neohic

Close... but bigger. That’s an M939 five ton.

Word up.

This is the view from my house. I love living in a postcard.

Bummer, dude. Rework is never fun.

Ha!!! Even THAT is an old picture!

Oh, man... didn’t think I was getting that old until someone asks about “old school” when I remember it all being “new school”. Here’s what you need for a bright blue truck: yellow shock boots to match the yellow KC light covers across the sport bar, a little more chrome, polished factory turbines or chrome wagon wheels, white letters out on BFG All Terrains, and a goofy tubular rear bumper.

Framing is completely done! I’ve had the gable ends to wrap up so everything is flush to the walls. Still a little more insulation to go but my knees decided that I’d better go do something that doesn’t involve a ladder. Did you notice the seat? Not sure the manufacturer but it was in the CJ when I got it. I sold it and then it was given back to me because the guy didn’t use it. Anyhow, I've got zero interest in putting it back into the Jeep. I was getting a bunch of stuff from my little shed and I got tired of moving it around. I’m sure it’ll get moved around in the loft but it makes for a nice little spot to chill. It’ll get a proper base if it retains its garage couch status.

Fun fact: that green license plate in the top was found under the vinyl floor in a truck I got from Jim Oshel. Now THAT adds value.

That nail gun leaks air from everywhere, I’ve never oiled it, it’s been dropped from ladders a bunch, and yet it works flawlessly.

Got some stuff done today but not totally finished. I rearranged a few things from the little shed to the shop. FINALLY!!!... ... my old toolbox has a permanent home after four and a half years!! Honestly, I’ve never really cared for the box but I don’t think I’ll replace it at this point. Still more tomorrow.

Yup... I did that. I was even on the fence when I could the lift but the price was right. Now that the layout is coming together it just won’t fit how I wanted it to.

I pushed wire today so I could make plans for the next step and finished insulating another wall. Wiring was turning into a real headache. Seems as though this whole state is catered towards contractors. When I was finishing the roof I went all the way up to Cheyenne to get vented soffit because I either couldn’t get it or nobody had a clue what I was looking for. Had a few other occasions similar to this and now with getting my wiring going. In the past I’ve gone to Menards or Fleet Farm like any other good Midwesterner that’s after specialized building supplies. This past week I ran back up (COVID safely) to Minnesota for the holidays. Why not just get what I need?... and at a much cheaper price than what I could find on Colorado? Filled a good portion of the trunk but I made it happen. The decision to sell my two post lift was decided today as well. COME AND GET IT. More tomorrow.

Looks like a great start. Welcome!

I thought 10 hole wheels with rivets were an ‘88-‘90 Eliminator thing.

Agreed. Door panels are interchangeable in MJs and four door XJs from ‘84-‘96.

Need to swap door latches in the chassis side also. Some modification needed.

This is wildly incorrect and you’re painting with broad strokes. There’s plenty of people out there who use living in a small dwelling as a way of supporting other things that are important to them. With the lack of a giant house payment, I comfortably built my shop without any additional loans. Another example I’ve seen is renting or buying a work space and parking a tiny house in it.

Really depends on the size and the layout. My 478 sq ft house has all full size appliances except for an 18” dishwasher.

Follow up question... What’s the turn off for those who say that they could never live in a small house?

Thanks, all!

... minus power. Still running an extension cord down from the house.

So... I’m not quite as far as I would’ve preferred to be by the end of the year, but here we are. While I should’ve been working on getting the insulation done, I decided that I’m tired of moving around my cabinets. This meant that I needed to get the walls done under the loft which then turned into trimming it all out and building a door for the closet. Obviously the cabinets need finishing, but they’re set where they’re going to go. Over towards the right of the cabinets is enough space for my toolbox which is great because I’ve been putting on a lot of miles going up the hill to the little shed up by the house to get tools. Then there’s the closet door. Hands down one of the most useful tools that someone can have is a table saw. When you’ve got a pile of scraps, you need a door, you’re too lazy or cheap to go out and get a door, then you need a table saw. I decided to finish the walls with OSB because I like to staple things to my walls. There’s a giant plastic tub that I’ve been carrying around for years now that’s labeled “garage art” that will finally find a home. Stay tuned for that. A keen eye will notice that the panels in the cabinet doors are also OSB that was finished in the same way that the cherry wood and MDF was... this was the plan all along. Otherwise I’ll be finishing the rest of the shop with bright white pole barn tin. Could I have tried harder and gotten further? Yup. At this point I don’t make deadlines. It’ll get done when it gets done and I don’t stress out over it.

That’s the problem we ran into with our previous houses. I agree completely that if there’s space then something will probably fill it. My parent’s house is the epitome of this. I get claustrophobic when we go to visit in their five bedroom house. The biggest things we have in our small house is furniture and it really keeps things open to not have all the extra “things” sitting around on shelves or filling up closets in spare rooms. A huge concern of ours was that we’d just be in each other’s way. When we first moved to Colorado we had a budget that put us in a 500 square foot apartment for a year. This was a great learning tool! We were on the fence about living small and after the first month or so the decision was made that we could easily do it. Feeling closed in? Have a seat on the porch. Need more space? Go for a hike. No place of my own to park my Comanche? Build a new shop... again. Home base to me is where I sleep.

Right? That’s where they loose me. Campers hold their value better too.

I’ve caught myself having the conversation more and more lately about small and tiny houses with others. Personally, I love them. They’re definitely a lifestyle choice but they’re also so much of the time decided on based on financial reasons. No matter the reason, there’s all sorts of variations. They don’t need to be on wheels and I prefer them that way. Others would argue that a tiny house just isn’t a tiny house unless it’s built on a trailer frame. Some are bigger than others and some aren’t even technically permanent structures. I’ve already said it, but I think tiny houses are rad. Mine is on the larger size at a massive 478 square feet and its got some neat history. It was originally part of a hunting lodge resort in the 1940s. Since then it fell into disrepair until we came along a few years ago. Here’s a comparison from a postcard from 1953 to its current state... This little house has been a real life changer for my wife and I. It’s the third house we’ve owned now and each time we’ve gone smaller and downsized. When we moved from MN to CO the plan was to go small. Living with less has been such a freeing feeling! Everything I have either has meaning or a purpose. Granted, I’m building my new shop which lets me cheat to a point, but even that is the smallest work space I’ve built at 416 square feet. Even so, living in a small house let’s us plan on paying off our house within ten years, live easily in comfort with what’s important to us, and it’s on a foundation that I don’t have to worry about where I’ll park my home. Anyhow... Fad? Good way to live? What are everyone’s thoughts on small or tiny houses?