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Spartan trailers are widely considered to be the originator of the tiny house concept. Oil tycoon John Paul Ghetty purchased the Spartan Aircraft Company and commissioned the construction of these lavish and stylish houses on wheels to host his investors on oil drilling expeditions. It wasn't long before a go go 1950s America followed suit as this new concept of luxury and travel began to blossom during this period of time. The model that we chose to restore is an exceedingly rare two door "Royal Spartanette". Less than 600 of this design were produced during the 1950s.

While the exterior of our Royal Spartanette was in considerably good shape, the interior and all of its' related functions would need to be completely re-built and re-imagined to meet the needs of a modern world. As an avid wood worker, builder and engineer, I set out to completely re-design our Spartan while still paying homage to its' roots in 1950s America. I began by removing everything inside down to the bare wall studs and aluminum. The only things that we kept were the original shower and vanity. 

Personally, I had always taken issue with the idea of building a tiny house the "traditional" way on a flatbed trailer. I imagined all the nails and wood bobbing up and down highways and dirt roads as problematic at best. Contrary to a traditional wood and nail tiny house, Spartans are made of high quality aircraft grade aluminum and built on an aircraft grade chassis. The robust construction was from a bygone era where quality would far outlive its' original owner. 

Being obsessed with craftsmanship and quality myself, I spent almost three months installing the 200 + individual planks of cedar that line the ceiling and connect all the way to the floor itself. Next, I rebuilt the subfloor, laid down black and white 50s style flooring, insulated the walls and meticulously sealed every joint from floor to ceiling so that moisture, bugs and everything in between could not get in. To keep the inside open and inviting, I converted all of the original roof vents into fixed skylights. For a cozy 1950s cabin feeling, I built interior the walls out of knotty pine. 

Throughout the build we opted for premium materials at every step. I overbuilt everything including installing 10 gauge internal wiring so that our off grid solar system would have the least resistance moving current through hundreds of feet inside the Spartan. Next, I carefully planned out all of the energy needs for the home so that our solar panels would easily handle our power consumption. I installed only ultra efficient energy star appliances throughout. I also created redundancies so that if our solar power was low in the winter then we could use our propane heater to reduce the load on our batteries. I built each area inside with specific intention so that our use of space was maximized for form, function and aesthetic appeal.

It was very important to us that our kitchen be a place where we could cook elaborate meals, converse and even host friends. I built the counters from thick teak wood and installed a large kitchen sink. For daily meals, I bought a propane range top and a next generation compact electric oven. In keeping true to 1950s America, we chose a pink "retro" themed refrigerator and with our ample solar power we were able to add both a 2nd refrigerator and a freezer on our outside patio. For added creature comfort, I installed a ventless bioethanol fireplace in the master bedroom, a dining nook, custom shelving and a wall mounted flat screen TV.

Living Tiny

Upon completing the major phases of restoration, we moved into our Spartan. By this time we had left our rented home and the studio was now closed. Our first steps living tiny posed various challenges we had to overcome. Fortunately, we received encouragement when a friend in town offered to rent us an acre of his land to live in the Spartan on. As we were only just beginning to settle into our new alternative lifestyle, the Covid-19 pandemic emerged. "Wow", I thought "Could it be that we are actually prepared for the coming apocalypse?" 

The uneasy feeling of the pandemic and the realities that ensued made for a new period of anxiety and uncertainty. I sought ways to stay positive and keep busy. The owner of the property where we rented land also happened to have a sizable auxiliary garage and so I made a deal with him to rent it in order to rebuild my studio and get back to work. After months of labor to build out the space, another sudden setback ensued as a mandatory shutdown of all non-essential business was issued due to the rapid speed at which covid was spreading. 

I was extremely grateful that I had the girls during this period as we opted to escape into movies, books and board games in our cozy tiny home. Our new routine brought us even closer together. While the daily news was truly awful, we pursued simple endeavors of daily walks, art projects and cooking meals at home. 

Eventually, the restrictions arising from the pandemic slowly lifted and I was finally able to get back to work. At times, I even found myself with more bookings than I could handle because of the reality that musicians were simply not able to tour during this period. Our new way of living was starting to pay off in a big way.

The perks of minimalist living

The immediate perks felt upon adopting this lifestyle are numerous. Self-reliance, independence and a touch of rebellious spirit sink in quickly.  Never paying an electric bill, having a low monthly overhead and the feeling of embracing a simpler way of life have been incredibly rewarding.  

The first notable difference in making the decision to live tiny and go effectively off the grid is that all of the sudden money isn't pouring out the way it once did. Our lower cost of living had allowed us to build up our savings again. After I got back to work, I was now saving money fast. This was when my wife and I formulated a new plan. What if we saved up and bought land of our own? 

We found ourselves in a unique position as we began to consider the idea of buying land, docking our tiny house there and then building a permanent home for our family. It was with great excitement when we were fortunate to find the perfect spot to pursue this endeavor. Living rent free on our land would allow us a unique opportunity to build a permanent home having now been unburdened of high monthly overhead. 

The day that we moved our Spartan from our rented land to the land that we now owned was probably one of the greatest days of my life.  By now it was the end of 2021 and I had spent an entire year prepping the land for our arrival to it. I built 600' feet of fences, purchased a flushing portable restroom, built a patio for the tiny house and I ran all of the necessary connections for WiFi, water and power. Everything was finally starting to fall in place.

We chose the less taken path of being Owner / Builders rather than simply hire a contractor and it would be another full year and a half of planning and permitting before we would be able to begin building our permanent home. After several revisions on our design, we settled on a modest 3 bedroom / 2 bathroom home at just under 1600 square feet. 

Where we are today

As of November of 2024, our home is framed inside and out, fully sheathed and we are now working toward finishing both the interior and exterior of the home. After more than 4 years of living tiny, we have decided to sell our beloved Spartan and put the proceeds toward the completion of our new home. We know that the right couple or young family will cherish it just as we have. 

Some of my favorite days in the Spartan are those rare days when it rains here. I'll put the kettle on, watch a movie and just feel cozy. Sonora and I will play Chinese Checkers and Kat will read her books. It's hard to describe what a home is but what I do know is that this has been our home and our lifeboat guiding us along an incredible journey to where we are today.

If our story has resonated with you and you are interested learning more about our Spartan tiny home, please feel free to reach out. I can be reached at (760) 424-2257.