">HomeOwnerNut

Where I live in the Sierra foothills, the peaceful country lanes choke up like bad arteries come summertime with offensive road whales, bus-sized motor homes towing four-wheel vehicles as the owners try to get away from it all. Of course, they’re towing it all. (It’s a good thing I stopped making stinky sulfur bombs in junior high. )

On the other hand—for there always is one—I have no such qualms about homes that are mobile.  Small, economical houses on wheels are not a new idea. Consider the rolling thunder of the Jed Clampett or Tom Joad home:

OK. Not so great. But have a gander at these eclectic, functional, and rather fine looking homes on wheels:

Beachy Keen

When Julie Martin lost her sedentary home to Hurricane Katrina, she designed this mobile log cabin that sells for a starting price of $29,900. I’d put mine on the beach, too.

Tiny Consciousness

Jay Shafer built the first of his 89-square-foot Tumbleweed houses in Northern California in 1997. Now he sells designs and building instructions the world over.  His homes range from 65 to 837 square feet.

Shafer wasn’t the first to think of tiny homes. As early as 1979, author Jane Lidz penned her book, Rolling Homes, a tome on her experience living in rolling residences in and around Eugene, OR. It includes instructions for creating a rolling craftsman home.

Peripatetic Victorianism

The Neverwas Haul, stored sometimes in Berkeley, is a self-propelled three-story Victorian, 24 feet long and 12 feet wide. The best news of all, it’s made from 75 percent recycled materials.  For “the right price”, its owners say, they’ll transport the Neverwas Haul to your location.

Rev It Up

This three bedroom/two bath housecar gets exceptional mileage while parked, which is its only current configuration.  Me, I’d turn it into a wi-fi cafe and invite my chums.

Get Your Motor Runnin’

I’m twitterpated! Time to hit the crafts and model store in town in search of a chemistry set.  (Don’t worry, I’m all bark and no bite. Mostly.)