A lot of North American tiny houses are huge luxurious models that offer many of the comforts of a traditional house. However, this unnamed off-grid tiny house by New Mexico's We Shelter People harkens back to the tiny house movement's roots by keeping things small and simple – and relatively affordable too.
The tiny house is based on a double-axle trailer that has a length of 20 ft (6 m). It's topped by a gabled roof that lends it a slightly traditional look, even with its black painted steel finish. Generous glazing ensures that the interior is filled with daylight.
Access to the tiny house is gained by a large sliding glass door that really opens it up to the outside and its interior measures 209 sq ft (19.4 sq m), much of which is taken up by a relatively large living room. The decor is nice and clean and simple – indeed, there's not a whole lot going on in there at the moment since the home is unfurnished, though it does include a Dickinson propane heater (a marine heater popular in the tiny house scene) that should be sufficient to keep the small space warm in the winter. There's also some storage space.
The kitchen is nearby. This is quite small and simple, and contains a two-burner propane-powered stove, a fridge/freezer, a sink, plus cabinetry and some extra storage space. The kitchen connects, via sliding pocket door, to a snug bathroom that has a shower, sink, and a Nature's Head composting toilet.
There's just one bedroom, which is a typical tiny house loft-style sleeping space with a low ceiling. It's reached by a storage-integrated staircase.
The tiny house is configured ready for both life on the road and safely parked up in an RV park. It gets power and water either from a standard RV-style hookup or from the installed solar system, which consists of two 12-volt batteries and four 310-watt solar panels. It also has a 40-gallon (151-liter) water tank.
The tiny house is up for sale for US$49,999. To the firm's credit, it breaks down all the materials used and their cost in detail on its construction notes, which are well worth a read.
Source: We Shelter People
That said, you're 100% right about this, any tiny house or any normal house in the desert. Absent AC (we do not include AC by default), we would not advocate and in fact would not sell you the tiny house if you wanted to use it in the summertime in a desert unless you asked us to outfit it with AC or said you were going to do it yourself. But that has little to do with the black exterior, which is designed to reflect, not absorb heat, and everything to do with the temperatures never getting low enough throughout the day and night to live comfortably without AC. We're lucky to be based in northern New Mexico where, even though it can get hot during a summer day, the nights are much cooler and pleasant. For those who prefer warmer temps, it's AC or bust.
Me: (Doubt)
Me: (You can't cheat physics)