Download Fencl Brochure - pdf file.
Click here to visit the Tumbleweed Web Site
and learn more about Jay Shafer and his designs.
Jay sells the Fencl plans for $795 (On Sale Now) and if you are anxious to get them right away, I have set up an easy Buy Now button for you to purchase right here.
[...] of this build and you can see them at my new website called the Tiny House Journal under Jay’s Fencl. This is the first Fencl constructed and documented. Jay is also working on a DVD with video and [...]
These are great pics. Useful to those of us building a tiny house.
It looks like they have a regular spigot for there water input. It also looks like they are using an on-demand water heater.
Anyway. Thanks for posting these.
I just love the attention to detail! Its gorgeous!
Hi Jeff, There is a picture on page 5 of the box the hotwater tank that Jay is using, a Suburban 6 gallon water heater…Kent
WOW! NOW I’m in LOVE with the Fencl! What an awesome loft!
I hope someday I can build my own tiny home. :{
How do you register and plate the Tiny House?
Most people just register the empty trailer when it is bought and than build their home, however if you are building the home as a manufacturer, it is my understanding it has to be registered as an RV and that is much more complicated.
I concur, outstanding photos. They really helped my wife and I decide on the Fencl as our tiny home choice. Are there any money numbers for materials only as shown in your blog final photos (sans trailer)? We retired our cabinet/remodeling shop July 2009 and believe the construction should be straightforward enough to be accomplished with the help of family members and friends. Also, have you anyone south of Missouri with info on termite control methods (beyond quarterly pesticide use common to some areas)? How about Ecolet-type self-composting commodes in lieu of flushables? Thanks for the terrific information site…now where did I store those screwguns? gus
Fencl should be completed this week and I will put up final photos when I have taken them. I’m hoping to get final figures from Jay for the journal.
I agree with others, the detail of the photos is great. For example, there is nowhere in the plans that say you need tempered glass windows, but to be street legal, trailers need tempered glass. You have a photo that clearly shows the sticker on the window indicating tempered glass. Little details like this are helpful.
Kent: yeah, I saw the pic of the box for the hot water heater after I left the comment.
[...] My last stop was with Jay Shafer and Steve Weisemann at the new location of Tumbleweed Tiny House Company to take some photos of the completed Fencl. Jay had scheduled a professional photographer to get the best shots, but I wanted to tag along and get a few myself of the completed Fencl. I have posted a few pictures here and you can see the rest on the Tiny House Journal. [...]
[...] in luck. Kent took photos the whole way through and has posted them all online. Take a look at Tiny House Journal for the complete photo record. Here’s a peek at the completed tiny [...]
[...] Jay is taking the just completed Tumbleweed Fencl. You can view photographs of the building of the Fencl at the Tiny House Journal. [...]
Hi, cool post. I have been wondering about this topic,so thanks for writing.
This post of the Fencl really helps me understand the build process. I have no construction experience what so ever, but these beautiful pictures have eased the frustration of not knowing what i’m doing
I hope to start my Fencl project soon! I will be attending the tiny house workshop in Indianapolis this Saturday.
Hi Kris, keep me posted on your build, be sure and document it so others can learn from your experience. Enjoy the workshop this weekend. I learned a lot when I went and it will help you gain confidence to meet and talk with Jay.
Thanks Kent, I will be documenting my building and living experience on my new blog site
What happened once Jay got the Fencl to NY?
No fotos of that …
If we are going to be too worried about termites … then we better go with one of those Naked Galapagos steel foundation, steel frame structures, sheathed in cement board and vinyl siding. I suppose it is possible to go a little overboard on just about any topic …
How do you get a single-bed mattress up into the fencl sleeping loft? Is there room to do that?
Much less a pair of them — in case you don’t sleep alone.
It looks like the additional upstairs storage kind of blocks the ability to just shove one up there …
Jay has the house stored on the east coast and has it for sale. So far he has not found a buyer and is still looking. They will be publishing some more information on that soon…Kent
Jay uses a different kind of mattress, one that is very flexible and can be rolled up. I’ll get a link here shortly that shows you how that works. It is a queen size and I know that they make smaller and larger ones as well. Otherwise you would need to put it in when you constructed the loft…Kent
kent,
do you happen to know which model # the water heater is? suburban makes a couple/few different 6 gallon models.
thanks,
ian.
I can’t find a model # on the photo but here is the explanation: Suburban RV 6 Gallon Water Heater, Steel Tank with Porcelain Lining and Anode Rod Protection. Fast recovery, long lasting tank. I’ll see if I can get ahold of Jay and see if he has the info…Kent
SIR:
MY DAUGHTER HAS LOOKED AT YOUR DESIGN AND REALLY LIKES IT. SHE IS PLANNING ON GOING TO ALASKA, FROM TENNESSEE, TO WORK PSSOIBLLY IN THE SUMMER OF NEXT YEAR. WHAT IS YOUR SUGGESTIONS ON THIS TYPE OF MOVE PULLING THIS TYPE OF HOME? IE. STATES REQUIREMENTS, ETC. ANY INFO ON THIS SUBJECT WOULD BE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. ALSO, IF WE BUILD THIS HOUSE, WITH A FEW SMALL CHANGES, WE WOULD MAKE THE PROCESS AND TRIP AVAILABLE TO YOU FOR PUBLICATION AT YOUR DISCRETION.
THANKS
JOHN ALLEN, SR
Hi John – Jay Shafer has moved these homes with 3/4 ton trucks, U-hauls, etc. They are built to 13′ 6″ height and are 8′ 6″ wide so meet all state requirements and don’t need a permit to move, just like a rv trailer. So you should have no problems moving them about. If you download the brochure or get Jay’s book all estimated weights and sizes are listed. Hope that helps…Kent
[...] Jay left Tuesday on his Coast to Coast tour and is taking the newly built Fencl to show tiny house enthusiasts across the country. This is the first completed Fencl built from Jay’s plans and if you would like to see pictures of the Fencl build you can visit the Tiny House Journal. [...]
This model looks ideal for use as both a home and as for a traveling merchant’s booth, as the living room space could be used to sell stuff inside, like at a Renaissance Faire! I’d want to modify it on the outside to have more of a Tudor cottage style (I have always adored the windows) and use fiberglass in lieu of solid wood, pulling it with a small U-Haul-type truck for retail items and outside display items. So many possibilities!
I see that the ceiling height is 6’3″. I am 6’5″. Would it be practical to modify/raise the ceiling height to, say, 7’0″ without making drastic/costly changes in engineering?
I’m trying to find out where he is parking this home? There are so many rv parks that might accept it. But he talked about not having rent! Where is he getting away with that?
The Tumbleweed Houses website, http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com, only sells the book and has no information about the plans. How does one purchase plans or ask questions?
Do any of the plans meet the new International Building Code that most counties now go by? We’d like to build one on a property we own in Kern County, California, but would need a building permit to do that.
Because of all the traffic from the Yahoo video Jay is limiting exposure to his web site otherwise he would be down all the time. I have put the plans on these pages and you can download the brochure on the home page which gives you an overview of his plans. You also get Free the Popomo plans when you buy his book.
Hi Todd, Yes, I think you could do that. I would verify that with Jay before or when you buy the plans though.
Like Todd, I’m 6’5″ too. I’ve been considering raising the wall height too. I’m not sure but I want to say maximum height for the Big long haul trucks is 14′ so I want to say that as long as the tiny house is under that height, it should be good for highway travel. Where ever those big rigs can go, the tiny house should too.
(Just to be safe, I would probably keep an eye out for the max height signs when going under bridges and over passes.)
~Dan
I am trying to purchase a flatbed trailer so I can build a Fencl. I do have the trailer stats that you posted. However, I read where it was suggested that a c-channel trailer was better than an angle one. I found a new car hauler 82″ x 18′ tandom axels (7,000 lb capacity) with all 4 electric brakes for a good deal. This is a little heavier trailer but I thought it would also be more durable. The problem is this… A guy at a local U-Haul told me that you’re not allowed to build anything on a car hauler cause they weren’t made for anything else. He also said that if I were caught with a house on it, I could be fined and my trailer and home impounded. Do you know anything about this? I would like to buy soon but don’t want to make a mistake. I’m poor
Thanks.
I would check with your local dmv, they should be able to tell you if that is correct or not. I personally don’t know that answer.
Maybe I’m just making this more complicated than it should be. I should probably just stick with the lighter weight trailers with the stats that Jay listed. I plan on moving it a lot and thought the more sturdy trailer would serve that better. Thanks for the advice
If you dig a bit on the Tumbleweed site they do have a page of recommended trailers that will work with each model and I think even where to get them. I should do a post about that on the Tiny House Blog and put a link here on the Tiny House Journal also as that is valuable information.