Tuesday 5 April 2016

Dow Powerhouse Solar Shingles


POWERHOUSE™ Solar System 2.0 .... 

The popularity of POWERHOUSE™ Solar System 2.0 continues to grow – and so does their availability in the U.S.   855-DOW-SOLR (855-369-7657).


How much energy do DOW POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingles generate?-
While any amount is possible, typical residential photovoltaic arrays offset 30%–60% of an average home’s energy consumption. The specific amount of solar energy captured per day will depend on many factors, such as location, weather and orientation of the home. The dimensions of any solar array are dependent on the homeowner’s goals, cost criteria, energy consumption, and the current efficiencies and size of the home.
DOW POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingles are a grid-tied system, and Dow Solar does not sell or recommend using a battery backup. You receive credits for any surplus electricity through your utility company at its market rates, and your utility company acts as your storage system.

Wednesday 16 March 2016

Affordable Offgrid-Living in Canada $20,000






$ 20,000 Cdn ($15k US) Lanark Ontario (near Ottawa)

Peace and quiet , 4 minute walk to beach on Bow Lake private lake no motor boats or motors of any kind allowed on lake. 

4 small buildings one of them is a sleeper cabin. room to park a 30 ft camper. 

Own a spot to get away at an afforable price.
https://www.realtor.ca/Residential/Vacant-Land/16417915/Lanark-Ontario-K0G1K0-hopetown

Monday 14 March 2016

Double Duty Utility Tent Trailer for $2,499

Double Duty Utility Tent Trailer by The USA Trailer Store for $2,499.99 

http://amzn.to/1OqYrkc


  • Trailer is designed for smooth towing by any vehicle with a class II receiver towing capacity. The frame can be used without a tent as a utility trailer. 

  • Bed platforms can be stored on top of trailer and used as utility platform - this is not possible on similar trailers. Weather resistant tent bag - protects tent while in storage and during transport 


  • 150 denier polyester weather resistant tent, 7' ceiling at its highest point, 81sq-ft of dining and sleeping space, fantastic ventilation provided by screen vents and 6 large windows, sleeps up to 6 people**, bed platforms accommodate 2 twin-sized air mattresses (1 per platform - not included), trailer bed accommodates 1 queen-sized mattress (not included)

  • Built-in wall pockets - for small item storage inside the tent, bed platforms and supports can be stored beneath the trailer to provide a
    simpler utility trailer, front and rear end gates pivot open

  • 12'' Wheels, wiring harness with 4-pin flat connection, tongue jack - FREE, LED taillights, loading ramps, stabilizer jacks, 2" Ball coupler, long-lasting lumber trailer bed, heavy-duty, rust resistant steel frame, powder-coated finish, triple leaf spring suspension

Saturday 20 February 2016

Building an affordable light weight Tiny-home on wheels


We have been looking for a small, light weight,  affordable trailer to take on the road as a sort of Offgrid-Living-Tiny-House-on-wheels test to see how small we can go and still get everything we need in a compact structure for a family of 4.

We looked around at some of the pop-up camping trailers. Something that we could pull with a regular SUV.



The ultra-light Quick Silver  8.0 seemed to have everything we needed but at a price of $8,000 new it was a little more than we wanted to spend on a Pop-up.....

The Quicksilver 8.0 is all-aluminum, ultra-lite weight, tent camper featuring two spacious beds; a dinette that converts into a 3rd bed; a kitchen base with storage; and a storage compartment/TV stand that can also house an optional air conditioner.

http://www.millerrvsales.ca/quicksilver-tent-trailers.html

However, to survive the brutal  Canadian winters we'd need something where we could add some insulation, so we thought about buying a Cargo-Utility type trailer that we could re-fit and turn into a year round living type Structure.

We found this Trailer on Kijiji for $2,000.

It would take some work to knock out a few windows and set up the electrical but I think this could work.  

I'll sketch up a floor plan that shows 3 fold-out murphy beds (or cots) kitchen counter top + whatever else we can squeeze into a 6' x 10' space. Stay tuned .... Video and Floor plans coming soon!