40-ft shipping container transformed into off-grid tiny house

Mar 27, 2025

Wisconsin's Backcountry Containers recently transformed a shipping container into a tiny house. Named the Kennedy Model, the compact home includes a well-designed and open interior layout that maximizes the limited space available.

The Kennedy Model is based on a high-cube shipping container, which is a little taller than a standard container, and has a length of 40 ft (12.9 m). Its exterior has been painted and it also has some wooden accenting and several windows.

The home's interior measures roughly 300 sq ft (28 sq m) and is finished in white shiplap and vinyl flooring. It's accessed by double glass doors, which connect to the living room. This looks light-filled and open, and contains a sofa and a chair, and a coffee table. A ceiling fan and a mini-split air-conditioning unit are installed, along with insulation, to mitigate the poor thermal performance of living what's still essentially a big metal box.

The L-shaped kitchen is nearby and has a breakfast bar with seating for two, a farmhouse-style sink, an apartment-sized fridge/freezer, and an induction cooktop – plus there's room in there for a few more appliances.

The Kennedy Model's bathroom is reached from the kitchen through a sliding door and features a shower, composting toilet, and a sink.

Over on the opposite side of the tiny house to the bathroom is the bedroom. This is also accessed by sliding door and contains a double bed and has ample headroom to stand upright, as well as a large wardrobe for storage, and some more storage under the bed.

The tiny house runs off-the-grid, though not with solar power as you might expect, but with a generator – solar power would definitely be a good upgrade to consider, however. Water tanks are also included.

The Kennedy Model is currently up for sale for US$80,000, and is obviously designed for static living rather than mobile wandering. The company mentions various delivery options, but there's no word on whether this is included or extra. Other container-based projects from the firm include a hunting-oriented dwelling called Augustine and a sauna.

Source: Backcountry Containers