Electrical & Lighting
Plumbing
Renovation
Dewalt 5.5 Amp Top Handle Jig Saw
You're gonna need a jig saw for all those gorgeous Airstream-y curves.
Flexible Steel Curve Template
Trace twice, cut once. This will save you time, frustration, and cuts on allll those curves.
Dewalt 20V Cordless Drill
The compact size allows for working in tiny spaces and this one is a true workhorse.
Dewalt 10-in Compact Job Site Table Saw
We use our table saw for ripping boards with precision and ease.
Brad Nailer
We like having Brad around. He's a good guy, pretty handy, and versatile. Though we largely use pocket screw construction with Kreg, we still love Brad for some builds we do, though Kreg and Brad have quite the rivalry.
Dewalt 4 1/2 in. Angle Grinder
If you're interested in a full gut renovation, you're gonna encounter the subfloor removal and rusty chassis - it's inevitable. Make quick work of the removal of those bolts in the C-channel with a cutoff wheel and grind off years of built-up rust with a flapper disc.
RV Essentials
30 AMP Power Cord
I mean...if you want to be on-grid and have electricity...this is your guy. The little handle and wrap is a nice bonus. Note this is for 30amp service only, and this would be needed in applications where your electric cord isn't directly wired into your trailer.
30 Amp Surge Protector
This not-so-little purchase is essential and can literally save your life in situations where there might be power to ground. Ever hear of hot skin? Besides alerting you of power to ground situations, this also protects against power surges.
RV Water Filter
Yeah...you never really know what campground water has in it. While we don't tend to drink it, we do wash our dishes and bodies in it, and so we always have these handy.
Composting
Nature's Head Composting Toilet
Go off-grid longer by going compost. No more black tank to empty! 12v fan keeps the solids bin dry, and the liquids tank is easy to remove and empty. Low-maintenance, we've used this toilet in our personal renovations and client projects alike.
The Traveling Kitchen
A roundup of our favorite enamelware dishes. They come in various colors, but we love the classic black and white and even better, these don't break. Yes, you can take your rig down that pot-holed, washboard dirt road to get to that amazing boon docking site!
Inspiration & Research
Call us old-fashioned, but we love to learn and be inspired by books. The first two were on our shelves long before we began this journey, and the rest have been added bit by bit. There are incredible, hard-working people out there who have so many valuable things to say and teach us.
The book that we referenced again and again. We thought we'd build a stationary tiny house one day - but we found ourselves building a mobile one!
While we didn't use these plans directly, we learned a lot about multifunctional, lightweight furniture building in these pages.
Dee Williams reminds me of Ellen. Or Ellen reminds me of Dee. Either way, Dee's book is poignant and funny and teaching and brilliant and I've read it a few times now. She reminds me it doesn't have to be complicated, life's complicated enough. Simplify, simplify, simplify.
Okay, so we saw the movie and haven't yet read the book, but we're going to, and soon. The movie was heart-stoppingly beautiful and wrenching and broke us open.
I don't give a shit if you think this book is a cliche one for a traveler to love. It is worth loving. For anyone who has lost everything and fucked up time and again and then willingly put oneself in the face of challenge and heartbreak to heal, this is your book.
We make a cameo appearance in our pals Natasha and Brett's beautiful book about their personal journey to Airstream living - we inspired them to get an Airstream! A fun, easy read filled with lovely images of a lovely space, N + B chronicle their time spent building and designing their little shiny home, with fun how-tos for the DIYer.
