Epu

89 square feet How do you measure square feet?
Ready made: $45,997           Build it yourself: $19,950
slideshow


House width: 8′ Porch: 7 ½’ x 3′
House length: 15′ Main Room: 6′ x 6 ½’
Trailer Size: What's this? 7′ x 14′ Kitchen: 4 ½’ x 4′
Road Height: 13′ 5″ Bathroom: 4′ x 2′
Dry Weight: What's this? 4700 lbs Ceiling height: 6′ 3″
all measurements are approximate Loft height: 3′ 8″


The EPU is the house that Jay Shafer lives in. You can watch the video of Jay in his house and also featured on Oprah. The EPU comes with a desk and fireplace in the main room; a kitchen; wet bath; and a loft upstairs. For its small size, the EPU has a large amount of storage space.

Learn more: Connecting to utilities, Purchasing a house, Building a house

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Comments

196 Responses to “Epu”

  1. Nancy Leonardini on May 26th, 2008 3:54 pm

    Just a few questions: you addressed building codes but what about zoning laws? Where can you park this home? What type of roof does it have? Also, does the little church window on your home come with the model when built?

    Reply to this comment

    Steve with Tumbleweed reply on May 26th, 2008 5:05 pm:

    Zoning and building codes vary in almost every city in this country. It makes it nearly impossible for us to answer questions specific to your area. Most county websites have a great deal of information about zoning codes. For instance, in our county of Sonoma, this home can be parked in an RV park (of course) or anywhere else you can legally park an RV. Whether or not you can park an RV on your property is usually governed by the CCR’s that were created when the developer subdivided the land that your house is now on. I’m digressing, as you can see, you’ll need to do your own research to find what applies to your area.
    The roof is made from metal, and can withstand the wear and tear of driving down the road. The little window on this house is a custom window. Jay actually made it himself. However, if you’re not that crafty, I suggest looking for a local glass maker to do it for you.

    Reply to this comment

    Craig reply on May 28th, 2008 9:19 pm:

    Hi Jay,

    Cool houses. Can you discuss the trailer (and wheels) a bit? Is it (are they) a permanent fixture to the house or can it (they) be removed? Seems like if it was not on a trailer or wheels, the house could be located in more places (zones) because it would not be considered an RV anymore(?)

    Thanks,
    Craig

    Reply to this comment

    Steve with Tumbleweed reply on May 28th, 2008 9:56 pm:

    The houses can be built different ways:
    1. On a permanent foundation
    2. Attached to a trailer
    3. As a portable unit that can be placed on a trailer or on a foundation.

    The type of trailer used in option 2 and option 3 are different. The type of trailer used in option 3 will have the entire trailer bed above the wheels. For that reason, you will not be able to drive it under low bridges. The trailer with the house in option 2 will fit under any bridge. The XS-House is the only small house we have that can fit on the trailer mentioned in option 2 and still be easily removable.

    julian reply on April 13th, 2009 12:40 am:

    What cuntury does this house come from?

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on April 16th, 2009 9:42 am:

    The U.S.. It lives in California.

    Reply to this comment

    Emmett reply on July 3rd, 2009 8:40 pm:

    Can the Epu be pulled by a Pick-up with a V6 engine? Does the dry weight include appliances?

    It’s a really exciting idea!

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on July 5th, 2009 12:04 pm:

    Take a look at the tow rating in the vehicle’s owner’s manual. If it is 4700 pounds or greater it will pull an Epu along with all the built-ins and appliances.

    Reply to this comment

    Carol Keck reply on October 29th, 2009 10:30 am:

    Hi,

    I love your houses!

    Could you answer a few questions?
    *On the mobile homes - when you live there, how do you wash your clothes? A public laundry?
    *Are your homes as susceptible to destruction by tornadoes as the other kind of mobile homes?
    *Can you insure a tiny house?
    *What do you think of three people living in a tiny house - one being a six-year-old boy who will be a teenager before you know it. I know the answer would have to be totally subjective and depends on a lot of things. Just wondered about your first thoughts on that were.

    Thanks!

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on November 4th, 2009 10:17 pm:

    1. Yes. a public laundry.
    2. Not if you tie them down.
    3. Some have. But it’s not easy.
    4. I certainly wouldn’t try it unless it had a private room for me and everyone else in it.

    Reply to this comment

  2. Bill on June 8th, 2008 9:17 pm

    Can the Lusby be built on trailer type 3. Then moved to a location, then placed on a foundation? In other words could it be left on the trailer for many years and then at some time be put on a more permanent foundation.

    Reply to this comment

    Steve with Tumbleweed reply on June 9th, 2008 7:33 pm:

    Any of our small homes can be removed from the trailer if desired. Some are designed with the trailer integral to the design, others are not. Obviously, if you’re planning on removing it from the trailer, you’d want to be sure to use the appropriate trailer to do so. I’m not familiar with a type 3 trailer. Basically, you would need a trailer where the entire bed is above the wheels. Our homes are designed for a typical flat bed trailer where the wheels peak above the bed. The considertaion with a bed above the wheels is the road height. If you do put it on a trailer with the bed above the wheels, you will not be able to drive under low bridges.

    Reply to this comment

  3. Tessa Walker on July 6th, 2008 11:32 pm

    Can the Epu be built with running water, or does its smaller size mean that it’s confined to the jug above the sink and the gravity-pressure shower shown in the video?

    Reply to this comment

    Steve with Tumbleweed reply on July 7th, 2008 5:19 pm:

    Yes, normally are homes are built with running water from an RV hose.

    Reply to this comment

  4. Ronnie Zukas on July 9th, 2008 2:06 pm

    I see you have a video tour of the Epu model on youtube, but no other video tour of your other house models. Is there anyway you can make video tours of your other houses?

    Reply to this comment

    Steve with Tumbleweed reply on July 9th, 2008 6:18 pm:

    Thanks for the suggestion. We’ll do that in the future as we build more homes.

    Reply to this comment

  5. Cullen on July 10th, 2008 8:31 am

    Hello,

    I had just a quick question. Can I see a basic layout of the house? I don’t need intricate details or plans, just a basic layout of the rooms. I’m building my own tiny house that I am designing and building myself.

    I don’t know what to do about rooms, and I needed ideas. I have a couple already, but I’m lost.

    I can understand if you don’t want to. I just hope you can help me out.

    Thank you.

    Reply to this comment

    Steve with Tumbleweed reply on July 10th, 2008 7:18 pm:

    We have pictures of floorplans on all our homes. They are usually the last picture in the set … just scroll through all the pictures.

    Also, our portfolio of homes has flooplans of our homes.

    Reply to this comment

  6. Matt on July 13th, 2008 9:20 pm

    I’ve got quite a few questions;

    First, you said that your home was 96 square feet but the epu is listed as being 89 square feet. Is yours modified from the standard epu floor plan? If so, how?

    Second, do you have a generator for electricity?

    Third, if you had an RV hose, where would you get your water? (I can’t believe you shower so fast)

    Finally, do all of the homes come with compost toilets or can they be hooked up to city sewage?

    Reply to this comment

    Steve with Tumbleweed reply on July 14th, 2008 12:21 am:

    The difference in square footage is because Jay had previously listed approximate square footage on the website. While the dimensions are aproximately 8 x 12 feet (which equals 96), the house isn’t exactly 8 feet wide. I used the actual dimensions for the square footage listed.

    Some houses are on solar, others are on conventional electricty.

    The RV hose would be connected to a water spout. The difference between an RV hose and a garden hose is that an RV hose wont give you that funny taste in the water when the hose sits out in the sun too long.

    The house can come with your choice of a compost toilet or can be hooked up to city sewer.

    Reply to this comment

    AltE Sasch reply on January 14th, 2009 2:18 am:

    The beauty of smallness of space is of course the tendancy of smallness of energy consumption. These homes lend themselves wonderfully to the small, more affordable DIY’er solar panel systems we offer (oriented towards cabins) at AltE - see the kits section at http://www.AltEnergyStore.com and then go to Off-grid Residential Systems.

    I’m interested in hearing how have others gone about mounting the inverter, batteries and power panel in/on the home for off-grid living? It seems to conserve space it would preferable to keep it mounted on the exterior wall in a protective shed.

    Another option would seem to be like in RV (or in my old Chevy S-10 electric truck fort that matter!), you make a battery rack that slides underneath the home.

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on January 15th, 2009 5:06 pm:

    I like keeping the panels off the roof so you can park in the shade during the summer.

  7. Bonnie Lehigh on July 14th, 2008 12:48 am

    Hi
    I cant get the pictures to come up on your website. Can you send me a brochure so I can see the insides of the houses? Thanks Bonnie Lehigh, Renton Washington

    Reply to this comment

    Steve with Tumbleweed reply on July 14th, 2008 12:55 am:

    Hi, I’m sorry the pictures aren’t working for you. Which type of web browser do you have? Try looking at http://flickr.com/photos/13664360@N08/
    We don’t have a brochure to mail (our website is our brochure), but our portfolio of homes has many picutres of our homes.

    Reply to this comment

  8. Joe on July 14th, 2008 5:14 am

    Does Jay’s spiget, mentioned in the Oprah segment, just filter water from a stream or something?

    Reply to this comment

  9. Julie on July 22nd, 2008 4:58 pm

    Thanks Jay, for showing the world that there’s another way, and that you don’t have to spend your whole life working to pay off a mortgage. I hope lots of people take your work to heart. You rock!

    Reply to this comment

  10. Val on July 30th, 2008 7:06 pm

    I’m interested in the vendor of the small propane fireplace in the Epu shown on the web site. I am in need of a small fireplace in my own home and this would fit the bill. Can you give me a name, web site, e-mail address, phone #, any leads?
    Thanks!

    Reply to this comment

    Mike reply on August 8th, 2008 6:23 pm:

    The propane ‘fireplace’ shown is from Dickinson. It’s a marine heater. They also sell a ’sleeve’ for the piping, as it gets hot when in use. I’ve included the link.

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on August 20th, 2008 3:17 am:

    dickinsonmarine.com

    Reply to this comment

  11. lynn on August 2nd, 2008 2:54 am

    Does anyone know what sort of property taxes one has to pay when living on land with an R.V.? How much better is it than with a home, homeowners taxes, etc.?

    Reply to this comment

    Colin reply on August 30th, 2008 12:20 am:

    Varies by state. Usually if you can drive it down the road then there is no prop tax because it is not real property. However, you are not free from the tax man as you will (must likely) need to pay for sales tax, tags, and periodic registration. It would cost about $2900 (mostly in tax) to register an Epu as an RV in my state. Or you could register trailer, then build house and tell them “I’m just moving a lot”.

    Reply to this comment

  12. Kresimir Kos on August 8th, 2008 7:19 am

    When I received your package with the books, at first I was dissapointed with the content - three little brochure-like books and one bigger. “Maybe they sent out just the brochures and books will arrive later” went through my head. But no, those were the books themself.

    Luckily, the books proved the idea of the Thumbleweed houses - great things don’t have to come in big packages.

    Thank you for the really excellent books and ideas in there!

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on August 20th, 2008 1:45 am:

    Thank you so much. I kept them as small as I could w/out cutting substance.

    Reply to this comment

  13. Daniel on August 30th, 2008 10:56 am

    Cool to see the pictures out on the road now. House is looking great!

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on September 1st, 2008 8:10 pm:

    Just you wait, Daniel. The best is yet to come. I’ll be posting a great documentary Greg and I made as soon as I get the music rights.

    Thanks.

    Reply to this comment

    Daniel reply on September 30th, 2008 3:49 pm:

    Just saw it… look pretty good. Looks like the tiny house almost didn’t make it into the ferry…. Makes me wish I could start building now.

    Reply to this comment

  14. Gerry on September 7th, 2008 9:13 pm

    Is the window in the loft big enough for a normal sized person to fit through in the event of an emergency such as a fire?

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on September 11th, 2008 5:32 pm:

    At 5′-10″ and 160 lb, I’m fairly normal (at least in this regard), and I fit. I wouldn’t recommend it to any giants though.

    Reply to this comment

    Daniel reply on September 17th, 2008 1:14 pm:

    I’m 6′5″ and looking at changing a few things (along with height) whenever I am able to build so it will work for me.

    Reply to this comment

  15. Gerry on September 7th, 2008 9:32 pm

    For others that are interested here are a couple of more tours of the Epu that Jay lives in:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-q3yrsTAJQ

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDwbKN4jqhM

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbRvsWuWNUM

    Reply to this comment

  16. nancy peters on September 30th, 2008 4:24 pm

    love reading all these comments. I’m so obsessed with tiny homes that i carry your books with me everywhere. As an oldster I am intereted in your z-glass. One of these days I may not be able to climb into a loft. i have a spot for the z, just waiting for the time and cash to put it up. Thanks for all the info.

    Reply to this comment

    betsy mccullen reply on November 6th, 2008 10:03 pm:

    nancy, i’m kind of an oldster too (57) and would be interested in communicating with older women and/or women over 40ish (or any age really) who have built or are interesting in building a tiny house. it would be neat to see what their experiences & challenges have been. i need to think about climbing into the loft every night to go to bed someday, but i could still use it for my tiny art/writing studio. i too carry jay’s little books all over the place with me :)

    Reply to this comment

    Mokihana reply on November 9th, 2008 10:49 pm:

    Betsy, I will celebrate my 61st next week and goddess willing I will celebrate my 62nd in the vardo my husband and I are building now. Jay’s workshop a year ago fueled our original motive to build a tiny mobile safe home. The VardoForTwo is a large single room (8×12) on a trailer, designed specifically because I have Multiple Chemical Sensitivities. Visit our blog to follow the daily experiences of building it if you’d like. We welcome you and your comments as well. See us at http://www.vardofortwo.blogspot.com

    Reply to this comment

  17. Steven McDaniel on October 4th, 2008 3:30 am

    I saw a story tonight on NBC news about on downsizing and Dee Williams house and began searching the web for log cabin rv’s and came across your Epu. I just love it and it has literally made a big change in my retirement plans. As a “baby boomer” I thought I would never get old…ha! So haven’t saved like I should. I bought and sold a couple of condos and now have a condo that I owe more on than is presently worth, otherwise I would sell it as soon as I could and buy one of your homes. Thanks Bush! Anyway, my plan is to have you build me one of these homes. I’m going to check out financing as I won’t retire for another 4 or 5 years. I know I can rent out my condo until this real estate market comes back, and live in my new small home. I’m going to check out the RV places and see about putting the home there until I retire. I do have two questions for you. How much does the home weight? I have a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee and not sure if I can haul it? And secondly, how long does it take you to build one, and does it have to paid for in full before you start building? Thanks. Your doing a great job to get us all back to being “green” and sensible about how much space we need to live in. I just love what you’ve done to yours. I like the idea that you can be creative with the Epu, and make it your own.
    Steven

    Reply to this comment

    Daniel reply on October 5th, 2008 3:07 pm:

    if you’re new to the tiny house stuff… check out http://www.tinyhouseblog.com Lot’s of other ideas there too.

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on October 7th, 2008 5:25 pm:

    I look forward to seeing that piece on Dee.

    The Epu weighs about 4700 pounds. I just rent a U-Haul or pick-up when I nee to move my house.

    Eight to twelve weeks.

    Reply to this comment

  18. Amy Morrison on October 7th, 2008 6:15 pm

    hi, was wondering if you have any plans for a 12′ x 12′ or 10′ x 10′ footprint? If not you do you know where I can find any great designs that would fit those requirements? Thanks for any of your help and have an amazing day.

    Reply to this comment

    Andrew J reply on October 8th, 2008 6:48 am:

    The XS House or the Tinapple would seem to come closest that requirement. They’re both 10 x 7, I think. I bet you could square at least the latter one up, if that’s important.

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on October 8th, 2008 11:50 pm:

    Check out the resources link at the bottom of our home page, Amy. Someone’s got to have what you need.

    Reply to this comment

  19. Stephanie on October 13th, 2008 11:44 pm

    Hi Jay! Trailer shopping and need some clarification. Your plans specify a flatbed trailer with a GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) of 10k. However, most flatbeds out there are 7k. I visited a local trailer dealer and noticed that the bed of the 10k model stands higher off the ground than the 7k. Is a 10k GVWR absolutely necessary??? I can’t wait for my tiny house “barn raising” next spring!!! Thanks!

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on October 14th, 2008 4:07 pm:

    Hi Stephanie.

    Go for the 7k trailer. If you can find one with two 5k axles that’s less than 24″ at the deck… great, but that extra suspension is just meant to cover any variability in the weight of materials. Just choose the 2×4s that tend to be on the lighter side and don’t let your framing get wet as you build. Or use metal framing. That would work very well too. In any case, you can buy the smaller trailer.

    Reply to this comment

    Stephanie reply on October 15th, 2008 2:42 am:

    Thanks, Jay! Oh, now I’m going to throw you for a loop…you might not have the answer to this one, but just in case…! I’m probably going to build with structural insulated panels (SIPS)…I wonder what traditional 2×4 construction weighs (approximately) per square foot. Any idea?

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on October 15th, 2008 6:07 pm:

    I once had a specific answer to this question. Now, I can only say that SIPS are lighter. The modification should be an improvement. Please send photos.

    Eileen reply on March 14th, 2009 10:58 am:

    I am really interesed in seeing pictures of your new SIP tiny tumbleweed house and hearing about your experience in building it.

    Eileen

    Jay Shafer reply on March 15th, 2009 5:10 pm:

    While we have no plans to build a SIP Tumbleweed, someone out there should try adapting our plans to do so.

    Harvey Millstone reply on March 14th, 2009 1:41 pm:

    Several months back, I wrote and asked why you couldn’t use SIP and the response I got back gave me the impression that whoever had wrote the response didn’t think they would be able to take the wind loading if you were to trailer the house. Then now I see this comment from Eileen asking to see pics of one built from, SIPs !
    Where can I find those pics as well please?

    Jay Shafer reply on March 15th, 2009 5:12 pm:

    We have no plans to build with SIPs yet.

  20. Jordan Lender on October 22nd, 2008 3:56 am

    Hey. My family just bought a house a little ways from New York City with a great lake in the backyard. instead of restoring the old barn into a guesthouse, this seems to be a much better alternative. I was wondering where I can buy an already made model?
    Thanks,
    Jordan

    Reply to this comment

  21. Laurette McCook on October 22nd, 2008 10:52 pm

    I want to know if it’s possible to order the Epu (or another of your
    tiny houses and NOT have the kitchen or shower in. Just shelves
    desk, refrig, toilet . More of a writing place than a complete home.
    Fireplace heater..yes. In other words, can we request changes
    by eliminating some of the extras?

    Thanks!

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on October 29th, 2008 2:44 am:

    It will be much more affordable. We can do that.

    Reply to this comment

  22. neonascent » Blog Archive » Walking house on October 23rd, 2008 3:46 pm

    [...] The Tumbleweed Tiny House Company does a good job at a more practical movable house. [...]

  23. It’s Hard to Make a Footprint When There’s Barely Room to Walk on October 24th, 2008 12:01 am

    [...] home we got a tour of in the video isn’t even the smallest available: while his (the “Epu” model) is a scant 89 square feet, the aptly-named XS-House trumps them all at an astonishing [...]

  24. carmme on November 3rd, 2008 12:59 pm

    can the wheel be takin off?
    can it be made wheel chair able?

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on November 4th, 2008 5:21 pm:

    Yup. Yup.

    Reply to this comment

  25. Brandon on November 6th, 2008 4:13 am

    I’m thinking about getting the Epu in a few years and i was wondering about a few things. First, is that I was planning on taking the Epu to college, and what would this entail as far as sewage and water? Or is this just a bad idea?
    Second, there’s a ventless washer dryer combo unit and is adding an electrical outlet and water hook-ups in one of the downstairs closets possible? Here is a link to the unit, it includes dimensions in the specifications tab.
    http://www.compactappliance.com/LG-WM3431HW-Ventless-Direct-Drive-Washer-Dryer-Combo/WM3431HW,default,pd.html
    Thank you!

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on November 6th, 2008 2:37 pm:

    I wish I had had the foresight to take an Epu to college.

    The washer won’t quite fit in the primary closet as it is designed at 19″ deep. This could be adjusted.

    Reply to this comment

  26. Brandon on November 7th, 2008 1:37 am

    Hehe, we are concerned though with where we would hook it up. Water is my biggest concern, whereas I’d just use solar panels and occasionally a gas generator when needed. Any suggestions?
    Are there any cabinets deep enough under the desk or in the kitchen?

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on November 7th, 2008 1:50 pm:

    There are too many answers to this question for me to detail, but a tank under the counter would work as would water catchment, a well or simply a hose hooked up to city utilities (if you’re in the city).

    Reply to this comment

    Brandon reply on November 8th, 2008 4:40 am:

    Are there any cabinets deep enough under the desk or in the kitchen to fit the combo washer/dryer?

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on November 8th, 2008 4:15 pm:

    No but you could just put a tiny lean-to shed on the tongue of the trailer to house it.

  27. BD Simpson on November 8th, 2008 4:51 am

    Just a few questions. I am wanting to know if this little houses require a 5th wheel or if they can be ordered with one? I am not sure which way we are leaning on the tow package yet, but I was wondering which is standard.
    Also when we order the house from you guys, do you paint the houses to the customers specs or one color for all?

    Thanks for your time

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on November 8th, 2008 4:11 pm:

    We do not usually build them as a 5th wheel.
    Just send us a swatch, and we will paint the siding to match.

    Reply to this comment

  28. Jamie on November 8th, 2008 8:33 pm

    I really love the idea of a vardo in place of a standard RV, but they don’t have all the features I want. The Epu’s features and layout is perfect. Do you think it would be possible to alter the roofline to make the Epu look more like a vardo? Possibly with a popup to allow more headroom in the loft? Kind of like this one: http://www.enslin.com/rae/gypsy/vardo15.html

    Reply to this comment

    Mokihana reply on November 9th, 2008 10:37 pm:

    We are building a vardo on a 12 foot trailer. We took Jay’s workshop in Summer of 07 and blue-skied the idea in class. What we are building is a hybrid of those ideas. Rae Enslin’s vardo site (the one you link to above) inspired us too. “Modifying” the roofline is more like a big leap … building arches is way different from a peak. We are making the vardo as it was originally(but we are kitted for electricity): a single room with bath and cooking done outside. If you’re interested check our blog: http://www.vardofortwo.blogspot.com for the process we’re going through.

    Reply to this comment

    Andrew J reply on November 10th, 2008 1:40 am:

    This actually seems to kind of what you’re talking about- I saw it on the Tiny House Blog.

    http://www.gypsycoach.com/

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on November 10th, 2008 2:49 pm:

    Cute!

    Reply to this comment

    Mokihana reply on November 10th, 2008 5:36 pm:

    Wow, this IS cute. Let the revolution roll.

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on November 10th, 2008 3:16 pm:

    Yes. You could easily put a bow top roof on the Epu.

    Reply to this comment

  29. Francis on November 13th, 2008 5:20 am

    hum. I’ve been addicted to your site and to the Idea of living it small and simple but one shot and silly question just poped out of my head :

    How the heck do you put your mattress upstairs ?

    hun?? that’s a hard one, isn’t it ??

    beside that,

    Thank you Jay for all your inspiration !

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on November 13th, 2008 5:04 pm:

    I roll up a piece of 4″ high-density foam. It’s very comfy. Be sure to put it on top of some small pieces of wood with space between them for ventilation.

    Reply to this comment

  30. Calgar C on November 22nd, 2008 9:32 pm

    i have a few new questions. do you have any links on where i can find the “trailer” or wheels to mount my home.

    i also created a basic design and am trying to fit a complete turntable system (2 tables, mixer) and this http://calgarc.deviantart.com/art/desktop-97354555 any ideas

    i found a link you might want to add to your resources page too :D http://www.solarhome.org/

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on November 23rd, 2008 1:37 pm:

    Just be sure to get a trailer with an adequate suspension system.

    Reply to this comment

    Steve with Tumbleweed reply on November 26th, 2008 2:09 am:

    http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/build-it-yourself/trailers/

    Reply to this comment

  31. KY on November 27th, 2008 2:42 pm

    Can the bathroom be made like the one from Martin house company, using water proof cedar walls instead of the metal one shown in your pictures.

    Here’s what i’m talking about.
    http://www.lodge-on-wheels.com/images/LOW_Interior_web24.jpg

    Reply to this comment

  32. Stephanie on December 1st, 2008 8:40 pm

    Hi Jay!

    I would love to use the Dickinson heater, but a friend of mine suggested that they may not operate well much above sea level. The company confirmed that, while they have never tested them at higher elevations, this could be true. Do you know of anyone who has used them at higher elevations and if so, how high?

    Thanks! :-)

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on December 1st, 2008 9:37 pm:

    There’s a couple that bought my XS-House and moved it to Teluride. I heard from them about a year later and they only had praise for their new home. That doesn’t really mean the heater worked well though. I don’t know anything beyond that.

    Reply to this comment

    Stephanie reply on December 3rd, 2008 6:42 am:

    Any chance you can forward my email / question to them? Or ask them if they would be open to talking with me?

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on December 4th, 2008 2:47 am:

    Sorry, Stephanie. I try my darndest not to bother the people who have bought our houses. I bet something could be found out by googling it. But that’s my answer to everything these days.

  33. Stephanie on December 7th, 2008 4:07 pm

    Well, thanks anyway, Jay! If anyone out there has experience with the Dickinson heater at higher elevations, I’d love to hear from you!

    Reply to this comment

  34. timn!! on December 12th, 2008 8:35 pm

    i absolutely adore your company! the epu is pretty much my dream house and i show your site to everyone! i have yet to have anyone think a smaller house is a bad idea - but then we live in a 5000sq ft average house area. (which leaves about 6 feet between your house and your neighbour’s… eww!)

    i’ll definitely be working towards this - thanks for having such a great, professional site!

    Reply to this comment

  35. Eliel Bragatti on December 27th, 2008 3:31 am

    Hi Jay!!!
    I saw about you and your invention, the little house, in the TV over here in Brasil, where I live.
    I loved so much, I was thinking the same thing here and when I saw your example I am so decided to build my own house also. And I will do now, next month, January 2009.
    This is a better way to live, I believe, because is less Nature resources used to buid the house and living in. Theremore we can move anytime we want, in this time of changings, naturals and economicals changings, that is The Way.
    Congratulations my brother, you are an ecological guy, we must have a simple life, simple life´s style.
    Your brother from Sao Paulo, Brasil,
    Eliel Bragatti. SP 27-12-2008 1:30am

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on January 1st, 2009 2:08 am:

    Right on, Eliel. Please send pictures.

    Reply to this comment

  36. Ayala Talpai on January 7th, 2009 7:19 am

    Delighted to see this get-smart movement is well under way!!
    Being by choice of small budget and disinterested in house maintenance, I’ve always chosen to live small– trailers, a 10-man Army tent, cabins– currently a 20′ wood yurt with a couple of wings, 6 or 700 sq’, and one room empty, too much space!!
    (As a Wool Woman I must admit to a little tin shed for the wool…)

    We are surprised by how much these little places cost! We bought a ‘tarpaper shack’ yurt kit from OR Yurts, that is no doors, windows, insulation, siding or drywall– for $7k about 10 yrs ago, plus something for post & piers foundation. Put it up with some other carpenter friends in a day of partying on the side, still diddling around with trim… maybe got $20K into it totally. Scrounged old-growth doug fir lumber 2nd hand from the ’30’s, living in this Craftsman style jewel box happily ever after.

    More power to you! We recommend more scrounging. Beautiful stuff out there.

    Reply to this comment

  37. karen Bailey on January 8th, 2009 1:55 am

    I think these little houses are wonderful. I would like to have one of these at some point if I could ever find cash. Thanks for nice website and ideas

    Reply to this comment

  38. rob on January 10th, 2009 2:33 pm

    I love your ideas for these houses but being 6′4″ I hope you decide to raise the celing level to 7′ in the future so tall people like me who may decide to buy a tumbleweed house will not scrape the tops of their heads on the low celings

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on January 10th, 2009 9:27 pm:

    Duly noted. In the mean time we have stretched them on occasion.

    Reply to this comment

  39. Alex on January 20th, 2009 5:02 am

    can you customize the floorplans for the ready built houses?

    like, the epu, but with a couch like the xs-house, the heater where it is in the xs-house, and the sink on the same wall as the stove?

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on January 21st, 2009 12:48 am:

    That would be pretty easy.

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on January 21st, 2009 12:49 am:

    I could redraw it for $100.

    Reply to this comment

  40. Stephanie on January 21st, 2009 2:22 am

    I’ve been wanting to build one of these houses for some time now, but I’m worried about what would happen if things changed 10 or 20 years down the road. Right now, my lifestyle can fit in a small space, but I’ve been advised by everyone I know that life can change, and when it does, I want to be living in an investment and not an economic niche. I’m starting to have doubts. Jay has moved space-wise, made the change from big to small to slightly less small. I’m interested in hearing what his (and others’) experiences are when it comes to selling (or moving out of, or modifying) their tiny houses for houses that fit lives that grow larger.

    And a related question, would it be wise, or even possible, to affix a trailer home to a foundation after it has been constructed, so that additions may be made?

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on January 25th, 2009 2:54 am:

    I know I could sell my house if I wanted to. But it’s more likely that I will just keep my house as life and use it in different ways as circumstances dictate. It could be a guest house, an extra bedroom, etc…

    Reply to this comment

  41. nevo on February 4th, 2009 12:11 pm

    would it be possible to get rain water and than filter it in this home?

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on February 4th, 2009 7:47 pm:

    Yup.

    Reply to this comment

    nevo reply on February 4th, 2009 8:26 pm:

    Have you ever done it before?

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on February 6th, 2009 1:31 am:

    No. Try googling “rainwater catchment”.

  42. sertan on February 11th, 2009 12:03 pm

    Simply perfectly to have such mobile house I the builder and the fisherman. Always dreamt to have such mobile habitation

    Reply to this comment

  43. terry on February 14th, 2009 7:53 pm

    I have a question about the suitability of the Tumbleweed house as an RV, in place of a traditional travel trailer.

    Do you think that traveling over rough roads, in a variety of weather conditions, would cause structural damage to the house?

    In other words, will they hold up to road wear or are they best for just keeping in one place and only moving when necessary?

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on February 21st, 2009 10:56 am:

    They will hold up to anything any other RV can take, but, if you’re going to be traveling a lot, consider getting a more streamlined trailer for fuel-efficiency. My houses weren’t really designed for frequent travel.

    Reply to this comment

  44. gou on February 15th, 2009 6:18 am

    hello .
    your disign very good !!!
    i’m in korea leave …
    and not english

    you!!!! best best best

    thank you~

    Reply to this comment

    Donna F. reply on February 15th, 2009 7:14 am:

    I agree with you, Gou…He’s the BEST!

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on February 21st, 2009 11:05 am:

    Thanks, Gou!

    Reply to this comment

  45. MPL on February 19th, 2009 4:50 am

    What happens when you want to change the mattress

    Reply to this comment

    Donna F. reply on February 19th, 2009 3:32 pm:

    Hi MPL,
    Jay said (in another topic) that he uses foam mattresses in his houses. That makes sense because foam has the flexibility to roll up and squeeze through the tiny openings.

    I plan to keep my queen size memory foam mattress, as I am certain I can condense it small enough…even if we have to use a gigantic plastic casing and vacuum all the air out…we’ll get it in somehow!

    Reply to this comment

    betsy reply on February 20th, 2009 12:20 am:

    try an aerobed too…you can deflate it until you get into the loft. OR…my personal favorite is a sleep number bed by select comfort ( http://www.selectcomfort.com/video/mattress_information.cfm )…just buy a mattress. it has foam sides, plastic corners & a heavy duty air mattress that all zips inside to make it look like a regular mattress. its light and easy to carry even when fully entact. i can take mine apart and it fits in the trunk of my car. its VERY comfy!!

    Reply to this comment

    Donna F. reply on February 20th, 2009 1:50 am:

    Wow! I had no idea they were so portable! Perhaps I’ll get that one for me and give my memory foam to my daughter…she’s been wanting it.

    Betsy, do you feel a gap in the middle…since there seems to be two air mattresses that would be my only concern…a gap in the middle. I need something better for my back–owie!

    Thanks for this post!

    Reply to this comment

    betsy reply on February 20th, 2009 2:54 am:

    donna, the gap is really only a foam divider but i have friends that say you can feel it if you get too close to the middle. mine is FULL size with only 1 chamber. i know that the full also comes with dual chambers so make sure you are only getting the ONE chamber if you want just the 1. you might even consider a twin which only comes with 1 chamber. with these beds you will be so comfortable when you fall asleep, you won’t even need to move around to get comfy. you just adjust the air once and its good until some night you want it harder or softer. btw, its great for back owies!!

    Jay Shafer reply on February 22nd, 2009 5:10 am:

    It’s foam, so it is easily removed.

    Reply to this comment

  46. Kay Graham on February 19th, 2009 9:37 pm

    I have always loved small houses and want to build one but my husband thinks it is completely nuts especially since we already have more houses than two people really need. Have you considered a forum where I could post my otherwise perfectly good spouse to be traded for a small house spouse? C’mon, it could work out.

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on February 22nd, 2009 5:14 am:

    Not yet, but now that you’ve planted the seed…

    Reply to this comment

  47. Space - the Final Frontier? « Marie on March 2nd, 2009 10:26 pm

    [...] out and buy my own space. I investigated a lot of potential solutions.  I loved the small homes at Tumbleweed houses.  They even had a house that was only 89 square feet! But the houses included a kitchen which I [...]

  48. Greg on March 3rd, 2009 1:08 am

    Hi Jay,

    What do you do with all the plates and glasses on your shelves when you’re trailering? Is that how you normally “display” them or was that just for the photo shoot? How would you deal with them so you wouldn’t have to pack them in a box every time you wanted to move the house? Same with the pots & pans hanging in the kitchen.

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on March 5th, 2009 7:01 pm:

    I put them in boxes on the bathroom floor. If I was towing my house around more, I’d put elastic bands in front of them or slats of wood, like they do on boats.

    Reply to this comment

  49. Sebastian Zurawski on March 10th, 2009 10:35 am

    Hi,

    I’m thinking about building an Epu house in Norway where I live. I was wondering how the house is adapted for heavy snow and low temps? And is it possible to buy just the plans, since transporting all the components to Norway would be expensive I think. Norway is into ecology and smart houses, so I think this would be a great project.

    Seb.

    Reply to this comment

    Donna F. reply on March 10th, 2009 4:41 pm:

    Hi Sebastian,
    Yes, Jay sells just the plans. As a matter of fact, he sells only the plans to overseas. Buy the plans and show us your home when it’s done! Have a look at another fellow’s tiny home across the seas: http://tinyhouseblog.com/stick-built/kais-german-weebee/

    Best wishes on your tiny house adventure!

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on March 13th, 2009 8:12 pm:

    Hi Seb. The Epu is great in cold weather and snow. The plans can be purchased right here on our website… http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/plans/purchase/

    Reply to this comment

  50. Tracie the Red on March 10th, 2009 6:19 pm

    Would these houses be able to withstand hurricane force winds? I live in Florida where hurricanes can be a problem.

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on March 13th, 2009 8:18 pm:

    Yes. Use tie-downs, and turn one of the narrow ends to the wind if possible.

    Reply to this comment

  51. betsy on March 10th, 2009 9:07 pm

    one of the (many) great things about having a tiny house in a hurricane area is that when you get the warnings, you can just drive you, your house and your belongings out of danger before it hits :)

    Reply to this comment

    Donna F. reply on March 11th, 2009 3:00 am:

    LOL…unless you’re in Houston and then you get trapped on the interstate for 18 hours! LOL..seriously…I had a friend to tell me it took her 18 hours to drive from Houston to Dallas during Hurricane Rita…which turned out to be not bad…but traffic out there is really really bad!

    The rolling Tumbleweeds are constructed using the hurricane clamps for the rafters on the roof, cuz when you pull it down the interstate, you are exposing it to hurricane force wind. But, my only concerns with a Tumbleweed surviving an actual hurricane would be…
    1. Would it float (it is made of wood, which does float, but it is so heavy, WOULD it actually float if a flood happened) and
    2. Since it is on wheels, would a big gust of wind turn it over? It is pretty tall, after all.

    Jay said something about tie downs somewhere else, and I do know manufactured mobile homes have aluminum straps built into the frames and they have to be anchored pretty far into the ground (there’s actually a code somewhere about it). But, I haven’t seen anything like tie downs being made into an actual tiny house anywhere…so, I’m wondering about that myself…Jay?

    Reply to this comment

    Paul Guyon reply on March 11th, 2009 2:44 pm:

    I’ve been living in a travel trailer of one sort or another for over 12 years here in Floriday. Basically, you have to get out of the way of hurricane. BUT, you have to get out of the way early on, not wait until the last moment, like all those people did in Texas Donna F mentions. I think they will take the winds of up to a class two hurricane (about 100 mph), but doubt they’d survive a class four or five. Here in Florida, you have to build walls with at least 2X6s and use 16″ spacing on the walls. The tiny houses here use 2X4s and 24″ spacing for the walls, but on the other hand they are small and the spans are quite a bit less than a normal house. I’m not an engineer, so don’t know. When I build, I plan to use 16″ spacing on the walls even though I know it will increase the weight of the house/trailer. Tie downs would help, but my plans are, always, to tow it out of the way. Tie downs would make that much more difficult! I’ pretty sure the Tumbleweed houses could take the winds from the front of the trailer/back of the house, but would be knocked over from the side. During a hurricane, you’ll most likely experience winds from all sides as the system goes over you. I doubt it will float, but a few 55 gallon drums on the bottom might help (lol)? If they did float, I’m guessing they would turn turtle, or at least on their side and do more damage than just letting them get wet.

    If you are living in a Tumbleweed tiny house and a huricane is coming, tow it out of the way. If, for whatever reason, you can’t tow it out of the way, get yourself out of the way. I can tell you from experience, you do not want to stay inside a trailer or house during a huricane!

    Reply to this comment

    Donna F. reply on March 11th, 2009 3:28 pm:

    Hey Paul,
    So, will you also use 2×6’s or will you go with the 2×4’s when you build your tiny house?

    Jay Shafer reply on March 13th, 2009 8:20 pm:

    Thanks, Paul.

    Charmaine D. reply on March 28th, 2009 8:38 pm:

    I live in tornado country, so I’ve pondered this question also. The best idea I’ve come up with is to have it on land where I would also have a very wind-resistant (domelike, or semi-underground and earth-bermed?) garage. Sort of a “sheltering garage” with a driveway into it, that is near where the tiny house normally sits and that you could just tow your tiny house into when severe weather threatens. It would only need to be big enough to tow the house and your vehicle into, but you could stockpile some extra water, canned goods, etc. in there too, and maybe have a couple of extra bunks in there for friends who might be around at the time. You’d want a shelter that can handle the elements. Maybe, for hurricanes, a low dome that can shed winds of 200+ mph? They make such things for Antarctic research stations, etc. Obviously you wouldn’t want a semi-underground “garage” that might flood in hurricane country, but for tornado country it might be just the thing. If you don’t have a tow vehicle handy at the time, I’ve seen mechanisms before that would allow you to tow an RV-type trailer by hand for a very short distance, sort of a towing dolly. Progress would be slow, and you’d probably want a paved or concrete driveway to tow it over for low rolling resistance, but this might work. Depending on how heavy the house is, though, you might not want to tow it back uphill if you’re using the underground garage option. A good reason to use bamboo flooring?? :-D Of course, you wouldn’t want to use any propane appliances that have to be vented while the whole house is inside the shelter. Hmmm……

    Jay Shafer reply on March 13th, 2009 8:19 pm:

    True that.

    Reply to this comment

    Bill Rockhill (Bear Creek Carpentry) reply on April 13th, 2009 8:28 am:

    Hello Charmaine
    Being a builder and understanding costs and practicality an above ground heavily reinforced concrete building even with a flat roof in florida would be much less expensive more maintainable and useable year round as garage / bunk house / storeroom and if you use the new (I.c.f. ) products like “Logix” i prefer 8″ concrete cavity it will be very inexpensive to keep cool.
    I hope this helps
    Bill Rockhill

    Reply to this comment

  52. Paul Guyon on March 14th, 2009 1:17 pm

    Donna F:
    I’ll be using 2×4s because with 2×6s there wouldn’t be enough width left over. I’ve developed a floor plan I like, but getting everything into six and half feet was difficult. I’d loose another four inches. In addition, I think with only six and half to seven foot span, 2×4s will be strong enough - if I use good, strong high quality wood. Since I live and will probably build in Florida I’m thinking cypress would be a good material, even though it weighs a bit more than the cedar Jay calls for. Plus, as mentioned, I, along with my home, aren’t going to be staying in the path of any hurricanes that come along!

    Reply to this comment

  53. J.T. on March 29th, 2009 5:43 pm

    Wow! These tiny houses are so cool! I read about you in Ripley’s Believe It or Not and had to learn more. I think it would be fun to live in one of your houses. I really like the EPU.

    Reply to this comment

  54. Tuan Le on May 1st, 2009 5:10 am

    Hooked the first time I saw this. My favorite one is the EPU because it looks very delicious. Now any teenager can dream of owning a home, possibly before he/she finishes university (college even!), without that thing we call vanity. Especially in this kind of economy!! In 2 years when I hit 21, I would have saved enough to get one built, shipped, and glowing. muwhahaha!!

    Reply to this comment

  55. Chris on May 23rd, 2009 5:45 pm

    Do you think you could make the porch roof flat and plant flowers up there? Not that I would ever do that, just curious. What a fun place for a garden, huh.

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on May 29th, 2009 6:38 am:

    When there’s a will…

    Reply to this comment

  56. Kathleen on May 26th, 2009 3:28 am

    I’ve been reading comments and questions for hours concerning your cute Tiny and Small houses. I really like them! What concerns me the most about building upon trailers is that someone could come along and drag away my house while I am at work! Is there no way of preventing this?

    What else concerns me is that we have strong winds in the SW desert where I live, so that a 60 mph gust could upset these tiny trailer homes. Also, our temps in summer are way over 100 degrees, more like 120! I don’t know if any window AC units could be small enough - size and output - to be used in these homes. Our temps are too high for evaporative coolers.

    Thanks for any advice you may give.

    Reply to this comment

    Kerr reply on May 26th, 2009 3:28 pm:

    Hi, Kathleen,

    You should take a look at the FAQ section about theft, and this blog post about cooling. Jay will have more specs about wind resistance, but I think you might be surprised what they could stand up to.

    Best wishes exploring your options!

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on May 29th, 2009 6:57 am:

    1) There are hitch locks, and you could even instal a concrete pier in the ground with a massive metal fastener that would have to be cut through. I simply count on the fact that it would take more than a day to tear down my fence, back a truck through my neighbor’s yard and cut or bend tree branches out of the way in order to move my house.

    2) Tie downs.

    3) Most window units will fit.

    Reply to this comment

    hallelujah reply on August 16th, 2009 4:35 pm:

    and there’s another very important aspect of the “problem”; once stolen you can tell the cops too look out for a house on wheels … hard to overlook … for now

    Reply to this comment

  57. Calgar C on June 10th, 2009 9:53 pm

    i have a few more questions. i have ideas for a modified version of the epu. basically the entire main area is desk space for a studio. no living room. basically you put another desk in place of the living room. i took some measurements and my turntables are 3ft wide/4ft with case i also need rack spaces for equipment. my midi-keyboard is also 3ft wide, but i plan on getting one with more keys. also i am going to have a mackie control universal system setup with expansions, giving me a 24 track digital mixer around 4ft wide. the keyboard will sit right under the mixer to save space. i am definitely going to need as much space as i can possibly get for equipment.

    Reply to this comment

    Calgar C reply on June 10th, 2009 9:59 pm:

    almost forgot… the security issue, i read the theft faq and some of the comments but do you have any other good solutions.

    i had an idea where the hitch and connections to the house can be pushed in and pulled out of a small compartment outside, pretty much like closing a drawer. then you would have some locks either analog key locks or digital pad locks to unlock the system

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on June 14th, 2009 4:43 am:

    A boot, Low-Jack, car alarm and hitch lock all spring to mind, and I’m sure there a gazillion other ways I’m overlooking.

    Reply to this comment

  58. Karen on June 28th, 2009 8:45 am

    Hello…i love these houses!! but one question, can the bathroom just have a seperate shower and toilet instead of a wet bath?? Thanks so much!!!

    Reply to this comment

  59. Ellie on July 1st, 2009 10:16 pm

    I have a couple questions for now and I’ll probably be posting more as they come to mind. I’m thinking of building — or buying one prebuilt — one of the Teeny models, and my boyfriend who may be living in it with me is 6′2″ tall. Does it cost any more to order a house with adjusted ceilings? If so, how much more?
    Second, I read in one of the comments that you can put solar panels on the roof. I think that’s a really great idea because I’m all for saving energy, plus there’s the added benefit of lower energy cost. Is there a possibility that one could live solely off of solar energy?
    One more thing for now: I’m basically restricting myself to your models on wheels (meaning, the ones ABLE to be put on wheels), but I read about the possibility to have them on a foundation. In your opinion, which is better — to have it on a trailer or immobilized?

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on July 4th, 2009 6:07 pm:

    1) Not unless you want something higher than 6′ 6″. Then we’d have to charge you an arm and a leg.
    2) I have.
    3) I, personally, like wheels for flexibility.

    Reply to this comment

  60. Andreas Liberda on July 14th, 2009 4:20 am

    hi jay,

    i am fascinated about your ideas of small mobile houses!! can you please put some pics onto your site showing the tongue of an “EPU” trailer.

    thanks andreas

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on July 17th, 2009 10:56 am:

    Check out the photo of the Weebee tongue via the “Houses” page. It looks exactly the same.

    Reply to this comment

  61. Matthew on July 31st, 2009 8:57 am

    Does the tiny table (as seen in the tiny house tour) come standard with the house?

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on August 2nd, 2009 9:16 am:

    Yes, it does.

    Reply to this comment

  62. A Look Into the Tiny House Movement with Tiny Home Pioneer Jay Shafer | Refinancing on August 9th, 2009 2:19 pm

    [...] do you live in? (please provide link to picture I can include) Shafer: I live in the 89 square foot Epu model (shown to the right and in the embedded YouTube [...]

  63. Tanya on August 9th, 2009 10:00 pm

    Hi Jay - I appreciate your efforts to answer all the questions we all post on here! ..and anybody else’s imput too is welcome!
    I’ve been in love with the tiny houses ever since coming across your site over a year ago, and seriously considering getting one to escape from renting for the rest of my life. So, some questions are:
    1- will you have an open house viewing in January?
    2 - can tiny houses be covered by any sort of insurance? I live in Seattle & kind of worry about vandalism, theft, etc, that can happen in city neighborhoods (I do know about removing & locking the wheels).
    3 - any advice about finding a good place to put one’s tiny house in a city neighborhood? Would one have to get permission from the city (zoning laws & all that) after finding someone willing to have me park my house in their yard/driveway?
    4 - I imagine the building materials are pretty eco-friendly and nontoxic (especially love the compost toilet, if I could get away with that in a city as well)..am I right in assuming that ?

    I’m sure I have many more questions! In the meantime, getting together the money is my biggest challenge right now.
    Thanks so much!

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on August 12th, 2009 6:24 pm:

    1) Yes.
    2) Check with Allstate for RV insurance.
    3) I would just do it. See my “Viva La Tiny Revolution” blog entry.
    4) From my view, yes, but we do use some plywood and polystyrene (if you have any qualms with those).

    Reply to this comment

  64. A Look Into the Tiny House Movement with Tiny House Pioneer Jay Shafer | 20somethingfinance.com | Personal Finance Blog on August 11th, 2009 4:42 pm

    [...] do you live in? (please provide link to picture I can include) Shafer: I live in the 89 square foot Epu model (shown to the right and in the embedded YouTube [...]

  65. Kurt on August 15th, 2009 1:47 pm

    Just a few questions :

    How much space on the main level is lost by the presence of the ladder?

    Where would the ladder be on the main level?

    What about water damage to the window in the shower?

    How close to the electrical hook-up would the house have to be?

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on August 22nd, 2009 12:18 pm:

    I’m looking at my ladder now. It takes up almost no space when it is in its intended storage spot against the kitchen wall outside the bathroom. See my tour video link on the homepage to get a better idea of this and see the sliding doors that cover the bathroom window.

    Reply to this comment

  66. Laura on August 17th, 2009 1:14 pm

    I would also like to avoid using a metal roof and am wondering if it could be modified to use other building materials and what suggestions you might have? I’m worried about using something that will fly off in the wind while transporting it.

    I have chemical sensitivities, and want to build something like the epu, but with nontoxic (for me) building materials. It would be a great thing for members of the chemically sensitive community to be able to build tiny houses that are nontoxic and portable!

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on August 22nd, 2009 12:29 pm:

    So true, Laura. I get quite a few MCS calls. Replacing any material (including roofing) is not a problem. Just don’t use thatch for the roof or too much brick in the walls, of course.

    Reply to this comment

  67. Juliana Hill on August 19th, 2009 7:11 pm

    These are charming houses, but are they inexpensive? Sure a lot is packed into a square foot, but a square foot of the Epu contractor-built is $483.11236. . Materials-only are estimated at $224.1573! That’s scary. That’s scary even when assuming extremely low utilities.

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on August 22nd, 2009 3:47 pm:

    You certainly aren’t the first to be scared by the price of a typical Tumbleweed Tiny House, Juliana. So we now offer a much cheaper line of what are essentially house shells to be finished off on the interior by the buyer. The Ofnoco, Wildflower and Biensi are all exactly two-thirds the price of our standard houses of the same size. They are all pictured on the last few pages of The Small House Book and will appear on this site soon.

    We try to stay away from the relatively shoddy materials and practices used to build what is typically termed “affordable” housing, but if someone wanted to have a truly cheap Tumbleweed House, they could buy my plans and replace the cedar siding with vinyl, the metal with PVC, etc. Building time could be dramatically reduced by cutting corners and reducing standards to those common within the US housing industry. In doing so, one could own what is otherwise a Tumbleweed design for about $7000 (just don’t call it a Tumbleweed).

    Barring that, check out the resources link at the bottom of our homepage for a long list of relatively cheap compact housing by other companies.

    We work hard to ensure that virtually anyone can now own their own quality home, and I think we’ve succeeded.

    Reply to this comment

  68. Adrian L. on August 25th, 2009 8:32 am

    Hi Jay,
    I was wondering where you store your food.
    -Adrian L.

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on September 4th, 2009 11:15 am:

    For most of the last decade I have stored my food in the tiny fridge below my counter and in the cabinet it is housed in.

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on September 4th, 2009 11:16 am:

    A root cellar would be cool too (no pun intended).

    Reply to this comment

  69. Shane Combs on August 29th, 2009 7:19 pm

    what about adding a small washer and dryer unit?

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on September 4th, 2009 12:48 pm:

    Depends on how small. I’ve seen some teeny models that would fit.

    Reply to this comment

  70. Shane Combs on August 29th, 2009 7:22 pm

    can you have a small televion?

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on September 4th, 2009 12:48 pm:

    I do.

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  71. adam peterson on September 6th, 2009 12:36 pm

    Jay, do you know of any websites with route specific bridge heights. When I build my “not so tiny house 13×17…. so far” I want to be able to move it. My intentions are to hire a shipping company with a low boy. Low boy deck heights are around 18- 20″ ; so with this height and floor height it really reduces my livable height.
    Any info. would be great… Thanks. Adam

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on September 7th, 2009 12:16 pm:

    I don’t know them right off, Adam, but I have used them before. It wasn’t hard to google, as I recall.

    Reply to this comment

  72. Eileen on September 28th, 2009 7:51 pm

    It would be interesting to see one that had a slide-up. Like a slideout on an RV, but instead of going out, it goes up so you can stand up on the second level. And you could keep it up semi-permanently until you needed to drive somewhere when you would just lower it. That could be cool.

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on September 29th, 2009 1:54 pm:

    That would be cool. I’ll give it some thought. Thanks, Eileen.

    Reply to this comment

  73. Rick Hawley on October 7th, 2009 7:27 am

    I THINK THAT I JUST FOUND MY DREAM AND RETIREMENT HOME..

    THANKS

    Reply to this comment

  74. cabbagehats on October 17th, 2009 9:36 am

    hello quite new to this site and am enjoying it immensely. i had only one question regarding this house and that is how large are the downstairs windows? because if was to live in one of these i would like to be able to fit through a window in the event of zombies. i am 5′11″ approximately. thanks for the wonderful houses!

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on October 20th, 2009 7:31 pm:

    The 4 biggest are about 20″ x 36″ to serve in case of fire or zombie invasion.

    Reply to this comment

    June reply on October 23rd, 2009 11:14 pm:

    Cabbagehats - I sincerely hope you are not living in some mentally underdeveloped 12-year-old’s fantasy world. Shouldn’t you be more concerned with more common issues, such as future dry rot, flood resistance…?

    Reply to this comment

  75. Matt on October 24th, 2009 7:25 am

    Good grief June, zombies at least common an issue as dry rot.
    And it almost sounds like you say “12-year-old’s fantasy” world like it’s a bad thing…

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on November 4th, 2009 9:35 pm:

    Thank you, Matt! That’s what I’ve been tryin’ to say all this time!

    Reply to this comment

  76. James on October 24th, 2009 10:20 pm

    Hi guys! I have to say I love your tiny and small houses since I think downsizing is the great thing today. I’ve been working on several small-footprint homes for the last year, but nothing as small as your tiny homes.

    Anyway, I wanted to ask about the roof. You have a simple end-gable design and I was wondering why you don’t use a mansard style? It would allow for greater “head” space in the loft area near the edges, and by removing the gable end in the front reduce wind resistance while driving or in storms.

    To illustrate this, I have “re-created” the Epu with the style I mean:

    http://www.mediafire.com/file/m3nfy40xiu5/MH-Full.jpg

    I know, the first thing I thought of was it kind of looks like a baseball cap! LOL. :-)))

    Just a suggestion if you haven’t considered it. If I ever buy/ build one, I will probably go this route or something similar. Keep up the good work!

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on November 4th, 2009 9:43 pm:

    Thanks for the great images, James. I’m not a fan of the broken roof line of a mansard. I will occasionally make the side walls higher with a lower overall roof pitch. It’s just a personal bias.

    Reply to this comment

  77. NathanY on November 9th, 2009 7:49 am

    Simple question… How do you get your bed up into the loft? How does it fit?

    Reply to this comment

    Cathleen Witt reply on November 11th, 2009 10:34 pm:

    Well, it depends on the size of your mattress, and I say mattress because you will not be putting a bed (frame, box spring, and mattress) in a tiny house loft! I started out with a VERY thick (14″) twin mattress, but then wanted more room to move around, so I bought a thinner full size mattress and I have been very happy with that. I know that Jay has a futon. I find futons too hard. I think maybe a queen futon would fit. As for getting it UP there - MUSCLES! One person in the loft steering and one TALL person below, lifting worked for me. The mattress goes right to the edge of the loft, so I added an 8 inch wide heavy duty extension shelf with a railing across 3/4 of the loft space - keeps cats and blankets from sliding off!.

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on November 17th, 2009 7:48 pm:

    I use high-density foam as my bed and roll it up. It’s very comfy.

    Reply to this comment

  78. Epperson on November 13th, 2009 10:52 am

    What type of wood is used on the exterior of Jay’s Epu?

    It doesn’t look stained or treated.

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on November 17th, 2009 8:05 pm:

    It’s cedar treated with Olympia cedar colored stain. I tried less toxic stuff, but it wore off every 4 months.

    Reply to this comment

  79. Evan K. on November 16th, 2009 1:07 pm

    Is it possible to make the ceilings any higher? I’m 6′3″ and would like at least a couple inches above my head.

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on November 17th, 2009 9:18 pm:

    We’ve done this for several folks now (some taller than you) with no problem.

    Reply to this comment

  80. Chris on November 17th, 2009 5:29 am

    Hi Jay!

    When you walk around in it, does it “squeek” ?

    Reply to this comment

    Jay Shafer reply on November 17th, 2009 9:19 pm:

    Mine does. I like to think of that as my security alarm.

    Reply to this comment

    Kezune K. reply on November 19th, 2009 8:35 pm:

    you mean like nightingale floors??? ninjas???
    now that i think about it, it would be good to have on the porch, but kinda annoying all over the inside. you can eliminate squeak by adding screws into the floor, BE WARNED do not put screws into you hardwood floors. how you would put screws under them is beyond me(a lot easier to do with carpet and breakaway screw heads)

    Reply to this comment

  81. Tevin on November 19th, 2009 8:26 pm

    what exactly makes the price double for pre built to build it yourself other then labour?

    Reply to this comment

  82. Tevin on November 19th, 2009 8:35 pm

    i you on daily planet and started thinking about your teeny homes. I saw that you don”t reall have a closed space for your cups. im pretty clumsy and i could just tell that i would break a few.

    Reply to this comment

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