If you take the words of downsizers and vanlifers at face value, nothing beats the modern nomadic way of life, especially if you can make a living by making money on social media. That may be true, but what about the exorbitant prices of tiny houses and professional van conversions?
Photo: YouTube/Quiet Nerd (composite)
If that's the only thing stopping your average 9-to-5 worker from going all-in on this much-touted lifestyle, there's always the DIY (do it yourself) route. The DIY online community is actually almost as large and well-supported as the nomad community. So, as long as you have a budget, basic tools, and a lot of desire to put in the time and effort, you don't have to join the DIY community. That's alone.
Now it's time to talk about Jason from Quiet Nerd. Even if you're not thinking about transitioning to a nomadic lifestyle, this video is fun to watch and shows that going out into the great outdoors actually has more to offer than we might imagine, both in terms of resources and features. It proves that you may need less. Have fun, be comfortable, and be safe.
If the name Quiet Nerd rings a bell, it's probably because he built a small electric camper last summer using a budget and off-the-shelf materials, and the video of it went viral. His “tiny house” is actually the same electric camper, upgraded for winter conditions.
Photo: YouTube/Quiet Nerd
It's certainly not a perfect building, and it doesn't even come close to being classified as a tiny house by the most generous definition of the word. But it's a mobile shelter that's styled like a wooden cabin, has wheels, and can move on its own, allowing you to extend a day out into an overnight adventure.
You may have to abandon typical notions of comfort in the process, but on the other hand, this is a better solution than standard camping, bikepacking, or even e-bike trailers. It's cheaper than a new electric bike camper and easier to build than a DIY tiny house, no matter how small. This is a fun little project that serves as an intermediate step towards building something more definitive.
The “cabin” that Jason calls QN-02 is based on an electric camper he built last year. He doesn't mention anything about the powertrain, so we're guessing it's an original one that he built from scratch using parts easily available online and at local stores.
Photo: YouTube/Quiet Nerd
This electric camper is powered by a 24V 500W 6:1 gear ratio motor connected to a 12V battery, giving you an estimated 2.5 hours of driving time on a single charge. Perhaps the battery was upgraded in the process. Because even after driving around in the snow and keeping appliances running all night, he only used up his 49% of the battery and had enough power left to get him home.
The chassis is made of wood with electrical circuitry underneath and no underside protection. Jason removed the greenhouse frame and tarp from the electric camper and built an all-wood frame with wooden walls, a rear wooden door, and a cab covered in clear vinyl for added visibility. He added two porthole windows on either wall and a dog-proof plastic window in the door to let in more light and allow for ventilation.
Jason chose not to put any type of insulation in the walls or vents, resulting in a cold shelter with serious condensation issues. He used a heater to warm things up a bit, and a hot plate, mini electric oven, and small waffle maker for additional heat, but the cooking only added humidity, causing condensation to drip down the vinyl windows.
Photo: YouTube/Quiet Nerd
Upgraded tires with larger sizes and larger screws were also installed in the cabin, as well as some of the old yellow tarpaulin for roof insulation. Jason won't say whether he's upgraded the motor to compensate for the added weight of the wood, but the strange vehicle, which has visibly struggled at times, remains stable at ankle height. I was able to power through the snow.
Due to the low ground clearance, snow that accumulated under the front end was bounced all over the vehicle.
As mentioned above, this is not a perfect build and is not presented as such. Perhaps it was never intended as one. This is a young man's effort to build something for himself that is fun and functional, provides basic creature comforts and consideration for safety, on a minimal budget, and theoretically can replace much more expensive purchases.
Photo: YouTube/Quiet Nerd
In that sense, this cabin, which has wheels and can move on its own, is truly a “tiny house that you can do.” As long as you want to leave your ideas about comfort at home.