Yurt sizes.....16 vs 20 ft or?

[TSRalex]

I´m agreeing fully with @Jafo and would opt for the bigger size....

[Sasquatch]

Thanks for the info....

Ive been going back and forth on cabin designs for years, and yurts have always been at the top of the list however ia not single and i have a dog. Fortunately my girlfriend isnt able to have kids so i dont have to ever worry about that and it simplifies life immensely as it allows us to live and stay living tiny/low impact. Fwiw she was living in a 16ft tipi when i met her. I was going to sell my sailboat to finance a yurt however we decided we are going to keep the boat and use it as a work week apartment in town, and build something up in the mountains that will fit most needs. Im a diesel mechanic and i can find work anywhere but specialize in yacht engines. Im close enough to the ski area that its only a 20 minute commute. Although my land is 100 miles from our current jobs keeping the boat allows for flexibility and for budget and time constraints I think we are going to go with a 14x14 A frame as that is something that works in the short term to get us out of renting a house that allows us to have jobs to pay rent. The end goal still is a yurt but without a time constraint it allows for better decision making and planing. An A frame is low risk and can be done over a few weekends in the summer and fits the budget whereas a yurt to buy outright (not comfortable with a fabric structure in the mountains especially winter DIY style) with a warranty it might require going to a bank and we dont use or believe in credit. My prior lifestyle as a commercial fisherman in Alaska had some perks like having hard cash for big decisions.

So no yurt for now but the dream house is a 20 or 24 footer. Considering we dont really have any bills beyond

insurance

and phone gas property tax and food its just a matter of time at this rate

We just want to be out of the rental game by fall

[Ivan]

I have a 24’ yurt, and am happy with that size, so 16’ gives me a headache. But, I think some Yurt Manufacturers have a taller wall option that gives you more room for a loft? I think most Yurt Manufacturers give 15 year warranty on the vinyl roof, we got ours from

White Mountain Yurts

in Tax free New Hampshire? I agree with Bob about A frames. We like, not love our Yurt space, however if that was not a thing, i would have built a cabin. I hear lumber is expensive now? When we put up our Yurt, I am pretty confident I could have built a small cabin at 3/4 the cost of the Yurt, with better

insulation

and structural Qualities. On another note, not sure about 16’ , but when you opt for the snow load option ( seems like everything is an option these days) the roof rafters will be larger from the manufacture, but i would purchase and install the wall studs separately , save a few dollars.

[Sasquatch]

Fortunately here in WA we have a mom-n-pop sawmill that sells directly to a local lumber yard however, i called to price out 36 16 foot long Douglas fir 2X6s and that came in right around 1000$ which is still cheaper than any of the big name stores and better quality. Ive seen a 2x6x16 go for upwards of 45$ at some places.

Pacific yurts

have an almost 7 foot wall height which is why i like them. Im 6 ft tall so.... Plenty of head room. I like to be able to stretch in any direction and not touch a wall or ceiling. My current house I rent is 380sqr ft so im not too concerned with tiny.

Frankly i really want a yurt because of the open layout however 36 2x6s costing 1000$ wouldnt even cover building a platform or deck to set said yurt on and given my current situation those.36 boards are the roof rafters for the little A frame. I still fully intend on getting a yurt but i need to be inna position to do so and right now i just gotta get there first.

[Pacific Yurts]

Since it will be a while before you are ready for a yurt, and you'd like to experience the space, you might want to check out some of the yurt rentals on the Yurt Vacations page of our website: https://www.yurts.com/yurt-vacations/.

[Sasquatch]

Well this is an old thread however life’s changing once again and I’m revisiting buying a yurt

I quit my job of almost 5 years last week and packed up, and am heading for Alaska next week to spend the summer commercial fishing (season #10!) made the decision completely on a whim, but whatever, it’s what adventures are made of

Part of the yurts major appeal is it is impermanence. The goal is a 16 footer, if I can get that great, anything else is a bonus and will try to build as large as budget allows

Lumber is too spendy to build something permanent. If I built a yurt and wanted to take a job mining gold in the Yukon or some sort of adventure in Alaska or move out to Montana or whatever, even if I got a job on a ship somewhere worst case scenario the yurt can be boxed up and put in storage with my things

The idea of being mobile and not being tied down by a physical house has major appeal these days

[Sasquatch]

Best of all if I can pay cash I won’t have any bills beyond

insurance

gas food and phone this winter

[Jafo]

16' would be fine. If it is just for the summer it will light since you won't need wall studs and your rafters can be light. I would look at something like

Groovy Yurts

or some other such portable yurt. They generally take a while to order though and I don't know of any yurt company that will give you a week turnaround.

You may want to check out our Classifieds:

https://www.yurtforum.com/classifieds/

[Bob Rowlands]

16'er is in your future. I had one for 5 years. Dynamite size for a single dude. Portable affordable comfy. Cot, two 6' tables set side by side with wash bin and gas stove and water tainer on them, two chairs, a wood stove in the middle, two storage chests, and a wheelbarrow with stove wood will fill it full, but fit OK. Get a 15 year with a window or better yet two windows if you can afford it. Set up and tear down in a couple hours. Easy to transport. 18 foot would be a bit more roomy. Good luck and enjoy life up there.

[Bob Rowlands]

To see my 16'er on google images : Bob Rowlands homemade yurt

Mine is the rustic yurt with rafters either side of a green door.

I built it from the 16' basic plan found here: BUILDING A MONGOLIAN YURT-SOLARIPEDIA