Recently underway, the Just Good Goods shop on the Etsy platform is an extension of what Big Tiny Adventure is all about: simply, authentic, sustainable and compassionate.
There are a handful of fresh items straight off the drawing board like fun and cute t-shirts, introvert-friendly stickers and a couple of prints. Mike will try to add to the design inventory weekly as we only have a handful of things there so far. If you see a design and want it on a different product (eg. a mug, hat, wall print, etc), let us know and we’ll see if we can implement it!
Help us get off the ground by supporting the shop! Our products are currently all custom print-on-demand and ship anywhere in the world. Our products have printers either in Australia or the US so there might be different versions that better serve those two markets in terms of shipping costs, etc. We aim to choose products that are organic and sustainable where possible and and our production partner, Printify, sources ethically-grown cotton and audits its supply-chain for ethical practices and living wages for workers.
Our plan in the future is to diversify our offerings to other ethical product categories so if you have an affiliate program or a product we can sell on your behalf, message us via the comments field on the bottom of this page.
Ahoy! Long time between posts and apologies for the radio-silence.
Shortly before completing the majority of our P2 guesthouse space and having guests stay in succession, I was contacted by the daughter of an elderly friend of Heidi’s who was a single woman looking to both downsize and give herself affordable living autonomy in this crazy real estate market (hell). I offered my services with the caveat that my skillset was limited to semi-trailer tiny homes and that was something she quickly agreed to. We were able to show her a couple of examples of semi-trailer tiny homes and it is easy to see the virtues.
Fast forward 11 months, and I am reminded at how much work is involved in building a house (especially when you do it all yourself!) and how little I have been updating my progress (hence the lack of posts on this blog!). It was somewhat liberating not to film everything I was doing this time around like when I built our place, but I’m sure I’ll miss seeing the evolution of all the work once it is done. I’ve included a little gallery of pics here to give you an idea and I’ll do a proper “tour” once it is done. Here is a walk-through I did about 75% of the way through:
The final Build episode in our second semi-trailer project (P2) is a progressive update looking at the evolution of the guesthouse bedroom and bathroom. Mike does the final major edits to the industrial space to reveal a beautiful view and an attractive space for him and Heidi to offer guests some comfortable hospitality!
Follow along to see how Mike achieves some of his affordable and creative solutions that you can apply to your own projects! This episode features the final touches on the bedroom space including a DIY murphy bed, some funky ceiling and detail finishing and a major overhaul of windows in the bathroom. All in time for some visitors!
The third episode in our second semi-trailer project (P2) is a progressive update looking at the evolution of the guesthouse bedroom. Mike aims to craft a space that belies the dark and unfriendly nature of this industrial container into a cozy guest quarters.
Follow along to see how he achieves some of his ideas with affordable and creative solutions that you can apply to your own projects! This episode features the completion of the overall bedroom space, some funky ceiling finishing, easy-to-DIY cabinet-making, lighting tips and ensuite bathroom progress.
Progress of the transformation of our second semi-trailer has happened in fits and starts, but I’ve seen some real transformation with our bedroom and bathroom areas. Slowed by factors like economic issues, the silly season and focusing on other business ideas, things haven’t been chugging along as I’d like, but sometimes the foundational work appears to be slow. Slap a coat of paint on something, implement a final component and suddenly you can gain inspiration and motivation with where the project is going.
My second video instalment in the building update of this second semi-trailer attachment (P2) to our main home (P1) (whose build I covered in an extensive video series between 2019-2022) shows some significant aesthetic changes from the original tour video I did of P2 in which I had already jumped ahead with some of the work I had done to form the basis of this new phase of building. In that sense, this video series will be far less comprehensive than the original P1 series as I started this project with no interest in filming it and then of course regretted that when I decided it would be a cool idea. Lesson learned: just film some stuff anyway…you can always just ignore/delete it if you don’t need it.
Anyway, here’s Episode 2! Thanks for watching and being a part of the journey ☺️💚✌🏼
It was a pleasure to be asked to join tiny house expert and aficionado Ethan Waldman on his The Tiny House podcast recently while I was in Canada (Ethan is based in Vermont). He has done hundreds of episodes and has a great blog and channel interviewing tiny house owners from all over and diving into all-things tiny living.
Throughout this episode, Ethan and I chatted about the lifestyle and building journey that Heidi and I have done, exploring not just the practical aspects of the build like custom cabinetry and space-saving features like our innovative elevator bed, but also the sustainable lifestyle that drives us. We got into the nitty-gritty of what converting a semi-trailer entails, creating a comfortable and functional living space, as well as addressing the challenges and rewards such a project brings. I appreciated being asked to come onto the programme and the smart questions and curious nature of Ethan. Thanks for the opportunity and I hope you had some interested listeners!
I am thrilled to introduce our guest, Mike Crowhurst, a seasoned tiny house dweller and the creative mind behind one of the most unique tiny homes I’ve seen in a while! Mike and his wife Heidi spent three years crafting a 45-foot ex-refrigerated semi-trailer into a gorgeous tiny home. Throughout this episode, we'll dive into Mike's journey of tiny house living, exploring not just the practical aspects like custom cabinetry and space-saving features like an innovative elevator bed, but also the sustainable lifestyle that drives him. We'll also get into the nitty-gritty of converting a semi-trailer into a comfortable and functional living space, addressing the challenges and rewards such a project brings. So buckle up as we get a tour of Mike’s impressive tiny house and learn how he has optimized every inch of his home for maximum living.In This Episode:🚚 Tiny House Towing Challenges: The intricacies involved in transporting a tiny house safely, including the type of vehicle required and the importance of professional trucking expertise to avoid potential hazards.🏠 Semi-Trailer Conversion Journey: Mike's personal adventure of converting a 45-foot refrigerated semi-trailer into a sustainable and innovative tiny home.❄️☀️ Insulation and Climate Adaptation: The insulation options used in the semi-trailer, Mike's additional insulation efforts, and adaptation to the Adelaide climate.💡 Procuring a Trailer: Insight into the process of acquiring a semi-trailer, highlighting considerations like checking for rust, maintenance history, and tips on where to find decommissioned trailers.🗄️ Tiny House Storage Solutions: Mike outlines the storage enhancements in his tiny home, describing various built-in options that maximize space without creating a cramped feeling.🛏️ Elevator Bed Innovation: The unique design and functionality of the elevator bed in the tiny house are explained, showcasing how space-saving features contribute to the minimalist lifestyle.🤝 Online and Real-Life Communities: Encouragement for listeners to seek advice and share experiences within the tiny house community, both in-person and online, to foster collective wisdom and support.Send us a textSupport the showListen. Subscribe. Rate. Review. Apple Podcasts Spotify More… Follow Ethan. Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Facebook Want to say 'thank you' for the show? Buy me a coffee!
I’ve been a bit quiet on the tiny house content-production front as a few things in other life realms have been occupying my time. Despite having brushes in a few pots, I am still thankful for a flexible lifestyle that allows me to attend to other things when they come up. Honestly, I don’t know how people with families, 2 jobs and big mortgages do it and stay sane. So while this post feels like it digresses into other areas, I feel like it does dovetail full-circle with regards to minimalist living…
So, besides going through our slowest time of the year financially (Heidi and I are self-employed freelancers and the Australian summer season post-Christmas is a flat time where no one is spending money on what we do), I am making a trip overseas soon to help my ageing parents who have requested some help around medical-related issues. I have had to figure out more ways to bring home the vegan bacon so it has meant more gig work (UberEats) and returning back to my old career of filmmaking.
Well, I’m not quite cobbling the gear together and doing any video jobs (yet), I realised that my video production company, Red Earth Films, has a lot of quality material just lying around doing nothing. My business partner and I were trying to make a living on this over a decade ago, and YouTube plus streaming networks weren’t quite where they are now in terms of being a solid option for monetising indie films. While we did trial a digital platform, it was alongside DVD/BluRay releases and attempts at getting public broadcasters (SBS, ABC) or theatrical operators to show our stuff (and pay us for it!). So the idea came about to just release our offerings online for free with hopes that we might gain a following and drive eventual earnings through YouTube and the like. Until now, everything was locked up because we still thought we could get pay-per-view earnings.
So with that in mind, take a quick break and watch this short little Red Earth intro video I did yesterday to advertise this new direction. After this shameless plug, continue reading the post below! 😀
Thanks for watching. You did watch, right? 🤗
Life as a freelance creative is actually the perfect pairing with tiny house living. For the bulk of my life, being an independent creative has involved patchy earnings whilst still having the same bills to pay as everyone else. Sometimes you have a waterfall windfall job, and sometimes it is like the desert with not an oasis in sight. Worst then is when the latter happens (and you busily blew the excess of the windfall on travel and eating out rather than saving for a rainy day), and you need to plug the money gaps with work outside your skill area just to make ends meet.
I definitely find there are far less of those extremes lately with minimalist and tiny living. It’s obviously happening to us at the moment to a degree, but the pressure for other folks doing it tough is far more intense when inflation, soaring rent rates and so on keep biting you. If you are someone who has dedicated your life to creative pursuits, then you know how much harder again it is in this day and age.
Returning to my filmmaking material has been good to revisit as well, as it is like looking at a photo album and realising that you have actually done some good work in the past which informs the future you. My work revolved around compassionate human stories and so I feel like there is a tie-in with sustainable, minimalist and vegan living: compassion is at the heart of it all. Heidi and I live minimally as we believe that it is the healthy thing to do not only for our life-balance but for the planet. Choosing not to eat animal products is compassionate to animals, the planet and other people. We choose sustainable shopping options because we believe it is helping others. All this suggested altruism sounds like a lot of self back-patting but I honestly believe that there isn’t enough sacrifice in the lives of a typical westerner. Heidi and I are far from perfect in this regard, but I feel like there’s a strong desire in both of us to leave the planet as minimally scarred from our existence as possible once we are gone.
Thanks for reading my ramble and for following me along on our journey. I’ll be trying to produce some new content soon for Big Tiny Adventure, but if you are interested to take a peek into my Other World, please have a poke around on Red Earth Films’ YouTube channel as we continue to upload blasts from the past, like those mentioned in the video above. Peace!! ✌🏼💚🌱
PS. If you are looking for a talented graphic designer who has a impressive repertoire of working with NGOs and other honourable clients, please visit Heidi Rurade Design!
Our journey to reducing the complications in our life has taken a few years, but the results are palpable: feeling less money-stress, having time to truly breathe in life and not feel like it is dragging you along, space to explore what is most meaningful to you. Even just find a space to “waste” time and become bored to stir up creativity are all valuable things.
In this video, Mike talks about what we have learned and the tips and tricks to start thinking about how you can simply your existence for the betterment of not only your own life but for relationships and the environment. Enjoy and thanks for watching! 💚
the.semitrailer.project.P2 : : Build update – Dec 2023
A new chapter with a new semi-trailer project! This overview tour gives you a sneak peek at progress to date of the second half of our semi-trailer tiny home. Mike discusses what we’ve completed and future plans to come for this guest space, storage area and fancy bathtub room ☺️
With this new chapter, we hope that you find inspiration and creativity for your own project and minimalist vision. Enjoy and thanks for watching! 💚
For the past 4 years (2019-2023), tiny house life has been front and centre in our world. Before that, we were on a path to something tiny house and minimalism related for several years. It is exciting now that it has fused into a vision where we are living in the house and want to share more of this life and opportunity with others. Enter: Heidi and Mike’s Big Tiny Adventure on YouTube!
Up until recently, the ongoing videos I did for my tiny house building series entitled the.semitrailer.project were an amalgamation of clips that I shot while simultaneously putting together the house (a journey, I might add, that was the first of its kind for me, so definitely busy learning on the job!). These videos gradually increased in production quality as I saw that the material resonated with viewers, plus my background in video production enticed me to be more creative. That, and I’m a goof with a weird sense of humour, something I hope gives folks a chuckle while they watch. 😛 These videos all just resided on my video production YouTube channel the Cunning Crow (my production company is Cunning Crow Productions).
With the desire to expand this video series and giving them a standalone place to live, we wanted to use the opportunity to showcase all things related to tiny houses in our locality (South Australia, to start) with particular focus on: other semi-trailer conversations, things we learned on our journey, the lifestyle perks and challenges to tiny house living, helpful tips to people starting on this journey and minimalism conversations through interviews and personal perspectives. Being well-connected to our Adelaide tiny house community, we want to talk about what is going on here, particularly with the housing crisis, changes to council legislation to do with THOWs (tiny houses on wheels) and just the exciting things going on in this area which aren’t often focused on in other tiny house pages or channels.
Heidi has been keen to dive deeper into this way of life as she has a lot to say with regards to ethical, sustainable and minimal living. We hope to see her periodically on the channel or when she has the chance to blog her thoughts here. Given my daily involvement with the build and being relaxed on camera meant that it has been me on video more often than not. It will great to get Heidi’s voice into the mix as she has been an equal part to this journey to date!
The new channel is live and we’d love for you to follow or subscribe to our journey. The hope is to truly provide a useful resource to our audience for a variety of reasons, whether you are just tiny house curious, thinking about or starting your own journey, wanting to do your part to help progress the tiny house movement or just looking for something authentic and different to watch. Whatever it is, welcome on board via this site or through our video channel ☺️🏠💚
Big Tiny Adventure 