Kent Griswold - Tiny House Blog

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.

Old UK Caravan

by Kent Griswold

Phil Austin say: I thought you might be interested in this old UK caravan I spotted recently.

I am a big fan of caravans, vardos, gypsy wagons, etc. and this is a prime example of an old caravan he found and photographed in the UK. The interior is simple but well done and I like the simple all around design. I appreciate Phil taking the time to photograph it and than share it with us.

Photo Credit: Phil Austin

Shelter 2.0 Goes to Haiti

by Kent Griswold

Robert from Shelter 2.0 had been telling me about the special version they were making for Haiti and just sent me some pictures to share with you. Here is the previous Shelter 2.0 post.

This is what the new version looks like the only difference is that we are using 3/4″ osb for the ribs instead of ply. The cost ranges from $500 to $600 dollars in materials depending on what the price of sheet goods is doing and they are 10’x18′.

Here are pictures of the ones we shipped to Haiti being crated and shipped. I will be going to Haiti on June 21st to help set them up.

9 On A Bus

by Kent Griswold

Rev. Charles Cain says: “I don’t know these folks, but I found their story to be pretty inspiring.” How would you like to convert an old school bus into a RV and than travel with a family of 9 across the country?

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain

Check out their story here.

Mountain Modern Park Model RV

by Kent Griswold

Jamie Mackay designed and built a mountain modern “Park Model RV” at his campground in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and would love to share the design and pictures with anyone interested in a high quality low cost design “Park Model RV.”

***Update with pricing etc. below first picture.

I don’t know about you, but I am very impressed with his design and his ability to bring a rustic and modern look together. Jamie did not give me any pricing details at this time but he did stress that it is a high quality and a low cost design. If there is enough interest in this model I will ask him for more details and information.

Jamie says: It took me a while to come up with the finalized design, working with small spaces is a difficult process. The “Park Model” is built out of SIP panels and SIP roof system, 4″ walls and 6″ roof, keeping heating and cooling costs down. The exterior of the unit is a mixture of rusty metal and cedar siding that was stained to look like barn wood. One could use barn wood although it would be 4x the cost. I am currently working on building more of these units and will ship to quite a few this summer. For more details and materials used feel free to contact me at jamie@mackaydevelopments.com

This unit cost $95,000.

Eco-Art Project Tiny House

by Kent Griswold

Jamie discovered this on Ebay and the person that built it has a website too. This is partially green construction, as the materials were salvaged from a recycling warehouse and from Habitat for Humanity whenever suitable materials were available. It is a successful eco-art project that took 5 months to complete.

The cabin, called Canopy Cottage, looks magical at night- like a Chinese lantern; it glows.

The tipi influence is expressed as the cream- colored canvas wall covering. It has a special feature: The part that covers the door can be stored over the rafter (as shown) or can be let down, over the doorway. When you are in a tipi, the inner wall has the option of covering the door also– this imparts a feeling of being closed in and cozy. I like the canvas to be down when it is cold and rainy; up on the rafter (as shown) when it is sunny.