Here is the design we plan to build. There are a number of items that got lost between versions. For example, above the triangle of the trailer hitch but below the gray water evaporator will be our window AC unit. There are a number of space-saving ideas that came after this and it just isn't worth drawing them into this image now that I'm working on framing plans, custom trailer drawings, and planning electric and propane stuff. After a recent stay in a hotel with a mini-fridge, we will likely put in two refrigerators below the kitchen counters and I need to think of where to put the toaster oven and the soda-stream,... but, we are closing in on a design that is ready to build. Really, at this point we need a spot to start building in our new city more than anything else, but things keep creeping forward! The images from here down to the Video Tour Button are the new design images.
So, above is another version. Hopefully this will be the last because its time to map the plumbing, gas, and electricity!
We realized how much time we spend sitting on our couch and working on our laptops/tablets. In fact, most of our work involves a chill space. As much as the last version's kitchen is a dream, its only that, a dream. A 30 foot tiny house has room for a full kitchen, a 24 footer does not. So, its a good thing we are taking our time to redesign because we would have been miserable.
This also allows us to put the french doors back in. Since the living space is small, even with the Yurt porch unfolded, having indoor-outdoor space will be a big deal.
This also allows us to put the french doors back in. Since the living space is small, even with the Yurt porch unfolded, having indoor-outdoor space will be a big deal.
The image above is no longer what we will build in June.
I had a long talk with my favorite mechanics down the street at Brach's Automotive and suddenly, becoming the owner of a truck that can haul a 30'/36' trailer (16,500ish pounds) seems like an overly ambitious starting point.
We trimmed down the design to 24' and added a pop-out section from the back wall to create an 11'x8' tent room for when we are parked long term. We didn't really lose much besides the office but I have a few ideas of how to design it back in.
The last section on the right folds down to be the back wall of the trailer. The walls will be heavy duty moisture treated canvas (probably coated with a thin layer made from high-tech tent fly fabric, I'm thinking something uv resistant) and 2mm mylar for the windows. The floor will fold up into the wall creating the inside wall of the 4' storage area in the back. There will be two winch-style crank to pull both the roof and floor in and out of position. (This whole construction fits on wheels and while I had the trailer in the original drawing, it went over the upload limit of 10megabytes so I deleted it for now). I will write more about the details later on, but the netting is a play loft for our son to use for reading or when he claims my iPad as his own. The table between the two staircases between lofts folds up to make a booth for meals.
Our Tiny Lifestyle Project
Previous version:
Tiny Living Overview
Designing a tiny home on wheels for two adults and a toddler is a serious challenge. All the same, we were forced to downsize when we had to move several times last year. While we had to move for reasons beyond our control -- oddly -- the reduction of stuff has resulted in freedom we never anticipated... Maybe I should say that it was a freedom O never anticipated. Liz has purged to a minimal amount of things in the past, but I really never have. Moving is always stressful, and an artist always struggles to let go of supplies and gear, unfinished works, and tools that might be useful someday for unanticipated reasons or as yet unimagined projects, rolls of canvas, rolls of paper... But, rather than constriction and anxiety, (although there certainly was anxiety) the reduction in square footage from our past three apartments from last year to this one has come with considerable liberation. In a way that I always wanted more in the past, suddenly I want less. As a family, this allows us to focus our energies differently.
We spend more time on living and lifestyle issues that change our experience towards health and well-being in a way that years of yoga and self-help never managed. This is not to say that our troubles have some wonderful silver lining but rather that with the right attitude, even total disaster can yield great lessons of great value for the quality of our life experience. Now we want to skip the 30 year mortgage track and build our own little tiny home on wheels. The house isn't intended to be a permanent new lifestyle but rather a restriction to help us transform our lifestyle and habits. It will also save serious cash so Liz can stay home with Caleb as long as possible.
So, here is the design description: The loft is above the kitchen, the playhouse above the bathroom with a great pirate-style net-hammock for our son to play on, and his own sub-loft and an office above that for us to work in. The generous central living space for a mobile home on a 36 foot trailer plus lots of "floorage" will give us a lot of open space for such a small dwelling. The fact is, the degree to which we make this home sustainable and off-grid as well as fantastically engineered and designed will make up for all the ridiculously failed and spectacularly overpriced features of nearly every apartment my wife and I have ever rented.
We spend more time on living and lifestyle issues that change our experience towards health and well-being in a way that years of yoga and self-help never managed. This is not to say that our troubles have some wonderful silver lining but rather that with the right attitude, even total disaster can yield great lessons of great value for the quality of our life experience. Now we want to skip the 30 year mortgage track and build our own little tiny home on wheels. The house isn't intended to be a permanent new lifestyle but rather a restriction to help us transform our lifestyle and habits. It will also save serious cash so Liz can stay home with Caleb as long as possible.
So, here is the design description: The loft is above the kitchen, the playhouse above the bathroom with a great pirate-style net-hammock for our son to play on, and his own sub-loft and an office above that for us to work in. The generous central living space for a mobile home on a 36 foot trailer plus lots of "floorage" will give us a lot of open space for such a small dwelling. The fact is, the degree to which we make this home sustainable and off-grid as well as fantastically engineered and designed will make up for all the ridiculously failed and spectacularly overpriced features of nearly every apartment my wife and I have ever rented.