autoevolution
 

The Wohnwagon Is a Completely Self-Sufficient, Gorgeous Log Cabin on Wheels

Just because you’re living on a smaller scale doesn’t have to mean a compromise on style or comfort. Tiny home makers have understood the importance of this, and are now delivering mobile homes that, despite their compact size, offer a high degree of comfort and amenities.
The Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it to 34 photos
Photo: Wohnwagon
The Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it toThe Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self-sufficient if you want it to
This one probably did it first, with the added bonus of offering the possibility to go completely off-grid. It’s called the Wohnwagon and it’s a tiny home that’s more like a log cabin on wheels, made entirely with recycled or sustainable slash locally-sourced materials, and everything you need to go off-grid for the entire year, if you so desire it.

Wohnwagon was founded in 2013 by a group of people trying to find a better alternative to current housing solutions. The motto of the company, which is based in Austria and has already delivered several such tiny houses across a varied range of models, is “Reduce to the max.” It goes without saying that this only applies to resources and consumption, not the quality of the work. After all, a sustainable home is one that lasts longer.

Autarky, or full autonomy, is the goal. The vehicle to achieve it is a tiny house that looks as cozy and elegant as a log cabin, with all the fixtures and amenities of a permanent residence. Depending on the customer, budget and individual needs, Wohnwagon offers three types of tinies, from non-self-sufficient to partly so, and full self-sufficient. That third model is, of course, the most outstanding – and the most expensive, as well. But more on that later.

The Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self\-sufficient if you want it to
Photo: Wohnwagon
Three sizes are available: Small (6 x 2.5 meters / 19.6 x 8.2 feet), Medium (10 x 2.5 meters / 32.8 x 8.2 feet) and Large (10 x 2.5 meters / 32.8 x 8.2 feet + extendable bay of 3.3 x 2 meters / 10.8 x 6.5 feet). The third option is for families or couples used to entertain and socialize heavily, but it also the one with the lesser degree of movability.

All models, regardless of size or features, sit on a steel trailer and have a larch and spruce framework, with the interior done in naturally lightened spruce cladding with loam plaster. Each tiny is insulated with sheep’s wool and, in the higher-priced self-sufficient model, an extra layer is added by means of a rooftop garden.

The smallest and least specced model is Susi, which offers a total of 15 square meters (161.5 square feet) of living space and is delivered unfurnished and without the features that make it compatible for off-grid living. At the opposite end is Hubert, with a floorspace of 42 square meters (452 square feet) and everything you need to get away from everyone else and live in the midst of nature. Of course, if you add a veranda, you can expand living space even more.

The layout is similar across the entire range: you get a kitchen with appliances and a small living room that, in the case of the smaller models, doubles as dinette. There’s a bed area and a bathroom with a full standing shower, sink and compost toilet. The larger model offers sleeping for four. There is no standard layout to the Wohnwagon because the makers start from the idea that each family or individual has different, distinct needs, so customization is key to meeting them all. Photos in the gallery above show different models of this tiny.

The Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self\-sufficient if you want it to
Photo: Wohnwagon
The better-specced Hubert comes with 10 solar panels on the roof for a total output of 3 kW and a battery pack hidden in the floor of the tiny. It’s more than enough to supply energy throughout the year, Wohnwagon says, though you do have to be mindful of consumption. For instance, you can still use your phone and laptop (you still have to work, right?), and a fridge and electric kettle, but it’s best if you do without a television set and cooking electrically. You can monitor your energy consumption in a control panel, so that you’re never taken by surprise. The option to plug in the tiny to the mains is never off the table.

The Wohnwagon comes with wood solar central heating, by means of an oven that uses two hot water boilers and two buffer tanks. The oven will heat water for the kitchen and the shower, but also keep the house warm (there are two extra radiators, one in the bathroom and one in the bedroom).

The water system is comprised of two water tanks, also hidden under the floor, and a filtration system that’s actually the garden on the roof. Marsh plants naturally filter graywater from the sink and shower and, within 24 hours, recirculate it for washing, which means that water consumption becomes a closed circuit. The toilet in the bathroom is a composting one that separates liquid from solids and turns them into black earth. Wohnwagon says that it’s very efficient in keeping smells and bacteria inside, in addition to the fact that you’re making your own earth out of waste.

The Wohnwagon is a tiny home that looks like a log cabin and can be self\-sufficient if you want it to
Photo: Wohnwagon
As for how much one such self-sufficient tiny with plenty of personality will set you back, you were probably anticipating this: the Wohnwagon is not cheap, regardless of which model or spec you choose. The cheapest model costs some €40,000, while the highest-priced can go all the way up to €90,000, approximately $45,000 and $101,600 at the current exchange rate.

“[The Wohnwagon] is a statement – philosophical, political, personal. It is a way of life,” the makers say, adding that it makes reduction a luxury. For those of us dreaming of one day owning a tiny, that last part is literal.

If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Elena Gorgan
Elena Gorgan profile photo

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.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories