A young woman from Rhode Island commissioned this cute little 14′ build, taking design cues from the Crestone but adding her own touch. We take a bit of pride knowing one of our tiniest builds is homed in the tiniest state of the union!

The two most notable differences from the Crestone design is that we did away with the deck and entry over the trailer tongue by moving the door to the passenger side, and also have put a break in the shed roof rather than carrying it all the way to the back wall. We find these improves three things: distributes weight slightly better, makes towing easier by reducing wind turbulence, and also gives you more head space in the center of the sleeping loft instead of tucking it up in an acute angle corner.

Kitchen is placed along the rear wall, bathroom along the front wall, and living/ stair storage space is in the middle with a queen sized sleeping loft above the kitchen.

A Dickinson Newport propane furnace provides plenty of heat for those chilly Northeast winters. The interior walls are clad in t&g cedar, with cabinets and trim in knotty Alder. The live edge countertops are a mix of walnut, white oak, and maple.

As shown, this build came in at 38k before taxes and delivery.

This is an 8’x24′ build we delivered to a lovely elderly woman down in Albuquerque. She had entered into retirement and was tired of maintaining an older house in a different part of town. We named it San Mateo after a local byway in ABQ near where the house is parked. Sadly, we didn’t get too many great photos prior to delivery, but  I was able to take a brief video. 

One of the more striking features of this build is the exterior siding. It is clad entirely of rusty corrugated metal. We pre-rusted it at our shop with our secret oxidizing formula. This color and material fits in so well with the desert Southwest!

The interior is a striking contrast with a mostly white finishes to keep it simple and bright. The wood accents are clear coated poplar. She opted for a full stainless steel counter and appliances, including a dishwasher!

The design calls for a Murphy bed on the back wall, as well as a couch opposite the kitchen. These were put in by the owner and not shown in the video.

I met a lovely couple in Austin while attending the 2018 Tiny House Jamboree and they decided to hire us for a partially built tiny house. They had been living together in a 18′ tiny house they built themselves a few years back, but were getting ready to start a family and needed something larger. While they had building experience from the first build, they didn’t necessarily have time to fully build a tiny this size, so the happy medium was to hire us to do the majority of the work, and then they would finish out on their south Texas property near Alvin.

Technically, the house is built on a 28′ trailer, but the design calls for 2′ cantilevers on both ends, so it kind of averages out to a 30′ design. With their budget of $70k, we were able to complete the design about 90%. This translates to a fully dried in exterior, electrical and plumbing installed, full insulation, floors, lofts, interior wall siding, cabinets, a custom live edge beetle kill counter top, and few other odds and ends.

They were basically left with window trim, baseboard, corner trim, a few electrical/plumbing trim out items, and final touch up.

Unique features of this build include the diagonal color stained siding, a large round window, and a locally milled Ponderosa pine live edge counter. We also designed it such that for now the main living area downstairs is left open, but when the time comes, they will be able to install a wall under the second loft and make this space into a downstairs bedroom.

Unfortunately, we lost the interior pics to a tech issue, but have the exterior images since they were taken with a different camera. We also have the floor plan to help visualize the interior space a bit better.

This was a very exciting project for us as it marked the first time since 2014 we were able to work on a non-residential project. The City of Aspen (Colorado) has had this vision on their drawing board for years, but the technology to make it work in a cost effective manner wasn’t viable until recently with the advent of high powered lithium batteries.

The Problem

Aspen is a very popular tourist destination all year round , not to mention a cool place to live, if you can afford it. It gets thousands of vehicle trips every day from residents, tourists, commuters, people passing through, and more. However, due to it’s geography and layout, parking can be very limited at times, especially near the city core. It can be a huge problem for workforce people commuting in from the Carbondale/Basalt corridor. They either have to walk forever to get from their car to work, or pay expensive parking fees in paid lots. Neither is ideal.

A Proposed Solution

One idea that has been on the table for several years was to issue free parking vouchers for people who carpooled into Aspen from out of town. In order to properly administer this, the city needed infrastructure and personnel to actually verify people were carpooling and issue the voucher.

This structure needed to be located at the edge of town in a spot that the city owned and could handle the traffic count. It so happened it owned a park and ride station just a few miles north of downtown, however, they needed the building to be mobile in case it had to move to a different spot down the line.

Because of the nature of the site, this building also had to be 100% self sufficient because utilities weren’t really available. It would also give the structure autonomy to relocate to a different site with very minimal disruption. The building had to be attractive, low maintenance, and withstand cold Aspen winters. They did not want to deal with propane systems.

The City had considered tiny houses for several years since such a structure meets most of these requirements. They just weren’t certain how to make the off grid aspect work, so they started asking around.

The Finished Product

We were vetted against several other Colorado builders and were able to secure this bid mostly due to our expertise in dealing with off grid technologies. We proposed a solar system capable enough to handle electrical needs, a freshwater storage solution, and a blackwater storage solution that was inside the house, so freezing temps would not be a problem. We developed a simple and affordable design that they signed off on, and shortly after construction began!

The shed roof was selected as a way to get maximum solar insolation whilst oriented due south, which it is at the current location. Six 320 watt panels fill just about the entire roof real estate. These are tied into an Outback Flexpower One system, and a single massive 10kWH Lithium battery. It’s obviously a lot more battery than panels, but the system can handle 3 more solar panels ground mounted if they find the first 6 not quite adequate. A backup generator can also be run for a few hours to top off the bank in the event of a 3+day storm.

Just as crucial as having a large enough solar system installed was reducing the electrical load. The absolute most efficient source of heat from electricity is a heat pump mini split, and we have installed quite a few of the GREE Sapphire units that are rated 38 SEER, 15 HSPF, and efficient down to -22F, so it was an obvious choice for this application! Other than this, the kiosk has a few outlets for computers, a dorm fridge, a mini ceiling fan, and three LED light fixtures. Pretty darn basic!

The layout is also real simple:

The kiosk worker enters from the driver side. Immediately to the left is the closet for the solar equipment. Adjacent this is a desk and file cabinet for office related tasks. On the passenger side is a large sliding window where permits will be issued to motorist. Using a drop axle trailer with a short chassis thickness, we were able to get this window much lower to the ground to serve people in sedans, yet it is high enough to service people in tall trucks and SUV’s.

Next to the service window is a small couch. We found a nice storage bench at a local furniture store, and then built a slanted back over the wheel well. It’s just enough room to take a short break

Opposite the couch is a real simple kitchen with enough provisions to heat up frozen meals, keep food refrigerated, make a cup of coffee, and wash a few dishes.

The back of the trailer houses a bathroom. It is elevated to fit a 56 gallon blackwater tank underneath, which the RV toilet and kitchen sink drain into. Opposite the toilet is a vertically mounted 60 gallon freshwater tank, and a linen cabinet for sundries.

While not your typical tiny house project, it was a lot of fun, and a real pleasure dealing with this city government. If you ever find yourself carpooling into Aspen, stop by the kiosk to get a parking voucher and check it out!

A military veteran in northern Idaho hired us for this fantastic build! This tiny house has a unique story in that we started the build for another customer that was expecting financing from a new lending company that never got off the ground, and hence we never received the funds to finish it and it sat at our shop as a dried in shell until a new customer came along that was looking for something very very similar to the size, shape, and layout. We were able to seamlessly integrate the changes she requested and turn a sour situation into a very good one!

To start, it is a triple axle 26′ trailer, stick framed with spray foam insulation. Mix of corrugated metal and cedar siding. There is a rear closet for exterior storage. The entry falls over the wheel well, so this means you have to enter on a platform, but as usual, it is multi purpose serving as the first tread for the stairs, an extra step to get onto the elevator bed, and of course storage below.

This house is loaded with luxury features. Starting in the rear is the living room area. We found an elegant couch to fit the space perfectly. Light art sconces add an interesting touch. Above is an elevator bed that is used for primary sleeping. She opted for an industrial look with exposed steel framing and pallet wood infill on the bottom side. The elevator bed operates on an electric winch. Above the endwall picture window, we mounted an Epson projector. The pull down screen is mounted on the ceiling above the kitchen and can be reached via the stairs. HDMI cables are routed through the wall for A/C connections, but the projector also has wireless capability.

Separating the living space from kitchen is a massive cherry butcher block counter that doubles as bar seating and kitchen prep space (bar stools not shown) The blind corner cabinet is accessed from the living room side. The mitered counter edge wraps the wall where we installed a very nice stainless sink with butcher block insert, a Wolf brand cooktop, a Miele combi-steam convection oven, a Miele range hood, and a Miele built-in fridge that blends in with the cabinetry. Base and wall cabinets provide plenty of storage. We even added toekick drawers to take advantage of wasted space down low. A natural stone mosaic backsplash adds a slight organic touch to the sharp lines.

Opposite all of this is the stairs chock full of additional storage, the built in fridge, and a propane furnace for backup heat. We installed color changing LED strips under the tread overhangs for an interesting lighting effect. The staircase also has natural branch handrail and a low height guardrail to keep her two small dogs from falling off.

The loft serves as guest quarters, but she might eventually make it the master bed since it has a sweet roof window! There is also a closet that hides a 60 gallon water tank and has room left to spare for other belongings. A short sliding barn door provides access.

Back on the main level, in between the kitchen and bath, there is a Miele stacking washer/dryer, and a utility closet that houses batteries and equipment for the 1.9kw solar system. An ultra efficient GREE Sapphire mini split provides primary heating and air.

The bathroom has a very fancy jet tub with a mini LED screen to select and play your favorite music! Opposite the tub is a high end flush toilet and a closet that houses the on demand water heater, but also has extra space left for a broom or linen closet. A Lunos eGO heat recovery ventilator is mounted above this.

Other items that make this house pop are the light fixtures. Two goose feather pendants hang above the kitchen peninsula providing soft yet eye catching light. The glass chandelier above the entry is even more eye catching, but photos don’t really do it justice. Two chrome vintage style pendants provide light over the kitchen area. The living room has a metal sconce with holes drilled out for a starry night kind of effect, and the fixture on the other side has shelves that can be rotated to change the effect of light and shadow. There is also a centrally located high spec mini ceiling fan that can really move some air if needed!

Because this customer chose high end appliances, fixtures, cabinetry, counters, and the like, the price of this house ran a bit higher than a normal 26 footer. Including solar, off grid water, and NOAH certification, it came out around $119k. For those interested, we could likely get it closer to 80k without solar and less expensive appliances/fixtures.

A young woman living near Rochester, Minnesota commissioned this fun build. It is a stick frame house sitting on a 8×24 trailer and features a simple shed roof. Siding is mix of cedar t&g, shou sugi bahn accents, and recycled barn wood. A fold down deck and fold up awning offer some outdoor living space when not on the road. A rear closet provides a little extra exterior storage. The bump out over the tongue houses batteries and equipment for a fully off grid solar system. There are (6) 320 Watt panels mounted to the roof. The house also has a 60 gallon freshwater tank and pump that live under the built in couch..

The most notable interior feature is the elevator bed suspended above the living room-operated via a switch and electric winch. Similar to the San Juan build, we outfitted the bottom of the frame with wood art inspired by a theme the customer really liked. This installation was made from rustic white oak milled down to 3/16″ thick to keep the weight down. The color palette was kept simple with either whitewash or clear coat. The living area also features a Cubic Grizzly woodstove, and a spot designed for a custom fabricated kennel that the owner’s husky canine sleeps in.

The kitchen features an apron sink, 10 cu ft fridge tucked under the stairs, blue base cabinets, white wall cabinets, a spot for a convection toaster oven, a small propane cooktop, and a combo microwave/vent hood above. We crafted a custom live edge glue up counter with walnut, maple, and oak, and also installed a white subway tile backsplash up to the wall cabinets.

The owner chose dark stained stair treads with white cabinetry full of built in storage. The stairs ascend to a spacious and airy primary sleeping loft that has cubbies for storage and a little extra privacy. (note the window screens are on the floor for travel so they don’t blow off!)

Underneath the loft is the utility and bath area. Adjacent the kitchen is a combo w/d with space above to customize storage, and then room for a vessel sink on top of another live edge counter. Opposite is a base drawer unit with room above to customize a closet area. In the very back of the house is a 32″ shower stall and Nature’s Head compost toilet.

A few more notes to round out the tour. Flooring is a weathered grey Pergo outlast, most of the walls are 3/8″ white shiplap, and the ceiling and loft decking are beetle kill pine. We installed a ceiling fan, Lunos eGO ventilator, ultra efficient GREE Sapphire mini split, and an RV style propane furnace for backup heat, because Minnesota is no place to be in the winter without reliable heat!! This build is NOAH certified and the final price including the solar installation came out around 95k.

A gentleman from the Vermont/upstate New York area commissioned us to create this extremely unique build. He presented us the challenge of designing a self contained tiny house big enough to meet his living needs, yet light enough to be pulled by a 1/2 ton Dodge Ram 1500 Ecodiesel, because this is the truck he happened to own!

At first, he was looking into a 26′ long bumper pull, but I encouraged him to look into a gooseneck since he intended to travel back and forth from New York to Arizona as a snowbird, and with this much towing with this small of a tow vehicle, the gooseneck platform was going to be easier and safer for transport. He didn’t know you could get gooseneck hitches for half ton trucks, but you can, and after learning this he was all about the goose!

From here, he felt a 22+6 was the minimum needed to meet his lifestyle. A little bit longer than 26′ overall, but you lose some height in the gooseneck area, so it evens out. Technically, we can go down to a 18+7 gooseneck trailer, which I think would be a very cool design and easy to pull with a smaller truck, but everybody seems to want more these days!

After establishing a trailer length and layout, it was time to look into other aspects for keeping weight down and making it easier to tow. We both did a lot of research on metal SIP’s-similar to the wood SIP’s we use, but with metal skins instead of OSB. The light gauge metal is not only thinner than OSB, but much lighter. As an added bonus, we found a metal SIP product that did not require siding on the exterior or interior (nor a finished roof for that matter) which means we can shave all that weight from the build too!

Since we knew the overall weight was going to be less, and the SIP’s would stiffen the trailer considerably once attached, we worked closely with the trailer manufacturer to shave off some unnecessary steel, saving about 400 lbs in the trailer chassis.

For 90% of the interior woodwork including built-ins, wall partitions, loft decking, cabinets, etc, we sourced an ultralight plywood made from poplar that is 40% lighter than normal plywood, but just as strong. This shaved off another few hundred pounds. The flooring is a cork click-lock, lighter than engineered or laminate flooring that is typically used. In-lieu of exterior or interior sidings, we applied paint colors instead. The factory finish on the metal SIP’s is a chalky white, for those curious.

Why, yes! You are seeing bubble gum pink next to forest green! The owner requested these colors and we obliged! Perhaps the pink is to blend in to the Tuscon desert, and green reminiscent of Vermont deciduous forests. We’re not sure, but nonetheless, it is eye catching! The interior colors feature white ceilings, a light yellow hue in the front portion walls, and svelte grey for the bedroom.

Weight is one thing, but tiny houses are also notoriously tall and act like big sails going down the highway, so we also took wind drag into consideration. Because the sleeping arrangement hinges around an elevator bed, and the loft was only used for utilities and storage, we started by making the house 12″ shorter than normal at the highest point (12′-6″ vs 13′-6″) Next, we took our anecdotal experience (completely non scientific!) from which roof shapes seem to be most aerodynamic, and applied it to this design.

I have personally towed a lot of tiny houses of all shapes and sizes through all kinds of conditions over thousands of miles, and in my opinion the asymetric gable from end to end, as seen here and also on the Wanderlust design, feels as if it has the least amount of wind resistance. With a straight shed roof, such as the Boulder design, wind does roll up the roof, but when it hits the sharp edge at the rear, it creates a pocket of turbulence along the rear wall. It also puts more mass behind the axles which can lead to wiggle.

With this pitch break, wind can roll over the ridge and have a chance to smooth out before reaching the rear wall. Think of it as a reverse tear drop. Obviously a proper tear drop is the most aerodynamic shape out there, but this did not coincide with the design, so it is mirrored, and although not perfect, we find it does make a difference compared to more traditional tiny house roof shapes.

♣

We know a lot of you don’t care about all this weight and wind drag stuff, but each house is unique and these were driving factors for this design, and might very well be useful info for someone in a similar situation. This aside, let’s look at some of the other details!

The gooseneck area is strictly for storage. It fits three bikes and has cabinets for concealed items as well as a hidden kitty litter cubby. The two feline residents enjoy use of a cat tree, complete with a split branch walkway, one that has a nice sunbathing spot under a skylight and continues over to the loft, and the other to a catwalk shelf above the entry door. The cats also apparently love lounging in the garden window on the back of the house, and the elevator bed in its raised position.

Next to the gooseneck stairs is a book tower. The owner loves to read, and just couldn’t part with the entire collection (although he did tone it down quite a bit being aware of weight concerns). Then there is the cat tree, and a Cubic Grizzly woodstove tucked away in the corner.

The kitchen is small on space, but big on features. The owner decided to splurge a little on the counters, opting for a modest section of granite surrounding a copper apron sink, and then the remaining part is sheet metal copper. A wood cutting board can fit over the sink to increase prep space. A Wolf Induction cooktop meets cooking demands. (the picture is a little trippy since the copper was reflecting the cooktop, while the cooktop was reflecting the copper!) The white box under the counter is a Sundanzer solar fridge. This house is 100% off grid, so we needed to keep the electrical load small. Solar fridges run directly off the battery bank and are extremely energy efficient. This one is on wheels and pulls out when access is needed. The owner did not want to install a propane system, so yes the cooktop has a very large load, but for a very short time. Opposite the kitchen is a folding table that can be used for dining or work.

Beyond the kitchen is a hallway flanked by a shower, pull out pantry, solar equipment closet, clothes closet (crafted in the same style as the San Juan closet), and toilet room. This whole section is capped by a loft where lives a 60 gallon freshwater tank with pump, a small water heater, a Lunos eGO HRV, the elevator bed winch, and additional storage space. It is accessed via the same telescoping ladder used in the San Juan (not pictured).

The rear of the house features a shared living room/bedroom arrangement thanks to the use of a motorized elevator bed. A couch and shelving are permanently built into the walls, and at the push of a bottom the queen bed drops down over the couch for sleepy time. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get good photos in this part of the house , but there is a floor plan shown below for clarity.

Circling back to the off grid solar system, all of the local solar installers were closed this time of year, and so we had the pleasure of installing this whole system ourselves! Two 360 watt panels are roof mounted on an adjustable angle base, and two more such panels are installed as a fold up awning to the side of the house. These get wired into a Midnite Solar 150 charge controller, (3) 24v 100aH Relion lithium batteries, and a 4000 watt 240v Magnum inverter!! The owner reports this system has been more than enough to power the entire house, even on grey days.

The final weight of this house with all the owners belongings and off grid systems came out to 11,700 lbs and 2,200 lbs of tongue weight. We estimated his belongings at about 1,700 lbs and the off grid solar system at about 500 lbs., putting design dry weight around 9,500 lbs We’ve never done a 22+6 gooseneck to compare this too, but our typical 24+7 Goosenecks average about 14,000 lbs dry, so interpolation would put it close to 12,600 dry, which means we were able to save over 3,000 lbs vs a traditional build.

Like high end bicycles, the weight savings do not translate to cost savings (the opposite!). The metal SIPs are expensive, and unlike wood SIP’s that come pre-cut from the factory, we had to make all of the cuts ourselves. The procedure for applying new paint proved to be more difficult than we anticipated. It was a very time intensive build. This owner also opted for some nicer fixtures and finishes. The solar equipment was not cheap, especially the lithium batteries. A similarly equipped house as shown will set you back about $93,000. You can knock off 12k if you don’t need solar, and some other modest decisions could potentially save another $5-15k, however.

It is worth noting that keeping this size house within the limits of a truck he already owned, prevented the owner from having to purchase a larger truck though, and/or avoid having to pay an expensive delivery fee every time he needs to move it. For day to day life, a 1/2 ton truck gets better fuel economy and is more comfortable to drive!

We met this awesome couple in Omaha this past summer at TinyFest Midwest. They had been looking for a builder to help them realize their vision of a dream tiny house. After getting quotes from a certain “luxury” company in Portland for 135k+, they got to tour the San Juan, see our capabilities first hand, and were quite shocked when I told them we could build the same size house for as low as 85k! They were STOKED!

It wasn’t long afterwards we were finalizing major design details and ordering a trailer. They were able to get pre-approved for financing and upgraded some items which brought the final cost to about 100k, but we still saved them some considerable dough, and gave them a better house to boot! Stokesbary happens to be their surname, so without further ado, meet INFINITELY STOKED!

We start out with a 24+7 Trailer Made Gooseneck. They were in love with a butterfly roof, so this drove a lot of other decisions in the design. The roof also has a slight pitch from side to side so water drains this direction instead of towards the valley. We could not find a suitable door in the size, style, and budget desired, so we crafted it in house. This takes you onto a small landing above the wheel well. One step up to the left brings you to couch height, where lives a retractable ship’s ladder up to the kid’s loft. They daughter will live with them part time, and she shall have this little hideaway all to herself! The corner is chamfered to provide head clearance as you step down from the entry landing, and we were able to fit a small opening here for light and air.

Coming back down stairs, the couch wraps around to the back wall. We had cushions made, but shipped to the customer in Iowa prior to photographing. There is storage underneath and flip top armrest for a laptop. The portion of couch where the ship’s ladder pivots down on is a storage ottoman that can be moved around when not needed for the ladder.

An accent wall comprised of scrap siding, barn wood, and boards from a 1960 Ford F600 grain truck provide an eye catching backdrop for the eventual home of a large flat screen TV. HDMI cables are routed through the walls and into a cabinet where A/V equipment will live.

Next to this begins the kitchen. Aside from a shiny fridge, slide in range, combo microwave/vent hood, dishwasher drawer, and white farmhouse sink, the custom crafted live edge wood counters cannot help but be noticed. Glued up with a mix of mesquite, oak, and walnut and finely finished with Murdochs, these counters will provide years of reliable and beautiful use.

Opposite the kitchen is a fold down dining table, also crafted with the same woods as the counter. Two low profile arms swing out below to hold the table in place. The table is lit with a nice pendant light.

Past the the table is the hallway into the bathroom and up the gooseneck. The sliding bathroom door was built to the same proportions as the entry door, and the panels are frosted acrylic to let light through, but provide privacy. The bathroom features a glass round corner shower with custom tile work, Separett composting toilet, combo washer dryer, water heater, and art glass vessel sink atop more live edge mesquite. A recessed back lit medicine cabinet provides task lighting.

The treads up the gooseneck all have storage functions. The neck is the master bedroom, fitting a king size bed. The bed platform has hydraulic assists to access storage below. Two little cubbies provide a place for knick knacks and each person has a reading light on its own switch. The lofted space over the bathroom serves as a closet. It is lined with aromatic cedar to deter insects.

The house has a mini split installed for heat and A/C. The siding is a mix of stained cedar t&g and black metal. It has been certified by NOAH. The final dry weight came out to just a hair over 14,000 lbs with 3800 lbs of tongue weight.