Deb Delman moved the 160-square-foot Pacifica house, built on a travel trailer by Zyl Vardos for the Caravan-The Tiny House Hotel, to her residence in Northeast Portland’s Cully neighborhood.Deb Delman
Northeast Portland’s famous Caravan-The Tiny House Hotel, popular with people wanting to test out living in a space smaller than a parking spot, has closed.
Two of the original tiny homes on wheels are for sale.
Caravan, the world’s first collection of rentable micro dwellings built on trailers, opened in 2013 on a corner parking lot at 5009 N.E. Alberta St.
The inventive lodging soon had imitators around the globe, and was touted by tiny house living blogs and shows as part of the movement to live simply with few possessions.
In 2015, actors Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein shot an episode of their comedy television series “Portlandia” in one of the custom-built homes, offering a tight-quarters spoof on the benefits of small-footprint living.
In one scene, Armisen’s character slides open a rustic wood door to reveal himself sitting on a toilet, his pants puddled at his ankles.
“This is the bathroom and a home office,” he explains, his elbows resting on a narrow desk. You can’t see Brownstein, except for her arm reaching over the desk caddy. “Can you hand me the shower gel please?” she asks.
Tiny houses on wheels are a legal form of longterm housing on Portland residential properties.
The idea of offering nightly rentals of homes on wheels that became Caravan was the brainchild of Portland school teacher-turned entrepreneur Deb Delman and small-house advocate and author Kol Peterson.
At the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, Delman offered healthcare workers reduced monthly rent to isolate from household members in a standalone tiny house.
Hotel rates of $125-$185 a night before tourism dwindled due to COVID-19 were discounted to $400 a week, $700 for two weeks and $1,200 for a month, which was $40-$57 a night.
Each tiny house is fully furnished with an efficient seating area, kitchen, two beds and a bathroom with a flush toilet, shower and hot-and-cold running water.
The dwellings, which are 170 square feet or smaller, were also outfitted with electric heat, high-speed internet, cooking equipment and bathroom amenities.
Delman moved the 160-square-foot Pacifica house, built on a travel trailer by Zyl Vardos for the Caravan hotel, to her residence in Northeast Portland’s Cully neighborhood.
She rents out the tiny house on Airbnb (starting around $40 a night) and opened it to people during the Build Small, Live Large: Portland’s Accessory Dwelling Unit Tour on June 25, 2022.
Delman also converted her garage into the Sweet Sunshine Suite, a self-contained guest house and short-term rental..
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