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was using it primarily to save weight. My flatbed was rated to
    hold 7,000 pounds.
    Bracing
    Tumbleweed would have to withstand not only the normal wear and tear of
    everyday living, but also the occasional jolts and gale-force winds generated
    by highway travel. To prepare for this, I used what has come to be called the
    “screw-and-glue” method of sheathing. This means that a bead of construc-
    tion adhesive was squeezed onto the entire length of every framing member
    before 3/8” plywood sheathing was screwed (not nailed) to its surface. This
    makes for a structure far more resilient to lateral wind loads than sheathing
    secured with nails alone.
    before 3/8” plywood sheathing was screwed (not nailed) to its surface. This
    makes for a structure far more resistant to lateral wind loads than sheathing
    secured with nails alone.
    Preventing Condensation
    The only other special building consideration, after the foundation and bra-
    cing, for a little house on wheels is condensation. Unless they are insulated,
    sealed, and vented properly, small spaces are prone to a lot of condensation.
    It simply takes less time to fill the air in a small enclosure with the moisture
    caused by bathing, breathing, laundry, and cooking than it does to fill a large
    one. If that warm, moist air comes into contact with a sufficiently cold surface,
    it will condense into water. That is the reason that cars come equipped with
    defrosters, and that small houses need to be equipped with the right insula-
    tion, vapor retarders, and ventilation.
    I used expanded polystyrene foam board as insulation with expanding spray
    foam in the seams for two basic reasons: 1) It takes a thicker piece of fiber-
    glass batting to get the same amount of insulating power as you get out of a
    piece of extruded polystyrene. As I didn’t have enough space for eight-inch-
    thick walls, this would have stood as reason enough for my choice. 2) Foam
    board is far more resistant to condensation.
    With fiberglass batting and other porous insulations, you have to worry about
    moist air getting into it and condensing when the moisture gets to the cold
    part of the wall. At that point, the fluffy, pink stuff turns to mush, and mush
    doesn’t insulate. It rots. To prevent this, you have to use a vapor retarder.
    This is usually just a large sheet of six-millimeter plastic hung over the inside
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    surface of the batting and sealed at its edges. If your seals hold and your
    plastic does not rip, your fiberglass should stay fairly dry.
    Expanded polystyrene with an impermeable coating does not need a vapor
    retarder. Being virtually waterproof makes it its own retarder. I chose the
    white, expanded polystyrene over the pink, extruded poly because, while I
    love the pink stuff for its superior insulating qualities, bugs love it, too.
    The threat of condensation is also what prompted me to use double-glazed,
    insulated windows. The glass panes on a little abode can fog up pretty quick-
    ly unless they are well protected against the cold. I’ve found that windows
    sold with gas between the interior and exterior panes work pretty well for this
    purpose.
    The other primary way to eliminate condensation in a small enclosure is by
    venting it. I installed a fan at the peak of my loft. It sucks moisture-laden air
    out of my living quarters when I am cooking or bathing and helps keep the
    place cool during the summer. On cold days, the vent can be sealed with a
    plug I cut from some leftover scraps of foam board.
    Tools
    My tools are pictured on the facing page. They are pretty much all I have
    needed to build a dozen small houses. Folks I’ve worked with tell me I’m a
    fool for not using a table saw, too. You might want to add one to your list.
    1. skill saw, 2. jig saw, 3. plyers, 4. files, 5. miter saw, 6. hammer, 7.
    wrench, 8.goggles, 9. tape measure, 10. drill & drill bits, 11. pencil, 12. box
    cutter, 13. level, 14.