(Part 2) Best products from r/TinyHouses

Hello, and welcome!

There are a ton of floorplans and pictures of tiny houses, the tiny house blog (linked on the sidebar) is a great resource.

Unlike the house you posted, most tiny houses are on trailers. I don't think the documentary went into this, but the reason for it is due to legality; most places have zoning laws that prohibit permanent dwellings under a certain size. By being on a trailer, a tiny house is technically an RV and can bypass these restrictions (and property taxes!) Plus, they're mobile, if traveling is your thing.

By far, the most common style for tiny houses is the craftsman look, as popularized by Jay Shafer of Four Lights Tiny Houses. My personal favorite designs are the Minim House and hOMe.

If you're interested in a great memoir on downsizing, check out the recently released The Big Tiny by the amazing Dee Williams.

Thanks for the thoughts! I read a great book with space requirements for comfortable living called Residential Interior Design so all walkways and entrances are at least 2.5 feet. Your comment made me think that I could maximize the bedroom entrance with a 3 panel slide door, or having a wall in half the space so entrance can be more like 3.5 feet. There's some storage underneath too and I'm scratching my head at how to make that easily accessible.

I think the closed off bedroom is a strong requirement. Maybe there's still someway to make the top area still useful? There is 5-6 feet height in that area so I'm guessing it would be comfortable as a gaming/movie/computer den. I could have a small couch up there too.

Was thinking the dining tables can be flipped up or down depending whether you needed them. Even when they are up, there is 3' 9" of space because my kitchen counters are thinner than standard ones. The reason the dining tables are against the wall is so that I could have sliding windows that open with tables on the other side. Tiny House Basics has a design like this: https://www.tinyhousebasics.com/our-story/

Really appreciate the feedback.

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I can't tell what the relationship is between the first photo and the second are. Two instances of the same type of space? What are the dimensions? Is there a bed? Is there a heat source (depending on what climate you live in)?

My wife, while looking over my shoulder said, "It's nice." She likes to browse floor plans online, so that's high praise. :-)

My suggestion would be to try to draw this in SketchUp (it's free). It'll help you flesh out more details of your design because you're working in all 3 dimensions. I'd be happy to give you better feedback on a SketchUp drawing.

Two books I'd recommend before taking on such a project: Homing Instinct and Building for a Lifetime. The first book gives a good grounding on what to build and the broad strokes of what you would want to consider. The second gives an idea about sizing spaces and accessibility.

I drew my house and built it from a SketchUp drawing. I acted as the general contractor and did most of the work myself. It can be done.

I am also a solar panel noob but i just managed to set up a system in my bus. I went with 4 renogy panels, they're cheap, good, and seem to have a good customer service.

https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Watts-Volts-Monocrystalline-Solar/dp/B009Z6CW7O

We have 3 of them for 2 people. You will need a charge controller to regulate the energy going to the battery. If you opt for a nicer MPPT controller, you will have 30% more nergy coming to the battery. That's what we did.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G3XTWTS/ref=twister_B01HHRLB1K?_encoding=UTF8&th=1

For more of an idea on what to do for the electrical system, i used a video by a guy named campervan cory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZY4BWEZ4ig

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.

I'm buying my 40 acres in the San Luis valley (Colorado Rocky Mountains). Super dry, super cold in winter but my plan would work in your region too. We're working in the oil fields from February until June to be able to afford supplies, well and PV system.

June we move onto the land for summer to live in a yurt while we begin excavation on our earth home. It'll be a bit earth ship, some straw, some cobb and a bunch of windows. Read as much as you can, $500 in books will save you thousands later. The design I've settled on is a hybrid design but mostly based on passive annual heat storage. http://www.motherearthnews.com/renewable-energy/passive-annual-heat-storage-zmaz85zsie.aspx#axzz3IF3b3PD6

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0615905889/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1417051788&sr=1-1&pi=AC_SY200_QL40

This book is a must but Google cord wood building, straw bale building, cobb building, earth homes, underground greenhouses, rainwater harvesting, permaculture and anything else you can get your hands on to read. I've been buying a book every pay day for the last year and am quite proud of my natural building library I've collected and as a result I have a very specific plan custom tailored to my property and lifestyle.

So I used this thermostat controller which is cheaper on ebay. These are dime a dozen so I don't think the brand really matters. I watched a few youtube video's. I'll try to take a picture of my setup later if I remember. I haven't checked the killowatt lately but IIRC I used about 220watts(10 amps) on a hot day.

The controller is fairly easy to setup, I spliced the light power to power the controller, and then I put it in place of the old thermostat controller(which I tore out). it basically just turns the power on whenever the inside temperature probe senses the temperature go above the parameter I set.

My chest freezer cost $40, and the controller I paid $15 so it totaled to be $55. I've been using it for about 3 months now and it works great! Especially since my wife and I struggle for space in fridge (I've been storing the bulk of my beer in a broken dryer for the past few years) I only have a few critiques.

1. I should've cleaned the freezer better before I started using it, it has a slight funk to it's smell.
   
   
2. I need to eventually build a storage shelf in the bottom section to better utilize the space. (despite how big a chest freezer is, the bottom section is still a little inaccessible).
   
   Overall though I love it, if I talk about it too much I fall into why doesn't everyone use this obsession. Once I have my own land I intend to buy a dozen or so chest freezers, they are incredibly cheap used and energy efficient. If I were to open a restaurant I would rather use chest freezers/& conversions then spend 4 figures on commercial cooling equipment. In the future I also want to experiment turning a broken chest freezer into a bath for my wife, but that's a silly pipe dream and another rant.

I have the ecosmart11 tankless hot water heater. I like it for space efficiency and simple installation, but it requires a 60 amp breaker dedicated to it.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001LZRF9M/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You might be able to get by with an Ecosmart8, but it still requires to be wired directly to a 40 amp breaker. This is lots of amps to dedicate to hot water, especially if you are working from a 50 amp service at an RV park or wherever you have your trailer parked. Zero overhead even with the 8 for things like A/C and cooking. You could make it work if you were very careful about when you were using hot water, but I would skip it and go with a propane unit like jamilbk linked.

I am thinking about going with a standard issue front load washer and dryer, but just stacking them to save space. The top load washer combo with the dryer on top commonly used in condos and apartments are small in stature, but take up almost the same space as a real front load washer and dryer that are stacked. These front load washer/dryer combo units are really costly and seem to have more complaints about performance and repairs.

Regardless, if you are living in a tiny house on wheels, dedicating space to a washer and dryer might not be on the priority list.

I have this one in my van and it's awesome. Very firm, but a mattress topper would do fine for people who don't like their bed as firm as I do.

I built an interlocking frame for it - slides out for the bed, slides in with the side against the wall for a couch. Inspired by (but simpler than) this one:

http://vandogtraveller.com/expanding-bed-for-van/

Futons and pull-outs are totally different. Pull-out couches have light, super thin pads that don't do anything. Generally very uncomfortable. Futon mattresses are (or should be; mine is and my parents have a similar one) very heavy, very dense, and very firm. They're awesome beds.

If you are on your own property, you can have the power and other utilities (internet) hooked up to a "temporary utility drop", but doing this varies from area to area based on requirements from the companies and county codes. If you say it is for while you "build your house", usually you can get away with it indefinitely (or at least that has been my experience).

If you are setting up shop in a friend/families back yard, just have them up their plan to cover your usage, and set up a wireless repeater to ensure signal strength in your unit.

The third method a lot of people go with is in remote areas is satellite internet, a bit spendy, but especially worth it if that is how you earn an income!

Lastly, if you are in a 4G coverage area, just add a data plan to your cell service and get a mobile hot spot!

EDIT An after thought: If you go with the temp power pole setup, make sure to have this installed BEFORE you move your tiny home on site, or at least some how hide the tiny, as often the county inspector has to come check the electricians wiring for even the simple power pole setup. If they see your tiny home, they may get a bit too interested in it!

Dont know the background/skill level/target audience you are looking for, but I found this pretty invaluable over the years:
Complete Do It Yourself Manual
It’s a pretty good walk through on all home systems in general. May be more basic than what you are looking for. I’ve got some pretty ancient books on carpentry and framing as well, the general concepts have changed little.

> reliability (generally lasts 2 winters)

I'm going on four and five years for my space heaters.

I have this Holmes model(in white): http://www.amazon.com/Holmes-Compact-Ceramic-Thermostat-HCH4051-UM/dp/B000V50GI0/

And this Lasko model (a prior generation, but identical specs): http://www.amazon.com/Lasko-5307-Oscillating-Ceramic-16-Inch/dp/B005M03ER4

Before that, I had a DeLonghi oil-filled radiator space heater that lasted seven or eight years. I gave it to my ex-girlfriend when we broke up (I think, or maybe I gave it to friend when I moved, I don't recall) but, I'm reasonably confident it is still in service five years later.

Heating elements do go bad, as do fan motors, but I've had good luck with my little space heaters thus far. I think the oil-filled heater was the best of them; and the most likely to last a longer time since there are no moving parts, just a heating element and a big radiating surface.

Cool design!

I highly recommend taking a look at the book “Green From the Ground Up,” it provides great insight into making an affordable, healthy, and quality home, and would apply even better to a tiny house!

https://www.amazon.com/Green-Ground-Sustainable-Energy-Efficient-Construction/dp/156158973X

It really comes down to how much of a system you want to build and pay for. Yes, if you can't live without your xbox and 69" television then you are certainly going to need an inverter. But 12v wiring is cheap and easy to run and frankly the more you can avoid an inverter the cheaper and smaller of a solar setup you can get away with.

If I were making a totally off grid system for my family I would include an inverter and 'normal' appliances and I would be willing to shell out the money for those conveniences. But if I were building a tiny house on a budget and trying to keep my expenses down then I would be all over building a small mostly 12v DC setup. We live in an age of easy international shopping thanks to Amazon and even 12v blenders are easy to come by.

I'm currently on my parents property (I own part of the land). They have a house they live in. I pulled my camper near their house and get all of that from them.

• Power
  
  My camper has a 110v 30amp connector on the outside. My initial plan was to install a 40 amp breaker into my parents house and run it to a 30amp outlet on the outside of their house and then connect my camper to it, but the previous own gave me a 30amp to 15 amp so I could connect my camper to the conventional wall plug you see in houses. Fortunately my dad had a spare outlet near by in a shed that wasn't being used by anything else, so I was able to go to Home depot and get an extension cord to run to it. Doing it that way saved me a lot of time and money by not having to go the full 30 amp route.
  
  Because I did it that way I have to watch my power usage or I'll trip the breaker, as the camper is designed to operate at full 30 amps. After a while you learn what and what not all you can do at the same time. I have the option to run my refrigerator and water heater with electricity, but I opt to use propane for them (yep, refrigerator runs on propane). Doing that pretty much takes away the issue of drawing too much energy and I haven't tripped the breaker since.
  
  
• Water
  
  Simple enough, I just put a Y splitter on my parent's home's water spicket and ran a water hose from it to my camper (typical water hose connects right to it on the outside).
  
  First mistake was buying an heavy duty water hose. I wanted it to last, so I figured this was the best route. Problem was, they're not designed to transport potable water. The chemical smell from that water hose was atrocious for many weeks. Every time I would take a shower my house would reek of a chemical smell. The smell finally went away, and I cook with the water now, but I avoid from drinking a glass of water from the faucet. If I could go back in time I would have bought a RV water hose as they're designed for this.
  
  In freezing temps I let my sink just barely trickle water and this disallows the water hose from freezing. When I first moved in and winter set in I was close to installing a water hose heater that runs along the hose and keeps it warm, but letting the water flow does the trick and saved me the hassle!
  
  
• Sewage
  
  I ran plumbing from my camper and tapped into my parent's plumbing in their house , which leads to their septic tank.. I bought this adapter and connected it to my camper. Then went to Home Depot and bought all the plumbing and went from there. Google was my friend on how to do the proper job. My suggestion is to do you google research on how to properly run plumbing and don't cheap out on the plumbing. I went with long turn pipe bends to insure proper flow, even if it did cost an extra $8. In the end, and after a year, I have not had any plumbing issues. Do it right the first time!
  
  
• Internet
  
  I bought a long Cat6e ethernet cable from eBay and ran it from my parents modem to my PC in my camper.

A good sink.

We do a lot of "meat and three" types of meals, which means we tend to make a lot of dirty dishes (at least compared to an average TH dweller). A 20" bar sink would not cut it for us, but we were able to find at 26" two-basin sink that lets dishes soak in the larger basin and rinse off over the smaller basin. Also, we kept the routed piece of butcher block that we cut out for the sink insert, and just drop it back in place over the sink if we want to hid the dishes or have extra counter space.

Appliance wise, +1 on the convection toaster oven. We bought [one that's big enough] (https://www.amazon.com/Oster-TSSTTVXLDG-Digital-Toaster-Stainless/dp/B004USWRA4/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1465581645&sr=8-9&keywords=oster+convection+oven) for a 9x13" casserole dish, and haven't missed having a full-size oven yet. We opted for a two-burner propane range for two reasons:

1. Propane burners make it easier for us to run the whole house on 20 amps!
   
2. Mounted fore-and-aft, a two burner range doesn't take up more counter space than a plug-in single burner. Though you do give up that counter space permanently.
   
   We have a slow cooker, which is as useful as slow cookers ever are, but I'm not sure if we're going to keep it long term. For one, it's big. And aside from super low-effort stuff like throwing a pork shoulder+can of coke in there in the morning before work, there's not a lot the slow cooker does that I can't do with an oven and range.

Edit: This similar thread may be useful.

I just spent forever designing the power system for my tiny house and if I can offer one piece of advice, use propane for heating. It's much cheaper, efficient, and lower maintenance than electric systems. Plus, since you're in the Bay Area, a low-power window A/C unit like this 450 W fridgidaire should suffice. You can always add a $30 1800 W electric space heater later.

Keep in mind you'll be at least tripling your expected power draw to account for inefficiencies and battery depth-of-discharge. So if you plan to use 6 kWh / day, your battery bank and solar panels should be sized for 18 kWh / day. That's about 10 large 12V 155 Ah batteries. Nearly 1,000 lbs of weight. Since your wool insulation is only about half the R-value of spray foam, you'll need to account for that as well.

tldr; Save yourself the added weight and cost of additional solar, batteries, and inverter and just go with a window unit and propane stove or in-floor radiant system via tankless water heater.

My own THOW is still in the process of being built (it is 4 rafters shy of being completely framed), but so far I've moved it 3 times. First time was about 16 miles, second time was about 10 mi and last time was about 3 mi.

The last move was in the rain, so I had a tarp on it. Had to keep the speed around 15 mph max to keep the tarp from shredding.

I was very nervous about moving it for various reasons, but they all turned out to be for nothing. Some things I learned:

• My THOW seems pretty flimsy (I can make the whole thing flex by standing in the loft and shifting weight from foot-to-foot), but having a band of CS-14 wrap around the whole thing seems to help a lot. Once it get the outer sheath put on, it should firm up greatly.
  
• My trailer requires a 2 5/16ths" ball, so I bought my own receiver mount. Most rental trucks come with only 2" balls. The last rental truck's ball was welded onto the receiver, so I went with it. I wouldn't have tried this if I was going faster than 20 mph and/or over hilly terrain.
  
• It is very important to have the electrical wiring properly connected between the truck and trailer. Many rental trucks have only a 4-pin connector, whereas my trailer has a 7-pin because it has electric brakes. With heavy loads, stopping promptly is nearly impossible without the trailer's brakes working.
  
• Always, always check the trailer tire pressure. You don't want to have a blow-out. It might make sense to keep a spare handy, too ;)
  
  And most importantly:
  
  
• Anyone who nay-says your dream of owning a THOW is a sad individual who wishes they were as cool as you. Don't let 'em bring you down!
  
  My long term goal is to get some property out in the country and move the THOW out there when it is time for vacation. I could easily see moving it 2-3 times a year.
  
  Edit: words

This one is pretty expensive but gives you a good idea of the style. There are a lot of Japanese tubs that are small because they are designed for you to sit in them and I think that would work great for a Tiny Home.

This one may be a little larger than what you are intending But is another compact design and MUCH more affordable. I think if you look for tubs in these two styles you will find one that works for you!

Get a table like this with a folding leaf. Those sidefacing drawers would be super useful. It might be easier to build something like this yourself for your measurements than ready made. But it would give you a prep counter and an eating space that you can fold away.


Here's another style you can buy premade on amazon Maybe use the filefolders for placemats/napkins, and the cubbies for spice or cutlery storage.


Ikea is definitely the standby when it comes random small but efficient wall organizers. I noticed they had a wall mounted dish drying rack. (Fintorp)