Will’s Tarleton
March 23, 2009 · Print This Article
Will Pedersen from Abbotsford, BC, Canada is just finishing his Tumbleweed Tarleton.
It has taken Will about 5 months, working mostly by himself, to construct this masterpiece. Will has mostly adhered to the Tumbleweed plans and used materials that are available and in stock at local lumber/hardware stores. The windows, door and countertop are all custom made. Will says that he just loves the feel and design of the house.
Will has done most of the work himself, except for the hookup of the water and drain lines where a plumber friend assisted him. He also hired someone to do the electrical work and install the lights and outlets and hook the house up to the grid. You can view some pictures of the construction on the Tiny House Blog.
Will kept track of his expenses and lists them here: (Click on image to enlarge)
Approximate cost U.S. Dollars is $13,500. Of course this will vary across the country, but gives you a good idea of what to expect here in the U.S.
Will took lots of pictures during his construction and you can view pictures of the process at Will’s project on Flickr.
Will lives and works at Glen Valley Organic Farm, a cooperatively owned farm in Abbotsford, BC. The co-op wants people to work and live here, but only one single family house (already housing 5 people) is permitted on the 50 acre farm. So, a small mobile house is a perfect solution to farmer housing. The co-op sells at farmer’s markets in the greater Vancouver area (carrots, potatoes, beets, strawberries, raspberries and more).
This is beautiful. My wife and I are starting on a Fencl. We’ve been doing research for several months, and are now stating to order supplies and such. We’ll have the trailer in a week or so. It’s very exciting.
Jeff
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Donna F. reply on March 26th, 2009 11:17 pm:
Congratulations! I’m looking forward to that day myself…until then, I’ll live vicariously through you and others who have begun their tiny dream homes!
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Jay Shafer reply on March 31st, 2009 12:05 pm:
Hi Donna. I haven’t heard anything back from the proofreader yet, so, if you want the job, call me. I’ll email you my number.
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Donna F. reply on March 31st, 2009 8:32 pm:
SWEET! I’m ON IT! Thank you!!!
Jay Shafer reply on March 31st, 2009 11:28 am:
Good to see you both last Sunday, Jeff. I can’t wait to see pictures of your modifications.
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Wow looks great! We can not wait to start our project!!
Something I have yet to see is a picture of the underside of the home where the plumbing comes out of like the toilet, shower, and sinks ect…
R
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Will reply on March 28th, 2009 7:53 am:
Hi Richard-
I posted a couple of new photos on the Flickr page showing the underside where the plumbing comes in/out. I put five holes through the deck for the shower drain, the sink drain, the water supply line, the water heater overflow and gas line for the stove. I’m using a composting toilet so no drain was needed for this.
Good luck on your project!
Will
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Jay Shafer reply on March 31st, 2009 12:41 pm:
Taking down that kitchen wall looks great, Will. Thanks for inspiring us all.
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Will reply on April 1st, 2009 7:43 am:
Jay, I had the kitchen wall framed in then got the idea of taking it out to open the space up a bit. I just love the house! Thanks for inspiring me to build it.
Jay Shafer reply on March 31st, 2009 11:30 am:
I’ll try to take one of a house more standardized than mine. Essentially, we try to localize the feed lines and do the same with the disposal ones.
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Jeff Hemsley reply on March 31st, 2009 12:22 pm:
I have to say this would be helpful for us too. Any additional details / pictures would be helpful.
And, hi Jay! It was great to spend time with you the other day.
Jeff
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Jay Shafer reply on March 31st, 2009 11:31 am:
Check out the bottom of an RV if you can.
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[...] Will’s Tarleton [...]
[...] little help from a friend and a little professional electrical help. You can read the story on the Tumbleweed Blog and see exactly how he spent his money. There is an itemized list of all his [...]
Holy COW!
I was looking around for treehouse building plans and then somehow came across handmade homes and then THIS!! I adore it, it is beautiful! What are the chances something like this could go camping? Would it handle the journeys ok do you think? I couldn’t imagine having more fun with my little one in a real little house in the middle of the forest
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Jay Shafer reply on April 10th, 2009 4:20 pm:
These little houses can be towed quite easily.
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The house is great. I can’t wait to start my own little project. I always tell people work smarter and not harded because when you die you can’t take any of these expensive houses with you. So it’s better to enjoy life and the money that you work hard for. Instead of spending it on high property taxes, homes, and HOA. To me I always say little things mean alot appreciate what you got. And stop trying to keep up with the JONES. Just a few questions. Do you have to register your house as an RV or do you just register the flat bed? How do you mount the house onto the flatbed trailer? Would love to see pictures of that.
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Will reply on April 11th, 2009 7:28 pm:
I think that the specifics of registering your house depend on what state or province you live in. In my case the dealer delivered the trailer to the building site so I do not have to register the house at all until I intend to take it on the road. I think that to be taken on the road it would have to be registered in the same was as a travel trailer.
The house is mounted to the trailer using 3 inch screws. The trailer comes with deck boards running the length of the trailer (these are bolted on to the metal trailer frame). The screws are installed up through the trailer deck boards into the 2×4 floor framing. Then the walls and flooring are attached to the floor framing and so on.
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Jay Shafer reply on April 16th, 2009 9:22 am:
I just register the flatbed, and I lag bolt the house’s floor framing to the trailer deck in most cases.
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will is right…each state has there own laws for registering a trailer…it will be determined by weight and what you plan to tow on it…it will also have to pass an inspection for safety. to be sure, it is best to check the department of motor vehicles of the state you will be registering it in…in some states having insurance is a LAW and NOT an option! again, this will all depend on what you tow…in our case, a tiny house! i will be registering mine as an RV and insuring it regardless of what the state in which i register it requires. after all, if even a minor accident happens, it could cost me alot more if i DON’T have insurance than having insurance is going to cost…remember, cheap can be expensive!! saving money in some areas (like insurance) can cost you thousands in other areas (your new tiny house).
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Beautiful job. Thanks for sharing those great pics. Got my plans and will be starting soon. Did you consider extending the interior to the end of the trailer and having a “swing-down” hinged porch and awning?
I live where it’s cold and every inch of heated interior is valuable. Just curious.
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Will reply on April 25th, 2009 5:22 pm:
I did not seriously consider it though it is a good idea. I just built it according to the plans as much as possible, leaving the design to Jay.
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Den reply on April 25th, 2009 10:24 pm:
Thanks Will, he is a good designer and I like his plans. Nice craftsmanship on your part, too.
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I love that open look. Great work, Will! Enjoy your home and thanks for sharing.
~Dan
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Hi,
Does anyone know what kind of one cup coffee maker is sitting on the counter in the kitchen photo?
Dr. B
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Hey Will,
Amazing job on the tiny house!! It looks great. I am right on the other side of the border in Blaine and would love to see your house sometime. If you ever feel like giving a tour let me know when I could see it.
We are on a farm here in Blaine and would love to build one as an accessory dwelling. Seeing yours to get some tips and advice would be super cool.
Great job on the house!
Chris
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