Could this be the world’s simplest tiny house on wheels? Is this not what the tiny house movement is all about?

A simple and truly affordable tiny home on wheels for only $12,000. Thoreau on wheels?

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16ft Tiny House on Wheels For Only $12,000

Images via Tiny Home Builders

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This 11′ by 14′ tiny cabin in the woods was built by carpenter Dave Herrle for only $4,000 in about 6 weeks.

He used as much salvaged materials as he could find to complete it and was deeply inspired to create a simple way of life.

After graduating from college Dave got a desk job that he did not enjoy. In 2007 he hiked the entire Appalachian Trail when he was 27 years old and it absolutely changed his outlook on life. He knew he had to make some changes.

The hike gave him the perspective on living simply that he needed to make a positive change in his life. In his words, “It was in the woods that I promised myself that I wouldn’t spend a lifetime doing a job I didn’t enjoy.”

For the longest time I had a hard time not being “normal.” I graduated from a small liberal arts college, got a desk job, and hated every minute of it. In 2007 my life changed dramatically after hiking the entirity of the Appalachian Trail. It was a gut check in life and I’m lucky it happened when I was 27 and not 67. My time in the woods gave me a perspective on the benefits of simplicity. It was in the woods that I promised myself that I wouldn’t spend a lifetime doing a job I didn’t enjoy.
Six years after hiking the trail I am a full time carpenter and have never been happier. To be able to pay the bills while doing something that I am passionate about is one of the greatest things I have found in life. Carpentry has always been my outlet for creativity and now I hope that it will help me in my goal of becoming completely self sufficient…

Ex-Desk Job Worker Builds $4k Tiny Cabin in 6 Weeks

Images © Herrle Custom Carpentry

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Henry David Thoreau’s tiny cabin is something that everybody should learn about at some point, especially if you’re into tiny houses because as you probably know, Henry David Thoreau has always been an inspiring role model for those of us seeking to simplify our lives.

Here you’ll see what his tiny cabin was like in case you ever wondered. In addition, I’d also like to share some of my favorite quotes from Thoreau. Plus, how you can build a Thoreau-like tiny house for around $1,000 thanks to LaMar Alexander. The tiny house was 10′ by 15′ with 8′ high ceilings. Below you’ll get to see how simply Thoreau lived during his time at Walden Pond.

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Henry David Thoreau’s Tiny Cabin in the Woods

Image © mgstanton/flickr

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Building a Mortgage-free Tiny House by the Seat of My Pants – Part 2 – by Shirley Loomis

Arriving at my tiny house daily was so much more pleasant once the outside was complete. It looked like I was working on something real, no longer just a picture in my mind’s eye. An added benefit of having the exterior complete was that I could work inside with an added degree of warmth and protection from the elements.

Prior to tackling the inside I looked at a lot of layouts I had seen published in books and online, examined my own existing furniture, considering how I might be able to repurpose it for use inside my tiny house. Being a book hound my bookcases were definitely something that would be put to use. As you look at your space, always keep in mind how you live, the kinds of things you like to do, how you make your living, and what you readily have on hand that you can tailor to meet your needs.

Related: Woman in her 50s Builds Tiny Home (original)

And: Building a Mortgage-free Tiny House By the Seat of My Pants (part 1)

All Images © Shirley Loomis

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I just had to show you this documentary preview of Burt’s Buzz which is a movie about Burt’s Bees and its creator who happens to love living simply and in tiny houses.

You can see it for yourself below and if you found it inspiring and a little bit surprising be sure to re-share this post with your friends because they might enjoy it too.

Creator of Burt’s Bees Lives Simply in Tiny House

I think you’ll enjoy watching the full trailer video below:

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Building a Mortgage-free Tiny House by the Seat of My Pants – Part 1 – by Shirley Loomis

Years ago virtually every home in this country was built by the men and women who lived in them. They were homes, barns, outbuildings of one form or another, silos; homes for people, crops, and livestock. These were places of shelter and it was envisioned by the builders that they would serve as such for years on into the future, long after they were built, and perhaps long after the builders themselves were gone.

When I started building my tiny house I went back to that premise of building; the owner-builder, the homesteader in need of shelter, because in many ways that’s exactly where I found myself.

I looked at simple building books, books on sheds and small outbuildings, the books on the market (before Kindle and Amazon) that dealt with cottages and tiny homes that were built with the intention owners would add on to them at a later date, books on writer’s cottages and fishermen’s cottages, treehouses, huts and forts; anything that was built from scratch, and constructed without intricate detail or complexity.

Over time, as my search continued, I came across plans that were specifically designed to be built on top of trailer frames or flatbeds. They were portable and they were called tiny houses. Some looked like gypsy caravans, others like the cottages I’d been reviewing with the only exception being that these were on wheels. They were portable and ideal for someone like me whose future seemed continually subject to revision.

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If like me you’ve been wanting to see more tiny house communities come to life you’ll probably really enjoy this post (and the videos below).

Because projects like this can serve as a model for any of us to follow or at least learn from to create more tiny living micro communities around the world.

I like the idea of independent ‘micro’ communities created by relatively small groups of people who exchange labor with each other to keep building costs low.

But if you wanted (or the group wanted) the land could also eventually serve as a learning center, farm, sustainable living learning center, etc.

DIY Micro Tiny House Community in France

I encourage you to learn how a group of friends and fellow carpenters built this micro community using very little money and their own labor in a fairy tale forest setting in France:

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If you’re looking into the idea of tiny houses but are wondering why when you can just get an RV, travel trailer, or motorhome for less…

Well, you’re at the right place because in this post I’ll help you understand the benefits of tiny houses, motorhomes, RVs, and travel trailers. But I’m also going to share the downfalls for each side. In this post, it’s all about you, because I want to help you figure out what’s best according to YOUR needs. So pay attention real quick and watch the video below where Jason Dietz of Molecule Tiny Homes gives you some helpful insight on tiny houses.

 

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RVs versus Tiny Houses on Trailers

Enjoy the video with Jason and my “Pros/Cons list” on.. Tiny Houses VS. Manufactured RVs below:
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