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Trailersteading Voluntary Simplicity Mobile ebook

Trailersteading Voluntary Simplicity Mobile ebook

I love that this book includes specifics on insulating old trailers and making them more energy-efficient. There are also some excellent examples of retrofitted trailers that don't even look like trailers anymore, and have given their residents decades of low-cost shelter while undergoing improvements. My husband and I live in a trailer on our own land and I've always been curious about the steps involved in making a trailer more permanent. I see people adding roofs and ports over their trailers, or putting on new walls, but I've never gotten an inside look at the process. If you're like me and you're wondering how to live better-- cheaply and comfortably-- on your own land, then this book offers detailed examples of people who are already doing it.I should mention that we were one of the families interviewed for the book. We're just starting out and constantly trying to decide whether we want to keep investing in the trailer or save for a new home construction. In the meantime, we're happy to have a great, cheap place to stay until we make that decision.

The book covers a pretty broad range of topics, but the inclusion of interviews gives some detail on local differences in laws and perceptions regarding trailers. The author mentions the benefits of stronger wall studs, sturdy flooring, and several insulating options. Understanding some of these basics can be helpful for those beginning their search for a trailer. There is even a short section on finding land. I don't entirely agree with the emphasis on choosing "ugly duckling" land because of lower prices, since title issues and legal access problems can be more costly than the money saved. Even so, she points out that prospective buyers have to know upfront what they are comfortable with and where to draw the line.

Practical advice aside, another thing I like about this book is that it addresses some of the stigmas and myths about trailer living. The social stigmas can be a big deterrent for a lot of people, especially for some who would benefit most from the cheaper, build-as-you-go opportunities a trailer provides. This book can be a great way for folks considering trailer living to share some of the upsides of the lifestyle with family members who are uneasy about your decision.

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8 Responses to “West Shops”

  • Ivan Gill says:

    An old, abandoned, windowless mobile home, hauled to a new homestead, became the hub of a vibrant new life for Anna Hess and her husband-to-be Mark Hamilton. Her engaging prose and rich illustrations from half a dozen trailer-homsteaders are likely to entice others to consider this often-overlooked option for building a rewarding, debt-free life on the land. A brilliant botanist and clear-headed writer, Anna Hess portrays the rewards and analyzes the pitfalls of utilizing America's cheapest and most available form of shelter to launch a self-sustaining rural life. She and Mark have done this in a decade, and now thousands of others receive her support and encouragement through her site [...], and through her many publications. I've seen their homestead and their trailer with my own eyes -- they are real and now beautiful. I just wish I had had the benefit of Anna's guidance when I started organic farming forty years earlier.

  • Rodney Rivers says:

    I have just finished Trailersteading and am very impressed. I have been reading the Permaculture/self sufficiency/homesteading literature for a number of years now and have amassed quite the library in this genre. It has become rare to find something really new and exciting and that fires up my imagination. Trailersteading did that for me. The author, Anne Hess, has pointed out a simple solution to the complex question of sustainable and affordable housing that has plagued the back-to-the-land movement since the 1960s. We have seen all sorts of truly wild and wonderful home designs and innovative advancements come out of the movement, but it seems that most or all of them have relied upon either substantial outlays of money or massive investments of labor. Both of those inputs are exactly what many new homesteaders are lacking! Hess is the first author that I am aware of to directly address this problem with a workable solution.

    In retrospect, perhaps the solution lay in front of movement for quite a quite some time. The general process Hess describes is actually very similar to what Henry David Thoreau did. He found a small home, purchased it, disassembled it, moved it to Walden Pond, reassembled and upgraded it to suit his purposes there. Hess has brought Thoreau's simplicity principle into the 21st century and shows her reader how to apply his thinking to the present. Thoreau would be pleased.

    I also enjoyed how Hess addresses the issue of the social stigma surrounding mobile homes. It is something I simply never thought about. Perhaps it is time to reinvent the image of the old mobile home. Reimagining them as eco-groovy, responsible and something to get and be excited about.

    After reading Hess's book I started to look around for others on the topic of restoring and improving old mobile homes. There is very little on Amazon and what does exist is either out of print, has received poor ratings or is out of stock. I think some works on the nitty-gritty of transforming an old mobile home into an eco-trailer could be super fun to read. I hope Hess or someone else will continue along with this interesting investigation.

  • Sonja Ruiz says:

    I love that this book includes specifics on insulating old trailers and making them more energy-efficient. There are also some excellent examples of retrofitted trailers that don't even look like trailers anymore, and have given their residents decades of low-cost shelter while undergoing improvements. My husband and I live in a trailer on our own land and I've always been curious about the steps involved in making a trailer more permanent. I see people adding roofs and ports over their trailers, or putting on new walls, but I've never gotten an inside look at the process. If you're like me and you're wondering how to live better-- cheaply and comfortably-- on your own land, then this book offers detailed examples of people who are already doing it.I should mention that we were one of the families interviewed for the book. We're just starting out and constantly trying to decide whether we want to keep investing in the trailer or save for a new home construction. In the meantime, we're happy to have a great, cheap place to stay until we make that decision.

    The book covers a pretty broad range of topics, but the inclusion of interviews gives some detail on local differences in laws and perceptions regarding trailers. The author mentions the benefits of stronger wall studs, sturdy flooring, and several insulating options. Understanding some of these basics can be helpful for those beginning their search for a trailer. There is even a short section on finding land. I don't entirely agree with the emphasis on choosing "ugly duckling" land because of lower prices, since title issues and legal access problems can be more costly than the money saved. Even so, she points out that prospective buyers have to know upfront what they are comfortable with and where to draw the line.

    Practical advice aside, another thing I like about this book is that it addresses some of the stigmas and myths about trailer living. The social stigmas can be a big deterrent for a lot of people, especially for some who would benefit most from the cheaper, build-as-you-go opportunities a trailer provides. This book can be a great way for folks considering trailer living to share some of the upsides of the lifestyle with family members who are uneasy about your decision.

  • Debora Owen says:

    "Trailersteading" is very well written and full of information regarding the pros and cons of using a trailer on a homestead. Anna addressed issues I've never thought of! Whether you are looking at using a trailer as a low cost way to start your own homestead or as a permanent solution, I thought both the information contained in this book as well as the stories of the homeowners who were profiled were interesting, useful, and thought provoking.

    Well done Anna and well worth the price!

  • Edith Howe says:

    Hubby and I were forced into early retirement due to my health. We moved to Virginia in 2009, as this was always meant to be our retirement area. Then, 18 months ago, sick of renting, we found a 1997 single-wide on 1.24 acres, with creek frontage, for a SONG, with the owner carrying the note. OH, HAPPY DAY! We cheaply fenced the front for our dogs, with a larger fenced area for the garden. Our 938 sf feels like a mansion, because our mortgage is so low and before long there will be NO mortgage!

    Anna Hess' book has given me further inspiration as to ideas and projects. It is nice to see there are others out there who feel as we do. Great read, well-written, and worth the pennies it cost. THANK YOU!

  • Gary Walton says:

    I just found Anna's blog a few months ago, it is just what I have been looking for. It is not very easy to find a blog and Kindle book that give first hand experience and information on homesteading on a low/tight budget. This book gives both Anna's experience and other's about Trailersteading. The book covers everything from purchasing your land at a low price to how to upgrade and maintain the trailer. It is well worth the very reasonable price.

  • Lula Hodge says:

    I just found Anna's blog recently after hearing her husband on a podcast interview. I have immediately taken to her writings. I came to this book already considering living in a trailer once my wife and I find some property. However, I was considering it merely because of the cost. After reading this book, I am genuinely excited for a Trailersteading adventure. This book not only does a great job of painting a picture, but it gives lots of concrete ideas and advice. If you have any desire for either simplistic living, or homesteading, you need to read this book. Its a phenomenal read, and I can't recommend it highly enough

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