Photo by Kaya Lindsay
Would you like to be a part of the book? Please send Evan an email with a little information on your rig — as well as a picture — to evan@shelterpub.com.
Lloyd,
Like many, I scrounge the internet for building ideas. I came across a really cool dish-rack/shelf that was built into a corner in a kitchen. You could stand the plates up to dry between the slats, and still set bowls and mugs on it like a shelf. Brilliant! I saved the picture, and put it in the “barn-house” folder on my computer for future reference, when it comes time to build.
A few months ago, you posted a video of how you do dishes. I nearly leapt out of my seat when I saw the very same dish shelf … was in your kitchen! You have a long history of collecting and publishing all the good ideas you can find, I guess it shouldn’t be such a surprise that a design like that ended up in your home!
My sister and my mother, both crafty individuals, each received one of your books for Christmas. They are being exchanged as we read them with interest around the fire.
Last year, I built a solar-powered cabin out of a school bus, which will be my base camp while I take my time building a house on the cheap over the next few years. I’m blogging my journey at www.day9975.com. Until then, during the workweek I’m living in the semi-finished upstairs of an un-plumbed post-and-beam barn my dad built 20 years ago, and saving up for my own build.
As I go into designing my home, your books are my favorite source for creative solutions to whatever design challenge I encounter. Thanks to you and your team for writing.
Hope you have a happy new year,
–Aaron DeAngelis
The Flying Tortoise is a 1977 KD Bedford bus built in New Zealand by Hawke Coach Builders. Originally it was used in forestry areas to carry work gangs to remote bush sites, Built high off the ground and with a short wheelbase for tight turning, there’s hardly a hill it can’t climb, and with its off-road tires, it’s almost a “Go Anywhere Vehicle.”
I am a 19-year-old girl from Long Island, New York with a passion to travel and explore new places. Upon graduating high school I knew I didn’t want to jump right into college. I was never into books, nor was I the type that wanted to sit and study in a classroom. I didn’t even know what career I wanted to pursue. I felt that I could enjoy my life in a different way other than sitting in a classroom and if down the road I decided college was for me, then I would choose what I wanted to do and make a decision from there.
During high school and after I traveled to all kinds of different places with my mom, whether it was a trip to an island or somewhere in the states, it was always a thrill to explore new places, meet new people, and see new things. Working five days a week and saving up my money allowed me to take my time in deciding what I wanted to do.
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This dynamic young family is hitting the road, traveling all over North America in their incredible converted Blue Bird school bus. Dubbed ‘The School of Life‘, this skoolie conversion project was all about giving JT and Tamra the opportunity to travel and learn all about the continent, it’s landscapes, people and history. The bus’s name took on new meaning when they gave birth to their son Kalon.
The interior of the school bus has been converted into a beautiful tiny home with everything the family needs to live comfortably on the road, with a large lounge and entertainment area, wood stove, kitchen bedroom, and lots of room for storage of clothes and other items.
Some years ago Joaquin De La Cruz traded his ’48 Triumph motorcycle for this vintage Chevy Flatbed — and with little money, much imagination, and found discards — set about making one of the most unique ever to roll along America’s roads.
For the last five years Joaquin, Gypsy, and their three kids — Heather, Bear, and Serena — have moved around the country and were last seen parked along California’s Feather River…
This school but to tiny home conversion could easily be one of the most impressive we have seen so far. When standing inside this home, it’s hard to believe that you’re actually in a vehicle! That’s largely thanks to some great design mixed with skillful execution of the conversion, which involved raising the roof by an additional two feet and cleverly shaping it to feel more like a house.
One of the things that I like most about the idea of a bus conversion compared to a traditional tiny house on wheels, is that they are designed to sustain long-term travel and life on the road. This home in particular is fitted with lots of off-the-grid features including ample solar power, water storage and propane to enable the family to live for extended periods while adventuring in remote locations…
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