Elf Cottage interior build/renovation

[PcHistorian]

for an uncommented, detailed description view
http://sites.google.com/site/pchistorian/home/hobby/camping/elf-build
Here's what I started with (the angles of the roof, make this a dream to tow.)








(previous tenants)


There's the blank canvas...
What would you do with that and how would you proceed?



I decided I wanted 110vAC, 12vDC, hot and cold water, lots of storage space and luxury. Good lighting. Interior heating and cooling. A sound system. Nice interior...

[The Teardrop Nanny]

May you get all that your heart desires on your lil cottage. It will be an attention-getter for sure.

TDN

[PcHistorian]

Thank You Muse Nanny. I hope you continue to inspire us to ever cooler t&ttt's. I just wish I had Harry Potter magic, so I could have a 4 bedroom condo with rec room and fire place all inside my little elf cottage.


Actually I think the hardest of those problems would be bedroom #3 and the real working fire place.

[Martiangod]

Faux stone on end wall right up to the peak with a electric fireplace insert and mantle to set stuff on, there are some thin ones available
And these faux river rock plastic panels would look awesome, could also be used on outside instead of siding, or as foundation below siding


, should take up no more then 6 inches. You would then have your fireplace and a heat source when you have electric trees to plug into
The you could put down Vinyl sheet flooring that looks like random stone



Tounge and groove catherall cieling

Bay window out over one of the wheels or both, this could double as the fendertop, and would give a little elbow room inside and some shelves for storage

A spounge painting technique could make the walls look like stucco.

You could stablize the walls with a cross brace, remove the OSB and skin the walls with FRP panels to lighten the weight and paint the pebbled finish like stucco color
Cut new back doors in an arch and make a wooden door, with arched glass and faux rod iron insert
black gate hinges



and with the cathedral cieling you could have a rod iron chandelier.

And you could always separate walls from floor, frame in a 12" knee wall, dress with faux stone so your elf cottage would have a stone foundation

[PcHistorian]

I love the idea of the stone foundation, and the new doors. With an unbolt-and-raise-12" I might actually be able to stand up inside. I don't know about the chandelier, as head room is very premium, but rather than hang that from the ceiling, I might be able to embed a chandelier looking design right into the ceiling.
Right now I have lots of sheets of the sort used for shower walls, the white plastic textured on one side stuff. I'm also cutting that out for the ceiling, and planning on having a piece to cover the floor. I may try the faux blot paint job on the floor piece to simulate a stone floor. I do have a piece of white shag carpet for now to go on top but it has seen better days...

I have paneling for the walls. (2 sheets of paneling, cut into thirds width wise is the perfect fit to do all the walls. I love the stone fireplace idea, but once the wall goes up 32 inches they all angle in, there is no vertical past the 32 inch walls.

I may end up using this as a prototype and building some from scratch. That would be fun if I have a good work area and enough people to want the design built for them. (so far this is unique enough. I still wish I knew who made it.)

my current "forced air heater" is decidedly low tech..., but for the work-winter and now that I have one layer of insulation at least there, but not nailed down...

that fits my depth of wall restriction, but I don't know what the BTU's are for an old 200w hair dryer... The aim-able outlet is, shall we say, another "never been tried, technique..." LOL

The advantage there is that instead of heating the whole inside I can just heat the bedroom area where my head is and that would keep me warm, or just bring the nozzle right inside the sleeping bag.

Although I had a halogen work lamp in there yesterday and it was up over 80F, with snow on the ground outside. But harder to sleep that way and 80F is kind of warm. Thermostat next...

The BIGGEST problem I'm working on now is a "kitchen sink" that folds up into the wall at the maximum 4" depth that I can wash dishes in and maybe sponge bath. Probably will never be a toilet in there except a chamber pot at desperate times. I do have the hot and cold running water figured out. And I could probably find or make a stainless steel sink with the 4" max depth (2x4 = 1.5 x 3.5 , + 1/2 inch particle board = full 4 ") it's the drain attachment, combined with the hinging actuation. Even a 3" depth sink would then need a 90 degree max 1" outer diameter to work and it has to connect when hinged down and seal... Hmmm.

[PcHistorian]

CGI with a stone foundation look.


I'm really trying to decide on the double sided door or window setting. Where is the best place for doors on this design, windows, height of walls, door, etc... (Interior.) If I just had the 6' peak to stand for dressing, I'd be fine, then maybe a bit more width for real cabinets... maybe a cooking corner with a range hood so I can cook indoors... or put a toaster oven, tiny microwave... As it is I may find a hot plate for a stove. single burner...

[Jerry & Molly]

How about a slide out counter so you coud cook either inside or outside?

[PcHistorian]

I've been working on a design for an outside "pop up table" that stores underneath the rear of the trailer, slides out, and folds up-open, flip down legs.



I'm also thinking about the inside, rear, ceiling design. since it is over the door, I'm thinking, (paper towel, kleenex, plastic grocery bags, trash, radio/sound, lights at the top (12v)) This area tilts top towards me at about 45 degree angle.)

[aggie79]

PcH,

That is an incredibly unique and attractive camper you are building. I can't wait to see the interior finish-out.

(BTW, thanks again for the DIY fire starter instructions.)

Take care,
Tom

[PcHistorian]

fire starter?
oh the sawdust. yeah, I just really loved the comment you made, "Let's make some sawdust." A True carpenter's mantra. :-) You confused me because I had demonstrated some of my old boyscout techniques of fire starting with steel wool, battery (9 volt or car) and stressed out, shreaded hemp or cotton rope, and a bit of personal wind. I did give some of those out at the demo too. (old used coin rolls, stuffed with sawdust, and soaked in old candles (color doesn't matter for the wax, just scraps, double boilder from coffee cans.) then to light the fire, flip up a flap on the end of the waxed, sawdust roll, light it and throw it in the kindling.)

Oh and I can't take the credit for this shell, only what's going to go in it. But next one... The architecture is really pretty elegant, so there will be more. But the dimensions I won't know until I get this one broken in and some miles on it. I'm really starting to think I may do this professionally as semi-retired. Lots of those electric cars ain't gonna have much pull power. (might have to go to 1x2 frames and painted canvas sides, for lightness. But we'll find out. :-)

[PcHistorian]

here's the 12v lights from an old van I had.
because there is a beam behind it and I wanted the light centered, I built a stand-off from some trim I had laying around.



I figure at the top of the fore and aft slopes would give me the best interior lighting.




I wonder what the list would be of things I can put in the ceiling area there...

[PcHistorian]

flash-light, paper towel, TP, vacuum, trash, kleenex, battery supply (non-wet cell), dowel cross holds (front), drawbridge type shelves, tool box, radio/sound system, clothes, towels, sleeping bag(s), first aid kit, fire starter, writing tools, maps, dishes, pot-pans-utensils, water tanks?, inverter/charger, sink?, drain/grey water?, plastic, poles, pegs (ground stakes assorted),

[bdosborn]

3.414 BTU per watt so your heater is around 680 BTU.

Bruce

[PcHistorian]

next challenge (for the future, considering so as to not be the last minute.)

Tongue Box Designs
Some ideas for a tongue box are an air-conditioning unit (round/square) or a hedge.





https://sites.google.com/site/pchistorian/home/hobby/camping/elf-build/#indexGo To Documentary Index

[PcHistorian]

did some updating to my "Build documentary"

secondary 12v battery, portable.
https://sites.google.com/site/pchistori ... e-12v-bat1

and I also did a "full view at this point" entry.
https://sites.google.com/site/pchistori ... d#p1-lft-w

I also did a humorous "How it looks to ..."
https://sites.google.com/site/pchistori ... -build#hil

If you get lost on the page, there are "return to index" links at the end of every entry. From the index you can jump back out to the top of any topic.

(FYI: I don't just use the generic web page editor. I go into the html code to make sure I get what I want. :-) Google lets me do that. :-)