In talking with both organizers and exhibitors at the upcoming TinyFest California, to be held March 16 and 17 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, most credit their desire to create more sustainable, affordable living options, both for themselves and others, as the inspiration for their tiny home-related ventures.

Iowa native Renee Seevers, founder of TinyFest, realized in 2015 that she was ready for a radical lifestyle change once her youngest daughter left home for college and a relationship ended abruptly.

Long fascinated by the tiny house movement, she attended the 2015 Build Small, Live Large Summit in Portland, Ore., and decided to take the plunge. Seevers sold her 3,300-square-foot, five-bedroom, four-bathroom Iowa house, shed most of her possessions and began following her dream of “living small” in her own movable, self-contained home.

Central Coast Tiny Homes’ single-level models offer easy access without a loft or ladder, making them an attractive option for the less agile.

(David Lalush Photography)

(David Lalush Photography)

After returning to Iowa, she bought her first tiny home on wheels, or THOW, an 87-square-foot structure home-built by the seller, haulable behind her truck. She named it “Big R” and traveled in it for 4½ years, taking it around the western U.S. to tiny home festivals the first year.

Experiencing these festivals convinced her there was a need for more such events to exchange information about the benefits and advantages of living small. These included, she explained, greater sustainability, autonomy, flexibility and financial freedom, along with freedom from burdensome “stuff.” Meeting fellow tiny home dwellers and travelers, many calling themselves nomads, also enabled her to find solutions for challenges and problems as well as workable adaptations and repairs for her THOW.

A bathroom in a model from Central Coast Tiny Homes.

(David Lalush Photography)

“We need to have more of these festivals, because it gives people a great way to experience tiny living, ask questions and see things in person,” she explained.

Organizing TinyFests became her passion. Seevers saw the potential for tiny homes to fill a niche for attainable, affordable housing in regions suffering from a lack of housing. Through these events she could share alternative housing and lifestyle options, connect newcomers with the tiny home nomad community — many working remotely from their mobile spaces while on the road — and showcase builders of tiny homes, van and school bus or “skoolie” conversion specialists, along with specialized equipment vendors.

She organized TinyFest events first in Des Moines in 2017, followed by others in the Pacific Northwest, California and the Southwest, before organizing her first in San Diego in 2020, held just before COVID shut down the world. Because of the event’s popularity — it attracted 10,000 joyful people to the fairgrounds — she was determined to bring it back once larger events could resume.

A bedroom in a model by Central Coast Tiny Homes has a fold-up door and room for a full-size dresser.

(David Lalush Photography)

The tiny homes are built with regular construction materials and a 50-year metal roof, says Joe Pollan of Central Coast Tiny Homes. “If these homes are well maintained, they can have a lifespan of 30 to 50 years,” he said

(David Lalush Photography)

Complying with COVID protocols and keeping many exhibits open-air, San Diego Tinyfest returned in May 2021, drawing about 6,000 attendees. This year marks the event’s fifth anniversary. After refining her approach to the event, she and her staff now stage just two events annually, both in California: in San Diego and the Bay Area.

Many of the tiny home builders exhibiting at TinyFest focus on building THOWs, since many localities, including both the city and county of San Diego, classify these as recreational vehicles and offer an easier permitting process as RVs rather than permanently fixed structures. Despite retaining their mobility, these THOWs typically hook up to local sewer, water and electric utilities.

Jonathan Palley of San Diego-based Clever Tiny Homes, an engineer and sustainable manufacturing entrepreneur, set out with his wife, Didi Zhao, an internationally recognized Cooper Hewitt National Design Award-winning architect, and cousin Asa Feinstein, a manufacturing consultant, to apply their design and manufacturing expertise to the housing crisis.

Zhao, Palley explained, was born in China and started her professional career there.

Pacifica Tiny Homes offers three models on wheels: Bay Cottage, Tiny Victorian and one with two lofts.

(Pacifica Tiny Homes)

“In Asia, what we see as a ‘tiny home’ here is a standard size there,” he said.

Clever Tiny Homes’ abodes are 26 feet long, 8.5 feet wide and 13.5 feet tall, with 200 square feet of living space, and they fit onto a standard wheeled trailer flatbed, which remains attached to the house. They plan to debut a larger, 400-square-foot one-bedroom model at TinyFest.

“We started with the idea of making a dent in the housing problem in California,” Palley said. “We decided to design and build a product at the best possible price,” using the principles of high-volume, assembly-line manufacturing, a single-model design with limited customization and bulk purchase of materials.

With skilled construction labor more readily available in Mexico, they opted to site their 55,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Ensenada, using mostly U.S.-sourced products, and ship their completed tiny homes, all on wheels, from San Diego. Since opening their plant mid-2023, they’ve sold more than 70 and are delivering one unit every two to three days, according to Palley.

But why focus on tiny home construction?

“It offers a quality space to live in and doesn’t cost as much. You can get a well-designed, fully equipped, high-quality home for less money,” he said.

Their customers currently fall into one of several categories: those building a granny flat, an accessory dwelling unit or ADU, to accommodate in-laws or family members on the builder’s land; those adding a second or rental unit to generate revenue; or those seeking a rural vacation cabin or short-term vacation rental property.

Others are looking to downsize for retirement or sell their house while retaining a home base, often on relatives’ property.

Palley sees the potential for constructing villages of tiny homes for the housing insecure, or siting single or multiple tiny homes on church, nonprofit or publicly owned lands for the unhoused. Tiny home developments are starting to pop up, he said, including Paradise Tiny Home Community in Desert Hot Springs in the Coachella Valley, which offers sites for 90 tiny homes.

San Diego-based Clever Tiny Homes offers a midpriced 200-square-foot model, shown at the beach, and plans to unveil a 400-square-foot home at the local event at Del Mar Fairgrounds.

(Clever Tiny Homes)

“We build low cost, not cheap,” he emphasized. “Cheap falls apart quickly. Good design elevates the community. We won’t sacrifice on design, livability or comfort. We focus more on manufacturing.”

Joe Pollan, who operates San Luis Obispo-based Central Coast Tiny Homes, takes a more upscale approach. His firm, with an inland California manufacturing facility, builds three fully customizable models, a studio and a one-bedroom unit plus a new version of the larger model. They are the only U.S. tiny home builder offering an expandable pop-out design feature that provides an extra 8 feet in width over the standard trailer configuration. The studio offers 300 square feet of living space and the larger model 400 square feet, with a full-length slide-out providing the extra width. The larger unit features a great room that is 23 feet by 9 feet, a kitchen with an island and a bedroom that is 8 feet by 11 feet. Both units are single-level, without a loft or ladder typical of a tiny home, making them easier to navigate for the less agile and more suited to his mostly over-50 clientele.

Clever Tiny Homes’ abodes draw on the expertise of Jonathan Palley, an engineer and sustainable manufacturing entrepreneur; his wife, Didi Zhao, a prize-winning architect; and Asa Feinstein, his cousin and a manufacturing consultant.

(Clever Tiny Homes )

With over 35 years as a licensed general contractor, Pollan started his tiny home business to provide clients a more affordable option for a guest house or ADU. His designs are more livable and comfortable than an RV, he explained, but they have the flexibility of RV siting and permitting. However, to qualify as an RV, a THOW cannot exceed 400 square feet in size and must retain its wheels.

He and his wife started the company in 2018 and have delivered about 20 so far, throughout California, with more in the pipeline. Clients can select from a menu that includes paint, siding, flooring, cabinetry, appliances and all fixtures and they can opt for full interior design.

“These tiny homes can be attached to a foundation, but if you remove the wheels, the home falls into a different category and permitting will be treated differently by local authorities,” Pollan explained. “The typical RV is not generally approved as an ADU, but the city of San Diego has recognized this is different from an RV and has allowed it as a full-time dwelling.”

His clients generally use his THOWs as full or part-time residences and most rarely move, but they can be relocated with about an hour’s preparation. Of the 20 Pollan has delivered, he has had to relocate only two, he said. The smaller model requires only a heavy-duty pickup truck to transport, while the larger model necessitates a tractor truck rig.

The best places to look for a place to install a THOW, if not on the owner’s or a family member’s land, are RV or mobile home parks.

“If these homes are well-maintained, like any house they can have a lifespan of 30 to 50 years,” Pollan explained. “They’re built with regular construction materials and a 50-year metal roof and can be built to fire-resistant standards.”

Pacifica Tiny Homes, based in Pacifica in San Mateo County, builds three models of THOWs — the Bay Cottage and Tiny Victorian and a larger model with two lofts — at its Central Valley factory. The homes range from 18 to 30 feet long and 8 feet 4 inches wide and can be easily towed hitched to a truck, with no special permits or licensing, said Pacifica’s sales director, David Ramirez. Founded six years ago, Pacifica has delivered over 300 tiny homes, all over the U.S., but primarily in California.

A past exhibitor welcomes attendees at the TinyFest San Diego event.

(TinyFest Events)

Pacifica customizes its homes according to clients’ tastes and can outfit them with solar panels and, for use in remote areas, with special features including a composting toilet, but they’re usually fitted with standard RV utility hook-ups.

Most of their customers range in age from 30 to 60 and are looking to downsize while many seniors locate their THOW on a family member’s land. Other buyers are campgrounds or RV parks adding new residential options or investors setting up short-term vacation rentals.

“We’re family-owned and offer lifetime warranties and build everything in-house. We’re one of the most affordable in California and in the nation,” Ramirez said.

After seven years running TinyFest, founder Seevers remains committed to tiny home living, but after 4½ years residing in her original hand-built THOW, she upgraded to a five-pane “skoolie,” a well-ventilated short bus on a van chassis she designed and had built to her specifications reflecting her personal space needs. She’s now remarried to a fellow tiny home enthusiast who builds tiny off-grid cabins. They’re living in the skoolie with their two dogs on their rural Oregon acreage.

“It’s really good to have a professional build a tiny house,” she said.

Visitors explore a wagon at a previous TinyFest San Diego. The fifth annual event returns March 16 and 17.

(TinyFest Events)

Resources

TinyFest San Diego: The event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 16 and 17 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd. in Del Mar.
Tickets are $20 person, plus ticketing fee, with children 15 or under admitted free. Guided VIP tours of tiny homes, led by Lindsay Wood, or VIP tours of vans and skoolies, with Jared Tocci, are available for an additional $67 to $77 person person, plus ticketing fee. Purchase tickets and limited tour spots online.
For a full list of exhibitors, educational seminars and details on ticket sales, visit tinyfest.events.

TINY HOME COMPANIES AND COMMUNITIES

Clever Tiny Homes offers a 200-square-foot midpriced standardized tiny home on wheels studio model emphasizing high-end design and cost reduction through assembly-line production in Ensenada. It sells for $64,995, fully equipped. The company plans to preview a new 400-square-foot one-bedroom model at TinyFest. Visit clevertinyhomes.com.

Central Coast Tiny Homes offers higher-end fully customized tiny homes on wheels with an expandable section adding about 10 feet to its width. The 300-square-foot studio unit starts at $115,000 and the 400-square-foot one-bedroom unit at $160,000, with final pricing dependent on customized options. Visit cctinyhomes.com.

Pacifica Tiny Homes offers three models of fully customizable, lower-cost tiny homes on wheels. Their models start at $47,900 for an 18-foot-long model with 211 square feet and at $69,000 for a 30-foot length with 311 square feet. Visit pacificatinyhomes.com.

Paradise Tiny Home Community, Desert Hot Springs, Coachella Valley, with 90 tiny home sites planned, paradisetinyhomecommunity.com.

FOR SAN DIEGO SITING AND PERMITTING INFORMATION

City of San Diego ADU Regulations: bit.ly/SanDiegoCityADU

County of San Diego ADU regulations: bit.ly/SanDiegoCountyADU