39 replies to this topic

[Philbe]

Can you believe this!?

http://thesurvivalmo...13/01/02/10911/

[Philbe]

We have talked ALOT about building one of these...

[arby]

check out tiny house books on amazon, Philbe. Been following that trend for some time. they can be on small trailers or set permanently on land . Depends on whether you can truly handle something that small.

[Philbe]

Yep Arby, we too have followed it for some time...intrigueing to say the least!  We have a 10x26 commercial trailer that's capable of hauling a vehicle that we bought a couple of years ago, took out the rotted wood flooring and ... figured "someday" we'd make it into a tiny house livingroom and put it in a hidey-hole parcel of land somewhere and then if we wanted to leave dodge for awhile, we'd haul our travel trailer there, pull up beside the "livingroom" and just camp.  Our travel trailer has everything except a livingroom.  We're VERY used to living in a small space, even after adding Abby-girl to our family.  She too has learned to be a big dog in a little house...smile.  We'll keep the homestead house as our "base" home as long as we can because we want to do alot more RV'ing.  Dry camping isn't unusual for us.

[arby]

That sounds so nice. I get a bit claustrophobic myself, but if it come to it I would build a basic little one and use it to get by with. I am so not a minimalist ..... 

 

They are great little trailers too. I have enjoyed seeing many photos of the ones people use and make.  Certainly nicer than making do in a tent! I could have done the thousand trails thing and still could but having to deal with traffic every two weeks is not a comfortable idea to me.

 

 

Needs to go let some country music sing me lullabyes I think, but wanted to respond.    Evidently I have been through the flu thats going around ( lol)...... just figured that out from a friends post on fb tonight from what he said about coming down with it. And just stressin.... and then my eyes are also doing the MS thingy they can do , all while the flu goes on too for the past few weeks off and on. I can read the website here ok but its really hard to watch the fb wall or try to play that game i like when I just want to goof around and chat maybe with some of the folks I play with ...... and sitting up chatting to a Nowegian wounded warrior friend the other night when he woke up from night mares again. Actually we made each other feel better , had some laughs.  But it catches up to you after awhile. It would be nice to drive away to some nice place with one of those tiny houses on wheels with a little hottub set up on the back porch, lol..... yes I have seen them with them.

Gypsy wagon stuff too , for the really small ones can work too. so, off to hopefully sleep in a bit......

[CrabGrassAcres]

Can you believe this!?

http://thesurvivalmo...13/01/02/10911/

I cannot believe she would live homeless to "help" her adult children! They need to learn to stand on their own feet!

[Philbe]

Mountain Man and I plan to "go on the road" when we sell 2 of our 3 properties.  We're planning to keep the homestead house as our "base" for any time we want to come off the road for a time.  But...even if we sold all 3 properties and lived full time in our travel trailer, we don't view it as being homeless.  Having dirt under us doesn't seem to qualify...to us any way...LOL  Wherever we go there's dirt or asphalt or gravel or ??? under us...LOL  It's just a matter of how much the government can tax us on.  Personal property (in our state) is a whole lot cheaper than real estate taxes. Insurance is also alot cheaper than paying homeowners on a house etc.  The nicest thing?  If we don't like our neighbors (or neighborhood) we just hitch up and go someplace else...LOL  It's all paid for anyway, so the scenario of "home is where we park it" is our desire until we can't drive safely.  LOL

[CrabGrassAcres]

IMHO, living in a travel trailer isn't the same as in a car or out in the woods under a tarp like that woman is doing.

[Philbe]

Guess we each live where we can or want?

Edited by Philbe, 22 January 2013 - 03:51 PM.

[arby]

I think we were just comparing notes on other 'portable' methods of housing CGA if one travels , camps or has a choice and perhaps the resources. Yes, this woman has chosen a rather weird path. Her children are grown, they need to pull their own weight and while I can see she is a free spirit type, it's still dangerous. It seems to me she has permission to use someones private land as well. Still, it was creative and she  has developed her own methods that make it neater and compact and keeps her hygiene needs met by adaptation.  So I will take some of her own suggestions for myself if need be if I must go on my own journey outside soon. It was a nice review of what one might do for themselves , by drawing outside the lines....... 

 

as to tiny homes or tiny trailers that are handbuilt, they are quite the thing and if you do it with simple decent carpentry skills , you will have a trailer or tiny home at a much smaller cost than folks pay for flimsy commerically built trailers and RV's they pay for. A well maintained truck and you also can manage your budget to meet your basic needs this way. Some folks love  the lifestyle. We made an RV out of a commercial step van in the 60's, and I find these are much more aesthetic to the eye today so I enjoy keeping up with the trend. We used it for camping trips and to do gyrocopter flying and go to airshows. My dad financed the parts needed by writing articles for camper coachmen and trailer life back then , often of the methods and products used in building it. It had a horrible brown and beige paint job though. The hippies all got mad when we didn't stop and pick them up , hitchhiking..... lol.   He did do a fine job on the inside and the engine rebuild. I got to drive it out on El Mirage dry lake .  LOL. good memories and the cessna's altimeter on the dashboard going up in elevation climbing Tioga Pass when it was still a dirt or gravel road. If he were to build a trailer again < I can see him taking the time and finding beautiful woods and fixtures and doing a wonderful and unique , lovely job on the exterior.  But now its just for him, so he could manage that if he chose to. He has built a lovely home since those days after all and restored vehicles of several types and did  a fantastic job with photography, painting and antiques , so I know he has an incredible amount of aesthetics and ability.  commercially built ones are just quick to arrange to buy when you want one .  

 

AS for tent living.... if anyone has any innovative ideas to share, please continue in that vein.  We were just having some fun considering what is a step up from tents and tarps obviously. 

[Mt_Rider]

I've mentioned before that DH and I lived rustic for a year [tent, back of pickup with topper, 1950's tin trailer ---all without water or electric]. 

 

We've also lived in this cabin [real log inside and out] which is exactly double her space.  2 adults, BIG DOG [and now her successor], and small cat.  Doubling her space really does make a difference but, we're still quite small. 

 

I have stood in our 2-horse [ancient and rustic] trailer and wondered......  If we had to, how that space would be so much better than a tent or even the back of the truck. Because you can stand upright!  That's one of the worst things about tents or back-of-truck living.   With drop down bench-beds and such.  [not sure where we'd put the horses/goats/ducks tho.] 

 

MtRider  --- always working the Plan B's 

[Philbe]

As far as I know...Mountain Man and I will never own something like this...but...it's okay to dream! I hope it comes through okay.

http://video.today.m...14480/#50614480

[dogmom4]

Wow. Twelve kids in one RV? That's close family living. Traveling across the country would be exciting.....

[Philbe]

Yes DM...we love RV'ing and hopefully will go "mostly" full-time this next year (if we can get the Little House sold!), at least that's our plan. I let Mtn.Man watch the video and said "I really get to feeling "B....." when I see this and get the "hitch itch"...he grinned, but I think he got the message to get in gear and get that darned house cleaned out and on the market and sold! (I can't get the web site emoticons to work???)

[Jeepers]

 As far as I know...Mountain Man and I will never own something like this...but...it's okay to dream! I hope it comes through okay.

http://video.today.m...14480/#50614480

 

 

 

Oh my. That looks like 'hell on wheels' to me. Not in a good way either.

 

All those little kids in that little space. And one little bathroom.     

And what if someone is sick in the bathroom? No privacy.

Privacy? Oh wait, 12 kids...maybe it's their new form of birth control.       

[Philbe]

Yeah Jeepers...that could be a form of birth control when people are on the road...LOL  I wouldn't dream of it with kids...only with our Lab-Brat!

[Philbe]

I really get a kick out of this "loner" lady and her side-kicks!  Hope you enjoy it too!

http://rvsueandcrew.com/

[Annarchy]

When DH & I married, we had nothing but a tent and our backpacks.  Parents were not an option and we were unemployed.  We lived in a tent a long time in one of the CO Ntl. Forests, until we could find a job.  Then, when we got our feet under us - sort of - we lived in a pop-up trailer for some time in the desert.  

 

We do not like the idea of having others so close.  The further the better, more natural resources without having to worry about the trouble and lack of privacy other people bring.

 

"Plan B"    I like that Mt_Rider.   

[Philbe]

Understanding your love for "living large"...LOL  This lady spends nearly all her camping on BLM land so it cost her nothing in camping fees.  I think I could do it for a time, but I love the trees, creeks, streams, rivers, lakes etc.  So I'd find myself boondocking in our nation's forestry areas (the ones that are free) and then heading for BLM when the weather got cold...

[Annarchy]

BLM land in our state needs a permit even for camping.