Following is an update from Victoria Whitcher on her adventure to Alaska. This is a reprint from her blog. To keep up with her story please continue to follow Victoria at the Tiny Adventure blog.
We are a family of three. We currently live in Alaska. We built a 200 sq foot house and live in it full time. We live off the grid. We choose to live the life WE wanted. Not the life everyone thought was right. My husband is such an amazing man to make this dream I had come true!
We have arrived in Alaska after a 4,200 mile journey. What an adventure it was. My husband drove the tiny house towed by a U-Haul. I drove the truck towing the solar system and the plow. It was suppose to take a total of 4 days. It ended up taking a total of over a week. All due to an accident we got into right after we crossed the border into Canada. Upon entering the border, we went over a snow drift that turned out to be 4 inches of ice. I did a 360 and landed almost sideways in the snow. The house the same. The accident involved 6 other cars. Thank God no one was hurt. I have to credit the tow company. Removing the U-Haul and the truck from the waist deep snow should have cost thousands. Instead it cost $800. We did rest that night and continued on the journey. The tiny house received some damage due to the accident. The frame was damaged. After strapping it together several times in the Yukon we carried on. Driving the Alaska highway was an experience of a lifetime. Really crappy roads carved onto the side of a mountain is the best way to describe it. I am terrified of heights. So it’s something I will avoid for the future. We probably changed a tire every 45 miles. Plus it was zero degrees out and a snow storm in APRIL! So on top of driving the tiny house damaged, towing on the side of the mountain, the ground was cover with slippery slushy snow. The positive side of the trail, it was so beautiful. I saw every type of animal I can imagine. Wild horses were the highlight for me. We stayed in the house the entire way. I highly recommend that everyone take a large trip across the country. It really shows you that you’re so small in such a large world.
We have been in Alaska for several months now. We are 100% off the grid. We have put the 250 water gallon in the tree. It is gravity feed into the house. With hours and hours of sunlight we have constant power. The vegetables in the garden grew at a very fast rate. Everyone is adjusting to the wonderful weather. We see moose every week. This is the happiest my family has ever been. I highly suggest everyone take their family at some point and move away. We love Alaska. It is a place where so many people think outside the box and do as they please. No one has given us crazy eyes because of the house we live in. As a matter of fact, most people live like this up here!
Some things I have learned in the couple months I’d like to list.
- Do not put your tiny house in the backyard of someone you don’t particularly get along with. They won’t respect your privacy and space.
- Write your list of daily needs you’re not willing to part with prior to the build.
- People will have nothing but negative things to say about everything.
- Don’t let others idea of your life define your decision.
- Canada needs better plow standards.
- Living off the grid has its challenges, but it’s awesome.
- You know your family, live life for them.
- God is great have faith in him.
Here are some pictures.
Great story!!! I can’t wait to hear more and to see more pictures!!!!
What an adventure! Thank you for sharing it here. The photos were great; especially the roof raising. Would like to have seen your water tower too. It’s so heart warming to read about your tow truck operator, an honest man. Good luck to you and yours!
What an adventure you and your family have had. I spent the whole article thinking, “How’d they get the roof on there?” It is an ingenious design.
I am very sorry that you hit some troubles on your journey, but I am impressed with the pluck that you handled it with. Thanks for sharing your story!
This is fantastic, you sound so happy and I loved all your points of advice. Hope to hear more from you!
In 1966 my family moved to Alaska and we drove the Alaska Highway (in summer) towing a trailer with our goods. It was a marvelous trip and although I now live in New Mexico, I will never forget Alaska and Alaskans. A great adventure! Good luck!
Love this adventure!! Ditto on the pluck–I love to hear these kinds of stories!! That design on the roof is something I have often thought of and now see its reality! You’re a genius. Hope to find out more about the roof:
–design sketch/how to
–special equipment to hold it up
–challenges to the cold/hot air getting in/out
–getting it down again for travel.
Love your story!
I second Lynn’s comments. Anticipating more pics and info on the roof system.
And you do sound happy. That’s the best part.
Great story. Living off the grid is one of my dreams but Alaska seems a little extreme. I’m thinking more about northern California.
I currently live in anchorage ak with my husband.We have been interested in building our tiny home for a few years now- we just havent started for some reason or another. Well, this year we bought a truck and this winter we will be saving to build in the spring. Do you think we could talk about the challenges you had before we get started?
I’m sure they will have plenty of good advice about what to do and what Not to do AFTER their first winter there.
What a great story!! I’m curious about the water set-up. You put the “water gallon” in a tree?? It doesn’t look like there are trees very close by, could you explain please? Thanks!
I too was wondering how you get a 250 gallon tank in a tree… Is there a tractor available to you to raise it up? Next question, what is “planB” for solar in the winter months when it is dark for 20 hours a day?
What an awesome story! Good for you guys for making your dreams come true! I have the same dream and longing to live off grid also. Its so motivational and inspirational to read your story!!! Thanks so much.
As an Alaskan and lover of tiny houses, I approve this! :oD
HI DO YOU RENT SPACE FOR YOUR TINY HOUSE
Cheechako, good luck in the winter. You kind of sound like an “Into The Wild” story, only with a family and tiny house.
Might have to throw an old sleeping bag or two over those propane tanks and lines when it gets down to -40 or so. Even if you have good windows put up some of that shrink fit plastic over the inside, makes spring cleaning a zillion times easier. You’ll be amazed how much crud builds up on there. Once it gets sunnier and nicer you just rip the stuff off and wow! It’s like somebody put in a brighter bulb.
Hey Alice, I was just thinking ‘carbon monoxide detector) for a tiny house heated with propane, and sealed tight against the weather. How is that handled during a long winter?
I never had a house that was well sealed or propane heat when I lived in the Yukon so it was never an issue. Had drafty shacks and tents with wood heat and propane just for lights and cooking. Plus that was back in the day when people were pretty casual about just about everything. Definitely need a carbon monoxide detector if you heat with propane. Good suggestion.
Did you have good winter tires on both the truck and house trailer?
I LOVE Alaska !
We want to hear more, please.
Interior photos would be wonderful.
Your article brings to mind many questions:
Are you near the coast, or inland? . . . It’s milder near the coast in winter.
What about jobs, winter electricity, winter heat, and your water freezing in the tree ?
Where did you move from?
Please let us know how you will deal with these issues.
Thank you for sharing! Would just love to see more photos! Tell us about the inside of the house. What types of questions should we ask ourselves about daily life/activities to try and determine what we really need and how well we would function in such a small space. Really considering this idea or a vintage travel trailer to reduce expenses in future. We have a teen and two BIG indoor
dogs. Curious how we would do…
My you are brave to drive to Alaska! Glad you maade it safe and somewhat sound!
I really like the steep roof pitch…I find it very attractive, and it seems most practical for the snow issues you are going to face in a month or two. I have a few questions – How do you plan to deal with the extreme weather? What is your insulation type and factor? How are you going to manage the water issues and the lack of solar in the depth of winter (when your energy needs will be even higher)…I’m really impressed with how beautiful your tiny home is, and how you have just gone and accomplished your dream!
Canada does have excellent plow systems – unless you crossed just have one of the many blizzards we had this winter. That said, why would you drive through Canada in the winter?? Waist high snow is pretty much a given.
Guess I will have to read the whole blog to see how much planning and foresight went into this adventure. You didn’t mention if you had jobs waiting, or friends up there who can guide you through the pitfalls of a very harsh paradise. And I’d love to know how you got a 250 gallon water tank up a tree 🙂
You said “I highly suggest everyone take their family at some point and move away.” Do you mean run away? I’m sorry, but I keeping seeing people on here who quit their jobs and chuck it all, like moving is a miracle cure for their unhappy life. The problems don’t go away, you just change location. Perhaps some of those “negative” people with advice you mention may have had sound advice and genuinely cared about your safety. Alaska isn’t for the unprepared, and it isn’t fair to expect the locals to babysit you.
The tiny house itself is awesome, and the roof idea was ingenious, but I’m honestly concerned for your safety during the winter.
Sally,I agree with you 100%
if you read more into my blog, you see that my husband is in the Army.
The collapsing roof is genius, could you make a post on how it works and if it is air tight?
My family went on the Alaska Highway when I was really small. All I can remember is the animals and my Mom being really freaked out all the time. I was only 5.
I have lived in the Alaskan Bush for the past 6 years and it sure is an adventure! I just want to advise you to start thinking about your water situation now. Until this past year, we had a 250 gallon tank that was indoors next to the furnace and the pipes and water would still freeze regularly. Around here, you have to chop ice from the river if you want to refill your tank, and I can’t imagine carrying ice up a tree will be a good time, as well as the fact that your outdoor tank will be frozen by the end of October. I am definitely worried!
It sounds great if you are young and healthy with a healthy amount of funds for surgery emergencies, like my 3 eye surgeries – my wife’s insurance paid over 50K and I still see expensive doctors in Washington, D.C. area.
I wanted to live on a boat, vessel. As a retired maritime lawyer and an avid SCUBA diver, aailor and all, Ithought it would be a good thing until my health problems started. Now I know why so many get the Tiny House Magazine and just dream about it. Cities are there for a reason, Alaska is not as populated as Manhattan for a reason. I am sure the bugs are something else, and airplanes are not VW camper priced. I wish you well and enjoyed your story. Libraries are there for a reason. We live through people like you. Just one question, why not a log cabin style house, the iconic look must be able to be contracted out by local builders?
Sincerely,
John Salisbury, Esq. (ret.)
I admit to wondering powerfully about the no sun Alaska winter at 40 below. Did the wind mill go with you? Otherwise you’ll be without electrical for months which would really be hard to work around without a internal combustion generator. How will you deal with this?
I wish you well. I loved living in Alaska. Winters were tough but you manage (and get a lot of sleep…). I took my wife there in 1984, she said no way… I like being with her more than mosquitoes in summer and frozen everything in winter.
That being said I loved it there. Great people. Real freedom not common in the lower 48.
Get through this winter and get your Sourdough badge. The first one is the toughest. You’ll work through the challenges. The Moose are way more dangerous than the Bears. The Moose are way more tasty compared to the (fish eating) Coastal Browns.
Enjoy and the very best of luck to you!
I really wish you would leave the ‘God is great’ bit out. There is a whole world of people out there who are interested in the Tiny house movement and not all of them are superstitious. Religion is divisive – please keep it to yourself.
When you find yourself in a situation, where there is NO way out; or faced with death—–you’ll be calling on God. It always happens that way. Satan won’t help you!
That’s why you’re supposed to be prepared to help yourself. Not everybody finds it necessary to appeal to a deity or to attribute any particular situation to one. It can often be irksome to those of either persuasion to have the opposite position shoved in their personal belief space as an absolute so it’s generally considered polite to keep those things off to the side as a separate discussion.
Then don’t read my blog. God is the foundation of my life. I’m not going to leave it out because someone is offended.
Why so offended by something u don’t believe in. Does the Easter bunny boil your blood?
it must be an incredible experience to have a house like that one!
You’ve got guts! Great story.