travel - Part 15

Travelling (and Living) on the Outskirts

Even when you’ve downsized your life, you may find you can downsize even more. Duncan and Jessica, of Traveling on the Outskirts, found this out when they decided to get rid of the trappings of modernity: the house, car, big TV and full-time jobs.

They initially bought a fifth wheel trailer and a large truck to tow their new home, which they planned to see the country with and do some work along the way. After a few months, they decided to simplify even further by purchasing a 1999 Starcraft pop-up trailer and a smaller Suburban.

Their blog (and nicely done videos) chronicles the lives of two professionals who had enough of the rat race, and decided to hit the road. They work in campgrounds as workampers, usually getting a free camp spot, amenities and a few dollars in their wallets. These jobs are normally seasonal, allowing Duncan and Jessica to stay mobile and work where the good weather is. What I really appreciate about their blog is that they take the time and effort to show important details in the lives of nomads and workampers, including how to find jobs, save money and live in close quarters with your partner.

The Unicat

by Christina Nellemann

This “garbage truck” has caused a bit of a stir on the Web. What some people thought was a refurbished rubbish vehicle is really a heavy-duty, off-road RV called the Unicat.

Unicats are manufactured in Germany and custom units can take up to 12 months to complete. If anything, these mobile houses are a great example of space saving techniques and gadgets.

If you really want to get off the beaten track and explore some of the more rugged areas of the world (yet still live in comfort) this RV might be for you. If you can afford it. Most Unicats sell for around $500,000.

Class B Motorhomes

by Christina Nellemann

While doing some research for a friend who is looking for a small RV to take to Burning Man, I fell hard for the comfort and design of Class B RVs. As a tiny house, these things are swanky! Of the three types of motorized RV’s, Class B motorhomes are the smallest. They are larger than a VW bus, but smaller than a typical motorhome. They usually lack the overhead bunk of a Class C motorhome.

Class B’s get better maneuverability than their larger counterparts and usually get better miles per gallon. You don’t need a tow vehicle for a Class B and you can usually park it in a driveway, a small camp spot and a single parking space.

Fiberglass Trailers

by Christina Nellemann

Let’s hold onto summer for a bit longer, shall we? Actually, many of these tiny fiberglass trailers can probably insulate you pretty well from the impending winter.

Fiberglass trailers first became popular in the 1950s and 1960s, but since then several dozen companies and manufacturers of fiberglass trailers have been developed.

A fiberglass trailer is usually built out of two parts. A top part and a bottom part. Each created from a mold or form and then attached together. The benefits of this is there are fewer parts to create and replace and the insulation is more effective.

Teardrop Trailer Gatherings

by Christina Nellemann

Throughout the year, owners of tiny trailers will gather together for rallys or gatherings, in order to show off their designs, bargains or builds. The best way to get ideas for a tiny trailer is to go to one of these trailer gatherings. You will also end up meeting a wide range of really great people.

I recently went to a teardrop trailer gathering outside of Austin, NV. This was my third gathering and while there were only about 20 trailers, it was a wonderful way to see what other teardrop enthusiasts are capable of building and creating. Most gatherings will have over a hundred trailers.

Living in a Vardo

by Christina Nellemann

I recently came across these photos belonging to Scott, who traded in his $1,400 mortgage for a hand-build vardo and a rental lot in a KOA campground. It took Scott about three years to build the vardo, but he wanted to give it a style like an old gypsy caravan. … Read more