Earthship singlewides???

[DayBird]

Mightybooboo posted a link on a hydroponics thread on the Gardening forum: www.earthship.com/index.php

On that page I read information about remodeling existing homes using earthship modules. Does anyone think this is possible using a mobile home?

Were moving a singlewide to our 3 acres on the hill. It's a Southern slope with East being to the left when standing at the top of the hill looking down and West being to the right. The sun will pass from left to right. The back side of the trailer will be facing South. One end will point East and the other will point West.

Does anyone think it feasible to build a large, lean-to type greenhouse all along this Southern side of the mobile home? I know it's possible, but should it be done. My wife is concerned that the humidity created would cause moisture problems and mold. I told her we could vent it somehow to alleviate the problems.

Because it's on a slope, the backdoor will be about six feet off the ground. I'd like to build a porch, inside the greenhouse which I'm guessing will be at least 15 feet tall against the house. I would love to have this as a usable room. I'd love to be able to grow exotic fruiting plants like banana and citrus. I also have several really large aquariums and access to two breeding pairs of tilapia to start a very small aquaculture program, maybe with some freshwater shrimp like CowgirlOne raises.

I'm thinking a thick layer of peagravel on the floor. Rainwater catchment systems. Solar water heating, at least to supplement a propane water heater. Several large black drums to hold water in the winter for mass to absorb solar heat. It would also cut out any drafts coming in the mobile home windows during the winter, at least on that one side. I would have room to have some of my most expensive parrots nearer the house, in a tropical environment.

What do you think?

[Cyngbaeld]

I think you need to get Mike Reynold's books on earthships. In one of them (there are 3) he talks about taking a 'cracker box' house and turning it into an earthship. You could do something similar with a trailer. I think instead of pounding tires I would use large strawbales and plaster them. You would want to add insulation to the roof of the trailer and put a roof over the whole thing.

[DayBird]

Originally Posted by Cyngbaeld

You would want to add insulation to the roof of the trailer and put a roof over the whole thing.

Thank you Cyngbaeld. I knew I could count on you. Yes, I plan on re-roofing the entire trailer. I want a single slope from front to back so that the roof is facing South. I already have plans to put up gutters and collect the rainwater. Strawbale is something that we do want to try working with.

[mightybooboo]

Instead of tires or strawbale ,how about super adobe filled tubes.Ive been to this guys place,and seen his buildings,they are even building a museum up here with his plans.Earthquake ZONE 4 approved,highest standard there is.Man is a genius way ahead of the times in my book,licensed architech(sp) too!

www.calearth.org

BooBoo

The Reynolds books are at the earthship site for purchase,i have all 3,got at www.half.com much cheaper

PLMK if links dont work,my comp is pulling them from cache files

[HarleysMom]

Just came across this site when surfing. It shows how they converted their singlewide mobile home.

http://www.solarhaven.org/Insulating.htm

[3girls]

Get a catalog for Charley's Greenhouse in Mt. Vernon, WA. They have some very nice venting apparatus that work automatically with temperature changes and will also vent out moisture.

If you build this gh with openers at the bottom outside edge and vents at the top ridge, it won't overheat so much in the summer. If you can also have outlets on the North end of the house, you can rig up a way to heat the place when your weather gets cold.

You can design all kinds of systems keeping the principle in mind that heat rises and cold air sinks. You should not have to worry about a heating system where you live. I would be most concerned about overheating in the summer. Shade cloth on the outside and good venting should help a lot. Put some deciduous tall shrubs or small trees on the south side of the gh to assist in the cooling. I wish I could draw some pix on this. I think, with your education, you know plenty about these dynamics.

I feel as if I were bogging down trying to "draw with words". There are numerous books that deal with passive solar heating that would help. If the library doesn't help, perhaps half.com will.