Tiny house v. RV/Camper/Van?

All the different ways of solving the shelter problem. To be static or mobile? Roots, legs, or wheels?
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TopHatFox
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Tiny house v. RV/Camper/Van?

Post by TopHatFox »

I don't see the purpose of tiny houses--they're usually bigger, heavier, and more expensive than an RV, camper, or van, yet perform all of the same functions of mobile housing.

Is it simply an aesthetic thing?

Like, "oh cool, you've found a nice way to house yourself for cheap (small rv, camper, or van), now let me think of a sexy version that costs 10x the original (commercial tiny house)"
Last edited by TopHatFox on Sun Mar 20, 2016 4:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.

jacob
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Re: Tiny house v. RV/Camper/Van?

Post by jacob »

Yes, mostly. Of course that effect is not to be underestimated.

A second argument is that tiny houses are built for full time living in terms of insulation and wear and tear resistance. RVs generally aren't.

Gilberto de Piento
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Re: Tiny house v. RV/Camper/Van?

Post by Gilberto de Piento »

I don't see the purpose of tiny houses--they're usually bigger, heavier, and more expensive than an RV, camper, or van
Some of the tiny houses I've seen online are ridiculously expensive but a lot seem to built with free labor and free reclaimed materials. I remember reading one article that said the materials cost $3500. I think it could be done much cheaper if the builder is good at finding free materials on craigslist. If I had to choose between a $3000 motorhome and a building my own $3000 tiny house I would go with the tiny house.

George the original one
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Re: Tiny house v. RV/Camper/Van?

Post by George the original one »

jacob wrote:A second argument is that tiny houses are built for full time living in terms of insulation and wear and tear resistance. RVs generally aren't.
This. I don't know of anyone who has owned an RV in western Oregon who hasn't had to patch leaks after a decade. It's one of the principle reasons most folks who full-time reside in one have a "snow roof" shelter.

My sister just moved into a 5th wheel trailer because it's all she can afford. All the original built-in furniture was ripped out long ago because it probably fell apart, the floors have poorly finished hardwood floor patches likely covering holes, and the whole thing smells of dampness & cigarettes. Yeah, you can find regular houses that are in similar condition, but generally it takes 3-4 decades to get there unless the construction was poor.

7Wannabe5
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Re: Tiny house v. RV/Camper/Van?

Post by 7Wannabe5 »

I went on a super fun and interesting bus tour of greenhouses in Detroit today, and one of the young urban farmers was building a tiny house out of pallets for his summer garden helper to live in. He has 7 lots and feeds his family of 4 plus 6 other people. He had already built a really cute tiny shed out of pallets, and it had his ToDo list on a chalkboard on the side, and his last item was "Catch groundhog and take it to Belle Isle." One of my especial friends builds things out of pallets all the time, so maybe he will help me build one if I am nice.

Anyways, I do not know why all of the young people on this forum are not moving to Detroit right now. You can get a very big old house for the price of a tiny new house including land you can garden on and you can bike like a maniac down flat empty paved streets. It is even safe to eat the fish from the river now.

BRUTE
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Re: Tiny house v. RV/Camper/Van?

Post by BRUTE »

7Wannabe5 wrote:You can get a very big old house for the price of a tiny new house including land you can garden on and you can bike like a maniac down flat empty paved streets. It is even safe to eat the fish from the river now.
but then one would have to live in Detroit

enigmaT120
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Re: Tiny house v. RV/Camper/Van?

Post by enigmaT120 »

George the original one wrote: My sister just moved into a 5th wheel trailer because it's all she can afford. All the original built-in furniture was ripped out long ago because it probably fell apart, the floors have poorly finished hardwood floor patches likely covering holes, and the whole thing smells of dampness & cigarettes.
Huh, she must have bought that from my mom and her husband, in Lyons. It sure sounds like theirs. Now they're renting an upstairs apartment that's about as big as my house, but they lived in that trailer for a long time.

JL13
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Re: Tiny house v. RV/Camper/Van?

Post by JL13 »

7Wannabe5 wrote:Anyways, I do not know why all of the young people on this forum are not moving to Detroit right now.
Yeah I mentioned this in the ERE city post!!

@OP I definitely agree with you on the over-hype on tiny houses. They're ridiculously expensive for what you get, and extremely difficult to resell. I'd rather just have a $100k apartment that I could sell in a few months than a $80k tiny house (sans land!?) that no bank would mortgage to a buyer.

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Slevin
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Re: Tiny house v. RV/Camper/Van?

Post by Slevin »

7Wannabe5 wrote: Anyways, I do not know why all of the young people on this forum are not moving to Detroit right now. You can get a very big old house for the price of a tiny new house including land you can garden on and you can bike like a maniac down flat empty paved streets. It is even safe to eat the fish from the river now.
Earning power is low (very important in the accumulation phase) and the weather is cold :?. I'm not sure about the culture... with proper incentive I may consider it after completing accumulation where it is easy and quick.

Ideally I think the proper move would be Southern California (in a van) working in Silicon Valley -> Detroit, Waco, or somewhere else with extremely low housing prices. Personally I value proximity to outdoor activities like hiking and exploring highly.

sky
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Re: Tiny house v. RV/Camper/Van?

Post by sky »

The advantage of a camper van is that you don't need to own any real estate. The bigger your RV or tiny house, the more you need some land to put it on.

EMJ
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Re: Tiny house v. RV/Camper/Van?

Post by EMJ »

I lived on friend's land in tiny (120 sq ft) house for 5 years. Advantages of tiny house: well built, wood stove, own design, no off-gassing, uncluttered, beautiful. Disadvantages: no shower, moveable but not for long distances.

Did
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Re: Tiny house v. RV/Camper/Van?

Post by Did »

Laws are relevant depending on where you live.

Tiny houses are often illegal.

Camping in your RV is often illegal.

Basically the law does everything it can in some parts of the word to push you to a lifetime of debt.

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