The challenge of fitting utilities, conveniences, and necessities in a sub-300 square foot tiny home often results in a busy, over-built look. The Escape Traveler One turns the process around with a unique exterior that defines but doesn’t control the tiny home’s airy interior. The One’s purpose is to be a blank space to encourage the owner’s personal zen in this tiny home.
Escape Traveler builds tiny homes, park model RVs, and RVIA certified travel trailers. Models range from 16 feet long and 8.5 feet wide to 43 feet long and 14 feet wide. Depending on the configuration and options, you can use Escape Traveler’s units for weekend camping, as permanently installed campground park models, or as a standalone building used as a guest or office. You can hook up to standard campground utilities or specify the necessities for off-grid living with solar power arrays, water and waste treatment, and energy efficiency.
Many tiny home builders try to include everything you find in a traditional home by building to smaller scale and with multifunctional features. The result often looks and feels tight and cramped. The 25-foot long by 8.5-foot wide One has surprisingly expansive interior spaces precisely because they aren’t filled shelves, cabinets, and compartments. Escape Traveler’s One is the company’s take on Japanese architecture in a tiny home.
The exterior boards are charred with fire in a process called Shou Sugi Ban. The burning changes the wood’s molecular structure. The charring is said to help the wood last 80 to 100 years and gives it a dark, shiny patina that serves as a contrasting frame for the open, light pine interior.
The One’s windows and light standard unfinished pine interior wall boards emphasize the sense of spaciousness. The 11-foot high ceiling helps, too. You can use the space as you wish, but the suggested application is for the lower area to serve as living, dining, and cooking spaces. There’s also a bath with shower.
Open stairs lead to a 64-square foot sleeping loft that has a generous 5-foot height. Windows on three sides add to the feeling of spaciousness. As with many tiny home sleeping lofts, most people won’t be able to stand up. However, in the One, you’ll find more room to move around than expected and won’t have to literally crawl into bed.
The base One model costs $49,800. It comes standard with a heat pump for heating and air conditioning and LED lighting on both levels. There are standard 30 amp RV hookups, an on-demand water heater, and a bathroom with 36-inch shower, sink, and toilet.
A $3,900 kitchen option includes pine cabinets with a hideaway sink and propane stove, under counter refrigerator/freezer, counter top, and shelving. You can add many other features and upgrades to the One, including off-grid options listed on the website, but this design’s aesthetic works best if you only add what you absolutely need.
