Gorgeous Gypsy Inspired Tiny House on Wheels
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Linda and Brandon have had a lot of projects influenced by the desire to travel. When they first got married they decided to move on to a 25 foot sailboat with zero sailing experience. While it was a steep learning curve, they loved the idea of living tiny and the experience of being able to go anywhere with all the comforts of home was freeing. They ended up travelling for over a year as part of their honeymoon, which only further stoked their wanderlust and passion for travel. It was this passion that made them decide to give other people the same experience through their various vacation rentals that they have acquired since. The latest project, the Gypsy Tiny House, is one of these unique spaces that offer a special experience to their guests
It's entirely off-grid, with electricity provided by their 2.7kw solar array made up of nine 300w Solar Panels. This feeds a 1700ah battery bank made up of 8 batteries. These batteries are mounted up underneath the underside of the custom built trailer that the house is constructed on. While this is a pretty sizeable system, they still have a backup generator for instances where it might not be enough. For their stove, fridge and heater they use propane.
Since they're in the desert, they save their grey water with the intention of one day using it to water a vegetable garden. For water storage they have two 75 gallon tanks, one for freshwater and one for grey-water.
They're able to operate this Airbnb remotely to automatic locks and keypads. This eliminates the need for physical keys to be exchanged. Stepping through the front door, immediately to the right it is a convertible couch that easily transforms into a queen-size bed. Although this does block the entrance when folded out, there is an additional door on the other side of the house that can be used in this configuration.
For heat, they decided to use a beautiful Dickinson Newport P9000 Fireplace. This warms the space on cool nights while also providing fantastic ambiance without the inconvenience of a conventional wood stove. It runs on propane, which means it doesn't need to be manually restocked, and it is vented to the outside so humidity is not an issue like it might be with something like a Mr. Buddy Heater. They originally used it on their sailboat, so when building the Gypsy tiny house they knew it would be a good fit.
There's an additional bed up in the Loft, which allows the house to accommodate up to four people. It has venting skylights that can be opened to let out hot air during the summer. They've opted to keep the skylights off to either side of the loft so that people sleeping up top aren’t disturbed by the morning light.
For the dinette, Brandon made a fold-out table that easily collapses into the wall when not in use. To give the kitchen a vintage-gypsy feel, they decided to use an old desk that they painted over and repurposed as the cabinets in the kitchen. In an adjacent closet they stored Their electrical components as well as the tankless water heater.
At the back of the house behind a sliding barn door is the bathroom, which consists of a Nature's Head Composting Toilet, as well as a small shower. The most a shower that ended up using a metal grate that they got at Home Depot, filling in the holes with waterproof silicone sealant Covering the entire surface with polyurethane. This gives the walls and unique texture while remaining completely waterproof. For the sink they used copper piping for faucets as well as well as a copper basin.
Since starting their various Airbnbs, they have continued to travel as a young and growing family. They recently went to Vietnam with their two-year-old son and look forward to embarking on a similar trips as their family grows. While a lot of young parents might find this lifestyle daunting, Linda and Brandon are comforted knowing that they aren't alone in this venture. There are many families that have managed to make full time travel a feasible lifestyle. While it comes with its own challenges, It provides a perspective that for many is invaluable.
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