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The Future of Cheap Mobile Homes Is the Flat-Pack Prefab Vika One

There is no such thing as perfection, they say, but you can’t blame people for striving for it. New startup Vika Living is doing just that with its flagship model, Vika One, envisioned as the future of mobile affordable living.
Vika One is a prefab flat-pack home that offers the basics, is durable, movable and comparatively affordable 17 photos
Photo: Vika Living
Vika One is a prefab flat-pack home that offers the basics, is durable, movable and comparatively affordableVika One is a prefab flat-pack home that offers the basics, is durable, movable and comparatively affordableVika One is a prefab flat-pack home that offers the basics, is durable, movable and comparatively affordableVika One is a prefab flat-pack home that offers the basics, is durable, movable and comparatively affordableVika One is a prefab flat-pack home that offers the basics, is durable, movable and comparatively affordableVika One is a prefab flat-pack home that offers the basics, is durable, movable and comparatively affordableVika One is a prefab flat-pack home that offers the basics, is durable, movable and comparatively affordableVika One is a prefab flat-pack home that offers the basics, is durable, movable and comparatively affordableVika One is a prefab flat-pack home that offers the basics, is durable, movable and comparatively affordableVika One is a prefab flat-pack home that offers the basics, is durable, movable and comparatively affordableVika One is a prefab flat-pack home that offers the basics, is durable, movable and comparatively affordableVika One is a prefab flat-pack home that offers the basics, is durable, movable and comparatively affordableVika One is a prefab flat-pack home that offers the basics, is durable, movable and comparatively affordableVika One is a prefab flat-pack home that offers the basics, is durable, movable and comparatively affordableVika One is a prefab flat-pack home that offers the basics, is durable, movable and comparatively affordableVika One is a prefab flat-pack home that offers the basics, is durable, movable and comparatively affordable
Introduced last September, the Vika One could very well be the future of mobile homes, as well as a viable alternative for the housing crisis and other types of crisis situations, like disaster relief. The Vika One, from Los Angeles-based startup Vika Living, is lightweight, durable, comparatively affordable and off-grid capable, in addition to having multiple functionality. It could very well be perfection, where alternative housing is concerned.

Prefab homes are the hottest product on the alternative housing market right now, though many still remain prohibitively priced. The Vika One is not just affordable by comparison, but presents a series of other advantages over competitors, with the most important being that it’s flat-pack in its entirety. In other words, not just the house but everything inside, including furnishes and finishes, packs neatly into a 4 x 12-foot (1.2 x 3.6-meter) package for transport on a flatbed trailer. How’s that for freedom of movement… with your house?

The Vika One is made of Structurally Insulated Panels (SIPs) with lightweight fiberglass and foam to create a durable sandwich. Panels are connected with fiberglass extrusions, and integrate standard electrical, plumbing and HVAC materials. This means that setting up one such home can be done in as little as two hours, and will require only a forklift and the flatbed trailer that delivers it on site.

Vika One is a prefab flat\-pack home that offers the basics, is durable, movable and comparatively affordable
Photo: Vika Living
Homes can be offered with a series of options for connection to the grid, but the company says that they can also be rendered fully off-grid. This will naturally add to the final price, but you could make your Vika One completely self-sufficient with solar panels and a battery pack of up to 7.2kW, water tanks, and a composting or dry-flush toilet.

Inspired by Scandinavian design, the Vika One is meant to create a welcoming space for a temporary residence, whether for leisure, business or emergency relief. Vika Living notes that most U.S. territories don’t require extra permits for structures under 150 square feet (14 square meters), so the Vika One offers a living spare of 144 square feet (13.3 square meters).

For that same reason, it’s made to move around as many times as you need (and are willing to rent a forklift and flatbed trailer for the day): it doesn’t need a foundation or special prep. As a guideline, Vika Living says that if you can park an RV on a spot of land, you can set up your Vika One there. For more ease of installation, the chassis has certain leveling options.

Inside, you get all the creature comforts of a home, but in a much more compact footprint. Entrance is done directly into the living area, which is also the bedroom and the dining area, and which features floor-to-ceiling glazing to allow as much natural light as possible. On the right hand is a wall-mounted dining table for two, while the bed is on the left, facing the glass wall.

Vika One is a prefab flat\-pack home that offers the basics, is durable, movable and comparatively affordable
Photo: Vika Living
The kitchenette is at the rear, with a two-burner cooktop, a sink, a fridge and considerable storage options. Behind a wall is a small corridor that leads to the bathroom (with full-size shower and toilet) and houses the wardrobe.

By tiny house standards, the Vika One is almost too minimalist, to the point of lacking. But comparing the two would mean ignoring its merits: it’s designed for all-season use in mild climate, with insulation and mini-split heating and cooling, and it can be packed down neatly with everything inside and hauled someplace else at the drop of a hat (*for a house). The Vika One comes with a 15-year lifecycle, with the company considering the possibility of retrofitting and repurposing older units for emergency situations or the homeless.

Compared to similar solutions, the Vika One is affordable. Pricing starts at $38,000 for the standard model and goes all the way up to $50,000 for the fully off-grid version with furniture and even linens included, but neither price includes shipping and installation. Vika Living says they’re currently handling deliveries of pre-orders and are taking orders for a new batch of deliveries for early 2023.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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