My new Tiny Home in process. Heavy metal bracing to support the build safely and securely.
The bed is a full 8 by 10 feet, and the cab-over frame is 8 by 5 ft. Plenty of room for a Tiny Home.
I haven’t given up. I can’t give up. My mother’s passing left me with nowhere to live while finishing up my Tiny Home, and I need a place to live, right?
Since the Original Oliver’s Nest isn’t even close to being liveable, I turned my attention to the truck I purchased to tow it….he (yeah, I know vehicles are normally a “she” but look at this beast!) is going to be transformed into the new version of Oliver’s Nest. I’ve even named it; meet Buster Poindexter the truck, also known as The Tonka (named by the guys who generously welded on the supports, created huge watertight storage boxes, and fixed the hole in the floor on the driver’s side).
I spent ALL of the money I made selling stuff in the house, plus did some bartering, to get the truck fixed up and welded, and to buy a cool hitch-mounted scooter carrier. Here’s the link for what I bought: http://www.discountramps.com/tiltingmotorcyclerack/p/ACR-MOTORCYCLE-CARRIER/ I purchased the 410ACR, the 400 pound capacity carrier. I had to really do my research to make sure I got something that is compatible with a scooter as opposed to a motorcycle. The engine placement and the width of my Genuine Buddy are different than any motorcycle and some ramps simply won’t work. This one should make it possible for me to load and unload my scooter by myself on the road. I decided to go with a hitch-mounted carrier instead of a trailer to make parking easier. If I owned one of those great, fully enclosed metal toy haulers, I’d have used it for its added storage capacity, but my solution is simple and elegant. Here’s some pics I pulled from the web showing the ramp:
My scooter will fit snugly and safely behind Oliver’s Nest on this carrier.
It’s lightweight enough for me to handle by myself. Important for a woman living alone on the road.
Saxith, my 125cc Genuine Buddy scooter that frees me to travel without taking my home with me 🙂
ANYWAY!
Back to my revised Tiny Home plans. While Poindexter the truck was being welded by my awesome new friends Zack and Patrick, I worked on the framing and interior plans. Here’s what the rough sketches look like:
Everything I need to live. the bed area isn’t shown, but will be 7 1/2′ by 5″, over the cab.
Compared to the original Oliver’s Nest, this framing is simple! Going to use lots of metal strapping as this home will be extremely mobile.
It’s hard to see, but basically the shower/toilet area is in the upper left corner, the kitchen in the lower left area, the HUGE closet takes up the upper right, and the pantry, bench storage and steps are located in the lower right. The entry goes between the pantry and the kitchen (on the passenger side). a 40 gallon fresh water tank will sit under the kitchen counter, and I haven’t decided yet on the type of toilet I’ll use.
The framing will be done in two parts, a lower, “permanent” truck bed with insulated floor and walls, and an upper “canopy” that will likewise be fully insulated, and where all the windows will be located. I am making it so the canopy can be removed to sit on jack stands if necessary, but as this will be my house for an extended period of time, removing it isn’t really a concern.
In between selling off stuff to fund my future, sketching plans, and dealing with some severe anxiety about life in general, I’ve had to go through my belongings to pare down even more. I still have things I will keep in storage for the future, but even those have been reduced. I probably won’t live on the road forever, and I hope to have a little place to hang some family pictures in some gorgeous old frames, and I have some books I just can’t part with, and would be very difficult to replace. Craigslist, Half.com and Ebay are my friends in this downsizing. I found that some of the books I am selling go for several hundred dollars each! I’m glad I got to read them, and now they can be sold to help me financially and help someone else learn. That works for me.
This is a long and picture-heavy post, I know, but so much is going on! I could even continue, but I’ll save it for another day and another post. I hope my current situation and solution is helpful to someone out there….as an alternative to being homeless or being trapped in a crummy rental place.
Peace, my friends. 🙂
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Fascinating. I have often thought of how I’m not “grown-up”, even though I’m in my late 40’s. I think I straddle the two generations ~ the one that valued stability and family over all else, and the one that values freedom of action and thought, even while battling a system that nearly guarantees financial failure. It’s an interesting view.
Unlike you, my childhood taught me to think for myself, but at the same time to fear non-conformity. To quite an extent, I raised myself (latchkey kid) in a time when that was rare. I suppose our parent’s desire/need to take care of us financially in an economic down-turn was the breaking point for the next generation ~ we grew up watching them struggle, both parents often working while we stayed home alone, seeing the difficulty and sadness of that life.
I am building a Tiny Home on a trailer to tow to my own property in the wilderness, miles from even the tiniest township. I know this decision scares my 25 year old son, but also impresses him with the idea of choice. There is a purpose right there. I want to live lightly on my property, therefor leading by example. It don’t plan to do much more than care for my 20 acres ~ thinning out stands of trees that were planted for lumber then neglected, for example, to allow them to grow more healthy. There is another purpose.
I too would love to meet someone compatible and live with love in my life, but so far I haven’t met anyone who can both cope with my mental health disorder and live the type of life I desire. Even one of those stipulations is hard enough! Instead, I plan on inviting someone to live on my property in their own little home. This is to continue learning how to be comfortable with other people and to have support and help when needed (and give it, of course). That’s yet another purpose.
Maybe I don’t live like a typical “adult”, but I think my life plans are worthwhile and meaningful, which is a good definition of acting mature.
Parker