Man built a $150 ‘tiny home’ he can tow with his bike

There are tiny homes, and then there are tiny homes. In fact, Paul Elkins’ tiny home is arguably best described as a shelter — it’s not something you’d be able to live in full-time. But whatever you want to call it, Elkins’ shelter on wheels is pretty remarkable. It’s so small, it can be pulled around by a bicycle.

Inventor and self-taught designer Elkin used to work at Boeing, but he now spends his time creating tiny structures and transportation, including tepees, micro boats and pedal-powered vehicles. All of his designs are lightweight, weatherproof and easy to take with you, wherever you go.

Elkin calls his micro mobile home, which rolls on 20-inch bicycle wheels, a Nomad Bicycle Camper, and it has everything he needs inside the tiny space, including insulation, a small bed, a (very) compact kitchen area with a one-element stove and a sink, and a couple of drawers and shelves for storage. He built it for $150.

If you’re tempted to give it a go yourself, you can download the 61-page tutorial for $20. (He also has plans you can buy for DIY boats, a tepee, a dog house and a “cycle kart.”) According to Elkin’s website, the tutorial has all the drawings, photos and written instructions you need to build it yourself. All you need is a drill, a conduit blender and basic hand tools. Oh, and “patience and ambition.”

Filmmaker Kirsten Dirksen visited Elkin at his Washington home to interview him for the website Tiny House Design.

“His work is inspiring because he pushes minimalism to an extreme,” Dirksen wrote. “While his tiny structures are lightweight, weatherproof, and portable they are also functional and include all the essentials. From a tiny house design perspective, his work serves an extreme example that sets the standard for small and outside-the-box thinking.”

If you’re inspired by Elkin’s bill-free, out-on-the-open-road lifestyle, check out the virtual tour of his Nomad Bicycle Camper on Dirksen’s YouTube channel:

And if that’s one step too far, you could always check out the tiny homes for sale on Amazon.