DIY - RV, Caravan, Camper Van, Motorhome

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Bed Room, Kitchen,
மொட்ட மாடி... அசரவைக்கும் 'ஆட்டோ' வீடு - மாணவனின் அசத்தல் கண்டுபிடிப்பு
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•Dec 28, 2019

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Behindwoods Air

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Bajaj auto rickshaw tuk tuk modified into a house – Desi RV details
Ever since the advent of automobiles back in the second half of the 1800s, the world has seen many experiments and innovations on top of a set of wheels.

ABHINAND VENUGOPAL
DECEMBER 24, 2019

Image - the.billboards.collective

Image – the.billboards.collective


Meanwhile, some folks — either for just the fun of it or since they had no other choice — developed the idea of converting their vehicles into their homes; thus starting the trend of motorhomes, camper vans, caravans and RVs.

With time, such vehicles evolved into various shapes and sizes. In fact, they have grown only bigger and better, with stronger and reliable roots. However, a 23-year-old from Paramathi-Vellore in Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, has brought a whole new idea for a home-on-wheels project to the table.

PR Arun Prabhu, from the Bangalore-based design and architecture startup, Billboards, has converted a Bajaj RE three-wheeler pick-up into a house. Do not see this as just any other Indian ‘jugaad work’ since the engineering expertise and packaging efficiency that have gone into the project are quite impressive; everything made possible for just a lakh rupees within a period of five months.

Image – Bhavani Arun

As an ambitious child, Arun always wanted to achieve something in life. He has had many innovative ideas in his mind, but the concept of a home that runs on three wheels clung on. Over the years, there have been many one-off and commercial examples of four-wheeled homes.

For the same reason, a three-wheeled living space was a challenge worth taking up since a lot of factors such as stability, space utilisation, lack of reference projects, etc., had to be accounted for. However, there was one area where a three-wheeled home excelled over a four-wheeled example — cost efficiency.

The project began with an old Bajaj three-wheeler. Arun removed its loading area and started making the basic framework using old bus parts. Of course, he had to go through a lot of research and understanding in order to make the project viable. The aim was to create a space to rest for small traders and travellers who would otherwise have to go a long way in search of one.

However, Arun’s home-on-wheels project is more than just a space to rest and is loaded with all the amenities one would ever want. Inside, there’s a bedroom (on the upper deck), bathroom, kitchen (with space to keep all the utensils), workspace, water heater and even a toilet. Speaking about the toilet, its open placement in the living area accentuates the fact that this project is meant for one-person use. There is no in-house cocoon of privacy. The whole cabin is ‘the privacy’.

The vehicle has a 250-litre water tank at the top, along with a 600W solar panel coupled to a battery inside the cabin that can power all the essential electrical equipment. Various additions such as cupboards and extendable outside cloth hangers, further increase overall practicality. The ladders and doors are placed in a way to provide the best ingress and egress possible.

The cabin is well lit with ample greenhouse. If that isn’t enough, there is a six-foot perimeter umbrella on top under which you can sit back and relax on a lounge chair, with a good view of all other conventional forms of wheels and walls across the eyes’ reach.

At least some would spend time pointing out the all the negatives and safety/stability concerns (despite having additional support columns) of the project and we do not entirely blame them. However, there’s no denying that Arun Prabhu’s interesting project is a work of art and architecture; a far cry from a mere makeshift.




Bajaj auto rickshaw tuk tuk modified into a house - Desi RV details

 

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Home Atop an Auto? TN Man Builds Perfect Caravan With Kitchen, Bed & Toilet!
The ‘SOLO 0.1’ also has a solar panel (600W), water tank (250 ltrs) and a lounge space with shade in the terrace. Talk about easy living in small spaces!

• RINCHEN NORBU WANGCHUK
• FEBRUARY 19, 2020
• ARCHITECTURE INNOVATION LEDE TAMIL NADU

While studying at an architecture college in Chennai, 23-year-old NG Arun Prabhu did some research on slum housing, and was struck by the poor utilisation of space in these structures. Residents would spend somewhere around Rs 4-5 lakh to build a house, but it would not have a toilet.

“I was researching slum housing in Chennai and Mumbai, and realised that these small spaces that could be improved by instituting a proper design, to create toilets, bedrooms, etc. and make the house more habitable,” says Arun, speaking to The Better India.
Arun graduated last year, and since then, has been raising awareness about small scale architecture that entails better utilisation of space and affordable housing by building a portable house on an autorickshaw.
He spent Rs 1 lakh (excluding the cost of auto-rickshaw) building this 36-sq ft portable house on wheels called ‘SOLO.O1’, which he believes can fulfil the needs of two adults.
“My objective is to use small scale architecture and show people what we can do with such tiny spaces. Also, portable housing can inspire better temporary housing for construction labourers and emergency housing during natural calamities,” he quips.

SOLO .01 (Source: Arun Prabhu)


Small is Beautiful
Born and raised in the Tamil Nadu town of Namakkal, which is known for its lorry body building industries and poultry farms, Arun grew up with a fascination of art and design. But why did he choose an auto-rickshaw as his platform to build a portable home?
“It is a practical design of a compact 6’x 6′ space into a portable/detachable housing at the back of a three-wheeler auto-rickshaw that can accommodate a solo individual like an artist, traveller, homeless people or even a small scale vendor. It has been designed keeping in mind the concept of affordability and lifestyle of nomads and societal groups under the poverty line. The three-wheeler structure is a space with dual functionality that includes a residence and commercial space,” says Arun, in a note addressed to The Better India.

A Home on Wheels. (Source: Arun Prabhu)


“Planning has been done with the kitchen, bathtub, toilet, foyer and living area on one level and sleeping space, workspace on the mezzanine level at 3.5 ft height. Also, there is the solar panel (600W), water tank (250 litres) and a lounge space with shade in the terrace. By incorporating all these features, the structure might be expected to be on the heavier side, but it is far from it. The weight is distributed equally,” he adds.

He started in August 2019, and it took him five months to construct the entire house using scrap materials.
What SOLO .01 does is extend the lifespan of discarded materials like metal scrap thrown away from old bus bodies and demolished structures. Nonetheless, Arun maintains that the house is durable regardless of the functions and renovations.

Interiors of SOLO.01 . (Source: Arun Prabhu)

Despite every space being efficiently utilised, the structure is adequately ventilated throughout. Meanwhile, the structure is attached to the auto-rickshaw with just six bolts which can be easily unscrewed and robust supportive stands.
“If it can fit on top of an auto-rickshaw, it can be fixed atop any vehicle,” says Arun. This structure can be utilised much as the temporary housing for people like construction labourers who work at a particular site for a few years or months only and nomads, besides emergency housing during any natural calamities.

NG Arun Prabhu
Today, Arun is working on four similar ideas with his architecture firm The Billboards Collective, which he started in 2018. He has also applied for a design patent on his portable house. With his patent and other potentially innovative designs, he could offer some real solutions to cities that are facing a housing crunch and struggling for space.


Home Atop an Auto? TN Man Builds Perfect Caravan With Kitchen, Bed & Toilet!

 

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Bajaj auto rickshaw modified into a house | TN engg student from Namakkal builds Awesome auto house
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•Jan 6, 2020

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Awesome auto house, Namakkal, Tamil Nadu
A 23-year-old from Paramathi-Vellore in Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, has brought a whole new idea for a home-on-wheels project to the table.

PR Arun Prabhu, from the Bangalore-based design and architecture startup, Billboards, has converted a Bajaj RE three-wheeler pick-up into a house. Do not see this as just any other Indian ‘jugaad work’ since the engineering expertise and packaging efficiency that have gone into the project are quite impressive; everything made possible for just a lakh rupees within a period of five months.

 

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Namakkal youth designs affordable shelter on an autorickshaw

STAFF REPORTER

NAMAKKAL , DECEMBER 25, 2019 23:17 IST

UPDATED: DECEMBER 26, 2019 11:47 IST

The house-on-wheels consists of all necessary amenities such as a kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, toilet, foyer, terrace area, an additional space for a vendor to do sales, and an upper-level lounge with a shade. Special Arrangement

This is to create awareness on cost-effective small scale architecture, he says
A 23-year-old architect, N.G. Arun Prabhu, has designed on an autorickshaw a portable house, which he claimed would fulfil the needs of two adults. The effort was to create awareness on small scale architecture and affordable housing, he said.
Mr. Arun, after passing out of an architecture institute in Chennai, wanted to promote the idea of small scale architecture in the country as it was cost-effective and would not require much space. Hailing from Namakkal, which is know for building body for lorries, Mr. Arun designed a 36-sq.ft portable house named ‘Solo’ on an autorickshaw, to demonstrate possibilities of creating hygienic, proper housing even on a small space with proper design. “During my studies, I did research on slum dwellings. I did visit a few slums and felt that with proper design, those spaces could be utilised in a better way. In many places, they would have constructed a house spending ₹.4-5 lakh. But it would not have a toilet”, he said. Through small scale architecture, affordable housing could be promoted in the country.
“I chose an autorickshaw keeping in mind travelling people, like gypsies. Gypsies are often seen moving around dumping their materials in an autorickshaw. Once they reach a camping place, the vehicle would be idle and they would be living in tents with no proper amenities”, said Mr. Arun.

The house-on-wheels consists of all necessary amenities such as a kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, toilet, foyer, terrace area, an additional space for a vendor to do sales, and an upper-level lounge with a shade. Special Arrangement

Excluding the cost of autorickshaw, the venture cost him ₹1 lakh, with the house-on-wheels consisting of all necessary amenities such as a kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, toilet, foyer, terrace area and also additional space for a vendor to do sales, and an upper-level lounge with a shade.
Mr. Arun said the entire house was constructed in five months, using scrap materials. “Since it is Namakkal, there was enough availability of scrap materials. Through this, we have also expanded the life span of discarded materials like metal scrap”, he said. “The house is attached to a vehicle with four bolts and it is provided with supportive stands”, he said. Mr. Arun has installed a solar panel that could produce 600W of power and a facility to boil water using coal or firewood. Mr. Arun, who runs a design and architecture firm in Bengaluru, said “There are many who would dream of owning a home or might be wondering how to construct a house on a small space. Small scale architecture is a good option for it”.
Mr. Arun said he had applied for a design patent on the autorickshaw house and was also working on four similar ideas.


Namakkal youth designs affordable shelter on an autorickshaw

 

[Islandsportivo]

Anyone has solar panels on their RV?
Worth it?

 

[MaBez]

Anyone has solar panels on their RV?
Worth it?

I installed a 200 watt solar panel rv system last year. It is larger than an ordinary 100W panel and has more solar cells. And it is perfect for RVs, boats, and cabins. I should say, I have no regrets. It allows me to charge the batteries and have energy no matter where I am. So, yes, it is worth it.