The Right Dwelling For Me

Posted on December 28, 2014 by mcpletcher — Leave a comment

I think I’ve nearly come full circle in my desired house.  When I was raking in a lot of cash working at a coal mine in Pennsylvania, I wanted to buy a pice of rural property and build a house, but not just any house.  I didn’t want a mansion, just something modest, affordable, energy efficient, built from local materials, and ultimately off-grid.  Here is the basic progression which took place over the last few years:

  • A-Frame
  • Converted Silo
  • Masonry (Brick or concrete block)
  • Earth Bag Dome
  • Earth Tube Dome
  • Rammed Earth
  • Compressed Earth Brick Masonry Dome
  • Very Large Compressed Earth Brick and Timber Hybrid
  • Cordwood
  • Geodesic Dome
  • Timber Frame
  • Round Wood Timber Frame
  • Probably a Yurt for an afternoon…  🙂
  • Converted shipping containers
  • Strawbale
  • Hybrids of any or all of the previous
  • Earthship or any rammed tire variation

Then from here on, was after we moved to Portland, Oregon from rural Pennsylvania.  We had to downsize quite a bit to make the move, and together decided that we never want to move so much crap again.  It was time to purge and think small. Read more ›

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Posted in Dwelling, Personal, Philosophy, The Squatch, Tiny House

The Absurdity of Property and Human Rentals

Posted on December 18, 2014 by mcpletcher — 3 Comments

Perhaps this is a little much for some people to swallow, but I’m just going to lay it out.

We have a property disorder here on this planet.  Yeah, property.  Like land, trees, the air, the minerals, the means of production.  You know, shit like that!  Just step back for a minute.  Let go of your culture, your preconceived notions on how things should work, and above all else retire that neutral zone around your head for a minute, and just consider how utterly insane it is that after 14+ BILLION YEARS of existence (as far as anybody can tell), along comes some asshole that claims a small bit of this universe is his!?  It’s a guy, of course.  Patriarchal, dominating shit and all.  I’ll say that a different way:  A 14 billion year old assortment of atoms, composing a human being, decrees to the universe that another assortment of atoms, composing of the land, sea, air, and so on, is now under it’s control.

This view of property ownership does not take into account the finite nature of, well… nature.  There’s only so much land on Earth.  There’s only so much fresh water, oil, timber, coal, biomass, and capacity to accept our pollution.  I view many of our problems today, as a property perception issue. Read more ›

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Posted in Marxism, Personal, Philosophy

Growth, Death, and Survival

Posted on November 27, 2014 by mcpletcher — 3 Comments

Homo sapiens may very well be the first species that must learn to live on Earth.  It appears as though every other species that came before us, or exists today, has a population limited by available food supply or other environmental conditions.  Human beings have consistently demonstrated their ability to eat about anything (or eat things which can digest the food we can’t); we can live in almost any climate on the planet, in every corner of the globe.  Our insatiable desire for more has not stopped with the plant and animals which exist today; for some time now we have been feeding on the dead remains of Earth’s past, and not just the gas, oil and coal we think about, but also the metal ores, limestone, phosphate, and other materials that if they were not directly deposited by living organisms, their existence is owed to a biologic living process like the oxygenation of the oceans.

Humanity has not broken any rules which would set it apart from all the species past and present; the name of the game is still adaptation and growth.  We simply adapt more quickly to the limitiations of our growth and continually overshoot our population and resource consumption, forcing yet more adaptation.  A population overshoot in most species comes with a violent culling back or population collapse, possibly resulting in extinction.   Read more ›

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Posted in Organized Entropy Expansion, Personal, Philosophy

Yet Another Change Of Course

Posted on November 23, 2014 by mcpletcher — Leave a comment

I want to talk about overunity.  Anyone that has looked around this blog knows that I have a special place in my heart for refrigeration, “heat pumps” more generally speaking.  Vapor compression systems have fascinated me for years.  It has been shown that by taking advantage of the phase change properties of certain fluids, it is possible move heat from one place to another, which in a well designed system requires less energy in the form of work than the heat energy moved.  This is overunity.  Put simply, you get more out than you put in.  Now mind you, this does not suggest an efficiency greater than 100%; far from it.  Actually , a heat pump operating at higher than 50% percent would be impressive.  The same heat pump in certain conditions may move five units of heat for every unit of input energy required for the operation.  Energy is conserved and entropy rises from a total systems perspective.

Heat pumps are a fascinating subject for which I have written extensively about.  Up until recently, I planned on incorporating a heat pump (mostly built from scratch) into about every step in my energy management system of living.  Refrigerator, water heater, dehumidifier, clothes drier, and home heating, were all suitable applications in my mind.  Since moving into the Squatch, so many projects have crossed my mind, I often get frustrated and lost in all the mess.   Read more ›

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Posted in Dehumidifiers, Dwelling, Hot Water, Philosophy, Refrigeration, The Squatch

Acceptance and Adaptation

Posted on November 23, 2014 by mcpletcher — Leave a comment

Human activities of the last 10,000 years have made irreversible changes to the landscape of the Earth, to the waters, the air, and the biodiversity of life.  This much is not up for debate; marshes have been drained, forests leveled, species driven to extinction, the oceans and air treated as our personal dump, and there will be no going back.  The damage has been done, and with time, more crimes against the larger organism Earth, will be committed.  Perhaps it is in our very nature as a self interested species with no population control mechanism, to expand and consume until we have toxified our environment to the point where it is no longer habitable; much like so many yeast choke on there own alcohol waste and sink to the bottom of a beer vat.

I would like to think we are smart enough to see that coming, but maybe not.  The forces of economic growth and profits drive us ever closer to a bleak future with a shortage of arable land, fickle growing seasons, and erratic weather patterns.  This will not be the world we knew, but it is the world we must deal with.

All is not lost; there is hope yet!  The time for change is now.  Actually, the time for change was many generations ago, but this is where we are, and this is where we must start.  No matter what we do, we can not turn the clock back and undo what is already done.  All we can and must do, is adapt to a new world where the mistakes of the past are better understood and our priorities are aligned towards creating a stable, productive planet.  Humanity spent the last 10,000 years or more geoengineering the planet with only the immediate benefits in mind.  If we could engineer the place into a shithole, devoid of life (which I’m sure we are capable of),  then it is undoubtable that we could create an oasis of a planet where humanity plays a crucial role of caretaker, and protector of the third rock from the sun.

-M.C. Pletcher

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Posted in Personal, Philosophy

The Electric Hybrid Bicycle === Delightful

Posted on November 16, 2014 by mcpletcher — 2 Comments

For many years, I’ve planned on building and electric hybrid bicycle for my general transportation needs.  An electric motor that supplements the human operator increases range, cargo carrying capacity, and general enjoyment of the ride.  A few hundred watts of additional power makes big hills feel like small ones.  Added speed allows one to cut travel times down drastically.  A regular bicycle is designed to be light weight, simple, and have low friction components because anything else would be intolerable.  The electric motor and battery adds some weight, of course, but the power density of modern batteries more than makes up for the extra load.

My current bike is an aluminum framed Fuji.  I rode it for about 18 months back and forth to work which was a 4.2 miles round trip commute.  I own a car, however such a commute by automobile is ridiculous.  Besides, I detest cars; fine in the country, but they have little business in an urban setting.  My bike rides were short and easy.

Now, we live a bit farther away, and the round trip distance to work is 14 miles.  A reasonable distance for a bike ride, yes, but it does take some time and I feel it would get rather boring.  I felt it was time to electrify the bike and make something that is a low cost utility vehicle.

I won’t say much about the various systems I considered, other than I chose a mid drive motor over a hub drive system because I felt that inputing power to the drivetrain and using the bicycle transmission would be a more efficient use of battery charge than a hub drive that operates over varying speeds.  The Bafang 8FUN 500watt mid drive system gets fairly consistent favorable reviews, especially for the cost. A 36V 10Ahr Lithium Iron Phosphate battery from “Ping Batteries” was chosen as my power storage. Read more ›

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Posted in Personal

Squatch: 2nd Month Water Figures

Posted on November 6, 2014 by mcpletcher — 2 Comments

Here we are, two months in our motorhome at this lovely trailer park.  I’ve been keeping busy with projects of various sorts and collecting data in regards to our water consumption habits.  I feel as though this little self contained living unit gives me the opportunity to monitor resources in and out through a few devices I’ve installed.  Lately, I’ve been watching our use of the grid supplied electricity with an “Energy Detective”, but I’ll save that for later.

Each morning, I get up and write down the readings on the main water meter as well as the hot water meter.  Over time, I can calculate average water use and notable spikes or lulls in water use.  In addition, each time the fresh water tank is filled or a waste water tank is emptied, I write down the value on the meters.

Average water consumption the second month is:  6.9 gallons per day.  The first month was:  5.5 gallons per day.

The average has risen, but is still considerably lower than the average U.S. citizen.  I don’t feel that I have become lax in my conservation efforts specifically.  I do not monitor Erin’s bathing and water use, so I can’t speak to that.  I know that she makes an effort for sure.  I can say that we have been eating at home more often, leading to more dishwashing.  If that is the culprit, it’s not as though we are wasting more water, in reality we aren’t externalizing so much water use to restaurants and pre-made food from grocery stores.

absolute water

Read more ›

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Posted in Dwelling, Hot Water, The Squatch, Tiny House, Water

Earn Your Freedom

Posted on October 26, 2014 by mcpletcher — Leave a comment

I have to share this post from Eddyfy. Are we born free, and then get shackled by the constraints of society? Or, are we born enslaved, and must fight for our freedom to do what we wish with our time? I think he’s spot on. Thank you Eddy.

Posted in The Squatch

Urban Homesteading and PITAC

Posted on October 22, 2014 by mcpletcher — Leave a comment

I’ve adopted a policy in our motorhome of “Pain in the Ass Conservation”.  That’s the best term I can come up with at this early hour.  What it comes down to, is a little taste of rural homesteading in an urban setting.

Picture a vacant patch of woods with no utilities where you decide to build an off grid home.  You’ve chosen to erect a wind turbine and solar panels for electricity.  The batteries require regular maintenance and inspection.  Your water is collected from a rainwater catchment system or shallow well.  The homes grey water is filtered by a botanical cell maintained by yourself.  A composting toilet is built or installed requiring regular turning and changing.  Heating and ventilation is managed by a combination of opening and closing windows / vents, burning biomass, propane heat, fans, thermostats, and the like.  All in all, it’s a lot of work managing these resources.  With all the time and thought put into the job, it makes sense to conserve because everything needs to be imported onto the property; likely by yourself.  It’s not the life for everyone, but it was nearly my life until a few months before we moved to Portland.

I still desire that life, but in a slightly different setting:  the city.  “Urban Homesteading”, I would call it, for lack of a better term.  Living right on top of seemingly unlimited resources, but choosing not partake in their bounty, is a bit much for some folks to swallow; they just don’t get it.  Having moved into a motorhome to save money, and in order to force ourselves to downsize, has put me into the interesting position of living in a a pre-manufactured self contained home.  Granted, it was never designed for full time living, it has everything a couple needs for off-grid living, at least for a few days.

A battery bank stores enough electrical energy to light, ventilate, and operate the propane appliances.  Solar panels are easily adapted to extend the capacity.  A full tank of liquid propane provides hot water, refrigeration, and cabin heat.  A 66 gallon fresh water tank with onboard pressure pump, and a 32 gallon grey water tank, lasts a few days.  The 22 gallon backwater tank takes weeks to fill.

What I have here is an opportunity to see how much of these resources I use.  I want to use less, yes, but only using more efficient appliances or light bulbs because I think they help, teaches me nothing about using less in the first place.  It also makes it next to impossible to evaluate my progress.  Instead, I force myself to utilize the onboard resources I have available to me, and treat them as the finite resources that they are.

If I were to take a long hot shower, rather than the NAVY shower that I’ve been perfecting, I would quickly use up the contents of the fresh water tank and fill my grey water tank.  The lesson is learned because I must go outside periodically, drag out some hoses and service these tanks.  I live like this intentionally to train myself to conserve these resources.  I could get larger propane tanks that would only need filled once a month, but I prefer the smaller 20 pounders that get changed every few days.  Soon, I plan to haul BBQ propane tanks back and forth to my workplace for refilling.  My water readings could be taken by an automated system, but instead I take them manually each morning and every time a tank is serviced.  I even have plans to build a pedal powered refrigerator and/or water heater as well as the water pressure pump, in order to make these resources feel more laborious.

Implementing readily available technology can easily free me from these tasks, but I have been living in such a way my whole life and old habits die hard.  My plan is to make the management of these resources a pain in the ass, and in time, both technology and a lifestyle will develop such that my utilities are harvested from the local environment and largely manage themselves.  Waste heat from one process supplies another, grey water is filtered and reused, heat by a biochar heater or a solar powered heat pump, electricity is sourced from the sun and wind, and so on.  See:  The KillCap Catalogue

I order to make some of this happen, I need data.  I require feedback so I know what I’ve used, what I have left, and how long it will last under present conditions.  I seek resource security and independence from the utilities.  This is part of my retirement plan.  This is part of a moral life.  This is my life.

-M.C. Pletcher

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Posted in Dwelling, Hot Water, Philosophy, The Squatch, Tiny House, Water

Feedback Conservation

Posted on October 20, 2014 by mcpletcher — 1 Comment

Chatting with a friend over drinks the other night, we were discussing the conservation of resources like electricity.  He was explaining to me that back in Arizona, a program existed with the power company that allowed the customer to buy credits on a swipe card and fill a thermostat like display inside their home.  That display would then provide information as to the number of credits remaining on their account.  In time, they could see the credits being used up as kilowatt hours were used.  If the user does not keep enough credits loaded, their power goes out!  Can you imagine!?  I can.

My electrical power doesn’t work that way; I could use all the current my circuit breaker will pass and pay for it next month.  This arrangement is not well suited for for conservation.

On the other hand, all the lights and fans in the Squatch are 12 volt DC, and run on a pair of batteries charged by two solar panels.  A small battery monitor provides some information about battery health.  A quick glance at the weather forecast tells me how much sun energy will be available to replenish my batteries.  If it’s going to be gloomy, I know to take it easy on the 12VDC circuit; in general though, the experience teaches conservation.

“The Energy Detective” is a handy little device I bought a few years ago to monitor AC loads on a home electrical service.  If the reader is interested in conservation, I would recommend they check it out.  Several versions exist.  The one I have allows me to monitor total consumption as well as individual devices like water heaters, refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, dehumidifiers, and the like.  Power usage is either displayed on a small LCD screen provided, or through the homes ethernet connection and graphed on a computer terminal.  Aside from all the graphing, spreadsheeting and number crunching, a simple display like the number of kilowatt hours used today, is very effective at changing a person’s behavior.  It also works great to evaluate the consumption of individual appliances, such as the effectiveness of adding insulation to an electric water heater.  It pays for itself in a few months!

Simply having some kind of informational feedback about resource consumption will save far more energy than what comes from changing a few light bulbs to compact fluorescent.  I am convinced that this is not only the path towards reducing one’s own impact on the planet, but it is the only path towards a sustainable survival plan for our future.  Our collective appetites for the nicer things in life, those creature comforts, and our big, fat, gnarly brains, demand ever more of a planet grown tired and ill; the burden is too great and we must be smarter with our technology.

-M.C. Pletcher

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Posted in Dwelling, Philosophy, The Squatch, Tiny House

Free Money? My Foot.

Posted on October 13, 2014 by mcpletcher — 1 Comment

They tell me it’s free money.  They tell me there’s a guaranteed return on investment.  They tell me it’s a win-win scenario and I’d be stupid not to participate.  “They” say a lot of things.

My boss regularly harasses me to contribute to the 401k retirement program at work.  Like many other plans, the company matches my contribution up to a certain amount.  I told them I want nothing to do with the damned thing, and get blank stares in return.  I find usury in any form to be nefarious at best.  Someone or something is getting screwed in this deal, and I don’t like it for sure.

Sure, I should plan for my retirement; I’m not stupid.  It’s just that I have a moral opposition to gambling with my future.  More than that, I have issue with some over paid money changer making bets on my behalf as to the direction the stock market is going to go;  “UP!” is the hopeful consensus.

Well, maybe I don’t want it to go up.  Maybe I want it to go down along with the rest of the economy to something resembling a steady state arrangement where people’s basic needs are actually met without all the waste of the growth obsessed capitalist rat race.

This money thrown on the pile is invested in a multitude of different industries.  Companies need investment, but how do these enterprises behave?  How do they treat their employees?  Do they make a product or provide a service which is beneficial to the people and the world as a whole?  Are their interests aligned with mine?  Do they lobby congress to water down environmental regulation or to rubber stamp another pointless military campaign in the interests of profit?  Who exactly made the product that results in returns on my investment?  Do they get to participate democratically in the process of appropriating the surplus?  I doubt it.

These are questions that remain unanswered, so I refuse to play that game.  I’m not a big gambler and as far as I’m concerned, the stock market is the biggest bookie operation of them all; far exceeding the money handled in Las Vegas.  Hell, does anyone remember the cyclic ups and downs of the last 150 years; the fickle nature of the economy?  There hasn’t been a real recovery since “The Great Recession” began way back in 2008, and I’m supposed to count on my deferred wages plus a hefty return, to come back to me in forty of fifty years?

I don’t count on seeing real recovery.  Do I have an alternative plan?  Not exactly.  I have a nest egg; I stay out of debt; we’d be alright if I lost my job suddenly.  Our living costs are on their way down, which makes it easier to save for things, and also makes the notion of retirement less daunting.

I must develop a more fitting plan for my future, but I fail to see how tying my future well being to the health of the economy, when so much is set to change in the next fifty years.  Learn to live small.  Use less.  Adapt.  Change.  Evolve.  Question everything.  And, don’t eat the Soylent Green.   

-M.C. Pletcher

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Posted in Marxism, Personal, Philosophy

C-3_H-8…Propane!

Posted on October 11, 2014 by mcpletcher — Leave a comment

I had a feeling the other night, that we were dangerously low on propane.  My fears were justified as the heater began sputtering the next morning.  I shut everything down, including the refrigerator until I could get some propane.  It wasn’t too cold yesterday, but I left Erin an electric space heater running anyway.  The refrigerator stayed cold for the 10 hours I was at work; the freezer did not rise above 25 degrees Fahrenheit.

I have been planning to splice in a portable LP tank since we moved in; procrastination is alive and well in the Squatch.  I picked up a “Stay-A-While by Mr. Heater” brass tee that I installed on the high pressure side, between the motorhome 20 gallon LP tank and the system regulator.  A small hose connects it to any standard portable propane.  In this case, it’s a 20 pound BBQ tank from Fred Meyer.

stay a while propane up close

stay a while LP hookup

The question is:  How am I going to keep a constant supply of propane?  Well, for one, I’d like to keep the onboard tank filled, which is going to require me to take the Squatch to work and buy the LP at wholesale cost.  I was thinking I could just have the one portable tank, and when it is empty, I’ll switch over to the onboard tank until the next workday when I would refill the 20 pounder.  Another option is to get a second 20 pound tank and keep one full, leaving the onboard tank for emergency reserve.

Now that 20 gallon onboard tank was used up in a little over a month.  Notice that the onboard tank is 20 gallons, and the BBQ tank is 20 pounds.  At 4.2 pounds per gallon of liquid propane, the onboard tank may be 4 times the size of the BBQ tank.  But wait, I’m not so sure!  The volume on some tanks is listed as the water capacity.  In this case, 20 gallons, but propane tanks should not be filled to more than 80% capacity, leaving 16 gallons.  At about 4.2 pounds per gallon, the tank could hold 67 pounds of propane.  So, between 3 and 4 times my little BBQ tank.

I know that I’ll be switching these little tanks often.  Why not get a larger tank?  Well, partly to enforce some feedback conservation, and for ease of transport.  I want to be able to haul propane from my workplace on my bicycle, a much larger tank would just be nuts.  I briefly considered getting an aluminum forklift tank because the tare weight is lower and the capacity higher.  Also and more importantly, forklift tanks can be transported horizontally or vertically, unlike regular DOT tanks.  Alas, forklift tanks are only designed for liquid and not vapor; I need vapor for my appliances.

-M.C. Pletcher

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Posted in Dwelling, Refrigerator, The Squatch, Tiny House

Simple Things Can Make All The Difference

Posted on October 10, 2014 by mcpletcher — 2 Comments

There’s a few things I’ve done since we moved into the Squatch that make day to day life just a little bit easier.  I simply want to change my immediate environment to best suit my needs.  I’ve found myself getting into new routines that simplify and order my life.  Structure is something that I’ve only ever experienced in school and at work.  Put to use for my personal interests, structure and organization can move mountains, I’m sure.  I find my time gets frittered away by the summation of trivial tasks throughout my day.  Minor things, grabbing my toothbrush from the medicine cabinet or washing dishes in an inefficiently designed kitchen sink, can over time, add up to a delay in the tasks I really want to accomplish.  It comes down to design.  Design is everything.

sink and shelf

The first example is our kitchen.  I have a long way to go, but this is about minor changes that go along way.  The most noteworthy feature is the faucet itself.  Granted, I didn’t build the faucet, but we did choose it at the local RV parts store.  For $38, Read more ›

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Posted in Dwelling, Hot Water, Personal, The Squatch, Tiny House, Water

In the Face of Ridicule

Posted on October 8, 2014 by mcpletcher — 1 Comment

My co-workers think I’m nuts.  That’s nothing new; I’ve always worked blue collar jobs with rural type folks.  Salt of the Earth kind of people, some would say.  I’ve never fit in.  My opinions on politics, human rights, environmental concerns, dietary choices make many uncomfortable.  My distaste of television and proclivity towards reading books has made me the misfit in whatever industry I worked at the time.

Rarely do I get the opportunity to make my case in the face of so much opposition; everyone is against me, the story usually goes.  This isn’t about my criticisms of capitalism; there are many to be sure.  This is about the living a moral, decent life; being able to sleep at night because I feel that I’m making positive choice in my day to day lifestyle.  The products I purchase, the packaging I avoid, the dietary choices I make, avoiding driving when possible, conserving water, and generally living small is important to me.

You could call this environmentalism, being “green”, or whatever label is convenient.  I don’t generally like labels, but when someone calls me a “tree hugger”, I own it.  I don’t have the foggiest idea how anyone can use “tree hugger” as a derogatory term.  Lately, I tell them I’m a “Tree hugging, dirt worshipping, eco-communist”.  That usually shuts them up.

“Liberal Greenies” or whatever, get the reputation of trying to save the world without the humility to accept the absurdity of their own half-hearted efforts based on whatever “green technology” is trending at the time.  This has been termed “conspicuous conservation” by some; such as advertising the fact they switched over to all compact fluorescents in their home, but never bother to switch them off.  Regardless of the intention, any effort to be more “green” can be perceived by some as simply smug.

True, there are those who are quite humble about the small steps they are taking to change their lifestyle towards something resembling sustainable; I like to think I’m one of those folks.  I do these things, not for pats on the back or the admiration of others, but because I honestly think it is right.  Beyond what I believe is the moral way to live, there is a very practical reason to conserve:  the party is almost over.

If I’m alive in fifty years, the world will be a very different place with possibly several billion more human inhabitants living on a planet with an unstable climate.  I hope, and “hope” is the only word I can say for it, that a worldwide change in consciousness reins in a massive paradigm shift in the way we integrate our civilization into the metabolism of the planet without a series of cataclysmic disasters to shake us from our fossil fuel induced stupor.  Frankly, I’m not holding my breath; it’s likely to be a shit storm.  But, I’m not waiting around, only to find my pants down when the economy finally collapse, the electric grid down, water mains dry, and the grocery store shelves empty.  What good is a 401k plan when the money is worthless?

No, I’m making conscious choices to develop a more sustainable lifestyle as a retirement plan; I’m trying to survive and flourish.  The collapse isn’t going to happen, it has already begun.  Before I was even born, the wheels were set in motion.  I won’t be barricaded in a bunker with food and ammunition.  If things elevate to that level, I don’t think survival is worth fighting for.  I will make every effort live how humans will live in a post-growth society, even in the face of ridicule.

-M.C. Pletcher

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Posted in Dwelling, Personal, Philosophy, The Squatch, Tiny House, Water

Motorhome Living, One Month In – Daily Water Consumption

Posted on October 7, 2014 by mcpletcher — 3 Comments

Well, we’ve lived in a motorhome for a month now, and I think it’s time to start sharing some of our experiences, as well as a little bit of data I’ve collected.  We’ve made the life choice to live in an RV for a number of reasons, but my main reason is to establish a conscious connection to the impact I have on the world through the resources I utilize; also, how I can better utilize the resources which are readily available all around us through careful management.

 

Fresh Water

To this end, our motorhome stands unconnected to the city water supply and sewer hookup.  Water is supplied by a potable rated water hose connected by myself to a water valve protruding from the ground on our lot.  The other end is filtered through a carbon filter and discharged into our 66 gallon water tank.  When full, the hose is coiled up and stowed.  When the tank level is getting low, either by reading the crude meter over the stove or through calculation through daily water readings (See Water Meters Under the Sink), I simply go fill up.  The unfortunate drawback of this arrangement, is that my system pressure is substantially lower than city water mains because my onboard pump is not set for high pressure.

On average, I refill the fresh water tank every 6.25 days after 40.2 gallons of water used.  The most important number is the average daily water used, which works out to 6.16 gallons per day.  That’s total household use. Read more ›

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Posted in Dwelling, Hot Water, The Squatch, Tiny House, Water

Modified Hide Away Spice Cabinet

Posted on September 23, 2014 by mcpletcher — Leave a comment

The motorhome came equipped with this nice big spice cabinet, next to the oven and microwave.  It extends from floor to ceiling, and is hidden by a tall, skinny door.  A tall board with several baskets is mounted to three sliding tracks, and pulls out to provide access.  Although I commend the Bigfoot Manufacturing Company for their ingenuity, they did not optimize use of the volume.  The back end of the baskets were supported by a narrow board; built around the dimensions of the baskets, and since the baskets are not as deep as the cabinet well, about 4.5 inches were wasted in the back.  Also, this narrow board prevented the rack from sliding out fully, which I tried to remedy.

sliding spice cabinet1

sliding spice cabinet2

There is enough room in the baskets for most of our spices, but we needed a place to store mason jars for bulk items, and for drinking glasses.  I pulled the board out, Read more ›

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Posted in Dwelling, The Squatch, Tiny House

Two Weeks in Our Motorhome…

Posted on September 20, 2014 by mcpletcher — 2 Comments

Yes, it’s finally happened.  After months of waiting for an RV park space to open up, we’ve finally done it; we’ve moved into our motorhome.  I thought I would be nervous.  I thought it would be nerve racking and stressful.  Maybe a little stressful, but for the most part, it was easy.  Perhaps, the best thing I’ve ever done.  I wish I hadn’t waited so long.

BIgfoot New Home

In order to get to the point where I sit, a great purge took place.  This purge of un-needed items began back in Pennsylvania two years ago and accelerated when we decided late last year to purchase an RV as our first home.  By far, the downsizing was the hardest part of the process of Squatching our life (It’s a Bigfoot Motorhome).  Really, it wasn’t the difficulty of parting with things, it was the trouble of selling, recycling, and giving things away that was hard.  Towards the last few weeks, I just wanted to come home from work and find that our apartment was broken into, and the thieves stole the massive pile of crap in the middle of the living room.  But, between Craigslist, the local consignment shop (The Village Merchant in Portland, OR — You MUST GO!!!), Goodwill, and a the magic street corner where everything disappears, we were able to minimize our possessions down to a manageable level.  So much so, that we actually have room to spare!  Seriously!  We have extra basement storage, as well as empty cabinets inside! Read more ›

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Posted in Dwelling, Personal, The Squatch, Tiny House, Water

Corollary to a Sun Tracking Tiny House

Posted on July 23, 2014 by mcpletcher — Leave a comment

I must get these ideas for a sun tracker out, so I can move on to more pressing matters.  I simply feel the need to develop an idea, and then set it aside for possible implementation in the future.  Yesterday, I proposed some thoughts on building a spinning tiny house on wheels which would follow the path of the sun for the benefit of of solar heat in the winter and more natural light.  See it here at Sun Tracking Tiny House.

I wasn’t very happy with the complexity of any of the previous designs.  So here are two ideas that I think are simpler:

Any trailer with a ball coupler for towing, could be supported by a screw jack stand with a ball of the appropriate size on top of it.  This would be the pivot point of the sun tracker system.  The tail end of the trailer would be supported by two heavy duty trailer tongue jacks with pneumatic tires.  The entire trailer is lifted up in the air so that all of the trailer tires are suspended.  If at least one of these “landing gear” wheels were electrically driven by a gear reduced motor, the whole trailer could swing about a radius equal to the total length of the trailer.  I feel that this design is simple enough and within my capabilities.  It also doesn’t require completely rethinking the construction of a tiny house on wheels.  In fact, it may be an afterthought for any tiny house on wheels. Most of the components for this are already available, with some creative modifications.

It is not without it’s problems though.  The ground over which the landing gear travel needs to be almost perfectly level.  Also, the size of the arc the house would travel to catch the winter sun would require a fair amount of ground space.  It would also be more difficult to spin the whole house around on warm days, requiring MUCH more space.  Perhaps the house could be flipped around end for end, twice a year manually, depending on the season.  Definitely a major flaw.

Of course, it’s possible that the pivot point could be under the trailer load center, allowing the house to rotate about this central point.  Install landing gear at equal distant points from the load center, and make them travel along the circumference of the arc formed by the house rotational path.  One drive wheel again, or two on opposing sides.  To support some of the weight and help prevent the “Spirograph Effect”, a screw jack like the one that supported the tongue in the previous proposal, would support a ball coupler installed underneath the trailer frame at the intended pivot point.

I researched jacks and powered trailer dollies a little bit.  This is very much possible, but I’m ready to think about other things.  I’d love to see somebody build this!  It’ll be a few years until I give it much for thought!  Bye, for now.

-M.C. Pletcher

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Posted in Dwelling, Philosophy, Tiny House

Sun Tracking Tiny House

Posted on July 22, 2014 by mcpletcher — Leave a comment

One of the great advantages of a tiny house on wheels, is that it can be moved or reoriented to suit the needs of the occupants.  Don’t like your view?  Spin that thing around!  I believe this unique feature is of particular use when considering climate control of the home, and how the sun plays a part in this.

I’m sure I do not need to explain to the reader that solar heating and cooling systems are designed into many “off grid” type homes, and that with some forethought, a domicile can be built which takes advantage of the sun’s radiation to greatly reduce the need for supplementary climate control.  It pains me to see (and no doubt you as well if you’re interested in tiny homes), the thousands upon thousands of McMansions lining windy suburban roads in housing developments.  The designers, having taken no consideration as to the path and angle of the sun, doom these homes to be the resource hogs and money pits “affordable housing” has become.

I want my home to operate as a living thing, utilizing energy locally available, and then discarding the most useless waste heat into the environment.  A tall order, no doubt, but a goal worth striving for nonetheless.  Because a tiny house on wheels is so small, and the occupants attitude toward conservation is so great, efforts towards taking advantage of solar insolation could potentially have a substantial impact on household energy consumption. Read more ›

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Posted in Dwelling, Philosophy, Tiny House

Noodle Soup Rentals – Renting in a Tiny House Community

Posted on July 16, 2014 by mcpletcher — 2 Comments

By their very nature, tiny houses on wheels are mobile.  This has probably stemmed from the zoning laws and building codes tiny house people have been trying to circumvent.  Also, some folks just want to own a home, but aren’t sure if they want to stay in the same area.  Like a turtle’s shell, you can take your home with you.  This feature of these cute little homes, make it difficult to realize a membership based tiny house community, where villagers invest heavily in the community.  See:  Noodle Soup Meiosis – Propagating Tiny House Communities.

Renters

Folks come and go here in Portland.  We came about two years ago from Pennsylvania, with no intentions of buying property.  We’ve been renting places for years because we don’t like debt, and appreciate the freedom of rentals: you can leave when you like, without any ties.  Well, we’re sick of renting, because every place feels temporary and never like home.  This is why we bought the Squatch.  We own it.  We can customize it to our needs.  If we want to move (because who really knows what they want to do in this life?), we’ll just pull the wheel chocks and go!  Also see:  A Comprehensive Collection

It’s time for some permanence, a community of people we want to live with.  After all, that’s why we moved to Portland in the first place:  to enjoy the company of others who share our interests.  A communally owned village is a nice thought, but some people may not want to make that kind of investment if they think there’s a reasonable chance they’ll be moving again in the near future. Read more ›

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Posted in Dwelling, Personal, Philosophy, The Squatch, Tiny House

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