San Francisco-based start-up Apis Cor have been working for a solution to homelessness and a lack of affordable homes – and they appear to have come up with an answer.
The Apis Cor team hit headlines recently as they achieved a world first by creating an entire house using a 3D printer – living up to their simple slogan “we print buildings.” More impressively still, the 400 foot square home was completed in just 24 hours.
The $14,000 Tiny House
No matter what house you buy, you want it to be warm enough, and that’s one thing people often comment on when inexpensive house builts are brought up: the question of whether it could hold up against white winter weather. Well, today we’re looking at a house that cost around $14k in materials, and that was bulit in the north – in Montana, as you can see from the snow in the photos (interior and exterior photos).
The builder is Charlie Smith, and he owns his tiny home too. It wasn’t just a build from someone else or a company.
Check out the images. This house is well laid out for its size, with an eating area, storage seats, a desk, an upper loft bedroom with a view, a built-in couch and fold-out TV – two tiny home living staples!
You might also notice the backlit glass counter tops (sea glass at that), that glow at night, and hardwood flooring and wood cabinetry.
House specs:
Length – 22′
Width – 8′ 6″
Height – 13′ 6″
Unloaded Weight – 9,800 lbs
Loaded Weight – 11,500 lbs
First Level Area – 160 SqFt
Loft Area – 80 SqFt
Sleeps – 4
Number of Windows – 15
Onboard Water Storage – 80 gallons
Onboard Propane Storage – 45 lbs
Electrical Service – 50 amp shore power or solar/generator
Toilet – Composting
Siding/Trim/Shingles/Interior Material – Eastern White Cedar (Corinna & Oakfield, Maine)
Approximate Mileage Traveled – 2,750 miles
Approximate Materials Cost – $14,000
Construction State Date: 8/30/2015
Construction End Date: 9/6/2016
Tow Vehicle – 2001 Ford F-550 7.3L Turbo Diesel Dually
Compact Off-road Caravans
Can you name something these little trailers DON’T have?
Ok, just taking a look at what little towable trailer units are like these days? They’ve come a long way since the first travel trailers, basic, uninsulated, without power systems and cooking stations. Definitely without solar panels.
Let’s take a look at these new Kimberly models:
Standard: Lithium Batteries, all super-light Black Optima Solar arrays with new smart controllers, and the Smart Touch Plus. This system only reads information and is NOT a remote control system. We still use traditional switches. Most models have Smart refrigeration and all are equipped for the automated waterless toilet if you choose this option.
Lithium Batteries
- 200Ahr Lithium Battery in every model
- 600Ahr available for Kruiser S, T Class
- Bluetooth connected for monitoring and event records
- Charges at twice the speed of conventional AGM or Lead crystal batteries
- Great weight reduction.
- Long cycle life
Smart Touch Plus systems
- NEW Gorilla Glass high definition display in every model
- Batteries, water tank levels on all models.
- Solar, Inverter, Fridge and Freezer temp and power on selected models
- Smartphone bluetooth connected for every model.
- With Kimberley SmartRV on Wifi*, there is remote service access to your system from anywhere in the world. Security feature prevents spamming.
Smartphone app for every model: easy to follow second screen:
- for battery, water levels, grey water, solar system, refrigeration.
- Bluetooth connection : no internet needed.
- “Future proof” with planned CI-Bus compatibility to Dometic, Truma, and Alko products. This should enable remote control of air-conditioning and heating from your smartphone. (CI-Bus is Caravan Industry Bus which Kimberley is committed to)
New MPPT solar controllers (also bluetooth app connected) will replenish energy much faster with the Black Optima Solar: 140W – 1,020W
The greatest innovation to off-road camping is the waterless toilet:
- 80 uses, no smell, no need for dump station.
- Available in every model and equipped with:
- a booster fan,
- a 12V heater
- and a removable liner.
Actually, there’s even more to them than these modern features listed. We’ll feature them again in the future with a bit more info on what these modern RVing units have to offer.
Check out the gallery of photos below (all images on our site are expandable, even the featured images at the top of most articles).
Find more from Kimberly Kruiser, you can find them indexed in our Home Designers and Builders Directory. You can search the company’s name and look for builders near your area. And to see more tiny house, click here.
