# 14x14 Off Grid Cabin Vids



## lamar5292

Here are some pics of my 14x14 off grid cabin. The cabin has a full loft with large bedroom and office upstairs. Downstairs is kitchen, full bath with shower, dining area and living area.

Power system is 580 watts solar and 400 watts wind which runs my water pump, lights, tvs, laptop and gadgets. I use a small generator for a washing machine and dryer.

I heat with woodstove and have propane backup. Water heater is OD propane. Fridge is 12 volt dc. I use a solar composting toilet of my own design.

I designed and built the cabin for under $2000 and I live year round in the cabin on my 1 acre homestead. I garden, fish, hunt, and raise rabbits and chickens and run a small local business.

I have no house payments or monthly utility bills and property taxes are only $170 a year. Life is good!




























I have vids of the cabin and all my system on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/solarcabin


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## goshengirl

I love this! thanks for sharing - I've gotta show this to my husband...


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## DKRinAK

Thanks for sharing. 

BTW - How does that little hand washer (seen on top of the fridge) really work?


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## lamar5292

DKRinAK said:


> Thanks for sharing.
> 
> BTW - How does that little hand washer (seen on top of the fridge) really work?


The wonderwasher works good for small loads but leaves clothes very wet. I use a standard small apartment washer on a generator for now.


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## FatTire

i found this on youtube a while back and it inspired me. this type of cabin is what i want to build, unfortunately, i dont have anyone to gift me land, but it is my goal... also, im going to make some modifications to bulletproof mine


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## HozayBuck

*That is just so damn nice!!!! good job!! and thanks for posting the pics*


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## Tex

FatTire said:


> i found this on youtube a while back and it inspired me. this type of cabin is what i want to build, unfortunately, i dont have anyone to gift me land, but it is my goal... also, im going to make some modifications to bulletproof mine


Rather than bulletproof, spend the money on a basement. It will be bulletproof and double your living space to boot.


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## weedygarden

*Dimension question*

I have seen your videos and had subscribed to your channel, so I have seen all of them, some several times.

My question is why you used 14 x 14 as the dimension for building? When I build and especially if I have total personal choice about size, I try to use the pre-made dimensional size lumber and leave it as is when possible, with as little cutting and pieceing (sp?) together as possible. In this situation, 2 x 4's come in 8, 10, 12 foot lengths and more. But the flat goods such as plywood, some siding, drywall, etc. come in 4 x 8 sheets.

So in the instance of building a cabin, an 8 x 8, 12 x 12, 16 x 16, 20 x 20, 24 x 24 are examples of sizes I would consider for a square cabin with endless possibilities of combinations.

One of my considerations of pre-building is based upon a story I heard of a family that built a cabin for the mountains. They prebuilt walls in 4 x 8 sections in the city where they lived and then used a trailer to move those sections to their building site where they assembled and worked on the cabin on the weekends until they finished it.

If it were me, I would predrill 3 or 4 holes on the side pieces and bolt these together on site. You could predrill for wiring, plumbing, etc.

I have considered figuring out how I could use pallets as much as possible for my sections. Maybe someone has already built a cabin or home primarily with pallets.


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## lovetogrow

Cool beans lamar - love it! Hubby will enjoy your vids too :2thumb:


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## lamar5292

weedygarden said:


> I have seen your videos and had subscribed to your channel, so I have seen all of them, some several times.
> 
> My question is why you used 14 x 14 as the dimension for building?


The reason for a 14x14 is because a cabin under 200 sqft can be bulit in this county without a building permit. Many counties allow a dry cabin/shed under 200 sqft without a building permit.

You could build a 12x16, 10x20 etc. and the lumber would take less cutting but I wanted a higher loft with more head room so a 14x14 gives a larger room and more headroom in the loft than a narrower plan would allow.

By using 14x14 you cut off 2 feet off of a 4x8 panel and those pieces are used to form another 4x8 some where else so there is no waste.

Hope that makes sense!

LaMar


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## weedygarden

*Thanks you, Lamar!*

Thanks for that information. It makes perfect sense.

I do know that there are guidelines in most places that your place has to be at least a certain size (not too small), and now that information from your county helps to know the possibilities also.

I have a friend who lives in an incorporated city that is a part of a very large metropolitan area. The population of his city is 8,000. He has often called the homes that were built there many years ago, "chicken coops" because many were very poorly built with very little foundation (cinder blocks or less for many) and are small, or were small and have had several poor additions over the years. I have seen sizable cracks in the walls of some. Recently, 8 homes in that community were condemned. Over the years, some other "homes" have been sold, torn down, and replaced with decent homes.

I say all that because even though we can live in small homes, they do not have to be poorly made. And, as in your goal, there can be an original plan to make design appropriate additions when money and ability to expand happens.


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## lamar5292

weedygarden said:


> I say all that because even though we can live in small homes, they do not have to be poorly made. And, as in your goal, there can be an original plan to make design appropriate additions when money and ability to expand happens.


I agree and I always recommend using good quality materials and a good design for any structure you will be living in and want to last a long time.

There are ways to reuse and recycle materials. My doors are steel insulated and windows are double pane low e glass that were recycled form a mobile home being demolished. I also used rough cut lumber from the mill and recycled cedar fence boards for trim but the structural members are standard size building materials and the plan uses a modified post and beam for more support.

A permanent foundation is not needed for a small cabin but piers should be on 7 foot centers and ground must be packed or a footer can be poured.

Many old homestead cabins were built without permanent foundations and are still standing over 100 years later.

Here are just a few cabins people have built from my designs:


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