Comments on: Trailers for Tiny Houses

By: Melinda

Melinda — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 19:30:06 +0000

If you have welding skills you might be able to build one yourself for a lot less than buying a trailer. I found these plans on ebay. http://cgi.ebay.com/8X20-Flatbed-Utility-Trailer-Plans-Instructions-BOM-/280706515596#vi-content

I am considering building a 8×20 house on a trailer. After reading up on building codes it seems like building on a trailer is the best way to avoid problems with building codes.

By: Nerida

Nerida — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 17:51:09 +0000

So why isnt it safe to have the flat bed entirely over the wheels and a loft?

@Anon, you’ve probably solved your issues by now but if you havent started, check with your Road & Traffic Authority. I’m in Australia and we have a minimum ground clearance which is actually quite a bit lower that the total wheel height so you can have the tray dropped if you go for a custom built trailer.

But you do need to consider the ground clearance and what type of roads or land you will be moving your little house over. Plus what you will be doing with your plumbing.

By: anon

anon — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 03:23:25 +0000

I just got this new idea for building a Tumbleweed- in my garage. I ignored this idea before because the loft would not fit, but then I realized I might be able to install it later- most of the plumbing and insulation will likely need most of the attention on the first floor. My garage height is 87″ or possibly 87″-90″ with the door open and there’s more than enough space for a 15′ trailer with 3 feet for the part that connects to a pickup. So, my question is, if the base of a flatbed is 19″ in height (as listed on the Tumbleweed house website), which is the lowest height where the floor of the living room could start being built, I would have about 68″ to build the walls. This of course is too short, since I would like it at least 6’3″. But if I can find a trailer where the bed begins at 12″ or 14″ I’ll have 6 feet to build the walls before starting on the loft floor. If i can attach the roof later, I could save a lot of money and time (not to mention weather guard) building the first floor in my garage and rolling it out under the 88″ that I have. 7 feet and 3-4 inches is tight but I think it’d be possible. What is the minimum height a trailer bed can be? 12″? It would have to be one where the wheels are taller than the bed, of course.

By: Breh

Breh — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 06:37:34 +0000

I agree with Stuart and Joe above. I wonder if anyone has attempted this yet? Maybe I’ll call my local trailer shop and run this by them. On a related topic, there’s also a fella who built his floor frame right into the trailer frame, rather than sitting on top of it, in order to get a bit more headroom inside.

By: Joe3

Joe3 — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 07:44:50 +0000

I agree with Stuart…..I’d like the full height to take advantage of the loft. Hiding the wheel wells is asy to do/

By: Stuart

Stuart — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:12:16 +0000

with the full width Popomo Trailer giving the extra 18inches (assuming that its 8’6 wide vs 7′) it would be possible to find or fabricate a full width trailer where the wheel wells intrude upon the house, that small volume hidden in cabinets or beneath sitting, and then the addition of a loft would be possible

By: Attend a tiny house workshop | This Tiny House

Attend a tiny house workshop | This Tiny House — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:58:06 +0000

[...] gets down to the nitty gritty about how to build a tiny house from the ground up (including what type of trailer you need if you’re going to build on wheels). Even if you’re hiring a contractor, it’s [...]