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Dillio187
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# Posted: 10 Sep 2012 01:58pm
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well, after spending well over a year here absorbing info an ideas, it's time to share the love a little.
I purchased my 20 acres in east central MN in April, 2011. It took almost a year of trips to the land and hard work to cut in a driveway and clearing (plus we enjoyed ourselves plenty) until we were ready to put a small cabin on site this spring.
I wanted something simple and easy on blocks (a shed) to ease building permit issues and tax load. I settled on a 12x16 lofted barn setup from Tuff Shed. In hindsight, I wish I knew of Owen C before doing this, he is relatively local and I could have had a better built place. hindsight is always 20/20 I guess. Save for 1 day with a skid steer, this has all been done by hand. I REALLY want to buy a tractor....
I had a heck of a time with Tuff Shed. They couldn't do anything right. Finally after a 2 month fight, I gave up and fixed what I could myself, and started to finish off the cabin (my driveway is still a mess thanks to them though).
This summer I installed the floor, a few cabinets, futon, breakfast nook, A/C and D/C wiring, sealed it up, insulated, and installed the basics of a solar power setup. Just this past weekend I installed my 4, 80 watt solar panels on the roof and while the wiring is still not complete, they are now charging my (2) 6V golf cart batteries inside with a Rogue 3024 MPPT charge controller, and providing AC power through a Morningstar Sure Sine 300 inverter.
I intend on cleaning up the wiring next weekend and building a battery box, then I am going to divert my attention to heat. Thanks to another thread on this forum, I'm going to install a small, direct vent propane heater in the wall, and eventually install a small wood stove (undecided which yet)
Here are a few pictures of the process along the way, I don't have any 2011 pictures on this computer, so I'll add those later.
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goodstartsm.jpg
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mess.jpg
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driveway_rutssm.jpg
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Dillio187
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# Posted: 10 Sep 2012 02:02pm
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more pictures
skid_loadersm.jpg
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shedtrucksm.jpg
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light.jpg
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roadflood.jpg
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Dillio187
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# Posted: 10 Sep 2012 02:04pm
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more. Floor is done in these.
floor.jpg
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fawn_closeup.jpg
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cabin.jpg
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blackberries.jpg
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Dillio187
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# Posted: 10 Sep 2012 02:06pm
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into June, July, and August now
cabin_interior.jpg
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gate.jpg
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piper_truck.jpg
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doggy_hearing.jpg
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Dillio187
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# Posted: 10 Sep 2012 02:07pm
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and finally, current.
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rails.jpg
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cabin_panelsinstalle.jpg
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solar_rails.jpg
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jrbarnard
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# Posted: 10 Sep 2012 02:43pm
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Excellent job setting it up Very neat and cozy.
R
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rayyy
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# Posted: 10 Sep 2012 04:53pm
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Very nice and boy does that rutty driveway bring back memories.Looking great,Dillio.
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trollbridge
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# Posted: 10 Sep 2012 09:26pm
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Yay Dillio!
Thanks for sharing! Your cabin is very roomy inside and also lots of good light coming in. Sorry to hear you had trouble with the shed company. Your floor turned out great and about your 2x4 walls...I don't think you need to give it another thought! That is what we have in our little cabin and it is plenty warm-especially if you eventually get a wood stove. It's cool that you got your solar panels going. We need to learn a whole lot about that still. You are lucky that the county you are in allows for a 12x16 that doesn't have to just be a storage shed-can't dwell in that size cabin where we are!
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Dillio187
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# Posted: 10 Sep 2012 10:25pm
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the only limitation was it had to be on 'temporary' footings. I could have went a little bigger but didn't want to push my luck!
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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 10 Sep 2012 10:54pm
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Thanks for the kind words. You did good and you'll have a great time improving your property over the years to come.
I have a client in Trego and might be building there soon. It would be my fifth building this year. Way behind any other year, but It's the way the economy is now.
Owen
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trollbridge
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# Posted: 11 Sep 2012 09:55am
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Quoting: OwenChristensen Way behind any other year, but It's the way the economy is now.
So sick of this economy! My husband is a self employed flooring installer whose income has seen drastic reductions the last 4-5 years. Thank goodness for the UW system seeming to have plenty of building projects going on- at least that has kept him enough busy- but it is tough.
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Dillio187
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# Posted: 11 Sep 2012 10:06am
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I was lucky enough to fall into IT...people are always breaking their computers, networks, and servers it seems.
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trollbridge
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# Posted: 11 Sep 2012 10:29am
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You should always be sitting pretty good Dillio!
Funny (not really) but in 2006 when we started our search for land we said "If we can't do it now, we never will be able to!" so off we started on the quest to find land and build our cabin............we originally wanted just a very small get away place but then after closing on our land all the county rules started changing and new rules went into effect while they had us tied up in a battle of needing to pay an engineer loads of $$ to determine the 100 year flood and how high the water would rise in our creek should that happen. They revoked the original bridge permit we were granted as a condition of buying the land and then held a new permit over our heads until they got the info they needed. Now we sit with a cabin that is way larger than what we originally wanted and therefore way more expense than we thought we would be putting out. Sure...the added size is handy, but the property taxes will not be fun to pay-and we have HIGH property taxes in Wisconsin. I just keep looking at it as an investment, but a poor economy is sure making life a lot harder. Also everybody wants to see the cabin totally done and yet they sometimes don't get that we are paying as we go and it is hard to cough up the $$ for materials. We do have other obligations after all!
Well...sorry for that little rant...under your thread too...I'll smack myself now 
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Dillio187
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# Posted: 11 Sep 2012 11:04am
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I read all kinds of stories like yours, which is why I wanted the 'shed'. The only downfall is we can't have an old fashioned outhouse, it has to have a tank that is pumped. Still haven't decided if I want to do that, or get a composting toilet of some sort. I do want to put a well in next year too for sure. hauling water is getting old.
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trollbridge
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# Posted: 11 Sep 2012 06:10pm
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We went with the holding tank and for what it is worth we really love it! We could have done a traditional pit privy but the soil perk test alone was going to be 500 dollars with no guarantee it would "perk".
Our tank is 300 gallons if I remember right and has the toilet built right in as all one piece made out of fiberglass. All we had to do was add the exhaust pipe on to the tank and install a toilet seat! There are some pics on our thread. We sunk ours into the ground but you wouldn't have to-it could be a raised platform. We also went as large as we could with our outhouse which was 6x6 per more irritating county zoning laws. Cost was 750.00 in 2008 and we have not had to have it pumped yet.
I can't wait to put a well in too someday soon or at least a tank we fill with a pump from the creek. Hopefully a sand point would work...I don't mind bringing our drinking water from home.
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ErinsMom
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# Posted: 11 Sep 2012 07:09pm
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It looks great. Warm, inviting, light but cozy as well. The floor looks great.
The local Home Depot had a contract with Tuff Shed but they have now lost it. No Tuff Shed within 200 miles. Have found a local company that will build on site. I have moved the location of my future cabin multiple times but hope to have finally found a spot (with county approval). My septic approval will expire within the next year and I must get started.
CONGRATS. You are living the dream.
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Dillio187
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# Posted: 11 Sep 2012 11:21pm
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ironically, they delivered this shed over 150 miles each way for a mere $50 extra dollars. I thought they goofed something up, but did not complain!
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stitch
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# Posted: 17 Sep 2012 10:03am
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Looks great! If you don't mind me asking where are you located in east central MN!?
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Dillio187
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# Posted: 17 Sep 2012 10:31am
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Pine County, east of I-35
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Dillio187
Member
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# Posted: 17 Sep 2012 10:45am
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I had my Dad help me install a window in the loft yesterday. All summer it's been so hot up there and I don't know why I didn't think to install a window up there when it was built 
Anyways, we started by measuring inside, cutting out the 2x4 supports and building the header and footers, and then the side supports. Then we cut out the siding, caulked up the window, and put it into place. I ran out of time to finish sealing it, but it should be fine until we return in a couple weeks to finish sealing it with tape and more caulk.
I also installed my new charge controller, a Rogue MPT-3024, and hooked up all 4 panels to it. By noon, the batteries were full and in float mode, and 18ah had been replenished into the batteries. That tells me we haven't been discharging the batteries very deeply, which is good. I still need to clean up the inside wiring and build a battery box, but all in good time.
It was also my birthday this weekend, and my sister built me a nice set of beanbag boards with my favorite teams logo on them. A great weekend at the cabin!
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newwindow.jpg
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Dillio187
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# Posted: 17 Sep 2012 10:45am - Edited by: Dillio187
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solar stuff
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Dillio187
Member
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# Posted: 17 Sep 2012 10:46am
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misc. Starting to see some fall color already...
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trollbridge
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# Posted: 18 Sep 2012 03:31pm
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Happy Birthday Dillio! What better place to be then at your cabin for your special day!
You will LOVE, LOVE, LOVE having that window up in your loft!!!! Good for you getting that done!
Fall colors are getting pretty here...this weekend we plan on going up to our cabin. I would imagine there is even more color. I love fall time at the cabin.
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LakeSuperior5
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# Posted: 18 Sep 2012 04:53pm
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Looking awesome! Our loft window was an "after" thought as well. I only now wish it were even bigger. 
We are taking the weekend off of building and camping at my BIL's outside of Pine City this weekend. Hope you have great weather!
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stitch
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# Posted: 19 Sep 2012 02:52am
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The window in the loft is a great idea! Now we are coming into "cool" time of year! Looking forward to getting up north and spending some time at the family cabin east of Beroun.
I would also like to get up to the hunting land and keep working on the build there as well, it's been going very slow but it doesn't have to built over night!
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TODDE
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# Posted: 19 Sep 2012 11:49am
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Nice build!, I also am a lurker who just signed up. I have a 12x24 alaska cabin [Barn shed] i have been working on all summer. Did you use the gambrel roof area as a loft?? Cant see from the picks you have posted. congrats on your place.
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Dillio187
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# Posted: 19 Sep 2012 12:48pm
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yes, half of the floor plan is an above loft. The picture of the new window above is actually standing on the loft ladder looking into the loft.
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Dillio187
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# Posted: 23 Sep 2012 02:33pm
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I traded a couple 80W solar panels I wasn't using for a Jotul Combifire #1 today. The stove is in good shape, I'm looking forward to installing it in the cabin and being warm!
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Montanan
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# Posted: 1 Oct 2012 11:55am
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Looks great- and those muddy ruts sure bring back some memories! Congrats on your stove purchase. You'll be happy you have that pretty soon here!
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Dillio187
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2012 03:33pm
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it was a chilly night in the cabin last night, I haven't had a chance to finish the wood stove chimney (dont know what I'm doing with the through-roof part) and I bought a direct-vent 18,000 BTU furnace from Menards that doesn't have a gas line yet...I ran the sunflower heater until it was 65 in there about 10pm, but still woke up to it being 35 degrees inside at 7am this morning. Outside temp got down to 26.
Deer hunting is next weekend so I'm not going to get any chimney work done then either.
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