I Would Roll 7500 Miles

When you go out, well I know I’m gonna be, I’m gonna be the house who goes along with you. And when you come home, yes I know I’m gonna be, I’m gonna be the house you’re coming home to too. And I would roll 500 miles and I would roll 7000 more. Just to be the house who’s rolling all those miles, you’ll fall down at my door. Da-da Dah Dah. Da-da Dah Dah…

Tiny House Chats: Ah, the life of a traveling house! What a great musical introduction! Welcome, Casita Grande. We’re so glad you found time to chat about your life with us here at Tiny House Chats. Thank you.

Casita Grande: Happy to. Thanks for the invitation.

THC: So, it’s been five years and 7500 miles now that you came into being and began “living the dream,” out on the road with your Chevy tow partner, Babs. And let’s not forget to mention the Vincents, your guides and dwellers! It must have been quite a journey in all respects. I mean, not many houses get to see this country like you have. Not many house have wheels for that matter! 

CG: All true. Hard to believe, for sure. We have occasionally seen parked tiny houses, but never seen them on the road or run into any other people trying the travel lifestyle with one. So, the Vincents really had to “invent the wheel” so to speak, when learning how to use me. In the early days, they were nervous about using RV hookups and how to tow a huge vehicle safely. They had to find routes and gas stations where we would fit and explain/persuade hosts as to what I even was so they would accept us into their community. Nowadays, they’ve grown more confident in how to navigate with me in the world. But as I’ve grown older, they tend to worry more about how I’m holding up and how to care for me when things go wrong, because, you know, inevitably things fall apart. But they’re very sweet guides and try their best. We’ve grown pretty attached to each other.

THC: Oh, sure, I could see that. Well, let’s start today with the inevitable that you mentioned: “when things fall apart.” Any mishaps you’d like to tell us about?

CG: Oh, boy! Well, of course. And I just want to say first, that in retrospect, most are bits we can laugh at now. But at the time, when you’re not sure what to do, stress levels could soar! Let’s see, where to begin… I guess, on our very first trip out together, we hit a tree branch pulling out of McKinney Falls State Park. Roof repair ensued and the Vincents were far more conscious to look overhead thereafter. Think tall, right? Driving in reverse was also a fun challenge! For most people, backing a trailer twists your brain for quite a while until you get the hang of it. You have to operate the steering wheel oppositely in order to turn me the way you want to go, and the sight lines are also tricky on a big tow like me. After only their second time moving, the Vincents had to back into our spot at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. On first glance, it sure seemed like a lot of room to work with, but multiple approaches had them pulling through the muddy field to reset; uneven dirt road surfaces had us squishing Babs at an angle; and there was an electric cable overhead to navigate and a sloping parking spot to prop me up. Whew! I do think there is a normal learning curve to this, but it’s not easy and I’ll admit, I do carry quite a bit of weight to be backing up with grace. Parking at our trail head post in Ramona, CA, was also a unique challenge. After a long day on the road through little old Los Angeles, we had to drive up a steep hill to the spot. After several attempts to turn around and back in at the top, we realized there just wasn’t enough room. Besides, I was hot and tired from the trip; even my tires were marking the pad. So we went back down the hill, turned around in a cul-de-sac and reversed up the entire hill, which Jesse says was at least two football fields of incline. We had made it with about 10 feet left to the top, when Babs chimed in and said her transmission was done and she needed to shut down NOW! Yikes! Okay, so the Vincents made a quick advice call to our personal truck guru, Steve (Thanks Pop!). Jesse turned her off and they sat with fingers crossed on an incline mere feet away from our spot, as Babs cooled down and the sun began to set. Thankfully, when we asked her to start again, she said yes, and we got settled into place for the night. Babs got a nice transmission flush after that and the Vincents committed to better breaks on travel days, so we didn’t all get so hot!

THC: Wow! Well, it sure sounds like you all learned a lot along the way.

CG: You betcha. The road is certainly an adventure. You never know what surprises are in store. This one time, when we left Almont, the Vincents took turns being sick with a head cold. And as we drove from Albuquerque to Flagstaff, they thought, “let’s see if Casita gets sick too,” and flat out drove me through a storm in an effort to get us to a rest day. It was exciting being on the road with only semi trucks, as the clouds darkened, rain pelted and we leaned into the wind. Is exciting the word? Sure. At least I got a good power wash! Funny, when I think about it, because it was another time when we left Almont, that we played ‘roadside assistance circus.’ Having finished our gig for the summer, we started our journey south and made it about 5 miles, when one of my tires blew. Ack, startling! But since I have a triple axle, I had three tires on that side and the other two took us safely off the road. We called friends from the resort to come out with a heavy duty jack, but before they could get there, the circus arrived. As we happen to be so identifiable and were on the main road, neighbors passing by stopped to help. The resort owner stopped to help. A coworker returning from grocery shopping with his 5 year old son stopped to help. At one point, there must’ve been a dozen of us on the side of the road trying to figure out the best way to give me a lift. Needless to say, we found a creative solution while all these people watched! 

THC: You do draw attention, don’t you? Feels like paparazzi sometimes?

CG: Hah! You know most of the time, I’m just happy to bring a smile to people’s faces. It’s not every day you see a unicorn! But I worry when they try to take pictures of me while driving. And some feel the urge to come ask all their questions while we are trying to park and set up. For a time, the Vincents even posted an FAQ page for their blog on my gooseneck to redirect some curiosity. Seriously though, I’m glad people are interested. I think it’s good for them to see something that may be thought-provoking.

THC: Well, I guess you just never know what surprises each trip will hold.

CG: We try to laugh when we can and keep it in perspective. This one time,  I “accidentally” locked them in the bathroom after a shower when my pocket door dropped; Hah! That was a good one!  We lost power on the coldest winter night in Texas in 2021, not due to the grid failure… but a defective outlet & cable; now that one reflects on my builders for sure. There was irony in the timing, but the electric outlet was definitely installed upside down and that cable they crafted together was not made for the hard wear and tear of outdoor living. While our builders certainly create unique homes, many shortcuts taken were discovered on me along the way. I won’t go into all that, but the Vincents found creative solutions all the time. They have visited many a hardware store and have collected quite a hodgepodge of objects to stick, hold together, clear away and patch me up. They’ve also found many helpers with ideas from fellow neighbors, colleague travelers and calls to parents for moral and practical support. What a village!

THC: Well, I’m sure glad to hear how you all found resiliency along the way. Can you switch gears for a minute and tell us about some of your favorite places you’ve landed, maybe what has made all the hard work worth it?

CG: Absolutely. You know early on, one thing we all noticed was the unique concept I had: Same house, new view. The Vincents were quite taken with staring out my windows, because depending upon where we were, they would see enchanted rocks or forests that changed through the seasons. There would be a gorge transformed by atmospheric rivers and superblooms or rolling fog with enormous trees near the coast. High desert sunsets were framed by mountains and new neighbors with new stories were just outside the door. What views to behold! I think the birds provided good inspiration: migrating north for the summers and south in the winter to enjoy seasons more comfortably. We mostly stuck to more rural settings out west, as we are drawn to the big spaces and diverse works of nature. I have been to some pretty extreme places; we lived over 8000 feet in the Rocky Mountains and drove near the Salton Sea, which is -227 feet below sea level! I even traveled a section of the famous coastal Highway One in northern California, the edge of the continent! Babs did a great job of taking the Vincents on nearby side trips so they could explore up close. And she has quite a collection of national park stickers on her bumper now!

THC: I have to admit, I’m feeling rather proud of all of you for navigating this adventure. And a special congratulations to you, Casita Grande, for being a solid home to come home to  after roaming the wild west. Before we come to the end of our program, I wondered if you had any future dreams you might like to share and anyone you want to thank thus far?

CG: Oh, for sure. Of course, I’d like to thank you and Tiny House Chats for the opportunity to share some of my story. Like I alluded to before, I think it’s helpful for others to hear tales of dreaming & living outside the box. At least I hope so. It’s always tricky to know what future chapters will hold. But looking back to what is already written, I know I couldn’t have done it without the support of the Vincents’ family and friends. They backed this unusual dream and some were even able to come out to visit us, making it all the richer. I am also enormously grateful to Babs, that 2019 diesel dually, that dragged me over mountain passes and wedged me into parking spots. She hung out with the bigs rigs at truck stops and carried the Vincents safely around the country. Babs is the best! Thanks, Girl! And of course, there’s the Vincents. Where would I be if they hadn’t had some imagination and grit? Thanks ten tons, you two! (That’s about how much I weigh).

So, back to the future… admittedly, like most people do, I’m beginning to see my age more and more. I’m probably not entirely done with the road, but if I want to maintain my home identity first and foremost, a downshift certainly is in order. I wouldn’t be surprised if those Vincents might enjoy putting some roots down for a while too. What that looks like we’re still exploring as a team. But I like to imagine the possibilities of landing in a spot, where I could get a wrap around porch or maybe even a wee studio-sized neighbor for guests to visit us in. And maybe a garden… (sighs), yes, a garden… If you have any suggestions on the where or how, please let us know!

THC: Gosh! Well, that sounds delightful too, Casita Grande. I know I look forward to learning more about your next chapter once you do, please keep us in the loop! And we’ll check the listener comments for those suggestions you requested. We sure appreciate hearing about your pioneering work, and of course, for visiting us in the studio today. Happy 7500 miles!

CG: Mucho gusto.

THC: That’s all we have time for today. If you’d like to read our transcript or see some photos from Casita’s journey, visit our website. We were glad to have all you listeners join us for this edition of Tiny House Chats. Dream big. And see you out on the road!

When you go out, well I know I’m gonna be, I’m gonna be the house who goes along with you. And when you come home, yes I know I’m gonna be, I’m gonna be the house you’re coming home to too. And I would roll 500 miles and I would roll 7000 more. Just to be the house who’s rolling all those miles, you’ll fall down at my door. Da-da Dah Dah. Da-da Dah Dah…