autoevolution
 

The $95K McKinley Brings Your Search for a Tiny Home to a Screeching Halt

What if I told you that you can own a home for around $95,000? What then? Would you listen up for the next ten minutes, or do you simply disregard the information and buy a landlocked home for today's market prices? If the idea of owning a home for under $100K appeals to you, you're in for a whole lot more than just a house.
McKinley Tiny Home 14 photos
Photo: Kiwi Tiny Houses
McKinley Tiny Home Living RoomMcKinley Tiny Home KitchenMcKinley Tiny Home BathroomMcKinley Tiny HomeMcKinley Tiny HomeMcKinley Tiny Home BedroomMcKinley Tiny HomeMcKinley Tiny Home LoftMcKinley Tiny Home BathroomMcKinley Tiny Home VanityMcKinley Tiny Home KtichenMcKinley Tiny HomeMcKinley Tiny Home Floorplan
Folks, what we're looking at is a tiny home dubbed the McKinley, and while this mobile habitat may not be as large as the mountain that bears the same name, it's still one of the largest rolling homes in the Kiwi Tiny Houses lineup. Actually, by the looks of things, this seems to be the only completed model from this manufacturer. With that in mind, let's stroll through the McKinley and see why traditional homes are so yesterday.

Right from the start, one of the main attraction points for this machine is its price. According to the manufacturer's Facebook page, this model is available as is for an appealing $95,000 (€89,500 at current exchange rates). At least, that's my understanding. If that's the case, I'm saving to buy myself a tiny home.

Considering I'm the sort of human who likes to move around a lot, a tiny house would naturally fit into the life I want to live. And that's precisely the magic any tiny home offers, and the McKinley is no exception; once you're tired of the RV park or that X on your map, hook this puppy up to an adequately powerful vehicle, and off you go. With three axles at the ready, you'll be ready to carry all the goodies this home has to offer.

McKinley Tiny Home Living Room
Photo: Kiwi Tiny Houses
I'll be honest: while the exterior of the McKinley has a certain something to it, it wasn't until I saw the interior and its features that I really began to appreciate the craftsmanship of this family-owned manufacturer. Even though Kiwi has only been around since 2019 and was born out of a love of family, what they bring to the tiny house table really shines through in this unit.

Overall, each McKinley is built with an overall width of 10 feet (3 meters), making it larger than fifth wheels and other mobile habitats, including other tiny homes. Yup, this one may require that you look into local laws and regulations for transit from one site to another. Once you consider that each state, city, and town has its own laws pertaining to tiny homes in all stages of living, you really need to plan your travels with this one.

Once you've legally anchored down for the next few days or weeks, you can get a feel for this machine's magic. One thing worth noting, and one that will unlock and restrict certain geological places, is this home's R-ratings: R23 for the roof and R19 for the walls, all of which are built from structurally insulated panels (SIP) to keep the weight as low as possible. With the help of a solid heating system, this should be enough to even live in colder landscapes.

Now, to enter your future McKinley, two entrances are available; one spits you into the living room and one into the bedroom. But, no matter which you use to access your habitat, all will offer entry into the same beautifully designed interior.

McKinley Tiny Home Kitchen
Photo: Kiwi Tiny Houses
Sure, what we see in the image gallery is for nothing more than presentation purposes, but if you want exactly what your eyes behold, I'm sure that Kiwi has the plans hanging around in some drawer somewhere. Speaking of what we see, it may be the best way to understand exactly what Kiwi can do.

Starting with the living room, you'll need to leave your shoes at the door. After all, you wouldn't want to damage the wood laminate flooring with pebbles stuck in your tread. Go ahead, lay down some shag carpet. With solid flooring in place, Kiwi goes to town with a modular couch, a little reading nook, ready with a seating arrangement, and wooden trim lining wall joints and windows. The latter is a beautiful touch to the white walls and ceiling and complements the home's tones and textures.

Towards the rear, a large kitchen sits in wait with residential-size everything! That U-shaped countertop brings even endless space to unfurl your cooking abilities. Storage, you say? Just look around at the countless crannies and cabinets where you cram all your pasta, canned goods, and legumes. As a side note, part of the countertop is designated as a breakfast bar and can be spotted with three seats in the specs.

McKinley Tiny Home Bedroom
Photo: Kiwi Tiny Houses
Heading towards the rear of the McKinley, Kiwi chose to continue with the same materials as in the living room, including the flooring and wooden accents and an entire wall composed of eye-catching shapes and colors sitting behind the toilet. The vanity receives the same treatment.

The final inviting space in this rolling mansion is the bedroom. Just imagine waking up to the sound of birds chirping in nearby trees as opposed to cars and honks. Think about how you'll feel after breathing in fresh air for an entire night or two, or weeks. Talk about refreshing. If you have a large family or are traveling with guests, they can sleep in the living room or repurpose the upstairs loft into another bedroom.

No matter how you like to live your life, or where, for that matter, Kiwi Tiny Houses and their pocket-friendly and enticing McKinley may be the answer to your mobile dreams.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Cristian Curmei
Cristian Curmei profile photo

A bit of a nomad at heart (being born in Europe and raised in several places in the USA), Cristian is enamored with travel trailers, campers and bikes. He also tests and writes about urban means of transportation like scooters, mopeds and e-bikes (when he's not busy hosting our video stories and guides).
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories