We finally started our mini cabin after years of talking about it and about a year and a half after our Yurt collapsed (see my blog in my signature for photos). Here is the foundation that our Small cabin will go on. It's a the maximum size we can build without a permit, 200 square foot. The 4x8 bump out make it exactly 200 square foot vs other plans that are 192. I'll take the extra 8 feet!
The dimensions of this platform are 12x14 plus the 4x8 bump out. It will have a 12x14 loft in it. We're off the grid and have some plans to pump rain water up the hill for some water pressure.
Roughing in the blocks and beams. Here's Co-owner Nate in his best Union pose:
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I don't think this is code but it gave us an idea of how high the beams would be off the ground. I bit higher than we liked but we had a problem with a boulder under one corner so we couldn't dig down into the ground. It will probably be fine once we have a deck around it:
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Finding level:
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More leveling, hey look at our existing shed with loft. It's great to have a home base for our stuff.
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We worked into the night since we knew our weather window was closing. This was March 20th 2010 and usually at this time there would be lots of snow up there.
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Here's the 4x8 section roughed in:
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Here's the Design:
(http://solarburrito.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/foundation-3d.jpg?w=640)
Here's the reality:
(http://solarburrito.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/img_1449.jpg?w=640)
Lot's more to do, still waiting on our lumber delivery.
Congrats on breaking ground! ;D
Looks like a very cool location too! Are you planning on using using any logs in the cabin, like the pole structure in the background?
Here are some more photos of the 5 acres. I know I love photos of other peoples property so I'll turn loose a ton of photos. We have a small view of Hood Canal and the property is located on the Southeast side of the Olympic National Rain Forest. Yes Washington has a rain forest. d*
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Lake Cushman, on a not so summery day (Labor day a few years ago)
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Fishing inside the Olympic National park
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Our view of Hood Canal, we need to do some logging. This is the only fjord in the continental US I think. If you're looking at a map this view is of the bottom.
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Big stump near the north end of the lake, this is underwater in the summer
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My boat near the stumpy part of the lake. It's a 10 mile long resivor, this is mid-water level.
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That's Lake Cushman? I thought it was bigger than 10 miles long - goes to show you what I know! And I didn't know the level rose and fell, either!
I've been out that way a couple times - actually about 5 years ago, I looked at some acreage that had a log cabin built on it already, but passed it up because the timing just wasn't right (I hadn't sold the house yet)
Looks really good. Must be nice to have started! :)
Thanks for posting. I'm looking forward to seeing your progress. Cool blog too.
Quote from: Beavers on April 13, 2010, 09:01:06 PM
Congrats on breaking ground! ;D
Looks like a very cool location too! Are you planning on using using any logs in the cabin, like the pole structure in the background?
Logs, ya we'd love to use some logs in the cabin, but at this point I"m not sure where. We know we can use them for posts for our covered porch for sure though.
That structure in the background has to come down due to it being in the way of our back porch and us building it badly. We used pier blocks with thick rebar coming up through the pier blocks and into the tree about a foot. It's not that secure. We should have cut the trees longer and used cement... Oh well live and learn. It's not always good to build by commitee.
This past Saturday I awoke in Seattle to heavy clouds. I knew I was going out to the property alone that day and was hoping for a good stretch of Spring weather for the day.... Yeah right? I got out there after a 90 minutes drive and the rain only got heavier and heavier as I approached Hoodsport. If it's raining in Seattle it's usually raining harder here... I knew that but was hoping it would be different today.
I was hauling 7 sheets of 3/4″ plywood up to the site on my small trailer to use as subfloor for our cabin. Also on the agenda today was to brace the platform from racking side to side and front to back with some angled braces.
It rained as hard as I've ever seen rain come down! It rained like it can only rain on the Olympic Peninsula. A mist consumed where I was on Dow Mountain. At 2pm I could barely see the marks I was making on the wood to cut. After a few hours he rain was soaking through my snowboard coat so I switched to rain gear I found in the shed. Working through the rain I cut some 4×4 P/T braces for the legs to the beams and screwed them in with 2 galvanized lag screws on each end. Galv screws seem expensive, $.75 each and I was only using 3 1/2″ ones. They add up when using 3 per brace. But I guess it's the foundation so it's worth it.
Wishing I would have gotten better photos but it was raining so hard I didnt' bother. 90% of the subfloor is down, I need to cut off the edges and cut one piece in have and nail it down. No pictures of it Glad I staggered the plywood this way as it made for less cuts.
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Heading out to the property today to receive a delivery of all the cabin materials! Very excited, hope forklift can off road a little!
Some breathtaking photos. I empathize with your weather. I got my first big shipment of building materials last May, right at the beginning of a record setting two and a half month stretch of rain. Keep lots of tarps handy. Excellent job on the platform - looks super rugged.
We go the materials delivered, the delivery man had never seen a dirt road.
"He almost slid off the mountain" - he said d*
The roads just not that bad.
So this last weekend me and the co-owners Nate and Aaron went up to the Lake Cushman Property. The plan was to hit the project hard and get as much done as we could since it's hard to find a weekend that the 3 of us can get up there. We are building the Owl's Clover Mini Cabin from Penny Pincher Barns. Oh and it wasn't raining! That's rare in April on the Olympic Peninsula. The materials were waiting for us, having been delivered last Friday. Nate has some carpentry experience and with the help of a cheap Harbor Freight nail gun and us feeding him wood he framed up all 8 walls in one day! Our solar panel and battery were charging all the tool batteries and providing the tunes to keep on working late into the night. We had to use a generator for the compressor and power tools since our inverter is not up to the task.
The Tiny House Design Blog found my project and featured it on their site yesterday. Thanks Tiny House, you really upped my web stats. Link here: http://www.tinyhousedesign.com/2010/05/03/a-cabin-for-solar-burrito/ (http://www.tinyhousedesign.com/2010/05/03/a-cabin-for-solar-burrito/)
Now we need frame up the loft and rafters. Any one have a good tutorial on cutting rafters and angles in general? I have no idea how to do it and Nate is going to be busy for 3 weeks.
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Now we need frame up the loft and rafters. Any one have a good tutorial on cutting rafters and angles in general? I have no idea how to do it and Nate is going to be busy for 3 weeks.
This program worked well for me-
http://www.blocklayer.com/roof/ (http://www.blocklayer.com/roof/)
You guys are moving along nicely!
That's a good one, IMO. You enter all the variables and it provides the cut pattern.
However you get to the point when you cut wood, cut a pair of rafters first and trial fit them to see if adjustments are necessary. Also get the top of the walls all set properly plumb and square, side to side wall spacing equal all along the walls, before advancing to the roof.
Thanks for the tips. I hope our walls are square, I'll their mostly plumb. We ran out of 2x4's provided with the kit before we framed up all the walls last weekend. We had to use some pressure treated extras to keep moving on the walls. So I guess we'll have to buy alot more wood for the gables. I don't think the company took into account all our windows and we did have alot of windows! Big ones. They took alot of extra wood to frame. Oh and in every corner, 8 of them we put an extra 2x4 for blocking later to attach paneling to.
Not going out there this weekend either. I want to finish my wood shed and build the 1' loft wall, not to mention go fishing in Lake Kokanee but I have too much stuff to do at home. Like boat and trailer maintenance and cleaning out the shed. Tired of driving out there by myself even though it's only 1 hour and 45mins each way.
Looks like a lot of us are taking this weeknnd off. I hear you about getting things done on the home front.
It seems my grass needs cutting a few times a week this time of year.
Cool place you have there- nothing like the OP for fun and adventure. Great blog too.
All the best-
And don't forget the real reason we're all taking off this weekend ... it's Mother's Day !
Be sure to remember to honor the Mom's in your life this weekend!
I think I'm going up this weekend to put down the loft flooring. It's 2x8's, the plan is is use 16p finish nails in the field and regular on the edges that will be under the loft wall.
I'm then hoping to grab my nail gun and make the gable ends at home in Seattle and bring them up to the site built. Especially since I need to buy those materials.
Hopefully my wife and I can get some fishing in on Lake Kokanee or maybe Cushman if the weather is as nice as they say it's going to be! 67 on Saturday is the hottest it's been all year up here. 8)
Beautiful area! Does the water get warm enough to swim in? That area where you were fishing sure looks inviting to swim in - the water is so clear! Good progress :)
Yes the water in Lake Cushman and Lake Kokanee does get very warm by the end of June to swim in. Your comment made me realized that all my photos are taken on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends, 2 wet colder than average weekends. haha I just thought about it and I almost never take photos of hot days on Cushman since I'm too busy enjoying them.
The photo of fishing is probably cold year round since its this river inside the Olympic National Park that borders the lakes north end.
Here is a video update on our cabin progress and a partial tour of our property. I'd embed this video but I don't see how to do it here.
http://solarburrito.wordpress.com/2010/05/16/video-tour-of-our-property/ (http://solarburrito.wordpress.com/2010/05/16/video-tour-of-our-property/)
Off topic but what is a Solar Burrito?
scroll about 3/4 the way down the page... look for the heading "Solar Bean & Cheese Burrito"
http://berlinswhimsy.typepad.com/berlins_whimsy_childrens_/ (http://berlinswhimsy.typepad.com/berlins_whimsy_childrens_/)
??? ??? ;D
Sounds like a good way to end up hugging a toilet. d*
I've never met a burrito I didn't like. :)
Heading back up to the property this weekend. I got a permit to cut down 9 trees improve the view.
Quote from: Solar Burrito on May 18, 2010, 11:56:35 PM
I got a permit to cut down 9 trees improve the view.
that need boggles my mind..... does it cost?
Quote from: MountainDon on May 19, 2010, 09:23:33 AM
Quote from: Solar Burrito on May 18, 2010, 11:56:35 PM
I got a permit to cut down 9 trees improve the view.
that need boggles my mind..... does it cost?
Do you mean you don't see the need to cut down trees or get a permit?
I'm assuming you mean about the permit because I've seen video of your skills with a Bobcat :). Ya it's kind of a drag but we have property that is within the area of the Lake Cushman Maintenance Company. They maintain our roads, gates, boat launches, parks etc. in exchange for dues every year. So they want to know about tree cutting and building going on even in the most remote unimproved parts of the area (where we own land). So the permit is free but they still want to know. So I had to mark the trees and they came up and looked at which ones. Mostly they don't want people cutting trees with 20' of the property line or the road to maintain the forest feel of the land.
So far they have been really nice and appreciate us letting them know ahead of time. In fact he said my reason for cutting the trees wasn't good enough... I wrote down to improve the view... So on the phone I mentioned that they could blow down and hit the "structure" and he said that was a good reason. So know I know I need to make up better reasons ???
I'm guessing the need to get a permit... unless they aren't on your property.
The only thing that keeps me from cutting trees on my property is that in the purchase contract it states that I can't cut down trees except to for a building space. And that's because the holder of the contract doesn't want me clearcutting the land, selling the timber and walking away from the contract (at which point he gets the property back - but it would be worth much less than when he sold it to me).
Is that because most of that Lake Cushman development has CCR's?
ETA: I see you answered my question while I was asking it :)
Yes, I meant the permit. ;D
It boggles my mind I guess because around here there are too many people who need to clear trees for safety and they don't do it.
At least it's free.
About the clear cutting, yes I'm sure they want to avoid that too since, there are a lot of trees and someone might do that.
Ya there are some restrictions within the Lake Cushman districts but they vary a lot since most of the land is like a rural housing development with streets and full hookups to utilities. Then their is ours that is undeveloped 5 -15 acre chunks of land on this mountain with a dirt road. There's a gate at the bottom that only owners have keys. No water or power. It's all actually leased land from Tacoma Power which owns the 2 dams on the 2 lakes. The 99 year lease expires in about 56 years or something then I hear it will be renewed but I'm not banking on it. I'll be 86 years old.
I think the rules for us are no cutting trees unless they are dangerous (leaning or diseased) or you are building or have a good reason... and no shooting Fireworks or Guns. That's about it.
Quote from: Solar Burrito on May 19, 2010, 11:18:10 AM
About the clear cutting, yes I'm sure they want to avoid that too since, there are a lot of trees and someone might do that.
It doesn't apply in this scenario, but there are times and places for clear cutting. :o In a densely forested area small clear cut areas introduce some diversity that helps wildlife. That's especially true in forests that are predominated by one species. More grasses will move in. Different species of trees start up and so on. Just don't clear cut a whole mountain.
Quote from: MountainDon on May 19, 2010, 11:30:01 AM
Quote from: Solar Burrito on May 19, 2010, 11:18:10 AM
About the clear cutting, yes I'm sure they want to avoid that too since, there are a lot of trees and someone might do that.
It doesn't apply in this scenario, but there are times and places for clear cutting. :o In a densely forested area small clear cut areas introduce some diversity that helps wildlife. That's especially true in forests that are predominated by one species. More grasses will move in. Different species of trees start up and so on. Just don't clear cut a whole mountain.
Exactly. The property to the south of mine was logged a couple years ago (either the year I bought mine or the year before). I don't think they got everything, but it sure seems like it compared to mine.
I look at the satellite photo on google maps and it looks much less wooded than I think it really is ... it's a bit frustrating to look there because I can't see the contours of the land.
Anyway, Solar, I looked briefly at some property out that way about 5 years ago - I think it was 20 acres with a 20 X20 log cabin on it. Sometimes I wish I'd bought it, but I wasn't in a good position to do so (divorce pending, etc...) It's beautiful out that way.
And your cabin looks like it's coming along well!
Yeah, it's paradoxical but true. Cutting trees down is often the best way to improve a forests' health. I own a 18 acre wood lot and actively manage it. This means a lot of cutting, thinning and prunning. And I'm kind of a tree hugger type :o
Good for you Jeff. One of my neighbors, who started the fire last year, is a tree hugger. It was mostly his untended mess that burned up. Stopped at our thinned and cleaned up property.
Several years ago, I got a couple of books from the library on woodlot management. Reading them opened my eyes. Many things about maintaining a forests' health are counterintuitive. For example, standing dead wood (a snag) is extremely important for bio-diversity. Woodpeckers use them and many other species rely on the woodpecker holes. There are recomended minimum snags per acre, but in general, a few hardwood and a few softwood snags is good. Also, many people see log trucks loaded with big old trees and have a tendency to think "what a shame - those nice old trees". In reality big trees SHOULD be harvested. They are near the end of their life cycle. When you see young trees being harvested, the forest is being worked too hard and cut too soon. Fast growing trees make crap wood anyway.
Like I said, I'm a bit of a tree hugger, I planted about 70 saplings this year and try to do it every year. But I probabbly cut down more to promote growth and bio-diversity.
I keep meaning to buy some saplings from weyerhouser or someplace each year to put up at my place ... but I think that one of the things I really need to do is get rid of the piles of branches, etc... that are around the place from when it was logged about 5-6 years ago (I think it's been since then) - I think I need a bobcat or loader to make that a bit easier. I've cut up some of that and brought it home for firewood, but there are a LOT of those piles.
I'd like to put some Ponderosa and Doug fir up there. Maybe once I save enough to buy a hole digger :D
Another great thing to do with brances is use them to enhance wildlife habitat. Lay down a few large logs directly on the ground and then pile a whole bunch of brances (slash) on top. Critters love it.
Made some good progress last weekend. This post is late. My friend Cam came out and helped us cut down some trees in front of the cabin. It improved our view of Hood Canal and gave us some more light for the soon to be moved solar panels. 9 trees made a huge difference! When they were down I realized that they were over 100' tall. Douglas firs.
He's a graphic designer now but still has his huge saw from as days as a forest fire fighter
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Checking the lean of the tree. Most had a lean or two. Tall and skinny trees, some over 110' tall.
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This is our old filtered view below
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This is our new view after 11 trees.
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Trees down, looks like we took way more than we did...
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While Cam and I were logging Nate and Aaron were up in the loft framing the pony wall that boosts our ceiling height. Also they managed to get 3 gable ends framed up. The first one took 3 tries I think. The window openings are final yet, we still don't have windows anyway. They are 2x4' now and I think the windows should be 2x3'. Back to craigslist for some used windows. It's easier to find really big windows than small ones.
Anyway I'll be back up there Memorial Day weekend for some Clamming, Oyster hunting and fishing... More playing this time! Also I borrowed a snatch block to try to get some of those trees out of the forest.
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Heading up there this weekend to put up the rafters. d* Also We need to brace the foundation better perpendicular to the beams. She's pretty wobbly when 3 people are standing in the loft!
Here's an update, in June we got some of the rafters up then the easy half of the roof decking on.
The part where the two roof lines intersect is giving us real problems. No one can figure how how to cut the rafters right. d* Especially in the "gutter" if that makes sense... Jack rafter too seem really hard for a bunch of newbs like ourselfs. Oh well we're going up again this weekend.
Burrito:
I did a quick search on your roof cuts and think you might find some good help in the links that came up:
http://www.google.com/search?q=cutting+valley+rafters&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
Yes, you want to be sure you brace the posts both directions (to beam and joists). Looking at the picture it looks like you are riding "bare back" right now. Remember, triangles are your friend. :D
Thanks John I'll check it out. Maybe I can print it out then go up there.
Yes I like your analogy we are riding bareback, braced in one direction with the other direction's bracing pretty much failing.
Finally got the Jack rafters cut. I just used a sliding t-square and then hand sawed the 63 angle in after I cut the 45 in the other way. Glad it's done though.
I've been scrounging craigslist or cedar shakes and have found a few free sources. One was a cedar shake roof tear off of a nice house. I showed up and saw the condition of the shakes and just grabbed a sack ful for kindling. They were totally black and mostly split.
Then on monday I picked up a load of super rustic shakes, some are 1 inch thick and 24" long. They were siding and have a little green on them. Not sure if it's worth resuing them or what??? I want a rustic look but I don't want it to look aweful. I'm noticing these shakes don't have much of a taper.
No more craigslist free wood trips for me, it's always more trouble than it's worth!
This past weekend at the property was a very productive and really fun weekend. All the owners were there and our friends Ty and Kevin were in the area riding dirt bikes and they met us there Friday night. The great thing about that is, Ty and Kevin build houses for a living, so they know how to do things fast, and correct the first time without alot of head scratching and having to think about how to do it for 45 minutes then hoping it was right.
I brought up the huge 5x5 windows on the top of my Jeep rack so those are finally out of my back yard and ready to install. I got all the windows for the cabin so far for $100 not including all the gas and driving around to get them. We still need 2 more loft windows...
Ty started cutting the remaining roof decking or car decking as he called it. (2x6 T&G). They all had to be beveled to meet in the valley, way more work than OSB roof decking but it will be a better look on the inside.
Roof decking is on and the tar paper. Recently I've wished we had done a simple single gable building and used OSB as roof decking instead of a double gable design with 2x6 car decking for the roof! Man was that whole roof a pain for a first time builder like myself.
Oh well the boards look nice when inside the structure...
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Up to this I we were kicking ourself for not building something alot simpler with one roof like and OSB roofing, but now that it's done it looks good. I definitly broke off more than I could chew with this roof line.
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Looking good.
I considered a dormer in my loft, but decided that with my limited experience, I'd better keep it simple. At some point, I'm sure I'll wish that I had done it a little different, but I'm rushing against time. Hunting season will soon be here, and I haven't even gotten stands up yet.
I'm looking forward to seeing how yours turns out
The roof combinations and the decking do add to the complexity but you will likely be happy when they are done. Will you do foam insulation on the topside of the decking?
Quote from: John Raabe on August 27, 2010, 10:06:35 AM
The roof combinations and the decking do add to the complexity but you will likely be happy when they are done. Will you do foam insulation on the topside of the decking?
Foam insulation on top? that sounds good, I don't know anything about it. Can we do that with asphalt shingles? Because we already bought them and started a course on the back. Not that they couldn't be removed. How does Foam work?
Rigid foam is the way you normally insulate exposed decking roofs. There are different types of foam with different R-values. Even 2" can make a difference (Check out if you can nail your singles through this.)
Here is a site on EPS insulation: http://www.aussieroofing.com/eps-rigid-foam-insulation.htm - scroll about 1/2 down and look at the nailbase product that has foam adhered to an outer layer of OSB where you attach the singles. You spike the foam OSB layer into the decking. Note the R-values and thicknesses. Here's the US website for this product: http://www.achfoam.com/RoofInsulation.aspx?gclid=CPKCzqyG2qMCFQdGagodehta8A
Here is a more high-tech product with better R-values: http://www.atlasroofing.com/general2.php?section_url=50
Your uninsulated deck will have an R-value of about 2 which is OK in Hawaii but not for winter use in WA. Code for us is R-30 in sloped roofs and that is hard and expensive to get. This is what has killed the exposed beam and decking cabins that were built by Lindal Cedar homes and others in the 1960's and '70's. Lots of these in Washington state and they are expensive to heat. My dad had such a cabin in Leavenworth that came with one inch of foam (built in 1969). A few years later he tore off the cedar shingle roof and put down 6" of foam and a new nailbase followed with a new metal roof.
This extra expense and hassle is why my construction plans all have deep rafter roofs for better and cheaper insulation designed to fit between the rafters. You can then do thinner wood paneling on the interior side of the rafters to get much of the feel of exposed decking. It looks like your rafters are 24" o/c so you could still do this and just put on the roof you are already doing. Unfortunately you will not see the nice decking. :(
Example of 1x4 & 1x6 cedar: http://www.ciforestproducts.com/sidingRVS.html
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Finally the roof is on and the cabin is officially dried in! (warning crappy photos they were an afterthought)
The weather forecast was RAIN RAIN RAIN all weekend but Nate and I said we were going to put the roof on the cabin and us Washingtonians don't usually let the weather change our plans. Nate brought his roofing nailer and better compressor along with some nails he found and we were off.
Miraculously the ferry ride out there was a bright sunny day almost 69 degrees and we were in our Tshirts on the back deck of the ferry loving life.
We got there and saw that the cabin roof with just tar paper on it had been leaking pretty bad in the with our recent rain storms. It was leaking in both roof valleys with one having a puddle of standing water inside. Good think we were putting a roof on this weekend. We cranked up the genny and setup some ladder jacks we borrowed and started roofing the back side of the cabin which is the easy and biggest side. The pitch is 12/12 so it's very steep. Nate was on the roof and I was cutting shingles to size and bringing them up to them.
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No pics of the back side getting roofed since we were in a hurry and I wasn't worried about pics. Then about 3pm when we were almost done with the backside the rain started and the sky got so dark I though it was 7pm... Oh well I guess that's what they predicted. We both found some rain gear in the shed and moved on to the steeper slope on the front side. We got the 1 valley of the front side roofed by midnight then called it quits. We both were roofing in the dark and the pouring down rain with a tiny light powered by the generator.... good times... haha. But it had to get done and we were running out of hours.
By this time I was totally soaked so we moved inside, installed the door and cranked up the 35,000 btu propane heater then went to bed.
Both these pics were taken the Sunday we had to leave, pretty boring but I don't get the camera out when it's really raining hard.
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I just got a an insurance quote for $650 a year for only 15k in coverage with Safeco. That's ridiculous... No wood stove allowed either.
Looks awesome!! I can really empathize with working in the rain, gets to you after a while.
I love the small window on the right, it's perfect. I regret not doing a more elaborate roof on mine, you're making me jealous :D. Just wanted to say thanks for posting the rainwater collection section on your blog. I never thought of using a manifold system between barrels, but that looks to be a great system.
wow ...that amount for insurance is outrageous. Well no such thing as security...lol
The place is looking great!
I am going to have to check out your rain water harvest system. We are planning on setting one up just b/c it seems silly not to. We allready have a metal roof and gutters to keep rain away from base of house.
Thanks for the kind words, we have had bigger plans for our rainwater system for a while but haven't done them yet. I suspect having the cabin there will be an excuse to put in some more work on it.
We have a 650 tank on the hill behind the cabin so once that is filled by either a tarp funnel or a pump from the shed gutter barrels we will have pressure and volume. Don't laugh at the tarp funnel too much I bet we can fill the tank in a month then tank the tarp down. Lots of rain! Either way it's more water than we need at this point but I would love to have a solar or wood heated shower and also we'll have a sink in the cabin for washing. Then I suppose a hose with a sprayer on it would be a good safey item to stop fires before they get out of control. Especially since we won't have insurance... I'm more worried about a tree crushing the cabin than a fire though...
The master plan is a cordwood sauna on the trail below the cabin then I'd have a small pipe running down from the tank to a dipping pool outside the sauna... Mr. Lloyd Kahn an our neighbors have really got my thinking about a sauna lately but I should probably focus on finishing the cabin first. A round cordwood sauna with a grass roof and a wood stove would be very cool. But I have all kinds of flooring and plywood so maybe it would take another form... not sure yet. Got 2 trailer loads of free used cedar shakes collected. I love the look of cedar.
Anyone ever split cedar shakes? I'm thinking about getting a froe and trying it myself but I'm not sure how easy it is. We have lots of cedar rounds in the woods and my neighbor would sell some more.
Our place got robbed at the beginning of November sometime in a 3 week stretch I wasn't there. They took all the good stuff that I wish they didn't and caused me to retrieve all the stuff they didn't steal... I suppose we cant keep much up there now...
They got our 4x4 quad, generator, outboard boat motor, and A LOT of power and hand tools, inverter bb guns etc etc the list goes on. They didn't cut any lock or even drive in but they had plenty of time to break open the shed, cabin and outhouse by breaking the wood doors.
I've since invested in a few trail cameras. Hid one, not very well so far (my neighbor found it) Open to ideas of hiding it better.
I made a video of me being pissed when I discovered we had been robbed. It's a helpless feeling knowing you can't protect your remote property. http://solarburrito.com (http://solarburrito.com)
Very sorry to hear about the theft.
Some cameras are hidden easier than others. But you want one that is easy enough to find as a decoy. Make 'em relax a little after they find it.
I've seen some folks get fancy with adding sculpted plastic wood or whatever and painting to blend in. ???
Sorry about the theft. I know that feeling and it stinks!
Wow hate to hear that >:(
Just a heads up on the 4 wheeler, you can call the Honda dealer and have them put it on their Honda National stolen equipment or vehicle list. Generator too if its a Honda.
What that does is if it is ever taken to a dealer for repair or parts, the dealer will impound it. If they or who ever ends up with it were to try to get new key and switch they would be caught. Its a long shot, but you never know may get lucky.
Hope they are caught and you get it all back!
That really sucks Solar Burrito, I know what It's like. >:(
Do You happen to have any ser #'s recorded?
With any luck you'll get some of it back.
You can hide a camera in plain sight and it's likely no one will see them if there's something that focuses their eyes away from it .
A log they have to step over or a window across from it can draw attention away.
Like MTDon said one in an obvious spot can be good also.
Unfortunately we don't have the serial #'s recorded on anything. They even stole the instruction manual for the generator so we can't get it from that. Ya the quad was a Honda. I like your ideas about distracting people with somthing then putting a camera on them.
After testing I've decided 2 return three Tasco 5 mp trail cameras to Amazon. The PIR sensor is not sensitive enough to trigger out past 12 feet. Which is a joke since it should be around 40. It's hard to hide things at such a short distance. I ordered 2 Primos TruthCam 35's instead since they have fixed the "clunk" issue.
Here' a tip people, get insurance BEFORE you get ripped off. That way you will have something to insure. d* We aren't going to get any now since we don't have anything left to insure. I've ordered some better cordless tools and am going to get in the spirit of 100 years ago doing more things by hand with hand saws and things. Since the generator is gone.
It pisses me off that I had to take down the solar system right before I was going to wire the cabin for lights.... But I am glad they didn't take our panels.
Maybe a small cargo container would be secure enough to store tools, ATVs, etc.
Could the solar panels be mounted on your rood? Thieves would need a ladder and rope to get them down. Plus with the steepness of your roof might detour them from trying.
I'm sorry and a bit p***ed off to hear of your loss. In a rural setting there is no way that you can be there 24/7 to watch over everything.
I'm not sure what the solution is for big stuff, but for little stuff I have considered building a more hidden storage area in a remote area on the property. Might have to do some variant of a hole in the ground or side of a hill, with a camouflaged roof and entrance. Ultimately, it is still a big pain-in-the-***.
I think almost any of us here are vulnerable. You can't bring all your materials and tools with you each time you visit your cabin/home project. I have some close neighbors that I can trust and that helps, but if you have a local you can't trust there is little you can do. All they have to do is wait until you show up and then leave. Once you have left the area it is unlikely you will show up again for hours/days/weeks.
No great solutions out there that I know of...
All I can do is commiserate on your loss >:(
That really sucks. Sorry for your loss. :(
P.S. If you do decide to go get insurance now, you might want to neglect to mention this incident if there is no police report.. It would be a prime cause for denying future coverage. Just saying.
I've been gone for a while now, life got busy with a kid since we started the cabin but it's good to be back and check in on other peoples projects I've been following for a few years. Here's a short update on our cabin. It's mostly done (a little more done than this picture from last year). We do have the shingles on the porch roof done but I didn't take a photo.
We have some solar panels on the roof to discourage thieves and even a secret compartment inside the cabin to hide some solar goodies. The deck is done. After the break in we really use the property differently and never leave stuff we don't want to walk away...
(http://solarburrito.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/IMG_2504-1024x764.jpg)
(http://solarburrito.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/IMG_2506-1024x764.jpg)
Here's a video of the deck being built:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ReBMkKFg58&feature=share&list=UUc8qz5ECuf0Lv2Ap55Oh-OA
You can read more about our cabin project here, and watch a few videos. I used this countryplans site to learn how to build it. http://solarburrito.com/blog/category/our-cabin/ (http://solarburrito.com/blog/category/our-cabin/)
Welcome back! Life can sure get in one's face sometimes. I figured out you are almost due south of me.....across the mountains. Short trip if one is an eagle....by car, well, you know how the coast roads are.
Thanks for the update. I've wondered what had happened with your cabin project. Kids have a way of keeping you busy, but in a good way.