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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 24 Nov 2015 02:01
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Pretty neat and seems like a sturdy build. Lots of pics but I wish there were some of the inside! It comes with the woodstove, a bed, some electrics and little appliances installed. Rather pricey but interesting! Apparently, "Don" will also teach you how to build your own.
http://tinyhouselistings.com/dons-wood-cabin-on-wheels/
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Gary O
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# Posted: 24 Nov 2015 09:31
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84 sq ft
That....is tiny
Don't leave much room for anything but a bed
Prolly best for one person ....and some sorta retractable awnings for claustrophobic relief
Best to be a nomad that enjoys sidling from corner to corner when parked
The zip code shows it's in Dexter OR ('bout 120 mi or so northwest of us)
$8000 !!!!
sheesh
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Wilbour
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# Posted: 24 Nov 2015 09:48
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Woulda been nice to see some inside photos!
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LoonWhisperer
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# Posted: 24 Nov 2015 10:24 - Edited by: LoonWhisperer
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As someone who has a 64 sq ft cabin, I would welcome all that extra space lol
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hattie
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# Posted: 24 Nov 2015 11:07 - Edited by: hattie
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IMO this would be totally impractical at that size to live in full time. Would make for a guest cabin or a kid's playhouse but that's about all. Unless your toilet and shower are next to your bed, I don't see how it can work.
I wouldn't want anything less than 500 sq. feet to live in full time. You have to think of things like grocery storage (unless your tiny cabin happens to be near a town), clothing storage (off season too), laundry (unless you are going to go to a laundromat every week - not nice - been there done that), space for a computer and somewhere to keep your files, etc. Even when you drastically downsize, there are still items you must have and some you just want to have to be comfortable.
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Julie2Oregon
Member
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# Posted: 24 Nov 2015 14:28
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Yes, I think this is meant to be more like a camper since it's built on a trailer. But who knows, lol. 
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LDamm
Member
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# Posted: 24 Nov 2015 16:44
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Where I come from, we call that a fish house.
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silverwaterlady
Member
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# Posted: 24 Nov 2015 18:38
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I find the price per square foot on most of the tiny houses on wheels outrageous.
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rockies
Member
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# Posted: 24 Nov 2015 20:07
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Really tiny houses annoy me. There! I said it and I'm glad! I think that after a certain point "living small" for these owners becomes a question of feeling "eco-smug" rather than building something actually functional.
I can almost hear them say "Really? YOU live in 85 square feet? I live in 84 square feet!" LA_DE_DA!
Plus, it's kinda ugly.
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Don_P
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# Posted: 24 Nov 2015 20:25 - Edited by: Don_P
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Bingo.
The price is outrageous because that niche is outrageous. Sure I've lived on the road building for many months at a time, you are certainly trading things that feed the soul when you squeeze into that environment.
It is not a sustainable dwelling, too small and not really charming enough to be preserved, they will more than likely end up in the landfill long before those materials should have been done. But that is sort of the nature of the (b)leading edge. Nothing wrong with going to school on whatever the trend is, "A wise man learns from the mistakes of others, a fool from his own".
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silverwaterlady
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# Posted: 25 Nov 2015 00:50
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Ok. Yes those homes on wheels annoy me as well. I retired from driving a semi. I drove from coast to coast. 1.5 million miles and never saw one of these structures tooling down the road.
I don't think most of them are built properly to sustain the speed limit on the interstate or the pounding on some of the rough roads. I don't think most drivers are trained to drive a structure like this. I see it as a huge safety issue.
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deryk
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# Posted: 25 Nov 2015 00:59
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I am cool with the tiny homes. Honestly they were built to be hauled much, just away around permits for most people and no increase in property taxes. I saw an 8.5' x 27' that I could easily live in, as long as I had a 12x12 shop to craft in.
I would never pay the prices many of the builders charge...80k for an 8.5' wide home that isn't on a foundation? No way.
But part of me likes the cozy small space, but for me being single it isn't a problem...I would need more space for certain if I was in a relationship living together.
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bugs
Member
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# Posted: 25 Nov 2015 08:31
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I find these "houses/cabins" just a reinvention of a 5th wheel, mobile home, camper. Nothing innovative here. Lots of people live all year round in 5th wheels and campers.
As to living in such a small space full time it is just like living in a small apartment which I have done for many years. Lots of people do it. Likely most people in the world live in a home of much less than 1000 square feet of space. You have to adapt to your space.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 25 Nov 2015 08:47
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Julie, because its mobile and under 500 sq feet (I think the law is 450 and under) no permit needed, its considered an RV. 
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 25 Nov 2015 08:52
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Quoting: rockies Really tiny houses annoy me. There! I said it and I'm glad! I think that after a certain point "living small" for these owners becomes a question of feeling "eco-smug" rather than building something actually functional.
I would agree about eco smug, but many do it because they just want a small house payment that they can easily afford and own in a few years too vs renting. Taxes are based on square footage also, so there is also a tax advantage.
On the other end of the spectrum is the guy who gloats about having more square footage than everyone else does too.
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Don_P
Member
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# Posted: 25 Nov 2015 18:03
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Quoting: toyota_mdt_tech Julie, because its mobile and under 500 sq feet (I think the law is 450 and under) no permit needed, its considered an RV.
Look for that inspection tag inside the door or panel area of an RV... my inspector does. Lacking that it goes back to IRC code for inspection, so that varies by jurisdiction.
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rockies
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# Posted: 25 Nov 2015 21:27 - Edited by: rockies
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There was a guy (Jay Shafer) involved in the tiny house movement who built up a company called "Tumbleweed Tiny Houses".
http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/
He left the company to his business partner and started another company (Four Lights Tiny House Company)
http://www.fourlightshouses.com/
These are about the only really small houses I like, and the reason I like them is because the owners have build dozens and dozens of tiny houses. They have worked through all the problems, studied what worked and what didn't, and then refined and refined their product to perfection.
Most people only build one or two small houses or cabins in their lifetimes, and because of that they focus either entirely on square footage or price. Design, beauty and functionality fall by the wayside. You get the same ugly, boring box over and over again.
If you don't have the time or the skill to plan out your small space to perfection, at least copy someone who has done it already.
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Julie2Oregon
Member
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# Posted: 25 Nov 2015 22:19
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Did you see the storage loft steps on that "four lights houses" site, rockies? I seriously want those plans!
Toyota, yeah, I was thinking that this was like a better constructed little camper! I can buy a used camper cheaper, though, and then harvest it for appliances and parts to use in the cabin after the shell's built.
Tiny houses fall into this nether region in the world of zoning. Not quite anything.  Some municipalities are changing that but not many and not quickly enough.
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martym
Member
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# Posted: 26 Nov 2015 12:06
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Its interesting to see the varied response to your original post Julie. Our responses reflect what each of us think when we hear the word cabin. And how it fits into our intended use.
The link you shared looks to me to be about as big as you could or should go on a single axle trailer.Trailer capacity plays a big role in design limits. As well as road legal size restrictions. For me and my wants, this example is to small and the gable roof makes possible additions more difficult. If I were just looking for a seasonal hunting cabin to easily drop into a semi remote location. Or maybe a canoe home base that could be dropped right by the waters edge for the season then moved out of the flood plane. Some thing like this might be a good solution.
I am to much of a cheep skate to pay the asking price. But that's just me. I tend to be to cheep to pay some one to do some thing for me that I can do myself. For the most part any way.
The tiny house I built on a trailer seemed to be the the best option to fit my needs and obstacles. I have a few acres about 8 hours from my home. I only get 6 weeks of vacation per year so travel time and expense are a major factor. It has taken 5 years for me and my sons to clear trees, put in a road and build a crappy but functional shack to store tools. My idea for a cabin in the woods was some thing that would be small enough to be easily maintained and of high enough quality that my sons would have something to share with there kids, If they choose to. With our limited time on site and the work we have done it quickly became clear that those working conditions and time constraints leeds to rushed and half a.. solutions and results. Not fitting my end goal. I am lucky that a have the space and a pretty nice wood shop at home. Cabinet and furniture making have always been a passion of mine. So a tiny but very well built house on the trailer seemed like a good compromise. I built this part of my cabin as the "core" . A highly functioning kitchen a use able bathroom and a place to sit if you need to get out of the weather. I used a shed style roof so future additions will be easier and hopefully look like they belong there and not just an afterthought. The cost of the trailer in my opinion was small in comparison to the time and expense of travel to the site. And building it at home gave me the time and tools to do the best job I could. The plan of towing down the road and even more frightening up my steep and ruff driveway, made me research building Hurricane and earthquake resistant technique's. So in my opinion it is extremely well built and fits my needs well.
Just another example of our cabins being as varied as we are.
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 27 Nov 2015 04:16
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martym
I agree with you. I try as hard as I can to shy away from making firm pronouncements about various styles of things because so much depends on individuals' budgets, lifestyles, uses, and preferences. I think we all have an "ideal" of what we'd like to have or do but that "ideal" might not be possible for a variety of reasons.
I find lots of things interesting and find value in looking at all sorts, shapes, and sizes of cabins and sites. For instance, at that tiny house site that rockies linked, there are plans for simple, space-efficient, storage loft stairs that would work great for my cabin!
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