Lots of critical comments in this thread. But I applaud that the OP made the effort to try and help. That is more than most people do.
Show HN: Occupod – a solid mobile sleeping shelter
41–50 of 64 posts
Re: Show HN: Occupod – a solid mobile sleeping shelter
#42Cool concept! You could fit a twin mattress in there.
How about adding a variant that uses 2x4s for the bottom frame instead of pallets. If you're getting everything else at Home Depot, 2x4s will be easier to source.
Now that you have an MVP, go get your first 10 customers! :)
Re: Show HN: Occupod – a solid mobile sleeping shelter
#43Nice bit of cheap woodwork from scrap materials, but the main problem this will run into is that most jurisdictions will apply (or bend) laws about parking and temporary structures to take away and destroy your wooden trailer shelter. Or, in the case of Hungary, make homelessness illegal entirely. https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/15/europe/hungary-criminaliz... / http://abouthungary.hu/fundamental-law/qa-on-the-upcomi…
Why don't you just tell the poster straight-out that they have wasted their time; if only they'd talked with you first they could have spent that precious time working for real change. For shame indeed.
Re: Show HN: Occupod – a solid mobile sleeping shelter
#44Cool concept! You could fit a twin mattress in there. How about adding a variant that uses 2x4s for the bottom frame instead of pallets. If you're getting everything else at Home Depot, 2x4s will be easier to source. Now that you have an MVP, go get your first 10 customers! :)
Most of the time, pallets are free for the taking if you just ask. Whitewood pallets are mostly not returnable, and businesses get stacks and stacks of the things with deliveries. The lumber in a pallet costs on the order of $10-$20 if you were buying it retail.
My father-in-law built an entire horse barn out of pallets and shipping crates that were thrown away from his job.
Re: Show HN: Occupod – a solid mobile sleeping shelter
#45I didn't get it from the article but is there enough airflow to ensure you won't get a CO2 poisoning of you lock yourself inside?
There are no seals on the doors so probably plenty of airflow.
Re: Show HN: Occupod – a solid mobile sleeping shelter
#46Nice bit of cheap woodwork from scrap materials, but the main problem this will run into is that most jurisdictions will apply (or bend) laws about parking and temporary structures to take away and destroy your wooden trailer shelter. Or, in the case of Hungary, make homelessness illegal entirely. https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/15/europe/hungary-criminaliz... / http://abouthungary.hu/fundamental-law/qa-on-the-upcomi…
You're right that homelessness is a complex problem. However, taking steps to protect lives (or even just improve comfort) isn't papering over the problem. I think taking tiny steps toward a solution, even limited in scope, is still a very helpful thing to do.
Re: Show HN: Occupod – a solid mobile sleeping shelter
#47Interesting but I think I'd rather have a backpack carrying a tent, sleeping bag, and pad. That's a fine shelter used by backpackers everywhere in all sorts of severe conditions, with much easier and less conspicuous mobility than rolling this thing around.
Those things do not provide any physical security though, which is a very real concern for homeless people. In fact, the sort of lightweight, high-quality equipment that most backpackers choose, would likely just invite theft and/or violence.
Re: Show HN: Occupod – a solid mobile sleeping shelter
#48Re: Show HN: Occupod – a solid mobile sleeping shelter
#49Nice bit of cheap woodwork from scrap materials, but the main problem this will run into is that most jurisdictions will apply (or bend) laws about parking and temporary structures to take away and destroy your wooden trailer shelter. Or, in the case of Hungary, make homelessness illegal entirely. https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/15/europe/hungary-criminaliz... / http://abouthungary.hu/fundamental-law/qa-on-the-upcomi…
Why don't you just tell the poster straight-out that they have wasted their time; if only they'd talked with you first they could have spent that precious time working for real change. For shame indeed.
lmao
Re: Show HN: Occupod – a solid mobile sleeping shelter
#50The back has a hinge section that folds down to fit a +6' person fully extended. I will work to make that part clearer by including a second picture at top of site. Also, I will include to find HT pallet rather than a chemically treated one. These completed Occupods run $50 each. The city can trash them if that is their prerogative and I am not opposed to shanty towns at all.