ISO tiny house on a trailer in the PNW - where do I look?

[tag]

I only did a quick search online and didn't see the range I thought I would. Looking for something already on wheels, around 200 sq ft, and within 4-5 hours drive of Seattle or Boise.

Any tips where to start looking?

[Syonyk]

Did you search for "RV" or "Trailer house"? :p

Some even come with their own motor!

You're incredibly unlikely to find a prebuilt "tiny home" someone is looking to sell.  They're not commercially produced (because they tend to be illegal or at least "not explicitly legal" in most areas), and a commercial layout is unlikely to work well for many people, because everyone has different goals.

And insulating small structures like that is hard.  If you have a lot of insulation, you generally eat into living space badly.

But, the good news is that they're fairly cheap to build!

[seattlecyclone]

Did you search for "RV" or "Trailer house"? :p

Some even come with their own motor!

I'm with you there. I don't really get the "tiny house" movement. I understand the desire to live a minimal life, with a mobile dwelling. What I don't get is why it has to be artistically handcrafted out of wood. Winnebago and others have been designing small mobile dwellings for many years and they've gotten pretty good at it.

[tag]

Thanks, all! I'm not looking for my primary residence. I do have 4 young children :)

We are downsizing to 1400 sq ft NEXT WEEK to kick off our FIRE plan. And I'm completely fine with it except there will be zero room for guests, and I want to have family/friends be able to come and stay, not have to pay for accommodation and most of all stay close to us. I just need some extra sleeping quarters in the backyard. Like a bunk-house.

Let the brainstorm begin....

[BTDretire]

That should be easy if it's just for guests to stay a few days at a time.
And I'm sure with patience and spreading the word, you will find someone eager to sell theirs.
https://www.google.com/search?q=travel+trailers&client=firefox-b-1&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjT_YWi2LvcAhXvUN8KHWAqBpYQ_AUICygC&biw=1280&bih=612

[Syonyk]

We are downsizing to 1400 sq ft NEXT WEEK to kick off our FIRE plan. And I'm completely fine with it except there will be zero room for guests, and I want to have family/friends be able to come and stay, not have to pay for accommodation and most of all stay close to us. I just need some extra sleeping quarters in the backyard. Like a bunk-house.

Ah.  Yeah.  You want an older travel trailer of some sort.  If you've got a way to hook it into septic, that's the easiest option for dealing with waste, though "You wanna use the toilet, you come in the house" is also acceptable.

You could build something, but for that particular use case, I wouldn't bother.  Some sort of trailer will work just fine.  If you can put up a roof over it, you can get a pretty old and beat one that's still structurally sound and it'll last a long time.

You could also offer them tents and sleeping bags!

We don't have much in the way of guest space (sort of by design), so it limits long term family visiting.

[tag]

I don't care for the look of a travel trailer permanently parked in my backyard. That's probably why tiny houses were invented - they are so much prettier!

[JanetJackson]

https://tinyhouselistings.com/


Check there first, and if you don't find anything you may want to try to vary your search terms on google.  I've found the THL site to be great though.

[Syonyk]

I don't care for the look of a travel trailer permanently parked in my backyard. That's probably why tiny houses were invented - they are so much prettier!

Why do you care if it's on wheels, then?

Just build something out.  Keep it below a certain square footage and you shouldn't need much in the way of permits unless you have permanent wiring or water run out there.

[Papa bear]

Umm MMM just did a blog post on this.  Build your own!!


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[db_cooper]

We have a small teardrop, and a septic hookup.
When we have company that's too much for our 1400 sqft. house, the wife and I use the camper.

We use the camper 4 or 5 times a year as our hotel room.  Makes more sense than a fixed tiny house.

[calimom]

I don't care for the look of a travel trailer permanently parked in my backyard. That's probably why tiny houses were invented - they are so much prettier!

How do you feel about a vintage-ish Airstream? I have to admit I love the look of them, and I wonder if it would be a solution to your guest and private space needs? I have my grandparents' 1955 Aljoa trailer in my backyard and it serves as an additional bedroom and sometimes I retreat there myself when my kids have friends over and the house is particularly…loud.

[tag]

Why do you care if it's on wheels, then?

Just build something out.  Keep it below a certain square footage and you shouldn't need much in the way of permits unless you have permanent wiring or water run out there.
[/quote]

Because I want to be able to remove it if/when I want to. I just need a solution for the next 2-3 years. If I build something then I have to really commit.

[Dicey]

Seems like a lightly used travel trailer is the easiest and most economical choice.

[Papa bear]

Why do you care if it's on wheels, then?

Just build something out.  Keep it below a certain square footage and you shouldn't need much in the way of permits unless you have permanent wiring or water run out there.

Because I want to be able to remove it if/when I want to. I just need a solution for the next 2-3 years. If I build something then I have to really commit.
[/quote]

Build the "shed" tiny home on 4x4 "skids". When you want it moved, rent a forklift to move it. Again, MMM did a nice one for 3500. Tiny houses are stupid expensive for what you get.   If you are only going to move it once, don't pay to have it on a trailer.


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[austin944]

Because I want to be able to remove it if/when I want to. I just need a solution for the next 2-3 years. If I build something then I have to really commit.

If you only need it a few weeks out of the year, then I'd think renting a travel trailer would be more cost-efficient than any other solution.  By renting, you would not need to look at the trailer all the time.

This site looks promising: 
https://www.outdoorsy.com/
Apparently some of the owners will bring their trailer to your site and set it up for you.

[sparkytheop]

I would not go a pre-built tiny house route as prices are insane.  If it's the aesthetics you're worried about, I'd build a shed to store a regular travel trailer in.  Combined, it will cost a lot less than a "Tiny Home", and you could get use of the trailer for vacations.

If you're insistent on it being a Tiny Home, there are some here (but again, $$$$...$)

https://tinyhouselistings.com/countries/united-states/states/oregon (also check Idaho and Washington)

https://oregoncottagecompany.net/

https://www.tinysmarthouse.com/faq/


Also, if you would want to finish one that has been framed but not completed, I could PM a link to a classified ad.

I looked into them to build get a place on my 9 acre plot, figuring it would be great since it's just me, but not for the price they want (on or off a trailer), so I decided to go with just a "regular house" when I do mine.