This recreational vehicle masquerading as a tiny cottage is clad in charred wood and sleeps up to eight people.

The Escape One XL was launched this month by Escape Homes. "Measuring just under 400 square feet, the tiny home on wheels can sleep up to eight and expands on the organic design of its slightly smaller sibling," said the company.

With a boxy exterior clad in timber, and large windows over two levels connected by a staircase, it looks more like a micro dwelling than a recreational vehicle (RV). But it is classed such, so does not require foundations or incur property tax.

If offers 388 square feet (36 square metres) of internal space, with an 11-foot-high (3.4-metre) ceiling in the central kitchen area. Two sleeping lofts at either end have five-foot (1.5-metre) ceiling heights and are linked by a thin shelf above the front door.

One side – above a private bedroom – is accessed by a full-size staircase, while the other over the enclosed bathroom can be reached via a ladder. Closet space and drawers are built into the staircase to maximise the useable area. The bathroom has a 60-inch bath/shower, a vanity unit and a toilet.

The micro home's wood siding is charred using the Japanese technique of Shou Sugi Ban, which also covers a tiny guest house at the base of the world's most active volcano.

Large windows allow plenty of daylight into the wood-lined interior. Optional features include French doors, built-in beds, flatscreen TVs, stone countertops, USB outlets and external showers.

"Escape One XL is easily transported via its own trailer, and is crafted with high-efficiency insulation and climate control options that allow it to withstand extreme heat or cold," said the manufacturer, which is marketing the mobile homes from $69,800 (£54,500).

The model is an expanded version of the company's earlier Escape One, which is slightly smaller at 276 square feet and costs from $49,800 (£38,900).

Demand for tiny homes has exploded in the US, with potential homeowners looking for ways to save money and live simply. Some of the options available include a high-tech micro dwelling equipped with smartphone-controlled systems, a tiny cabin with a climbing wall up its side, and prefabricated cottages designed with computer algorithms.

Japanese brand Muji is also capitalising on this popularity, and is set to sell tiny blackened timber huts for £21,000 from late 2017.

Photography is by Steve Niedorf and ESCAPE RV.