The Tenacious Unicorn Ranch / @TenaciousRanch / Steampunk Penny / Penellope Logue / Phillip Matthew Logue - Don't cry because it ended, laugh because it's still getting worse.

[mindlessobserver]

Aren't earthships unrealistic scams? They also fell for the alpaca scam. An animal that costs more money to maintain than could ever be recouped. What will they fall for next? I'm surprised they don't sell Herbalife and Cutco knives on their yarn site. Idiots.

Grifters getting grifted will never not be funny. The biggest retards are the people giving money to the tranch to get rid of that knucklehead, Earl.

They saw all the real cowboys around there were raising sheep, not Alpaca. And thought they could do better then those chuds, probably. Never mind that with a sheep you have a huge market for their wool and when they stop being useful for that there is a huge market from their meat. Or if you have too many lambs during lambing season then your plot can sustain you can kill off the excess and sell that meat for a huge profit. And sheep do just fine on marginal grazing land. From cradle to grave sheep will give you steady income.

An alpaca is good for one thing. Niche wool products to be sold to pretentious twats. At a loss.

 

[break these cuffs]

Aren't earthships unrealistic scams? They also fell for the alpaca scam. An animal that costs more money to maintain than could ever be recouped. What will they fall for next? I'm surprised they don't sell Herbalife and Cutco knives on their yarn site. Idiots.

Grifters getting grifted will never not be funny. The biggest retards are the people giving money to the tranch to get rid of that knucklehead, Earl.

The guy who trademarked the term "earthship" and makes his living shilling them doesn't live in one. His company is based out of them, though. That's gotta tell you something. At the very least they're old tech. Tires are recycled, repurposed, or used in cement manufacturing these days. You don't need all the pollutants leeching out of them into the walls of your home. Aluminum cans and glass bottles are recycled as well. They are a niche concept that as far as I'm aware worked well enough when constructed in the American Southwest because that's where they were developed, but never lived up to the hype. Reynolds was able to market them and cash in on the concept for decades.

The one the troons bought has been under construction for a decade or some shit. I guess you need to be a troon for that to not throw up a red flag.

 

[RazorBackBacon]

Aren't earthships unrealistic scams? They also fell for the alpaca scam. An animal that costs more money to maintain than could ever be recouped. What will they fall for next? I'm surprised they don't sell Herbalife and Cutco knives on their yarn site. Idiots.

Grifters getting grifted will never not be funny. The biggest retards are the people giving money to the tranch to get rid of that knucklehead, Earl.

The guy who trademarked the term "earthship" and makes his living shilling them doesn't live in one. His company is based out of them, though. That's gotta tell you something. At the very least they're old tech. Tires are recycled, repurposed, or used in cement manufacturing these days. You don't need all the pollutants leeching out of them into the walls of your home. Aluminum cans and glass bottles are recycled as well. They are a niche concept that as far as I'm aware worked well enough when constructed in the American Southwest because that's where they were developed, but never lived up to the hype. Reynolds was able to market them and cash in on the concept for decades.

The one the troons bought has been under construction for a decade or some shit. I guess you need to be a troon for that to not throw up a red flag.

Dunno much about earthships per se, but they're partially constructed underground and underground housing is notoriously difficult to keep dry inside. Get used to battling mold. Then there's the fact that old tires and tin cans aren't known for being durable building materials. I couldn't give you a rating on them, but I'm guessing they violate multiple building codes just on their basic premise. And I'm sure one good rainstorm or blizzard would turn them into sheer misery. There's a reason we don't live in hobbit-holes.

 

[IAmNotAlpharius]

They saw all the real cowboys around there were raising sheep, not Alpaca. And thought they could do better then those chuds, probably. Never mind that with a sheep you have a huge market for their wool and when they stop being useful for that there is a huge market from their meat. Or if you have too many lambs during lambing season then your plot can sustain you can kill off the excess and sell that meat for a huge profit. And sheep do just fine on marginal grazing land. From cradle to grave sheep will give you steady income.

An alpaca is good for one thing. Niche wool products to be sold to pretentious twats. At a loss.

Aren’t llamas sometimes paired with sheep because they’re more intelligent? I suspect they may be more profitable than alpacas, if so, why is that?

 

[Meiwaku]

Dunno much about earthships per se, but they're partially constructed underground and underground housing is notoriously difficult to keep dry inside. Get used to battling mold. Then there's the fact that old tires and tin cans aren't known for being durable building materials. I couldn't give you a rating on them, but I'm guessing they violate multiple building codes just on their basic premise. And I'm sure one good rainstorm or blizzard would turn them into sheer misery. There's a reason we don't live in hobbit-holes.

I've seen them used in that one show about where they redo people's off-grid properties "Homestead Rescue" (i forget which channel but the show is really good and also shows what issues other off grid "anarchists" have and makes you lol at Trancheros more). From what I've learned from watching this show the issues with the earthship usually revolve around people not insulating their stuff well enough and ensuring that the walls are blocked off properly. Also for underground stuff, you have to live in a climate where flooding doesn't happen and it really doesn't in Colorado therefore a lot of normal houses have basements, multi-level or under house storage. So in theory a good earth ship could be built.

All states and counties have different codes so it really just depends upon where you are like I already looked up the stuff for Custer county. Basically unless it's an official addition to a house or it's over 150 ft x150ft the Tranchers can have "pallet town"(kek)

 

[mindlessobserver]

Aren’t llamas sometimes paired with sheep because they’re more intelligent? I suspect they may be more profitable than alpacas, if so, why is that?

No idea but if I was to hazard a guess it could be because of predators? A dog would do a better job though.

 

[IAmNotAlpharius]

No idea but if I was to hazard a guess it could be because of predators? A dog would do a better job though.

Why Do People Raise Llamas?

Llamas make fantastic service animals, thanks to their strength and generally calm demeanor. They also make great livestock.

animals.mom.com

According to this they’re better pack animals, more social, do better in harsh environments, more intelligent, more perceptive, and can fend off canids.

 

[break these cuffs]

No idea but if I was to hazard a guess it could be because of predators? A dog would do a better job though.

Llamas and even donkeys can be used as livestock guardian animals, but they're more alerters than defenders. A llama isn't going to roll hard like a couple kangals or pyrenees. The Tranch has a bunch of pyrenees that they keep as pets instead of LGDs.

 

[Sleazy Car Salesman]

Dunno much about earthships per se, but they're partially constructed underground and underground housing is notoriously difficult to keep dry inside. Get used to battling mold. Then there's the fact that old tires and tin cans aren't known for being durable building materials. I couldn't give you a rating on them, but I'm guessing they violate multiple building codes just on their basic premise. And I'm sure one good rainstorm or blizzard would turn them into sheer misery. There's a reason we don't live in hobbit-holes.

The other thing to keep in mind with tires is that as they degrade they produce Radon, which is a serious risk to your life if not managed properly. An Earthship might work in the Southwest but it's a case of crippling overspecialization because even when they work well they're only really designed for a hot desert.

 

[Pocket Dragoon]

Llamas and even donkeys can be used as livestock guardian animals, but they're more alerters than defenders. A llama isn't going to roll hard like a couple kangals or pyrenees. The Tranch has a bunch of pyrenees that they keep as pets instead of LGDs.

Donkeys are legit dangerous, especially with coyotes; but they'll go after nearly anything trespassing on their turf, along with alerting everything within a several mile radius. They're far better at keeping the back 40 secure than any dogs.

 

[Law]

At 1800 hours today Atomwaffen will airdrop Brian Risso and a pallet of Jager over the tranch.

Fun fact: one of the guys who was arrested as part of Atomwaffen trooned out, and the judge didn't give him jail time because he decided the "pain" of gender sadness was punishment enough. Penny and his buddies have more in common with Atomwaffen than they would like, I think.

Deviant Ollam better rename himself Retarded Ollam. Jeez.

I used to love his sport picking videos. He also did some fun and informative talks with B-sides a while back. Alas, now he thinks women are costumes.

Finally, I see prosteride. A medication for enlarged prostates. The prostate isn’t removed and should be given to relieve prostate cancer risks. The prescribing physician must have felt that prostate cancer is a possible risk stratification or some of the tranchers have enlarged prostates.

#justgirlythings

porn is always the worst

Yes.
It's the secret ingredient in troontastrophes.

Dunno much about earthships per se, but they're partially constructed underground and underground housing is notoriously difficult to keep dry inside.

I though that part of the design of earthships was that they're different depending on what climate they're built in. So an earthship designed for the high desert in Colorado would use different techniques than one built in a wetter or warmer climate. Their location is probably great for solar power and passive heating because of how bright and open it is.

 

[Sleazy Car Salesman]

I used to love his sport picking videos. He also did some fun and informative talks with B-sides a while back. Alas, now he thinks women are costumes.

That is my single biggest bitch with Ollam, he is the poster child for the old expression "stay in your lane". I'd love the dude if he just stuck to pentesting shit.

 

[Meiwaku]

ITT

 

[break these cuffs]

I though that part of the design of earthships was that they're different depending on what climate they're built in. So an earthship designed for the high desert in Colorado would use different techniques than one builtin a wetter of warmer climate. Their location is probably great for solar power and passive heating because of how bright and open it is.

Reynold's firm has a "Global" design they market to be adaptable to all climates. Its snake oil horsehit.

 

[Meiwaku]

The other thing to keep in mind with tires is that as they degrade they produce Radon, which is a serious risk to your life if not managed properly. An Earthship might work in the Southwest but it's a case of crippling overspecialization because even when they work well they're only really designed for a hot desert.

So i didnt find anything about Radon but I found this article which highlights Pros AND Cons of Earth Ships and why it is kind of a scam like @Chapstick4Lyfe indicated.
Pros & Cons

Spoiler: Full Section of Article

PROS​

(in theory, only works in some climates, see here for more info, as well as... some of these are not as pro as they seem, which we explain)

• Energy efficiency: the buildings CAN utilize solar and/or geothermal heat, cooling and hot water, and provide rain and greywater harvesting. (They often don't, actually, but more on that in a minute.)
• Self-sustainability: grow veggies inside, use and reuse water, and minimize impact on the environment. (It doesn't actually work like that but the idea is there.)
• Ease of construction: in principal, anyone can build an earthship. If you can pound dirt, you can do it! (Problem is... Not many can sustain 2 hours of pounding per tire x 900 tires.)
• "Recycling": some of the materials used in an earthship come from used products that would otherwise fill up a landfill. (Con side: While the "recycled" (really reused) tires, glass bottles (2000), and aluminum cans (10,000) used may be “free”… they take time to collect. Hours and hours of it. And the plans and permits, excavation, tools, concrete, wood framing and vigas, roofing, cooling tubes, insulation and thermal wrap, cisterns, interior finishes, glazing for two walls of windows, shades, glass doors, appliances, and the systems… are not free. Nor are they natural. Nor are most recycled. These use virgin material. And LOTS of it. And.... Europe is performaing at 98% of ACTUAL recycling (rather than reuse), so using tires, bottles, and cans in your build would mean those materials were removed from the recycling stream, where they can actually be recycled for new uses.)
• Natural light: these buildings can have it in abundance. (On the side not in the back by the berm, where its dark, cold, and gloomy.)
• Extraordinary organic forms and interesting massing are hallmarks of the design's success. (Problem is... the organic forms are made of concrete in most cases. That's not natural. It's just pretending to be.)

diagram from A Shelter Sketchbook by John S Taylor

---

CONS​

• Earthships don't work as they are intended. Not even here in New Mexico. The further you get away from new Mexico, the more issues they have. There is no such thing as a "global model" of ANY kind of architecture. Anyone who tries to sell that idea is selling snake oil.
• You will not raise all the food you need to survive in your earthship. It's not possible. Anywhere.
• Many people like to think that earthships are "natural." That is simply not accurate. They are beautiful, organically shaped objects that embrace recycling in a way that can help keep things out of the landfill - which is GREAT in principal. However, more than half of the volume of materials used in the build is concrete, which contributes 10% of the world's greenhouse gases and removes oxygen from the air you breathe - this can be a real issue if you have breathing issues or allergies, as you will be competing with your HOME for oxygen.
• Despite the legends that the earthships are ultra-affordable for people who want to build their own homes and save money, there is actually no cost savings in designing and building an earthship over a conventional home, unless you can perform 100% of the work and obtain all the products yourself, and even if you can accomplish that, in the US, $150 per square foot will get you a bare-bones earthship that has all the same features of a "real" one. (You can do it for less, but it won't actually work like an earthship. Even a real earthship doesn't work. But it has a higher baseline of performance than most modified designs built for less.) This cost goes up depending on how craftsmanship-challenged you may be. It costs $225 per square foot to have Earthship Biotecture build your earthship. It also may take you up to 2 years to build your own earthship. In comparison, you can design and have built a home of "sustainable" construction in a few months, with NO effort, for the same amount of money. However, the sustainable they sell you, will be (only) slightly less sustainable than an earthship. The earthship that everyone wants to point to to say "hey look, these CAN work" is the Phoenix. It's gorgeous! And you too can have it for a mere ... wait for it... $1,500,000!!! But you probably won't be able to insure it or get a mortgage, so please have cash on hand.
• There's a myth that you can build an earthship for cheap and resell it for lots of cash. Any real estate agent in Taos will tell you... it can take 3 years or more to sell an earthship. And, according to research done by RealAssetsJunkie.com, the net gain on the sale of an average earthship is (-$57,800). As in... you can take a loss of up to $58k.
• If you have questions, calling EB/MR to find out how to fix your house will cost you $150 for a HALF HOUR. ouch.
• Once the earthship settles, the breakdown of the rubber tires, which by nature was already in process, now happens in an enclosed environment. Which means, the gas expelled by the tires as they disintegrate collects in the walls, and then has the potential to release toxic vapors that you can't smell but could make the inhabitants sick. "They" will tell you that the walls are encased, and that by adding vents, that off-gassing is not a concern, which is only true as long as you replaster every surface EVERY YEAR and don't allow cracks anywhere on the tire wall, and as long as the gas doesn't find its way into any invisible pockets (which are unavoidable) that happen to NOT be near a vent. If the gas builds up in a closed system... well, think of a balloon... if you blow it up past its surface area, it bursts. If you try and encase the gas, it might work, for a while... but then what? We don't know and we aren't sure we trust the people that profit from these designs to tell the truth about how dangerous this could be. (That's kindof like asking Monsanto if GMOs are bad for you.) Here's a link to our collected scientific research on the subject.
• In a humid environment, earthships collect water along their interior wall surfaces, forming a vertical pool for molds and algaes to grow, and often within the walls of your planting areas, so that edible plants are infected or overwatered. This is an epidemic issue among the many people we get calls from who do not live in an arid envinronment as the earthships were "designed for." (Which is somewhat absurd, since any vernacularly trained architect can tell you they are not actually designed for this environment AT ALL.)
• In a dry environment, like New Mexico, it is not physically possible to collect enough rainwater to support the house. Many who have earthships have to get in their cars, drive 30 minutes to town each way, and buy water just to survive, let alone wash dishes or laundry. If you have more than 11 inches of rain per year THAT HIT THE GROUND, you might be alright, if you are a couple or only have one child and limit your water use.
• Because earthships are not designed in concert with the environment in most cases, and landscaping is just not a concern, they tend to have hot and cold spots. In the summer the galleries at the south wall, where the slanted windows are, are stiflingly hot and humid (95°F is common). The heat is not sweltering in winter, but neither is it comfortable. Also in the winter, because there are not many windows in the north-side rooms, which in early designs include ALL of the living spaces, the north ends of the rooms stay at or near earth temperature, that being about 60 degrees. So you have to have a sweater in part of the house and then you strip to your skivvies to pass through to another part of the house and then need your sweater again to settle into that room. Even in the winter, non-vented earthships can be stiflingly hot. We have one friend who has to open every door and window in the freezing winter even if snow is blowing sideways to find relief from this overheating condition. Supposedly, roof venting helps with this, as it will with overheating in the summer, which is quite common, according to our clients and friends. An additional layer of shade cloth is often required over the south windows in the summer to prevent overheating. A ton of research has been done on these systems and they consistently fail in humid environments. Here's a link to the best of that research.
• Also pertaining to temperature, we've read on several threads that the earthships take 2-3 years to "find their median temperture." I cannot help but to wonder if this is more that it takes people 2-3 years to get used to the temperature swings (which shouldn't exist in the first place.)
• The slanted windows create some real issues, including snow loading creating fractures of the glass, leaking into the walls, and cutting off the light from the passive solar. The only option to deal with this is to go outside and sweep the snow off the windows. Every snowy day. While being at least knee-deep in all the snow that's piled up at the base of the windows... so get good gollashes!
• Also, on the slanted windows, you MUST use a tracked blind, which is expensive, and they tend to break as they are designed for working in vertical applications. Getting in a physical position to install, remove, or repair the blinds can be a real trick, as can repairing or replacing the window.
• If the day is grey, it's going to be COLD in the earthship unless you have a backup heat source. (We recommend wood stoves as they are also suitable for cooking if your solar system isn't sufficient to provide comfort in inclement weather.)
• Evidently there are issues with too much humidity resulting in condensation in the biocells during the winter.
• I have never seen a solidly built, leakless, or easy to repair design.
• Additions are rarely feasible, due to construction tie-in issues and cost.
• Storage in earthships is lacking... we often hear complaints of there being barely any closet, cupboard, or storage space.
• The butterfly roofs, especially, WILL leak.
• If you are looking for a challenge (and a giant check to write), ask a contractor to come out and work on your earthship and see what happens.
• The pumps to run the greywater and rainwater harvesting mechanisms are LOUD.
• Earthships are considered "experimental architecture" and building codes are not designed for experiments. Many locations do not allow them. They will NOT be approved for an assembly occupancy like a school or community center.
• Financing for experiments is rarely available. You will have to have cash on hand for the build or find a very special banker to even consider a mortgage on an earthship.
• Insurance can be tricky to obtain too. Only Brown and Brown Insurance in Taos are willing to insure Earthships in New Mexico. Here's a link to the free chapter about this we posted in our blog.
• It is challenging to resell an earthship.
• Every piece is custom constructed and therefore comes with custom time and custom cost. If you are a do-it-yourselfer, that is great. If you are on a budget, that is not.
• Oh, and there are the bugs. Centipedes, jerusalem crickets, and false scorpions are most common in Taos. Anything that likes to live underground seems to want to live in these homes.

Highlights from this that kind of drive home the scam bit

• "However, more than half of the volume of materials used in the build is concrete, which contributes 10% of the world's greenhouse gases and removes oxygen from the air you breathe " aka not really eco-friendly
• "Considered experimental architecture"
• "I have never seen a solidly built leakless or easy repair design"
• They have hot and cold spots which can be really bad
• They mold and leak water
• Hard to resell if not impossible
• You will never be able to grow enough food to sustain ALL your needs
• Can be as expensive as real homes

 

[Captain Fitzbattleaxe]

They saw all the real cowboys around there were raising sheep, not Alpaca. And thought they could do better then those chuds, probably.

No one was giving away hundreds of sheeps for free. That's why they went for the alpacas.

 

[AnOminous]

The one the troons bought has been under construction for a decade or some shit. I guess you need to be a troon for that to not throw up a red flag.

There are some pretty good looking ones out there, but they're generally made by people who know what they're doing and willing to put a lot of backbreaking energy into it. They look nothing like that godawful, dilapidated monstrosity the troons got suckered into buying.


About the only real gripe I can see with them is if you're a prepper type and want something self-sustaining, there is nothing defensible about these things if SHTF.

• Hard to resell if not impossible

Well, we know that's untrue. You can always sell them to someone incredibly stupid, like a troon.

 

[Surfin Terf]

The other thing to keep in mind with tires is that as they degrade they produce Radon, which is a serious risk to your life if not managed properly. An Earthship might work in the Southwest but it's a case of crippling overspecialization because even when they work well they're only really designed for a hot desert.

So i didnt find anything about Radon but I found this article which highlights Pros AND Cons of Earth Ships and why it is kind of a scam like @Chapstick4Lyfe indicated.
Pros & Cons

Spoiler: Full Section of Article

PROS​

(in theory, only works in some climates, see here for more info, as well as... some of these are not as pro as they seem, which we explain)

• Energy efficiency: the buildings CAN utilize solar and/or geothermal heat, cooling and hot water, and provide rain and greywater harvesting. (They often don't, actually, but more on that in a minute.)
• Self-sustainability: grow veggies inside, use and reuse water, and minimize impact on the environment. (It doesn't actually work like that but the idea is there.)
• Ease of construction: in principal, anyone can build an earthship. If you can pound dirt, you can do it! (Problem is... Not many can sustain 2 hours of pounding per tire x 900 tires.)
• "Recycling": some of the materials used in an earthship come from used products that would otherwise fill up a landfill. (Con side: While the "recycled" (really reused) tires, glass bottles (2000), and aluminum cans (10,000) used may be “free”… they take time to collect. Hours and hours of it. And the plans and permits, excavation, tools, concrete, wood framing and vigas, roofing, cooling tubes, insulation and thermal wrap, cisterns, interior finishes, glazing for two walls of windows, shades, glass doors, appliances, and the systems… are not free. Nor are they natural. Nor are most recycled. These use virgin material. And LOTS of it. And.... Europe is performaing at 98% of ACTUAL recycling (rather than reuse), so using tires, bottles, and cans in your build would mean those materials were removed from the recycling stream, where they can actually be recycled for new uses.)
• Natural light: these buildings can have it in abundance. (On the side not in the back by the berm, where its dark, cold, and gloomy.)
• Extraordinary organic forms and interesting massing are hallmarks of the design's success. (Problem is... the organic forms are made of concrete in most cases. That's not natural. It's just pretending to be.)

diagram from A Shelter Sketchbook by John S Taylor

---

CONS​

• Earthships don't work as they are intended. Not even here in New Mexico. The further you get away from new Mexico, the more issues they have. There is no such thing as a "global model" of ANY kind of architecture. Anyone who tries to sell that idea is selling snake oil.
• You will not raise all the food you need to survive in your earthship. It's not possible. Anywhere.
• Many people like to think that earthships are "natural." That is simply not accurate. They are beautiful, organically shaped objects that embrace recycling in a way that can help keep things out of the landfill - which is GREAT in principal. However, more than half of the volume of materials used in the build is concrete, which contributes 10% of the world's greenhouse gases and removes oxygen from the air you breathe - this can be a real issue if you have breathing issues or allergies, as you will be competing with your HOME for oxygen.
• Despite the legends that the earthships are ultra-affordable for people who want to build their own homes and save money, there is actually no cost savings in designing and building an earthship over a conventional home, unless you can perform 100% of the work and obtain all the products yourself, and even if you can accomplish that, in the US, $150 per square foot will get you a bare-bones earthship that has all the same features of a "real" one. (You can do it for less, but it won't actually work like an earthship. Even a real earthship doesn't work. But it has a higher baseline of performance than most modified designs built for less.) This cost goes up depending on how craftsmanship-challenged you may be. It costs $225 per square foot to have Earthship Biotecture build your earthship. It also may take you up to 2 years to build your own earthship. In comparison, you can design and have built a home of "sustainable" construction in a few months, with NO effort, for the same amount of money. However, the sustainable they sell you, will be (only) slightly less sustainable than an earthship. The earthship that everyone wants to point to to say "hey look, these CAN work" is the Phoenix. It's gorgeous! And you too can have it for a mere ... wait for it... $1,500,000!!! But you probably won't be able to insure it or get a mortgage, so please have cash on hand.
• There's a myth that you can build an earthship for cheap and resell it for lots of cash. Any real estate agent in Taos will tell you... it can take 3 years or more to sell an earthship. And, according to research done by RealAssetsJunkie.com, the net gain on the sale of an average earthship is (-$57,800). As in... you can take a loss of up to $58k.
• If you have questions, calling EB/MR to find out how to fix your house will cost you $150 for a HALF HOUR. ouch.
• Once the earthship settles, the breakdown of the rubber tires, which by nature was already in process, now happens in an enclosed environment. Which means, the gas expelled by the tires as they disintegrate collects in the walls, and then has the potential to release toxic vapors that you can't smell but could make the inhabitants sick. "They" will tell you that the walls are encased, and that by adding vents, that off-gassing is not a concern, which is only true as long as you replaster every surface EVERY YEAR and don't allow cracks anywhere on the tire wall, and as long as the gas doesn't find its way into any invisible pockets (which are unavoidable) that happen to NOT be near a vent. If the gas builds up in a closed system... well, think of a balloon... if you blow it up past its surface area, it bursts. If you try and encase the gas, it might work, for a while... but then what? We don't know and we aren't sure we trust the people that profit from these designs to tell the truth about how dangerous this could be. (That's kindof like asking Monsanto if GMOs are bad for you.) Here's a link to our collected scientific research on the subject.
• In a humid environment, earthships collect water along their interior wall surfaces, forming a vertical pool for molds and algaes to grow, and often within the walls of your planting areas, so that edible plants are infected or overwatered. This is an epidemic issue among the many people we get calls from who do not live in an arid envinronment as the earthships were "designed for." (Which is somewhat absurd, since any vernacularly trained architect can tell you they are not actually designed for this environment AT ALL.)
• In a dry environment, like New Mexico, it is not physically possible to collect enough rainwater to support the house. Many who have earthships have to get in their cars, drive 30 minutes to town each way, and buy water just to survive, let alone wash dishes or laundry. If you have more than 11 inches of rain per year THAT HIT THE GROUND, you might be alright, if you are a couple or only have one child and limit your water use.
• Because earthships are not designed in concert with the environment in most cases, and landscaping is just not a concern, they tend to have hot and cold spots. In the summer the galleries at the south wall, where the slanted windows are, are stiflingly hot and humid (95°F is common). The heat is not sweltering in winter, but neither is it comfortable. Also in the winter, because there are not many windows in the north-side rooms, which in early designs include ALL of the living spaces, the north ends of the rooms stay at or near earth temperature, that being about 60 degrees. So you have to have a sweater in part of the house and then you strip to your skivvies to pass through to another part of the house and then need your sweater again to settle into that room. Even in the winter, non-vented earthships can be stiflingly hot. We have one friend who has to open every door and window in the freezing winter even if snow is blowing sideways to find relief from this overheating condition. Supposedly, roof venting helps with this, as it will with overheating in the summer, which is quite common, according to our clients and friends. An additional layer of shade cloth is often required over the south windows in the summer to prevent overheating. A ton of research has been done on these systems and they consistently fail in humid environments. Here's a link to the best of that research.
• Also pertaining to temperature, we've read on several threads that the earthships take 2-3 years to "find their median temperture." I cannot help but to wonder if this is more that it takes people 2-3 years to get used to the temperature swings (which shouldn't exist in the first place.)
• The slanted windows create some real issues, including snow loading creating fractures of the glass, leaking into the walls, and cutting off the light from the passive solar. The only option to deal with this is to go outside and sweep the snow off the windows. Every snowy day. While being at least knee-deep in all the snow that's piled up at the base of the windows... so get good gollashes!
• Also, on the slanted windows, you MUST use a tracked blind, which is expensive, and they tend to break as they are designed for working in vertical applications. Getting in a physical position to install, remove, or repair the blinds can be a real trick, as can repairing or replacing the window.
• If the day is grey, it's going to be COLD in the earthship unless you have a backup heat source. (We recommend wood stoves as they are also suitable for cooking if your solar system isn't sufficient to provide comfort in inclement weather.)
• Evidently there are issues with too much humidity resulting in condensation in the biocells during the winter.
• I have never seen a solidly built, leakless, or easy to repair design.
• Additions are rarely feasible, due to construction tie-in issues and cost.
• Storage in earthships is lacking... we often hear complaints of there being barely any closet, cupboard, or storage space.
• The butterfly roofs, especially, WILL leak.
• If you are looking for a challenge (and a giant check to write), ask a contractor to come out and work on your earthship and see what happens.
• The pumps to run the greywater and rainwater harvesting mechanisms are LOUD.
• Earthships are considered "experimental architecture" and building codes are not designed for experiments. Many locations do not allow them. They will NOT be approved for an assembly occupancy like a school or community center.
• Financing for experiments is rarely available. You will have to have cash on hand for the build or find a very special banker to even consider a mortgage on an earthship.
• Insurance can be tricky to obtain too. Only Brown and Brown Insurance in Taos are willing to insure Earthships in New Mexico. Here's a link to the free chapter about this we posted in our blog.
• It is challenging to resell an earthship.
• Every piece is custom constructed and therefore comes with custom time and custom cost. If you are a do-it-yourselfer, that is great. If you are on a budget, that is not.
• Oh, and there are the bugs. Centipedes, jerusalem crickets, and false scorpions are most common in Taos. Anything that likes to live underground seems to want to live in these homes.

Highlights from this that kind of drive home the scam bit

• "However, more than half of the volume of materials used in the build is concrete, which contributes 10% of the world's greenhouse gases and removes oxygen from the air you breathe " aka not really eco-friendly
• "Considered experimental architecture"
• "I have never seen a solidly built leakless or easy repair design"
• They have hot and cold spots which can be really bad
• They mold and leak water
• Hard to resell if not impossible
• You will never be able to grow enough food to sustain ALL your needs
• Can be as expensive as real homes

Let's not forget that Colorado has some of the highest natural radiation levels IN THE WORLD. In fact, I think it's the absolute highest due to a) the high elevation b) natural uranium ores. So radon, combined with underground life... seems like a recipe for success!

 

[BSC]

Leave the alpacas out of this you fucking monsters.

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[BoobWhiskers]

They also fell for the alpaca scam. An animal that costs more money to maintain than could ever be recouped.

Only costs more money to maintain if they actually, you know, maintained them.