Gypsy Rose: a beautiful, downsized, DIY, mobile, off-grid cabin

[MetroMPG]

Building Gypsy Rose - Creating a Small House for Living Large



This is in fact a "mobile home" in the truest sense of the word: it was built in one location on a trailer platform so that it could be moved between its summer & winter moorings when finished.

Building Gypsy Rose is the builder's blog. And not only is he a real craftsman, but a wordsmith as well. It's definitely worth a read.

Why build a tiny, mobile house?

Gypsy Rose was born of necessity. I (Kevin) live on a boat (Raven) on Lake Champlain from April through November. Marion recently bought land in Tunbridge, Vermont. While I was exploring options for a winter residence in Burlington (Raven is "on the hard" from mid-November through the beginning of April), Marion knew she needed a temporary summer home in Tunbridge until she decides how to eventually build a permanent home on her land.

Last winter, I was mulling over the options while on a long drive through Vermont. It came to me. I called Marion and suggested, "Why don't we build a home on wheels! We can share it. I can use it during the winter months in Burlington and you can use it during the summer months in Tunbridge."

The cabin's platform.

The specs...

[Living on a sailboat in the summer months] has given me a good understanding of independent, low impact living. Like the boat, Gypsy Rose will be self contained and off the grid - using many systems that were developed for marine applications. She will operate primarily on 12V electrical systems whose batteries will ultimately be charged by solar or small-scale hydro (with a generator backup). Propane will power the stove, the refrigerator, the furnace, and the on-demand hot water heater. A composting toilet will handle the waste.

Gypsy Rose, on her first road trip through the
mountains of Vermont.

I've been reading the blog & following their progress faithfully since I discovered it over a year ago. Highly. Recommended.

Building Gypsy Rose

See also: Off-grid, "off the shelf" shack

[MetroMPG]

I love this blog. Latest entry: installation of a composting toilet.

Biggest concern: will it smell??

As it turns out, the only difference between our composter and a flusher (aside from lack of a flush) is the cupful of compost mix that gets sprinkled in after each poo.

Now that I’ve finally made the switch, my only regret is that I didn’t do it decades ago.

That's classic. In several different ways.

http://paddleways.com/blog/gypsyrose...loatables.html