The Maverick by General Shelters continues to be a great template for customized tiny (read: small, efficient) homes. Here is the standard Maverick floor plan:
Here is the modified floor plan:
To be clear, every cabin by General Shelters is great to customize, but as we have already shown in this post, adding two feet to the width and ten feet to the length really adds to the space
Built with wood framing like all other General Shelters cabins, this is fully insulated, wrapped in high gauge steel, and built to last generations. Refrigerator, stove/oven, dishwasher, and microwave are all included. Forgot to mention in the video that the cabin features central heat/air.
For the current model, we kept the width and size the same, but removed the dormer. Controversial move, because we love the extra light, but really do not miss it. We also removed the fixed kitchen island to allow more space for the owner to place a table. Additionally, we opted for the white interior trim instead of the rustic unfinished cedar slats – really makes the windows pop.
General Shelters of Texas manufactures the largest finished portable pier-and-beam buildings in the United States. This is not easy, though their fifty years experience makes it look simple enough.
They are wood-framed buildings, clad and roofed in steel, so they flex when moved. This is where General Shelters’ experience comes in. They have A/B tested techniques and processes so that the structure stays intact and holds together, such that only minor fixes need to be performed after delivery.
This is the final stage of installation, when the building is carefully lowered into place. Blocks have been placed where the pressure-treated interlaced skids will rest, expertly placed so the entire building is square and on the level.
Funny enough, they positioned the cabin at our location the day before to get an early start the next morning. Dimebox over in Lee County is about forty miles away, so I gave them a thirty minute or so head start and waited at the entrance of the property and waited for them. I chose an alternate route roughly the same length of time, so I thought I would arrive earlier then the install crew.
After forty five or so minutes I drove into the property to find they had already positioned the cabin and blocks! This is a short video showing the custom Chapparal being lowered into place:
There are very few manufacturers of portable pier-and-beam buildings in America, and, as far as we can tell, only one that builds finished out, ready to plug in buildings. That manufacturer is General Shelters, so it is not an exaggeration to say that the Cedar View III we have on location is the largest portable building of its kind in America.
The decades of experience they have culminates in this cabin. They know how to build wood frame buildings that can be delivered, blocked and levelled, without compromising the integrity of the structure.
The following video is an annotated walk-through of the custom Cedar View III we have currently on location at Trees of Central Texas. Astute observers will note that the actual model we commissioned has a few changes from the basic stock model. Here is the stock floor plan:
Of course, feel free to visit us for a tour of whatever cabins we have on site (unsure when you will be reading this and we will not update this post), as a Platinum Dealer for General Shelters we will always have something that illustrates the quality of their products.
When General Shelters says that the options for customization are practically limitless, they really mean it! Having manufactured finished portable pier-and-beam cabins for nearly twenty years, one would imagine that there is nothing new to offer. But the design team at General Shelters have done it again, adding The Farmstead and The Haven to their collection.
Like all other cabins, these are stick-built structures clad and roofed in steel. Portable, but not mobile homes or trailers. Designed to last generations, these are perfect cost-effective solutions delivered at a fraction of the time as built-on-site homes.
The Farmstead is an 18ft by 60ft (1080sf) two-bed/two-bath cabin with barn-style roofing. Featuring two dormers, the Farmstead is an open, bright model that feels much larger than its square footage. With doors on the front and back, it is ready to add a deck to either side. If you want a country themed cabin, the barn-style is perfect for you!
The master bedroom has an en-suite bathroom, and features a soaking tub, with a linen closet housing a stackable washer/dryer. The guest bedroom has a convenient Jack-and-Jill bathroom, with the commode available from the living area.
This model features the attractive Barnwash paneling, Galvalum ceiling, and brown vinyl flooring. White Dallas Granite is used throughout. Here is the spec sheet which lists all materials used in the construction of the Farmstead.
The kitchen is a chef’s dream, its huge island with its inset double stainless-steel sink perfect for meal prep, service, and clean-up. Conveniently, the island has room for seating four people.
The Farmstead includes a three-ton central HVAC, refrigerator, microwave, stove, oven, dishwasher, the aforementioned stackable washer/dryer, and in-line water heater. It is insulated floor to ceiling.
The Haven is a mono-slope one bedroom/bath cabin. Measuring 18ft x 36ft (648sf), windows at the top of the front wall allow plenty of light inside. Love that covered porch! [NOTE: the top windows are not included in the stock model.]
Part of General Shelters’ ‘Efficiency’ series, the Haven is built to limit costs. Toward that end, counters are formica, with spray sheetrock ceiling. Here is the spec sheet for the Haven.
Another cost-saving move is eliminating insulation beneath the floor, and including two window-mounted 12k BTU air conditioners in place of central HVAC.
The bathroom features plenty of space. While not ADA spec, the door is 36in wide, and features a step-in shower with seat. Featured throughout are Bianco Romano formica counters – very attractive and money-saving.
The bedroom looks dark from this angle, but there is an entire wall of windows on the front wall.; you can see them in pic below. Featured in this model are Pallet paneling for an especially rustic look.
Appliances include a stackable washer/dryer combo, 18cf refrigerator, 30in slide-in range, vented microwave, and the two wall-mounted 12k BTU air units.
As with other General Shelters buildings, they can be ordered to any level of finish and customization. Once you have submitted your changes, we submit those to the engineering team at General Shelters and they will advise whether those are possible or what can be done to meet your need.
We are excited to introduce you to these new floor plans! If you want to visit the homes we have on site at Trees of Central Texas, give a call at 979-836-7225 and swing on by. As a Platinum level dealer for General Shelters, we have helped hundreds of people design their perfect buildings!
Asks the important question “Could you live in this 800 sf cabin?” (A: YES!)
If you cruise YouTube looking for interesting, engaging content about tiny homes, you have probably watched some of Beau Brotherton’s videos. He and his wife left Dallas suburbia to develop a homestead in beautiful Milam County, Texas. They have documented their journey extensively on their YouTube channel , website, and podcasts.
Since our location at Trees of Central Texas is only a short drive south, he stopped by to visit and bring his observations to the world. He first documents our custom Bluewater, and, needless to say, was very impressed!
If you are interested in well-built pier-and-beam cabins from General Shelters – a recognized leader in the industry – plan on a visit to our location at Trees of Central Texas in Brenham, email us, or call us at 979-836-7225.
General Shelters has a lot to talk about, but sometimes pictures are worth thousands and thousands of words.
Take this promotional video, for example. Chock full of pictures submitted by customers, and featuring pictures of staged buildings, nothing tells the story of the coziness and quaintness of Genera Shelters’ cabins like seeing them in full color. Rustic and individualized, General Shelters offers flexibility and durability to your building.
We look forward to the annual General Shelters dealer seminar, and every year we are astonished to see their current projects when we visit. 2025 did not disappoint!
Located in the piney woods of far East Texas, General Shelters hand crafts all of their buildings in several sprawling manufacturing facilities in Center, TX. It is a beautiful part of the state, and so far East Texas that one could hit Louisiana with a rock. There is always a lot of work going on, but the workspace is incredibly organized and picked up.
Because they are built in a dried-in environment, there are no rain delays or materials left out in the weather. Above, a standard Cedar View is midway through its all-wood construction, the colony-green offset nicely by the steel cedar accent wall. Below, the truss for the dormer; the insulation has yet to be installed, which can be blown fiberglass, or foam cell.
The buildings are all clad in 29 gauge steel, which is “rolled” in another facility on the property. The siding passes easily as board and batten siding. Never paint again: the siding and roof colors are backed by a 40 year waranty. The building below is our custom “Texas Two-Step (2be/2ba),” with a custom painted cedar gable.
The executive staff have worked alongside each other for decades, bringing valuable years worth of experience and love of craft to their builds. It really is a family business at heart, and it feels like visiting with a family of incredibly skilled individuals. Because they have worked closely with each other, they have seen and done everything; if you have an idea for your cabin, they can expertly advise based on over fifty years of experience
We were excited to see examples of their mobile product, as well. Unlike the custom cabins, which are delivered on a trailer and carefully slid off then blocked/leveled, their mobile buildings are permanently fixed to a trailers. And what a trailer: five axles! This means all one needs is a powerful truck and a hitch to relocate. This is one of twenty that they were building at the time of our visit; two others are seen on the far side of the lot.
Very straightforward design, with an office on each end and a large room in the middle. It was surprising to see only space for a half fridge: whoever ordered this was all business. Built for functionality, it featured steel doors and window bars, vinyl paneling for walls and flooring, with a gypsum ceiling.
These units were custom-made for deployment in the oil field, and perfectly illustrate the versatility and deep bench that General Shelters brings for anyone who needs a large, secure place of business. To say it again: if you submit a design idea, the engineering team at General Shelters will expertly advise what it will take to make your vision a reality.
The seminar itself was very informative, with an emphasis on properly advising customers on the delivery and installation of the buildings. It is a significant engineering feat to get buildings to their final destination, and a lot of things need to be properly done for this to be done seamlessly. Oftentimes the buildings are delivered in relatively remote locations with unimproved access, and it sounded like some team members did a better job of observing the delivery route before the building arrives on-site than others.
Thankfully, the team at Trees of Central Texas performs pre-delivery assessments to follow up on the initial site-inspection to determine that action items have been completed. The biggest snafu was, apparently, the presence of branches and tree limbs along county roads. Even then, it sounded like General Shelters went the extra mile and remediated any damage that occurred.
It was good to hear from other team members about what they have been designing, and look forward to next year’s meeting. If you are seriously considering purchasing a building, they will entertain visitors for brief tours of the facility,
Very straightforward design, with an office on each end and a large room in the middle. It was surprising to see only space for a half fridge: whoever ordered this was all business. Built for functionality, it featured steel doors and window bars, vinyl paneling for walls and flooring, with a gypsum ceiling.
Texas Big Little Cabins 