Imagine driving through some of America’s largest cities, like New York, Philadelphia, or Baltimore, and seeing a tiny house built on the bed of a pickup truck. You’d probably giggle aloud or tell your friends to “look, quick!” am I right?
Jason Fox knows, because he’s heard all of the giggles and comments, and he’s smiled at every one of them, because the tiny home is his, and he built it himself.
Jason, Owner/Principal Engineer, of Never Stop Building LLC based out of Baltimore, MD graduated from RIT in 2008 and spent the first part of his post graduate years in software and development. Ditching the norm of a suit and tie at a typical 9-5, Jason started his own business in 2013 and has been thriving since.
So how does a guy with a technological background come to build a tiny house on wheels? It all started in March 2015 when Jason and his Fiancée, Lauren Miner, got bit by the good ole travel bug (again). They’d been bit quite a few times before, and having just returned from Argentina to the cold Baltimore winter, it was easy to feel the sting.
It wasn’t much longer that Jason and Lauren decided that a cross-country road trip, with a major stop at Burning Man, was just what the Travel Doctor ordered. But they knew in order to pull it off, they couldn’t half-ass it, and that’s when the idea of the “Ford Flophouse” was born.
Why a Tiny Home?
Rather than renting an RV or hotel hopping the trip, Jason and Lauren figured they could save money and ride in style by building the tiny home. With this type of flexibility, they’d be able to drive all night and pull over on the side of the road to sleep in the home, waking up to a gorgeous view by morning. Originally, the idea of a “Fantasy” themed home enticed them; think Lord of the Rings or Keebler Elves Cottage, with a sloped roof and crooked chimney. Eventually, reality set in as time ticked by with 5 months to build, leaving the fantasy themed home behind, and a “classic American” home in motion.
A Baltimore Build
One of the most important prerequisites to building a tiny home is having the adequate space to do so. This certainly posed an issue for Jason and Lauren, who have minimal space in the back patio of their Baltimore row home. However, it definitely didn’t stop them from using every bit of space they had to make the perfect build.
But what if they hadn’t had this space in the back of their row home, as many Baltimore City residents do not? Jason says he would have tried to build the home on the bed of the pickup truck from scratch, but that would have caused major issues, as Jason often utilized the truck for numerous trips to Home Depot for materials. Jason says without the proper space to build, the tiny home would not have turned out the way it did.
Difficulties
In a 5-month timeframe, Jason knew he’d face a number of challenges and difficulties along the way. What he wasn’t sure of was the extent or lengthiness of one particular challenge over another. Much to his surprise, the steel-frame came together fairly quickly, but the bulk of the work relied in getting the home to be a closed structure.
According to Jason, “It wasn’t like we could just use 2×4’s as they came; we had to cut all the wood pieces to size, screw them together to make sure they were just square, bolt those pieces together onto the frame, and then once the frame was done, getting all of the roof pieces cut with their angles took a while.” Additionally, because they did not have a shed or garage to “house” the home during the build, Jason had to shield it with a tarp for protection at the end of each workday. Needless to say, Jason makes it clear that you’ve got to do some very tedious, detailed work before any of the “fun stuff” can happen.
The Fun Stuff
Building a tiny home isn’t all fun and games; a more appropriate word to describe the process would be “satisfying.” Jason says his favorite part of the home’s development were actually in its final stages. It was more of the minor details, like removing the masking tape to reveal the painted white trim, finishing the roof shingles, and building the tiny red door that really stirred his excitement.
Although Jason said he finagled Lauren into working a fair amount on the roof tarpaper, she was, like Jason, more privy to working on the final touches of the project. Lauren can be credited for its beautiful interior design, which truly makes this house a home.
Technology: The Time-Saver
Jason credits programs like Autodesk Inventor and Google Sketchup for saving him time in the process by aiding in the visualization of the home before it physically existed. Jason says, “you make a shell of where you want something to be, and then you can create a 3D box that represents a mattress to see if it will fit the shell, and then you know if it will be approximately the right size.” If Jason didn’t have this software to assist, he proposes he would have made paper models, or sketched drawings over top of truck pictures to create a replicated visual representation.
Fortunately, Jason did have this software, and reputes Autodesk Inventor for helping most with the frame design. Based on the size of the home and its exterior dimensions, Jason could generate a frame in the program that would turn into a list of frame members that would need to be cut, welded and screwed together for the wood. Without this program, Jason would have had to hand-fit the steel to the truck and create hand-drawn sketches to ensure the clearances lined up. In the program, he was able to make changes and everything adapts, making the process simpler and error-free.
What’s Missing?
Like a regular home, the Ford Flophouse has electricity, consisting of a 12-volt DC and a 110-volt AC system. Jason says the only main difference is that higher quality parts were used, and there is a battery backup inverter charging system that powered the home when off the grid. So what’s missing? Most noticeably, a compost toilet and a water system sink.
To make due without these items, Jason and Lauren used their natural instincts and creativity. For a toilet, they used a paint bucket lined with a trash bag and filled it with gerbil shavings. In lieu of a sink, the couple used large jugs of water for general hygiene activities such as brushing teeth or washing hands. It was only as the nights became colder along the trip that they also wished for a tiny wood-stove to provide heat.
With a working system in place of a toilet and sink, Jason and Lauren did their best to freshen up, but a regular “shower” as most of us are fortunate to, was not a priority. Lauren was able to use baby wipes for facial cleanliness, while Jason chose to rough it and as he says, “be one with the dirt.” Jason says their hygiene didn’t suffer because every 10 days or so, they’d stay in a hotel to get fancy in a new city, repack and clean the car, and of course, take a nice long shower. At certain stops, Jason credits hot springs as a great natural way to freshen up.
The “California Challenge”
Many of us have our own vacation or travel nightmares, but Jason says this All-American road trip was mostly smooth sailing! The only real trial of the trip was their drive up the California Coast when the clutch’s master cylinder leaked. Jason recalled trying to press the clutch pedal in to get the car moving again, and when it didn’t come back up, he knew they were in trouble. Ultimately, Jason was able to hitch a ride to a town close enough with the replacement part they needed to move on. After replacing the part, they had actually only lost a day’s time, and decided to look on the bright side of the gorgeous view that lied ahead.
Future Frontiers
Someday, Jason hopes to take a more adventurous road trip to Alaska. The Ford Flophouse, as is, unfortunately places limitations on his dream trip. Because of its 1400-pound weight, the home would be too heavy to go off road, and would be much harder to maneuver on this particular quest. If Jason chooses to make the trip, he would most likely build a dwelling structure with much different goals in mind such as space age, lightweight and utilitarian.
As far as other’s Tiny Home dreams, Jason would be excited to work on a tiny house project that’s located in a strange environment, uses green energy technologies, or requires some type of interesting special features. Jason has a knack for solving problems, and a gift for creating solutions and new twists on existing ideas. When working with clients, Jason says he has a clear vision for building and that for the success to be achieved, both parties must be on board with a cohesive concept. Jason hopes next for the chance to work with someone who is artistic like him with similar visions.
Ford Flophouse For Sale!
After spending roughly $4,000 on materials and countless hours of labor and time, Jason and Lauren have decided to sell the home. Jason says, “Someone could take it away, with the trailer it’s on for $9,500 which is a great deal, because I put way more time into it than I would get back selling it.” He actually seems to have a point; given that the home is around 50 square feet, if you divide that cost by the amount of money, it’s about the same price per square feet as buying a nice home in Baltimore! Even better, with this home, you can move around anywhere you want.
For those that still dream of building their own Tiny Home on wheels, Jason says his best piece of advice is “to just get started and get working on it!” But before you jump the gun, know that it is only achievable if you work consistently at it every week. Jason and Lauren put in about two good days of work every weekend before the home was completed to their liking. For those that don’t want to, or don’t have the time to build, money may not buy happiness, but it sure can buy you an awesome tiny home!
For further details on Jason and Lauren’s cross-country adventure, as well as all of the other interesting projects Jason’s crew is working on in Baltimore, visit www.neverstopbuilding.com. You can also check out Truck Camper Magazine who most recently featured the build and trip on their website.
For more fun and general tips, stop by the Never Stop Building YouTube channel for humorous “how-to’s” of building, rants on quality tools and tooling, and Jason’s solutions to some of our dorkiest unanswered questions.
Author: Haley Nordike