#HTE

The Solar-Powered GoSun Dream: A Turn-Key Tiny House, Appliances Included, For <$70k

GoSun produces portable solar-powered ovens, coolers, chargers, lighting and water purification systems. This month they released their largest product yet: The GoSun Dream, an entirely solar-powered tiny house on wheels.

“The Dream is designed for locations with solar exposure and a lack of utilities - power, water, or gas,” the company writes. For a starting price of $69,500, you get 8.5’ x 22’ of living space, a full range of appliances (see list below) in addition to GoSun’s entire lineup of portable solar appliances, a bed that retracts into the ceiling, and complete freedom from utility bills.

Included Systems

- Solar PV Array, Multi-Directional Mounts, Rails

- Lithium Ion Energy Storage Battery

- Grid and Generator Interactive Sine-Wave Inverter

- Automatic Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV)

- Optional Electric Awning with Auto Retract

- Low Flow Faucets and Atomizing Shower

- 40 Gallon (150L) Fresh Water Tank

- 25 Gallon (95L) Grey Water Tank

- 25 Gallon (95L) Black Water Tank

Included Appliances

- High Efficiency Air Conditioner

- Electric Queen-Sized Bed Lift

- GoSun Chill: Portable 40L Fridge

- GoSun Fusion: Hybrid Solar+Electric Oven

- GoSun Flow: Water Purification and Sanitation System

- GoSun Solar Table: 120Watt Charger and Collapsible Table

- Biomimetic, Silent Overhead Fan

- High-Efficiency Fridge

- Dual Burner Propane Stove

- Range Hood Vent Fan

- Diaphragm Water Pump and Pressure Tank

- Efficient Propane Space Heater

- Efficient On-Demand Propane Water Heater

- Flush Toilet, optional Composting Toilet

The video tour makes the house look pretty compelling:

The company claims that “reservations are pouring in” and that their inbox and phone lines are “flooded.” But one caveat is that the numbers provided by the company do not add up. For example, the square footage is given as 195 square feet, with the main floor providing 165 square feet and the bed providing 30 square feet; I don’t think the area of a bed, whether it floats or not, should be listed as square footage. Secondly, no matter which way you slice those numbers, they don’t jive with the house’s footprint, which is listed as 8.5’ wide and 22’ long. Multiply the length and width and you get 187 square feet, not counting the bed. So something’s not right here.

Also, in the video tour, CEO Patrick Sherwin mentions the house weighs 10,000 pounds, but the stat sheet on the website says it weighs approximately 11,500 pounds. No matter which figure is right, the company’s description that the Dream is “easy to tow” should be taken with a grain of salt; you’re not going to be pulling this thing with an Outback, a CR-V or a Tacoma. At a minimum you’d need a ¾-ton pickup like a late-model Silverado 2500, or a Tesla Cybertruck if you’re trying to stay all-green.

That being said, the Dream does look and sound fantastic. Assuming you can get it to site, having a turnkey tiny home with all appliances included and no utility bills for under $70k should be mightily tempting to many, and we hope that the Dream is a reality.