Bob's caboose build

[bobhenry]

As I have often said I would rather be lucky than good.

Had a customer call Friday late and wanted us to design a small house in a shipping container for a possible customer with thousands of these units.

The interior dimensions were 7'5" wide by 20' long. ( sound familiar? )

I took about 8 minutes to drag off my caboose floor plan drawings and some of the space saving wall mounted furnishings and they presented them as very rough preliminary design ideas. Their customer went crazy for them. They expressed an interest in a possible first order of 200 units for us to fir out internally and possibly incorporate some of the built in ideas.

It's still "pie in the sky" at the moment but it was sooooo neat to have the answer they were looking for right under my thumb.

[IndyTom]

If that would happen to anyone, it would happen to you Bob. What a great thing, hopefully it all goes well and he buys more that 200.

Tom

[droid_ca]

Congrats on being so informative to the customer
Maybe now you can get better visuals for what your trying to achieve and learn from someone else mistakes I know for my tiny house design one of the things that I have been trying to do is where ever there is a dividing wall instead of just a wall I've been adding in a closet so that way you could get some extra storage spaces

[bobhenry]

I have designed to 7'6" ceilings for a reason also. A stack of 12" wall cabinets consisting of 3 - 30" cabinets will become the dividing / storage/ walls. The unfinished backs of the cabinets will become paneled or mirrored or, in the kitchen area lined with filon for easy wipe down. Perhaps in other areas a bulletin or a chalkboard could be added. No surface is to be wasted.

Behind my dumpster door you can (kinda) see the pantry in my current kitchen it is made exactly the same.

[bobhenry]

Well the Craig's list gods were good to me....

16 vinyl thermopane window sashs of various sizes just over $3.00 each

The first money I have spent on the caboose build so far but a great start.

Each sash will become a small pocket window. I was originally hoping to rip the wall studs from 2x6's to 2 3/4 - (actual) width studs but with the pocket windows and the need for insulation it will require a larger wall cavity. I think I can cantilever the 2x6 bottom plate off of the 7'6" wide floor by a couple of inches without any structural degradation. With such a narrow home every inch is precious. I Don't want to feel like I am living in a hallway.

[bobhenry]

I found myself, like many others, wondering how to find a place to park the tiny caboose when I have it completed. Then it came to me.... I tenativly called my new business "On site SEEcurity" Remote wood lots , construction sites , and other sensitive projects my have a need for a presence on site to help deter theft, grafitti and outright destruction. If I were to advertise and approach large project managers with the simple fact I will live for a contracted period of time on site to simply act as eyes and ears and a visual presence to deter these threats it may be of value to the project and might even provide the perks of free utilities. Costs would be by contract with the longer the contract and the better the utility benefits the smaller the cost would be on a sliding scale. I now have a small income instead of an outgo of cash for a spot of ground. What do you think?

[droid_ca]

Bob when I was looking into my tiny house one of the things I thought of was managing a rec site you get a government cheque if there is power there they let you hook up to it usually for free there might be a small list of things to do but its never more then 40 hours a week and the nice thing is they supply everything..or there were the ones where you get a percentage of what is made and you maintain the area that way but those are more for the government sites..hope that gives you some food for thought

[Engineer Guy]

I read a similar [good] thought on some Site like 'RV Stealth Living' a while back.

To me, the trick would be to 'step outside' yourself [or myself] and do those lil things that infer credibility. A nice looking TV, and a crisp appearance to how Accessories are stowed, etc.... An old concept is that ~70% of how we're understood when communicating is non-verbal. A nice Notebook/Portfolio of Jobs you've done would help sell yourself, and would reduce how much 'imagination' your potential Customer would have to use before signing you up.

Other than that, the trick part to me would be to 'deliver'. No excuses. That is, there better not be a break in or theft, say, of Copper Wire on my watch while I'm providing my paid-for Services. Perhaps I would have to string up some Motion Sensing Lights, on the Contractor's Electrical, and so on. There's some mega-Houses built around us in CO, and those provide opportunity. Me, I like clean Industrial Sites, like High Tech Campuses, as places to hang out. They suffer serious losses when they get hit, because there's so much Material or HVAC Equipment around, post-Delivery of that Equipment.

As told here before, an Electrical Contractor pal got his CT cleaned out twice on the Job Site of all his Tools. The Door Lock Cutting Tool of choice was a Battery-operated Diamond Blade-type Saw. To my thinking, you would have to think through your runs to the Store, or Tank dumps, to ensure you're around most of the time. As your Business grew and money permitted, a Video Logging Recorder might be appropriate to help ID Bad Guys and infer your credibility. Those multi-Camera Video Systems seem a reasonable price at, say, Costco...

[bobhenry]

The cost of bonding and insuring a small business such as this would be minimal and carries a great deal of credibility to a potential client. Motion sensitive camera equipment would be a plus as well. I do not intend to be a 24-7 security service but a on site presence with limited liability for an incident. If they need or expect a security service they need to hire one. The criminal element tend to use the off hours as their window of opportunity so the evening and early morning hours would be most likely,and these are the times when I would most probably be on site.

Do you think I could write off the dog food and care as a business cost if she was listed as assistant security personell or an alarm system

[droid_ca]

Do you think I could write off the dog food and care as a business cost if she was listed as assistant security personell or an alarm system

Hello Bob I am a licensed security guard through the Justice Institute and have a K9 training course I have been able to write off all dog related expenses including the transportation vehicle that is used for it you can write off a percentage of a lot of things just have to get creative in how you do it. I personally wouldn't want to have to do the business side of a company that uses dogs as it can be a major hassle but to be an on site Representative might be a better type of position that your looking for so more of a secretary but on a site I'd also see what types of perks would be available for you. I know there are some construction companies that if you live on site pay for all your trailer hook ups propane water-sewer and electricity...only drawback you live on site so no guests allowed that don't work there..but that can be a blessing as well as a curse ate times I like the idea of maintaining a campground only busy during the weekends and you get to make some money while you sit back and relax if your a social person then it would be an easy job for you..can't wait to see what you decide on doing sure it will be interesting what ever route you take

[bobhenry]

So maybe my idea is not so crazy after all

I simply tossed it out to see if I was a bit crazy but it appears there is a need and it just might be a nitch to fill. I know of no such service short of full 24-7 security staffing which would be far more expensive.

I am starting to have a good feeling about my tiny house adventure

[bobhenry]

Well Craig's list was good to me.... 2 nice wood doors $17.00

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Got so excited I went home and stripped down my mini barn delivery trailer ( NO this is not the Edmond Fitzgerald) I am going to use the 8x20 trailer I already had to test build the frame work for Eddie. It will be later used as a shop and support area for the mechanicals such as the larger battery banks and waste and fresh water storage as well as my tool storage and a piddle around shop.

I have a question.......

As I am reluctant to start a caboose collection on sight should it be a box car or a dining car?



existing deck on the delivery trailer was a "BIT" weathered. I pulled most off by hand with the help of a 2x6 to pry a bit here and there .
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The AC unit was a $40.00 purcase form one of my co workers it is the exact same unit as is currently on Eddie and I am hoping that between the 2 I can repair and rebuild into one unit for the caboose.
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If you look in the lower left you will see the outboard 4x4 is lower the "wings" have been bent down. A little repair and reinforcement will be in order but I have a good plan. More details later....



These shorter 4x4 will be replaced with 3 foot longer units to cantaliver out the rear observation deck. I will move these to the front to make a small observation dech there as well but it may have to be abbreviated as the tongue length will be a problem if extended to far.

[bobhenry]

Pardon me while I babble on......

Friday was a milestone day, I stopped to ask about a little 14-16 foot Layton camper I pass each day to and from work. Turns out the fella recognized me from the across Indiana TV segment we recorded 2 years ago about tiny trailers. (It is repeated here and there and apparently it aired again just a few weeks ago).

Anyway I asked if there was a little 3 burner stove/oven in the little trailer I could buy. He led me out to the trailer and we took a tour. There it was, a harvest gold little 3 burner stove and oven with matching vent hood



While we talked he said he was gonna scrap it out and anything else I wanted was up for grabs. He pointed out the small gas fired water heater and the gas furnace and the sink and the bathroom fixtures and the best part, it's all free for the taking. Did I mention I like free.

I am gonna pull them next weekend and yes I will have pictures then.

[IndyTom]

Way to go Bob, gotta love free.

Tom

[droid_ca]

Nice score there are some good finds if you know what to look for cant wait to see pictures