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otterplc
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# Posted: 8 Jul 2008 15:01
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Looking all all the myrid cabin plans ect on the web made me realize everyone is out to make a mint. Economy is key with me.
So I bought a 12x24 shed, saved time. Placed it on a gravel foundation, added 2 8x24' porches and critter guard to keep critters out from underneath. Enclosed the Sw porch to house the 8x8 bath and a florida room. Used a marine type bath system, see Saniplus. All exposed plumbing in bath since its the only room I run heat in the winter. Kitchen sink plumbing direct connects thru wall to bath vanity. Solar lighting and charger for marine deep cycle batterys. Though I'm on the grid (refrigerator, beer), every short cut saves $'s. Tankless hot water (ebay) with a seasonal homemade solar hotwater storage system (thermosiphon). Rain barrel collection system hooked to a 12V live well pump bought from Wallyworld. Wood stove (yard sale) for winter heat when I'm hanging there (allot).
Insulated cabin and used cheap paneling like the host of this web site. Cost to date is pushing 10K plus the 2.5 acres of land.
Next big expenditure will be for septic and well. Homemade septic system works but will not pass an inspection. Used a 50 gallon barrel (found on river bank) and short hand dug drain field under garden patch. Septic only supports two folks part time. Drat well and septic will cost about the same as I have in the cabin. Community has created covenants so gotta get the real deal.
Presently building a thermosiphon soaking tub mirrored roughly after this fellows, search Tulecanyon homemade. Using a trash barrel (landfill) water heating system and a poly verticle tank (junk yard) for the tub. Bought the stainless steel coil and fittings at a hardware store.
Got dbl insulated windows and 2 nice steel window doors at garage sales and at a tear down.
Its cool what ingenuity and creativity will get ya.
Place is on a small ridge out of the flood plain near the end on a pennsula in WV surrounded on 3 sides by cliffs and a kick ass river, its out in the boonies yet only 31 miles from home. I'll send some pic's when I budget extra funds to buy a digital camera. Presently budgeting for well and septic install.
If any of you all live near the Mississippi river there is going to be allot of tear downs shortly from all the recent flooding. Imagine all the free building materials that can be had! Or scower the river bank for 50 gallon barrels and who knows what that floated away.
Scavenging after floods has benefited this project admirably.
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CabinBuilder
Admin
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# Posted: 8 Jul 2008 23:44 - Edited by: CabinBuilder
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Welcome to the Cabin Forum, otterplc,
and thank you for sharing your story - quite interesting!
How often you have a chance to go to your cabin, and for how long?
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otterplc
Member
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# Posted: 9 Jul 2008 10:18
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Good Day CabinBuilder. I spend weeks at a time there. My town shack (bought at auction cheap as this area is very economically depressed, ie a good retirement place) sits 2k above sea level so I get good lake effect snows on the Allegany front in the winter. Cross county skiing is grand. Inbetween I hang out at the river place (760 above sea level) futzing around with building something, hiking, fishing or kayaking. On average there is a 10 degree difference in the 31 miles between places. With fuel skyrocketing this works quite well.
I work part time for the goobberment in disaster relief ops. Good money if you can be away from home for months at a time. Generally work 3-4 months a year. Thus living small with no over head allows us to live well, we think. I retired from a Bell after 32 years so working this way lets me be retarded yet allows income.
We are always looking for off the grid options for minimizing our on the grid useage. Such as the thermosiphon water heater for the soaking tub. Turns out that the metal trash burning can set on a old truck tire rim produces excellent heat, so we are now working on converting the solar water heater gizmo to run off the trash can. We use old rims (free) for fire rings. So, new plan, wrap stainless steel tubing around the outside of the rim to heat up the water storage tank. The tank is 2 50 gallon poly barrels covered with lawn clippings and then a layer of dirt. Ever noticed how warm compost gets? Heck we have outside fires all the time, I could smack myself for not seeing this sooner.
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Vince P
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# Posted: 9 Jul 2008 22:54
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I'd love to see some pictures of all this when you get a chance!
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rotten
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# Posted: 24 Dec 2008 13:06
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loved both stories, am living in alaska and havent got any funds put aside, have bought a small chunk of land with a friend and it has a well, power, small beat up trailer with a couple of atco units already installed on property, we are thinking about finishing up the unfinished construction of enclosing those two units together[30 by 40 approx] septic has already been started, temps range from between60 - 80 above to -40 to -60 below in winter and am open to all cheaper ideas to make it liveable, havent been able to start work on the place yet due to work and weather, will probably start in april or may, willl keep checkin on this site and will use`all smart, cheap ideas on our place , thanks for the help!
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