Tiny House Movement

[osii]

Am I crazy? Well probably. But I think this whole "tiny house movement" is gentrifying or trying to re-invent the travel trailer.

I looked at these things, and they look really cool. but because they are so small, for legal reasons, they have to be built on a trailer frame. So in the end, you got yourself, a very heavy, inefficient trailer.

These people act like they are saving the world. Don't they realize people have been living in trailers since they started having trailers.

A lot of people live in trailers for precisely the same reasons these people go into the "tiny house movement." To be more efficient and save money. Wow, it's cheaper to live in a smaller structure?? What a revelation.

The guy who makes these things wants like $20k to $40k to build one of these things. Do you know how much travel trailer you can get for $10k?

[ImaPoser]

what the hell are you talking about? Did you mean to include a link?

[AzB]

??

Az

[osii]

http://tinyhouseblog.com/

http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/

[notarex]

The stigma associated with living in a trailer is too much for the eco-hipsters to bear. They're just a bunch of tinyhouse park trash.

[PirateJohn]

Originally Posted by notarex

The stigma associated with living in a trailer .

There are stupid people everywhere. Most of the RV resorts that we have stayed at during the last several years are nicer than 99% of the houses and neighborhoods out there.

I Googled this photo at random and realized that not only did we stay at this same park for about 6 months, but it wasn't even on my radar as being particularly nice.

[dlearl476]

Originally Posted by notarex

The stigma associated with living in a trailer is too much for the eco-hipsters to bear. They're just a bunch of tinyhouse park trash.

Home, sweet home as of 2/26/2012:

[DriveShaft]

Originally Posted by osii

http://tinyhouseblog.com/

http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/

Personally, I think his lack of experience shows. Absolutely no thought given to the livability of the structure. No thought given to ventilation, airflow, insulation, etc; if it looks house-like, that's good enough. It's not rocket science. He should do some research for tumblweed 2.0.

[NomadRip]

I think they're kind of neat. Probably not what I would end up with, but I can see their appeal. Different people like different things is all.

[Mr. J]

Originally Posted by DriveShaft

Personally, I think his lack of experience shows. Absolutely no thought given to the livability of the structure. No thought given to ventilation, airflow, insulation, etc; if it looks house-like, that's good enough. It's not rocket science. He should do some research for tumblweed 2.0.

agreed - BUT - the guy got it into mainstream AND is getting more pussy than a gynocologist in that tiny, poorly ventilated, loft bedroom.



seriously, look at some of the hippy housing ideas of the late sixties and early seventies which eventually made it into main stream construction at big buck prices. post & beam, cathedral ceilings, architectural salvage, all quite avante garde coming from the ozzie & harriet, june & ward cleaver, levittown fifties & sixties.

poke 'round heres:

http://ccmht.org/architects.html

http://www.andrewgeller.net/

http://docomomo-us.org/chapters/new_england

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuoGW9ts8ts

http://www.wholeearth.com/index.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stewart_Brand - also, his book http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Buildings_Learn - shows his shipping container office

http://www.shelterpub.com/_builders/BPC-book.html

http://www.thetreehouseguide.com/

http://www.treehouses.com/

[Mr. J]

Originally Posted by ImaPoser

what the hell are you talking about? Did you mean to include a link?

http://contests.apartmenttherapy.com/2010/small-cool

http://tinyassapartment.blogspot.com/

http://thistinyhouse.com/

http://tinyhouseblog.com/

http://www.tinyhouseliving.com/

http://relaxshax.wordpress.com/



http://smalllivingjournal.com/catego...-space-tricks/

http://www.tinyhousetalk.com/

the Brits have been on to something for quite some time:

http://www.shedblog.co.uk/

http://www.shedworking.co.uk/

and i certainly wouldn't toss Sarah out for eating crackers in bed

[Carlo Muro]

Originally Posted by ImaPoser

what the hell are you talking about? Did you mean to include a link?

ok. im late to the story

[k7]

Originally Posted by osii

Am I crazy? Well probably. But I think this whole "tiny house movement" is gentrifying or trying to re-invent the travel trailer.

I looked at these things, and they look really cool. but because they are so small, for legal reasons, they have to be built on a trailer frame. So in the end, you got yourself, a very heavy, inefficient trailer.

These people act like they are saving the world. Don't they realize people have been living in trailers since they started having trailers.

A lot of people live in trailers for precisely the same reasons these people go into the "tiny house movement." To be more efficient and save money. Wow, it's cheaper to live in a smaller structure?? What a revelation.

The guy who makes these things wants like $20k to $40k to build one of these things. Do you know how much travel trailer you can get for $10k?

How long will a travel trailer last compared to a properly constucted home - regardless of size? I looked that the blog site below and some of those structures are very attractive to me - most can be built by one person and maybe a helper on occasion. It might help to know that my father built our home when I was about 5 and I grew up helping him on job sites.

[PirateJohn]

Originally Posted by k7

How long will a travel trailer last compared to a properly constucted home - regardless of size?

There have been a number or threads around here on mobile housing, alternative building methods, etc. You might follow some of them and decide for yourself.

There was an inmate that posted some photos of a 50 year old travel trailer (was it in this thread or another thread?) last night and it looked quite contemporary.

The first thing that seems to go our around here are the rubber roofs. They are expensive to replace or repair, and that's why around here we see so many people either build a secondary roof over their trailers or build a carport around the entire trailer/lot.

As I said, this is a retirement area with something like 200 RV parks. There are tons of different places with tons of different policies, but quite a few permanently set park trailer and mobile homes whose owners come back to visit every Fall and Winter.

I would think that you could get 20-30 years out of a modern travel trailer or mobile home or park trailer pretty easily, but your mileage may vary.

[dlearl476]

Originally Posted by k7

How long will a travel trailer last compared to a properly constucted home - regardless of size?

How long do you need? Here's a '46 Spartanette:





btw, I think I saw a stat somewhere that the average person stays in a home <5 years.