house - Part 38

Mike Jordan’s Tiny House

Mike Jordan had fallen in love with the idea of a tiny mobile house about five years ago. After a divorce, and becoming the primary caregiver of his young son, he realized that his chance had come to simplify and streamline his life. Mike originally looked at small RVs, vans and Airstreams, but decided to go with a small mobile house built by the Oregon Cottage Company.

Mike, who rides a bicycle instead of owning a car, appreciated the green aspects of the tiny mobile home but was a bit concerned about having to pick it up from Oregon and bring it back to his home in Connecticut. So, he looked at it as an adventure, bought a van sight unseen in Washington and towed the house across the country with his son.

“We had a hell of a good time,” Mike said. “It was the best time of my life”.

The Sportsmobile

by Christina Nellemann

At my last teardrop trailer gathering, a monster vehicle pulled into the campground. I immediately dismissed it as another massive vehicle built for trips to the mall, but I was surprised to see that it was actually a tiny house…on really big wheels. The young couple who owned it lived most of the year in the vehicle in Baja, Mexico.

The Sportsmobile is actually a Ford, Chevy/GM or Mercedes-Benz van that is converted into a traveling home. The one I toured was the 4×4 version which is rugged on the outside, but very comfortable, clean and organized on the inside. It’s the perfect touring vehicle for people who want a little more adventure.

Laura and Geoff took their Sportsmobile on their honeymoon and travel around the country in it.

Zook Cabins

by Christina Nellemann

Blending the benefits of a prefab, a log cabin and a mobile home, Zook Cabins, built by the Amish in Pennsylvania, offers several different types of fully assembled cabins in single or double-wide units that can be delivered directly to your property. Several different floorplans are also available, as well as customization and integration of your own design.

Zook Cabins are offered as fully assembled units for the simple reason in that it makes it easier on the owner. The Zook website says that most buyers of kit homes don’t have a lot of time or extra hands to construct a cabin from a kit or from scratch. Also, if your building site isn’t precisely level, the precut lumber doesn’t fit, or if you place one piece wrong you fight everything the rest of the way, and sometimes a piece will be cut wrong at the factory. Couple that with the fact that very few people have ever assembled a kit, and have yet to face the frustrations of doing it themselves or finding someone to do it for them.

Indianapolis Island

by Christina Nellemann

What looks like an iceberg in the middle of a lake or a half-melted marshmallow is actually is an experimental living structure inhabited by art students. Indianapolis Island is an art piece created by Andrea Zittel and inhabited this summer by art students Jessica Dunn and Michael Runge. It is one of the eight works of art in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s 100 Acres art and nature park.

About 20 feet in diameter, Indianapolis Island is a tiny house made of fiberglass and foam that examines the daily needs of contemporary human beings. For the next four summers, the island will be occupied by one or two commissioned residents who are local art students. They will collaborate with Zittel by adapting and modifying the island’s structure according to their individual needs.

We Can Do It! Trailers for the Ladies

by Christina Nellemann

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

dwelle dwelle.ings

by Christina Nellemann

These tiny prefab homes, originally created as “sheds for living” by architect, Richard Frankland, have morphed into the company dwelle. Their tiny houses are called dwelle.ings. Right now they are only for sale in the UK, but with the world’s response to the current economic climate, that may change.

This range of carefully designed micro buildings are highly sustainable, quick to erect and adaptable to many landscapes. The intent for each building is to be completely off-grid with additional costs added to incorporate renewable energy systems.