About
Hi there! Welcome to Tiny Shiny Home - We're a family of 6 that loves living off-grid. We're also counter-culture, against the grain, off-in-our-own-little-world weirdos. We love homeschooling, tattoos, dreads, art, food, travel, and homesteading.
Our Story
Up until 2015, we lived a pretty normal suburban life. But then things got weird (and fun)! We decided to start living like we meant it in the most audacious ways possible.
Full-Time Travel
We sold our house in May of 2015, bought a Grand Design Refelection 5th Wheel, and began traveling the country. It was the beginning of an epic adventure that started as a way to spend more time with our kids and show them the world, but ended up fundamentally changing us forever.
The first year was spent in our huge 5th wheel and stuck in campgrounds. But it wasn't until we experienced and fell in love with "boondocking" (camping without hookups) that things began to click into place.
Renovating a Vintage Airstream for Off-Grid Living
After realizing we wanted to camp off-grid more, we sold the huge rig for a 31' Vintage 1972 Airstream Sovereign Land Yacht. Then we spent 6 months completely gutting it and renovating it for off-grid living. Stuff like fold-down bunk beds for the kids, solar panels, lithium batteries, composting toilet and a robust internet boosting setup have allowed us to camp in gorgeous remote areas, save tons of money, and experience nature like never before.
We've also begun to create resources to help others who are renovating their own Airstreams!
Resources
- Airstream Cost Calculator
- Airstream Renovation Checklist
- Airstream Wire List Guide
- Airstream Electrical Diagram
- Mobile Internet Setup Guide
Boondocking & Camping Off-Grid
Once the Airstream was finished, we set off on a series of even more epic adventures, boondocking all over the U.S. and Canada. The freedom of not having to make reservations, the quiet and solitude, the gorgeous landscapes - it was everything we had dreamed of when beginning to travel full-time. We had finally found the romance.
As we began to share pictures of our polished Tiny Shiny Home in all these beautiful places, we started to get so many questions. "How do you find these spots?" "How do you find, store, and filter water?" "Do you feel safe?" So we began created guides, courses, and resources to help others learn how to boondock.
Boondocking Resources
- Top 10 Boondocking Spots
- Find the Perfect Boondocking Spot
- Complete Boondocking Course
- Off-Grid Internet Guide
Building an Off-Grid Desert Homestead
After 5 years of traveling full-time, it was time for a new season. Our children were getting older (and bigger), and our Tiny Shiny Home was getting tinier by the day. But we realized that boondocking had ruined us! We could never go back to a regular subdivision. It was time for something different. After lots of family discussions and research, we bought 11 acres of undeveloped land in South East Arizona, and are currently building an off-grid homestead. Let the new adventures begin!
Resources
- Solar Powered Water Pump
- Homestead Solar Wiring Diagram
- Homestead Solar Cost Calculator
- Mini VRM Solar Wiring Diagram
- Gray Water Septic Install Plans
We are on a quest to simplify our lives, live sustainably, and give our kids unforgettable experiences instead of disposable things.
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Who is Tiny Shiny Home?
Jonathan (the husband) runs FortySeven Media and handles the budget at home. Ashley (the wife) homeschools/roadschools/unschools our 4 awesome kids, makes amazing videos, and creates amazing food out of our tiny kitchen.
Together they run Tiny Shiny Home, build cool things on their property, make fun videos, and create awesome products.
What to Check Out Next
Full-Time Travel
- The 2019 Tiny Shiny Home Travel Route
- 2019 Travel Recap + Big News!
- Tiny Shiny Hike Challenge - How We Hiked over 330 Miles in 2018
- The 2018 Tiny Shiny Home Travel Route
- Charming Ajo, AZ
- Trona Pinnacles
- Dry Tortugas National Park : Simply Magical
- IKEA + RV = True Love
- All Full-Time Travel Articles
Airstream Renovation
- Airstream Renovation Cost Breakdown
- Airstream Renovation Tour: Before and After
- See the Whole Renovation Process
- Our Super Reliable Internet Setup for Working on the Road
- Why we sold our 5th Wheel and bought a vintage Airstream - Part 1
- Why we sold our 5th Wheel and bought a vintage Airstream - Part 2
Boondocking
- How we Boondocked for 6 Months in 2018
- Why Do We Love to Boondock?
- Our top 5 Boondocking Essentials
- Our Top 10 Boondocking Spots
- How to Find the Perfect Boondocking Spot
- The Complete Boondocking Course
- All Boondocking Articles & Resources
Off-Grid Desert Homestead
- We Are Home!
- Off-Grid Homestead - Week 1: Driveway, Storage, Water
- Building a Floating Deck for our Airstream
- Water Pump Success! Solar Powered Pressurized Water Off-Grid
- Fencing Cost Breakdown
- Hyperadobe Earthbag Solar Shed Office Tour
- Hyperadobe Earthbag Chicken Garden Build
- DIY Off-Grid Solar Power System for Homestead - Installation & Wiring Guide
- All Off-Grid Homestead Articles
Our hope is that some of our crazy ideas will inspire you to change your life, marriage, family or business for the better. To take a chance, question the norm, and do something different.
Live Tiny. Live Shiny.
Jonathan, Ashley, Adali, Jett, Jax & Ada Longnecker
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About the Author
Jonathan Longnecker is the strongly opinionated tattooed and bearded half of Tiny Shiny Home. He loves making music, figuring out nerdy solutions, exploring the outdoors, and living off-grid.
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