Rustic and Cast Iron Pre-Fab Shepard's Hut Collingwood Is the True Nomad Dream

Gute is a Canadian team of engineers, designers, craftsmen, or how they like to call themselves, family. This family, however, is bent on bringing to life some of the coolest and most rustic mobile homes I've seen since... ever. Years of building and working with an array of materials eventually led to this team pouring it all into single-room pre-fab “mobile” homes.

One of the roomiest and most versatile of their designs is the Collingwood, a home that sits upon a powder-coated steel frame with massive cast iron wheels just like the ones found on old prairie-crossing carriages and era vehicles. What era, I'm not so sure. This is the main feature that drew me to this design, after all, it’s not every day you see someone pulling a wooden home across outdoor lands on iron wheels.

Now, the mobile homes that Gute builds are technically considered “Sheperd Huts,” meaning they are usually used in livestock operations, mainly sheep and goats. However, during the 21st century, not many people are herding sheep, but then again, what happens in Canada stays in Canada.

I already mentioned the frame construction, but the home itself is built using an insane amount of wood and not just one type. If you ever end up wanting one of these babies, know that as you go through the customization process, you’ll be able to choose from an array of woods such as pine, cedar, maple, oak, and even bamboo, all depending on where the selected wood is to be used.

For example, flooring offers the most varying choices of wood and includes oak, hickory, bamboo, and even maple caramel laminate. Want something a bit more special, try the distressed pine or reclaimed hardwood flooring, the latter being furnished by a local craftsman’s shop with a bond to Gute’s works.

Even doors and windowpanes give you the option of choosing the wood type and obviously the finish, not to mention the roof too. How about a red cedar shakes roof? That's the most rustic looking of them all and my personal favorite just because it’s made of wood. As cool as the exterior may look, the inside is just as important, after all, it’s the reason we own homes in the first place.

The interior of the Collingwood is simplicity at its finest. The curved roof design affects the interior wall shape and offers a curved and continuous structure where walls would normally form a 90-degree angle.

With a 17-foot (5.18-meter) by 7.5-foot (2.28-meter) enclosure, the only amenities you’ll find inside are two sleeping areas and an entertainment center. One sleeping space is in the form of bunk bedding, while the other is a modular dinette suitable for two adults. In total, a family of four could easily utilize the space without stepping on each other.

However, this interior I described is just the one you see in the sample images. In truth, when you spend $25,275 Canadian ($19,694 U.S. at current exchange rates) on the “Essential” package, you will have a direct line with the craftsmen at Gute and in the process, will be able to fully customize the Collingwood to your taste and pockets. A “Premium” package also exists and offers top-shelf woodwork for $30,975 Canadian ($24,126 U.S. at current exchange rates). Don’t bother searching the manufacturer’s website for a bathroom in the Collingwood, as there isn’t. Well, not standard anyway.

There’s only one issue I have with this design, and yes, it’s the cast iron wheels. I'm not so sure you want to be blasting down the highway at 60 mph (96.5 kph) with one as the suspension properties and sound will surely scare anyone around you. This is more a true nomad home, one of those set it and forget it gigs.

Nonetheless, when it’s time for new pastures, just attach the Collingwood to whatever vehicle that can move it, and away you go, a whole lot like our great, great, great grandparents used to live. Well, some of our grandparents.