Small/Tiny House Movement

[ttsgeb]

I didn't realize that campers you can drive a car into were a thing.
This makes me happy.

So, this thing doesn't need a fifth wheel, correct? You should put a cover on the back of the truck for extra storage when you get it. Or maybe install one of those campers that just hangs out in the bed of the truck so you can have a two bedroom road home.

Who doesn't want a two bedroom RV with an attached garage? I mean, really. That's like, perfect.

 

[vskid3]

ATVs and motorcycles are the "toys" most toyhaulers have in mind, but Smart cars will fit in many of them. Most anything else is too long and/or heavy. If we ever end up doing the "moving all the time" full time RVing, I would definitely consider switching the Prius for a Smart.

Yep, trailer is a bumper pull. I plan on building an aerodynamic bed cover to help with the truck's MPGs when its not towing, pretty much a triangle from the top of the cab to the top of the tailgate. I've thought about a slide in camper for the truck bed or a Class B van to use as the tow vehicle, but that would be a little ridiculous.

 

[ttsgeb]

An aerodynamic cover, you say?
I know nothing about those.

But wouldn't it be better to get a mid rise camper so that you're making the entire rig more aerodynamic, not just the tow vehicle?
(http://www.centurycaps.com/t-class or the like)

 

[vskid3]

That's right, I forgot that you had made one. For now I'll be focusing on making the truck aerodynamic because it'll likely end up being used as a commuter (one bad side effect of moving is that I probably won't be able to ride my ebike to work, so both cars will be used). I would like to make a cover similar to yours and maybe have it hinged to lift into a more trailer-friendly cover like the second one you linked to.

Just waiting for checks to arrive in the mail, then we can purchase the truck and trailer. Should have both purchased by the middle of the week. Gave our 30 days notice to be out of our house, so by March 2 we'll be living in the trailer.

 

[ttsgeb]

See, now, this is exactly what I had planned for version 3 of this thing.

I just bought a contour gauge so I can make one that fits better, and then I want to have the middle hinged with two locking points, one level with the roof, and one about a foot above it.

I HAVE THIS FIGURED OUT.

But we're getting off subject. Let's talk about how awesome it is to shove all your flax into a box the size of most people's bathrooms.

 

[vskid3]

See, now, this is exactly what I had planned for version 3 of this thing.

Great minds, man. I did a gas cost comparison between the truck and Prius and the truck easily costs more with even a fraction of the miles (obviously). I'm really hoping we can get into the RV park that is close to both of our jobs (drove through it today and its packed). Its the only one that would allow me to keep with my current routine of going home after PT to shower, change, and eat breakfast and go home for lunch. All the other parks are 2-3 times the commute, so I would have to shower at or near work (no problem) and bring foods for breakfast and lunch.

Let's talk about how awesome it is to shove all your flax into a box the size of most people's bathrooms.

lol, we'll see how we feel about it in 3 weeks. It definitely started to feel more real when we gave our 30 days notice, trailer or bust.

 

[ttsgeb]

Well, you know, there's always storage units.
You could do a thing where you're really aggressive about moving what you don't use into the unit, and then once something has been undisturbed in storage for 6 weeks, you put it up for auction or give it away or something.

 

[vskid3]

We're considering one, at least for the first few months. I think we'll be fine with trimming down our stuff to fit it in the trailer. Its mainly selling the furniture I'm worried about. Most of it is worth selling, but not worth enough to keep it in a storage unit for more than a couple months. So we might be better off just donating whatever is left by the time we're out of our house.

 

[vskid3]

Deal fell through on toyhauler. I gave up on buying from a private party and went to a dealer because we need it ASAP. We're now getting a 28' fifth wheel with a pretty big slide out in the main living area. Storage space will be a little tricky because its not a blank slate like the toyhauler, but I think we'll be able to rearrange and/or replace the table and couch to make better use of the space.

Fifth wheel throws a wrench into my bed cover idea. Now it'll have to be fairly easy to remove and to store while towing.

 

[ttsgeb]

I've seen a lot of people using c clamps to hold their toppers on, and if you go the studs and tarp route, it wouldn't be too much a stretch to make it foldable.

Actually, strike that: Take a tip from tents. Put some pins on the top of the cab and the back of the bed to put two pvc pipes in, then have a tarp that buttons in or something to the bed and has sleeves in it for the pvc. This would have like, two moving parts and take maybe 5 minutes to set up/tear down. On top of that, it could easily fold up to be put behind the seats of the truck.

 

[vskid3]

Here it is, my white trash starter kit.

(Excuse my apparent inability to hold my phone level)

28' 2003 Keystone Cougar. Kitchen is in the back corner opposite the slide out, has more counter and cabinet space than 90% of other RVs. Slide out has a couch with hideaway bed and table (fortunately its not a built in booth like most). Removed the table and we'll probably have the couch in the middle of the slide turned so its facing the rear of the trailer and put the TV in front of it. We never used our kitchen table in our house, we always eat in front of the TV ('Murica). The front half-ish of the slide will be the storage area.

 

[vskid3]

Update for those who care (geb).

We've been living in the trailer since the beginning of March. Still working out how we want everything set up and what we really need. Started a thread on EcoRenovator to cover any mods we make, that's where most status updates will go for now. I've been planning on starting a blog to document our transition, trailer living, and mods, but we'll see if I actually end up doing it. Tomorrow....

 

[Zero]

That'd be interesting, I'd read that blog.

What would you say has been the hardest part since you moved?

 

[vskid3]

I would say that narrowing down the items you have to fit within the small space is hardest. The initial de-junking was easy, there was plenty of stuff that we had no use for and it was easy to get rid of. Its when you get past the obvious junk and realize that what's left won't fit in the trailer that figuring out what to keep gets difficult, especially when there's another person involved. We're also Costco/Sams Club sort of people, but there just isn't room for that sort of stocking up.

We've been slacking on de-junking the past couple months due to other things going on, but we'll have to get back into it. We currently have a storage unit that is nearly full. Some of it is stuff we're trying to sell, but plenty is stuff we just haven't decided to part with. We'll be leaving El Paso within the next year (Hallelujah!!), and I want everything to be able to fit in the truck, trailer, and car. We considered living in an RV when we first got married, it would have been much easier if we'd gotten one then.

Also, here's a video tour of the inside when we got it.

 

[ttsgeb]

If your first step wasn't swapping that TV for an LCD, I'm severely disappointed.

Also, that looks like straight up luxury compared to where I'm living.
So... Much... Room... <3

 

[vskid3]

Removing that TV was the first or second thing I did. Our corn snake's tank took its place. We had our 42" LCD in the corner where the table was, but we decided it was taking too much room and we put the table back in, minus two chairs and pushed into the corner. Trying to sell the 42" and we'll get a 27-32" to put on the table.

Its a good amount of space, but it goes quick when you have a big box of Army flax, dog kennel, washer, etc. With a garage or shed to store stuff in, the space would be plenty for living in.

 

[ttsgeb]

Yeah, a 42 is way too much for that space... although you could mount it to the bedroom ceiling instead of selling it....

 

[vskid3]

We might have done that if the ceiling was taller over the bed, but it slopes down quite a bit at the front. That headroom is required for other bed activities. If I got another fifth wheel, a walk around bed would be a must. Ours is basically a loft. Also, sold the TV this week to a coworker.

 

[ttsgeb]

When watching netflix in bed is an option, you don't need any other bed activities.

 

[vskid3]

Update. Trailer life is still good. To be honest, the worst part is probably living in an RV park. If we were in the mountains/woods on our own land with a big ass garage, it would be pretty nice.

Here's some stuff I've done while not posting updates. Got a small clothes dryer, made a window vent for it, plumbed the washer so it's not sitting in front of the stove, replaced the kitchen sink and faucet (new faucet not in pic), replaced all the interior 12v lights with LEDs, and replaced the thermostat with a digital house-style one.