Cody and Randi (@roamingwrens) have been living in their Tiny House for just over six years. They live on a beautiful property in central Oregon with their pup and bees.
Who are you? Tell us something about you!
We are Cody and Randi Hennigan and we live off-grid in our 20’ tiny house in Oregon. I keep bees, grow food, make stuff and work for Tiny Wood Stove. Randi teaches at the local university and runs a small couples counseling practice.
We were originally @BestLittleHouseInTexas and we built our house in 2015. When we permanently moved to Oregon, we changed our name to @roamingwrens.
Where did you install your stove? Do you stay in cold climates much?
Our Dwarf 4kW is installed in our 20’ tiny house on wheels and we currently live fully off-grid in Central Oregon where winter temps average in the 20’s & 30’s with drops down into the single-digits. We are fully off-grid and our Dwarf stove is our primary source of heat. We burn a mixture of Juniper, pine, and maple and I use compressed logs for our overnight burns. We typically go through about a cord of wood each winter and I usually buy between 30-40 compressed logs to use on really cold nights.
How did your tiny living journey begin and what were your reasons?
I started gardening in 2008 to cope with a stressful corporate gig and after a few years of turning our suburban house into an urban farm and maximizing the sustainability we could, we realized the size of our home was the most unsustainable part of our lifestyle. This, in combination with a handful of visits to family in Oregon, sparked a desire to make a big change to downsize, build our house, and move to Oregon. Typically, I’m the dreamer and my wife is the rational planner but when I pitched this wild idea she immediately loved it! We started building our Tiny House in 2015 at Lakewood Brewery in Dallas, TX and have been living full-time in our house for almost 6-years.
How did you decide on a Dwarf stove?
We originally utilized the Hobbit stove because the Dwarf Stoves were just a glimer in Nick’s eye back in 2015. In a visit to Tiny Wood Stove to see the Dwarf in action, I was blown away by the level of control the Dwarf air controls provided. I was able to gain two more hours of burn time with the Dwarf over my Hobbit which is a HUGE gain for our off-grid lifestyle. No more waking up with frost on the blankets or seeing our breath in the morning! We already had Tiny Wood Stove flue components so the switch over to the Dwarf 4kW was a breeze.
How difficult was the installation process? Did you need any assistance of any kind?
It was far more intimidating than difficult. Once I double and triple checked the measurements and stove placement, cutting the hole in our SIPS roof was a breeze. Then just a few clamps and bolts to tighten down everything and we had heat! The only help we needed was a “You got this!” confidence boost from Nick and the Tiny Wood Stove team.
How has your experience been using the Dwarf? Have you been enjoying having a tiny wood stove in your space?
It is the highlight of our tiny house experience! Sitting by the fire on snowy days with a cup of coffee and a book is a dream come true. I love the intentional aspects that a wood stove requires. From chopping the wood to efficiently dialing in the air controls for maximum burn times, it is SO nice to know that we are self reliant in our heating needs.
Would you recommend a tiny wood stove to others?
Absolutely! The freedom to be off-grid and park wherever we want has landed us in some of the most beautiful spots. The flue sticking out the roof adds the perfect cottage charm as opposed to a split unit or propane unit. The off-grid aspect also ensures that we don’t have to worry about winter storms knocking out electricity or propane prices going up.
Interested in a small stove for your tiny space? Contact us on the form below and we can help you sort through all the details in getting the perfect stove and installation configuration for your unique space!
