A red pickup truck, towing a charming Tumbleweed tiny house, winds its way through a mountainous road with trees and rocky terrain in the background.

“Love at first sight.” Mario describes what it was like when he saw a Tumbleweed tiny house for the first time. “I had butterflies in my stomach and it was in that moment when I truly realized that this is what I been looking for.” Mario purchased plans and a trailer that very same day, and his tiny house journey had truly begun.

“I would say the physical part hasn’t been as hard as I thought, but the mental part is what would get me some days,” Mario admitted.” That fear of never doing something like this is the biggest mental block to overcome, but the help from the tiny house community has honestly made all this possible.”

Mario’s Three Pieces of Advice to DIY Builders:

1). Safety first. Make sure you understand your tools and wear protective gear, goggles, ear plugs, gloves etc.

2). Sometimes you need to just jump in. You can only research so much. Just jump in and get your hands dirty!

3). Have fun. This will be a rewarding experience: building a tiny home with your own hands, watching it come life and making it into your vision. Knowing it’s a reality, not a dream anymore.

Super Techy Details of his Tiny House

– Salt water battery system, made by Aquion energy. With the help of these batteries, Mario’s tiny can function off-grid.

Solar Oven. Mario uses this outdoor solar oven along side his chef-style kitchen.

– Sliding closet. Mario’s closet rolls into his standing shower, when the shower is not in use, creating more space.

Atmospheric water generator. This system pulls moisture from the air to create clean water. Mario is still perfecting this system. Currently, it creates about 8 gallons of clean water a day.

Mario Tiny House

Velux solar skylight. Mario has a wireless skylight that opens and closes by itself, based on the weather, using solar energy.

Wireless Air Conditioning. Mario can control the thermostat in his tiny wirelessly, even when he’s outside.

Automatic hue lighting. The lights on the exterior and interior automatically turn off when Mario leaves his Tiny House RV and turn on when he approaches.

Wireless Schlage lock. Mario’s front door lock can be disabled wirelessly in case someone needs to get into his tiny when he’s not around. It will also notify him if there is a knock at the door when he is away.

“For the people who are hesitant about going tiny: you do not know unless you try it. It could make other parts of your life even bigger!” – Mario

After traveling with his tricked-out tiny for one year, Mario and his girlfriend, Ciarra, became engaged. Together they plan to build another Tiny House RV – slightly larger than Mario’s original – that will suit both of their needs and personalities.

Mario's Tiny House Kitchen

Mario and Ciarra’s future tiny will be 26 feet long, which is six feet longer than Mario’s current tiny. It will also be built on gooseneck trailer. They both still want to have the wireless tech features of Mario’s original tiny.

“I’m nervous and excited for the experience.” Ciarra says. “The most important thing for me is: I don’t need a big space.”