My Tiny House on Wheels

www.TinyHomeBuilders.com

A walk through style tour of our 22x36 setter cabins.

[link to faircompanies.com]
16 year old builds tiny home to guarantee mortgage-free future

Austin Hay is still in high school, but he's building his own house. It's only 130 square feet, but it makes him a homeowner without a mortgage at just 16 years old. Right now, it's parked in his parents' backyard, but he's built it on wheels so he plans to take it to college and then wherever he goes after he graduates.
He's been sleeping in his tiny home for a few months now and he's already decided not to return to big (his parents' home is 1800 square feet). "Living small means less bills, living big means more bills," he explained from the tiny stoop of his new home. "I don't want to pay big bills".

Hay's 130-square-foot home may make him the youngest member of the growing Small House Movement.

Hay expects to spend about $12,000 building his home (the used trailer cost him $2000) and he's paying for it working two summer jobs (at a camp and at a park snack bar). He's cut his costs in half (the home's estimated DIY price is $23,000) though this is a considerable discount from the home's estimated price of $23,000 because Hay has scavenged everything from doors, windows and flooring to the kitchen sink (the hardwood floors were $25 at a salvage yard and so was the stainless steel sink).
For more info & links, original story here: [link to faircompanies.com]

Cool.

DIY home for less than $3500

In a town where the median home price is over half a million dollars, Jenine Alexander decided to build her own. Using resources like the tiny house blogs and the 1950 bestselling DIY book "Your Dream Home: How to Build It for Less Than $3,500" (a gift from a friend), Jenine spent less than $3,500 on her home. In fact, she used nearly only materials recovered from the dump or found on craigslist and the only things she paid for were a used trailer and fasteners (nails, screws, hinges, etc).
She built it on wheels not just to get around minimum size standards, but mostly because she couldn't afford land in her hometown of Healdsburg, California.
[link to faircompanies.com]

I just bought a used copy of this book from Amazon.com for 33 cents.
[link to www.amazon.com]

Very nice, hope you enjoy it wherever you go...thanks for the video showing the steps to build it all.

Demonstration of how I'm using pallet wood in the tiny free house.

How to build a 14x14 solar cabin
This is a general overview of how I built my 14x14 solar cabin for under $2000.

For complete step-by-step directions, videos, and more project plans including how to install solar power, drill your own well, build a composting toilet and more please visit my website: [link to www.simplesolarhomesteading.com]


Photos: [link to www.simplesolarhomesteading.com]

composting toilets: [link to www.ebay.com:80]

solar/electric: [link to www.solar-electric.com]

supplies: [link to www.simplesolarhomesteading.com]

plans: [link to www.simplesolarhomesteading.com]


Building on a site? Can install a grey water system to recycle water for a garden.
Builder's Greywater Guide: Installation of Greywater Systems in New Construction & Remodeling; A Supplement to the Book "Create an Oasis With Greywater"
[link to www.amazon.com]

Roof can have rain gutters that let water drain into a water catchment tank.

Last Edited by Proud American Supporter on 07/15/2012 01:49 PM

seriously tho, how can you have one of these and still not get caught by code folks, taxes, did you buy/rent land?

No code needed if it's on wheels.

Last Edited by Proud American Supporter on 07/15/2012 02:25 PM

interesting

The tiny house movement needs the support of local communities that will adopt clearly defined codes that will promote growth in this design genre. I predict that communities which provide for this direction will enjoy economic growth due to the higher disposable income of the tiny house adherents.

Some camp grounds offer year around lease, some include laundry facilities too. The lease is time specific, so as little as a night, weekend, etc., and often includes all utilities, and is still less than you can rent a one bedroom apartment for. I resided in a motor home for some years. I loved it.

[link to www.youtube.com]

Now that's pretty cool.

Is the shower and toilet down the hall?

Wheels, man... wheels.

Movin' on!

Yes, there is both shower and toilet.

I like the ones which are completely self-contained. Instant hot water, solar, rain water catchment system.

We once built a 12' by 16' on our mountain property and it had a small wood burning stove in it with a rock wall built behind it to help hold the heat.

My next project is to build one using the trailer bed and am working with some ideas where one wall would hold a library murphy bed.


The Original Murphy Bed Library System - shipped worldwide, from the factory to your home. www.MurphyBedsDirect.com

Last Edited by Proud American Supporter on 07/15/2012 02:35 PM

no wheels but just as interesting:

The HemLoft a secret treehouse, hiding in the woods of Whistler, British Columbia, Canada


[link to www.youtube.com]

[link to www.simplesolarhomesteading.com]
QUOTE: Hello Lamar, My name is Tasha, I purchased your e-book last winter after doing some research on how to build a small cabin. I wanted to show you the pictures of my progress so far, since you were a big inspiration and a main source of information for me. The cabin is located in Southern British Columbia Canada on the Arrow Lakes, it measures 16x20. I started my foundation in April of this year, using a garden hose as a water level for the cold climate concrete footings. This has been a wonderful experience for me, and I am so glad to have had it. Many people laughed when I had the idea for this project. How can a 32 year old women who has never hammered a nail build anything?? My father built a cabin on the same acreage in 1976 when he was 21, and he raised 2 children there until they were school aged, so he was more than happy to jump on board right away. His cabin sits about 4 acres away from mine and although there is no electricity, he has propane lights, fridge and stove, as well as a full septic and hot water on demand. My cabin is now my greatest accomplishment to date. It has a loft over half the floor space, and a tiny bedroom on the main floor (because my husband is crippled due to an accident and can't manage a ladder) I also purchased a 60 watt solar system and can't wait to hook it up next spring! There will be a propane heater eventually as well. I built the whole thing with around $5000.00 CAD, the inside is about half finished so far. I wanted to thank you and to tell you that was the best $5.00 I have ever spent. You have inspired me to do things I never believed I could! Thank you.

Sincerely,
Natasha

[link to www.ft.com]
[link to www.ft.com]
[link to www.resourcesforlife.com]
Small but perfectly formed
[link to www.resourcesforlife.com]

The interior is essentially a room with an alcove on one side containing shelves, a chair and desk, under which is stowed a pull-out table that at a pinch can sit two people; a kitchen made up of shelves, a two-ring stove and small sink; closets for storage; and a loft where a queen-sized bed dominates the floor space.

Converting an ISO Shipping Container into a Livable and Safe Home

The recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile killed thousands of people and have left hundreds of thousands homeless. Today, poverty has left up to 3.5 million Americans in need of temporary housing.

Haiti, Chile and the US, have 100,000s of empty ISO shipping containers sitting dormant. My idea is to use local labor to convert one of these shipping containers into a safe, low-cost, eco-friendly home for temporary housing to those in need.

ISO shipping containers are rugged, weatherproof, and plentiful.

Local artisans and craftspeople will design and convert one of these shipping containers into a livable and safe home. Because building materials are unavailable to the poor, the design and build will focus on using scrap and recycled materials. Also, all build techniques will be done in a manner that is easily replicable by individuals with little or no construction skills. The final product will be instructional videos for NGOs to build these homes locally, with local labor.

Last Edited by Proud American Supporter on 07/15/2012 02:47 PM

Tumbleweed Tiny House Company

I happen to like the Wlden design as solar panels can be placed on the roof or porch roof and the battery located in a hidden bench on the porch.
[link to www.tumbleweedhouses.com]

The Walden - 117 sq. ft.
The Walden features the largest kitchen of the teeny houses on wheels. The great room has vaulted ceilings which are accented by the pine interior finishing. Stainless steel counters show off the kitchen, and the bathroom has a full shower. The sleeping loft is upstairs and accessible by a ladder built into the cabinets.

Living Room
The living room has an open ceiling and a stainless steel fireplace. The open ceiling above makes the space feel very roomy, and this floor plan has lots of wall space.

Kitchen
This is the largest kitchen of all our houses on wheels. It comes with a sink, 2 burner stove top, refrigerator, and ample shelving. Below the sink, there is a small water heater. There is enough space that you can choose between a small toaster oven, microwave, washer/dryer, or dishwasher if you choose. (Washer/dryer is more practical)

Bedroom
The bedroom is in the loft. It is large enough to fit a queen size bed, but that said, this house is a little small for 2 people. Because of the open loft, you can fit a conventional mattress above. At its peak, the loft height is 3'-8'. Or a library murphy bed could be designed for the space and attached onto one wall.

Bathroom
The bathroom has both a toilet and a separate shower. The shower water is heated from the small water heater under the kitchen sink, and can last about 5 minutes. It doesn't come with a hand sink, but it is possible to install a hand sink above the toilet as is common in Japan. The toilet is a low flush RV toilet designed to conserve water. You can easily substitute a composting toilet. Personal note: Or this could be made into a larger wet bathroom made out of cedar and where the gray water can be recycled to a vertical garden attached to theoutside walls which would be made out of cedar as well.

Efficient and Warm
The Walden features a stainless steel fireplace which keeps this house warm in temperatures -35 F. Because of its small size, its 16R insulation is sufficient to keep this house warm in the harshest of climates of the continental US and Southern Canada. Heading north of Southern Canada? You can easily install a larger heater, or second heater. All four walls, the floor and the roof are insulated using polystyrene foam board which can withstand the rigors of road travel.

Can I add air conditioning?
Yes, a small ceiling a/c unit can be added to keep the house cool in any climate within the US.

Trailer
This house is built on an 7' x 18' utility trailer. See spec sheet. To learn more about utility trailers, read this... Here is a list of stores that sell the trailer needed to build the Walden.

Do I have to build it on a trailer?
Because of its tiny size, it doesn’t meet the minimum size standards required for houses on a foundation. That said, it can be built as a shed (without a kitchen) on a foundation.

House width: 8' Porch: 7 ½' x 3'
House length: 19' Main Room: 6 ½' x 6 ½'
Trailer Size: 7' x 18' Kitchen: 6' x 4'
Road Height: 13' 5" Bathroom: 6' x 3'
Dry Weight: 5400 lbs Ceiling height: 6' 6"
all measurements are approximate Loft height: 3' 6"

Fencl House Plans
[link to www.tumbleweedhouses.com]

Here are some other ideas at reasonable prices. [link to www.nextag.com]

Gardens?

“Break-Through Organic Gardening Secret Grows You Up To 10 Times The Plants, In Half The Time, With Healthier Plants, While the "Fish" Do All the Work...”
[link to www.aquaponics4you.com]

book: The Ideal Soil:


"The newer high-tech solutions, such as hydroponics, or even newer, aeroponics, rate a careful examination. Can we count on them to rescue agriculture? Not if the goal is to feed the world's people and animals. They are fine for growing some pretty tomatoes to sell at the supermarket, or some nice lettuce in the basement, but these "new and modern" systems have a number of basic problems, some of them insurmountable if the goals are sustainability and nutrient-dense food. The most obvious failing is that they are energy-hungry. They use pumps and fans and often lights. In the interests of self-sufficiency, where is that energy to come from? If the power goes out is one going to pedal a bicycle generator to keep the pumps and fans going? In addition to being energy-hungry, both hydroponics and aeroponics require special containers, growing solutions, training and handling. They are not automatic.

There are other not so obvious problems with hydroponics. Any time one has a liquid-based growing solution they need water-soluble fertilizers, and these must be pure. One does not put compost in the hydroponic trays. This makes all natural organic hydroponics pretty difficult. Another drawback is that only certain crops are suitable, mostly the ones you have seen in the stores so far: lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, and some herbs. One will not raise a field of potatoes, cassava, or turnips hydroponically, nor thousands of acres of grains and legumes. One will not grow hay to feed animals hydroponically or aeroponically.

The most serious downside to these systems, though, is the lack of nutritional completeness in the produce. Designer vegetables grown in nutrient solutions are grown for looks, not nutrition. No one has yet shown that a nutritionally complete diet can be grown in this artificial manner.

Mention should be made of the ultimate closed-environment theory of the day (or decade), the all-in-one fish pond and hydroponic garden. As you may know, the idea is that one raises fish in a pond, then uses the fish water to irrigate the hydroponic troughs. The nutrients from the fish water are used as fertilizer for the plants. The water comes out "clean" at the other end and is recycled back to the fish pond. Various theories suggest what the fish eat, but the grower gets to eat the fish and the vegetables. The theory sounds good, but all the the designs seem to require glass or plastic domes. We will not feed ourselves and heal our polluted environment by creating isolated bubbles in the landscape.

The high-tech systems above are things to learn from and we will and have gained knowledge from them. One valuable contribution is that we know more about what mineral nutrients are absolutely essential for plant growth. These systems, however, are not suitable for feeding your family and community, and they will not form the basis of the New Agriculture."

[link to soilminerals.com]

Last Edited by Proud American Supporter on 07/15/2012 02:52 PM

The pot-in-pot refrigerator, also known as a Zeer in Arabic, is a refrigeration device which keeps food cool without electricity by using evaporative cooling. A porous outer earthenware pot, lined with wet sand, contains an inner pot (which can be glazed to prevent penetration by the liquid) within which the food is placed. The evaporation of the outer liquid draws heat from the inner pot. [link to en.wikipedia.org]

Cool. So the future is gonna be we're living in shoeboxes, basically.

HA!!! I'm at Rikers and my room is bigger than that...and it supplies all utilities and three squares a day to boot.

this was my first thought

while those at the forefront of this 'tiny house' movement appear to be snubbing TPTB, this is what the TPTB want for everyone. all crammed in, taking up as little space as possible. very agenda 21

i couldnt live in such a tiny space, squashed in like a battery human

curious stuff though!

Oh you mean squished like old buildings/housing in europe is? I dunno seems like they been living fine for a thousand years+.... maybe they are on to something?

I'm glad there are housing alternatives, but certainly it's for a population that has specific and immediate needs for cheap housing. Not everyone is suited to live this lifestyle.

I'm glad that it's better than a cardboard box, but I can't imagine riding out a high wind storm in one of these small spaces. My question is, has anyone given thought to building a type of storm shelter for one of the homes on wheels, and if so, what would that look like? Or is the thought that you hook to it and haul it away from every potential tornado?