The Joy Box, named by our client (and dear friend), is a tiny house on wheels.
This tiny house will be eco-friendly with the ability to function on solar power and rain water (off-grid). It will also connect to main power and water supply when needed.
She will be different to other tiny houses on the market in Australia and the USA. And these differences will make the build a challenge – but we’re up for it! Make sure to sign up to our newsletter to follow the journey of building the Joy Box with us!
Design and build challenges
For a tiny house on wheels, Joy Box will be a big girl. At 7.2m x 2.4m, she will be compliant with New South Wales (NSW) road regulations. She will also be light weight. Most tiny houses of this size weigh about 4500kg up to 7000kg or heavier.
Our aim is for her to weigh a maximum 3500kg. This is so she is towable by a robust four-wheel drive. Besides, if you’re driving on NSW roads, the maximum weight you’re allowed to tow behind an appropriate, “light vehicle”, is 4500kg.
The total weight will include the trailer, tiny house, and all of our friend’s belongings.
Our friend wants to use this tiny house as you would a caravan. She wants the freedom to hit the highway, with house in tow, to explore and experience life to the fullest.
Our key challenge here is to ensure the building materials are light-weight, but do not compromise on durability, brace-ability, and functionality. (She also needs to look her best!)
How will we meet these challenges? Please sign up to our newsletter (below) to find out our solutions!
What’s included in the Joy Box tiny house?
Joy Box Tiny House Concept Design
She might be tiny in size, but Joy Box will include all the must-haves:
- a bathroom with eco-toilet, shower and vanity;
- a kitchen with oven, fridge/freezer, cooktop, clothes washer/dryer, and plenty of storage;
- a lounge with storage;
- a private bedroom;
- under-floor storage and lots of incidental storage solutions;
- solar and mains power connection;
- air conditioning, insulation;
- tank and mains water connection;
- fun, adventure, and an affordable, environmentally sustainable way of living!
How can all that fit into a 7.2x2.4m box? With careful design and clever building – but you’ll have to wait until a later post to learn about how we build it.
We’ve already started on the tiny house trailer
This week has been a very exciting week for us, because we got to do the first inspections of the tiny house trailer. Watch the video for a sneak peak at the trailer so far. NEXT POST: Considerations for Our Tiny House Trailer Design. Subscribe to our newsletter so you don’t miss out on the next post!
