Equipped To Survive Equipped To Survive® Presents
The Survival Forum
Where do you want to go on ETS?

Page 2 of 2 < 1 2
Topic Options
#194089 - 01/21/10 05:47 PM Re: Tiny Homes [Re: hikermor]
Eugene Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/26/02
Posts: 2995
I'm looking for plans now, looking at making a small cabin on the farm land in WV. I'm liking the ones with the loft design where you have the one main floor then a steep roof and sleeping loft up there.

Top
#194111 - 01/22/10 12:27 AM Re: Tiny Homes [Re: Eugene]
sotto Offline
Addict

Registered: 06/04/03
Posts: 450
Eugene: I think the steep roof A-frame design resulted from the need in heavy snow environments to keep snow from building up on the roof (it can get very heavy and collapse a poorly designed structure). Maybe this isn't really needed in your WV local. Re-roofing those steep roofs can be a nightmare unto itself. Since those steeply sloped roofs also really cut into your useable floor square footage, you might want to consider the benefit of having regular vertical walls with a shed style roof. Then, you can build the roof up high enough so you can have open-beamed ceilings and actually put sleeping platforms/lofts at each end of the shed, keeping the middle open. You can hang a beautiful rustic light fixture there'll that'll help illuminate everything. That's how I built my 16 foot high 10 X 12 foot storage shed, and it worked out very well. You can pitch the roof just enough to get good rain or snow run off, but still making it very easy to stand on and re-roof. Facing the roof pitch south helps keep the snow off and forms a good surface for south facing solar panels or solar collectors for hot water if you want. You can also put a row of windows up near the roof on the high side of the shed out of the reach of potential burglars/vandals to give you a lot of light and ventilation in the lofts with a couple lower windows on the back or sides of the structure if you really need more light or want to see the view. I left the windows off my shed and use a steel door for better security.


Top
#194118 - 01/22/10 02:41 AM Re: Tiny Homes [Re: sotto]
Erik_B Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 08/10/07
Posts: 315
Loc: Somewhere in my own little wor...


Edited by Erik_B (01/22/10 02:58 AM)
_________________________
Originally Posted By: scafool
Camping teaches us what things we can live without.


Originally Posted By: ironraven
...Shopping appeals to the soul of the hunter-gatherer.

Top
#194122 - 01/22/10 03:26 AM Re: Tiny Homes [Re: Erik_B]
sodak Offline
Addict

Registered: 03/20/05
Posts: 410
My wife and I lived in a 264 sq ft. apartment when in the Army. Never again, especially with kids...

I liked the hobbit home in Wales, though, it would be cool to live somewhat underground. I've always wanted a missile silo - without the missile, of course...

Top
#194133 - 01/22/10 11:14 AM Re: Tiny Homes [Re: sotto]
Eugene Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/26/02
Posts: 2995
I'm going to need the steep roof. My cousin just built a modular home (well had one built and brought in to his property) up on a mountain and he's had to shovel snow off this roof as it piled higher than the exhaust for the furnace. Northern WV has had 90 inches of snow total this season and 60 since the Jan 1 as of the last big snow storm a wekk or so ago. I'm looking at that metal roofing that designed to allow using of the water runoff so its coated special and lasts forever so I won't have to worry about roofing. There is a small hang dug well up there but not much water in it so I'm going to have to put a big tank underground to store roof runoff and/or grey water.

Top
#194140 - 01/22/10 01:47 PM Re: Tiny Homes [Re: Eugene]
LED Offline
Veteran

Registered: 09/01/05
Posts: 1474
Please fogrive my lack of knowledge here. Lets say you had a 12V system set up. Would it be possible to add a few auto cigarette lighter plugs around the house? Most gadgets like cell phones, battery chargers, etc. have 12V auto plugs. That way you wouldn't have to always use an inverter, which wastes a lot of power no? Or is the energy loss using an inverter negligible.

Top
#194142 - 01/22/10 02:18 PM Re: Tiny Homes [Re: LED]
Eugene Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/26/02
Posts: 2995
Depends on the inverter, the higher end ones $$$$ are pretty efficient but the smaller store bought ones are wasteful. But I am working toward a 12v system myself, for one thing that means all my equipment can work easily from a vehilce in between home and the cabin. The other thing is the inverter is an extra piece, point of failure, etc.
I'm running automotive (cigarette) plugs in parallel with Anderson power poles and some 12v power cords I'm converting to them.
I'm also using automotive wiring, fuse blocks, etc, same small metripack as my vehicles so I can have fewer types of spares (allow for stocking more) and borrow parts from vehicle for cabin or vice versa.

Top
Page 2 of 2 < 1 2



Moderator:  Alan_Romania, Blast, chaosmagnet, cliff 
March
Su M Tu W Th F Sa
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31
Who's Online
0 registered (), 456 Guests and 71 Spiders online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
GallenR, Jeebo, NicholasMarshall, Yadav, BenFoakes
5367 Registered Users
Newest Posts
What did you do today to prepare?
by dougwalkabout
03/27/24 11:21 PM
Zippo Butane Inserts
by dougwalkabout
03/27/24 11:11 PM
Question about a "Backyard Mutitool"
by Ren
03/17/24 01:00 AM
Problem in my WhatsApp configuration
by Chisel
03/09/24 01:55 PM
New Madrid Seismic Zone
by Jeanette_Isabelle
03/04/24 02:44 PM
EDC Reduction
by EchoingLaugh
03/02/24 04:12 PM
Newest Images
Tiny knife / wrench
Handmade knives
2"x2" Glass Signal Mirror, Retroreflective Mesh
Trade School Tool Kit
My Pocket Kit
Glossary
Test

WARNING & DISCLAIMER: SELECT AND USE OUTDOORS AND SURVIVAL EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES AND TECHNIQUES AT YOUR OWN RISK. Information posted on this forum is not reviewed for accuracy and may not be reliable, use at your own risk. Please review the full WARNING & DISCLAIMER about information on this site.