Border to Border Tour
June 10, 2008 · Print This Article
Jay Takes His House on the Road
This July, Jay Shafer will be taking his tiny house on the road as he travels along the West Coast from the Canadian Border down to the Mexican Border.
Jay will be joined by Small House Society co-founder Greg Johnson as the two demonstrate the versatility and endurance of a Tumbleweed Home. The pair will sleep in the tiny house and make stops at many cities and towns.
For a list of dates, please click here
Have sent several emails to you and they’re not getting through. I’ll try one more time….are you interested in stopping by Medford, OR (13 miles north of Ashland). It’s a lovely part of town…nice big parking lot connected to a church.
If not interested, I’ll see you on the 16th in Ashland.
Marlyn 541-857-2646
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Steve with Tumbleweed reply on June 11th, 2008 4:34 pm:
We’d love to be able to stop everywhere. However, we have a schedule to keep, and many press interviews in between open houses. Unfortunately, we can’t add more locations.
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Hello!
I’m wondering if the 100 dollar private consultation/house viewing fee could be applied to a purchase of plans as well? I have just found your site, and I am truly inspired. Thanks for your work!
Best
Jessy
jess.beckett@gmail.com
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Steve with Tumbleweed reply on June 12th, 2008 10:26 pm:
Yes it can be applied to the purchase of plans.
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Fabulous. Thanks!
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I LOVE this idea!! In 1980, I saw a small house a lady built by herself. It had a cement floor, 1 window, 1 door, 1 light, a wood burning stove to cook on, and ever since I have wanted something small like that. Think of it!! The simplicity of it all!! A standing joke with me and my family is that everytime I see a small house, or one of those little back yard house’s they build for children, I always say, “I could live in that!”. My kids make fun of me, but, I really could live in 1 room. Enough room for a bed, my computer desk for my work, a small kitchenette, a bathroom. That’s all I need!! I would love to have something like this in Gainesville, Florida, where I live!! Ever comin’ my way?? I have no property, so, it would either have to be movable or find a quarter acre, hehe.
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Lewis reply on February 15th, 2009 5:43 am:
Check out a former UF professor & architect in Gainesville / Archer, Florida who has one for show. http://www.insitebuilders.net
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Lewis reply on February 15th, 2009 5:44 am:
Sorry, http://www.insitebuilders.com
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I notice that you’re ferrying to Victoria on July 14th…are you speaking in Victoria? I’d love to come see the Tumbleweed and I just happen to be there that day.
Thanks,
Tabi
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I just saw the workshop page and saw that you guys are going to North Carolina… If only I wasn’t in Afghanistan, I would be there too. Hope the trip to the east coast go well.
~Dan
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Nancy Rothrock reply on July 17th, 2008 7:35 am:
Dear Daniel,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!
Thank goodness we are free enough to have the internet to stay connected!
Thinking of all you brave people. Thank you~Nancy
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Did anyone see The Lusby mentioned on “Bones” the TV show tonight (6/23/08)? Two of the lab guys are talking about a portable 117 sq ft house that one of them wants! One says, “that’s the size of a janitor’s closet.” The other says, “No it has plenty of room for a bed, a kitchen downstairs and a small bathroom. What more do we need in life?” They also are chatting casually over the bones in the lab about installing solar panels. Of course, I knew immeadately that they were talking about Lusby Model from Tumbleweed. He hee! I got a kick out of it!
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Hello!!!!
I am so happy you are going to be in my area this month. I live in Santa Barbara and SLO. I am a traveling artist. I have been looking to build a mobile art studio. I had created a fantasy drawing of what that studio would look like… and it’s just like your mobile house!! You have to check out my website and see the drawing! I can’t wait to tour your open house. Please let me know where you are going to be in both San Louis Obispo and Santa Barbara.
Thank you!!
http://www.mitracline.com
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Thank you Jay!
It was a pleasure to meet you in Seattle & I enjoyed the workshop. It was great to meet so many people (from Washington, BC, Oregon, Montana & Alaska).
I wish you & Greg a great trip. Take lots of pictures & blog them, especially if you find someone who’s made a Tumbleweed House.
I forgot my camera, so I didn’t get a picture of myself in front of your home. I guess that just means I’ll have to build one myself & send you a picture.
Cheers from Vancouver, BC, Canada
Garnet
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Jay is on Yahoo’s main page for news links! He’s listed as “Seattle Man downsizes to living in 96 square feet.” The word is getting out!
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I just saw Jay on Yahoo too.
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I’m 6′10″. Can you built a customized home with a higher ceiling?
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Steve with Tumbleweed reply on July 16th, 2008 5:32 am:
Sure can. It won’t fit under some of the shorter bridges, but it’s easy to modify the house to be taller.
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Nancy Rothrock reply on July 17th, 2008 7:41 am:
If you wanted to move a taller version…You’d have to have a model that will tip over and lay down…its kinda complicated because you would need to secure the stuff inside and have a hoist to re-upright the house…it would also have to slide back on to the base so it would need rails on the sides as well as the (elongated) base.
Just a thought…lol
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Hats Off to Jay and Greg –
for rolling off the CoHo ferry into Victoria after 11PM Monday night, and graciously setting up an Open House for about 10 of us die hard fans under the glow of parking lot, and handheld flash lights.
We were given a wonderful cozy tour with lots of good info willingly offered. Thanks!
Hope you will be back!
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I’m interested in building a Weebee model and I’m getting all my ducks in a row so to speak. I see the dry weight listed for the Weebee model is almost 5,000#. I’m assuming thats the weight of both trailer and house inclusive and not the contents of the house. Is that correct? I’m trying to figure if I need to get a trailer that can handle 10,000lbs or if a 7,000 rating one would do.
I can’t hardly wait til you get to NC. I haven’t been this excited about a project in years. I look forward to seeing this in person.
doug-
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Steve with Tumbleweed reply on July 18th, 2008 8:50 pm:
The weight of the house includes the weight of the trailer. It does not include your personal belongings such as clothes, books, plates, etc.
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You can stay here at Dancing Deer Farm and do a talk (and spend the night(s)… we have 80 acres and a developing intentional sustainable community and would love to have you here. We also were involved in hosting Shay Solomon when she took her book tour on the road.
Please call us asap… 805 369-0203 to smooth out the details!!!! where can we call you?..
We are 20-25 minutes north of SLO in Templeton. 2975 Vineyard Dr.
(http://danceofdeer.blogspot.com/)
bob banner
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I’d like to hear an update on how the tour went.
I know you guys are probably decompressing from your trip but when you get a chance to collect your thoughts and regain your equilibrium, I think all Tumbleweed fans would like to hear your impressions of your west coast tour.
I hope it was enjoyable and rewarding by whatever measure you choose to use.
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Jay Shafer reply on August 20th, 2008 2:25 am:
I’ll be posting the four min. video we made of the trip as soon as I get permission to use the “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” song I hope to use (probably this week).
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Thanks! I and others will be looking forward to it.
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Just thought I’d share this video. I just found it so it’s the first time I’ve seen it myself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDwbKN4jqhM
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Jay Shafer reply on September 4th, 2008 10:27 pm:
Oh my gosh! I totally forgot about that recording. Thanks for the head’s up, Daniel. Greg is such a great spokesperson.
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Daniel reply on September 5th, 2008 3:50 am:
I’m sure with all the recordings, interviews, etc. it’s hard to keep track of it all. And yes, Greg did a great job.
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Here, in South Africa, I see it this way. . .
Tiny space doesn’t equal tiny price per sqf. Average building cost should prevail, keeping in mind that may of the systems and fixtures are specially sourced (Boat Heaters, etc.).
Sourcing own material at lower cost should solve the problem and DIY as far as labour is concerned should sort matters further.
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117sf for $46,000. Have you tried to buy a house in Vancouver? My daughter bought a 750 sq ft house June 2008, close to main st for $540,000. The value was in the land. She expects to spend another $70,000 to get it updated.
Figure it out dummy. Extrapolate the above. 1170 sq ft would be $460,000. Cheaper than the equivalent house in Vancouver and at least this house is brand new.
Could you even afford to buy a $46,000 house. Besides if you build it yourself its a lot cheaper, dummy.
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Jay Shafer reply on September 22nd, 2008 11:51 pm:
Sorry, BA Rogers. This is a family show. Please try rephrasing your question (statement?) without all the extra words and punctuation and I (or someone else out there) will be more than happy to respond.
Thanks for your patience.
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There are people a product suits and there are people it doesn’t. If it doesn’t suit you, fine. Move on. Somewhere in between “empty used oceangoing shipping container” @ $9.06-$11.88/sq.ft (8×40′, $2900-$3800ea depending on location, put as many together as you like to build as big a house as you want at a steady cost-per-space) and “custom made tiny house” @ $400/sq.ft, there’s something that fits your needs. Other people have different needs that a house like these might fit.
And be civil.
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One could actually build one of my designs for a lot less than the price we have listed. Take the Epu model for example. Instead of spending $1000 on stainless steel counters, another thousand on the Dickinson Marine boat heater, a thousand to have the custom gothic window built, and two thousand for a utility trailer before going out to spend another ten to fifteen grand on lumber, etc., one could save a bundle by using Formica, making a heater from an old mailbox, getting all factory-built (vinyl?) windows, buying a used trailer, and/or using reclaimed building materials.
I just recently read two separate You-Tube comments from people claiming that they could (or, in one case, had) built our houses for less than $5,000 including the cost of plans. Regardless of the validity of these claims, I can safely say that with not all that much cash, some sweat and no small amount of ingenuity one can own their own home.
That said, we will only build houses with what we consider to be the highest quality sustainable materials, and we pay our builders a living wage here at Tumbleweed.
Thanks for asking, BA. I am happy to address this important question.
P.S. Jesse, I’m sorry for recycling this answer I gave to your similar (albeit more delicately worded) question a couple weeks ago. I reckon this won’t be the last time.
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Sorry, bradshawrogers@aol.com. This is a family show. Please try rephrasing your question (statement?) without the extra words and and I will be more than happy to respond.
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[...] Bill and Sharon Kastrinos move to a small space is featured on Friday’s CNN, along with a link to accompanying “iReports” from citizen journalists about their move to smaller living. The CNN story also makes the connection to Jay Shafer of the Tumbleweed Tiny House. Shafer has recently been on a road show with his design. [...]