Journey to 100% offgrid

AndrewB

Valued Member
Premium Member
GOLD
Joined
Apr 2, 2018
Messages
428
Location
Albury, NSW
Climate
Temperate (all seasons)
Hi all, its been a while. I sold my house & moved to the middle of nowhere, so internet hasn’t been readily available- both a blessing & a curse!

Since June i’ve been working away on making my life 100% offgrid & 100% relocatable. I’ve moved around a lot for work over the years, a new house every year or 2 & it always sucked leaving behind my improvments.

So my goal now is that anything I do has to come with me.

The first project was a 4.5 ton 2.4x8mtr mobile workshop, with everything needed to build my other projects, as well as do a bit of work to pay the bills.
It has a big welding table, mig & tig welder, cnc plasma cutter, cold saw, 3d printer, sticker cutter, compressor, 13.5 kva generator, hi res security cameras & starlink.

Next was garden beds, I found some ex hydroponic beds that were perfect. They are made from aluminium & are 600mm x 3mtrs long. I can fit 8 on my trailer & they can be easily loaded with a tractor, without removing soil. Building soil is very much a long term project, so being able to take it with me, without disturbing it was important.

I’m getting close to finishing my tiny house. It’s built on the back of a 1969 dodge truck. Not something I would drive anywhere, but good enough for moving around in a paddock & able to be loaded on a truck to relocate anywhere I want to go.

Just picked up a couple of ibcs for water collection.

Next project in feb is the solar, which will be installed in a small enclosed trailer, with the panels mounted on racks on the ground.

And I also need to built a chicken coop on wheels that I can load onto a trailer.

Has been fairly smooth sailing for the most part. Only real difficulty was in getting materials. I had to compromise on a few ideas, as I just couldn’t get companies to respond to my requests.

Have done 100% of the work by myself, which was challenging at times, lifting 45kg steel panels 1.5 mtrs off the ground and holding them in position one handed while clamping them took some effort!

Some pictures of the journey so far:
 

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Andrew, do I see that correctly that you put in floor heating? What is going on with the spiral design thing?
Keep up the great work!
 
Oh my, looks like you have your hands full! Gosh. I do love that you put lots of windows in the bedroom area; I love lots of natural lighting. I would personally invest in some good curtains too, and some bug netting. But to be very fair, it's still in the works! I love what you've done so far, and would love to see updates on this massive project :D
 
Andrew, do I see that correctly that you put in floor heating? What is going on with the spiral design thing?
Keep up the great work!
Yes, i have copper tube running under the floor & 2 tonnes of sand on top of it to use as a heat battery. I’ve built a rocket stove with a copper coil around the flu to heat the water. I can also run cold water through it in summer to cool the sand.

I’m hoping that this will allow a more stable 24 hour temperature to eliminate any condensation issues that are often a problem in small spaces.

It’s a fibonacci spiral- the pattern that shows up in nature all the time, in, for example sunflower heads & sea shells.
 
Oh my, looks like you have your hands full! Gosh. I do love that you put lots of windows in the bedroom area; I love lots of natural lighting. I would personally invest in some good curtains too, and some bug netting. But to be very fair, it's still in the works! I love what you've done so far, and would love to see updates on this massive project :D
I have fly screens covering both windows & will do curtains once I install the ceiling & all the trims. I have a great spot surrounded by trees though, so don’t really need curtains during the day to block heat. It’s a great space to sleep with the windows open, especially during a storm. feels like you are outside, but bug free.

I’ll also be fitting hanging pots around the outside & growing climbers like tomatoes, cucumbers up the walls.
 
Ohh, that sounds absolutely lovely. I love stormy weather (my dog doesn't though).

Doesn't matter where I am or what season it is... mosquitoes will find me. I must be a delicacy of some sorts :ROFL:
 
Clever to have floor heating and cooling. Didn't think of that so, lesson learnt.

Did you inlay the fibonacci spiral in the wall? It looks like it lets light through.
 
I plasma cut it in the sheet, so there was a thin gap. The intention was to glue clear plastic to it & back light with led’s, but living so remote, its tough to get unusual products without them being horribly expensive.

So I have filled the gap & will just use it as a base pattern for an artwork.
 
Got the inside painted and a few shelves done. Instead of bedside tables, I have bedside planter boxes. I‘ve put some marigolds in them for now, but will probably swap out eventually for mint or basil.

Waiting for the right timber to appear so I can do the ceiling now. I’m really happy with how the wall came up using recycled floorboards, so want a similar aesthetic for the ceiling, but using thinner timber to keep the weight down.

I picked up a couple of food grade ibcs for water storage, but still have to get a pump & do all the plumbing.


Journey to 100% offgrid
Journey to 100% offgrid
Journey to 100% offgrid
 
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