterday I received an email from Australia from “Gypsy” or Kushti Bok who has been rejected or taken off of previous insurers once they see his unique mobile Vardo. He is trying to find a new insurer and is asking for help.
I need your help in answering this question. Those of you have have tiny houses, especially on wheels, how do you insure your home? If you live in a trailer based tiny house, bus conversion, house truck, or vardo, how do you insure it? Please respond in the comment section and share your knowledge with the rest of us.
Click here to view more pictures of the Kushti Bok Kombi.
Abel’s Vardo
Update: Abel sent a picture of his galvanized tub.
Abel Zimmerman a friend and neighbor to Dee Williams from Olympia, Washington contacted me recently about his vardo he built for himself and to let me know he will build them for others too.
Abel says: “I have a family in Olympia Washington. (we use the vardo as a backyard getaway and extra room for now) I plan to do some summer vardo sabbaticals with the whole family — perhaps in the mountains.”
If you would like to contact Abel here is his contact information: dba: Zyl Vardos and Periscopa Lighting zylvardos@gmail.com
Thanks Abel for sharing your vardo and I hope others are inspired to create their own tiny home. Continue Reading »
George’s Mini Vardo Update
Back in January George one of my readers shared his vardo project that he was in the process of building. Recently George sent me an update on his completed vardo and shared that he had been using it regularly. Following is an update from George.
This is my home-built trailer using classic and modern building techniques and style. Based on traveler’s and “gypsy” wagons from Britain and France as well as sheep wagons from the western U.S. I am keeping this to the absolute minimum in size and weight. I don’t plan to live in it so it can be thought of a base camp. I have mulled it over for a very long time and was torn between this style and a teardop design. Each have advantages but this just seems to suit me better.
My final design is certainly not perfect but fit within the very tight parameters I set for myself. Small, light, and relatively cheap were important as were ascetics and traditional building techniques. Unlike modern RVs where people may spend large quantities of time inside the structure, I want this to be used more like early pioneer or “Gypsy” wagons where most of the actual living is done “outside”. The teardrop RV community has taken this to heart, often with a very modern and high-tech design, including microwave ovens, television and entertainment centers, and very modern kitchens. Continue Reading »
MiniCasas Gypsy Caravans
João Neves – a Portuguese ceramist and sculptor – is the creator, designer and builder of MiniCasas. MiniCasas Portugal is based in Caldas da Rainha, in the centre of Portugal.
With the help of MiniCasas, you can expand your living space, create your own special getaway or set up a summerhouse, studio or stylish office space.
The Gypsy caravans are built with a keen eye for detail and from natural materials, such as cork and timber, then painted in warm tones, with water-based paint. They may be used as additional mobile living space, a place to host guests, an office or other type of work space, a library … the list is simply endless! If required, a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom-lounge area, running water and electricity can all be provided. Continue Reading »
