Tiny House Blog

An 11×14 foot former vegetable patch eventually became the home for this tiny backyard house designed and built by sustainable building advisor Megan Lea. Since her veggies were not getting enough sun, she decided to bite the bullet and build an environmentally friendly house out of salvage 100-year-old barn wood behind her main home in Portland, Ore.

Her 154 square foot retreat, which was built in less than six months, contains salvaged lumber from three barns in Oregon, a salvaged copper roof, natural plaster walls and a wood stove. The salvaged barn wood on the exterior is from Barnwood Naturals, a company that sells reclaimed vintage wood. The loft contains a comfy sectional sofa and the floor of the loft and its supports are exposed to show the structural elements. The little living room has seating for several people and a large sliding door. The building does not have a bathroom or kitchen. Continue Reading »

by Wally Hofmann

A unique and luxuriously-nostalgic, lodging experience awaits travelers to California’s Central Coast. Ninety years of history have been resurrected with the restoration and reopening of the historic Santa Barbara Auto Camp located in the heart of Santa Barbara, just a 15-minute walk from the old Santa Barbara Mission.

For the past month, neighbors have been admiring the re-landscaped park entrance that features four smartly-renovated Airstream trailers. The SB Auto Camp is part of an existing RV park that houses 30 other trailers from varying manufacturers. Several dozen local residents live fulltime at the park – some have called it home for more than four decades. The Airstreams are now available for nightly rentals online at www.SBAutoCamp.com.

The SB Auto Camp is located a short bike ride southeast of Santa Barbara’s bustling Downtown shopping district. Major shopping centers are within a half mile, and quaint local shops, services, and eateries are next door and across the street on De La Vina. Continue Reading »

Last year, I did a post on Sisters on the Fly, a camping and fly fishing group for ladies who love small, vintage trailers. Since I (Christina) just went camping over the holiday in my teardrop trailer, I thought it would be appropriate to list a few ladies (some who are Sisters on the Fly members) who camp in style. Girls, no matter what the men say, there is nothing wrong with a little “glamping”.

Facebook Fan Page: We Can Do It! Women Who Camp with a Teardrop, Tent or Trailer Continue Reading »

Anton Schwartz contacted me about his mother who is moving out of her house-of-fifty-years and looking to get rid of a wonderful vintage all-in-one kitchenette which she bought new in 1969. In beautiful condition and it runs perfectly and comes with all original instructions and paperwork. Folds up elegantly and opens and closes effortlessly and is Sand in color. It is a Dwyer EA400 Kitchenette and comes with:

• Two electric stovetops
• Refrigerator with freezer compartment
• Sink
• Bult-in cupboard and drawer
• Dish draining area
• Light (on/off/auto)
• Lockable, with keys
• Hooks up to electricity (normal 115 volts), water and drain

She is asking $675 and it is located in Manhattan, on West 56th street. Pick-up required. Contact sale@saleon56th.com or (212)580-4787.

View a couple more pictures here.

In celebration of summer and for Kent heading off to Hawaii, I thought I would do a post on these vintage style trailers by Dayton Taylor and Vintage Trailer Crazy. Part trailer, part Woodie station wagon, these 19–(Any Year) Woodie Love Bugs can be manufactured to match your tow vehicle, birth year or whatever theme you want…including “Surf’s Up.”

Each trailer is 12 feet long and weighs 1,200 pounds. They are custom made with hand built oak and birch walls and cabinets. The Vintage Trailer Crazy design team will consult with you to create your custom Woodie Love Bug. These trailers are built new from the ground up, but use VIN numbers from vintage 1930-1950 trailers. Over 500 man-hours go into the production of each little trailer. They cost around $12,500 and Dayton told me that they sell a lot of them, primarily because of the popularity of smaller trailers. Continue Reading »

Howdy ladies! This post is for all those cowgirls, or wanna-be cowgirls out there…and the men who love them.

Sisters on the Fly is a group of nearly 1,000 women from around the U.S. who own and restore vintage camping trailers. They take their colorful homes on wheels on the Cowgirl Caravan to partake in outdoor adventures like fly fishing, horseback riding, rafting, or just eating fried food and watching fireflies.

Button Willow (Sister #595)

Each sister is designated by a number and by the name of her trailer. The Sisters also engage in vintage trailer sales, restoration, customization and registry. For a $40 annual fee any woman with a vintage or new trailer can join the cowgirl caravan.

The Sisters were started in 1999 by two real sisters, Becky and Maurrie. They wanted their female friends to experience their love of fly fishing and began to invite and teach other women about the outdoors. Their motto is “WE HAVE MORE FUN THAN ANYONE”.

Miss Rodeo (Sister #6)

Each of the Sister’s trailers are about 12 feet to 24 feet in length. The trailer makes vary: Holiday, Shasta, Aljoa, Scotsman, Aloha, Fireball and even an Airstream thrown in for good measure. Each trailer reflects its owner’s personality with its theme and sister number proudly posted on the rear of the trailer. They are decorated inside and out in usually a western kitschy theme. The Sister’s believe after a hard day of driving and having fun it is pure bliss to fall into your own feather bed at the close of the day, and awake to the smell of coffee and bacon right outside your door.

By Christina Nellemann

Rockin' Robin (Sister #269)

Norma Faye (Sister #250)

Jadite Jane (Sister #71)

Puck (Sister #847)

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