!!!Not sure where to put this, if it's in the wrong place please move or delete accordingly.!!!
Just wondering if there was any interest in a thread showing/offering plans for cabins
or intermediate/long term small shelters that were available?
Example:FREE 8X8 Micro Cabin plans from Simplesolarhomesteading (dot) com
It's not a full size house, but would do better (imo) than a tent.
Anyway, If this has already been setup, or rejected feel free to delete/move,
Stay safe,
J
I think this is excellent. I did a deeo dive on this last year. There are dozens if great free cabin plans. Would be great to have them in one spot.
I have a ton of different plans, I couldn't make up my mind what I wanted in a shelter for the b.o.l.
So I keep looking and basically just keep cataloging them on my external drives.
Some aren't plans as much as they are ideas that I think were Way ahead of their time.
For the sake of the thread and saving space I'll try to stick to plans.
Transforming A Frame is up next.
As mentioned The Transforming A Frame (pics from an online magazine article... ICR where from.
Keep em coming. I like this. Did I ever post this video ?
https://youtu.be/wfBJaE1IWH4
A-frame cabins are very popular around here. They are a good design for heavy snow areas, especially for a remote cabin where the owner can't get around to shovel very often.
I think it's also a very heat efficient cold weather cabin in that you can stand up straight in the middle but you're not heating as much air space as a room with straight vertical walls.
Another benefit might be from what I've read when working with a material that's not actually watertight like thatch keeping the angle of the roof very steep does a lot to prevent water dripping in. That might be good to know if for some reason you had to construct a roof and didn't have great materials to do it with. This is based on reading though, and not my personal experience.
I've been in some very large A-frames but I think they aren't much of a benefit over a normal steep roof cabin once you get past 1.5 stories and I actively don't like them over two stories. They are space-inefficient compared to their footprint at those sizes, and if the roof slides or you want to shovel it you have to move the snow further rather than having it fall on the ground. You are also limited in terms of where windows* and doors can be placed, as well as options on building additions in the future.
*there's a skylight in one of the plans which might work great in some places but have always just been a source of leaks and other trouble in my experience
Then there's this one from Oct 1969 Popular Mechanics...
Unfortunately this is the Only info/pic I can find anywhere of it.
Then there's this illustration from Boys Life July 1944,
I was considering this one but use landscape timbers, Split lengthwise so it would use less lumber.
I really don't see any reason this one couldn't be done with pallet wood.
At the time they were coming up by the truckload in the Free section on CraigsList.
And a "Kids Playhouse" plan from Handyman's Plywood Projects by Fawcett
(link to entire book on Archive (dot) org below)
I know it's not designed for it, but I always thought it could (by adjusting dimensions) be made an 8X10 Flat Pack shelter.
(link to pdf)
https://archive.org/details/toddmp_HMPP
And the (once Free) 8X10 Vermonter plans from Jamaica Cottage Shop,
Much more involved, Much more expensive, and Much more permanent once completed.
PDF attatched
Quote from: flybynight on August 10, 2023, 07:31:01 PMKeep em coming. I like this. Did I ever post this video ?
https://youtu.be/wfBJaE1IWH4
This almost seems like raised garden bed kits could be adapted for it.
(edit 1/20/2025)
I just realized that this sounded like I was downing the idea.
What I meant was, a dovetail could be run the length of 4x4s for corners and the ends of 2x10s for the walls,
like you do for raised garden beds, also for the main roof frame, just slip it together and nail it up.
Simplifying and greatly speeding up construction.
And this one isn't so much a plan but an idea,
In a place where the wind rarely drops below 20mph and rarely goes above 50mph
mounting a 400W wind generator (maybe 2) to something like this along with a gazebo type roof over the camper
to mount 400-600W of solar, while using as much 12v,
and a decent inverter (why is auto-correct saying that's spelled wrong!?) could pretty well handle electrical needs.
Also the whole Duck Dynasty episode that got me thinking about elevating a camper is on YT for free.
Season 1 Episode 5 in case anyone wanted to watch.
And another idea, aside from the fact that it's almost 30ft high,
I thought this would work for a single occupancy cabin at the B.O.L.
it's a 10X12 (with porch 8X10 living area) with possible vehicle storage underneath.
It would also have 400-800W of solar on the roof, in ground water storage/rain catchment,
and camper appliances (stove, sink, fridge, lighting, shower, toilet) along with dinette and bunk,
setup like the book "travel trailer homesteading for under $5K by Brian Kelling (.pdf or link to Archive (dot) org included)
pdf of book mentioned (https://archive.org/details/travel-trailer-homesteading-under-5000-eden-press)
Quote from: superduder on August 10, 2023, 06:59:54 PMAs mentioned The Transforming A Frame (pics from an online magazine article... ICR where from.
Along those lines ...
Back onto A-Frames...
There's this one...
From David and Genie Stiles Remaining pics in next post.
remaining 2 pics of the A-frame Treehouse from the Outdoor Life Magazine article.https://www.outdoorlife.com/articles/gear/2008/05/d-i-y-treehouse/ (https://www.outdoorlife.com/articles/gear/2008/05/d-i-y-treehouse/)
As always, measurements can be skewed slightly to make it adult sized.
Quote from: superduder on September 07, 2023, 04:39:56 PMBack onto A-Frames...
There's this one...
From Davis and Genie Stiles Remaining pics in next post.
Make that entry ladder retractable and you got yourself a fine hideout for the inevitable zombie apocalypse.
It gets the Darryl Dixon seal of approval! :icon_crazy:
About 25 years ago, I did some floorplans / design sketches of an A-frame for a friend of mine at work. She had an old magazine article about an A-frame cottage, but was wondering how it might be expanded to a full house size. I wish I had a copy of what I put together, because I still remember being fairly proud of it. Since I'm not an architect, it was just a sort of "thought exercise" for her on how one could be designed.
The roofline was pretty typical, as was the bowed out end with full-height windows and a deck, but I'd split it down the middle inside with a stone divider wall that doubled as a planter, with a double-sided rock fireplace in the middle. One side was the kitchen / dining area and the living / entertaining area was several steps down, with access through at both ends of the stone divider. This whole area was open all the way up to the beamed ceiling of the house. The kitchen had a beams crossing it (think of a sort of indoor pergola) with skylights in the roof above and the beams again serving as planter areas so that you could have a ceiling made of plants. The lights for the kitchen were suspended above the plant area, so that it still acted like sunlight, even at night. The deck wrapped all around the entertainment side of the house as well, with a secondary access along that wall and with the deck going all the way back around to the other end of the house where the front door was located.
The other end of the A-frame was where the bedrooms were, with two bedrooms and a bath upstairs, along with an interior balcony / conversational area looking out toward the kitchen/dining/entertaining area below. The second floor bedrooms had their own balconies on the outside as well. The first floor held the additional bedroom and bathroom, along with a mudroom / laundry. The area immediately underneath the indoor balcony was a "sheltered" nook, with built-in shelving for books / nick-nacks.
Not a small design, like these, but I still really liked it (obviously, since so much of it is still in my head after 25 years!). Here's a really quick version of the floorplan:
A-frame sketch.png
This is about 30mi up the road from the current apartment...
Permanently closed though, Shame.
A Knockdown Cabin from pg 76 & 77 "how to build trailers 1937" a lot of really good ideas in this book.
link to archive(dot)org for the pdf of the book.
Knockdown/Flat Pack cabins always seem to be appreciated as an idea,
but never really executed, or used as a real solution for semi-permanent housing.
I really wonder why a company like E.F. Hodgson wouldn't work today...
Other than over regulation, and an overly litigious populous that is.
Link to E.F. Hodgson catalog as well (pics in next post)
LINK
https://archive.org/details/HowToBuildTrailerBook
Link to Hodgson catalog
https://archive.org/details/HodgsonHousesAndOutdoorEquipment_654
The E.F.Hodgson houses are something I fell in love with.
The fact that you could go as far as to order your bedrooms, bathrooms,
kitchen complete with cabinetry, appliances, fixtures permanently mounted to the structure
In an easy to assemble kit, or flat pack form, just appeals to me.
Another example of old plans that can be used for (at least) temporary shelter.
I hate the reason these plans had to be made (tuberculosis) but am glad that they exist, and were archived.
From "The Boy Mechanic Book 3" 1919
Link to Archive (dot) org for pdf
https://archive.org/details/boymechanic0003unse
Quote from: superduder on December 10, 2023, 12:51:39 AMAnother example of old plans that can be used for (at least) temporary shelter.
I hate the reason these plans had to be made (tuberculosis) but am glad that they exist, and were archived.
From "The Boy Mechanic Book 3" 1919
Link to Archive (dot) org for pdf
https://archive.org/details/boymechanic0003unse
Tuberculosis. Wow. That's really a sign of those times, isn't it? That whole Boy Mechanic book series is fascinating from an historical perspective. There's a reserach project and master's thesis in there somewhere.
From what I can see of the construction details, that business about it being built in sections and easily moved around and assembled by two men in 30 minutes seems somewhat ... uh ...
fanciful.
QuoteThe cottage is constructed in sections and can be assembled or dismantled in 30 minutes. The sections are not so heavy but that they can be handled with ease by two men. There are seven sections, namely, the floor, two sides, two ends and two roof sections. If the cottage is to be moved a short distance it can be loaded into an ordinary dray assembled.
The 10 x 5 foot floor section with double sills and decking material alone would quite a task for two men to move around. Certainly not with "ease". I bet those roof sections weigh even more. I had to look up "dray", lol.
(https://coimages.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/images/325/986/medium_SMG00181781.jpg)
Quote from: superduder on September 05, 2023, 10:44:46 AMAnd another idea, aside from the fact that it's almost 30ft high,
I thought this would work for a singe occupancy cabin at the B.O.L.
it's an 10X12 (with porch 8X10 living area) with possible vehicle storage underneath.
It would also have 400-800W of solar on the roof, in ground water storage/rain catchment,
and camper appliances (stove, sink, fridge, lighting, shower, toilet) along with dinette and bunk,
setup like the book "travel trailer homesteading for under $5K by Brian Kelling (.pdf or link to Archive (dot) org included)
pdf of book mentioned (https://archive.org/details/travel-trailer-homesteading-under-5000-eden-press)
This with a steeper roof and built for snow load. Would be an excellent "leave it and forget it" for northern climates. Number one it's snow proof and number two bear proof. If you made the stairs removable.
I also like the idea of the bottom floor being used as a workshop or temp sleeping area for additional guests.
The A frame on top would probably be a better idea than a shed roof for snow load. But I like the shed roof for way more interior space, visibility and looks.
Maybe a solid modified version of this could be built atop a shipping container. Using the ground floor shipping container for food and equipment storage. Would give you more security. And if you built the upper level the same size as a shipping container would give you more living space. Maybe even build a covered deck off the top level. Would give you more living use as well.
Additionally, I like the height. Depending on location this could give you more visibilty to monitor your property/egress/ingress. Or perhaps crops and animals too.
Additional shipping containers could store vehicles better too. At least from the weather. I don't know of any failsafe security options for a shipping container. That couldn't be defeated with a cordless angle grinder. I guess if you buried it in a hillside. You'd only have the door to contend with. But still. It seems like an angle grinder could defeat almost any solution. This is why I no longer invest in safes for security issues. And even the "affirdable" fireproof ones are not rated for very long in a fire.
Great posts man. Keep it up.
The slant roof design is definitely meant for dryer climates (here in AZ for example).
The shipping container base idea never really occurred to me, despite my love of "The best trailer park in the world"
The container (20-40ft) could also be partially (10-15ft) buried on end for an added cellar,
or protection for water storage tanks, and/or electrics to save them from rodents.
and the partially buried part would add stability in more windy areas... again AZ as an example...
Now you've got me scheming again lol.