This Contemporary Off-Grid Cabin on Wheels Is the First Step to Total Freedom

While most tiny homes in this size category are designed to be placed on one's property as an additional housing unit with multiple functions, this compact cabin designed by the Australian company Salty Builds was born for the road, with everything it implies. It works just as fine as a traveling camper or as a temporary residence in places that are particularly remote and hard to reach. Everything about this Aussie Traveller was designed with this purpose in mind.

First of all, this skilfully crafted mobile cabin is as compact and lightweight as possible. It's 4.5 meters long (14.7 feet) and 2.3 meters wide (7.5 feet), with a lightweight steel frame, aluminum-framed windows, and a beautiful timber entrance door. It's fully mobile and easy to transport. Second, its interior is also minimalistic and equipped with built-in furniture, which makes it excellent for being on the road for long periods of time or for traveling to challenging remote locations.

At the same time, the Traveller's interior is surprisingly stylish. Although minimalistic to an extreme, it boasts the understated elegance and quiet sophistication of a Japanese or a Scandinavian-style home. The plywood interior, paired with an advanced coating technique, ensures optimal protection against humidity, heat, and damage. It makes the wood last longer, and it adapts it to harsh conditions, which is another must for an off-grid mobile dwelling.

The cabin boasts less than 13 square meters (140 square feet) of floor space, but the ingenious layout makes the most of every inch. The main pieces of built-n furniture are the generous bed base and the seating area. A large window ensures optimal light and beautiful views. Above the bed base, a sleeping loft (more like a bunk bed) doubles the cabin's accommodation capacity. A simple ladder connects to this upper bed without taking up too much space.

Appliances are scarce but also carefully chosen. For instance, the optional fireplace is extra-narrow so that it fits in perfectly next to the bed and the seating area for a cozy ambiance in all weather. The birch plywood kitchen comes with a slim sink, a two-burner stove, and a compartment for a bar fridge. Storage is compact but proportional to the kitchen size. In addition to the cabinets under the countertop, a couple of plain wooden overhead shelves add a rustic touch.

A full bathroom would be a luxury for such a rugged type of dwelling, but the team at Salty Builds came up with a great alternative. The toilet is a composting version, which is another typical choice for off-grid dwellings, and the shower was placed outside. In other words, it's an outdoor shower that looks surprisingly stylish.

What makes this outdoor setup more convenient is the fact that the Traveller comes with another great addition in the form of a fold-down deck. It's tiny but perfect for the outdoor shower setup, as well as for spending time outside when the weather is fine. The fact that it's foldable makes it suitable for extensive traveling.

The Traveller was also built to be solid and to function without depending on the grid. It comes with a complete solar kit and a water tank. Together with the composting toilet, these are the basic features of an off-grid setup.

For the exterior, Salty Builds chose a Western Red Cedar cladding, a perfect option for off-grid living due to its remarkable durability. Even without any coating, this type of wood is highly resistant to moisture, damage, and termites due to its naturally occurring preservatives. Last but not least, the Japanese Black finish, obtained through the ancient timber-charring technique known as Shou Sugi Ban, gives it that unique look and added resistance.

A perfect combination of practical amenities, rugged design, and off-grid capabilities, the Traveller cabin was rightly described as "the perfect getaway on wheels." It's a tiny house in the true sense of the word and a perfect road companion for those who want to explore and enjoy the outdoors without sacrificing modern comfort. Costs-wise, this mobile cabin is also much more affordable than regular tiny homes, with pricing starting at AUD 75,400 ($51,000).

What is your definition of the ultimate modern house? For the enthusiastic team at Salty Builds, it's an energy-neutral cabin that's designed and beautifully crafted by an architect. Plus, Scandinavian design and the philosophy it represents are also at the heart of this contemporary concept. The Traveller ideally embodies all the qualities of this definition, and it proves that total freedom doesn't necessarily have to sacrifice contemporary comfort levels or even stylish aesthetics.