Proposal to amend

Proposal to amend IRC Code Restricting House Size:

Analysis:

Environmental Costs: The International Residential Code dictating how small our homes can be has helped make our houses the biggest in the world—four times the international average. At well over 2000 square feet, the average American house now emits more than 18 tons of greenhouse gasses every year, consumes a quarter acre of forest in its production and dumps seven tons of construction waste into our landfills.

Economic Costs: Excess and economy are mutually exclusive. We can have exorbitance, or we can have the serenity that a sensibly sized home affords, but we cannot have both. Like anything else that is not essential to our happiness, extra space just gets in the way. It requires maintenance and heating, and ultimately demands that we exchange a portion of life for the money needed to pay for these extras. Mortgage payments can appropriate thirty to forty percent of a household’s income not counting taxes, insurance, or maintenance expenses. [Read more]

Mobile Solar SolMan

Adding Solar to your tiny house can be a daunting task if you are not up to date on all the latest technology and how it works together.

A couple of weeks ago we had a “Meeting of the Tiny Minds” and Bill Kastrinos of Tortoise Shell Homes told Jay, Stephen, Michael and I about this great solar solution that was out there.

What if there was a simple solution to this and all you had to do was plug and play? SoleMan a company based in Willits, California has come up with just that kind of solution.

They call their system the “one small, easy to move, all in one integrated unit, ready to point towards the sun at your best location, and deliver up to 1200 watts of AC power, and 12 volts DC power, and even charge all your Ni-Mh smaller batteries.”

This little unit is on heavy duty bicycle wheels so you can have your Tumbleweed home in the shade and easily roll your solar unit where it gets the most sun.

The cool thing about the SolMan is that if your needs grow, so can the SoleMan. You can add another solar panel easily and even a third. The second one sits on it is own stand and can be adjusted as needed. If you chose to get a third panel they have a bracket that attaches all three together that can be folded up for moving.

No need to deal with big panels and connecting them to your roof and knowing you have to park your home in the sun to get the most voltage to your system.

Here are list of the SolMan features:

1. Silent Operation: No sound whatsoever. Won’t bother your neighbors or you with gas generator noise.
2. Clean Operation: No gas needed, no gas cans to transport, no fumes or exhaust to worry about.
3. No additional costs EVER! : Once you buy a Solman, it doesn’t cost anything else to run, as long as you can point it towards the sun.
4. No recurring gasoline costs, that are only going to go up, no oil changes, no short life span, as unit is designed to keep working for years. ( 20 year PV panel warranty)
5. Completely self contained, integrated unit: Ready to go, plug and play green power. No engineering or electrical skills needed.
6. Transportable: With ramps, the Solman can go with you in the back of a small van, SUV or truck. It can be laid horizontal safely.
7. Mobility: 26 inch heavy duty aluminum spoke and rubber bike tires and perfect balance allow the unit to be wheeled to any location for the best sun, and can easily be turned thru the day for maximum solar tracking and optimal PV energy input.
8. Deep Cycle Batteries: “2 or 3 -100 (200 to 300 amp-hr total) deep cycle sealed gel cell. No acid spills or venting. No maintenance.
9. Enclosed battery Container: Optimizes battery life.
10. Two 12 Volt Auto Plugs: Plenty of places to plug in your 12 volt accessories, lights, chargers, etc.
11. One heavy 30 amp marine trolling motor plug on exterior, for water pumping, external battery charging, or additional external inverter.
12. All external plugs have covers and are set up for outdoor use, even in the rain, and all critical components are inside and protected from the weather.
13. Array only switch: to route unused, excess PV power during the day to external battery charging or water pumping.
14. Blue Sky Solar Boost 2000E MPPT PV Charge Controller: can handle up to 25 amps or 3 PV panels, and Maximum Power Point Tracking gives additional 10% to 20% charging efficiency to PV input.
15. 120 Volt Magnum MM-AE 1200 watt Inverter/Charger: this unit has a built in 70 amp charger for when your batteries are down, and you have access to a gas generator, or the grid, you can just plug in the unit and bring your battery bank up to full charge in as little as two hours, also has an AC transfer switch, that automatically senses external power and switches load to that when on.
16. Magnum Inverter remote switch and status lights on back of unit.
17. Fuse Protected: 150 amp inverter fuse, triplex plug 20 amp and exterior 30 amp plug.
18. Heavy 15 amp solar PV-in plug, wired to solar controller for adding an external solar panels.
19. Toe piece L on bottom, allows for easy transport of optional external PV panel.
20. Solar PV panel hinged for easy access to internal box, and latches and locks if needed.

So if you are looking to take your tiny house off the grid and become independent and want to use solar as your main component this SolMan option is worth looking at.

Of course there other other RV and home options so do your research and choose what is best for you and your situation. I just like the idea of plug and play and having everything put together where you need it and mobile to boot.

by Kent Griswold

Living off the Grid

When we think of the term off the grid, we generally think of systems that provide electricity. However, many of these systems can do much more than that. For example, solar collectors can be used to heat water, which could be be transferred into heating your structure.

Wind power could be used to pump water. They also could be combined with other sources such as propane or wood to power a refrigerator or furnace.

You need to figure out which source of power is best for you or what combination will generate the most electricity for you.

Lets look at a basic set up and what you will need.

1. A Generation Source: You will need either solar-electric panels or wind generators or maybe a combination of the two. Another idea could be water power. Your plan is to generate electricity.
2. Energy Storage System: The most common way is deep cycle or golf cart batteries, which you connect to your system. The batteries store the energy you create for when there is no sun or wind to sustain your needs.
3. Inverter: This is a devise that converts the 12, 24, or 36 volt DC coming from the batteries we discussed above so that they are usable with 110 or 120 AC needed with most standard appliances.
4. Backup Generator: When natural conditions such as wind or sun fail you, you need a back up system to generate and charge your batteries. A generator of some type is needed for this. Some options include propane, diesel, or gas. These you would want to run during daylight hours so the noise does not bother your neighbors.
5. Interface Connector: This devise is used so that you can be connected or disconnected with the grid. A lot of utilities will let you put the power you generate back onto the grid and thus reducing your grid costs.

It is recommended that you get work with professionals to get the best setup for your home. They can advise you on the best components and the correct amount you will need to meet your needs. So get to know your local alternate energy experts.

Often buying a complete system will save you money versus buying each part individually. Keep that in mind as you research your off grid needs.

By Kent Griswold (Tiny House Blog)

Finish this tiny house yourself

Lusby for Sale

Last year I was inspired Jay’s beautiful Tumbleweed houses and wanted to follow in his footsteps. I attended his workshop and bought plans for the Lusby. Not being handy myself, I hired a professional builder of custom homes to build the exterior of my tiny house. Its home was to be on a perfectly picturesque New Hampshire lake. I put my traditional, 4 bedroom home on the market and waited… and waited…and waited. Not even one offer did I get, even after dropping with price by a third. With three kids in college, I couldn’t afford to keep holding on to both properties. I sold my lakeside lot and am now selling my tiny house.

It is completed on the exterior; the interior is partially done. Here are the specifications:
Dimensions
House width: 8’
House length: 19’
Trailer Size: 7’ x 18’
Road Height: 13’ 5″
Dry Weight: 8,000 to 10,000 lbs (estimated)
Porch: 7 ½’ x 3’
Main Room: 6 ½’ x 6 ½’
Kitchen: In main room
Bathroom: 3’ x 6’
Loft height: 3’ 8″
Ceiling height: 6’ 3″
(All measurements are approximate.)

The following features are currently a part of the tiny house:

1. shingled roof
2. cedar siding (painted)
3. exterior front door (African Mahogany with glass center panel)
4. pet door for cat or small dog
5. 3 windows and screens on each long side
6. loft windows (cannot open)
7. fiberglass shower
8. electric wiring
9. cable TV wiring

These items are included with the house but are not installed. Many are still in original shipping cartons.

1. 2 interior doors (African Mahogany)
2. antique style brass door knobs
3. stained glass inserts for loft windows plus extra piece that could be fastened to the front door
4. tiny toilet
5. bathroom pedestal sink with porcelain faucets
6. living room, bathroom and bedroom
7. handmade Cape Code lantern style porch lights
8. stainless kitchen sink (faucet not included)
9. kitchen sink cabinet
10. recycled jeans batt insulation (more is needed)
11. electric water heater, 10 gallon
12. wood stove, stainless steel enclosure and chimney pipe

What is not finished?

* the interior walls (drywall) and finish trim are not in
* interior doors are included but not installed
* finish flooring is not included
* lighting fixtures need to be installed after drywall is in
* porch lights need to be installed
* outlets and light switches are not included
* wood stove needs to be installed
* plumbing and kitchen fixtures need to be installed
* kitchen cabinet for sink needs to be installed (and more cabinets need to be purchased for rest of kitchen)
* kitchen appliances are not included
* stained glass inserts for loft windows need to be installed
* insulation is not complete
* ladder to loft is not included
* closets have not been built

The tiny house is currently in southern New Hampshire. You are welcome to come and pick it up or I’ll help you find a company to bring it to you.

SOLD

Happy Trails

I’m writing from Cheyenne, and I’ll be in Boulder by lunch time. Thanks to everyone for their enthusiasm. I get recharged every time I pull into a city and see all the smiling faces or get the thumbs-up from other drivers. Special thanks to Ginny, Sheila and Judy for letting me stay at their place in Salt Lake, and to Mark, Jodi, Scott and the good cop for spontaneously coordinating the parking and all.

I meet so many good people through these open houses. Thank you all.

Happy Trails.
Jay Shafer

California Nevada

Utah

Utah again

Wyoming

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