Sep 032016
This is the photographed story of My German Shepherd and myself building a tiny house! Well, sort of. More like a shack first.
Just purchased cheap 28ys old truck at other end of the country
Have to get my car back home with me
But how do I get it off the truck? No one has planks for me!
Okay, take off what we don't need
Pity, the air intake reaches above the cabin!
Miguel checking my work
"Good job" he barks, "I can still smell the burnt steel"
Asked everyone, no one wants these parts
Local welder putting together the outer frame
(1.5mm thick hollow steel tubes)
His finished work
Okay, let's lift this beast (roughly 100kg) on the truckbed!
Was easy - with Miguel's help
Get a glimpse of the welded part
Off to the DIY to put the basement floor on
- yes, we will have a basement!
Miguel getting his (late) breakfast - still homecooked, yes!
Okay, let's add U-tracks only where we need them
(money is tight now!)
Determining the right placement of the windows
Brackets for the cabover floor supporting C-studs
Preparing for the 5cm roof incline (which is just 1.4%!)
- this material is only 0.55mm so I double all C-studs for rigidity!
The light steel frame structure - all screwed
in STEEL, which takes foreeever
Making sure the window frames don't fall on the road
before I can screw them in position!
Both windows secured in position
Securing the huge double door frame
- even more important!
Okay, the 100kg / 220lb(!) heavy double door is in place as well
Hard to find a place where I can climb up to fit the roof!
Miguel watching in amazement from below
Finding a place to cut the final roof panel
Good feeling: the roof is finished - in just half a day
(the clearfilm I'll take off when I have time later)
This photo is proof how much the heavy door pulls
the truckbed down to the right!
Miguel is terribly bored during the house-build!
Water-proofing the basement floor
Something's missing? Yes, but I don't know just yet...
After the first tour I notice cracks in the welded frame - Arrgh!!
What's holding the house up is my screwed light steel framing!
You can clearly see how the entire frame is being
pulled to the rear right (the heavy double door).
I am wavering: Should I run or should I SCREEAAM?
Pulling the entire structure back into position - HOW SCARY!!
No walls yet, but we have to "move in" - first meal for Miguel
"Yes, that looks good to me"
"Ummh, and it tastes good too"
No walls, so we're livin' under tarp for three weeks
Finally! We can add walls, phew!
The welder re-welded his part
yet I better add what was missing:
steel wind braces, yeah
Wind braces everywhere, yes!
And screwing them to each and every welded part!
Further securing the welds with corner brackets too
Miguel doesn't do any work, yet is always hungry
I am wondering how to fit the "corner castings"
(for lifting the house!)
without breaking through the walls??
Working from dawn to dusk
No funds for beauty - let alone more windows
Trying to break the monotony of tin food
The sausage and cottage cheese go first
Not livin' - existing
Yet we have all we need - except power
And what a view!
Summary:
- Building the entire shell took only 7 weeks - because I knew I had to move in then
- Drilling hundreds of screws into STEEL is most tiring - and those into the 1.5mm thick main steel structure take looong!
- Adding the sandwich panel walls three weeks later (when I had the cash) took 9 days: I had to "secretly" use windows of opportunity to charge my drill's battery packs at the DIY store. Plus, I suffered MASSIVE spine discs pain (was pretty much stiff), which prolonged the work.
- Fitting the roof took only an afternoon because almost all screws went into the double-layered light steel studs that make my "rafters". Those are easy to drill into.
When I find the time later, I will add a post with my top tips on building a steel tiny house on wheels. And whether I would do it again.
If ever you appreciate the immense work to maintain this uniquely helpful house, feel free to donate a meal.
As .ORG we depend on your (rare!) donations: however small it helps, THANKS SO MUCH!
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