Tag: sheep wagon

The Tiny House Movement

~ George Crawford ~ 3 Comments

Here’s a recent conversation I had, as best I can recall, of creating disappointment and maybe using the wrong words when describing the Vardo.

A woman in a grocery store parking lot jogs up to the vardo while I’m making a sandwich shouting, “Oh my gosh!  That is so cool!  Wow! Is that a Tiny House like on TV? Can I have a look inside?”

“Yes, of course.  You can look inside.”  So far, it’s progressing just like a hundred other conversations I’ve had over the years.

“Is it like the little TV houses? You know, like on that show?”

“I don’t know the show but it’s actually a little camping caravan.”

“It’s not a Tiny House?  Oh, never mind then,” turning on her heel she walked away without a backward glance.  Then to another gentleman walking towards us she shouts, “It’s nothing.  It’s not like the Tiny House Show” shaking her head in disappointment.  The gentleman and I proceeded to to tour the little wagon and had a merry talk about the Vardo and having it as a traveling companion.

The Vancott. From J. Harris Stone, 1914.
The Vancott, moveable cottage designed to solve housing problems for working families in England. From J. Harris Stone, 1914.

A Clarification – Something I find myself explaining on the road when pulling the little caravan is the difference between a Tiny House and a true caravan or vardo.   A Tiny House is just that; a very small house.  Because of codes and strong laws about housing in the Industrial Nations, Tiny Homes are usually placed on a trailer for legal and logistic reasons.  This doesn’t mean that most Tiny Houses should or could be dragged all over the country.  That’s not really the point.  They are generally too heavily built (rightly so) and use materials like factory-built house widows and normal pitched roofs.  While these make for a nicer living structure they are not designed for the sustained tornado-like conditions and severe jarring that come from over-the-road travel.

Showman's2
Late 19th Century-style Showman’s Van, Arguably the first true stand-alone caravan for full-time living. From J. Harris Stone, 1914.

When the world moved a little slower, some of these issues were not as important, such as real glass windows and hurricane-proof roofs, but now, we certainly don’t want parts to fly off at 70 miles per hours on the highway, or to show up in camp with shattered glass on the bed.

Definitions:

Tiny House – Very small home often mounted on a trailer frame.  Designed to be towed  to a final location or towed for occasional moving.

Vardo or Caravan – Small dwelling designed to be regularly towed to new location.

Early Worker Vans; Predecessor to the Caravan

~ George Crawford ~ 2 Comments

WorkVanEarly work vans were designed to house manual laborers when on the job.  Great for highway and railroad crews.  These caravans were noted for poor ventilation and their spartan interior.  Three to six workmen were often housed in these wagons.

FowlerAll the necessities for living with none of the comforts of home.  Cheaper than regular housing and mobile too.  One can see how this evolved into the later caravan.  These were expensive and not as well thought-out as later ‘vans.

Vardo Plans: Reading Caravan

~ George Crawford ~ 6 Comments

Many considerations concerning floor plans and general layout have come my way over the years.  I am compiling as many as possible to post here.  To start things off, here is the iconic Reading Waggon by Dunton’s (note: two “g’s” in the older British spelling).

ReadingExtThis design is truly the classic.  When one sees this, it cries of the open road and Gypsy Wagons.  It is Henry David Thoreau’s Walden cabin on wheels.  The wide rear axle and narrow front carriage was the best of compromise for agility, weight, and worthiness on and off road.  This design is worth a potential builder scrutinizing in detail for it’s perfection of design.  A mollycroft roof, high clearance, well-proportioned windows, and solid design make this ideal for the rolling home.

DSC_0197On the downside, kite walls (out-sloping) add some difficulty when working on interior shelves and cabinets.  Also, as noted for over a hundred years, the mollycroft can weaken the roof and ultimately increase the chance of leaks.  A small price to pay maybe but something to keep in consideration.

ReadingFloorThe classic caravan at this period included a full chest of drawers and a fairly large stove, limiting seating to a largish space on the stove side and a small dressing seat next to the dresser.  Although we read of dozens of children being born and raise in this design, the real layout seems to be based on the couple.  Kids will make due.

All images above are taken from The English Gypsy Caravan, currently out of print.

Ramblings

~ George Crawford ~ 8 Comments

In an effort to make my mark, I’m working on a splash page image, a logo, and a flag.  Something catchy and symbolic, but not already taken. Simple, smart, and understandable.  This one about sums it up but I  think it may already be in use. compasssquarelevelMy personal image for the web page needs to be something as iconic as this pre-war “selfie” by J. Harris Stone.  A travelling man like myself.

CaravanningEx01Also, in the spirit of the early caravanners of a century ago, I am attempting to create a logo, without restricted use, for kindred spirits to fly from their rigs when on the road.  This idea struck me several years ago when seeing one of the simple logos from the Society of Primitive Technology on a car in the parking lot of a bookstore far from home.

rabbitstickI knew, when I saw it, there was likely a kindred spirit nearby.  Probably someone I know or have very few degrees of separations from.  In other words, a person I could probably trust in a pinch.wintercountThis was reinforced on me this year while I was driving a thousand miles from home, someone recognized my rig and had his young son hold up an image he knew I would recognize.  How cool is that?  Icons work to let us know, in this overpopulated yet disjointed world community, who belongs to our tribe.  Just as gang members have signs, symbols, and colors, so do law enforcement, military, and fraternal organizations.  I’m not saying this is necessarily good, just that it is.

We are tribal at heart for good or ill.  I want to put it to work for good.

CoverontheroadThis photo dates back to a time prior to the completion of my caravan but far enough along to travel across the country.  Maybe not iconic, but a document in the life-history of my home.

As there are more and more of us in our circle of fellow travellers, sometimes we are readily recognized.

CoverWintercountVSometimes we are not.  Maybe we need a flag of our own to fly when we’re lost on the road and maybe not so recognizable.  Something like the pennon of the Caravan Club in Europe before the Great War.

CCVI welcome designs from fellow travellers but I hope to create something no matter what.  Or maybe it’s just the Saturday evening cocktail talking.

Baumeister_-_Holzschnitt_von_Jost_Amman_-_1536.svgAfter this ramble, it’s clearly time to get back to work on the bigger problems; seeking knowledge and trying to make my little world a better place.

Mrs. Coucer Green and Other Great Old Photos

~ George Crawford ~ 2 Comments
MrsCoucer
The PERINIK. A beautiful living van.

Three great and rare books have come to me in the very recent past.  Each has it’s own merits and is full of great stuff.  I am scanning, reading, and summing up some excellent stuff and will get it out as soon as I can.  In the mean time, enjoy these great photos ca. 1911-1914 the Golden Age of Caravanning.

LadyMore and better details on the way, including plans and historic photos that have lots to show us about design.

Further Evolution of the Little Vardo

~ George Crawford ~ 2 Comments

We just put another couple thousand miles on the Little Green Vardo.  It’s always an adventure when you are pulling something like this around the country and it makes for some interesting conversations.

DSC_0080
Campground in Cortez, Colorado.

Most of the people we meet are great but the comments are sometimes a little difficult.  Of course, the number one question from most people is “what does it weigh?”  Not that the numbers mean much to them but it just sounds like something to ask.  Another favorite is “does it leak a lot?”  I guess this is a reasonable question for someone.  If my house leaked, I hope I would remedy it pretty quickly.

snail2
What we look like going down the road.

It’s great to get all the smiles, nods, and waves from other travelers.  It must say something that out of the thousands of vehicles you might see on a trip, only a few evoke any real response.  It’s hard to get gas or take a break without having a real conversation about it with someone.  While getting coffee in a small Colorado town a watched a woman burst out of an office door across the road and sprint across a busy four-lane road just to have a peak.  It was flattering when she said “I know you from the Internet! I’m a huge fan of tiny homes and little campers!”

Another fun interaction happen in Monticello, Utah when an elderly man came running out from a house to talk about Sheep Wagons.  His wife grew up in one and wanted to have her own after they retired.  As this was a tall order, he built her this beautiful scale model sheep camp complete with tiny dutch oven, pans, tools, a broom, and even a tiny fried egg.

IMG_0188
Looks like I need a different hitch.

Maybe, not too long from now, I’ll be able to take to the road for a longer adventure.

IMG_0197Coming home to Purgatory, New Mexico with a list of improvements and a slew of minor changes to the Vardo.  I can’t wait for the cooler weather to make this happen.

Vardo – Topper Makeover

~ George Crawford ~ 2 Comments

Because there’s always room for improvement.  In my case, a lot of improvement. snail2
Rehung siding, new paint, fresh varnish, little fixes, and lots of cleaning.  We’re hooked up to get out of town for a bit.

snail1Dietz lanterns, Kelly kettle, fuel, and lamp oil packed away in the pan box.  The steel disk serves as a heat shield to minimize ground scarring under the fire.

snail8A view from the bed.  Still more to pack up but things are looking good and nearly ready to go.

snail7The new windows are great and really perk the place up.  Bright and airy makes for a pleasant space.

snail3Still, the little Snail is far from perfect; made on a shoestring budget during snatches of time between work and bad weather.  Although I don’t live in it full-time currently I have come to see this as my home.