TINY HOUSE

magazine Issue 6

Rustic Modern
Rental

Simple Living on
a Narrowboat

12 Reasons Why You’ll

Be Happier in a
Smaller Home

Minimum Space. Maximum Taste.

www.tinyhousemagazine.co © Tiny House Magazine 2013
 TINY HOUSE
magazine

21
5
18
e

CONTENTS
27
FEATURES
Simple Living on a Narrowboat 4
Rustic Modern Rental 5
Why were Tiny Houses Built? 14
Happier Living Smaller 18
Big Moving 21 DEPARTMENTS
Two Kamp Masters 27 Editors Note 3
Minimum Space 31 For Sale 37
Lakeside Cabin 35 Market Place 38
 Letter From the Editor TINY HOUSE
magazine
Issue 6

Tiny Is As Tiny Does Publisher and Founder

Editor - In - Chief

I
n this sixth issue of the Tiny House Magazine Kent Griswold
Emma Freemantle takes us on a tour of her
narrowboat located in the pricey East Side of Designers
London. Kent Griswold
Andrew Odom
We get to explore a tiny
rustic modern home in
Photography
the Por tland, Oregon
Tammy Strobel
community that is
Christina Nellemann
available for rent through
Andrew Odom
AirBNB.

Marketing Editor
Logan Smith takes you on
Kent Griswold
the road as he and Tammy
relocate their home from
Contributing Writers
the Yreka area in
Logan Smith
California to RedBluff.
Andrew Odom
John Goff asks us what it used to be like to live in a Kirsten Dirksen
tiny house and why were they constructed, and John Goff
shows us what we can learn from history. Joshua Becker
Christina Nellemann
Andrew Odom shows off his new kitchen and tells of
how it was designed and built by his brother-in-law. Billing
Kent Griswold
Christina Nellemann shares a vintage Kamp Master
trailer which was restored and is being used. A real Contact Us
beauty. tinyhouseblog@gmail.com

Thank you for reading the Tiny House Magazine. I Tiny House Magazine
would like to encourage you to subscribe to our is published
magazine so you don’t miss a single issue. by Kent Griswold
and
TinyHouseBlog.com
Kent Griswold
 Simple Living on a Narrowboat Home in West End London

Video
Internet Connection
Required
Click to watch on YouTube

Emma Freemantle lives in pricey West End London (near Regent’s Park), but she could afford to buy her home
because she lives aboard what she calls a “floating caravan log cabin”. Her home is a narrowboat: boats so
narrow they were built in the past few centuries to fit Britain’s narrow canals (some are less than 7 feet wide).

Onboard her floating home she witnesses the seasons up close: “the colours of autumn; the crisp blue skies of
winter when everything freezes over and the woodburners puff out their heady smoke; spring when bird life
and bats come out and summer when it feels like you are on holiday every day.”

Her vessel is part of a community of narrowboats on London’s Regents Canal where she has lived for the past 6
years (her sister Victoria helped her buy her boat). All the boats here come with a mooring which is permitted,
though as Emma points out there are plenty of boat owners on London’s (and Britain’s) canals
who continuously cruise without a fixed mooring address.

Emma has also made her boat into a floating office where she crafts handmade creations from secondhand and
vintage finds for her Worn With Love label (she’s also a freelance fashion stylist).

Her liveaboard life may be cheaper than flats in her area, but the lifestyle requires constant maintenance:
disposing of toilet waste, filling the water tank, replacing cannisters of butane gas and even buying pre-paid
cards for electricity.

Her daily life may take more work, but Emma sees this as part of what makes it so magical. “I think we're too
used to our luxuries now aren't we. Nothing's meant to be hard anymore. I think it's really good to have a little
bit of hardship to really appreciate how you live and where it's all coming from. And that's a luxury in itself.”

Kirsten Dirksen is co-founder of faircompanies.com and a Huffington Post blogger. She has worked for
MTV, Oxygen, The Travel Channel, and Sundance Channel. Her documentaries include "Searching for Da
Vinci's Secret" and "Translating Genocide: Journey to Sudan." “We the Tiny House People” is her first
documentary to premiere on YouTube.
 Rustic Modern Tiny House
Tiny House Rental
This house was designed and hand-built by us, your friendly AirBNB hosts. For years
we’ve been daydreaming about “maybe building a house one day”. This year we finally
made it happen - using our own two hands (DIY! The Portland way!) and with the help of
some great friends (thanks, everyone!). We had a vision in mind, but a lot of the details
came together as we built, based on what materials we had available to us.

As a stand-alone house, the Rustic Modern Tiny House has its own street entrance and
private gated front yard. Downstairs is the kitchen, living room with fold-down sleeper
and bathroom with tiny clawfoot tub. Upstairs is the loft bedroom with comfortable queen
sized bed. More features to come as the inspiration strikes - this is an ever-evolving labor
of love! See photo captions for a detailed walkthrough of the house.

Sustainable design is important to us, and the house is constructed and furnished from an
eclectic array of reclaimed materials - squirreled away over the years, and now creatively
reused and repurposed.
A partial snapshot:

• The trim and shelves are reclaimed from an old shed that used to be on the property.
• Teak hardwood flooring, cedar shake siding - salvaged from high-end construction jobs.
• The wood-clad windows salvaged from a horse farm in the Oregon countryside.
• The kitchenette stove/refrigerator sourced from the Hood River History Museum.
• The leather rug, a rescue donated from the Falcon Arts Community.

• This is a handmade house, and we’ve taken a deliberately Rustic Modern approach. As such,
set your expectations closer to “hand-crafted” rather than “Hilton”.
• As a Tiny House, proportions are scaled-down or modified. Stairs are at ADA-compliant
measurements, however they are steeper than standard stairs. The bathroom sink is recessed -
easy to wash your hands, but harder to brush your teeth/ wash your face. The bathroom features
a small clawfoot tub with shower head, you’ll need to be able to step up into it.
• The upstairs ceiling is steeply sloped - you’ll need to duck your head going up and down those
stairs. Once upstairs, the upstairs bedroom has enough headroom to comfortably stand if you
are under 5'10" (otherwise you'll have to duck your head a bit).
 View from above.

Old propane burner, converted into a glass coffee table.

Because every home should have a porthole.

Burlap coffee bag turned

pillow case.
Kitchen drawers made from vintage fruit crates. 

Open shelving from reclaimed old-growth wood. 

 ACME Kitchenette

An old Mexican dresser now our kitchen cabinets. 

Loft Bedroom
Built with love,
Michael and Jenny
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/898771

C onnecting with other tiny housers
is key to making your dream of a tiny
house a reality,” believes tiny house
enthusiast and one of the co-founders of Tiny
House NC, Ryan Mitchell. “Tiny House NC
represents a collective knowledge and
resource unlike anything in the country.  We
represent tiny house dreams, dwellers and
builders and to have a connection with people
like that will provide people with the tools and
inspiration to move forward.”   conversation either by building tiny houses
At the April 26th RelaxShacks.com workshop
held in Wilmington, NC, bloggers and tiny
house enthusiasts Steven Harrell (Tiny House
Listings), Mitchell (The Tiny Life), Laura LaVoie
(120 Square Feet) and Andrew Odom (Tiny r
(E)volution) announced the upcoming launch
of Tiny House NC, an organization to promote
Tiny House culture throughout North Carolina.
Adds Harrell, “Tiny House NC is a project
designed to help bring tiny house lovers and
advocates together that live within close
proximity to each another to combine
resources, share ideas and work on projects
together.”
Harrell, Mitchell, LaVoie, and Odom have all
been on the forefront of the tiny house
movement for many years. Each has
The Tiny House NC founders
include Steven Harrell [Tiny
House Swoon and Tiny House
Listings], Andrew Odom [Tiny r
(E)volution], Ryan Mitchell [The
Tiny Life], and Laura LaVoie
[Life in 120 Square Feet].
contributed their unique voice to the
or spreading the word about the movement
(or a mixture of both). Living in North
Carolina is an important part of their
personal journeys. When the opportunity
arose to join forces and develop an
organization that would promote the tiny
house movement in the state, they jumped
at the chance. With such a diverse
landscape in a relatively small state there is
something for everyone in North Carolina.
From the mountains to the sea and
everything in between, Tiny House NC
hopes to create a perfect place for small
living enthusiasts to seek advice, services,
and resources.
Laura LaVoie whose tiny house is just
outside Asheville notes, “I see quite a bit of
interest here in Asheville and the greater
Western North Carolina area. Mountain
cabins are not inexpensive and for the
population of retirees deciding to make the
mountains their home, tiny houses may be a
much more affordable solution. There is also
a counter-culture vibe in the area with great
interest in alternative building, off the grid
living, and even other ways of handling
urban density. There are so many different
reasons for wanting to build a tiny house
and the culture in Asheville seems to be
open to all of them.”
Representing the city – or urban landscape -
is Mitchell who calls Charlotte (pop.
751,087) home. “I think that cities are an
attractive place to live for many, with lots to
do and job opportunities to lead the life you
wish.  Living tiny in a city setting provides a
unique set of opportunities and challenges,
but connecting with those who may also be
facing them can be very helpful.”
And connection is why Odom is so enthused
about the project. “I guess I represent the
country and the only thing we have that
resembles tiny living is a single wide mobile
home. Our culture has a rich history of
‘bigger is better’ and so because of that
looks down upon or just doesn’t understand
the desire to live tiny at all. It is key for my
family to connect with other tiny housers so
we don’t always feel so isolated.”
builders, dwellers, and dreamers in the
state as well as be a vital resource to them
in their path to a tiny life.”
As stated on their website –
TinyHouseNC.com - “Tiny House NC is
passionate about being fully engaged with
the tiny house community in North
Carolina. We want to forge connections
with and promote the lives of the
community and its members. It isn’t just
about building houses but turning them
into homes.”
The tiny house movement is on the rise and
many Americans are looking for ways to
downsize and simplify their lives. Tiny
House NC couldn’t have come at a better
time. Exchanging a fast-paced life for a
simpler, mortgage-free house can be the
answer for many individuals in North
Carolina. Coupling the minimalist lifestyle
with off the grid energy solutions can
encourage people to consume less and
reduce waste. The possibilities for a tiny
lifestyle are endless and Harrell, Mitchell,
LaVoie and, Odom represent just a few of
those tiny solutions.
For more information about Tiny House NC
you can reach the founders for comments
via email at tinyhousenc@gmail.com.

And last but not least is Harrell who joins the

group from Wilmington, on the coast but
also with a rich downtown history.
“Wilmington has a large, historic downtown.
There are a number of small bungalows built
in the 1800's lined up block after block
along narrow streets that used to
accommodate horse and buggies. There
are also many small, older beach
communities in the area. It's easy to spot
which homes are older because they
tend to be much smaller and were built
before newer, more stringent laws were
put into place requiring home owners to
build larger homes.”
But beside just pointing out tiny house
opportunities in each region of the state the
group exists to showcase tiny house
builders, dwellers, and dreamers in the state
 Why were tiny houses built before?...and
Why Build Tiny today?
I credit my current interest in tiny houses to the fact that for much of my life, I have lived in Salem,
Massachusetts. Here in 1930, early in the Great Depression, an enchanting collection of exceptional tiny
houses was built to create the living history museum called Pioneer Village. Also called Salem 1630: Pioneer
Village or PV, the village was designed by the great Massachusetts antiquarian George Francis Dow, author
of the 1930s classic reference Everyday Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Inspired by Skansen in
Sweden, Dow designed PV in the Massachusetts Tercentenary Year to serve as a major national and
international museum attraction, and to accurately demonstrate and replicate various types of Salem edifices
first constructed by English Puritan colonists after they first made American landfall in the 1620s and 1630s.

Pioneer Village was specifically called “Salem 1630: Pioneer Village” because it worked to reconstruct one
moment in time in the summer of 1630 after Massachusetts Governor John Winthrop arrived in earliest
Salem with dozens of new settling families and the Massachusetts Bay Colony Charter upon his stately three
masted flagship, the Arbella. Structures replicated at the village included a Governor’s House, saltworks,
clay pug mill, blacksmith’s shop and saw pit, also tiny thatch roof timber frame cottages, barrel-vaulted
“English wigwams” and a group of earth bermed “dugout” style vertical log structures with grass roofs sunk
into the side of a hill. The collection of four tiny cottages, three English wigwams (originally all bark clad),
and two proper dugouts brought to nine the number of tiny one room houses publicly displayed, opened and
operated at Pioneer Village.

My interest in Pioneer Village crystalized into preservation action after a number of us formerly associated
with Historic Salem, Inc. came to realize that Pioneer Village was acutely endangered as an historic resource,
due primarily to flooding and deferred maintenance on many buildings. In 2003, Salem Preservation, Inc.
was chartered to become a new non-profit organization to save, preserve and restore Pioneer Village. Over
time, we met our goals. Once billed as “America’s Oldest Living History Museum,” the village is today one
of the most delightful places in Massachusetts.

Here I’d like to ask two questions: Why were some American houses built in a miniscule fashion years ago?
and “Why build tiny today?” To understand the tiny houses at Pioneer Village, we have to reacquaint
ourselves with the initial reasons and conditions under which Massachusetts was first settled by English
colonists in the early 1600s. Seeking to start a new and better civilization here in the “New World” people
like the Mayflower Aldens, Bradfords and Standishes left old England and crossed the Atlantic Ocean for
Massachusetts in 1620. Upon arriving in Plymouth, south of modern Boston, the Mayflower Pilgrims built
tiny timber-frame houses with thatched roofs that have been replicated at Plimoth Plantation. Beginning in
1623 and 1626 the Mayflower Pilgrims or Separatists were joined along the Massachusetts coast by more
English “planters,” called Puritans, who established the Massachusetts Bay Colony. They first came to settle
the Cape Ann colony north of Cape Cod in 1623-24. They then founded Salem and Boston in 1626 and 1630.
Common to virtually all the Massachusetts houses first built by the earliest English between 1620 and 1630
was a very small size (by modern standards) as well as intimate scale.
Why did the Massachusetts settlers build such tiny structures? Some key reasons were likely based in
common sense and logic. To begin with, the original 17th century homes were mostly conceived to be snug
winter survival structures and starter homes. They were sturdily constructed to be weather-resistant camp
buildings to get struggling English families safely through their first harsh American winters. Hundreds of
people, mostly young couples and families with children, needed new homes quickly---and by building small
houses, the greatest number of English families could be accommodated quickly—and kept warm in the long
winter months using easily built small wood fires. A compact settlement with smaller houses would also
prove to be easier to protect and to defend from potential enemy attack (such as from the French, Dutch,
Mohawks or Tarratines [Micmac]) than a place more spread out---with larger buildings. In the early 1600s,
houses that we think of as small today were also not perceived to be as much of a hardship back then. Folks
nearly 400 years ago spent more of their working days outdoors, and were used to crowded domestic sleeping
situations from their lives in the overpopulated Old Country---as well as from their Atlantic Crossings where
for months at a time they were crammed inside dark and densely packed 17th century sailing ships, prone to
the tossings and turnings of wild winds and waves.

While it seems that many of our ancestors built “tiny” because they were looking to build sheltering houses
quickly---and they also saw the new houses to be “starter homes,” today motivating factors behind building
tiny are often different. Tiny house construction is on the rise across America, yet the motivating factors to
build tiny have multiplied.

Three of the primary modern reasons people build tiny houses relate to a triptych of evocative words all
beginning with the fifth letter “E.” They are: Economy, Energy, and Ecology. Let us first discuss Economy.
When times are tough or challenging financially, some are drawn to build and live in tiny homes for simple
and purely economic reasons. They are attracted to the facts that tiny houses tend to cost much less than large
homes to build. They also tend to be much cheaper to heat in winters, to cool in summers, and are less
expensive to routinely clean, repair and maintain. Economic savings associated with living in tiny houses can
be substantial.

Now let us briefly discuss Energy. Because tiny houses have smaller volumes, they require far less energy
and materials to enclose and to build. The buildings also place much less of a physical and material burden
upon Planet Earth. With reduced fuel needs associated with heating and cooling tiny volumes, tiny houses
provide significant energy benefits. Their small volumes also make heating them by simple woodstoves or
other means relatively cheap and easy to do. Energy savings associated with tiny house living and use can be
impressive.
Ever since the pioneer of the modern ecology movement, Henry David Thoreau, built a tiny house to “live
deliberately” near Walden Pond in Concord, MA, tiny houses have also been cherished for ecological
reasons. They are often favored because they can put their occupants in direct contact with and close
proximity to Nature, while also imposing minimally upon the natural environment. Writers, authors and
artists seeking rural retreats and relative quiet have often built and sought tiny structures. In 1998, architects
David and Jeanie Stiles proposed one ideal “Writer’s Retreat” would be a simple 10 x 12 foot one room
gabled house that would be a “sanctuary” allowing folks working from their homes the ability to “maintain
your privacy and concentration.”

I believe two additional factors pointing people towards tiny houses and tiny house living today are what
could be called the “Familiarity Factor” and the Empty Nest Syndrome. By the “Familiarity Factor” I mean
that many people today associate tiny houses with better and happier times in the past because there is a
magical or dreamy identity associated with tiny houses---and for various reasons they seem acutely familiar.
They may seem familiar because as children, many of us built and occupied small forts and play houses.
Kids may have also built models of small houses while playing with model railroads and blocks, Lincoln
Logs, or other toys. Once we may also have read about Mark Twain’s heroes who sailed the Mississippi in a
tiny house on a raft. We may have heard about President Lincoln’s humble and diminutive log cabin, and/ or
read of Gulliver’s Travels into the land of the Liliputians. We may have adored the Beatrix Potter stories with
tiny animal houses and/or recall fairy tales and fantasy worlds describing elf houses, gnome homes, hobbit
houses and/or universes with surprising changes in scale---such as an old woman who may have “Lived in a
Shoe” or and/or Cinderella who travelled in a magic carriage-pumkin. Perhaps we even saw pictures of tiny
spacecraft used by NASA astronauts to reach the moon. For all these reasons, tiny houses can be easily
associated with small habitation spaces, submarines, spaceships, and the worlds of childhood, fantasy, magic
and adventure. They can directly speak to the creative and romantic “inner child” and early memories of
adults. Tiny houses may also seem familiar because as children, we were smaller, and we occupied smaller
spaces. The smaller scale of tiny houses may remind us of our own past—as well as protective nests,
birdhouses, and safe and snug places and spaces we once appreciated or occupied as children.

Last but not least—the Empty Nest Syndrome is also increasingly pushing people to downsize, and to
consider new tiny houses. As more of America’s post-WWII Baby Boom generation reaches midlife, maturity
and retirement in the 21st century, houses once occupied with noisy children become relatively empty, and
excessively large and expensive to maintain. Smaller quarters may more appropriately shelter smaller
families.

In conclusion, it appears that tiny houses have been with us here in America from its beginning. Increasingly
they are becoming favored for 21st century living because of new concerns about economy, energy and
ecology. The Familiarity Factor may ease and inspire new transitions to tiny houses while Empty Nests also
spark new desires and needs to downsize. Tiny on!
Bio Note: John Goff is an architect, architectural historian and tiny house enthusiast who lives and works in
Salem, Massachusetts. He additionally writes "Preservation Perspective" columns periodically for the Salem
Gazette.
 12 Reasons Why You’ll Be Happier in a
Smaller Home

Recently, my parents bought a smaller house. And this past week, while on vacation in South Dakota
(yeah, I vacation in South Dakota), I got to see it for the first time. During our stay, I was surprised at how
often my mother commented that “they just love their smaller house.” I wasn’t so much surprised that she
felt that way (I am a minimalist after all), but I was surprised at the frequency. It was a comment that
she repeated over and over again during our one-week stay.

Toward the end of the week, I sat down with my mom and asked her to list all of the reasons why she is
experiencing more happiness in her smaller house. And this post was written… my first post co-authored
with my mother.

12 Reasons Why You’ll Be Happier in a Smaller House by Joshua and Patty Becker (I get top
billing because it is my blog).

People buy larger homes for a number of reasons:

■ They “outgrow” their smaller one.

■ They receive a promotion and raise at work.
■ They are convinced by a realtor that they can afford it.
■ They hope to impress others.
■ They think a large home is the home of their dreams.

Another reason people keep buying bigger and bigger homes is because no one tells them not to. The
mantra of the culture again comes calling, “buy as much and as big as possible.” They believe the lie and
choose to buy a large home only because that’s ”what you are supposed to do” when you start making
money… you buy nice, big stuff.

Nobody ever tells them not to. Nobody gives them permission to pursue smaller, rather than larger.
Nobody gives them the reasons they may actually be happier in a smaller house.
So, in an attempt to break the silence, consider these 12 reasons why you’ll actually be happier in
a smaller house:

1. Easier to maintain. Anyone who has owned a house knows the amount of time, energy, and
effort to maintain it. All things being equal, a smaller home requires less of your time, energy, and
effort to accomplish that task.
2. Less time spent cleaning. And that should be reason enough…
3. Less expensive. Smaller homes are less expensive to purchase and less expensive to keep
(insurance, taxes, heating, cooling, electricity, etc.).
4. Less debt and less risk. Dozens of on-line calculators will help you determine “how much
house you can afford.” These formulas are based on net income, savings, current debt, and monthly
mortgage payments. They are also based on the premise that we should spend ”28% of our net
income on our monthly mortgage payments.” But if we can be more financially stable and happier
by only spending 15%… then why would we ever choose to spend 28?
5. Mentally Freeing. As is the case with all of our possessions, the more we own, the more they own
us. And the more stuff we own, the more mental energy is held hostage by them. The same is
absolutely true with our largest, most valuable asset. Buy small and free your mind.
6. Less environmental impact. A smaller home requires less resources to build and less resources
to maintain. And that benefits all of us.
7. More time. Many of the benefits above (less cleaning, less maintaining, mental freedom) result
in the freeing up of our schedule to pursue the things in life that really matter – whatever you want
that to be.
8. Encourages family bonding. A smaller home results in more social interaction among the
members of the family. And while this may be the reason that some people purchasebigger homes, I
think just the opposite should be true.
9. Forces you to remove baggage. Moving into a smaller home forces you to intentionally pare
down your belongings.
10. Less temptation to accumulate. If you don’t have any room in your house for that new
treadmill, you’ll be less tempted to buy it in the first place (no offense to those of you who own a
treadmill… and actually use it).
11. Less decorating. While some people love the idea of choosing wall color, carpet color, furniture,
window treatments, decorations, and light fixtures for dozens of rooms, I don’t.
12. Wider market to sell. By its very definition, a smaller, more affordable house is affordable to a
larger percentage of the population than a more expensive, less affordable one.

Your home is a very personal decision that weighs in a large number of factors that can’t possibly be
summed up in one 700 word post. This post was not written to address each of them. Only you know all
the variables that come into play when making your decision.

I just think you’ll be happier if you buy smaller… rather than the other way around.

Joshua Becker publishes the blog, Becoming Minimalist: Own less. Live more.
Click to view on Youtube

Purchase the iPad Version

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 Big Moving with a Tiny House

by Logan Smith
loganblairsmith.com

Photography
by Tammy Stobel
rowdykittens.com

One of the biggest perks to living in a tiny house on wheels is that it can be moved. This perk allows my partner,
Tammy, and I to be flexible in our plans and adapt to changes in circumstance and choice. It's heartbreaking
when we hear stories from friends that lament feeling "trapped", having to turn down opportunities because their
traditional home mortgage limits their choices. Recently, due to an illness in the family and the loss of my job,
we decided to move closer to our relatives in Northern, California. We moved from Portland, Oregon to Yreka,
California and then 8 months later moved again to Red Bluff, California. In two months we plan to move yet
again to Chico, California. Tammy's article entitled "The Big Move" in issue 2 of the Tiny House Magazine
describes the "why" behind our moving. In this article I will briefly describe the preparation, journey and arrival
aspects of our tiny house moving adventures.

The Prep

You may have guessed that tiny house moving is as simple as closing the door and hitching up the house, but
unfortunately, even moving tiny is still "moving" in many of the traditional connotations of the word. Moving
stuff is typically anxiety provoking and expensive (in both time and money). To minimize costs and angst we
did our best to prepare for our tiny house journey southward. As with any move, we still had to pack and box
our belongings because we didn't want things falling and breaking while the house was flying down the road at
55 miles per hour. Additionally, prior to the move, we typically have to move the tiny house from its scenic
parking location to a truck accessible location, such as from a backyard to a driveway.
To accomplish this task we have a "power mover" electric dolly. This dolly tool is approximately the size of a
lawnmower, attaches to the tongue of the tiny house trailer, and because of its small size, can move the tiny
house around just about any obstacle. This dolly is wonderful for placing the house in a shady scenic location
and getting it back out again for moving.

Moving the house from the backyard is relatively easy compared to moving the tiny house down the roadway.
One of the often overlooked aspects of preparing for a tiny house move is height restrictions on roadways. Since
the department of transportation typically restricts loads to within 8'6'' wide and 13'5'' tall many tiny houses are
built to those limits for maximizing interior space. Unfortunately, not all bridges, over passes, and telephone
cables are beyond these limits. Further, some gas stations have roofs that are also below these limits and can't be
accessed with the trailer attached. Because of this, it is very important to scout out your route for potential
conflict locations and plan out good spots for re-fueling. There are long-haul trucker resources for best route
information and most states allow wider and taller loads with a permit. The nice thing about obtaining a permit
is that you get certified expertise regarding the routes that will work for your "haul".
The Journey

Hitching up a tiny house to a truck is similar to any other utility trailer or camper. Follow the guidelines set by
your trailer manufacture and you are good to go. Briefly, we raise the trailer tongue with the mounted jack, back
the truck up, and lower the tongue receiver onto the ball hitch mounted to the truck. We then plug in the trailer's
electric cord into the truck's bumper outlet for powering the trailer's brakes and lights. Finally, we attach the
safety chains/break-away cables and double check that the trailer lights and brakes are operating before hitting
the road. For our house, we purchased the ball hitch size that fit our trailer and decided on an adjustable modular
hitch system that can be swapped or moved up and down. Because we don't own a truck, we wanted our trailer
hitch to be as adaptable as possible to whatever we have available to tow.

Driving down the road the first time was nerve-wracking. Although we had prepped and double checked our
route, it's nearly impossible to measure every wire that appears to hang low across the street. Every wire looked
"too low" and every passing commercial truck seemed too close to our house. However, after a few hours on the
road we relaxed into the ride. Our second move, from Yreka, CA to Red Bluff, CA was much easier both in
length and because of our experience from our prior move.

On our second move we were also relaxed enough to enjoy all of the smiles, honks, waves and thumbs up we
received rolling down the highway. It never ceases to amaze me when I see someone's first impression of the
little house. It's a look of sheer wonderment and smiling. We literally had so much encouragement on the road
and at rest areas that our friend Dee suggested we should have a little wooden shop sign with our blog address,
RowdyKittens.com, on the house for advertising.
The Arrival

Even though our last move was easier than our first move, nothing beats the feeling of relief when arriving at
our destination safely. It's like being a kid on the first day of summer after a difficult school year. We can
literally feel the stress melt away and excitement build in us for our new location.

After placing the house were we want it, we take our time setting up camp. First we connect water, electricity,
and begin leveling the tiny house. Secondly, we hang out with our new neighbors. We always have our
immediate needs of food and drinks planned out so that we don't need to worry about unpacking boxes on the
day of arrival. Instead, we can relish in learning the stories of our new neighbors and start the difficult process
of making more friends and never forgetting those that we left behind.
 One Family; Two Kamp Masters
Bob and Melanie Kelly own, not one, but two of
what might be the most original teardrop trailers
ever built: the Kamp Master. The Ione, Calif.
couple recently restored a 1949 Kamp Master
trailer and then built a new trailer from scratch
using the original as a model.
The Kamp Master trailer was built by the King's
Trailer Co. in Torrance, Calif. in the late 1940's
and early 1950's. The price ranged from around
$495 for the stripped down model to $895 for
the full model. What is so unique about the
Kamp Master is that it's a teardrop trailer that
you can stand up in. The back hatch opens up to
reveal a kitchen and sometimes a sofa that
would convert into the bed. However, the trailer
is still lightweight and can be towed by a
smaller car, and because the back hatch
structure collapses down, it can be stored in a
garage. The Kamp Master can still be used for
sleeping with the back hatch closed by entering
the bed area via the side door.
The Kelly's purchased the 1949 Kamp Master in
September 2013 in Draper, Utah and started the
restoration a few months later. They enlisted the
help of their friend John Green from
Sacramento, Calif. who has been a long time
teardrop camper and builder. It took the team
about three months to bring the original trailer
back to life and another three months to build a
new Kamp Master patterned after the original.
Bob and Melanie decided to build the other
trailer because there were a few details they
wanted to change and they wanted their own
original creation.
"What I liked best about building and rebuilding
the Kamp Master was the decorating and
repurposing vintage items to fit the decade of
the trailer," Melanie said. "What I liked least
was when I thought something was a great idea,
and it wasn't. I also didn't like all the sanding,
staining and endless varnishing."
Melanie also mentioned that each moving part
of the custom trailer had to be perfect down to
the centimeter or the hatch would not open or
close correctly. She and Bob were a bit nervous
that they would not be able to fit the bed into the
back, but it slid in without an inch to spare.
The original Kamp Master was complete and
contained the original stove, ice box and sofa.
The couple replaced all the flooring, sides,
countertops, the faces of the drawers and some
cabinetry. They also added a hitch in the back
for their bicycles and a side hitch for an outdoor
table. The custom Kamp Master they built was
lengthened by 12 inches in the front for
additional closet space and sofa leg room. They
also added a car trunk and a mirror finish on the
stainless steel exterior. The kitchen counter
features vintage 1940's wallpaper which has
been decoupaged and coated with epoxy, a
vintage TWA coffee thermos that now holds
water for the sink and an original Eureka stove.
By Christina Nellemann
Tiny Yellow Teardrop
www.tinyyellowteardrop.blogspot.com
Photos by Bob and Melanie Kelly, Christina
Nellemann and Harry Thomas
 Small home. Big life. an e-Cours(E)
The first online tiny house course to begin in June
After nearly three months of
plotting, planning, writing,
editing, re-writing, and
planning some more,
Andrew Odom, tiny house
dweller and ½ of Tiny r(E)
volution, is pleased to
announce the launch of
their first e-Cours(E).
Called “Small home. Big
life.” this four-week, self-
guided course is designed
to carry students through
the beginning stages of
building a tiny house.
Starting off with the
dreaming phase and
continuing through the
drying in of a tiny house,
the course infuses Odom’s
personal experiences with
detailed instructions,
creative prompts, guest
artists, and multi-media, to
inspire and educate.
NOTE: Course does not
cover electrical work,
plumbing, interior design, or
code/regulation specs. 
The next course begins
June 24 and ends July 21.
Cost is $85 and registration
can be found at
biglifecourse.com.
[ TINY HOUSE INTERIOR
Minimum Space. Maximum Taste.
H ow o n e c o u p l e ’s d re a m k i t c h e n b e c a m e a re a l i t y.
BY ANDREW M. ODOM
Be it the love of a beautiful interior or the
desire to be your families own FOOD
Network host, most of us daydream of a
kitchen beyond compare. One where
form meets function and magic happens
daily. However, the reality of a tiny house
can quickly put an end to such fantasies
and can even become overwhelming.
The average kitchen in America is 300
sq. ft. (as of 2010) The one in our home is
74 sq. ft. The average new American
home (as of 2011) is 2,480 sq. ft. Our
home is just 240 sq. ft.
That means that in the average American
home the kitchen accounts for 12% of the
]
In the Odom’s
kitchen the
most eye-
catching
feature is the
amount of
storage.
living space. Our kitchen accounts for a
full 31% of our entire living space.
Why though? Why in a home where
space is a commodity and so much
emphasis is put on the tininess of it all
would we want to allow just less than 1/3
to be designated kitchen? Why would we
not want to just sacrifice the
aforementioned daydream and be more
practical. After all, isn’t that what tiny
house living is all about? Extreme
practicality? Perhaps so. But it is also
about a home rising up that caters to the
family within. It is about building
something that is a physical
manifestation of the family it represents.

To hold all of her spices Crystal Odom chose to use both a
standard set(s) of IKEA spice jars for the “daily basics” and
the containers the spices are bought in.
Both my wife – Crystal - and I are
Southern born and bred. Many of our
earliest and fondest family memories
take place against the backdrop of the
kitchen with mom in her apron working
hard at the art of gravy and dad getting
his fingers popped for trying to steal a
taste. But that isn’t all. Crystal has spent a
number of years living abroad as a full-
time missionary where she was fortunate
enough to experience the sounds and
smells (and tastes) of kitchens, markets,
and restaurants around the world. She has
a flare for Indian food and a love for
Asian. She has no problem mixing beans
from our garden with spices from South
America. In fact, when we first began our
tiny house adventure she looked at me
with a sincerity and complexity in her
eyes that I rarely see and said simply, “I
must have a kitchen.” I knew then that this
“kitchen” was not going to be one with a
The 6’ tall stand up
pantry features 4 slide
out drawers that can
each hold up to 150 lbs.
Both my wife –
Crystal - and I are
Southern born
and bred. Many of
our earliest and
fondest family
memories take
place against the
backdrop of the
kitchen with mom
in her apron
working hard at the art of gravy and dad
getting his fingers popped for trying to steal a
taste. But that isn’t all. Crystal has spent a
number of years living abroad as a full-time
missionary where she was fortunate enough to
experience the sounds and smells (and tastes)
of kitchens, markets, and restaurants around
the world. She has a flare for Indian food and a
love for Asian. She has no problem mixing
bean from our garden with spices from South
America. In fact, when we first began our tiny
house adventure she looked at me with a
sincerity and complexity in her eyes that I
rarely see and said simply, “I must have a
kitchen.” I knew then that this “kitchen” was
not going to be one with a bar sink, a
microwave, and perhaps a few wall shelves. It
was going to be a focal point of our home and
it was going to be perhaps the first gourmet
tiny house kitchen on Earth. And now that it is
built and we have enjoyed a number of meals
prepared in it I must admit that she knew what
she was doing the whole time. Chef and
television host Ted Allen sums it up best:
For me, the kitchen is the most special
room in the house. It’s a place for
adventure – not drudgery, but discovery,
sharing and showing off with friends,
trying new ideas.
We are often asked how we came to have the
kitchen we have. What made us want to
sacrifice an indoor bathroom (that’s right,
our bathroom is an outdoor facility we
affectionately call “the shower shack”) for
a room that some people never enter
except to microwave popcorn before
watching a movie?
In 2011 we lived in a converted woodshop
we now call “the bungalow.” We had a
Suburban RV-stove/oven combo, a
whopping 3 ft. of counter space, a bar sink
that had a 4” depth, and a roll out cart that
fit conveniently under the countertop for
a bit more working space. The first night
we did dishes we ended up cleaning
more water from off the floor than in the
sink. And this was only after I used the
showerhead to fill up a pot for the actual
meal. The pot wouldn’t even fit in the sink!
That year spent in the bungalow taught us
so much about what we wanted, what we
needed, and what we valued in a kitchen
space.
In September 2011 our daughter was
born and things changed yet again. We
had new things on our already cramped
countertop to deal with and the plans for
a better kitchen in the tiny house trailer
began to take shape.
For the next 6 or 7 months Crystal would
sit down time and time again with graph
paper to work out a kitchen. She would
add a foot here,
take away a foot
there, and all the
while wonder how
it was all going to
work. We both
knew that we
wanted storage
space for smaller
kitchen
appliances (our
juicer, a blender,
a mixer, etc), open
shelving for
plates and glasses
(a place setting
for 4), a 2-burner
stove set into the
countertop, a
commercial grade
convection
“toaster” oven, and One of the most used spaces in the kitchen is the coffee nook. Featuring a Keurig coffee maker, a french
press, a manual grinder, and a frother, it is often the spot that both begins and ends the day.
Crystal wanted a
pull-out spice
drawer. Looking back I was nervous even slides, the hinges, the shelves, the paint,
then on how I would build such an the finish, the sink, the faucet, and the
elaborate setup. slide out kitchen trashcan.

We got in touch with the very talented
Stacey Pridgen of Rooms and Spaces and
tiny places in Pink Hill, NC and began
talking to him about actual sizes and
configurations. Within a couple of months
our kitchen had been laid out featuring
no less than 5 pull-out shelves, a 6’ tall
pantry with pull-out shelves, generous
space under the double sink (with 9”
depth), and a reclaimed Malaysian
hardwood, butcher-block style
countertop. Just the thought of it seemed
surreal. We also realized in the layout
stage that with a family of 3 we were
going to need a bit more refrigerator
space than most tiny houses have. We
opted for a 10 cubic feet model from a
box store and couldn’t be happier with
the selection.
All said we have just at $12,000 invested
in our kitchen, which includes the custom
cabinetry, the hardware, the drawer
Not a meal passes that we don’t count our
blessings for our home, our food, and our
kitchen; the gathering point for our
minimum space with maximum taste!
PRODUCTS FEATURED
•BLUM 110° Soft Close BLUMotion Clip Top
Hinges
•BLUM Tandem Full Extension Drawer Slides
with BLUMotion
•Vissani 10 cu. ft. Mini Top Mount Refrigerator
•Suburban 2-Burner Drop-In Stove
•Mont Blanc Waterbrook Drop-In Composite
Granite Sink in Desert Sand
•Pfister Avalon 2-Handle Kitchen Faucet in
Tuscan Bronze
To see the entire interior photo album
visit this link. To see video of the kitchen
cabinetry in action visit this link.
Lakeside Cabin
Tiny House Swoon
Small lakeside cabin
on Sonnora Lake,
British Columbia.
Photos by
Andy Grellmann
 Tiny House Listings

31′ Airstream Classic Tiny Cabin

Price: $16,000 Price: $16,000
City: Malibu, CA City: Pinehurst, NC

Rustic Off-Grid Cabin In The Woods Converted School Bus

Price: $49,000 Price: $5,000
City: Chama, NM City: Gainseville, FL

30 ft. Rainier Yurt in Northern Utah One Bedroom Park Model

Price: $225,000 Price: $29,995
City: Garden City, UT City: Pahokee, FL
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