Pink, Furry, and Filled With Claws: Tucson Tiny House Is Pure "Self-Sustaining" Freedom

Actually, Rocky Mountain Tiny Houses (RMTH) is the name of the crew we'll explore today, and the Tucson is their work, albeit expressing the vision of an owner or owners. You may have heard of this team before, as we've covered some of their work in the past. But, it seems that RMTH has been busy because I hadn't noticed this unit before. Ready your truck, hitch up the two-tone Tucson, and let's take a ride on the wild side.

Now, the Tucson was brought to life based on the requests of an owner from the Vermont/Upstate New York area. Since he regularly travels as a snowbird - migrating to warmer regions during winter - he called upon the power of RMTH to craft a self-contained tiny home suitable for being pulled along behind a 1/2-ton truck, a Dodge Ram 1500 Ecodiesel. A tiny home behind a 1/2-ton truck? It can be done safely and with years of expertise in building materials. The solution was to craft a gooseneck to maximize space, lower wind resistance while driving down long roads, and grant a safer driving experience.

However, I'm going to skip over the building process and, instead, focus on the sort of lifestyle that's possible with a Tucson. Remember, you can give RMTH a call right now and start discussing your very own Tucson unit. What, you thought I was parading someone else's home around? Nope, this lifestyle can be yours too.

One of the first features that caught my attention, and possibly yours too, was that pink exterior. Little did I know that the other two walls of this beauty were that forest green. Even RMTH doesn't have a clue as to why the owner chose these two tones, but the result is neat, to say the least. Best of all, the pink side of things is even fitted with a massive solar array to soak up energy from the sun and dump it into batteries.

However, my favorite part of the exterior is that little reading nook we see at the rear. Just imagine having a cup of coffee or tea on the edge of some ridge overlooking the sea or mountain valley below. Actually, let's head on inside and check out the rest of this rolling adventure pad.

Once inside, my first impressions were that of a home that's owned by a person that doesn't like to sit still, as we should all be; the human body is meant to be moved. What gave me this impression? Nothing more than that storage space sitting in the gooseneck. Here, three bikes can be accommodated, and even a set of cabinets for tools and other knick-knacks.

From here, we head towards the rear of the unit, but first, watch out for a pair of cat claws possibly extending from that tree you see in the middle of the floor plan. There's even a skylight overhead so the old furball can take in some vitamin D from the safety of the unit. After all, the desert is no place for a house cat.

Cat and treestump aside, it's the rest of the little accents from inside this mobile home that really got me going. Did you notice the wood-burning stove? How about that amazing copper top that's waiting for you to prep your meal? How about the copper stove sitting in the backdrop of a large window? Across from the galley sit a dinette, again, allowing owners to have a look at the world around them while eating, working, or whatnot.

The final elements of this home include a bathroom to one side and a toilet and storage space on the other, but it's that nook I mentioned that really gets me going. Here, you'll find yourself in the presence of a couch with two bookshelves, one on each side of the unit. Behind you, that floating window you saw earlier offers a 180-view of the world around outside. For sleeping, an elevated bedframe is found in this area and is only brought to light when it's time for bed.

Now, the Tucson is a unit that can sustain life for extended periods of time, as if the solar panels didn't hint at that. Moreover, two tanks, one with 60 gals (227 l) and the other with 80 gals (303 l) of freshwater, are available. Go ahead, get dirty; you can clean up after. Considering the presence of those bikes, this much water is necessary. Once lithium batteries are thrown in, a BMS (battery management system), wiring, and those panels outside, you've got yourself a self-sufficient setup for really hitting the off-grid sauce. Need neat? Burn some firewood. Need electricity? Position your panels. Need water? Well, there are plenty of moisture-capturing systems available these days.

Since you have some idea of what a life lived out of Tucson can be, take a moment and really picture yourself in the middle of it all. Touch that copper top. Listen to the squeak it produces as you pull your fingers along it. Smell all that wood. Play with the cat. Read a book. Grab the bikes and hit the local ridgelines. Once you're finished, come back, take a shower, eat, and go to sleep. Didn't know you wanted a tiny house, did you? I'm talking to you, especially if your name is Adina.

As for pricing, it's hard to pinpoint precisely how much you can expect to dish out on a Tucson, especially once we consider the custom work you may have in mind. But RMTH mentions something about a similarly equipped house for around $93K (€84,500 at current exchange rates). That's definitely something to consider.