Frye and Claire live in a restored 1840s log cabin with their dogs, Cowboy and Cedar. After years of traveling the country in a custom-built 1986 Volkswagen Vanagon named Sue, Frye settled down on a working farm where self-sufficiency is the name of the game. They are loving their Dwarf 5kw for cozy and dry heat.
With no backup heat and plenty of firewood from their land, the stove quickly became essential. It’s their only heat source—and doubles as a backup cooktop. Read on to see how they heat their historic cabin, what made them choose the Dwarf, and what they’d change next time around.
Who are you? Please introduce yourselves
I live in a 1840s log cabin with my wife Claire, our two dogs Cowboy and Cedar but previously spent 8 years living in my 1986 Volkswagen Vanagon “Sue” traveling the country. Rock climbing, ranching, snowboarding, and hunting.
What did life look like before you moved off-grid/nomadic/tiny?
I was 17 and about to graduate high school. I bought a 1986 FJ60 and was destined to move into it. The day I graduated high school from my home town in Indiana I left two hours afterwards to head to Washington state and there my journey began. I do believe I will always hold some of the charm of a nomadic lifestyle. I am a lot more tied down these days with cows and a fully fledged farm but none the less still love to explore.
Tell us more about your space!
My Vanagon Sue was originally a stock weekender and overtime I started to add to it, until I eventually decided to rip the top off and build a cabin in its place. People are very surprised when they see it on the road. I’ve got a wood stove, diesel heater, running water, 360w of solar, propane, and a electric ceiling fan (fancy)
Tell us about something you love about your space!
That it’s all my own. That every piece of wood on the rig was put in place by myself or someone I care about. I have so many memories of rolling cigarettes, drinking whiskey, and playing music with my friends in it. It is me but as a van. To a tee
What are some improvements that you want to make to your space
Honestly I don’t know that I would change much, maybe rebuild the engine but that’s about it. I like how the van is and I’m happy to have called it home.
What are the biggest challenges with this type of lifestyle? And what are the biggest benefits?
Space, cleanliness, and everything constantly breaking lol. In our cabin, that’s near 200 years old it’s constantly in need of repair and the van is what she is nuff said. I think that at this point the wear and tear of taking care of a ton of animals everyday wears on you mentally and physically!
As for biggest benefits, you have ultimate self freedom. I do not go to the grocery store for 90% of my food. I have autonomy and a respectable distaste for authority. I believe being self sufficient is by far the most important aspect to my life. At time I can take it a bit far but am happy to put in the required work.
What does a typical day look like and how did your routine change with changing your lifestyle?
6am wake up and feed cows, chickens, and pigs, then I grab coffee and decide what tasks need to be done. Whether fixing fences, a rig, or a tractor. I’ve always got a hundred million things to do and 99% of them need to be done the moment you think about it. I never had much of a routine before. I always just go with the flow and see how it goes, trying not to place to insane amounts of pressure on myself.
Tell us about your heat solution!
We didnt have any type of heat or ac and I knew going into winter we were looking at a tough time if a solution wasn’t found. I love the self sufficiency of a wood stove and living on a farm you have plenty of access to free wood. It’s just a little labor intensive to get it into the stove. After looking at the website I decided the Dwarf 5kw would make the most sense given our winters and square footage needs!
What does your Tiny Wood Stove setup look like?
It is our primary source and is so cozy! We have no secondary source aside from a heated blanket. All of our wood comes from the farm or neighboring farms where it isn’t needed. We move logs near the house with the tractor and cut and hand split everything. Hand splitting won’t be a thing next year but made for a fun winter lol.
Has your Tiny Wood Stove solved your heating problem?
Absolutely. I find that it also works great as a back up cook too or you can wrap things in aluminum foil and toss it right in. Only thing I would do differently is route the pipe straight up so we don’t have any draft issues!
Finances can be a major crux for getting into this lifestyle. Do you have any advice for someone wanting to get started but overwhelmed by all the expenses?
Sell it all and dive right in. When I initially moved into the land cruiser I have $1000 that I had just received from graduation and that was it. I’ve worked at Best Buy and other random places to make ends meet but just pick something and go for it!
What is one question you frequently get asked about your lifestyle?
How do you do it? My answer is to wake up and know what needs to be done and just do it. Don’t fight with yourself, just do it. Regardless of the time or the wear on your body. Take pride in the work and enjoy your accomplishments when you get them and don’t squabble in the defeat when it happens!
Do you have kids? How are they adjusting to the new space?
No kids but the dogs love it and call it home!
Is there anything else you want to add?
For those of you who see this follow me @fryesvan and always chase your dreams because you only get one opportunity to try. Go with the flow and remain calm knowing there are good things ahead of you.
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!
