small house/rv

I have always wondered why you never see anyone living in a cabin tent (wall tent). Those outfitter quality tents have a wood stove and hold up well. I have been in some subfreezing temps and was nice and toasty with the wood stove going. Of course you would need a outhouse and outdoor shower, but it seems like a reasonable alternative to a small house for a few years. I have been in several that were 20 by 20...plenty of room.

There's a family who live where we lived in the Interior of Alaska (they own Mukluk Land, if you ever happen to be passing through Tok) who spent their first winter there in two big army tents that were connected and heated by a barrel stove. I think she told me that they piled brush and snow up over them for extra insulation. They had at least one child and a baby (and cloth diapers) and the diaper pail would freeze at night while sitting right next to the roaring barrel stove. They survived, and I imagine anyone could do it if they are physically able to cut enough dry firewood to last the winter. It certainly wouldn't be my first choice, though. We came close enough to freezing to death when I was a child, living in a poorly insulated cabin (also in the Interior of Alaska, but near Delta Junction) and ran out of firewood while my dad was away working. Mom was about to start burning the furniture when Dad sent his boss out to get us.

Whatever you use for temporary housing, you've GOT to be able to (safely) keep it warm through the winter, or choose a climate where the winters are very mild. If I was to go back to the Interior of Alaska to live, I would build a sod-roofed, partially-underground cabin. That's the easiest way to stay warm in that climate.

Kathleen

DH's grandmother lived in a 16' travel trailer for many years. We live in the house DH grew up in, a 960 sqft 2 bed/1 bath castle. 960 sqft is actually a lot compared to the small houses I've seen in magazines, but it's quite a bit smaller than the average house around here. It's actually very nice, I wish only for at least an additional half bath.

We have a 13 foot travel trailer, and although I could imagine living in it for a short time, my biggest hang-up regarding living in one full-time has already been mentioned; it's not incredibly sturdy. I like to have a little more between me and the big bad world than a 1/4" wall of fiberglass

However, DH and I were at Home Depot and dreaming about the possibilities of their 10x12 barn style shed. Two of them connected together would make a servicable living space, with enough room for kitchen and living areas in one building and a small bathroom and bedroom in the other. Add the loft option for storage and possibly overhead sleeping space, and it could be rather cozy

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My father-in-law lives in a park model. It is really nice. One bed, one bath, a partial loft that he uses for storage but could be a bedroom for a child (can't stand upright if you're much over 5'). It has the cutest little kitchen I've ever seen. Nice dining/living area. He built a full length sun porch on it. All windows and a glass door. It's extremely efficient, costs him very little to heat and stays cool in the summer. It looks nice, too, cedar siding outside and all wood inside with a dark red metal roof.

I think one of those above would make a nice tiny house. It's a storage building that can be made into a guest house or tiny house.
I'm thinking one for living, and one for sewing room.

I'm looking for a photo of a 20 x 20 Lowes 2 storied out building that is being used for a home.
Angie

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This is not the one I was looking for, but appropriate for a small house.

This one is framed to be a small house. LIvingroom/kitchen bath with shower and large walk in closet. about 14 x 24 and can go up to 32 ft long and have 6 ft porch on either end (I asked about it) this one was being sold as is for $8,000 delivered about 100 miles included.



here's the framed in from the back bedroom corner. There is a back door in that bedroom at the end of the house.



I especially liked all the windows.
The kitchen area would be in the back of where the shower is.

Angie

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how much does that first cabin run Angie?

I didnt' get the price - it's one of those rent to own places - best I remember.
I don't think it was as much as the second one, and it was some smaller. The upper windows did open and close. And when ordered more windows or a different size could be done.

Here's a front shot


and the backside of it


and same type of building but with siding.



And I think I can find out the prices for you if you want.
But it'll be tomorrow at least.

Angie

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One more and I'll back off.

This is a 20 x 20 Home Depot building.
I've talked to the owner for a few minutes and he said he works at Home Depot and the inside is finished nicely. He and his wife live there. In the front of the 'house' there is a good sized front porch that you can sorta see through the trees.

This is a three or four year old photo. Since then he's spruced up around the place. There is a one car carport sized area for cookout and picknicks away from the house.

A split rail zig-zag fence.
And just recently he added a smaller one storied building put out back that he said had a flat screen and seating for a "man area".

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Whats the safety factor in a tornado or just high winds?

don't trouble yourself Angie, I was just wondering ...

Might I recommend a Sheep Camp such as one of these: http://www.expeditionrangecamps.com/

I have a bare trailer that I just finished stripping a rotted out camper off of, and I'm considering building a Sheep Camp style dealy on it. Seems a great fit for bug out livin'.

Why all the negativity about living in a travel trailer full time? I've lived in mine for 5 years with a DH and a child and we haven't encountered any more problems than you have with a house.

The hot water tank holds enough water for someone to take a 15 min shower and can be run by electric or propane.

Someone mentioned insects and rodents etc, not true, we don't and haven't had any bugs or rodents, not even the summer ant problem that we had when we were living in a "real" house.

Heating and cooling work fine, of course I live in SC where the winters aren't too cold but the summers get real hot and the air conditioner works fine. We placed the air conditioner last summer, cost $750 for the unit and $150 for installation, bet it costs a whole lot more for a house unit.

Bathroom works like a charm, we are hooked up to a septic so we just empty into the septic when the holding tank is full we move a switch and it goes to the septic. If you don't have a septic you can get one of those pull carts, called honey wagon, fill it up and haul it to a dumping station.

We haven't been obsessive about upkeep, wish we were but I'm disabled and DH is lazy so we just muddle along but, in spite of that, the condition of the trailer at this time will still allow us to live here another 5-10 years I'd bet.

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I took a look at that website -- I love those sheep camps! They are really nice, and appear to be much sturdier and better laid out for living in than the usual travel trailer is!

I wonder where they get their little wood stoves?

Kathleen

I've done the camper thing for 4 years now, full time, in NE PA. My older camper was great, not too hard to heat, but I didn't have running water in the winter. A huge black water tank helped not have to worry about freezing in the winter, and mice and bugs were never an issue. I "upgraded" to a 2005, which has terrible problems with condensation, mice, bugs getting in the screens, and a tiny waste tank that needs to be taken care of all the time. Electric heaters have heated both nicely, I've had enough water for both of us to shower, and wind up to 60mph hasnt been an issue, though I did park them with the ends to the direction the worst wind hits from. The a/c has cooled both super, and no issues with not being able to keep them warm, but I do use electric not the propane.

The negativity is that you can live in most parts of the country Southern parts that is.
But in the OP the poster is from SD according to her profile.
And just about all of those RV's are not insulated well enough to go through a SD Winter. That is what we all should keep in mind. Not what can be done or is being done in warmer places, is not germain to the conversion, Unless you are in those cold parts of the country.
And it is only temporary while building the new house the way I understand things, but Fall is rapidly coming with winter not too far away.
That has to be kept in ,mind when replying to this situation that the OP is telling us. And SD is known for those very clod Northern Clippers where temps drop to 40 below zero and with wind blowing at that. That alone makes this a special situation and should be kept in perspective when posting.
Not doing this in the warmer places in the USA.

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Very good point. DH's grandmother who lived in a travel trailer was in Phoenix. No worries about heavy snows or inadequate insulation against the cold (but heat... that's a totally different story!)

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Ever tried? Ever failed? No Matter, try again, fail again. Fail better.

- Samuel Beckett

As stated on the first page, my inlaws lived in a 20 year old camper through TWO South Dakota winters...
mountainwmn just said she's lived for four years in a camper in northern Pennsylvania. (Which is no warmer than SD, I'd bet)

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~*~Erin~*~
SAHM, ranch wife, sub and quilt shop proprietress
the Back Gate Country Quilt Shop

I beg to differ, there have been several posts talking about the pitfalls of fulltiming anywhere in general, that's what I was responding to.

As far as fulltiming in northern climates, it can be done as long as you underpin and have enough money for heat and you can put plastic on the windows. There's no reason why you can't do it anywhere if you want to. Oh and don't forget the shovel.

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The one on the bottom runs 25 - 26 unfinished in OK.