The Stowaway Cabin
A new tiny house from Glen-L
It’s a windy, rainy day. You sit inside listening to the rhythmic dance of raindrops on the roof. The warm glow of the wood stove casts a soft light that illuminates the intimate space. Nestled within the cozy embrace of the tiny house you go back to reading your book—a refuge from the tumultuous world outside.
Is it your off-grid getaway? A backyard guest cottage? An Airbnb investment? An art stuido? Whatever you have in mind, if you’re looking for tiny home plans it’ll be hard to beat our Stowaway Cabin.
We’ve all seen the “cute” little home plans circulating. Many of them tug at the heartstrings, but too frequently they don’t feature realistic or comfortable living spaces, and they’re often crude in design or lacking any elegance.
Our modern-styled Stowaway Cabin was designed not only to be stunning to look at, but also to meet an ambitious set of criteria, including offering comfort and real livability in the smallest of footprints—only 120 sq ft.
Why the concern over footprint size? Several reasons:
- Less land or space required
- The 8-foot width makes potential transport more possible
- Smaller homes require less materials and expense and are more likely to get built
- The 120 sq ft footprint meets meets some building code restrictions for out-buildings (check your local ordinances and codes)
What do we mean by livability? We mean a home that two or more occupants could spend real time in and be comfortable—a space that inspires relaxation and creativity, not frustration and claustrophobia. Just take a look at everything you get in the Stowaway Cabin’s 176 square feet:
- Galley kitchen with sink, stove and refrigerator
- Bathroom with sink, toilet and shower
- Living/Dining room designed wall-mounted table folds down when not in use
- Space for couch chairs for seating and TV watching
- Wall mount TV location
- Stowage cupboards under staircase
- 56 sq ft loft bedroom
- Optional wood/gas stove
- 54 sq ft. fold-down outdoor veranda deck space
- 14’2” overall cabin height makes for a bright and spacious feel
Don't get us wrong—this is still a tiny home. Headroom is limited to 6' 2" under the loft (though you have loads of headroom in the living/dining area), the appliances are small, and several features—like the couch/dining stools—serve two purposes. But for the square footage we think the Stowaaway Cabin is quite luxurious.
What do the Glen-L plans include?
Scaled 1:20 plans (36" x 36") that include side and front elevations and detailed floor plans for ground floor and loft.
A plans 15-page booklet that includes loads of photo-quality illustrations of the Stowaway Cabin, inside and out, as well as color close-up elevartions and floorplans in 1:50 scale. The booklet also includes a materials checklist, a sample bill of materials, a framing construction explanation, and a special page showing only the window sizes (all are common sizes).
Also included with each Stowaway Cabin plans purchase is the fantastic 252-page color book (released in 2018) The Tiny House Book by Charlie Wing—a text to help you plan, design, and build a tiny house from scratch.
What's in this book? Just have a look at the table of contents below.
Table of contents
Introduction xi
Acknowledgments xii
The Author xiii
Author’s Note xiv
Chapter 1. Tiny Houses 1
A Tiny House at Walden Pond 2
What Is a Tiny House? 4
How Big Is Big Enough? 6
New Life for an Old Idea: The ADU 7
Chapter 2. Legal Aspects 9
Zoning and Building Codes 10
IRC Appendix Q 13
Highway Width & Height Limits 15
Chapter 3. Costs 17
Building Cost Breakdown 18
Savings by Doing It Yourself 19
Square Foot Construction Cost 20
Total Construction Cost 21
Big Added Cost: The Site 22
More Added Costs: Site Services 23
Added Costs: Impact Fees? 24
Chapter 4. Design 25
The Process 26
The Program 27
Activity Space Analysis 28
Space Bubbles 30
Squaring Up the Bubbles 32
A Few Critical Dimensions 34
Furniture and Appliances 36
Furnishings for Tiny Spaces 38
Designing the Exterior 42
Visual Element Variations 44
Chapter 5. Some Floor Plans 47
On Wheels 8 × 16 48
On Wheels 8 × 20 50
On Wheels 8 × 24 52
On Wheels 8 × 30 53
On Skids 12 × 16 54
On Skids 12 × 20 56
On Skids 12 × 24 58
On Skids 12 × 28 60
Site-Built 12 × 20 62
Site-Built 20 × 26 63
Site-Built 20 × 32 64
Site-Built 14 × 28 65
Site-Built 16 × 24 66
Site-Built 20 × 28 67
Site-Built 20 × 20 68
Chapter 6. Drawing Plans 69
Drafting Tools 70
Drawing Lines 72
Dimensioning 74
Using Templates 75
Formatting the Page 76
Chapter 7. A Set of Plans 77
The Set 78
Site Plan 80
Floor Plan 81
Two Foundation Options 82
Two Floor Framing Options 83
N/S Wall Framing 84
E/W Wall Framing 85
Roof Framing 86
Elevations 87
Typical Section 88
Electrical Plan 89
Plumbing Plan 90
Chapter 8. Foundations 91
Forces Due to Wind 92
Anchoring Homes on Wheels 94
Anchoring Homes on Skids 95
Pole Foundation 96
Slab on Grade 97
Masonry Crawl Space 98
Full Basement (South) 99
Full Basement (North) 100
Chapter 9. Framing 101
Forces on a House Frame 102
How Beams Support Loads 104
Beams: Natural & Manufactured 105
Framing Floors 106
Span Tables for Floor Joists 110
Framing Walls 112
Framing Roofs 116
Span Tables for Rafters 118
Span Table for Ridge Beams 120
Chapter 10. Sheathing 121
Sheathing Materials 122
Floor Sheathing 124
Wall Sheathing 126
Roof Sheathing 127
T&G Roof Sheathing 128
Chapter 11. Siding 129
Cedar Shingle Siding 130
Horizontal Lap Siding 132
Plywood Panel Siding 134
Vinyl Siding 136
Chapter 12. Roofing 141
Roofing Materials 142
Roof Edge Details 143
Roll Roofing (Selvage) 144
Double Coverage Roofing 145
Asphalt Shingles 146
Cedar Shingles 148
Metal Panel Roofing 150
EPDM (Rubber) Roofing 152
Chapter 13. Lofts & Stairs 153
Loft Headroom 154
Loft Access 155
Stairways 156
Ladders 159
Alternating-Tread Devices 160
Ships Ladders 161
Handrails 162
Chapter 14. Windows & Doors 163
Window Types 164
Sizing Windows 165
Window Energy Efficiency 166
Egress Windows 168
Natural Daylighting 169
Ventilation 170
The View Looking Out 171
Installing Windows 172
About Doors 174
Energy Efficiency of Doors 175
Installing Prehung Doors 176
Chapter 15. Insulation 179
Insulation and R-Value 180
Floor Insulation Options 182
Wall Insulation Options 184
Roof Insulation Options 186
Chapter 16. Wiring 189
The AC Electrical Circuit 190
110 VAC & 220 VAC Circuits 191
Electrical Wire & Cable 192
Service Drops & Entrances 193
Circuits Required by Code 194
An Example Wiring Plan 195
The Distribution Panel 196
Accessory Dwelling Feeds 198
Running Cables 200
The Most Common Circuits 201
Going Off the Grid 202
PV Panel Shading 204
Estimating Your Usage 205
Sizing the System 206
Example Off-the-Grid System 207
Chapter 17. Plumbing 209
Supply System 210
Drain, Waste, & Vent System 212
Roughing in the Pipes 214
Traps & Venting 216
The Gray Waste Alternative 218
Chapter 18. Heating 221
Estimating Heat Loss 222
Heat Loss Example 226
Heating Cost 227
Choosing Your Heat Source 228
Chapter 19. Cooling 231
What Determines Comfort? 232
Natural Cooling 233
Ceiling Fans 234
Window Box Fans 236
Evaporative Coolers 238
Air Conditioners 239
Sizing Air Conditioners 240
AC Sizing Example 242
Further Information 245
Index 247
